Critical Mass Bike Ride Planned To Take On Bemidji
Sympathy Occupy Wall Street Rally To Follow

By Erin Sundvall

An example of a Critical Mass Flyer -- taken from Bing Images

Since 1992 Critical Mass, a mass group of people taking over streets via bicycles, has become a phenomenon in the United States.  Cyclists have made this event an international happening as well.

According to chicagocriticalmass.org, the name Critical Mass stems from “Return of the Scorcher,” a documentary made in 1992 by Ted White.  The documentary was made in China and showed how human powered transportation and motorized transportation has an understanding in that country. With no traffic lights or stop signs, a group of people are pushed together in an intersection. When critical mass occurs, according to Critical-Mass Web site http://critical-mass.info/ “they are able to all move together with the force of their numbers to make cross traffic yield while they cross the road.”    

At noon on Saturday, Oct. 26, Bemidji’s “unofficial” Critical Mass organizer Luke Holden will be leading a group of cyclists into the streets of Bemidji.  Paul and Babe will be the meeting place for this specific ride. 

Luke Holden had a laid back or go-with-the-flow presence.  Wearing a puffy red vest, brown pants and sporting shaggy brunette hair, Holden is the epitome of a hipster.  He brought his bike into a Bemidji State University classroom with him as a “prop.” He explained how he got involved in Critical Mass and why.

He told a story about how the movie “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” got him involved with bicycles. He had a replica of the bike in the movie when he was young. Holden since has obtained an appreciation for older style bicycles with a potato as a passenger.

Holden also talked about his first experience with Critical Mass in Minneapolis, Minn. He was 18 and saw a flyer for the event stating that food would be provided.  That was an immediate yes for Holden. The social aspect is also an attraction.

Critical Mass is an international event for cyclists on the last Friday of every month.  The Bemidji event is being held on a Saturday in hope of recruiting more people to get involved. There is not a set path or distance for the ride.    The point is to “get cyclists to ride in a big 

cluster and to take the city for a little bit,” said Holden. 

There are many ideals behind Critical Mass.  In Holden’s words, Critical Mass “can be about politics, but the most important thing is cyclists’ rights.”  Many sources have claimed that Critical Mass is a protest. A quote from the Nov. 2010 Los Angeles Times blog "Cyclists cited, bikes impounded in Long Beach Critical Mass ride,"written by Stephen Ceasar describes a Critical Mass ride shut down by police for “riding unlawful bikes,” and “running stop signs.”

After the Bemidji Critical Mass bike ride is finished there will be an Occupy Wall Street rally. This rally is in sympathy for the protesters on Wall Street. 

Feature Paper on Prof. Chapman

Bemidji State University’s Favorite 

Englishman Makes His Annual Visit
Aliens and Eurospring 2012 were the main topics of discussion

Oxford Prof. Alan Chapman speaks to a full lecture
hall of fans at Bemidji State University.

An hour and ten minutes.

That is how long it took for Oxford Prof. Allan Chapman to mesmerize every person who was sitting in Sattgast 208 lecture hall on Monday afternoon with his lecture Aliens: Fact, Fiction, or Fallacy.

Chapman was wearing a black suit with a small union jack pin on the left side and his signature-crooked bowtie. He carries a gold pocket watch that he set down on Donna Allen’s desk (Eurospring alumni) to keep track of time. When he spoke it brought so much intensity into the room.  His white and untidy hair that gives him a friendly grandfather feel calmed this.

“I have met students whose parents met on Eurospring!” Chapman exclaimed in the introduction to his lecture followed by laughter.  The excitement and passion that Chapman brought into the room while he discussed Eurospring was contagious.  His charisma is an asset that never fails to recruit students to take part in Eurospring.

 Chapman also spoke to two mass media classes prior to his main lecture about the history of mass communications. He did not use a PowerPoint nor did he use any form of notes to read from.  He spoke purely from his own knowledge and nobody else’s.

Bemidji State University’s favorite Englishman makes an appearance annually to promote the Eurospring program.  Chapman is the main ingredient to an amazing and eventful two month program that starts off in Oxford, England and ends on the West side of continental Europe.  He has been the face of Eurospring since 1977 and proud of it. “My goal is to encourage and inspire students to achieve their goals,” Chapman said after the Eurospring 2012 informational meeting.

“I have had the pleasure of attending his science and alchemy class in Oxford during the Eurospring 2011 program,” said JD Schindlar, a participant in Eurospring 2011. “He has a twinkle in his eye when he speaks about science and also has the gift of making a boring subject more interesting.”

Chapman makes Wycliffe Hall and Oxford feel like home to students. This is why previous Eurospring students have felt sadness when leaving after five weeks.  According to an essay by Jennifer Helblad in “The Journey that Matters,” she quoted the day her group left Oxford as “the fateful date of April 21, 2005.”  She also goes on to explain her puffy eyes and fond memories of her last days in England. 

Chapman and Eurospring are unique to Bemidji State University.  He holds a special place in past Eurospring directors and students’ hearts and the many participants to come.  “I will be a part of Eurospring until I physically can’t do it,” said Chapman.