-
Identifier
-
Diso_000001
-
Title
-
Disorientation Manual (1999-2000)
-
Date
-
1999
-
Creator
-
Evergreen Political Information Center (E.P.I.C.)
-
extracted text
-
THESOCIALCONTRACT-COLLEGEPIDLOSOPHY
(WAC 174-12~:-010)
~i
f )
r
(I) GENERAL:
Evergreen is an ir>,.. ·
obstaclei; •- ~~
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tJ,-•
11111..\-,
~~
arr:-\~~, .,
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'?t~\~ ~)
:) PURPCJSE:
.,
.
-,ity that continues to orP,allize i~lf so that it can clear away
-.alive aq~ routine~',:an be focused on education, and so
:...mpus couimw,;,
· can best reflect the goa_Is and
of governance
consonant with these goals and
.
A Eve,green cm, tluive only
~~
t~\.~-/~
~
..
;I\...._\,~~ .
. - ..
.
.,
,gbts of othe<s while~· •ng thcir own rights,
Students, faculty, acfn,=~ • " '
__..ntiers may differ wi" ·
interests, in
the degree and k i r ~
) ')
_., oring to Evergrec,~~
which they have
agreed to pi-r'~
Jt.lee in prizing ar__.- ~
\ ~ l •esty, in responsibly
obtaiJ1i.. ~
• and accurate :- ~'I'll
... differences through
di•·
.,.mg will to collal
... )
(b)
J,un_ity shou~d support e. ' \
11~w and better ~ys to achiev_e
~ '\~
~,s. Spec1fically, 1t must atteml ' \ '
.-LC the sense of commumty and reqmre
m,
.,{the campus community to play mt •..., reciprocal, and reinforcing roles in both the
teat..,mg/leaming process and in the governance process.
~
~
1
ic;pecific
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(3) FREEDOM AND CIVILITY:
The individual members of the Evergreen community are responsible for protecting each other and
visitors on campus from physical harm, from personal threats, and from uncivil abuse. Civility is not just
a word; it must be present in all our interactions. Similarly, the institution is obligated, both by principle
and by the general law, to protect its property from damage and unauthorized use and its operating
processes from interruption. Members of the community must exercise the rights accorded them to voice
their opinions with respect to basic matters of policy and other issues. The Evergreen community will
support the right .o f its members, individually or in groups, to express ideas, judgments, and opinions in
speech or writing. The members of the community, however, are obligated to make statements in their
own names and not as expressions on behalf of the college. The board of trustees or the president speaks
on behalf of the college and may at times share -0r delegate the responsibility to others within the college.
Among the basic rights of individuals are freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly and
association, freedom of belief, and freedom from intimidation. violence, and abuse. . . . . · '. ·
1c1c1c1 ·•111111
(4) INDIVIDUALANDINSTITIITIONALRIGE
Each member of the community must protect:
· I I I -~
(a) The fundamental rights of others in the communi
, , ._ _ · · _,
~~- _ ..
(b) The right of each member in the community to pursue cliffetenfle:irmng "t,6Jectives within the limits
· defined by Evergreen's curriculum or resources of people, materials, equipment, and money;
( c) The rights and obligations of Evergreen as an institution established by the state of Washington; and
(d) Individual rights to fair and equitable procedures when the institution acts to protect the safety of its
members.
I·
DIS-INTRODUCTION:
What you have in your hands is the third annual Evergreen disorientation manual.
inspired by similar manuals distributed at Reed College, UW-Madison. UC-Berkeley, and
MLT. Many, many people contributed their time. energy, thoughts, writings, and
resources to this manual, Many thanks to all of them: this manual would not have been
possible without the energies of countless Individuals.
To those of you who are looking for a college free from the larger political.
economic. and social hierarchies of our culture. we have disappointing news:
EVERGREEN IS NOT AS -oPEN" AND -RADICAL" AS YOU MAY HAVE BEEN LEAD TO
BELIEVE. This manual is an attempt by students. student organizations. and community
members to present a more accurate and balanced portrayal of what Evergreen is all
about.
Our intent is to disorient you with respect to the traditional ways of viewing and
using the college. Too often. the glossy, sanitized materials assembled by the Admissions
Office fail to provide a realistic. balanced picture. We want to show you a side to
Evergreen that the administration and the folks who put together orientation materials
will not show you. Our intent is not to orient you to a particular perspective. b ut to
encourage curiosity and critic9I analysis of Evergreen and of the greater Olympia
community.
We are also trying to help you move out of what could otherwise be a very
confining position as a student at Evergreen. The college and university system is a
reflection of society in both structure and function: a tremendous hierarchy that
perpetuates the larger political. economic. and social hierarchies of our culture.
However. your experience at Evergreen does not have to be confining: by taking
a critical attitude to everything you encounter here (your education. your social
interactions. where you buy your food, the administration. this manual. and so on) you
can take control of your experience at Evergreen and turn it into a tool of
empowerment.
W\.-\EN 1. GROW \JP.
I WAt,fT "10 BE. A.
RADICAL "TERRaR\'ST
-The university will be able to make
its contribution to a free society only
to the extent that it overcomes the
temptation to conform unthinkingly
to the prevailing patterns of power
and privilege."
-Noam Chomsky
You're here, now what?
Where does the money in your bank account
go?
In information that you get from ' the
Evergreen Admissions Office and representatives of
SeaFirst Bank, who often table in the CAB, Seahrst
may seem like the best choice for where to put your
money. Indeed, SeaFirst has two cash machines in
the CAB and one at the Housing Community Center.
SeaFirst, however, like all commercial banks, can do
whatever it wants with your money.
Political contributions to the Republican
Party are one way that Seafirst uses your money. As
a subsidiary of Bank of America, one of the world's
largest financial institutions, active in 38 countries,
another way SeaFirst uses your money is by
investing and giving loans to governments like that
of Indonesia, until recently known for its human
rights abuses and military dictatorship.
Perhaps worst of all, Bank of America is
linked to the World Bank - an institution that poses
as "humanitarian," but whose "conditional" loans to
"Third World" countries lead to poverty arid
exploitation. As the economic watchdog Global
Exchange wrote in their recent report Why the World
Bank
Must
Be
Reformed and How
We Can Do It:
"Evidence from many
countries shows that
the policies promoted
by the World Bank
are
disastrous.
Whether you look at
poor countries such as
Somalia,
Rwanda,
and Mozambique, or well-endowed countries such
as Ghana, Brazil, and the Philippines, the policies
pushed by the World Bank have worsened
conditions for the majority."
The Evergreen State college has an
exclusive contract with SeaFirst Bank. That's why
there are only SeaFirst A TMs on campus. Employee
pensions are saved in SeaFirst accounts, and the
funds for student worker paychecks (as they sit
around for a month at a time) provide usable capital
for Bank of America projects.
In 1997, Evergreen students began finding
out the reality about SeaFirst Bank. Some began
discussing the possibility of pressuring the college to
end its contract -a campaign yet to be seriously
started. In the winter of 1998, the Olympia-Chiapas
Solidarity Organization initiated a Mexico
divestment campaign to pressure the government of
Mexico to respect the rights of indigenous citizens
in Chiapas, Mexico. Bank of America is one of the
largest investors in the Mexican economy. In
response to this, some Evergreen students began
closing their accounts at SeaFirst. In the fall of 1998,
encouraged by the 2 nd Annual Disorientation
Manual, countless students avoided SeaFirst
altogether. We hope the trend continues -and grows.
Financial institutions are not created
equally. Some are much better than others. In
Olympia, there is an alternative to SeaFirst available
for all Evergreen students and employees of the
State: the Washington State Employees Credit Union
(WSECU), located downtown at 400 E. Union
A venue. Call them at 943-7911, or stop by to set up
an account. Once you are a member, you can always
be a member- even after you graduate. And you can
use the SeaFirst A TMs on campus to access your
funds in WSECU for free!
How do you get your books cheap?
As a new student, one of the first priorities
is where to buy your schoolbooks. Naturally, you
tum to the TESC bookstore for help: you know they
will have all the books for your class, and they are
close. Think more carefully, though. As a student
you need the cheapest books possible.
