-
Identifier
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Diso_000009
-
Title
-
Disorientation Manual (2013-2014)
-
Date
-
2013
-
Creator
-
The Sabot Infoshoppe at Last Word Books
-
extracted text
-
er -
~~-o. .~~
~ d f f l,~ Tits~
5 Welcome
6 Get Involved
7 Decolonizing Space
8 A Matter Of Place
1 O Shit To Know About Housing
11
13
14
15
16
Food
Steal Now, Pay Never
TESC Food Service
The Flaming Eggplant Cafe
CELL
17
18
19
20
21
On Cops
The OPD: An Ongoing History
TASERs & Pepper Spray
How The Cops Got Guns
Evergreen & Prison Labor
22
24
26
32
33
34
35
Whats Up With The Administration?
Getting Paid To Smash The State
Student Group Directory
Graffiti & Murals At TESC
Diversity At Evergreen
Graduation Speakers at TESC
Honorable Alum
36 Queer People Of Color Project
38 How to be an Ally to Queer People of Color
39 General LGBTQ Resources
40 Transphobia
41 White Race & Priviledge
42 Neo Nazis & WA State
43 A New MENtality
45 Consensual Revoution
48 On The Notion Of Polyamory
49 Riots not diets
53 Notes From A Fatty
54 Say the Word: Mynstruation
55 Statement on Faceism
56 Autism in College Settings
57
58
59
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
71
72
74
75
Basic Protest Safety
Radical Self Care
Green Is The New Red
Security Culture 101
Know Your Rights
Hell Yeah
Make Destroy Banks
Gentrification & The ODA
The Anti-Homelessness Trend
Signs Of Things To Come
Boycotts
TESC Divest!
FRACKING
Port Militarization Resistance
Smash ICE
May Day
76 Music
77 Olympia Shows Q&A
79 lndymedia In Olytown
81 Go Outside
82 Ride A Fucking Bike
84 Olympia Map
88 Community Resource
96 List of Recomended Reading
97 Short List of Radical Terminology
5
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)1[/;l 'Disorientation · ·, ··~t:
We (come to tfte 13tft 'Annua(
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'Manual
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'llndauGted(y, as a new student, yau have received countless mailings aruf
1
ij'.
-. 3foss11 handouts From 'The :Evergreen State Coffege admissions gffife ani aamin- '
! istrarion attemyting to "orient" 1JOU to the little worU unto itselfthat is O{ym)l.ia
I ani the :EverEreen ex_Pr.erience. We([ to their attenyJts to aY..yeaf to mom and !ai !
· , we sa111. "'Fudf lf_our w'fi.itewashec{, gtossed-over view cf this y1ace we fove ani thrive \}
I in." Thus we aesire to disorient you. 'ln this manua(, we want to give you some
iaea fJF what's rea((y bee_n hayyenina at :Evey-3reen a7:l in o(yrnyia rare0-f, ani to
:
, yrovicfe you with some iaeas on how to 3et invo(vei in the hectic, enncfiin3 comI
munity outsiae :Ever3reen so as to make the most cf your time here.
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We hope to exyose you to some yotentiaff11 new iaeas aniyersyectives that
I you wiff lifety come across luring vour time a( :Evergreen. 'Deyendln3 on where
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you're from, issues such as race ynvueigfs orfooiyqlitics f}iay or may not have occuredto you Gefore. 'But, Ge sure, they wiff come uy in seminar. We want to yreyare
11ou here with overviews cf such inffamatorlf_ iaeas to hefp, you Gegin your yrocess
toward a (ife cf thinkin3 more crifica((y ana en:Patheticaffy.
,I
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:EvenJ year, we work a(( summer to yuGlish the 'Dis'.Man so that you don't
have to start your O{ymyia exyerience from scratch. 'Hoyefu((;w you can use this
; manua( to in.pire your own yrojects anifee( more conyotfa6te with O{yn:Jlia as
. ,· your new home.
.
We reco nize some o the articles may have holes, Ge out-iatec{, or '!ifensive.
i for those newbies to come.
