Get Published!

Throughout the 2011-2012 academic year, Critical Encounters will present a column entitled "Who's Your Radical?" which will be featured in the Columbia Chronicle and online. We are looking for concise essays from faculty, staff, and students. Your voices will provide us with a variety of perspectives on the impact of individuals who foster change. From those who challenge oppression to those who promote actions of social justice, radicals are often the source of inspiration and can incite revolutions. Through our radicals—artists, activists, scientists, and so many others—we can gain insight on the rights we have and the rights we hope to extend.

So tell us, who's your radical? Who inspires you to become more aware and civically engaged? Who makes a difference in your life and the lives of others?

 Successful essays generally make one solid point or have one central focus. Try to make that point by telling a story; use description and anecdotes to bring your story to life for readers. Submissions should be approximately 500 words; they will be edited by The Chronicle staff. Send your essay to Jeff Lyon, Editorial Faculty Advisor for The Chronicle, email: jlyon@colum.edu. A high-resolution image should accompany each essay (300 min. dpi).

Please include your contact information (name, e-mail address, phone number), as well as your academic department and affiliation (student, staff, faculty, administrator). If you are a student, please include your major and your level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and your OASIS id.

You can read all the Project Articles published so far this semester by selecting the links below, or click here to see all the articles.

Louise Love (Interim Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs) writes about her radical Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

Sam Bohne (Freshman, Journalism) writes about her radical great grandmother, aka "G.G."

Ivana Martinez (Freshman, Journalism) writes about her Radical Daniel Oliver Vasquez.

Kyra Mitchell (Freshman, Journalism) writes about her Radical Maya Angelou.

Maya Washington (Freshman, Film and Video) writes about her Radical Coach Jordan Bounds.

Kathleen Dore (Freshman, Humanities, History, Social Sciences) writes about her Radical J. K. Rowling.

Pamela McKuen (Adjunct Professor, Journalism and First-Year Seminar) writes about her Radical Helen Gurley Brown.

Eduardo Rodriguez (Freshman, Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management) writes about his Radical Kurt Cobain.

Julia Wehr (Sophomore, Journalism) writes about her Radical Lisbeth Salander.

Annmarie Ortega (Senior, undeclared major) writes about Catherine Wojtowicz, leader of the Chicago Tea Patriots.

Kathi Beste (MFA in Interdisciplinary Book + Paper Arts) writes about discovering the legacy of revolutionary artist Rudy Rotter.

Tiffany Stanley (Junior, Marketing Communications) writes about Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz, and his radical plan to help keep American small businesses alive.

Margot Wallace (Associate Professor, Marketing Communications) writes about "invisible radicals," and why it's important for us to find them.

Boris Isakov (Senior, Film + Video) talks about the reclusive, enigmatic, and radical theoretical mathemetician Grigori Perelman.

Ernie Love (Adjunct Faculty, First-Year Seminar) writes about blacklisted writer and activist Arthur Miller.

Patricia Boscan (Freshman, Journalism) responds to radical musician Shakira's commitment to children's rights.

Norman Alexandroff, Director of Student Communications, writes a tribute to his father Mike Alexandroff, a Columbia Radical and President of the College in 1961.