TESC classes tend to use original texts and
not very many anthologies or textbooks (unless you
are in the sciences or advanced arts). Therefore, it
is quite easy to go· to a used bookstore to find class
readings -and it is much, much cheaper.
Olympia has several used bookstores. Two
of these are Browsers Book Shop (357-7462; I 07
Capitol Way) and Orea Books (352--123, 509 4 th
Ave).
Orea Books is best for several reasons.
First, Orea receives a listing of all the current quarter
required books for Evergreen classes, and the ones
they don ' t have on hand, they'll special order.
Generally speaking, as long as it is not a
macrobiology textbook, or a rare Orissi dance
technique book from India, Orea will have it in stock
for you. Second, even if it is a new book which they
have special ordered for you, as a student you get
I 0% off the cover price -that' s I 0% off what you
would have paid at the TESC bookstore.
Lastly, at Orea you can trade your books in,
getting trade credit equal to half the price they will
sell the book for. At the TESC bookstore, because
books are not generally re-used by different classes
as they are at other colleges, they can only offer you
a mere 10-15% of the original cost of the book ifit
is not being used again (if it is being used again,
they will give you one half the original price). And,
if you want cold hard cash at Orea, you can trade in
your credit at any time for one half its amount-giving
you one quarter the original price of the book.
Better yet is to save your Orea credit and use it the
next time classes roll ' round, and the dilemma of
where to buy your schoolbooks again rears its costly
head.
Where can you get your bike fixed?
Check out the Evergreen Bike Shop, a
student-run cooperative (this means you get to work
on your bike yourself). It also means that the superfriendly folks helping you aren ' t paid -they're there
because they like bikes. The volunteers run from
bicycle geniuses to people who just want to see the
shop stay open.
The shop is located in the basement of the
CAB (get in the elevator and press " B") and is
equipped with mechanic' s bike stands, basic repair
parts (tubes, patches, cables, bearings, grease, and
repair manuals) and a comprehensive array of tools
at your mercy. All of this is made available to you
for one easy installment of $5 per quarter or $2 per
visit. This helps fund the magical bottomless vat of
grease, and buy new and confusing tools.
The bike shop is a do-it-yourself place, but
if you don't feel confident, or are unsure how to do
a repair, the volunteers are always ready to help you,
or smile, shrug, and direct you to a manual. One
important caveat: Its a volunteer-shop so the posted
hours aren' t always accurate (try calling 866-6000
x6399).
What are Sound Hours?
Does the ubiquitous commercialism and
corporate profiteering today make you dream of a
different economic system? Does the disgusting
amount of personal wealth generated by software
moguls and currency traders make you want to
subvert the capitalist paradigm? Well, there is an
alternative economy at work here in Olympia that
you can take part in.
The Sound Exchange, based on the Local
Exchange Trading System, or LETS , has been up
and running now since December 1996. There are
currently 500 members who offer their services in a
myriad of categories from haircuts and babysitting to
webpage design and Permaculture workshops. Some
local businesses participate in the system as well,
accepting either all or a portion of your bill in Sound
Hours, the local currency.
The system works by allotting a specific
dollar amount ($10) per hour for all services, putting
everyone on equal footing (although some
professionals charge more). Thee is a newsletter and
member/services offered listing to keep everyone
aware of what is offered and by whom. You can
contact Sound Exchange at 120 State Ave. NE
# 1444; Olympia, WA 9850 I or stop by Traditions
Cafe at the corner of 5th and Water on Mondays
between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Become a member now
and start changing our economic system to a locally
based and person oriented economy today. Their
website is www.olywa.net/vision/
Ill no policy protecting the students' right to choose
Dissection at Evergreen?
__ alternatives here at the "liberal" Evergreen State
:E===================~ College. If you or anyone you know are affected by
c:
The issue of dissection is a highly debatable
one in educational institutions everywhere. Many
have chosen, due to student and public pressure, to
'adopt alternative methods to the use of animals.
These have often proven to be equally or more
conducive to learning, as well as more ethically and
economically sound. Arguing against claims that the
exploitation of animals is necessary for scientific
sh: iy, organizations such as the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine are leading the
battle to gain rights for all students to pursue
alternatives to killing for science. California, Florida,
Pennsylvania, and New York all have laws protecting
the student's right to chose alternative methods.
These may include anatomical models videos slides
'
'
'
charts, books, computer programs, and non-animal
projects. Although many faculty at Evergreen do
approve these types of alternative study, some require
dissection or other exploitative practices for credit or
even admission into the program. There is currently
l pgram Title
omology
petology
me Life: Marine
anis ms and Their
iro nments
1
~
to Natural
~nee
0
Tvoe of Animal
this situation and are in danger of losing credit or
compromising your beliefs, EARN (the Evergreen
Animal Rights Network) can help! Please contact us
at 866-6000 x6555 got more information.
Because the facts are not always stated in
the Evergreen catalog, we are providing a list of
1999-2000 programs that do involve some type of
animal use. This information may be limited due to
communication problems with some faculty, so
please consult your faculty for more details. Please
note that although EARN is ethically opposed to all
animal exploitation, including dissection, the issue
we are mainly concerned with at this time is the
adoption of a policy at TESC that would ensure the
student's ability to pursue faculty-approved
alternatives. If you would like to be involved in this
campaign, feel free to contact EARN or come to our
weekly meetings starting the first week of fall
quarter.
Use
Killing insects. Shrews or
salamanders may get caught
in traps and starve to death.
Dissection of reptiles and
amphibians; mostlv roadkill
Collection of marine
specimens, possible
dissection of crayfish,
mussels, etc.
Possible dissection for
biology credit
Alternatives?
Faculty
None
John Longino
Possibly; consult
faculty
Possible plant study
option
Steve Herman
Dave Milne ,
Erik Thuesen
Burt Guttman,
TBA
Plant study option
I1
{
WHAT YOUR MONEY BUYS IN OLYMPIA: This guide is an attempt to help you spend your dollars
wisely in Olympia. As consumers we must realize that one of the realities open to us is to vote with our money
and let companies know what you are/are not buying and why. We
don't just buy a product with a purchase; we not only support an
MONEY!
economic system with it, but we also support the working conditions
HELL IT MAY BE
and the political environment of the company as well. This guide is
SPLA TIERED RED WITH
THE BLOOD OF THE
meant to help connect you with the history of activism that has gone on
EXPLOITED. BUT IT STILL
here and continues to go on throughout the world. Not everything in
LOOKS GREEN TO ~E.
the world is covered here, and nothing was intentionally left out even
though much is left out. There are no easy answers and this is not
meant as a substitute for grassroots organizing on behalf of the
environment, workers, and other facets of our world and society.
CHAIN STORES SUCK. This guide presumes your familiarity with
the problems associated with chain stores, such as money leaving the
community, having bad environmental practices, and they are generally
anti-union and pay low wages. You know then as McDonalds, Pizza
Hut, Olive Garden, Target, Sears, 7-11 , Home Depot, Top Foods,
Safeway, Hollywood Video, SeaFirst Bank, etc.
A LITTLE ABOUT THRJFf STORES: Value Village gathers its items for sale through citizen donations
made through telemarketing on behalf of non-profits groups, such as the Association for Retarded Citizens
(ARC). Value Village, as a for-profit business, buys the donations with some money trickling back to the nonprofits. Goodwill industries gathers its items directly from citizen donations and uses the money it raises as
a non- profit to train the disadvantaged. Salvation Army gathers its items directly from citizen donations and
uses the money as a non-profit to rehabilitate alcoholics on the condition that they accept God as the solution,
among other things. Both Goodwill and Salvation Army "employ" community service workers, which through
referral by the courts, work without payment for a certain number of hours.
GASOLINE IS BAD. There is really no such thing as a "PC" gas station, so pick your evil wisely. Shell
continues to destroy the African nation of Nigeria and Shell never
divested from Apartheid South Africa. Texaco continues to plunder
the Ecuadorian and Burmese tropical rainforests and recently was
sued for racial discrimination. Arco continues to do business in
Burma. UNOCAL continues to do business in Burma. BP is the
largest producer of toxic waste in Ohio with the single most polluting
plant in the Northeastern US and BP is leading the charge to drill in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Chevron is a major funder of the
"wise-use" movement, which promotes mining, drilling, logging, and
other destructive practices in environmentally sensitive areas and
continues to destroy the African nation of Nigeria. Exxon is
responsible for the largest oil spill and pushed most of the cost of the clean-up on tax-payers.
