Disclaimer: this is not
an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information
purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or
concerns
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Putting it Together
Hi - if you have skills laying out a newsletter full of great articles and images relating to social justice and the environment, consider joining the OPIRG McMaster newsletter committee. We aim to put together a beautiful print newsletter by the beginning of December. If you have used Indesign, consider that a bonus!Contact randy.opirg@gmail.com to get involved!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
OPIRG's Threadwork has the Sil in Stitches!
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011 THE SILHOUETTE • C5
Swap a top and move shoes for free
Threadwork and MacGreen host annual Clothing Swap event
Chris Erl
The Silhouette
“Hang on, I have to show you the coat,” she said, running to the ‘Outerwear’ pile. She returned a minute later wearing a baby blue blazer, strips of fur lining the hood and stuck aimlessly all over the front of the ensemble. The inside of the coat was even more fabulous, lined entirely with an audacious leopard print.
The coat in question was a mere sampling of the selection at this year’s Clothing Swap, organized by OPIRG working group Threadwork and the MSU’s MacGreen. Over 90 people participated in the event, which was organized by third-year Arts and Science students Alexandra Epp, Alice Cavanagh and Isabelle Dobronyi, as well as MacGreen Co- ordinator Davey Hamada. Cavanagh, the enthusiastic model of the ambitious blue coat, summarized goal of the movement. “Basically, our aim is to support a sustainable cloth- ing economy on campus,” she said “I don’t want to say it’s about ‘anti-consumerism,’ but that kind of attitude towards reducing our consumerist needs,” Epp noted, shedding light on the principle of the movement: lessening the need to pay for what is available through alternative means.
The system is simple. A call for clothing items was sent out prior to the event. Everyone who contributed during the week- long collection period received points, which would be redeemable for other items of cloth- ing. On-the-spot swap-day exchanges were a possibility as well, with one participant at- tempting a rather spontaneous transaction.
“We actually just had someone swap the shoes off his feet,” Epp said, though later, the would-be swapper noted that the desired shoes were not his size, but he was intrigued by the potential for footwear that was already broken in.
“My goal is to have someone swap the entire outfit they’re wearing,” Epp continued with a laugh, prompting Cavanagh to note the changing-room tents in which participants could try on items. The methodology was such that Threadwork attempted to get as many people interested in the project as possible. Particularly, they targeted those who would be opposed to the idea of donning someone else’s blue blazer if it was hanging on a rack in a vintage store. “We bring it to people who would never go to Value Village and buy used clothes,” Epp said.
An alternative suggested was to simply allow people to take clothes without contributing any of their own, but the group agreed that the point system was a better way to combat the negative perceptions associated with used clothing without compromising their ideals surrounding sustainability.
“It makes it more appealing to people who wouldn’t necessarily want to take free clothes from someone else,” Cavanagh explained. “We’re continually looking at alternative methods of clothing-swapping.”
There is an element of economic justice that accompanies an event like this, but the organizers are taking a realist approach toward any larger aims. “Last year, one of our slogans was ‘Working Toward a Sustainable Clothing Economy on Campus,’ which is obviously hugely ambitious and unachievable, but its kind of nice to have those underlying goals,” Epp said.
The working group soldiers on re-gardless, planning a second swap for the spring, as well as organizing a knitting work- shop, hashing out plans for a similar sewing event and working on ways to improve awareness around initiatives that work to- wards a more sustainable way to change your wardrobe.
Their goals are ambitious, but they approach a serious issue in a fun and en- gaging way. It would seem that Threadwork’s Clothing Swap has you covered, from outrageous blazers to already broken-in shoes, no matter what your style is.
 |
| thread work clothing swap, photo courtesy thread work |
Threadwork and MacGreen host annual Clothing Swap event
Chris Erl
The Silhouette
“Hang on, I have to show you the coat,” she said, running to the ‘Outerwear’ pile. She returned a minute later wearing a baby blue blazer, strips of fur lining the hood and stuck aimlessly all over the front of the ensemble. The inside of the coat was even more fabulous, lined entirely with an audacious leopard print.
The coat in question was a mere sampling of the selection at this year’s Clothing Swap, organized by OPIRG working group Threadwork and the MSU’s MacGreen. Over 90 people participated in the event, which was organized by third-year Arts and Science students Alexandra Epp, Alice Cavanagh and Isabelle Dobronyi, as well as MacGreen Co- ordinator Davey Hamada. Cavanagh, the enthusiastic model of the ambitious blue coat, summarized goal of the movement. “Basically, our aim is to support a sustainable cloth- ing economy on campus,” she said “I don’t want to say it’s about ‘anti-consumerism,’ but that kind of attitude towards reducing our consumerist needs,” Epp noted, shedding light on the principle of the movement: lessening the need to pay for what is available through alternative means.
The system is simple. A call for clothing items was sent out prior to the event. Everyone who contributed during the week- long collection period received points, which would be redeemable for other items of cloth- ing. On-the-spot swap-day exchanges were a possibility as well, with one participant at- tempting a rather spontaneous transaction.
