Faux Youth Worker

Mass. Expanding Summer Jobs Program To 10,000

Mass. Expanding Summer Jobs Program to 10,000

"Gov. Deval Patrick announced Friday that he plans to combine workforce development and public safety funds from the stimulus package with money from the state's summer jobs program, totaling $30 million over the next two years.

The state's summer work program for young people, called YouthWorks, places young people in jobs that include administrative, camp counselors, landscaping and maintenance."

What this story doesn't say is that Mayor Mumbles was there to announce that funding would "remain constant" for the Boston Youth Fund for last year, and has committed to "5,000 you-ufh jobrsh". Better than what we have in Detroit (proportionately at least). What this story also neglected to mention was this conversation that I had, incidentally, with both the Mayor and city councilor Jeff Sanchez:

Man of Power: "Good job today, son"
Me: "Uh...thanks. But what do you mean?"
Man of Power: "You really represented the youth of Mission Hill well today".
Me: "I'm 20."

the fucking faux youth worker strikes again.

MCAS results released today

MCAS results released today - Boston.com

"He added that "this year's results are a reminder that we need to do more in this area. As a Commonwealth , we can learn from schools like the Hooks that have found the right combination of focus, innovation and improvement in curriculum and instruction. As a result, their students are making great gains.

The DOE reported " the student population at the Hooks school is nearly 90 percent low income, 25 percent limited English proficient and 12 percent of the students are listed with disabilities. Nearly 78 percent of its students are Hispanic and just over 9 percent are African American."

At least there were no pictures of little brown kids holding up their new, improved, super-awesome MCAS scores

(I mean that in a semi-serious, irreverent way. Prepping kids to go to college, whatever way they can get in, is fine by me, for right now [yeah scoring high on the MEAP!]).

Thoughts?

heyo, 3 new old videos

These are from a series of films that I did last semester when my soul wasn't owned by PBHA. My favorite is the aquarium one
Crumb with Me
At the Aquarium
At the T

Middle Management and being a Faux Youth Worker

I've been doing a photo project in Mission Hill, honoring a beloved tradition called "imperialising with a camera". Anywho, I figured that, if I'm going to shoot a photo project, it should be about something I care about, lest it end up here. I've been told by the (truly) great Chris Killip that this is a good project because I'll be able to have lots of "insider info". Insider info my black ass - what kind of  insider info can I have living at Harvard University, Chris? I'm hanging out in the darkroom with you and the rest of the photo geeks, dog, drinking thai teas WITH SOY from my neighborhood coffee house and listening to the yeah yeah yeahs and noise bands and wearing my SB dunks wrong and shit and not being a real youth worker- and I'm often harshly reminded of that fact.

Por example - I went up to the library a few days ago to shoot some pictures for this project. I go in and say hi to the beautiful ladies behind the desk, who all know me. "Hi Ms. Librarians", I say. "Hey Christian!" they say. I set up my camera and start shooting the panorama, after pertaining the permission of Ms. Librarians. Right. Ms. Librarians. As I'm looking through the viewfinder, my camera is lifted from in front of my face. It takes me about 3 pitiful seconds to actually register what's happened. 2 security guards are standing over me, dangling my poor camera, looking at me like I'm reeking of gentrifier art student (oops).

They ask me what I'm doing - I say "Oh hi, I think we've met before [we had]". "No, I don't think so, kid [kid? wtf :-(] . "Um, well, I'm shooting this project...erm...I got permission from the librarians... this project, um....I work with kids....?". They say, "are you sure you work with kids? Usually when any of the youth workers need anything from the library, they know to go to Becky, our head librarian. You look like an art student." Ooh, right. "Who do you work with?" "The Phillips Brooks House Association? No? Mission Hill Summer Program? Mission Hill Youth Collaborative? No? Maria Dominguez-Gray? Maria Dominguez-Gray!"

"Oh, OK. We know her. She's great."

Oh, well, that's because she's an actual youth worker.

Flood of Art Shittorz, Take 1

Here's a link to the YouTube video of my final project for intro to anthro. Er, intro to animation. My intro to anthro final project can be found in J.L. Matory's bathroom, where he uses it to wipe his ass because he doesn't like me. This piece is about love, (lsd) trips and stretching and whatnot, and is intentionally angsty as a sort of third or fourth-level pun on being a teenager. How does this relate at all to youth work and being a faux youth worker, you ask? Well, and I quote: "This piece is about love, (lsd) trips and stretching and whatnot, and is intentionally angsty as a sort of third-level pun on being a teenager." It's all about teens, this animation.

Also, more funny things about this piece: I was sitting in class with my awesome prof., Ruth Lingford. My bit flashes up on the screen about how this was partly in response to Stevie Wonder. She, ever witty, goes, "...heh...did he do your cutouts for you also?". Which was funny because he's blind.

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