THE SMALL BUSINESSES: Local stores keep money local. However, they also promote certain agendas
and have taken sides on social issues. The Olympia Food Co-Op is fairly consistent in their positions of
supporting social justice, perhaps because it is in their mission. Another source to look at is the Sound
Exchange to see which businesses support a local economy and currency.
Some downtown businesses have formed the Olympia Downtown Association and have initiated and lobbied
the city to enact certain targeted laws:
1986- Criminalization of Skateboarding downtown.
1987- Outlawing of Teen Dance Clubs.
I
1990- Criminalization of Loud Car Stereos.
1991- Outlawing of Cruising.
I 003- Criminalization of"Aggressive Panhandling".
1994/5- Attempted Stop of Transitional Housing for Homeless.
1995- Proposed Criminalization of Car Camping.
1995- Proposed Outlawing of Fortified Wine.
1996- Outlawing of OAPP Needle Exchange.
1996/7- Attempted Banning of Sitting on the Sidewalk.
1999- Ongoing Criminalization of Graffiti.
Below the good news(+) comes first in each category, followed by the names of businesses that have taken
bad social justice positions on particular issues (-).
Businesses in Support of Graffiti Walls:
(+) Chris' New Moon Cafe, Dumpster Values, Midnight Sun, Old School Pizzeria, Olympia Film Society,
Otto's Bagels, Thekla.
No Sitting on the Sidewalk Ordinance:
(+) Opponents: Always Safe and Lock, Brown and Balsley Sign, Bulldog News, Cascadia Research,
Childhood's End, Danger Room Comics, Earth Magic, Five Corners, Fuji Teriyaki, Haut Hats, Jamie Lee and
Co., K Records, Kill Rock Stars, Kundalini Coffee, M&M Second Hand, Midnight Sun, Mini Saigon, Old
School Pizzeria, Tee's Me, MDCX 96, Whole Earth Imports, Working Systems Inc., Yo Yo Productions.
(-) Supporters: The Spar, Washington Center, Dean Witter's, King Solomons, Gold's Gym, Jo Mama's, Coast
Office Supplies.
OAPP Needle Exchange:
(+) The conspicuous supporter was Profitt' s Cafe (under former ownership who is now Chris' New Moon
Cafe).
Low Income Housing Project:
(+) Supporters: Traditions Cafe, David Stein & Associates, Thekla, Danger Room Comics, Electric Rose
Tattoo, Five Corners, Positively 4 th Street, Popinjay, Bulldog News, Fish Brewing, Budd Bay Realty, Radiance,
Archibald, Jamie Lee & Co., Looks Hair Design.
(-) Opponents: Applebaum Violin Shop, Audio Northwest, B&B Auto, Bartels, Castle Enterprises, CD
Connection, Chattery Down, Coast Office Supplies, Cuda Construction, Deskoba Inc., Especially Made
Designs, Hodges Inc., Jinjor, JR Roofing, Key Bank, Koehler's Furniture, Little Richards, Lynch Paint,
· Olympia Printing, Panowicz, Pi~, Purely Physical, Salvation Army, Storman's (Bayview and Ralph's
Thriftway), Urban Onion, US Marine Sales, Walt's Radiator, Washington Center, Washington Travel, Wind
Up Here.
Farmworker Boycott (WA Winery):
(+) Supporters: Ben Moore, Chattery Down, Gardners, Henry C's, Jo Mama's, Patrick's, Urban Onion.
(-) Particularly nasty opponents include Budd Bay, Genoas, St. Martin's, Coast Office Supply, Olive Garden.
Farmworker Boycott (OR's PCUN Gardenburger):
(+) Supporters: Olympia Food Co-Op, TESC, Budd Bay, Darby's, Sara's Kitchen, Piper's Lady.
(-) Opponents: Urban Onion, Falls Terrace.
(-) Anti-Union Establishments: Urban Onion, The Spar, Capital Coachman, Henry C's, Elysse's Potpourri,
Burrito Heaven.
(+) Carpool/Pedestrian _Incentive: Jo Mama's
Question
Everything.
(+) Boycott China Products: Traditions Cafe.
LITTLE JESUS FISHES SHOULD BE "DISAPPEARED": A number of local self-employed types
advertise with a Jesus fish in the yellow pages. Check there before you give them a call. They are involved in
home and chimney cleaning, electricians, plumbers, auto sales, nurseries, computers, and more (there are about
50 total).
The following businesses helped fund Luis Palau's visit to Olympia, a man associated with the Promise
Keepers: Paul McLain of RE/MAX, Tumwater Automotive, Capital Communications Industries, Cornerstone
Surveying, Vision Health, Brazel's Plum Street Chevron, B-J Fishers Plumbing [nc., Mills & Mills, The Barn,
Cambridge Financial Services, Crains Office Supply, The Place, KC Soward, People's Choice, Black Hills
Spas, Affordable Pest Management, Eagle Quest/PAC Golf, Olympia Outfitters, Falcone Schwinn, Gold's
Gym, Heath's Flowerland, Pacific Floral, Fox's Limited, Amy's Attic, Family Memories, Capital City
Automotive, Fast Track Chevron, Chapel of Grace.
IF YOU ARE, OR EVER WILL BE A STUDENT WORKER, READ THIS!
Warning: The Evergreen administration has a history of dismissing student worker concerns,
condoning wrongful firing, and failing to follow their own policies. Contact the Union of Student
Workers to help you wade through the bureaucracy and inconsistency of the Evergreen
administration.
Student workers are an essential part of the
daily operation of the school. Without the 850
student workers, the school simply could not
function . Collectively, we are very powerful!
For the past five years, we have been
actively organizing the Union of Student Workers
into an independent, democratic, and collective
union to advocate for all student workers on campus.
While USW is made up of individual workers, it
strives to address problems that all student workers
have in common.
In the past, student workers have had to
deal with issues of late pay increases, mistreatment
by supervisors, and wrongful termination. THIS
TREATMENT IS NOT OKAY! If you experience
this, know that the Union will advocate for you and
support you in the assertion of your rights.
Students have very little say in how the
employment system is run, despite the lip service·
Evergreen gives to collective decision making and
the fostering of an experimental community.
Bi-Monthly Paychecks: A Brief History
During the 1997-98 academic year, the
union had two meetings with the administration to
present issues vital to many student workers,
including: pay increases, twice monthly paychecks,
treatment, and the recognition of the union. After
we got no response we decided to focus on the bimonthly paycheck issue because it is important to
many workers and it also addresses the issue of
accessibility to education. Student workers felt that
we deserved to be paid twice monthly, like all other
Evergreen employees and all student workers in the
state of Washington. The paycheck issue was large
enough that it affected many people and was
tangible enough that the victory could be used to
gain strength and build networks of communication
to help us address many of the other very important
issues.
1999: The Big Meeting
In the fall of 1998, USW organized a mass
meeting between student workers and the
administration to address the paycheck issue. The
union requested that the administration let each
student worker off work to attend the meeting. USW
saw one of its first victories when this request was
granted. The meeting turned out an overwhelming
400 people (video tape of meeting available in USW
office). At the meeting, USW presented its proposal
for a manageable and affordable way to change the
pay schedule. Despite the well-researched proposal,
overwhelming support by student workers, the
community, and a series of written agreements with
descending levels of commitment, the administration
would agree to nothing. Immediately after the
meeting a group of l 00 students gathered on Red
Square to debrief about the meeting. Angered by the
lack of response, 75 of them piled into VP of
Student Affairs, Art Constantino' s office and
demanded that he sign a statement with them. He
agreed to meet again in the weeks following (all
events recorded in USW scrapbook).
The Back Lash
Some student workers felt that USW put
the administration "on the spot" , were too
aggressive, or did not give them sufficient time to
speak at the meeting. When these concerns are
raised, it is important to understand the
administration had dismissed student worker issues
for many years and that other tactics had been
exhausted. It is also important to know that USW
submitted the proposal to every administrator
attending, four days prior to the meeting, giving
them sufficient time to review it. Lastly, VP of
Student Affairs Art Constantino complained that
they were not given enough time to speak, but as can
be seen in the film, they did not use all their allotted
time and were even asked to elaborate by the
facilitator.
