Random Goings On

Hey peoples, I'm about to crash and i'd love to, but duty calls.

So, the LACCD (Los Angeles Community College District) Board of Trustees met today at LASC (Los Angeles Southwest College). Pretty campus, still a lot of construction or remodeling going on, but it was a nice place.

The meeting itself was all right, as much fun as any public hearing can be i suppose. Anyway, there was some drama that came up from people currently left out of the loop or just in general opposition to funding the 9 new PIRG chapters at the LACCD, but overall, it seems that these people are in the minority for various reasons. Some may be uninformed, others running on incorrect hearsay, others just morally opposed, others feeling threatened by our presence, or still others just doing what they're told. The 9 ASO Presidents apparently voted on some initial contracts of ours last Friday, and there was some confusion with that.

I don't know what the ASO is exactly or what they do, but what i got from the meeting was that they do some of the same type of work, and foster leadership development kinda like us. However, i'm not so sure they have access to the same scope of resources or the same extensive network we enjoy.

Whatever happens, it should be exciting times moving forward, and clearly you could feel the energy from the supporters and the momentum on our side.

On another note, if anyone has any particular aversion to calpirg but really likes to fight global warming, we have an open invitation to another retreat in Davis this week, this one for the California Student Sustainability Coalition. Any takers? No? Yeah, that's what i thought.

E-C Stuff, Retreat Agenda

Hot off the presses from last night's call and the hand of Michael Reagan...for all like two of the people going on this thing. But for anyone that still cared about what we'll be talking about or the contents of said retreat:

"This is a rough agenda for the two days at Davis for the retreat. We still need to fill the rest of the trainings with trainers.

SATURDAY

10:00 Intros

10:30 Training Session #1

11:30 Training Session #2

12:30 Lunch

1:30 Discussion on how to run a coordinated statewide campaign--what is the role of a statewide student leader, how can we make sure our efforts are making as big of a political impact as possible

2:00 Campaign Breakouts

4:00 Introducing a New Campaign--What's Your Plan

4:30 Campaign discussion--which campaigns should we run? what should be our lead campaign for fall 07?

6:00 DINNER!

SUNDAY

10:00 Revisiting the three year plan--What the EC has done in the last 3 months, where we still have to go. Whats our plan to get off pledge.

12:00 Budget

1:30 Lunch

2:30 CALPIRG's coalition efforts--discussion on the EAC and possible efforts to reach out in the future

3:00 Summer Plans--set up plans for the canvass and summer campaign work, including how we should launch What's Your Plan in the summer

4:00 Lobby Training

6:00 Wrap up

Each training session will be run by a staffer and a member of the EC:
Campaign Strategy Development--how to plan out a winning campaign
How to host the biggest event of campus
How to keep a campaign visible and in the media
Advanced Leadership Development--How to be the best Chapter Chair--Mike
Power Mapping--plot out your political targets and how to persuade them--Tessa
Coalition Building--Create a movement on your campus--Nelson"

Our Little Sustainability Fair

Well everybody, time to come out and stop by our table and all the tables. Volunteer if you can, stop by at least if you can't, and support everybody that's going to be there trying to educate the masses about how to live greener! It's about a semester and a half in the making, and the love, sweat, and tears of many of the CCC -- Krista, Ruchika, Tessa, Rachel, Ahbinay, Shana -- i'm lookin at you guys.

Also, get some free swag.

The schedule of hours is as follows:
Simon: 2-4
Kalista: 9:30-11:30
Jason: 2-4
Jonathan: 12:30-3
Paul: 10-11 and 2-4
Julie Insinger: 11-12 and 2-4
Nhi: 11-2
Natalie Willens: 11-12:30
Brandy Gordon: 1-2:30
Abhinay: 1-4
Julie Donohoe: 10-11:30
Ruchika:10-12:30 and 2-4
Krista: 10-1:50
Me: 10-12:30

EARTH WEEK! also, CAMP DARFUR!

First, Camp Darfur. Out in front of Tommy Trojan, 10-5. Be there, or be a bad person. That's right, i'm judging you.

Second, it's Earth Week everybody! Get excited, because the Earth loves you, no matter how much you may hate her. And there's no better way to return that love than with a week-long series of fairs, movie screenings, and events to get back at that old hag!

If you've ever felt guilty about consuming so much and wasting so much and not recycling that bottle that one time or living like you'll need five planets to sustain your lifestyle, this is the week to get smart about sustainability and how to live green!

The agenda:
Monday (4/23)
Casual lunch engagement with Professor Manahan, whose research in Antarctica was used in the film "An Inconvenient Truth"! Free Subway!
12:30pm-1:30pm, VKC 261

Screening of "An Inconvenient Truth". Refreshments provided!
7:00pm, THH 301

Tuesday (4/24)
CalPIRG's Sustainability Fair (Bam!)
10:00am-4:00pm, Tommy Trojan

Screening of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Refreshments provided!
7:00pm, THH 301

Wednesday (2/25)
Environment Fair
(featuring several dozen environmental organizations and businesses)
10:00am-2:00pm, Trousdale Pkwy

Speaker event with representative from South Central Farm.
Free catered Vegisoul vegetarian dinner!
6:00pm, THH 101

Thursday (4/26)
Native California Plant Planting
12pm-3:30pm, Alumni Park

Drum Circle
6:00pm, Finger Fountain

Screening of "The Future of Food"
Refreshments provided!
7:00pm, WPH B27

Friday (4/27)
Freecycle!
Promote waste reduction. Recycle unwanted items.
1:00pm-3:00pm, McCarthy Quad

CalPIRG Retreat

So, I already know turn-out is going to be low, but for those who didn't know it yet, our second "quarter" statewide retreat is this weekend the 28-29, culminating with our Lobby Day on the 30th. It's going to be on the campus of UC Davis this time, due to its proximity to Sacramento and all.

The idea is to go for the two days of retreat, where the main attraction is our 3-Year plan (Stalin-esque, i know!) and our budget, then find your local assemblyperson/state senator and tell them that you think they should vote on x,y, and z bills. Sounds like a dream, i know, but the timing could not be worse for a lot of us.

Also, just to throw it out there, go support Alex and Marissa this weekend at their Boom Kat Dance Company Spring Concert 2007 also from the 28-30, 8:00PM every night, tickets on sale now.

First!

The first of many more to come, hopefully.

Well, since we don't have Taylor anymore :( she took the site she was making with her when she left. So in lieu of that, I felt we should still have a forum, still have a place to communicate with one another a whole lot easier than mass e-mails to core all the time. On top of that, a place for the normal folk to keep up with our work to see where there money is going, keep up with events, and just to be 100% transparent. Like air, baby.

The idea here is to have everybody just post about their stuff, their campaigns, local events, cool things going on, statewide stuff, things like that. This way, next time we see each other, we don't have to spend so much time catching up and we can instead focus on what really counts: furthering our respective campaigns and not taking half an hour at core updating everybody.

So here's to tighter-knit communications, better visibility, and to the best damn chapter of Calpirg in the state. Ever. And to hyperbole.