Backlash, Timing, and Reporting

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This week I have done some thinking about whether my work has been an exercise in codesign or not. That results of my thoughts can be found in the course booki.

Infographic Workshop & Tech Article

Next Tuesday the Tech Article that I have been working on for HIA will go out. I received comments on the first draft from the Campus Life Editor Saturday and talked with the graphics department about the graphic I am planning- inspired by the drawing created during the Infographic Workshop held last Friday!! (pictured below)

The Discussion, Politics & Advocacy @MIT Workshop (Infographic Workshop), had a low turnout but I received a lot of bounce back –

Contacted by member of MIT’s Jewish Community Concerned that I forgot to include them along with some of the religious groups I invited to the Workshop.

Asked for an update on the findings of the workshop from MIT’s Lutheran Episcopal Ministry who I have connections with through HIA/The Technology and Culture Forum (T&C), and Director Mytty.

I was able to learn and connect with one of the exec members of Active Minds, a student mental health advocacy group just launched a post-it note campaign in the infinite this week- another example of how students are reached on campus| fun – entertaining – installations.

What I learned

It was interesting to learn about how Active Minds like Relay for Life, another successful and integrated student group is part of a nationwide organization. Most of the advocacy groups that I have run into are:

1. Off the grid: started by passionate students/friends or with the support of outsiders- nationwide organizations or churches

2. Administrative: related to the institute’s administrative offices, DSL| Division of Student Life, DUE| Department of Undergraduate Education, SAO| Student Activities Office

I had planned the workshop for the group of 6 that had RSVP’d from MITOccupy, The Forum, Active Minds, and the Black Students Union:

Instead I used Charlie’s dotstorm to take some notes and had more of a conversation learning about how Active Minds has sustained itself and how the exec member pictured his student group’s connection to the Administration and  to the student body that they hope to serve.

 

Key takeaways from the Workshop discussion:

MIT students can be qualified as skeptics. Unless questions are asked in the right way [forum/location] they will not be answered with the  clarity and freedom of expression that is needed to generate understanding. A number of realizations, covered in the Tech article, discuss how this quality can be leveraged.

Board Activity Outcome: MIT is structured like a bubble and the administration is on the outside. The less obvious statement is that inside the bubble there are divisions that are rarely crossed and it is the result of efficiency.

One of the most interesting statements that I have encountered during my time as an organizer for HIA is “MIT is segregated.” 
The outcome of the workshop was a bit biased because there were only two of us; however, the result, a statement that we exist within student group bubbles mimicked the . Each is really dynamic.  Reaching out and engaging deeply through reflection and work is something that occurs few and far between. There is a need for engineering in discussion- the manufacturing and start up bug in advocacy.
I think there is a lot of promise in the UA initiatives that I have learned about- making MIT Undergrads more connected by creating an online presence.
Though I argued against relying on internet platforms due to the current usage of the class websites, I believe that HIA can help make online MIT community engagement more widespread by taking the findings we have generated in studying and helping groups and students involved in service and politics/advocacy this semester.
My last actions for this year will be to schedule a meeting with Kate Mytty with the Support, Research, and now Reporting that we have done this semester we have started to make plans for working to make Charter Day happen.