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at saic{, we h~e you enjoy this yer;;irs 'Disman.
free to contact the Sabot 'lnfoshoyye if you have questions or comments.
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evergreenirifoshappe@riseup.net I 360.867.6574
t}t~'t'
'D'lSCL'll'l'lvl!E'R: 'T'lie artic(es herein reflect tlie ".Pinions ojtlieir anonymous
/4S'")-jf -•
1 ~ -~:..,_A~-l~'~authors ana ao not necessari(y r91resent those of tlie Sa6ot 'lnfosli".f_pe,
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Stuaent 'Activities, or The ~ver3reen State carreae.
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An !Tnd{g,enouS/ ~"sj>-edilli'l efthe, /Joe,;y,"ee/1/ Jtate, ~o-U~
As new students walk onto The Evergreen State College for the first time it is important to reflect upon whose footsteps we follow. American high school education does an
enormous injustice to the histories of Indigenous peoples and many first-years arrive with limited in-depth knowledge pertaining to the history of colonization and the many ways in which
we continue to benefit from it. Having the ability to walk freely on the territory of the seven
inlets of the Squaxin Island peoples without a second thought is one of those privileges. The
land that Evergreen occupies belongs to the Squi-Aitl people of Squaxin Island and although
it is also home to Greeners and Geoducks, it will always remain the home to these Native
peoples since time immemorial. Only since 1854, under unscrupulous circumstances set in
motion by Governor Isaac Stevens through the Treaty of Medicine Creek, has this territory
" belonged" to Washington State as a result from the theft of Squaxin, Nisqually, and Puyallup
peoples.
As we enter this environment of higher learning it is important to reflect on how and
why we are here. Even as a Native person living in Olympia I do my best to remember whose
land I walk on because it is not mine. It is as much of my responsibility as it is for anyone else
to be knowledgeable of the history here-our presence is made possible by the displacement
of others. We cannot be complacent towards acts of erasure nor will ignorance be a waiver
away from our own accountability. We need to acknowledge and respect this place; it is not
just land, it is ancestors and memories to the Indigenous people who continue to live here.
We are not remnants of the past bound only to reservations or Hollywood movies.
I have been reflecting upon my time at this institution and have had many joys and
frustrations while being away from my own homelands. I have had the pleasure of attending
a school that is home to the first Longhouse on any U.S. college campus as well as having
students, faculty, and staff who led a movement to revert the racist and misogynist place
name of Squaw Point to its ancestral title, Bushoowah-ahlee Point. Equally, I have had frustrations of combatting colonial frameworks of space and entitlement-which often consist of a
disrespect of tribal protocol-in and out of classroom environments. I would like to place an
emphasis on the term protocol.
Protocol is simply the rules or customs that tribes observe and practice within their
societies as a means of maintaining proper conduct and respect. Proper protocol can be
seen as acknowledging whose land we are on when it is not our own. This is especially of
significance when there is any formal event or ceremony. An excellent example of this acknowledgement occurs during Tribal Canoe Journeys where hundreds of Tribal Nations give
recognition to the domain of the hosting tribe and ask permission to come to their shores,
respecting historical protocol and nation-to-nation relationships. Protocol is not limited to
ceremony or grand gatherings but should be a conscious daily habit.
In the spirit of tradition, reciprocity has remained an everlasting Indigenous concept
and practice. As we take advantage of the opportunities available to us here it is important to
give back in the ways that we can. That is how the tribes of this region and beyond continue
to function and as guests in their homelands we should act accordingly. Tehoovko'po'a mii.
