insight

THE METROPOLITAN « JULY 24, 2008 « INSIGHT « 11

THE PIGEON HOLE THE

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Cora Kemp
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Illustrated by FELIX TANNENBAUM » ftannenb@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS
Kristi Denke

Say you wanna revolution?

kdenke@mscd.edu
Dawn Madura
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PRESENTATION EDITOR
Nic Garcia
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Local activists working under the
name Recreate 68 expect to march
on the Democratic National Conven-
tion 10,000 strong but with the turn-
out for last week’s meeting I find that
very doubtful.
Long-time Denver activist Glenn
Spagnuolo co-founded R68 and
spearheads the group’s efforts. Span-
guolo has most recently been involved
with disrupting recent Denver Colum-
bus Day parades. This information is
available online as well as where the
R68 group meets- Thursday evenings
I tried my best to smooth out the room and as- COPY EDITORS
Austin Corell
acorell@mscd.edu
sure them I was cool. But announcing myself Rob Fisher
rfishe18@mscd.edu
as a reporter to this group felt like I had slit my Amanda Hall
ahall35@mscd.edu
wrists in a group of sharks. DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA
the room and assure them I was cool. not talk to the media unless you have Dianne Harrison Miller
harrison@mscd.edu
But announcing myself as a reporter received the proper training, thus
to this group felt like I had slit my wrists further crippling any chance I had ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF
in a group of sharks. All of a sudden, for an interview. But I had so many STUDENT MEDIA
Donnita Wong
they could smell me and the two peo- questions I wanted to ask like, how wongd@mscd.edu
ROBERT FISHER ple I had been easily conversing with is it possible to organize people who
ADVISER
now avoided eye contact with me and are encouraged to have their own
rfishe18@mscd.edu shifted uncomfortably in their seats agenda? And did they expect people
Jane Hoback

The Metropolitan is produced by and for

at the Gypsy House Café.
I walked into the basement of the
coffee house and saw about 20 people
sitting around on chairs and couches
in a circle talking to one another in
hushed tones. I sat next to a young
couple who engaged me in conver-
sation even after identifying myself
as a reporter. But when we began to
go around the circle and say who we
were things got ugly.
There was another reporter there
from the Westword, who immediately
apologized for his story that had run
in the “Statesman” criticizing the
group and associating their efforts
with drug use. Some of the people
had no idea what he was talking
about but others did and there was
a brief discussion as to whether this
reporter should stay. He was allowed
to stay. Then it was my turn.
I identified myself as Rob and
paused, taken back by the warm re-
ception the other reporter had been
given I was unsure if I wanted to
identify myself as a reporter. And as
the lady next to me took it as a cue
to continue, ethics took over and I
stood up addressing the group as a
student reporter and a journalism
student at Metro.
I was immediately asked if I would
be quoting anything. Not unless I
could interview someone I said. Was
I taping anything or was I wired? No
and no. I tried my best to smooth out
creating as much distance as possible.
I sat down sweating despite the many
oscillating fans and AC.
The night’s agenda was written
on a dry erase board. Half a dozen
people talked about concerts and se-
cret camps being held over the next
few weeks and handed out flyers.
Then it was Spagnuolo’s turn.
He sat in the big blue velvet couch
against the wall and had been whis-
pering with the people around him
jotting things down in a notebook.
He stopped and addressed the group
with his eyes first. He was pissed.
Apparently last week’s media train-
ing had been a disaster with only a
couple of people showing up. And
that evening’s message was clear- do
coming in from out of state to help?
But a more pressing question at that
moment was why were the two re-
porters being asked to leave the meet-
ing? Although, I was told they would
let me know when I could come back
down. As we walked up the stairs the
other reporter told me they were dis-
cussing strategy and we may leak it
out, so not to hold my breath. He had
done this before. I waited for an hour
and then left.
Recreate 68 wants to use the power
of the people and from all the media at-
tention given to the group, I was expect-
ing a packed house of hyped up radi-
cals excited to go out and change the
system. But what I found was a group
struggling to find power and people.
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