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Date:         Thu, 5 Nov 1992 20:19:09 EST
From:         DJKALMAN@COLOSPGS.BITNET
Subject:      IDM debate - long, & comprehensive(?)

Hello all.

I am going to attempt get the IDM debate roling again.  At the tcon on Sunday,
certain individuals brought up some reasons why IDm should not be undertaken,
and said that they would expand and post on these reasons this week.  I have
not seen any of this, but have seen CalSEDS proposals on the issue.  Therefore,
I am going to try to post on the "negatives" that these individuals brought up,
and state where I see these issues are at.  If this is not what you had
intended, PLEASE POST YOUR OWN VIEWS!!!

David Kalman


IDM DEBATE - Why IDM should not be undertaken by SEDS

1. Money.  I will not fight on this issue, becuase UAH and CalTech have already
posted on it.  It is well understood that if IDM risks a loss, we will not
undertake it.  So, moving on ...


2. SEDS inconsistency could show and further damage our reputation.  SEDS image
is already tarnished just from its lack of commitment between chapters and the
national organization (both ways).  Yes, more people would know of SEDS
problems if they pay for and don't get their Novae, but many chapters have
already realized this.  Maybe this is what SEDS needs.  If we can't take care
of simple functions (mailing to people who paid, getting chapters their bills,
paying our debts, etc.) maybe SEDS does not deserve to still exist.  If we want
to be considered as true advocates of space, we must become more profession in
our approach to our work, in order to gain the respect we need to further our
goals.  If we are inconsistent in our work, we keep breaking our promises, and
only squabble with each other, no one in the space community will listen to us
(or, for that matter, any potential employers at McDonald's  :)

We are working on consistent Nova.  What we need to do is have firm deadlines,
and if it needs to go out, it goes out, and an articles that are late arriving
go in the next issue.  Simple, straight-forward, consistent.  Size can vary,
but the publishing date must be consistent, and a file of backup "filler"
articles should be used to keep the Nova at a distant length.


3.  IDM will detract from new chapters.   I feel that if the funding costs make
it cheaper for a group of people to form a chapter in name, they will do it.
There are many people who are not willing to fight their school's bureaucracy
in order to form a club, especially if they are close to graduation, yet they
wish to contribute to the student push towards space.  The Nova will give
articcles that they can should to their friends to help convince them that
space is the answer, can keep them up to date on what possibilities exist for
STUDENTS in the space field (if they are willing to transfer to certain
colleges), and gives the beginning students a reason to funnel their interests
into space, instead of another field.

If we get three-five people at a school signing up as IDMs, we can give them
each others numbers, and try to convince them to start a chapter.  IDM is a
method of attracting new students to SEDS, without necessarily demanding a lot
of their time.  It is much easier to lead a person into a leadership role in
SEDS than to try to spring an officer position on a freshman at his first
meeting to SEDS.   I say let the people experience SEDS, get to know it
benefits and drawbacks, and then try to convince them that their effort will
make SEDS as a whole a better group.


4.  Getting speakers / starting projects.   These two things I have seen to be
the biggest drawing factors for SEDS.  Some school exist almost entirely on
projects for its students to get involved in (like UAH), and this is great at
schools that can do this.  At other schools (like CSM), where the students
don't have enough time to do these projects, the students liked to hear about
different aspects of "what's new in space", becuase it was interesting.  If it
wasn't for the guest speakers every other week at CSM,  CSM SEDS would have
died long ago from lack of interest.

IDMs are not able to get guest speakers, or real support for projects.  However,
if they do envision wanting this, it gives them a better reason for forming
their own SEDS group.  They can then use SEDS name to help in arguing for
school support, get ideas from other students, and use their higher profile (an
official group belonging to a national organization that has lots of experience
getting things into space!) in order to further their goals.

The key at schools is obtaining name recognition.  At many schools, space is a
low priority, and many students do not know what other students are also
interested in space.  Maybe by getting IDM people together, we can create
interest groups that talk to other studetns, and spead the word of students and
space.


5.  IDM will draw support away from existing chapters.  I do not think this
will happen.  Why not belong to a group that help expose you to new issues in
space?  Most local chapters do not charge dues, and even if they do, the saving
of being a chapter member and then buying the Nova instead of paying the flat
$20 should make it worth the person's while to stay with their chapter.

