[ale] ALE NW @ SPSU is forking

[Joshua]

Hello ALErs,

As most of you know I am trying to establish an ALE presence at the SPSU 
campus.  Part of the initiative is to setup regular monthly meetings for 
ALE NW to meet @ SPSU and discuss whatever topics is desired by the ALE 
community.  This will begin building strength in January.  In the 
meantime there is an opportunity for ALE members to get involved with an 
exciting new development: a SPSU Linux Study Group.

Many students have expressed an interest in learning Linux in a more 
structured environment.  After some discussion with Orlando Karam, the 
faculty advisor from SPSU, we have decided that it would be a good idea 
to setup this study group with two goals in mind-- general Linux 
education, and focused study for certification exams.

This will take the form of a 2 hour meeting in which the first hour will 
include an expert presenter with a 15 to 30 minute presentation on a 
specific Linux Topic followed by a Q&A session. Then the second half of 
the meeting will revolve around focused study for Linux certifications.  
Mostly likely a text will be selected and members of the Linux Study 
Group will drill down into the topics discussed in the book and, if 
possible, have a lab session where they implement the selected topics on 
a linux machine.
The goal is to have the two sections of the meeting be on related topics.


If anyone from ALE is interested in being a guest speaker for one of 
these sessions please contact me and I will give you more details.

There is a meeting planned for November 11, 2010  7:30 @ SPSU  Room J161 
to further discuss and organize the ALE @ NW initiative and generate a 
plan for the Linux Study Group @ SPSU.  Everyone is invited.  Feel free 
to add your two cents and support us in any way you can.  I personally 
believe that this approach has the potential to foster a very strong and 
loyal Linux following at SPSU.

To my knowledge both the general presentation and the focused study 
group will be open to the public and are not SPSU specific.  Please be 
aware that if you plan to attend the focused study group a text will 
most likely be in use and may be strongly recommended.

As far as the ALE NW meetings go, I will help to provide a time and a 
room for the monthly meeting and generate a topic and local interest in 
the student population, but if the members of ALE NW desire more 
autonomy, which in many ways is the goal, then you will have it.

Thank you for your time.  I look forward to your feedback.

Joshua Roberts