VISION
Entering MUSC 229 the first thing you notice are the whiteboards that replaced the old bookcases along the wall: colourful sticky notes map out work in progress by student working groups. Bright paint and varied seating arrangements allow visitors a cheerful uncluttered space to work on projects alone or in small groups.
Design-thinking and agile project management systems have moved in as OPIRG’s much smaller library collection becomes mission-focused: fewer books, but more material relevant to strategic organizing, social psychology, campaigning, communications, and hands-on resources that increase our effectiveness and impact.
There is space for students to linger as hours are extended, and sharing ideas over fair trade tea and coffee is the new norm. Anyone can drop in to lend a hand and help move an initiative forward: reducing campus waste; finding ways to protect at-risk turtles in Cootes Paradise; planning workshops, sharing social media strategies.
“VISION: a space where people can collaborate, work and turn ideas in action”
Tools to support creative thinking are at hand: sticky notes, Kraft paper, markers, notepads, there’s an iMac for design work loaded with Creative Suite programs, and there’s place to project your ideas on to the wall, and of course the full wall of whiteboards for scribbling thoughts.
Collaboration, invention, experimentation, play, these impulses are nurtured and form the basis for new ideas and novel solutions to public interest issues. It’s a safe and inspiring place to take chances on the journey to a better world.
Contested Space?
The vision above is no longer secure. Over the previous school year (2016-2017) a group of volunteers, including the OPIRG Board Resource Centre portfolio director, board members, and interested volunteers from McMaster and the community worked with OPIRG staff to create a proposal for renewing the space in MUSC 229.
The table below outlines the basics of their proposal (left column) and contrasts with changes being pushed by current board members who have taken over the file (right column). There are some significant changes.
2016-2017 Board/Volunteer Committee | 2017-2018 Board Taking Over Process |
---|---|
A space where people can collaborate, work and turn ideas into action. Not have clutter, be organized, be interactive and aesthetically pleasing | To support exchanging ideas and taking action on social justice/ environmental issues as well as keeping the resource centre accessible |
Library: Large library, over 1500 materials of different types. According to statistics, books don’t get signed out, not a lot of patronage. Books replaced?
Some books would stay and some would be needed to be bought. Could donate books to Mills and The Tower. |
|
|
|
PHYSICAL SPACE: More modular furniture – movable. |
|
|
|
…a |
|
|
|
|
strikethrough indicates already completed
Hold up!
An evaluation of current uses:
Resources
OPIRG McMaster’s Mission is to empower students and community in exchanging ideas and taking action on diverse social justice and environmental issues by connecting individuals, groups, organizations, and resources.
Leave A Comment