Ruckus at the University of Washington

Reading, Writing, and Ruckusmaking

2011-11-10T19:18:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Disorientation has been around the UDistrict for a couple months, and now it's online!

The Ruckus (dis)orientation guide to the University of Washington is an inversion of college orientation guides: it orients you about communities and cool activities around UW, and the things that are actually useful to know. It disorients you from the university administration’s intended plan to sell you an alienated mass-production education while draining you like the capitalist vampires they are. We made this because we feel it took years for us discover many great things around this campus; so we’ll pass along the results from years of accidents and serendipity.

Includes articles on survival, campus organizing, the Seattle music scene, polyamory, consent, tuition hikes, anti-Sodexo sit-ins, the Canadian tar sands, poverty, Joe Hill, unions, Seattle newspapers, DIY publishing, anti-sweatshop organizing, El Salvador, the School of the Americas, Decolonize/Occupy Seattle, and a community calendar.

Here is a PDF for reading, and a PDF for printing!

make a ruckus!

2010-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

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.

Fall in love with Ruckus all over again

2010-08-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

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.

may 16th, sunday night, show at sherwood coop!

2010-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ready to Roar! Issue 4

2010-05-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

2010-04-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

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.

Just checking

2010-03-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

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.

Issue 3 is here!

2010-03-02T08:56:00.001-08:00

Submissions for ISSUE 3: deadline last week of February!

2010-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

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

Welcome to the world, Dear RUCKUS,

2010-01-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest issue of UW's very own, very special publication.

We want you to read this!

Issue 2, Volume 10: Here we go!

join us

2010-01-09T21:42:00.001-08:00

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

Ruckus, December 11, 2009 Notes

2010-01-06T20:28:00.001-08:00

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

Hot Off the Copier! New Issue of Ruckus!!

2009-12-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Read Volume 10, Issue 1 of Ruckus

do you wake up every morning on the wrong side of Daily media?

2009-11-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

Come sleep under Ruckus's sheets instead.

We had a ruck of people in the office for yesterday's meeting. Enthusiasm and creativity unloaded all around, so let's spread some of that talk out to the town.

We gotta think up an awesome headliner for this first run!

"call to arm-istice"

"call to unarm"

"call to justice: bring on the ruckus"

Here's what's in our eyes for upcoming dates and deadlines:

6:30, November 24th: an hour-ish of Collective meeting, join ruckUS for discussion, goal setting, and task delegating

Midnight, November 28th: Submissions deadlines, article max word count 400; we want your drawings, your musings, and your coffee dregs

3:30, December 2nd: Layout and design deadline, first draft print up and Collective edit

3:30, December 4th: two hours to implement draft-edit revisions, Print Party for Final Newsletter!

6:30 am, December 7th: distribute copies all around campus and the UD!

Meeting & deadline

2009-11-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

The next Ruckus meeting is Tuesday, at 6:30 pm, in the sub-basement of the HUB, room 37.

If you would like to see material printed in the first issue of Ruckus this year, please e-mail it to uwruckus@gmail.com by midnight, Sunday, November 28.

WTO Party!

2009-11-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

In a period of planetary unrest,
a network of the People struck
en masse in Seattle, winning their
first victory against the WORLD
TRADE ORGANIZATION.

It is a dark time for the resistance.
In the shock of global economic crisis,
human rights have been trampled,
and corporations have begun
construction of a new WTO.

A band of rebels struggling to restore
freedom plan to converge in Seattle
for a PEOPLE'S SUMMIT...