This year’s panel went much better than last. I should have known it was going to be a good day between the impeccable weather early on and the fact that we didn’t have to wait in the line wrapped around the Pace building for our tickets. Panelists got fast tracked to the front of the line. We had our tickets in hand within five minutes and had plenty of time to grab breakfast before we went on at noon.
Just prior to our time slot we briefly met with the other panelists Brianne, Nathan and Monica. All of them were super cool and spoke on a number of things regarding the debt students encumbered to receive a higher education and alternate forms of education (Their links listed at the bottom of this blog). While they spoke I did my best to live tweet the event though I probably came off as some jerk off on their cell phone.
“That asshole is still on her phone. She hasn’t put it down in twenty minutes!”
I swear for those of you that were there at the panel I was paying attention. I had hoped that the Left Forum would have picked up on one of several hashtags I planted to RT them but it appears that it didn’t work. (Boo-Hiss). So much for me being clever.
We screened only raw excepts of ‘Junct for the audience. Most of it was footage we had shown down in DC back in December but we also added a clip from the Temple U. walk out that took place last summer. Overall the screening was well received. I had one complaint afterwards about the audio but it was something I had picked up on as well during the screening and can adjust in post. Still, it was nice to get that feedback as reinforcement.
I was a little concerned during the panel when I looked out at the audience and wondered if maybe they had checked out completely. A few of them looked like they were taking notes, but they could have easily been drawing stick figures. To my surprise during the Q&A session people started hammering the other panelists with questions and their thoughts on the subject. People had detailed notes and were writing down websites almost as fast as the people suggesting them. What I found the most fascinating about this particular forum was the fact that there were only 3 people who were contingent faculty. The rest were either students or people genuinely interested in the subject. I have to assume that the message we are trying to present in ‘Junct is slowly creeping out. This is no longer a subject that only Adjuncts are aware of. The next step is to make this public knowledge. Hopefully ‘Junct can acheive that once we unleash it, like a Kraken.
The only thing I regret about the panel is we didn’t get a chance to really talk about the next step with ‘Junct; the potential US tour. I’m not overly concerned because we do not have any of the specifics hammered out but it would have been nice.
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| Default: The Student Loan Documentary |
The positive thing that came out of panel was meeting with one of the reporters at The Chronicle for Higher Education. They are interested in interviewing DLS and I about the documentary. The reporter is supposed to contact us in a week or so with questions. They want the real low down on the film so it should be interesting to see what they print out of my quotes.
“You do realize you dropped the F bomb 26 times in the span of three minutes?”
The randomly cool thing was the minor celebrity we had in the audience. Captain Ray Lewis, the retired cop from Philly that got arrested at OWS was there listening to us. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him personally but how fucking cool is that?
“27”
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