Negotiations
In the following meeting both the
administration and USW made concessions. USW
agreed to e a part of a Disappearing Task force
(DTF) to research student employment. In return the
USW made amendments to the DTF agenda, and
union representatives to be placed on the DTF. USW
has been wary of the DTF because we feel it could
be used to stall and dilute organizing momentum. In
addition, the recommendation of the DTF is only a
recommendation, and may or may not be recognized.
USW decided not to stand in the way of the DTF,
but to continue organizing, believing strongly that if
this change is made it is because of the organizing
efforts and not because of a benevolent
administration.
The Victory
During seventh week of spring quarter
1999, as agreed upon between the USW and the
Evergreen administration, the student employment
DTF had a public forum to release their
recommendations. As USW had pressured for, the
DTF recommended an installation of a student
employment office and twice monthly paychecks.
Because of student worker organizing, this
recommendation will not remain merely a
recommendation. This office will be in place for fall
of 1999, once the office staff have settled in they
will begin bi-monthly paychecks. This is the first
MAJOR victory for ALL student workers!!!
Without constant pressure in numbers, the
administration would never have felt inclined to
make this change happen. They may contend that it
would have happened either way, but the organizers
who began trying to make change years ago know
that this is not the case.
The Bigger Picture
USW believes that one of the largest
barriers in society is inaccessibility to education. The
issue of access is central to the current labor struggle
on campus. The administration maintains that
working conditions are sufficient because many
students receive money from parents to help sustain
themselves during school. While some students do
receive assistance from their parents, assuming that
all students receive such assistance excludes
working class students, students with children, and
keeps college and student jobs out of the hands of
the people who need them. By organizing around
these issues in our community we can challenge the
current economic systems which make rich people
richer and keep poor people out of college and
poorer.
Connections
The Union of Student Workers stands
firmly against all forms of oppression, recognizing
that racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and
ableism are at work systematically in our society.
USW works to recognize and undo these systems,
and in doing do, hopes to be a part of an evolving
labor movement and make unifying connections
across communities and issues.
The union has regular organizing efforts. Look for
them standing in the payday line, every payday,
singing up new members, join their e-mail list, come
to weekly meetings, sign a union card, or talk to your
work station liaison! Or, give them a call at 8666000 x6098.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR
Brothas! Sistas! Feel lost in a sea of White?
Evergreen boats of its diversity, but ~
one staff member observed, "Evergreen is
alternative, not diverse". The percentage of 1
students of color presented by the school incldded
students on the Tacoma campus and students who
are enrolled in study-abroad programs. So, many
misled students of color find themselves feeling
isolated and under-represented.
One of the educational tools we have at
Evergreen is seminar. We are supposed to gain
insight on our studies by listening to our peers'
interpretations. Yet, an overwhelming majority of
Greeners are from white upper middle class liberal
families. Your typical Greener misses out on many
perspectives. Students of color often face tokenism
and are labeled race-obsessed. Students of color
who are listened to when they share often feel like
their points are quickly abandoned. This is because
Greeners generally lack experience with people
from other ethnicities, cultures, and classes, so
they don't know how to further the discussion.
Many students of color entering
Evergreen find that Greeners are highly interested
in "ethnic" ideologies and, more commonly,
"ethnic" products. We also find that these people
are entirely unaware of these objects' historical
and spiritual context and are separated from the
people whose culture these products come from
(sometimes, they even have prejudices against
them). This often leads to cultural appropriations,
stealing someone else's culture, which is
especially fucked up when it is used for artistic
recognition or for profit. Students of color have
also expressed disappointment because they feel
many of the other students of color are
disconnected from their ethnic communities and
often lack pride.
Students of color often feel as if there are
absolutely no traces of our heritage in Olympia.
We cannot find people that look like us, movie
theaters that play our movies, bookstores that sell
ethnocentric material, barbers and hairstylists that
know how to work with our hair, religious
establishments that reflect our heritage, grocery
stores that sell our foods, and environments
(clubs/malls) that are geared towards and
accepting of our social habits. Students of color
soon find that Lacey and Tacoma, which are both
city bus accessible, provide them with some of the
physical, social, and spiritual necessities that
Olympia lacks.
However, Evergreen does provide
services for students of color. First People's
Advising (in Library 1400 or call 866-6000
x6467) provides personal and academic
counseling. They have materials available and are
an excellent resource for connecting students to
other services. First People's also plans cultural
events on and off campus, they welcome ideas and
assistance from all students.
OLYMPIA'S VEGETARIAN FOOD CULTURE:
WHE'RE TO BUY FOOD:
Olympia Food Co-Op (westside)
Organic produce, deli, health & bulk
foods. You can volunteer a few hours a
week to get a discount.
921 N. Rogers/754-7666
open 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Olympia Food Co-Op (eastside)
The larger of the two Co-Ops. No deli,
but it does have a salad bar.
3111 Pacific Ave/956-3870
Open 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
The Farmer's Market
Buy it from the people who grow it!
700 Capitol Way N/352-9096
Open Seasonally
Blue Heron Bakery
Vegan baked goods. On campus, the
Branch sells some of their pastries.
4935 Mud Bay Road W./866-2253
Bayview Thriftway
Independently owned supermarket that
has ·a good variety of natural foods as
well as a bulk section and an organic
produce section.
516 4 th Ave W/352-4897
Bagel Brothers (& the dumpster outside)
Westside- 400 Cooper Point Road
352-3676
Eastside- 2302 E. 4 th Ave
943-1726
PLACES TO EAT:
Mini Saigon : Vietnamese food with a
full vegetarian menu of tofu and fake
meat, although the soups are made with
chicken stock. Great appetizers.
111 Columbia St NW/709-0854
Food Not Bombs: Anti-militarism
organization that serves free vegan food .
To help cook: Sundays, 10:30 a.m. at
Bread & Roses (114 Cheny Street). To
eat: 12:30 in Sylvester Park (Capitol Way
and Legion).
Otto's Bagels : Vegan friendly with tofu
spreads and scrambles. Overpriced, but at
least they' re spreading bagel culture in
Oly, right?
111 Washington St NE/362-8640
Dancing Goats Espresso Co.
Cafe which often has vegan baked goods.
124 4 th Ave E/754-8187
Maharaja Cuisine Inc.
20 minutes outside ofOly in Rochester,
but its worth the distance.
19712 Old Highway 99 SW-Rochester
273-2442
Santosh Restaurant
Northern Indian cuisine
I 16 4 th Ave W/943-3442
Sweet Oasis
Mediterranean food.
507 Capitol Way S/956-0470
Profitt's Cafe
Lots of vegetarian/vegan options for
typical diner food.
406 4 th Ave E/357-8187
Rambling Jack's
"Regional American Cuisine" with
vegetarian entrees.
4th Ave and Cherry
Open M-Th 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
F-Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. :
Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sizzler
Just kidding.
Burrito Heaven
2103 Harrison Ave NW/956-3661
Red Apple Natural Foods
Mostly just an herbs/vitamins store, but it
does have a small sandwich, juice, and
smoothie bar.
400 Cooper Point Rd SW/357-8779
Bulldog News and Fast Espresso
Newspaper and magazine distributor with
a small cafe that sometimes has vegan
baked goods and is always supporting
local non-profits.
116 4 th Ave/357-6397
Urban Onion
Self-proclaimed "natural food" vegetarian
friendly, but lacks vegan variety.
I 16 Legion Way/943-9242
Saigon Rendez-Vous
"Exotic Vietnamese Food" with a
vegetarian menu, fake-meat style.
117 5th Ave SW/352-1989
Open M-Sat 10:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun 12 - 9 p.m.
Secret Cafes
Some people run restaurants out of their
homes to make extra cash. Try to keep
your ears open for them because they are
usually vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Chris' New Moon Cafe
New restaurant in a string of them taking
over the old Pleasant Pheasant spot, none
of them have come close to being as
awesome as the Peasant, but this one does
have yummy tofu scramble and other
veggie options.
