Live from the Campus Progress Student Conference (Update III)

I couldn't even last a day.

I'm at the Campus Progress National Student Conference in DC all day today. It's part of book research, but since I'm sitting around listening to speeches, I might as well blog it as well.

Lately I've been hearing a lot about how Campus Progress is building some bridges in campus activism/politics. Getting folks to work together where for decades now the movement has been fragmented between establishment groups like Young and college Democrats and issue groups like Campus Greens or the folks that are now reinventing SDS. I'll let you know how it goes.

I've got some pics on my Treo, but there's no cell reception in the main hall. I'll upload them later.

Update: Here are some pics. So far it's somewhat interesting. There are some dread-locked folks and some blue blazer folks, but by far there's more gray area between the two. Is it telling that both Nancy Pelosi and Ralph Nader got enthusiastic ovations, while folks struggled to stand up for Seymour Hersch? Maybe the real tell-tale is in the Agenda, which includes panels on corporate responsibility and Darfur alongside identity politics panels, some voting/electoral panels, and a session on Katrina with Van Jones, Congressman McGovern and M1 of Dead Prez.

I will say that the morning was mostly a wash. Lots of big names talking at the crowd. People paid attention (except the dude passed out on the table in the back), but these types of things should really be run more like workshops. RootsCamp is definitely the model that we need to be following. Getting talked at for 3 hours, even by the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Seymour Hersh and Russ Feingold is just too much a waste of time for a one day event. People here are engaged. They are the uber activists that motivate others on campus. They don't need to be motivated, and most will probably forget what Nancy Pelosi said today before they wake up tomorrow. I know I already have.

These people need to be brainstorming, networking, and sharing best practices. That's how they'll get the most out of the day. Let everyone mix with the big names during the cocktail hour at the end of the day.

Update II: So here's something interesting. I'm sitting in the "how to start an online revolution" panel. This crowd is definitely more blue blazer than the previous two panels I've sat in on. Both of those other panels were more social-justice oriented and they were packed. This panel is not well attended at all. It's in the same room as the Nader panel and there are less than 1/3 of the people here.

This needs a lot more discussion. Is it that everyone is so immersed in online media that this is uninteresting to attendees? Is this related to the fact that Millennals don't participate in politics through the progressive blogosphere as much as older generations? Or is it just the (bad) luck of the draw and folks wanted to see another panel?

Update III: This tech panel is winding down and not one person had mentioned the netroots or blogs. It's all social networking with a few tidbits about email lists and conventional websites.

Main Hall - Opening Session

Corporate Accountability - Ralph Nader is Second from Left at the Front