Does your Ball State campus organization have an activist or social justice mission?

The Vietnam Moratorium Committee (VMC) invites you to tell your story during the Activist Fair and Poster Session of the VMC conference on October, 11, 2019.

You are not required to present a poster, but you are strongly encouraged. It will help your organization show how you see activism and social change evolving with your generation.

A little history

The VMC held the largest protest demonstration in U.S. history, organized by the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.  It took place throughout the country in mid-October 1969 and culminated with a march on Washington, D.C. one month later.

Antiwar activism at Ball State attracted national press coverage, including a front-page article in the Washington Post (2 Nov. 1969) and a 6-minute story on NBC’s Huntley-Brinkley Report (25 Feb. 1970).

Alumni of the Ball State chapter of the VMC will mark the 50th anniversary of their activism and social engagement with a conference on Friday, October 11, 2019.

The featured speaker, David Harris, is a veteran activist, journalist, and author. He has published eleven books including Dreams Die Hard: Three Men’s Journey through the Sixties, and Our War: What We Did in Vietnam and What It Did to Us.

How do we participate in the Activist Fair?

  • The Activist Fair will be held on Friday, October 11, 2019 from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm at Cardinal Hall A.
  • Set-up will start an hour before the information and poster sessions begins.
  • One or two members of your group should be present to answer questions about your organization and share information about how people can become members of your organization.
  • Bring flyers and pamphlets about your organization to give out to potential members.
  • You can also bring laptops to display website and/or video content as relevant to your organization’s mission or activities.

What is the VMC Poster Session?

  • The VMC poster session is a one-hour block of time at the conference where presenters can share their projects, as they relate to activism and social change, past and present, with attendees in the form of a poster.
  • It offers an alternative for presenters eager to share their work through one-on-one discussion.
  • This can be especially useful for works-in-progress, and may be a particularly appropriate format for presentations where visual or material evidence represents a central component of the project.

When is the poster session?

  • The poster session will be held on Friday, October 11, 2019 from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm at Cardinal Hall A. Set-up will start an hour before the poster session begins.
  • DEADLINE TO SUBMIT POSTER IDEA: Friday, September 27, 2019 by 5:00 pm via email to Angela Jackson-Brown, Assistant Teaching Professor, English Department (jacksonbrown@bsu.edu)
  • Questions? Email Angela Jackson-Brown, Assistant Teaching Professor, English Department (jacksonbrown@bsu.edu)

How to submit a proposal

  • Please email Angela Jackson-Brown your contact information and a brief (~300 word) explanation of your poster.
  • A basic mock-up of the poster submitted as a PDF would be appreciated but not required.

When is my proposal due?

  • Poster proposals are due Friday, September 27, 2019 by 5pm EST.
  • You will hear back about the status of your proposal by Monday, September 30, 2019.
  • The committee is working hard to insure all interested parties get to share their work so please, feel free to reach out to Angela Jackson-Brown (jacksonbrown@bsu.edu) if you want to brainstorm an idea for your poster.

FAQ

What are the dimensions of a poster?

No larger than 36” x 48”.

What materials should I use?

Use laminated paper, poster paper or foam-core trifolds.

Will you have easels?

No, you must bring your own easels, whether table-mounted or free-standing (as well as your own laptops or display monitors).

What are the requirements of a good poster?

  • A good poster should introduce your topic, research questions or goals; describe methodology and/or best practices; and give outcomes (what was accomplished/what you learned)
  • Give the poster a title.
  • Use images to illustrate your points.
  • Caption the photos with a title, photographer, and date.
  • Keep text brief. Edit carefully. The test of a good poster is if someone can read it in two minutes and understand your main points.
  • Use backgrounds and graphics to enliven the look of the poster.
  • Print out all text. Do not hand letter.
  • Consider making copies (5-10) of your poster as handouts. This will mean shrinking the poster to legal-sized copies. Observers often want something to take away. Provide your contact information so folks can reach you later with additional questions, resources, and/or suggestions.

Then and Now

How did Ball State and the Muncie community respond to VMC 50 years ago?

Antiwar activism at Ball State, though not as massive or militant as that at larger universities, nonetheless attracted national press coverage, including a 6-minute story on NBC’s Huntley-Brinkley Report (25 Feb. 1970).