full week: fair trade forum, French film, Zinn, panel on Paris and a failed midterm
Words of wisdom from my roommate: "Bribery always works, unless you don't take bribes." Stef convinced me to walk in the freezing cold down to the gym to get a free shirt and some pizza, hence why I am wearing my scarf on my head (kept my ears warm!).
Last night, I saw Howard Zinn of A People's History of the United States fame speak in an abandoned furniture store that become so cold (due to the lack of heating) the lecture was cut short due to shivering. "Lecture" would only loosely describe last night's talk, however, as Zinn spoke for a few minutes about the contents of his latest book and then took questions for an hour and a bit afterward. The order of the questions almost flowed as if he'd given an uninterrupted speech, however, with a focus on politics today and what social movements need to be doing to create change supported by examples from the past. Zinn said nothing revolutionary, but it was fantastic to listen to him reiterate points I needed to hear. He abandoned the podium and microphone early on, preferring to stand only feet away from me in the aisle of the fifth row, gesticulating wildly as an enraptured audience listened, hushed as we struggled to hear his voice. My well-worn copy of A People's History is now autographed and will happily be reread after Nic finishes with it.
Petitioning with STAND this week has been a frustrating experience. We're seeking support for disinvesting Brandeis' endowments from companies engaged in business in Sudan as a way to cut funding for the Janjaweed militias. One person refused to sign it on the grounds that she doesn't like how STAND is a "trendy" organization on campus-just because you disagree with STAND doesn't mean you can't sign the petition and save a life! At least she thought before signing; so many people have started to sign before knowing to what the petition relates, or before they have read the measure. I'm not sure which baffles me more, the apathy concerning the political process or the willingness to sign an unfamiliar document.
Nic a suggéré que j’écris quelque chose profonde au sujet de l’enfance parce que nous avons vu le film Tanguy. Il s’agit d’un homme de 28 ans qui habite toujours chez ses parents. Ses parents veulent qu'il déménage, mais il craigne partir, alors ils commencent un grand conspiration dans le style de Home Alone pour se débarrasser de Tanguy. La nuit, ils interrompent Tanguy, qui se lève tôt chaque matin, et sa mère dit des choses horribles à ses petites amies. Finalement, ils décorent sa chambre avec des jouets en peluche et un berceau. Le film était très amusant, mais pourtant, je n’ai rien à dire sur l’enfance au cause de ce film.