Meet the Editors: Queen Arsem-O''Malley!
Who are you?
I’m Queen, one of the editors for Youngist. I’m a 21-year-old recent graduate who should probably spend more time looking for jobs and less time watching Arrested Development. I previously wrote and edited for a campus newspaper at McGill, and am currently also an editor for CanCulture, an online magazine devoted to covering Canadian culture from a youth perspective.
Where are you based? Where are you from?
I’m currently based in Montreal, Quebec, where I attended McGill University. I’m originally from Boston.
What’s your favorite thing about the place that you live? What about where you are from?
My favourite thing about Montreal is the great selection of dive bars. My favourite thing about Boston is the Red Sox and Dunkin’ Donuts (though I guess those apply to all of New England).
Where did you go to school (high school and college, if applicable)? What is your experience with educational institutions?
I went to high school in Boston at a school that emphasizes its rigidity, reputation, and tradition, and then went to McGill, which does the same thing. I spent a lot of my time at McGill writing for The Daily, an independent student newspaper, trying to keep the administration accountable and communicative, and pushing institutional change that would make higher education less -ist and -phobic (classist, racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc.). I graduated extremely frustrated with the inaccessibility of higher education and the stubborn refusal of those in charge to open their eyes and listen to their students.
How did you get involved with Youngist?
I had known Izzy for a little while – we met through mutual friends, and then spent time together in Quebec during the student strike and I loved following the work of NYSR and CUNY activism, so she reached out to me to be a part of Youngist. I originally came into Youngist as a contributor, and was super excited about the project, and eventually joined as an editor.
How would you describe the current “online mediascape”? Where do you think young people (15-30) should get their news and analysis?
I think the online mediascape – mainstream news outlets, alternative news outlets, the blogosphere, social media – can be pretty overwhelming, and it can be hard to tell what the motives/agenda/backgrounds are of the people writing and commenting on current events. I get a lot of my news through social media, because I can choose who to follow, and learn about news through the lens of people and organizations that I already know and understand.
How, if at all, do you think social media can be used as a tool in grassroots organizing?
Social media has an amazing capacity for making connections that you would never be able to make otherwise, across borders and movements and even languages. I think it can add great visibility for grassroots organizing, and has an ability to reach people who aren’t exposed to organizing or social justice in their physical communities.
What do you hope to be able to accomplish through Youngist for our first year?
I hope that we are able to become a venue for young activists to feel comfortable writing and creating work about projovements that they feel passionately about, and a place for safe and productive discussion about issues facing young people and young activists in both their work and day-to-day lives.