What's the Point of a Flash Mob?
“Flash mobs are a wonderful way to bring people together. We might start as strangers, but for 10 minutes we all agree to leave our comfort zones behind, and join together in ridiculousness." said The Everyday Radical member Karissa Alcox. “Some might say a flash mob is a ridiculous way to draw attention to a cause. I agree! However I also think a lot can be accomplished through silliness…And our flash mob is going to be very silly”.
That's a quote from a recent press release my student activist group The Everyday Radical sent out to advertise our Mp3 Flash Mob For Climate Change Awareness.
Approximately 30 students met on campus on March 22nd at 1pm, with their ipods ready. We had all downloaded the same 14 minute long mp3 file, which was a combination of voice, music, and sound effects. At 1:10, we counted down to press play simultaneously and follow the instructions on the mp3. The energy was high, and curious onlookers were already starting to gather.
THREE, TWO, ONE, START!
The voice told us about the horrors of climate change while we participated in a giant shoulder massage train. Later we cause a stir in a high-traffic area on campus with 2 minutes to high five as many non-participants as possible.
A new voice, Radical Rachel, reminded us about how the Canadian government dropped out of the Kyoto Accord. "As Everyday Radicals, part of our mission is to show that we do not share the priorities our government has chosen for us. Just because Canada isn't expressing radical concern for climate change doesn't mean that we can't!" While we all sprinted to find a tree to hug, she explained, "Although it's difficult to get a hold of our government, making a statement on campus is a great start. Show that tree some love!"
All the while participants were handing out slips of paper with explanations and the URL to our website.
Although only approximately 30 students were directly involved with the flash mob, the effects were much more wide spread. The flash mob became a hot topic on campus, and throughout our city - a few of us even overheard others talking about it without realizing we had orchestrated it! Because of the attention drawn to our cause, The Everyday Radical considers our first Mp3 Flash mob a success.
And we know our future mobs will be even more radical, now that we've created a name for ourselves.
That's a quote from a recent press release my student activist group The Everyday Radical sent out to advertise our Mp3 Flash Mob For Climate Change Awareness.
Approximately 30 students met on campus on March 22nd at 1pm, with their ipods ready. We had all downloaded the same 14 minute long mp3 file, which was a combination of voice, music, and sound effects. At 1:10, we counted down to press play simultaneously and follow the instructions on the mp3. The energy was high, and curious onlookers were already starting to gather.
THREE, TWO, ONE, START!
The voice told us about the horrors of climate change while we participated in a giant shoulder massage train. Later we cause a stir in a high-traffic area on campus with 2 minutes to high five as many non-participants as possible.
A new voice, Radical Rachel, reminded us about how the Canadian government dropped out of the Kyoto Accord. "As Everyday Radicals, part of our mission is to show that we do not share the priorities our government has chosen for us. Just because Canada isn't expressing radical concern for climate change doesn't mean that we can't!" While we all sprinted to find a tree to hug, she explained, "Although it's difficult to get a hold of our government, making a statement on campus is a great start. Show that tree some love!"
All the while participants were handing out slips of paper with explanations and the URL to our website.
Although only approximately 30 students were directly involved with the flash mob, the effects were much more wide spread. The flash mob became a hot topic on campus, and throughout our city - a few of us even overheard others talking about it without realizing we had orchestrated it! Because of the attention drawn to our cause, The Everyday Radical considers our first Mp3 Flash mob a success.
And we know our future mobs will be even more radical, now that we've created a name for ourselves.