Across from Santosh on 4th and Columbia
Clancy's Columbia St. Pub .
Mainly pub food, veggie burgers, etc, but
awesome Celtic music on Wednesday
night!
4 th and Columbia/943-5575
What about waste management at
Evergreen?
Waste Disposal: Evergreen has two forms of
waste disposal, recycling & landfilling. The
materials that go to the landfills include
trash, food scraps, excess food from Food
Services, and other miscellaneous debris .
Currently (Spring ' 99), the college landfills
approximately 17,140 lbs. per week of these
materials. Many materials included in this
category of "waste" are not useless items as
the defmition of their title may suggest. The
food scraps and other organic matter sent to
be buried in the landfill have the potential to
be
valuable
resources .
T h e s e
materials can
be
recycled
through
decompositio
-~~,::_t:-:_::
n. However,
when
these
materials are
buried in the landfill they are contaminated
and the subsequently useless product is truly
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waste.
The Evergreen Compost Project: To
address this issue we can limit the materials
we render as waste by landfilling them.
Recovering resources such as food scraps
from the "waste" stream is an economic
benefit that confronts the problems with
landfills and the closure of our county
landfill. The Evergreen Compost Project
began as a student effort and has now
grown into a collaboration including
administrators and staff who want to
broaden the college's recycling program to
include food scraps. The Compost Project
has worked to develop an on-campus
facility and program to handle all of
Evergreen' s food residuals, which is
anticipated to be in operation by the Fall of
'99. The product
that the facility
would generate, by
processing
food
SUBVERT THE scraps,
would
DOMINANT reµiace the manures,
potting soils, and
PARADIGM mulches
bought by
the Organic Farm,
the
Community
Gardens,
and
Grounds. For further information about
composting on campus or how you can
volunteer for the Evergreen Compost ··
Project, contact the Environmental
Resource Center at 866-6000 x6784.
Recycling: The recycling program began
less than a decade ago and has evolved over
the years into the system that serves us
today, recycling about 50% ofEvergreen's
refuse, and
continues to expand. A
collection service has recently been
arranged for Laser toner cartridges, which
can be left next to any of the "S.M.A.R.T."
recycling stations. You can buy recycled
cartridges from the same company and can
arrange a purchase through Cliff Hepburn
at x5048. Rechargeable Nickel Cadmium
batteries, used in lap top computers, radios,
and other electronics will soon be able to be
recycled.
The college cannot recycle your car
oil or oil filters, and these most definitely
must be recycled, but Al's Auto and
Schuck's Auto supply will recycle it for free;
Al's also sells re-refined (recycled) oil that
works well and is way cheaper. You can also
buy and get rid of used building materials at
"Second Use Building Materials" at 210
Thurston Ave (a great resource for student
construction, art, and activism projects!).
Use of Non-Disposables: As anyone will
notice within the first five minutes of their
time in any of the food service locations
(excluding the Greenery for the most part)
there is an excessive use of disposable,
chlorine-bleached paper products and
likewise a complete array of plasticware.
These products are not recycled. For
example, the cups cannot be recycled due to
the coating that lines them to retain heat and
liquid. The production of these disposable,
convenience-oriented paper containers
demands the continued destruction of the
forests around us. Chemicals and dioxins
like chlorine, used in the bleaching process,
are released into the environment,
compromising not only
air and water quality,
but immediate and
latent
health.
The
disposal
of
these
containers,
accompanied by their
complementary
plasticware, increases
yet another problem:
overflowing landfills. These products of
convenience have major consequences. We
can eliminate our role in this process of
environmental
destruction
by
not
participating in it. Bring your own cup, bowl,
silverware, and plate. Frisbees work great,
too. For many of the foods that are served
in these paper containers, the containers are
not even needed, like a sandwich that you
can buy uncut, hold it in your hand, and
thus you don ' t even need a plate. Sheet
paper is also another material of excess on
the campus. To eliminate wasted pcfper you
can avoid printing short Internet findings
1
and book searches that you can just as
easily take notes on. The wasted paper
generated by those who are not so
considerate provides great notebook paper:
it is clean, flat, often has space on both
sides, and both the library and computer
center have 3-hole punchers.
What can you do? There are several things
we can do that will greatly improve the
ecological stewardship and lessen the
environmental impact of The Evergreen
State College. You can:
* not use disposable food containers and
plasticware.
* compost your food scraps and organic
materials.
* reuse your one-sided paper.
* make notebooks, message pads, sketch
pads, etc, from the discarded one-sided
paper.
* take class notes on both sides of your
paper.
* recycle all of your paper, corrugated
cardboard, glass, plastic products, and soy/
rice milk containers.
* buy products with less packaging, like
fresh or bulk foods.
* recycle your car oil and buy recycled oil.
Why Do Campus Security Officers
Carry Guns?
In the late ! 980's, upper level
Evergreen administrative folks began
discussing arming what was then called
" Public Safety."
It wasn't until the
beginning of the 1995-96 academic year,
however, that the arming of campus security
was formally proposed by Thurston County
UndersheriffNeil McClanahan, who was, at
the time, also acting as Interim Director for
Public Safety (eerie coincidence?). Art
Constantino, Vice President for Student
Affairs, then made his own formal
recommendation for arming during Winter
Quarter of that same year. Following Art' s
recommendation, there were several
community forums to discuss the
implications of arming.
During the first set of forums,
growing anti-arming sentiment came to a
head and the Community Action Group at
Evergreen (CAGE), composed of students,
parents, and other community members, was
formed in response. CAGE was able to put
together a petition composed of an
unprecedented 1200 signatures of Evergreen
community members opposed to arming
Public Safety. There was also a large protest
against arming on Red Square. It became
clear that whether of not the administration
believed Evergreen to be a dangerous
environment requiring guns, the community
largely did not.
After
the first set of
community
forums,
President Jane
Jervis
made
h
e
r
recommendati
on
to . the
Board of Trustees supporting the arming of
Public Safety. The Board of Trustees had a
second set of community forums during
Spring Quarter before making its decision.
CAGE's organizing around these forums
was some of the most effective and unified
in recent Evergreen History. Countless accused of unholstering and jokingly
individuals turned out to express their pointing his pistol at a person on two
opposition to giving Public Safety guns. different occasions -once at a student and
Meanwhile, "NO GUNS" signs turned up another time at a custodian. While an
everywhere.
Despite
widespread investigation was in progress, that particular
opposition, the Board of Trustees voted to officer resigned (only to be rehired in a
, nearby police
recommend "limited anning" of Public
department).
Safety. Evergreen community members
responded with a mass sit-in, blocking the
Both
th~
entrance to the Library Loop. But they were
investigation
ignored. Campus security officers now have ' ,. _
and
the
access to guns in lockboxes and are allowed
officer's
to carry them on their persons from 6 PM to
resignation
8 AM, and when "patrolling areas distant
failed
to
from their vehicles" at any time during the
address
the
central issue,
day.
The anning of campus security is
though:
not an isolated issue; it is part of a larger POLICE WITH GUNS. Instead, the question
trend towards "professionalization" or, was of professional misconduct, not
more accurately, militarization. The shift of institutional misconduct. The focus was on
the name "Public Safety" to "Police one officer's individual behavior rather than
Services" as well as the refurbished and the behavior of the Evergreen administration
new cars (mo·re similar to police cars) at the in arming Police Services in the first place.
Throughout the 1998-99 academic
beginning of the I 996-97 academic year
epitomize the evolution of campus security. year, rumors circulated (confirmed by one
What were once generally helpful "safety" Police Service Officer' s account the year
officers attired in polo shirts and shorts are before) that the Evergreen Administration is
now intimidating "police" officers attired in just waiting for students to forget about the
SWAT style uniforms. With a more struggles around guns before moving to full
authoritarian appearance has come the time arming for all officers. Whether that is
ability to cite moving violations, make true or not, students managed to show that
arrests, and so on. Police Services is a they have not forgotten. The debate over
veritable police force anning kept raging through the pages of the
on our own campus.
CPJ and on Red Square. And it continues.
During the
1996-97
academic
year, complaints of
the use of excessive
.. .
.
.
