About This Place
The evildoer ne’er-do-well behind this clever clearly misguided and downright subversive effort is me, Jeff Higley, a rake, a raconteur, a pimp, a liberal, a relentless believer in the greater possibilities of mankind.
The Siege, one could say, is my “netchild,” a ridiculously presumptuous effort to awaken the sleepy Santa Monica College campus community from its perpetual state of somnambulism.
Who the hell am I to suggest such a thing, you ask? How dare ?I! Look, chill.
First off, I do believe I have some failed genetics which compels me, too often against my own best interests, to point out when the emperor is wearing no clothes. And the emperor has been streaking ALOT lately. Whether the masses of people really appreciate the puncturing of their collective hallucination is beside the point. The whole thing just might be out of my control.
Having been here awhile, I’ve reached that stage where a certain critical mass of observations about SMC seems to require me to speak out, like a sufferer of Tourettes, on a whole range of points.
I’ve noticed that there is NO town hall or forum where the cross-campus dialogue SMC so desperately needs to occur is actually happening. And it must happen. Ergo this site.
The idea is to facilitate an exchange amongst any and all participants on this turf, with the belief that such a process will promote a greater sense of community. You’ll find the Siege is big-time behind that idea.
The rules of this site are simple: I intend it to be controversial, profane (Sometimes swear words seem the best possible choice, don’t they?), in-your-face, newsworthy, stimulating, funny, enlightening, balls-to-the-wall, subversive, empowering, over-the-top, satirical, informative, seductive, disobedient, motivating, intriguing, engaging, life-affirming, outrageous, yada, yada, yada. Get the idea?
Other than libel, unrelenting flaming of others, porn,and copyright infringement, just about anything goes. The Siege is not your parent or babysitter and has no interest in controlling the debate.
Everyone at SMC is invited to participate. It’s up to your imagination and courage the degree to which you dare set foot herein.
Anyone in the world, beyond SMC can register and comment, although that’s not the audience I am trying to rouse. The nature of this site allows that. But for greater access — initiating posts and/or other higher involvement will require that participants are part of the SMC community.
If you have something you want to say, or think needs to be addressed, jump in. If you don’t want to cover it, email the Siege with the suggestion. Perhaps you want to write something, but are fearful of using your true identity. That’s what pseudonyms, nom de plumes, and pen names are for. The Siege would LOVE to have faculty contribute comments it has heard them speak sotto voce. Check out what they had to say to each other over Arnold’s controversial June commencement appearance.
Or perhaps you have ideas for art, photography, graphics, multimedia, short stories — whatever — that you think would be most triumphant through this venue. Contact us. Let’s talk and make it happen.
The Siege doesn’t have all the ideas, just 7.35 percent +/- .05 of them and the will to bring this enterprise to birth. Most of what can take flight in the Siege will come from you.
The Siege is meant to be a collaboration amongst the constituencies at the college. It is meant to be not just something that begins now and flames out at semester’s end, but builds and perpetuates itself, from semester to semester, year to year, as a growing staff and group of campus citizens hands the baton ever forward.
One other thing. SMC has absolutely NO CONTROL over this site. It is a forum of our community, dedicated to a healthy exchange of ideas, without the college’s censoring gatekeepers having any ability to intervene. Cool, huh?
Come on in and let’s play.
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