8
CULTURE
! 3 IB
NOVEMBER 12, 2009
ARBITERONLINE.COM
Lights On All the single ladies HALEY ROBINSON Journalist
Get ready for Ignition Ignite Boise 3 inferno of ideas
SHANNON MORGAN Editor-in-Chief
What happens when 16 random people are given a stage, 20 slides that rotate every 15 seconds and five minutes to talk about whatever they want? Ignition. “Ignite Boise is put together by a handful of local entrepreneurs, geeks and generally creative people looking to contribute to Boise’s culture of ideas. (...) Ignite was started in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis. Since then, hundreds of five minute talks have been given across the world. There are thriving Ignite communities in Seattle, Portland, Paris, Baltimore, NYC and now, Boise,” according to IgniteBoise.com. Boise State graduate Andrew Choifrine attended Ignite Boise 2. “I love it, I think it keeps people concise and that means it’s always interesting and if it’s not, then you move on to the next presenter,” Choufrine said. “It’s interesting people, talking about interesting things, in short bursts.” The successful event won the praise of Mayor Dave Bieter who proclaimed July 16 to be, “Ignite Boise Day,” in part because, “Ignite Boise reflects the truth that Boise is the birthplace of big ideas, the cradle of innovation, and simply the best place to lead a balanced life of meaningful work and inspirational play.” Chris Blanchard is a gradu-
ate of Boise State University and is the co-founder of Ignite Boise. Blanchard currently is professional staff in the Dean’s office of the college of social sciences and public affairs at BSU. So, what drove Blanchard to help develop a successful program like Ignite in Boise? “We thought it was a great opportunity to take the time to get some smart people to talk about things they are passionate about and try to spark some creativity to get people to think about old problems in new ways,” Blanchard said. Ignite Boise offers a great utility to students according to the associate airector of the career center at Alex Gutierrez. “I think it’s a great idea (…) looking at ideas and what other people are thinking about, but also for the connections and getting involved with different people in the community,” Gutierrez said. “Especially if you want to get connected and know what’s happening.” The event has won the heart of Boise residents and beyond. Senator Dean Cameron of Rupert described the Ignite Boise experience as, “a room filled with energetic, exciting, entrepreneurialminded people who are creative.” Cameron said. “It really causes the imagination to blossom in ways that you can be creative and have fun at the same time.”
BOB BEERS/THE ARBITER
Rob Barker, co-founder of Ignite Boise, gives the opening presentation at Ignite Boise 2, describing it as “a word of mouth movement.” Mayor Bieter’s Proclamation: “Whereas Ignite Boise was established by volunteers in early 2009 for the purpose of advancing big ideas and sparking a blaze of creativity in the City of Boise’s business and creative community; and Whereas the unique live presentation format of Ignite Boise brings together a diverse group including the valley’s artists, geeks, entrepreneurs, academics, government officials, and others to share their ideas in a fast-paced feeding frenzy of original thinking that entertains, challenges, and inspires; and, Whereas the volunteer founders and organizers of Ignite Boise staged an impressive debut event in March of ‘09 and have maintained the momentum for their second event, IgniteBoise2, in July of ‘09, while utilizing only social media tools and earned media for communication and promotion; and, Whereas Ignite Boise reflects the truth that Boise is the birthplace of big ideas, the cradle of innovation, and simply the best place to lead a balanced life of meaningful work and inspirational play; and, NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID H. BIETER, Mayor of the City of Boise, do hereby proclaim Thursday, July 16, 2009 IGNITE BOISE DAY”
Ignite Boise 3 speakers and topics (and Twitter handles) Every Springfield Needs a Shelbyville Kevin Richert @KevinRichert
The Farmer Who Went Postal Colleen Kohler @IPsecretary
ADD-tastic T.J. Anderson @tjsonofander
A Quick Primer on Slow-Cooked Barbecue Sherman Leibow @ShermTV
Science Quickies Woody Sobey @twsobey How to win 1-ups in Super Mario and influence people Ryan Donahue @donapuke How Eating Guinea Pigs Can Save The World (or at least part of it) Matt Miller @eatguineapigs
All Aboard the Soul Funky Train (a.k.a. Fundamentals of Supergroovalisticpro sifunkstication) Tony Harrison @tonystweetsIGNITE BOISE DAY Draining the Swamp Jeff Almeida @npja
