RNC Student Convergence

In early September, the Republican National Convention will take place in downtown St. Paul. From September 1 to 4, as delegates descend on the X-Cel Center, tens of thousands of protesters will take to the streets to resist the Republican agenda. In light of our campus' history of social justice activism and civic engagement, and given our unique location relative to the convention center, Macalester has a strong opportunity and responsibility to provide an educational safe haven for student activists who will be coming to St. Paul.

To take advantage of this historic occasion, Macalester Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has been planning for Macalester to serve as a convergence space during the RNC. What this means is we will be hosting workshops, teach-ins, lectures, concerts, film screenings, and more events. The space will be educational and non-partisan. It will focus on grassroots organizing and community building. It is not designed to organize around or against any one political issue or campaign, and no protests will take place on campus.

In order to take advantage of the space that we have, we would like to extend our hospitality to student activists who have no other safe space to stay during the convention. We will therefore have overnight visitors in the community and on campus, although housing plans are not yet finalized.

Workshops schedule:
FRIDAY
7pm-8pm
Banner, Flag, and Sign Making - Infoshop

SATURDAY
10am – 11am
Women Against Military Madness - Chapel Basement
Mainstream Media and Demonstrations Coverage
with Prof. Clay Steinman – Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
10am - 12pm
Global Justice Mass Action in the Heart of the Empire
with David Solnit -Fine Arts Lounge
11am – 1 pm
Nonviolent Direct Action Training with Lisa Fithian
– Chapel Basement
12pm – 1pm
The Power of the Press Belongs to Those Who Can Operate One, Patch Printing Workshop with Prof. Ruthann Godollei – East Hallway outside Art Gallery
1pm – 2pm
Know Your Rights Legal Training - Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
2pm – 5pm
Free Market Activism at Macalester and Smashing Capitalism
– CC216
3pm – 4pm
Writing Effective Political Poetry with El Guante
– Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
3pm – 5pm
The Art of Dissent with Prof. Ruthann Godollei – Art 113
7pm – 9pm
The Art of Protest: Guerilla Theater, Puppets, Music, Movement
& MORE – Kagin
Film Screening: Salt of the Earth – John B. Davis Lecture Hall
9pm – 10pm
Mass Meeting – Kagin
9pm – 12pm
Spoken Word Performance with El Guante and Poetic Assassins
– Campus Center

SUNDAY
10am - 12pm
Macalester Conservation and Renewable Energy Society (MacCARES) workshop - Fine Arts Lounge
12pm - 1pm
Street Medic/First Aid Training – Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
Banner and Sign-making – Infoshop
1pm – 2pm
The "Elephant" in the Room: Religion's (Un)detected Presence in Politics – 4th fl Old Main
1pm - 3pm
Who Profits? Who Dies?: Understanding Contemporary Industries of War and Occupation with activist and Mac alum Sophie Smith – Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
2pm - 3pm
Know Your Rights Legal Training - 4th fl Old Main
Student Strategies for Ending Apartheid, from South Africa to Palestine - Fine Arts Lounge
3pm - 4pm
How to start and run your own free school for social change...we did it, so can you! - with EXCO - 4th fl Old Main
Integrating the Arts into Social Movements, Direct Action, and More - Weyerhauser Boardroom
7pm - 9pm
State of the Movement Experiment with EXCO - Kagin
Heros, Presidents, and Fools: A Program of Early Video Activism and Art
- John B. Davis Lecture Hall
9pm - 10pm
Mass Meeting - Kagin

MONDAY
7pm - 9pm
Film Screening: The Yesmen - JBD Lecture Hall
8pm - 10pm
Wellness Space - 4th fl. Old Main
9pm - 10pm
Mass Meeting - Weyerhaeuser Boardroom

TUESDAY
2pm - 4pm
Free Market Activism at Mac and Smashing Capitalism Part Two
- CC216
7pm - 8pm
Turbulence: Climate Change and the End of Capitalism - Kagin
7pm - 9pm
Film Screening: Liberterias - JBD Lecture Hall
The Rhetoric of Individualism: Where does that leave you and me?
- with BLAC and the C-House - Cultural House
8pm - 9pm
Student Strategies for Ending Apartheid, from South Africa to Palestine - Fine Arts Lounge
8pm - 10pm
Wellness Space - Chapel Basement
9pm - 10pm
Mass Meeting- Kagin

WEDNESDAY
10am - 12pm
Anti-Capitalism Panel - with IWW and SDS members - Fine Arts Lounge
7pm - 8:30pm
The Immigrant Rights Movement and the Crisis of the Labor Movement
with Prof. Peter Rachleff - JBD Lecture Hall

7pm - 9pm
Intro to Workplace Organizing (A Practical Appendix to the Anti-Capitalism Panel) - Kagin
8pm - 10pm
Wellness Space - 4th fl. Old Main
9pm - 10pm
Mass Meeting - Kagin
10pm - 12am
Film Screening: Indigenous Resistance: "Kahnesatake: 270 years of resistance"
- JBD Lecture Hall

THURSDAY
8pm - 9pm
Intro to Students for a Democratic Society
- Weyerhaeuser Boardroom
8pm - 10pm
Wellness Space - Chapel Basement
9pm - 10pm
Mass Meeting - Kagin