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Lt l t x t lJ<br />
רחחר־ן<br />
ח חרן<br />
L n n n J<br />
MEDIA ACTIVISM<br />
shirt, hair neatly combed, looking every bit the Quintessential<br />
Yuppie. This sharp contrast set the tone for<br />
what would prove to be an exciting weekend.<br />
The seminar delved into the problems created by the<br />
media, both in terms of those it reaches and those who<br />
shape the content of its communications. In particular, j<br />
the lecturers (various media personalities from CNN,<br />
Time Maganize, the NY Times, the Jerusalem Post, and<br />
other sundry communication networks) concentrated on<br />
the Media’s sensitive relationship with Israel. Suddenly,<br />
“N ew s” was understood as propaganda, the word objectivity<br />
began to lose its meaning, and our awareness of the<br />
media’s power to mold public opinion steadily grew. The<br />
weekend gave some OYPers the chance to proclaim time<br />
and tim e again that a Holocaust was coming soon to the<br />
U.S. Others got a kick out asking the same long-winded<br />
meaningless question to every media personality. For me,<br />
it was a chance to eat as much free food as I wanted. I<br />
especially loved the glow-in-the-dark, chemical based,]<br />
bright yellow pudding.<br />
I wanted to write an article on the social life on<br />
campus. They told me I wasn’t qualified. So I decided to<br />
settle for a report on restaurants in Jerusalem. They told<br />
me I have absolutely no taste for food. So what if I<br />
thought McDonald’s was America’s greatest contribution<br />
to international cuisine. Andrew, they said, why don’t<br />
you write about the Media and Activism seminars. So<br />
here I am. And by now you are probably turning the<br />
page. Please don’t, my mother would be so disappointed<br />
in me.<br />
In late Dec., 40 of us headed to the Jerusalem Forest<br />
Hotel for the express purpose of stealing some needed<br />
tow els and toilet paper. We were greeted by the director<br />
of the Seminar looking very much like Abu Nidal, all<br />
equipped with knife, Uzzi, scruffy beard, kaffiah, and<br />
chains. While we were baraged with opening speeches<br />
which were making us regret our decision not to sleep-in<br />
that Friday morning, our terrorist-esque leader crept off.<br />
ו_ 1-<br />
We even got a little creative. Dividing into four<br />
groups, one representing the extreme left, one the<br />
extreme right, one in the Middle of the road, luke warm,<br />
half-full moderates, and the last being foreigners. Each<br />
group produced a radio show, newspaper, and videoclip<br />
reporting a various media event that had been staged that<br />
weekend. We learned how boring, bland and blah it is to<br />
be a moderate, and we learned how much fun it can be to<br />
see yourself on T.V.<br />
Are you readers out there still with me? You<br />
wouldn’t want to upset my mom would you? As spring<br />
arrived in Jerusalem, I began to hunger for a good meal.<br />
When I saw the signs for the Media Seminar’s Follow up,<br />
that old favorite Activism,.I packed my bags and waited<br />
impatiently in front of Goldsmith for three days. This<br />
time, we came fully equipped with football and bathing<br />
trunks. Shoresh was our host, and its parking lot served as<br />
an excellent football field for our many games (for those<br />
Hebrew U. snobs among us, we beat the Tel Aviv U.<br />
cf-.11 dents in football fi-O ! 1
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