“We actually just had someone swap the shoes off his feet,” Epp said, though later, the would-be swapper noted that the desired shoes were not his size, but he was intrigued by the potential for footwear that was already broken in.
OPIRG working group Threadwork and the MSU’s
MacGreen teamed up for this year’s Clothing Swap.
“My goal is to have someone swap the entire outfit they’re wearing,” Epp continued with a laugh, prompting Cavanagh to note the changing-room tents in which participants could try on items. The methodology was such that Threadwork attempted to get as many people interested in the project as possible. Particularly, they targeted those who would be opposed to the idea of donning someone else’s blue blazer if it was hanging on a rack in a vintage store. “We bring it to people who would never go to Value Village and buy used clothes,” Epp said.
An alternative suggested was to simply allow people to take clothes without contributing any of their own, but the group agreed that the point system was a better way to combat the negative perceptions associated with used clothing without compromising their ideals surrounding sustainability.
“It makes it more appealing to people who wouldn’t necessarily want to take free clothes from someone else,” Cavanagh explained. “We’re continually looking at alternative methods of clothing-swapping.”
There is an element of economic justice that accompanies an event like this, but the organizers are taking a realist approach toward any larger aims. “Last year, one of our slogans was ‘Working Toward a Sustainable Clothing Economy on Campus,’ which is obviously hugely ambitious and unachievable, but its kind of nice to have those underlying goals,” Epp said.
The working group soldiers on re-gardless, planning a second swap for the spring, as well as organizing a knitting work- shop, hashing out plans for a similar sewing event and working on ways to improve awareness around initiatives that work to- wards a more sustainable way to change your wardrobe.
Their goals are ambitious, but they approach a serious issue in a fun and en- gaging way. It would seem that Threadwork’s Clothing Swap has you covered, from outrageous blazers to already broken-in shoes, no matter what your style is.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Gold and Guatemala - film night tonight!
OPIRG's Guatemala working group and Hamilton Students for Social Justice working group are showing this film that documents Mayan indigenous groups in Guatemala, who courageously resist the imposition of a gold mine owned by Canadian trans-national company.
http://www.cinemapolitica.org/screening/opirgmcmaster/opirg-mcmaster-film-night
Tonight, inBurke Science Building room 106, McMaster Medical Centre, Ewart Angus 1A3, McMaster University. Free. Starts at 7pm
http://www.cinemapolitica.org/screening/opirgmcmaster/opirg-mcmaster-film-night
Tonight, in
Monday, November 14, 2011
scenes from a clothing swap
Check out more photos on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OPIRG.McMaster
Thursday, November 10, 2011
It's CLOTHING SWAP Monday!!!
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Otherwise Occupied?
Occupy McMaster University
A call for McMaster University students, faculty, and staff to stand in solidarity with the Occupy movement occurring around the planet to address the systematic injustices engrained in our society.
Follow the facebook page for information on the upcoming General Assembly, to be held on Wednesday, November 9th at 6:00pm in the MUSC Atrium.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-McMaster-University/251475544900266
Email: OccupyMcMasterU@gmail.com
Twitter: @OccupyMcMaster
occupymcmasteru@gmail.com
*Please forward*
A call for McMaster University students, faculty, and staff to stand in solidarity with the Occupy movement occurring around the planet to address the systematic injustices engrained in our society.
Follow the facebook page for information on the upcoming General Assembly, to be held on Wednesday, November 9th at 6:00pm in the MUSC Atrium.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-McMaster-University/251475544900266
Email: OccupyMcMasterU@gmail.com
Twitter: @OccupyMcMaster
occupymcmasteru@gmail.com
*Please forward*
Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg
mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please
contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
World of Different Knowings
Check out some original and thought provoking research by OPIRG McMaster volunteer Preeti Nayak here.
Can the university be a space for diverse ways of knowing?
Read it and feel free to comment on the work on this blog.
Can the university be a space for diverse ways of knowing?
Read it and feel free to comment on the work on this blog.
Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.
Parenti on Imperialism...TONIGHT!
Michael Parenti: Imperialism Today and the 99%
Time | Begins at November 3rd 7:00 PM EDT ending on November 3rd 9:00 PM EDT |
Location | ITB AB-102, McMaster University |
Organizers | Hamilton Haiti Action Committee |
Posted by | Haiti Action Network |
McMaster Campus groups in conjunction with partners in the community are pleased to bring you America’s Foremost Political Scientist, Professor Michael Parenti , author of the recent book "The Face of Imperialism," which “meticulously exposes the disastrous consequences of the greed of multinational (mostly U.S.) corporations, and it documents how and why they control our government, which claims to foster democracy but systematically supports the dictatorships that cater to the profit motives of those corporations." - John Gerassi
Dr. Parenti's lecture unites the study of U.S. foreign policy with the domestic consequences of permanent war.
Dr. Parenti's lecture unites the study of U.S. foreign policy with the domestic consequences of permanent war.
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