Who inspires you? Who makes you question the world around you? Who makes you laugh?

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to Jonathan Goldstein’s keynote address at a journalism conference in Saskatoon. Goldstein is an American author and comedian, and you can tune into his show WireTap on Sundays at 1 p.m. on CBC Radio One.

Goldstein has the ability to take ordinary, everyday events and regurgitate them in a way that is both honest and interesting - for a narcissistic yuppie at least. His lessons are relatively simple, but are the type that are good to be reminded of – be nice to others, treasure what you have, etc. etc.

Last year, Mouseland Press (MLP) Inc., publisher of this fine paper, proposed a $2.50 levy per student during the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association general election. The proposed levy would go towards developing a speakers’ series where students and community members could have a say in who they want to see speak. And the student body (that actually votes) voted yes.

Since then, the MLP board has been developing the framework for a speakers’ series committee and mandate for how this will include students and community. Of utmost importance to the organization is making sure that it creates a dialogue that interests as many people as possible, without slanting to one specific political ideology or stream of thought. You, the student, want to be engaged, but not have your money used to simply promote another’s agenda.  We understand this, and as a newspaper naturally try to separate ourselves from agendas.

In our first year, we have funded a number of initiatives on campus, including the lectures by Clayton Thomas-Muller back in the fall, Dunya Mikhail and Justin Podur in early February, and Dr. Vincent Harding today (Mar. 5). It is a start, and there will be more. Great ideas come from humble beginnings. Supporting the work of others has helped us build partnerships, and understand “the biz” and its pitfalls. From this learning, we can use your contribution more effectively. This year was just the beginning and the growth in the series is coming.

Mouseland Press and The Uniter are now moving to an exciting new stage where students, student groups and community members can propose and influence the direction of the series. This is a stage where we will organize larger and more influential speakers that interest you.

Now that the boring committee planning work is done, we’d like to invite our readers to get involved. Do you have ideas about who you’d like to see on a panel, possible topics for discussion, or a favourite keynote? How would you like to be inspired?

Regardless of how you’d like to participate, or if you’d just like more information, e-mail [email protected].

Published in Volume 63, Number 22 of The Uniter (March 5, 2009)