Also, many students have conflicts with the meeting times (classes, work, etc.)
CSM SEDS almost voted for a meeting time in which I (as President of the group)
would have been unable to attend any of the guest speakers!  For these
students, IDM means more to them than belonging to the local chapter, because
they are doing nothing with the local chapter.  Also, since it is hard to
contact their chapter members, they prefer to haver a consistent source of info
from the national organization, and have it know (recorded) that they are
willing to devote finances to nationals, even if they are unable to support
their local chapters.

Finally, there are those students who do nothing with their chapters due to
personality conflicts with other members / officers.  I was like this in my
first year of SEDS (when the vice-president of the group try to make SEDS a
branch interest group of the local Earthworks club), and I know of a few people
who did not participate in CSM SEDS because I was in charge.  However, I felt
that this was better than having a person who embezzled club fund in charge, or
having the club simply fall apart, and so did the other leaders, so I took over
command.

Regardless of what school you are at, this will ALWAYS happen.  You work
against it, but it still occurs.  Yet, why should students not be allow to
support the student drive towards space, just because of some personality
conflicts??  These people, if they become IDMs, are not drawing strength away
from the local chapter, and they are still benefiting the SEDS cause.


6.  This project makes us just like NSS.  I don't know enough about NSS, AIAA,
or the other space groups to know about this.  However, we do have one thing
that sets us apart:  we are all students.  We need to play this fact up.

Yes, IDM will mean some refocusing of the Novae.  I suggest that groups write
articles review their guest speakers.  Send a copy to your school paper!!  At
CSM last year, earthworks and SEDS got a full page on alternating weeks to talk
about their activities.  This is great from name recognition.  It would also
provide filler for the Nova, and help spread info to the readers (something the
IDMs will look for).

These articles also show the following:  "Look at all of this neat info you
find out about from guest speakers!!  If you form your own chapter, you can get
this type of info first hand!"   This type of article, balance with SEDS board
news, and updates on SEDS projects and star-gazing parties, etc.  will make a
great magazine.


7.  IDM centralizes too much power.  Money will now become more important than
chapters.  I don't think that the basis for SEDS will make either of these
cases happen.  You need enough power to properly run this program, but all of
the finances will still be overseen by the board, and accountability will be
maintained.  I feel that the USA SEDS organization on a national level does not
have enough power.  It has no control over chapters wrongly using its name, it
can't even notify its scholarship winner, it can't afford to send out starter
kits to interested students, etc.  We have chapters fight each other for
funding of projects.  SEDS needs to work more together, instead of always
fighting for ego and power between regions.  Some power and responsibility is
needed if progress is to be made.


8. Just reading the Nova does not encourage action by students.  This is true,
but even without IDM we have chapters and chapter members who are doing little.
They go to the guest speakers, eat pizza, listen to interesting ideas, and use
it as a break from their studying, but that is it.  Probably the majority of
most SEDS groups are like this ... they like the idea of space, but don't have
the will to devote a lot of their time to it.  Fortunately, most of our
national board members are not like this, but it does not mean that this
attitude does not exist.

Hopefully, not only will IDM spark space interest in individuals, but will also
lead them to possible methods to use these interests to promote real work ...
give them ideas of what to do about procedding to turn their dreams into
reality.   Normal, this work is done better with other interested people, so a
team is encouraged ... hence, forming a SEDS group.   Any way you look at it,
it might help, but it won't hurt SEDS.


These are the main objections that I heard.  There were other, but I don't
remember them, and besides, I have rambled on long enough.  In MY OPINION, IDM
will cannot hurt SEDS (anymore that SEDS is currently hurting itself), and IDM
does hold the possibility of helping SEDS.  We currently have the manpower
eager and willing to qwork on this projects, and if that manpower goes away
(gasp ... surely not by graduation from their schools! :) they SEDS can vote to
kill this project at that time.  But for right now, I think IDM is a good idea.

We have heard from Caltech, and I have posted my views.  It is time for the
opponents to state why they oppose IDM, and the logic behind their positions.
Power struggles between MIT, Caltech, and UAH should have nothing to do with
this.  Similarly, personality conflicts beteen Jeff, John, Lisa, and Dennis
have no part in this.

We need to put away these petty rivalry and vote on this
issue SOLEY ON THE BASIS OF WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BENEFIT SEDS USA AS A
WHOLE!!

So lets hear the other side, or get on with the vote, and lay the validity of
doing this project to rest.

DAVID KALMAN
djkalman@colospgs.bitnet
djkalman@happy.uccs.edu (internet)
USA NATL Board Member
keeper-of-the-lists
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