For further reading please see: The Squaxin Island Tribe : http://squaxinisland.org/
Treaty of Medicine Creek: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_oLMedicine_Creek
TESC Longhouse : http://www.evergreen.edu/longhouse/home.htm
Bushoowah-ahlee Point : http://thenativecircle.org/2011 /1 0/reindigenizing-place-names/
Tribal Canoe Journeys : http://www.paddletoquinault.org/
The Native Student Alliance : http:/ /blogs.evergreen.edu/nativestudentalliance/
8
A Matter of Place
Where Evergreen Lies & The Notion of Bioregionalis»l
Long before Evergreen was built, the land our school now stands on was stolen from th e Indigenous people of Puget Sound. This led to the Puget Sound Indian war, a rarely-mentioned but important
piece of local history. When the white settlers forced Indigenous people off their land, the traditional
techniques of land management went with them. While our Western mythology frames pre-invasion
America as a wilderness, there was actually little land that wasn't traditionally maintained for production
of food, medicine, fiber, and other necessities. In the Northwest, this often involved the pruning of berry
bushes to maximize production and the burning oflands to encourage certain plants and provide forage
for game animals. Areas such as the dwindling prairies south of Olympia were developed by the native
tribes through their land stewardship efforts hundreds of years ago.
Today, Evergreen rightfully boasts that it is the second largest college campus in the country.
For, while it is not uncommon for colleges to set aside a bit ofland as a nature preserve, the scale and setting ofEvergreen's approximately Boo acres of undeveloped land make it unique. Although all of the land
has been logged within the last hundred years and there are no old-growth trees remaining, the woods at
T.E.S.C. are quite amazing. Rumor has it that Evergreen is the largest piece of wild land left anywhere on
Puget Sound. Yet, there is potential danger to Evergreens undeveloped land. in that, being owned by the
state, the woods are at the mercy of the developmental whims of politicians and their ilk Potential expansion of our organic farm into this pristine wilderness is another possibility. The Campus Land Use Committee (CLUC), a group of various staff members with a token student, is charged with the responsibility
of recommending management plans for Evergreen's land. For the most part, though, they leave things
outside the core campus area alone.
Many greeners, and non-greeners alike also enjoy the trees by setting up shop with a permanent
camp site. A very pleasant and cheap way to live, most would agree; especially in the summer months.
Sweeps of the woods have been made, and the people found living there have been ousted. Rumor has it
that Facilities is looking to hire someone to trek around in the woods, marking the location of all campsites using GPS units. They will then hire an outside contractor to demolish these campsites. Thus, if you
should choose to post up in the cut, make use of the free lockers around campus to store your valuables
and consider changing location from time to time.
7
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A discussion of the land around us, the place we (at least for
\; ... •~
four years or so) call home, would not be complete ifwe were to dimiss
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the the beauty, uniqueness, and importance of our entire bioregion, not
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just the small patch on which TESC resides. A bioregion is an area identi•
fled by natural features such as geology, climate, water courses, and plant
·
ECOREGIONS
and animal communities, as opposed to political boundaries. The importance
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of making such distinctions lies in the natural desire humans have to connect
·
,,.,.-:-,;.f,.\with their land and homebase, to understand the world around them through
its history and habits, and to interact with it on as many levels as possible.
rv':'\:..-:'.,_ .
Each bioregion hosts its own peculiarites and is usually named according
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to physical features. The northwest coast of the US and the west coast of
.~1, .../.."'.
Canada compose the bioregion called Cascadia, named for the mountain
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range that extends north to "British Columbia" and south into "California".
This mountain range was, in turn, named for the abundant cascading waters
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which define the area {twenty of the forty largest rivers on the North Amer·
(j, ·r.:!;,.'-•·),-.. '
ican continent are located in Cascadia!" Some unique_features ofCascadia
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are that 1t boasts the longest m1grat1on of salmon m the Pacific ocean
· ~~
~~ · ~and hosts the second highest densities of bald eagles. Mt. Rainier, visible
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from Oly, is Cascadia's highest mountain at 14,410 ft. And, more locally,
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Olympia sits in the Salish Sea "ecoregion" (a subdivison of a bioregion) along
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the sou then edge of Puget Sound, one of the largest inland seas in what is call
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the United States.
