PAX 310 is a one hour student-taught May Term class which will be offered at GC beginning on May 1st (*hmm, a coincidence?*).

The Story Behind it All: One night, while lying in the back of a car driving home from a SEAC (student environmental action coalition) conference in PA, I decided to organize a May Term class.  Well I did, and it got approval by the academic dean, so now it's gonna happen. Basically this course will take a look at radical thought, tactics and movements that currently or recently existed in the US.  The objective is to teach ourselves the basics on how to challenge, pressure, and change structures for the goal of creating a more just society.

• Learn about modern radical movements of every strand (environmental, socialist, anarchist, civil rights, feminist, labour, Christian, etc), their beliefs and their tactics.
• Participate in discussions evaluating the movements’ tactics, successes, failures, and relevance to today.
• Research and then teach (as part of a small group) one or two classes.

• Environmental: -Earth First, Sea Shepherd Society, Animal Liberation Front, Greenpeace, SEAC, vegetarianism/vegan, deep ecology, eco-feminism ,dumpster diving (issues of waste)
• Socialist: International Socialists, Trotskyites, CPUSA, Workers World, Socialist Workers...   (brief explanation of sectarianism, party differences would be very useful)
• Labour: IWW, CIO, analysis of current AFL-CIO decline, etc
• Feminist: NOW, Women’s Action Coalition, WILPF, others
• Minority Rights: Black Panther Party, American Indian Movement, Political Prisoners, FBI, COINTELPRO, Mumia, Peltier, Justice System, Nation of Islam
• LGB: Daughters of Bilitis, Mattachine Society, Queer Nation, etc: a movement survey
• Anarchist: anti-racist/anti-fascists groups, Anti-Racist Action, Refuse & Resist, Anarchist Black Cross, Food not Bombs

• Christian: Pastors for Peace, CPT, others.
• Media: corporate control, alternative media, free radio movement
• Technology: uses/misuses, Big Brother, encryption, phreaking, computer hacking

Some topics will be divided into sub-topics, while others may not be used at all. I realize that the topic list is far too extensive for an one hour course. The organizations listed are intended to be used as a starting point.

Selection Criteria
1. What we can present, due to our prior knowledge, or things that we are eager to research.
2. Topics that are relevant to students today, with practical applications or actions we can do.
3. What the class as a whole is most interested in pursuing. Additional topics that aren’t covered this class, could be covered in a similar class at a future date.

Meeting/Schedule
-We need to meet four hours a week
-Most likely three times per week for one hour and twenty minutes. (Mon/Tue/Thr 1:00-2:20pm)

Assignments

• Students will be required to be a part of a group that is responsible for teaching one or two classes.
• Recommended readings would be assigned on the various topics. We’ll likely use books, articles, the web (a lot), movies, documentaries, tapes, etc. There will be a wide selection so students can choose which resources to use, what they want to learn..
• Each student will be required to keep a journal relating to topics discussed in class. Likely three entries per week will be required.

Evaluation

• credit /no credit basis
• students evaluate each other: “peer evaluation”, for class presentations and also for journals
• journals will be read by a fellow student to ensure that adequate thought went in and that they are done.
• set up on a “do the work”, or “don’t do the work” basis. If you do the work you pass otherwise you fail.

Preliminary Schedule
1st meeting (Thursday): discuss structure, schedule/assign topics, discussion on how to conduct research (possible radical resources), and if we have time a discussion on why we’re taking the class.
2nd meeting (Monday): Bryce and I will present radio/media issues.
3rd meeting (Tuesday): Another student presentation (#2)
4th meeting (Thursday): Pastors for Peace might show up with a Caravan for Cuba (if not we’ll do the 3rd presentation).
And so on, with six more meetings and six more student presentations.