WANT TO BE PUBLISHED? YEAH YOU DO! The deadline for the next edition is November 9th 2012.

Ruckus is a collective of students organizing an independent newspaper for the University of Washington community. Ruckus is for participatory democracy, social justice, collective liberation and resistance to killing the planet. We're focused on environmental, economic, cultural, and political issues connected to our university community. We invite participation from staff, students, and community members. If you'd like to write, illustrate, promote, distribute, advertise, subvert, or otherwise contribute, send us an e-mail, or visit us every second and last Saturday of the month at 5 pm at Cafe Solstice on University Ave.

As of Winter 2012, we've expanded our categories for submissions. We're looking for creative and politically engaged people just like your smarmy selves!
These categories are:
1. News
2. Features (i.e. magazine writing)
3. Opinion
4. Creative Writing (fiction, poetry)
5. Visual Arts
6. Miscellaneous

In our last issue we brought you some thought-provoking news and analysis. Agitated? Invigorated? Check out the community calendar on the back of an issue. Want to make things better? Dream up something you and your friends can do about it.

For complaints, contributions or whatever our e-mail is uwruckus@gmail.com.
For updates, you can sign up to our listserv or like our Facebook page.
For submissions, put the category of your piece in the subject line and email ruckusletters@gmail.com

Thursday, November 18, 2010

make a ruckus!

Ruckus needs articles for the new disorientation issue, to hit campus when classes start again.

We want you to get involved in Ruckus. This paper runs on volunteer love. We work for you, dear reader, not for advertisers or ideologies. We need writers, editors, designers, photographers, hackers, benefit show planners, propagandists, smugglers and artists. We want people with no experience and a gleam in their eye.

We oppose hierarchies as inherently oppressive and anti-democratic; we do our best to make decisions through consensus, engaging all volunteers equally. Ruckus is non-partisan: we only have one party line, that we like to party.

So write to us, at uwruckus@gmail.com.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Fall in love with Ruckus all over again

We're gearing up for the fall issue of Ruckus, and we want your voice in it. Are there any stories you're itching for us to cover, or want to write about yourself? Please send us a heads-up at uwruckus@gmail.com.

We've also got two prompts for you. We're looking for UW/U-district community members and alumni to write letters to the incoming freshman. This is an open-ended prompt, and may be one to one-thousand words, due by September 15.

We'll also publish profiles of student and community organizations on campus and in the U-district. If you're involved in such organizing, please send us your group name, contact information, a short description, maybe a graphic, and meeting and/or fall quarter event times/places (if you have any such plans). Feel free to talk yourselves up. Due by September 28, the earlier the better; you can send us your last-minute details about meeting/event times and places by October 3, so we can include it in our community calendar.

If anyone wants to get involved in editing, illustrating, promoting, distributing, advertising, subverting, or otherwise contributing, e-mail us a good time and date for a collective meeting in September, at uwruckus@gmail.com.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A statement from three arrestees in the Seattle Police Brutality Demonstration of April 9, 2010
Call for Courtroom Solidarity

Five protesters were arrested during the April 9 Anti-Police Brutality demonstration in Seattle, WA. This is a statement from three who were arrested at the same time on Capitol Hill.

After more than 15 hours of being detained in precinct holding cells and county jail facilities, we were released into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 10th. We wish to extend immense thanks and gratitude to our powerful, all-volunteer jail support team who rushed to post our bail, minutes before the deadline – even putting a car up for collateral. We also thank the circles of family and friends who gathered around telephones to support us, and each other. Though we were confined for only a short period of time (compared to some of our cell-mates who were facing months or years of imprisonment), our hearts were nonetheless overjoyed to enter the cool night air. As we gazed into the dawn sky, we were greeted by a crowd of new and old friends alike.

We would not like to make any statements regarding the events of that Friday except to assert our innocence regarding our alleged crimes and to make known our injuries sustained from the police. Two of us are being charged with misdemeanor assault, while the third is facing two misdemeanors of obstruction and resisting arrest. During the arrest incident, the first of us was pinned to the sidewalk before being lifted across the street by his handcuffs. He sustained injuries to his wrists, legs and feet, with continuing numbness in his hands. The second arrestee had her face repeatedly shoved into the pavement and knelt on, receiving massive bruising and lacerations to her face and head. She was punched in the right eye, while her arms were pulled to her back and her legs kicked and stepped on. The third of us was, after being forced to lie prone on the ground, repeatedly kicked and kneed in the back and side of the head. After being dragged into the street this arrestee was let fall unconscious to the pavement after requesting to be allowed to sit down.