.
force and allegations
of sexual harassment
of Police Services
secretaries by Police Services officers
arose, lending further credence to continued
opposition to anning. And during the
1998-99 academic year, one officer was
1QuesUon
AUthoritvl
KANSAS IS BIGGER. . .A.l(.A. FUN THINGS TO 00 IN OLY
Somehow in your transient, millenniwn
breaching life, you have found yourself in .t he
cultural Mecca known as Olympia, Washington. You
are a few years late to jwnp aboard the legendary,(as
in the past) riot-grrl scene and Sleater Kinney has
more importance as a road than as an MTV icon of
counterculture. The Oly beer factory has been
bought out, public tours have ceased, and you've just
missed the Yo Yo a Go Go music festival, not to be
put on again for a few more years. But there is still
hope. You too can live the amazing, high-paced life
of an Oly-rockers, or at least get off campus a few
times a week for some fresh, pachouli-free air.
Clothing:
To start off with is your new, high style,
low budget wardrobe which will inevitably increase
as you realize it is easier to buy new clothing than
deal with laundry. Located downtown at 117
Washington Street is Dumpster Values, the source
of the inexpensive used clothing frequented by both
hippies and hipsters and the best alternative to
spending hours at the thrift store looking for the
Devo shirt with the perfect fit. If you do decide to
dare the thrift stores your best bet is Goodwill,
located on Harrison by Safeway. Both the 44 and the
48 (those are buses) can take you there,just tell the
bus driver that you are new in town and need them to
let you off at Goodwill. There is also Value Village
located where Harrison and Division meet, next to
Rainy Day Records. The 41 can take you there.
Value Village is more expensive than Goodwill, but
still a pretty good place to find clothing. Also located
downtown is Metro, the token rave outlet, shop at
your own discretion.
Music:
Note: there
outside of the mall.
music are Phantom
Rainy Day Records
is no commercial music store
Your two options for buying
City located downtown, and
located on the Westside at the
intersection of Harrison and Division. Phantom City
is good for vinyl and used records/CDs. The people
are nice and will give you higher returns for the stuff
you sell to them. It shares building space with
Dwnpster Values. Rainy Day also has a large CD
selection and is where you can get your hook-up for
Converse All-stars. Rainy Day · also rents
independent and foreign videos. You must have an
in-state drivers license to get a video-membership.
Clubs:
It won't take long for you to notice that in
Oly, people like to do things community-based.
There are two community spaces that various people
(could be you) rent out and put on shows at.
Arrowspace is located in the alleyway between
Otto's and Dwnpster Values. It houses music
performances of all types, infrequent theatrical
events, and serves as a community art gallery. The
space is available for 5 day art exhibits Sunday
through Thursday for $40, and bands performances
Thursday through Saturday for $65. Their phone
nwnber if352-2876. The Midnight Sun is slightly
more expensive, but provides staff for events (unlike
Arrowspace). What it lacks in art, the Midnight Sun
makes up in performances other than bands (plays,
comedy, drag shows, spoken word). Neither of these
spaces have a PA, but you can rent one for between
$24-$75 at Capital City Guitars on 4 th Ave.
The Capital Theater Backstage usually
has shows a few weekends of the month for larger
acts, sometimes there are full stage shows when huge
acts come through town (like Fugazi). The entrance
to the Backstage is the back/side door of the Capital
Theater on 5th . Ave. A little bit further down the
street is Club Liquid, which has, in its brief
existence, hosted acts such as Digital Underground
and Sleater-Kinney's CD release. In addition to the
above, various bars in the area have local bands
playing on weeknights.
Bars:
Oly is a bar town, so practice your pool,
pull out that fake ID, and head downtown for your
nightly dosage of bland substitution for human
interaction. Sunday night is 80's night at Thekla, the
resident dance/hipster/queer friendly club in town,
and you are bound to run into everyone's ex, and see
the kid you yelled at in seminar rocking out to the
newest Madonna released, being played simply due
to the fact that she recorded other songs during the
80's. Other options are the 4th Ave. Tavern and
King Solomon's Reef, better known as The Reef,
and the place everyone loves to hate. When you are
desperate and down, may as well go to the Reef and
end it all.
Other Things to Do:
Join the Olympia Film Society ($10 for
students) and see many great. independent films at
The Capital Theater for $3 .50 ($6 for nonmembers). Hold on to your ticket stub, because there
is usually a raffle before the film. OFS sometimes
has directors/producers come speak along with their
films. You can join the Film Ranch and make films
with other people of that sort. Or you can be like
most of us inactive OFS members, and just show up,
watch the movie, and leave discretely.
Go bowling at West Side Lanes next to
Value Village. Wear neat shoes, drink cocktails, and
be home by 11 p.m. (It closes I 0-10:30ish).
Go roller-skating in Lacey at Skateland.
You are downtown, you head East on 4th Ave, roads
split, you get lost, have someone who knows how to
get there with you.
·
The Farmer's Market. People are nice,
there are balloon animals, cheap stuff, good apples.
Open Thursday through Sunday nearly every week,
except for during the winter. When you are
downtown walk on Capital towards the water into
the "industrial district" and you will be stopped by a
big building that is (pause) the Farmer' s Market.
Twice a year there is Artswalk, the streets
of Oly become crowded, really crowded, and every
store, shop, care, etc, has art of local artists
displayed. Streets are closed off, music is
everywhere, it is Olympia' s ultimate social event. If
you get there early you might find free food. In the
spring edition there is Procession of the Species, a
parade of sorts where hundreds of people dress up as
animals and march through town for no apparent
reason.
Super Saturday . . . you' re at Evergreen,
you' ll figure that one out later.
Sylvester Park- IfOly_has a town square,
this is it. One of the few uncomrnodified spaces
downtown, it serves as a hangout space for many
homeless folks, Oly youth, and Greeners.
and you"ll be rewarded!
(some restrictions. apply) .
FREE COMMUNITY FOOD 1'ANTRY f'ROJECT
Contrary
to
popular belief there is a
majority of students at
TESC, that aren't "rich"
or
supported i via
Mom&Dad Inc. At the
same time, despite the
efforts of the Thurston
County Food Bank,
thousands of pounds of
bread, produce, and food are thrown away every
week in this county. This Food Pantry Expansion
Project started because of these two reasons.
The Evergreen Free Community Food
Pantry's main purpose is to provide food to the
financially challenged persons who work at and
attend The Evergreen State College. The group's
purpose is to provide volunteers, education, and
work experience by running the on-campus food
bank. Through weekly distributions and community
food drives, and potlucks, cooking classes, and
community gardening, we want to encourage a new
sense of community, nutritional knowledge, and
create a close web of support for a population that
is usually marked with shame and alienation.
Our Community Activities Include:
1.
Family and Volunteer Potlucks- once per
quarter.
2. Community Food Drives and Canned Food
Discounts for Student Activity Events.
3. "Greener Gleaner's"- a harvest-time extension of
the Food Pantry, offering free pickers for unwanted
food and vegetables to the Olympia Community.
4. Cooking and Canning Classes- classes teaching
how to gain better nutrition and how to preserve
fresh produce.
5. Community Gardening- encourage and educate
community to use the community garden to grow
foods for the Food Pantry.
Student
volunteers
serve
as
troubleshooters, being able to extend invitations to
people who need services, or finding folks who are
in a crisis situation. Our services are extended to
the homeless population, and anyone who is in an
emergency as well. Many folks start their careers at
TESC living in the forest, and surviving hand to
mouth. We can help. We can give students and
staff a permanent referral to the main Thurston
County Food Bank in downtown Oly. We ask that
volunteers, work-study students, staff, faculty, and
low-income students will spend at least two hours a
month working for the benefit of the Food Pantry.
This can be picking up food, working at benefits,
helping distribute the bread, cleaning up, and
soliciting donations from the community.
CAB-014 is the new Pantry location (in the
basement next to the Bike Shop). Our hours are
posted outside the door on the signs (one at the
elevator ad one at the door) . At the same time we
help keep the food shelf stocked in the Health
Center (in Fall, Winter, and Spring) and the
Counseling Center (in Summer). Anyone who needs
food is welcome to come and talk with us and
anyone is welcome to donate. Call x6636 for more
information.
