Right to Write: NYS Constitutional Convention 2017 (September 27)

The library, in conjunction with the Political Science Department, the Writing Center, and the Center for Civic Engagement, will be holding another Right to Write event on September 27 from Noon-5 pm in the Writing Center.

This time our focus is on raising awareness for the upcoming vote on November 7, 2017, regarding the Constitutional Convention.  At the ballot, New Yorkers will be asked to vote "Yes" or "No" to holding a Constitutional Convention.

Every 20 years, New York residents have the right to vote on whether or not to hold a Constitutional Convention to rewrite our state’s constitution. In advance of this year’s referendum, we will be holding a Right to Write session in the Writing Center to garner awareness about this crucial vote. During the session, students will have the opportunity to learn more about the pros and cons of having a constitutional convention —should we break up New York state? Should we change New York labor laws? Should New York guarantee access to healthcare? We will also be registering students to vote, making posters, eating pizza, and writing our representatives to endorse or oppose the convention.

You can find more information about the Constitutional Convention vote on our Research Guide for Right to Write.  We hope to see you there!

And the OED Word of the Year 2016 is....

...POST-TRUTH.

What is post-truth?

From Oxford Dictionaries (published by Oxford University Press):

Post-truth is "adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’.

Why is it the Word of the Year 2016?

Basically, although the term has been around since the 1990's, it has really taken off in 2016 in the context of global politics.  According to OD, "Oxford Dictionaries has seen a spike in frequency this year in the context of the EU referendum in the United Kingdom and the presidential election in the United States. It has also become associated with a particular noun, in the phrase post-truth politics."

Chart from Oxford Dictionaries

Does this have anything to do with libraries?

Absolutely!  Libraries are many things to many people, but one of our most important jobs is to be a place where people can investigate, research, and find out more about topics that are interesting and important to them...in other words, libraries are a place where we search for truth.  To hear that post-truth has become popular is a bit disconcerting.  On the other hand, libraries are now more vital than ever to ensure that people have access to authoritative, timely, and scholarly information.  And we will keep providing it!

Okay, back to the fun stuff.  What other words were in the running?

A few of the other terms on the short list this year:  

Adulting:  Do I have to adult today?

Woke:  Who is your favorite woke bae?

Coulrophobia:  I didn't realize I had coulrophobia until all those clowns started scaring people at Halloween!

Further reading:

Dreid, Nadia. "Meet the professor who's trying to help you steer clear of clickbait." (2016).  The Chronicle of Higher Education. LINK.

Fox, Claire. "In defence of post-truth politics: is it really a betrayal of democracy to vote with your heart?." Spectator 18 (2016). Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.  LINK.

Metz, Steve. "Science Practice In The Post-Truth Era." The Science Teacher 6 (2016): Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.  LINK.

Reader, Ruth.  "How We Got to Post-Truth." (2016).  Fast Company.  LINK.

Schuessler, Jennifer.  "The Word of the Year:  Can You Believe It?"  (2016).  The New York Times.  LINK.

Viner, Katharine. "Long Read:  How Technology Disrupted the Truth." (2016).  The Guardian.  LINK.