IMC GROUP REPORTS

As you may know, the work of the IMC is centered around working groups. Currently we have seven active working groups, plus the steering group. All meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend. We invite and encourage you to come to the meetings of the groups that are of interest to you.

#file_1# Steering Group
Description: This is the group charged with overall planning and decision making that affects all IMC working groups. Each working group appoints one or two members to the steering group, but we invite the input and collaboration of everyone. Meetings: Sundays Noon - 1 pm
The Steering Groups goals and achievements are very closely aligned to the goals and achievements of the working groups. The Steering Group passed a mediation policy for conflict resolution within the UCIMC. It can be found online at http://www.ucimc.org/info/display/mediation/ or posted on the bulletin board at the IMC.

#file_1# Radio News
Description: Coordinates the coverage of news stories for the weekly radio show on WEFT 90.1FM. Weekly meetings include a run-down of important stories and events and are an opportunity to begin doing news.
Meetings: Sundays 1:15 PM email: newsroom@ucimc.org

The radio news working group has persisted in the past year producing a weekly news half hour that airs Mondays at 5:30 on WEFT. The group has been sustained by enthusiastic skeleton crews, with occasional help from a variety of members of IMC and CU community. A number of the stories produced at the UC-IMC have been picked up by Free Speech Radio News and Independent Native News, and former UC-IMCista Pauline Bartolone is now working full time with FSRN in the San Francisco area. UC-IMC reporters have produced in-depth reports from the School of the Americas protest in Georgia; from a conference on aboriginal rights in Taiwan; on Angola after the death of Jonas Savimbi (part of a series on war and oil); on local opposition to the US war on 'terrorism' and civil liberties; on the continuing spotty record of Monsanto corporation; on plant closings in Decatur; on political artists around the US; on local efforts to secure rights for LGBT people, as well as ongoing efforts by community members to get equitable treatment of African American children in CU public schools. The radio news group welcomes short and long term involvement in producing features, recording interviews, covering local events, writing headlines, editing audio, and hosting the show, broadcasting seldom heard voices and views in CU. (Submitted by Mark Enslin)

#file_1# Print
Description: This group assembles the IMC's monthly newspaper the public i. Meetings: Thursdays 5:30 PM email: print@ucimc.org
The UCIMC Print Group has produced 13 issues of the public i, a monthly newspaper. Our circulation is 4000 in summer and 5000 in academic year. Originally we had editors for the following sections: Arts, Environment, Community Forum, Media, Government, Human Rights and Labor. We also had an editor at large. It proved difficult to sustain editors for all areas so much of the responsibility for the "un-staffed" sections would fall to the editor-at-large. The editorial collective decided to reorganize itself. Now the volunteers who showed up at the meetings and or did the work collectively edit the paper, decide on what topics to address, and recruit writers and other producers. We are still producing a paper that addresses the seven divisions, though not necessarily all in each issue. Instead we strive to make sure that we have writers passionate about their topic, so that the articles have more punch. For the last two issues we have worked with a "guest editor" as a way to (among other things) allow people to contribute in an intense way for a shorter period of time. We are looking for future guest editors. We have recently agreed to provide one full page to an IMC calendar / events promotions. Our funding has primarily come from Belden Field's recruitment of "sustainers" who pay $240 to be listed for a year and from donations from within the group. We have no excess funds currently. Besides funds for print cost ($270- $380 per issue) - we have need of a 11 x 17 printer. (See Darrin Drda for details). (Submitted by Sandra Ahten)

#file_1# Fundraising and Finance

Description: Takes care of fundraising activities, including policies, soliciting 'founding funders,' and overseeing retail sales of books, periodicals, supplies, arts and crafts. Meetings: 1st and 3rd Wed. of each month 7:30 - 8:30 PM email: fundraising@ucimc.org

Over the last year the UCIMC finance group has expanded its activities, streamlined its processes, and recruited new active members. Highlights include: $7,000 grant from Funding Exchange to support radio-news production coordinator. New Fiscal Sponsorships of: Washington DC IMC, New York City IMC, Pittsburg IMC, Eye of the Storm Films, CU Wireless Project Supported Indymedia projects: Palestine IMC, Argentina IMC, Nigeria IMC, Chiapas IMC, IMC Latina, Mobile ((i)) caravan Added new members to relieve some of the load on Sascha Meinrath: Zach Miller -- community webhosting services; Russ Rybicki -- day to day accounting and operations; Paul Riismandel -- membership management. The finance group has also begun initial fundraising for the capital campaign to fund the buying of a building. Finally, the finance group continues to support the activities of the Urbana-Champaign IMC -- following through on the detail work that keeps everything afloat. (Submitted by Sascha Meinrath)