SOME STUDENT ACTIVIST GROU1'S
Getting Started:
The best strategy for becoming involved
politically on campus is to visit the third floor of the
college activities building (the CAB). One whole
side of the floor is taken up by the Services and
Activities (S&A) office. This is where most campus
student groups have their offices. There is a directory
listing all their names and locations as you walk in.
Although it can be intimidating to go into
the S&A area, it is worth persevering because you
will find this is the core of student activity at
Evergreen. You often can find coordinators of the
various student groups in or around their offices (or,
at least, find out when they should be there). If all
else fails, you can always ask questions of the staff
members at the front desk. They generally know have
a good idea of what is going on. They can also tell
you when a student group is scheduled to meet.
Attending student group meetings is the best
way to find out what is happening and get involved.
At meetings, there is always a broad range of new
and returning students, as well as those who have
been involved in the past and those new to activism.
Everyone is always welcome and encouraged to get
involved. Be patient if things seem to start off
slowly in the beginning weeks of the year -they
always do . However, don't be afraid to assert ideas
of what you would like to
do or how you would like
to help. Most student
groups welcome new ideas
and individual initiative.
W~wilhcarµs
student groups can be
some
of the
most
rewarding and meaningful
experiences that you ,have
at
college.
It
1s
empowering to work
collectively with others for
social change. Not only is
it fulfilling in that sense,
but also student groups provide a good social center
for meeting like-minded folks and making friends
for a lifetime.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an impartial, worldwide
human rights organization working to free prisoners
of conscience, end torture and executions in all
cases and ensure prompt and fair trials for all
political prisoners.
At Evergreen, Amnesty
International helps educate and inform the campus
community about international human rights issues.
They take nonviolent action against human rights
abuses in the U.S. and abroad. Contact them at
866-6000 x6098 ..
Asian Solidarity in Action (ASIA)
ASIA works to provide a space where the
community can further their understanding of Asian
cultures. They also desire to support an open forum
of ideas that might not be otherwise reached.
Contact them at 866-6000 x6033.
Evergreen Animal Rights Network (EARN)
EARN is fundamentally opposed to the
exploitation of non-human animals. We
strongly promote a vegan lifestyle (i.e.
striving to consume no product which
contributes to animal suffering). We are
involved in acfivism both on and off
campus, and seek to contribute to the animal
rights struggle on a local, state, and national
level. On campus, we strive to educate and
involve students in the animal rights
movement by sponsoring annual events such
as Animal Rights Awareness Week,
Evergreen Meatout Day, and a musical event
to raise awareness and funds for grassroots
organizations like the Olympic Wildlife
Rescue. We also offer a wealth of
information in. our lending library, which is
comprised of books, videos, and publications
containing a wide variety of topics connected to the
movement. Our vegan potlucks are especially yummy
and open to all. Although our ultimate goal is animal
liberation, we recognize that all forms of oppression
must be combated. Anyone who is interested is
welcome to join us (you don't have to be vrgan!).
Please feel free to visit our office or call us at 8666000 x6555.
Evergreen Political Information Center (EPIC)
The Evergreen Political Information Center
(EPIC) is not a club with a membership but a radical
resource center and action network. As a funded
student group, EPIC seeks to understand and respond
to relevant social and political issues. People that
participate in the weekly meetings, organizing events
and actions, decide the issues that the group will
focus on. No one has
more or less power than
another
in
decision
making. The consensus
process is a tool to value
all voices present, and
EPIC strives to include a
diverse representation of
the student body and
community members.
EPIC consists of
a number of subgroups
that work collectively on
specific issues. Examples
are supporting farmworkers struggling for
contracts in Oregon; or
attending a counterconference
against
economic agreements and
negotiations like those
taking place when the
World
Trade
Organization
(WTO)
meets in November of 1999 in Seattle. The
subgroups generate actions and events that EPIC
supports financially or with energy. Many
subgroups become separate organizations with
autonomous budgets after working through EPIC.
People working with EPIC are learning
how to create active responses to the convictions
they share about the world. Creating a community
of support and a nucleus of information is integral
to making radical social change. EPIC works to
provide Evergreen with avenues for both education
and social action. Location: CAB 320. Phone
number: 866-6000 x6144.
Evergreen Queer Alliance (EQA)
The Evergreen Queer Alliance is dedicated to
serving the needs of the Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and
Gay people at The Evergreen State College and the
surrounding Olympia and Thurston County
community We hope to educate ourselves and
others on issues facing queers:
homophobia,
heterosexism,
racism, and sexism.
We
encourage queer activism, pride,
and expression of diversity.
Since 1973, the EQA has been a
safe place for queers on campus
and has led the fight for
recognition and respect both
within the school system and in
Olympia. This is our center where we organize and mobilize
to make change happen, bring
speakers, films, workshops, and
entertainment to TESC and
work together to support one
another in pursuing our own
projects and interests to express
and strengthen our community.
We're friendly people who
would love to see all queers
participate, whether you're just
questioning, just coming out, or
have been out for years. Stop
by our office, be a constituent, a volunteer, or an
intern! We're here to serv~ you. Keep your eyes
open for upcoming EQA.events. Visit us in CAB
314 or call us at 866-6000 x6544.
The Environmental Resource Center (ERC)
The Environmental Resource Center is
Evergreen's own homegrown activist and resource
center. We serve a dual purpose in the TESC and Oly
community. Not only do we run campaigns for
justice and environmental sanity, we also have a
growing resource center -both are open to all! Our
resource center is full of books, periodicals, files,
contact information, etc, on a full array of
environmental issues. It is very useful for academic
projects, personal exploration, and internships. Our
activist groups work on a variety of campaigns. One
of our main focuses is the very campus we live on making Evergreen live up to its green reputation.
Two years ago the Evergreen Compost Project was
created, in an effort to have a campus composting
system for all of housing and moving on to the rest
of campus, reducing what is considered "waste" and
using it for the organic matter that it is and can be.
Another on-campus project that has been going on
for many years is the paper policy, and finally in
October of I 998 TESC's paper policy was changed
to purchase I 00% post-consumer waste recycled,
non-chlorine bleached paper with a goal to switch to
tree-free paper as soon as it is financially viable.
Currently the school's paper is only 35% post
consumer waste because there is not a better option
available yet, financially speaking. There is a Paper
Policy Committee that will be forming to further
pursue our paper goals and examine this project.
The ERC also has a bioregional focus working on local forestry issues, such as the Land
Exchange in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest, as
well as national campaigns such as Zero-Out,
Buffalo Field Campaign, Environmental Justice,
working against genetic engineering, and much more.
The ERC strives for balance in working on campus
and local issues, as well as reaching out into our
bioregion and participation in national and
international campaigns. We also build coalitions
with local groups, and other student groups. This
past year we worked with and had events with EPIC,
NSA, EARN, JCC, WOCC, and SEED. We are
always open to ideas and inspiration -give us a call
or stop by our office. 866-6000 x6784.
The Jewish Cultural Center (JCC)
The JCC acts as a resource for learning
more about Jewish history and culture, Judaism,
contemporary contemporary problems. and political
issues facing Jews, as well as providing a Jewish
community on campus. The JCC is an open
organization and does not affiliate with any one sect
of Judaism. Students of all religious and ethnic
backgrounds are welcome in all activities that the
JCC sponsors. The JCC organizes celebrations for
Jewish holidays or provides information on the
celebrations of local communities. During the
1998- 99 school year, the JCC sponsored such
activities as Challah baking workshops, Jewish
women' s poetry reading, Jewish mysticism
workshop, Tu B'shvat seder, speaker Abe Asheroff
(social justice activist), a wonderful Passover seder,
Jewish Identity workshop, and a video presentation
on the Israeli- Palestine Compassionate Leaming
Project. During the I 999-2000 school year, the
JCC hopes to ccontinue such activities, as well as
open the door for new activities. You can contact
them at 866-6000 x6493 .
The Latin American Student/Solidarity
Organization (LASO)
LASO works to support Latin American students
and to promote awareness of the culture, language,
politics, and social conditions of Latin America
through cultural activities, forums, lectures, films,
Spanish conversation groups, and open discussions.