It is times like these when we realize how quickly the air we breathe is becoming increasingly thin, that we are being fooled into thinking our dizziness is an abnormal condition. We see clearly that a world of opportunity exists for us only insofar as we have the funds to purchase it, and that we can exercise all the freedom we desire so long as we keep our mouths tightly closed and our feet on the sidewalk. We are the crowning node of a greater social claustrophobia which clamors to be set free.

We stand tall, arms linked in solidarity with the other two protesters wrongfully arrested during the April 9th Seattle demonstration, as well as those in Olympia on the evening of April 8th, and in Portland on March 29th.

Join us in court to show your support and to decry the randomized prosecution of people who peaceably dissent against police violence.

10:00AM on Monday, May 10: 
Court #1103 (11th floor) 
Municipal Court of the City of Seattle at the Seattle Justice Center, 600 5th Ave, Seattle WA.
Court Info: 206.684.5600

We request that all those who wish to attend dress and behave in a way that supports us by showing respect for the court. This will help us prove our innocence and the integrity of our characters.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Just checking

The pdf of Issue 3 is now available...


Are you still alive?

If so, contribute to Ruckus and prove it.
Are you thinking about something somewhat frightening?
Have you just witnessed a symbolic representation of the absurd?
Are you completely overwhelmed by boredom?
Do you know a secret that begs to be told in public?

we'd like to know.
send us articles, poetry, reviews, reports, photos, drawings, sketches, recipes or whatever.
preferably 4,000 characters or less.

uwruckus@gmail.com
due date: April 1st 
it's no joke, fool.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Submissions for ISSUE 3: deadline last week of February!

We invite your participation in the creative birthing of Volume 10, Issue 3- to be released March 2010. 


Can you write, illustrate, promote, distribute, advertise, subvertise, edit, etc? We accept submissions on a rolling basis, in addition to specific dates for each upcoming issue. uwruckus@gmail.com

Do you want to learn how? Ruckus is an newsmedia journal for the University of Washington community. We share and offer a supportive practice space to really learn new knowledge and skills. 
meetings fridays at 3:30 in the sub-HUB rm. 37. 

Please read our past issues, and spread the call for contributions- let's get it on

Saturday, January 9, 2010

join us

Subscribe to general meeting times, printing dates, and stuff we're snuffing to get out: 
https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/ruckusupdates 

Ruckus Collective Communication Rollercoasters: enter at your own risk 
http://groups.google.com/group/uwruckus

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Ruckus, December 11, 2009 Notes

What we like about Ruckus so far: 

  • in depth interest

  • objective subjective viewpoint (in contrast to the Daily)

  • issue that are missing from mainstream media

  • the daily: not as objective as it presents itself to be. facts, but values mostly conservative as well. facade of journalism

  • ruckus as a way to offer other views/values to campus

  • ruckus as an organizational as well as informational skill (calendar)

  • as a way to develop and learn new skills and share/discuss ideas
Meeting Structure Discussion

  • do we want to have a facilitator: how would it work, rotating facilitator

  • egalitarian meetings: point by point basis

  • http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/structurelessness.html

  • opportunity and space for everyone to speak

  • agree on group policy of how meetings should be run

  • consensus vs voting decision making: what will we vote on?

What we want from the group and process, and where do we want to see it go?

  • Summary of Ruckus' history and mission for newcomers

  • more flexible timeline, not rushing to make decisions will allow discussion and voting

  • we want to look at the layout: standardize certain aspects, leave creative freedom for others.

  • determine our vision and organizational goals as ruckus, bring them in line with those

  • stable key points, practices (spell check), mission statement, basic layout

  • what are we: a journal or a newspaper?

  • how do we define ourselves?
  • Goal: to print three editions in Spring quarter
January Issue: deadline tbd

  • another round of flyers (more eye-catching)

  • call for submissions: art, writing, ads

  • wider pool to choose from, variety of subjects

  • when do we want to print?

  • offer topics to write about

  • leave more time to communicate/work with authors

  • google docs/spreadsheet > more communication / standardization of formats

  • Distribution: map/list a google doc of where Ruckus can distribute on campus, emailing .pdf of Ruckus (in a readable format)

  • fundraising ideas: not a lot of $ in advertising, grant writing, benefit concerts

  • Register as RSO

Tasks to DO:

  • Kelsey > food review

  • Steve > will illustrate for an article, will write an article

  • Ian + Pamela > cover art

  • Pamela > call for submissions flyer

  • Lisa + Pamela > distribute submissions flyer
  • Lisa + Alice > look for grants

  • David > watch gmail for submissions

  • Francis > book review and budget article

  • Ethan > calendar