#file_1# Shows
Description: Coordinates booking of shows for the IMC performance space. Meetings: Every Thursday, 7:00 pm email: shows@ucimc.org

Over the past six months since its inception, the Shows Working Group has brought thousands of dollars and thousands of new people (high-schoolers and liberal adults alike!) into the IMC. Since March when the "IMC Back Back Room" opened to the public, we have brought in hundreds of national and local folk, indie, and rock musicians including Charlie King, The Prince Myshkins, Allette Brooks, Bitch and Animal, Dub Narcotic, The Mountain Goats, Mirah, and Mecca Normal to name just a few. We have expanded the Shows Group to include multiple show bookers and about a dozen active members. We are currently working on creating an art gallery space for monthly art shows in the middle room of the IMC. We are self-sustaining and need no outside money to fund our shows projects: Each show retains 25% of the door for the IMC. (submitted by Jenny Stewart).

#file_1# Space
Description: Responsible for planning and execution of projects for the IMC's Downtown storefront space, including building projects and meeting/performance space allocation and reservations. Meetings: 1st and 3rd Wed. of each month 6:30 - 7:30 PM email: space@ucimc.org
Keeping the toilet in operational order has been our most important service, followed by keeping things cool by installing the air conditioners on timers. Recently, walls for the new gallery in the middle room were designed and then constructed by a volunteer group. You may have also noticed that it's a little easier to read in the IMC as the fluorescent lamps have been renewed in the front and middle rooms. A bright chain of lights in the front window now attracts people in the evening. The production room door combination lock was replaced with a more reliable model. Very relevant to this meeting is a reminder that the IMC either needs to buy our building or face the fact that we will have to eventually walk away from a huge investment in both a capital and sweat equity perspective in our building. The Space group urges everyone to participate in the capital campaign so that we don't have to abandon this space.(Submitted by Mike Lehman)

#file_1# Librarians and Archivists
Description: Responsible for building and maintaining the IMC's progressive library project and archive of media materials. Meetings: Every Tuesday, 8:00 PM. Email: librarians@ucimc.org

The IMC radical librarians and anarchist archivists have continued to maintain the IMC's lending library and media archive, which houses all things produced by the U-C IMC. Currently we have approximately 50 current periodicals and over 500 books in the library, plus more than100 video and audio tapes. Members can check out these materials for two weeks. We have created a vertical file of information that doesn't come neatly packaged as a book, magazine, audio or video recording (flyers, pamphlets, information sheets, photocopies etc). The vertical is the brown filing cabinet under the bulletin boards. Subjects contained within the vertical file are listed on the outside. In the upcoming months we are planning to highlight and expand our zine collection. We are always looking for people to help enter the material we receive in our database which turns into our online catalog (www.ucimc.org/library/collections.html). We would also like to hear from you about how the library and library website could be more useful to you. (Submitted by Ellen Knutson)

#file_1# Technology
Description: Is responsible for the tech and equipment needs of the Center, including the IMC website, computer networking and electronics (audio and video). This groups needs people with experience in these areas or who are looking to learn. Meetings: Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:00 PM email: tech@ucimc.org

In Sept. the U-C IMC's website switched from the Active software it was running to a new piece of software called DadaIMC. The new software resolves many problems that have plagued us since the U-C IMC site went on-line 21 months ago, and also allows the website features to be more easily updated. We hope this latter change will rejuvenate the site and encourage more people to use it to post and read news. Massive thanks go to Clint Popetz for his efforts in installing and troubleshooting Dada. We continue to experience problems with the two computers used for Audio and Video production, named MoJo and Sergei, respectively. It is likely that they will need to be replaced in the near future. A lot of Tech's time during this past Summer was taken up with a website and e-mail list spammer who repeated flooded our website's Newswire with repeated postings. We were forced to take action to stop the spamming, and for a while unfortunately we had to log our website traffic to do it. We've been able to stem the tide. Upgrading to the DadaIMC software helped greatly, and so we've also turned off logging. Finally, we purchased a new digital camcorder using the money earned from the IMC's residency at Allen Hall back in March. We hope video production can get off the ground soon. We can always use an influx of good, working computers. Please consider donating any of the following: working CD-R drives; working PCs, Pentium II class or better; working MACs, G3 class or better; PCI 10/100 NICs; Wireless 802.11 NICs; working IDE Harddrives, 10 GB or larger. (Submitted by Paul Riismandel)