We work with our membership, community groups
and other student organizations (like MECha) to
host events like an altar for El Dia de los Muertos ,
salsa dances, workshops, Central American
speakers, seminars, and a community-wide Cinco
de Mayo celebration.
MEChA
MEChA is the Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicano de Aztlan, which translates as The Chicano
p
E
cohesive community of Chicana/o students. Give
them a call at 866-6000 x6143.
The Men's Center
The mission of the Men's Center is to bring
men together to explore our roles in society. Et hope
to create community for men in a place of safety and
acceptance. The Men's Center is focus~d on
educating all people for the sake of liberation and
freedom through support groups and educational
activities. We are a pro-feminist group that exists on
the Evergreen campus because we accept that
Evergreen is not a utopia in any way and is not free
of racial and sexual violence and sexist
discrimination. We are here because we want to do
something positive to counteract this violence and
help create safety and growth in our community.
Contact us at 866-6000 x6092.
The Middle East Resource Center (MERC)
So, you may have already noticed the
admissions application which categorizes people of
Middle Eastern descent as Caucasian. lfyou missed
this, you might notice the very , very small number of
Middle Eastern faculty and programs at Evergreen.
Or you may not have noticed anything about Middle
Easterners at all.
Well, welcome to Evergreen, the place that,
for students of Middle Eastern descent, ignores the
Middle East and people of Middle Eastern descent.
We do have one Middle Eastern studies faculty and
a Middle East Resource Center... but beyond that,
you aren't going to find much. And we don't know
how many students of Middle Eastern descent are at
Evergreen because admissions and the census
consider us white.
The MERC i~ open for students of Middle
Eastern descent and our supporters and allies work
together to make space for other Middle Eastern
students and issues on campus. This space is one of
the only things we have here. MERC has made and
will continue to make space for Middle Eastern
people on this campus, regardless of and in
opposition to what Evergreen portrays of us.
Contact us at 866-6000 x6749.
The Native Student Alliance
NSA exists to serve and enhance the
Native student population at Evergreen. They
achieve this purpose through retention, recruitment,
and counseling of students, event organization and
public speakers. Contact them at 866-6000 x6105.
The Prison Action Committee (PAC)
PAC is a group of people dedicated to
creating fundamental changes in the existing prison
system. The criminal justice system in the U.S. is an
unacceptable waste of human life and public
resources. Myths of fairness and propriety,
however, surround the prison system disempowering people from coming to their own
conclusions. Prisons are an issue that people tend to
find unpleasant, but the problems of prisons in this
country reflect the institutionalized racism,
classism, and sexism. The goals of this group
include exploding myths by raising awareness on
campus about the many issues within prison work
and providing a space for active student
participation.
As students and members of a higher
education institution, we see a responsibility to
utilize out resources and knowledge
to create solutions. Providing
educational opportunities is a major
goal of this group for ourselves, the
prisoners in our area, and the
Evergreen community. Evergreen
was once available to prisoners, and
· through cuts and changes is less
accessible to inmates. This group mobilizes around
local issues and collaborates to create change.
PCUN (Farmworker) Solidarity Group
In April of 1985, eighty farmworkers held
a meeting in Salem and said "jYa basta!" (That's
enough!), and voted in the farmworker' s union,
PCUN, forming Pineros y Campesinos Unidos de!
Noroeste, or Treeplanters and Farmworkers United,
known by its Spanish acronym of PCUN.
PCUN has registered over 5,300 union
members, runs a service center for farmworkers to
assist and advocate in immigration cases, workers
compensation, wage claims, and many other matters.
PCUN has helped build low-income farmworker
housing, has a woman ' s project, and holds ESL and
Citizenship classes.
In the U.S., farmworkers everywhere are
denied countless basic
workplace rights. This
must stop! In Olympia,
students and community
members have formed a
solidarity group with
PCUN to help the union
in any way that we can.
We see this as a local
issue, with Oregon only
five hours away, and
apple pickers in Yakima
and all over being
exploited in much the
same way.
PCUN has called a boycott on NORP AC
Co., which includes Flav-v-pac products and
Gardenburger brand veggie burgers, so we have lots
of work to keep us busy! Our work in the past has
been very exciting. We got Gardenburgers off the
Evergreen campus by using petitions and meetings.
We also initiated Gardenburger-drops in six other
Olympia establishments and restaurants in a similar
way. And we've just begun!
We are proud that so many Olympia
businesses choose to support the farmworkers in
Oregon by participating in the boycott, but the fight
is not over. There are still many Norpac products
around town, including in restaurants and in the
major grocery stores. Let's make this a Norpac free
town!
Sexual Harassment & Assault Prevention &
Education (SHAPE)
SHAPE (formerly the Rape Response Coalition)
provides education, resources, and advocacy for
sexual assault for the campus community. They
provide student and faculty advocates, sponsor
various campus events, bring outside community
organizations for presentations, films, and
discussions. Contact them at 866-6000 x6724.
Students of Color Anthology
The Anthology is one of the resources that
TESC artists have used to vent, promote
understanding, tell their side of the story , and
so much more. There are many contradictory
ideas out there and the public is not getting
informed of that. The Anthology is a way to
publish the deeper part of your life. The part of
your life you have to yell at the top of your
lungs because it is so important, and it is the
moment you realizes you were different. The
poetry, prose and pictures bound together in
the anthology has given strength to many. Call
them at 866-6000 x6143 .
"Which neighborhood will I chose to be an
outsider in?" -Sarni Quasim
"How grace flows upon me. . ." -Sonny
Krishnamurti
"They still call me their Indian princess" -Janelle
Beston.
"Our faces pale as death, our lips bright as blood,
we close our eyes to te terror of modem man" Hazel Wong.
Talking About Race
Talking About Race is an organization that
is dedicated towards opening dialogue within and
across cultural barriers. On a surface level we want
to facilitate a safe environment for unspoken
sentiments and even hostilities, so as to deal with
what is real as opposed to what is perceived in our
present day world. Contact them at 866-6000 x678 l.
Umoja (Students of African Descent)
Umoja attempts to capture the interest of
those members of the Evergreen community wllo are
of African descent. Their purpose is to create a place
in the TESC community which teaches and pr~des
activities
for
:
African-American
HI. MY NAME IS Bill. AND
students.
Contact
1·M A WHITE MALE
them at 866-6000
AMERICAN• HAVE YOU
x6781.
EVER CONSIOEREO THE
ADVANTAGES OF BEING A
WHITE GUY?
The
Union
of
Students
with
Disabilities
(USWD)
The Union
of Students with
Disabilities
has
resources as well as
groups and activities
pertaining to students
and faculty with
disabilities.
Their
primary goal is to
assist in the matriculation of students with
disabilities. Give them a call at 866-6000 x6092.
Washington Student Public Interest Research
Group (WashPIRG)
WashPIRG is a student-directed, student
funded, non-partisan consumer and environmental
watchdog group active at Evergreen and the
University of Washington. WashPIRGs funding
works toward hiring organizers who organize on
issues at the local level. But what, you may ask, do
they do here at Evergreen? Each year, PIRO students
work on a wide variety of issues, like hunger and
homelessness, stream and waterway restoration, and
rights for students. For students looking for an
internship, WashPIRG offers a wide variety of
internships working on service projects and political
issues. Students will learn how to run press events,
petition gathering skills, lobbying, coalition
building, meeting facilitation, and a lot more. Give
them a call at 866-6000 x6058.
Women of Color Coalition (WOCC)
"If black women were free, it would mean
that everyone else would have to be free since our
freedom would necessitate the destruction ofall the
systems of oppression" -statement from the
Combahee River Collective.
The Women of Color Coalition student
group tries to ensure equality, diversity, justice,
and freedom for women of color in the Evergreen
community as well as aiding in the attention of
these students. They encourage multi-ethnic,
nonsexist perspectives of diversity, beliefs, and
values at ~Evergreen. Call them at 866-6000
x6006.
Women's Resource Center (WRC)
The WRC strives to provide a library of
books, periodicals, videos, and referrals to local
service agencies. They also attempt to facilitate
political action related to the concerns of women.
They attempt to work towards the goal of collegefunded, professionally staffed women's center to
meet all the needs of the Evergreen women. Call
them at 866-6000 x6 I 62 or visit them at CAB 206.
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