SCDC Modules
- Choosing Clarity: A Symposium on Voting Transparency ... it happened already on December 6th, but we plan to have another one sometime late in the spring, and we will eventually be putting up useful stuff on that website, such as footage of the conference.
- Code for Social Change: Promoting the use and development of open source software at Swarthmore, and possibly open hardware, which might require a name change.
- Unchained Art: Build a Creative Commons licensed database of art at Swarthmore College.
- Open Academics: Bring something like MIT's OpenCourseWare to Swat.
What does it mean to be a Module of the SCDC?
While one of SCDC's strengths is its ability to appeal to people from all walks of life, this could also lead to a dilution of our energy and a lack of focus. Breaking up SCDC's goals into "Modules" allows people to focus on the areas where their talents and interests lie, while we maintain an overarching organization to tie all of these modules with the same ideals and philosophy together. With modular construction, the SCDC's mission statement becomes much simpler: we don't have to concern ourselves with directly promoting Linux, creating Creative Commons licensed works of art, or writing software, we just have to support and organize the clubs and task forces that do these things for us. We then can concern ourselves with "meta-SCDC" issues, and concentrate on planning our collective strategy for building an open culture here at Swarthmore and around the world.
Why are you using such a stupid word? "Module"?!
If you find the term "Module" displeasing, perhaps "Project" or "Member Organization" may suit you better. If you have a better word that doesn't sound dorky, please suggest it, we are quite anxious to avoid dorkiness if we can.
What Modules exist? What would we like to exist?
None of these Modules currently exist, but given time and sufficient interest, we hope that all of them will be launched successfully. The SCDC has already done some things that might fall under the jurisdiction of the Modules, and we'd like to spin off these projects before they can confuse the SCDC's mission. Anyone who has an idea for a group that demonstrates another facet of SCDC's ideology is welcome to submit their Module to the SCDC.