A $1 Trillion Loaf of Bread; or Backup Your Brain Jason Denizac @jdenizac Don’t be lazy, SAVE THE PLANET! Holli High Woodings @hollihigh How To Start a Company in 52 Hours! Andre Nosalsky @an Weasel Words: How to Keep from Committing to Anything (Without Even Trying) Brian Harrison @brharrison
Mad (Wo)Men: The Women of “Mad Men,” the Modern Women Who Love Them, and How to Know Which Mad (Wo)Man You Are Lisa McGrath @tweetmcg Consider Design Justin Kuntz, Ryan Lascano and Steve Norell @justinkuntz @ryanlascano @stevenorell
Go to arbiteronline.com to watch Ignite Boise 3 live as the event unfolds at the Egyptian theatre
Hate what you see on the news? Well… it’s your fault. Thanh Tan @uscthanhtan
GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER
Finn Riggins performs at the Special Events Center in the SUB Tuesday night. The band moved from Hailey to Boise in January. “The music scene in Hailey isn’t like the music scene in a city,” said Lisa Simpson, vocalist for the band. Simpson said that while the band carved out a solid niche in Hailey, most tourists aren’t there to see a band they’re not familiar with so cover bands abound. While the band is one of Idaho’s biggest, the members still find themselves needing to supplement their income with temporary work. “It’s kind-of a hunter and gatherer lifestyle,” he said. Simpson works as a developmental therapist when she’s not performing.
The decay of the nuclear family, the battle for women’s rights and the evolution of sexual freedom has reared a new kind of woman in the 21st century. She is powerful, she is independent and she has new responsibilities. No longer expected to be meek and conservative about sexual actions and ideas, women are faced with a new liberation that allows them startling power and freedom rivaling men’s. Women that have started to emerge in to the masculine world of “love-em and leaveem” are making their presence known. They aren’t afraid to say what was unheard of by women in the past. The fact that they want to have sex because it feels good or because they aren’t sleeping with men because they think that he is the love of her life. Accompanying this new way of thinking is an old stigma. Men who come home from a night of partying with stories about how many girls they hooked up with are greeted with highfives and admiration. Women placed in the same situation are greeted with degrading rumors and labels. A man who sleeps with a slew of women is a hero; a woman who sleeps with the equivalent amount of men is a slut. Aside from the risk of obtaining these unfair labels, women also need to take in to consideration other threats to their wellbeing. Women who decide to partake in this new and exciting sexual flexibility cannot neglect to consider the dangers that follow. The risk of contracting STI’s is something women and men alike have to fear. If a woman decides that she wants to have casual or promiscuous sex, she needs to have the ability to stand up for herself and make sure she is protected. Women who are sexually active should have their own means of protection and have the guts to say “no” if they are pressured in to risky behavior with which they don’t feel comfortable. Accidental pregnancy is arguably the most serious and frightening prospect for women who are sexually active. Men are not biologically tied to this accident. If a man refuses to wear a condom and suggests just “pulling out” as a lone form of birth control, women should have the intelligence and assertiveness to say “absolutely not.” If they do not have the ability to stand up for themselves, they have no business having sex in the first place. Regret is another concern women should consider before participating in this cultural revolution. In this case, the cliché phrase: “Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean you have to,” is applicable. Women who don’t believe in promiscuous sex, women who don’t feel comfortable with it, or women who want more than just sex out of a relationship should not feel that it is necessary to partake in this new trend. Being honest with oneself is vital when it comes to this decision. Accompanying the consideration for these things, women also need to be aware that they always have the ability to say “no.” They need to be confident enough in themselves and their own decisions to know that, even at the risk of sounding like a prude, it’s always their prerogative to refuse any point. To all the single ladies, it is important to recognize that it is up to each individual woman to adopt responsibility for her choices. If women are to completely shed the image of being the weaker and more submissive sex, they need to take charge of their actions and accept accountability.
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