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Still, beyond such attempts at classification and definition, Cascadia per•
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sists as a special place for all those who visit it and for those lucky enough to call it
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home. Thanks to the more than 50 inches of rain we get a year in Olympia (mostly
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between November and January), we are blessed to be surrounded by a land lush
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with old growth temperate rain forests, abundant flora & fauna, countless rivers
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and watersheds, mountains, and of course the beautiful Pacific Ocean {which, as a
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;/''"'fl,,.J \
si_de_ not:, should really be at the center of any world ri:ap as it is the largest and most
distmgmshable feature of Earth from space). Such a settlmg has helped foster a deep rev:_:•\ · •.•. 1 ~~}'
✓10\
erence for the natural world in many that come to visit and stay. We hope, in the years
· : ,.. . .
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1
ahead of you, that you come to learn ever more about this wonderful part of the world.
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The Evergreen woods are a great place to start, especially if you are coming from a
largely urban background.
. ,,;..,.~•\ ,
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The woods surrounding campus host many of the native plants found
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throu_ghout Casca~a. lfit interests Y?u, try to learn sori:e of them. Start slowly,
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learnmg a few at a time. Learn the pmsonous ones, the edible ones, the one that
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provide you with natural medicines, and the ones yo_u can mak~ things rnch
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as cordage or baskets out of. Or learn about the different ammals, their
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calls, tracks, and habits alone are an endless field of study. Learn the fungi
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and lichens and the rhythms of the seasons. Or just get out and explore!
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A relationship wit~ this land will help you develop a sense of p_la_ce here
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at the college, and m Olympia. As students we have the great pnvilege of
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having this land all to ourselves. The woods are there for your learning
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and enJoyment, don t squander them.
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As beautiful and special as the woods surrounding Evergreen are, it seems t l1 j:lt sorr;ie people
will never learn to repect what is shared by all. It used to-be that "the meadow' was 'the place
to go." Now bits of melted plastic, corroded aluminum and broken glass lie sc~ttered aro1,1nd a
charred bit of land as a reminder of all the parties that took place there. Now, ' the 9luff" 1s the
"happenin' spot" because who really wants to kick it at that ugly old meadow? NOY, I find trash at
the bluff every time I go to look out over the sound . So I ask you, as the next generation of greeners,
please don't et this pattern continue throughout our enchanting woods. By all rr, eans, toke, trip,
drink, and run amuck in general, but take only pictures and leave only footprints. Please save your
tagging for our urban wastelands that need beautification and leave the woods as the sanctuary
from such signs of society that they are supposed to be. Learn to recognise the e11dangered plants
such as Wild Ginger, Pipsissewa, and Trillium and take measures to protect them , [f you decide to
camp, please pack out what you pack in and don't leave another festering cam 11s1te abandoned.
And, above a11 1 implore you, learn to develop an overall respect for the natu r al world and for
what we leave 6eh ind for future generations. That said, I leave you with the word s of our beloved
Lorax: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get be tter. It's not."
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When it comes to housing, Evergreen is not your friend. Living on campus at a state school in this day and age is not a wise decision. Not only
due to the ongoing hunt for dissidents, but also due to the fact that living on a state campus exempts you from any tenant rights otherwise
guaranteed by the state of Washington. You're also going to end up paying a lot more to live in these cramped little compartments. Incoming
first-year students are generally told that they have no option but to accept the cramped little apartments and exploitative meal plans. You can
appeal these on financial grounds, dietary preferences and restrictions, religious or faith-based reasons, fears of various sorts of discrimination,
or due to neuro-atypical conditions. Find a way around the system to get what you need, especially if you have a need, a concern, or a condition that legitimately requires unique accommodation. This is not straightforward, but by going up the chain of command at Evergreen, you can
find a way. If your parents support you, see if you can get them to do it in person - Evergreen fears legal action.
llllllmlDespite the fact that you'll have no limit aside from your conscience on using utilities, Evergreen Mods and apartments are a bad deal,
~erably more expensive than comparable spaces. You need only look across the street at Cooper's Glen. Regarding fees, fees for
damage to property, cleaning fees and late move-out fees are exorbitant. Also, if a roommate moves out of your dorm, you may be charged
hundreds of dollars for "Reduced Occupancy" unless you can find another roommate or move to another dorm.
I nese have changed considerably over the last few years. Currently, the break down goes like this: A, B, & C: first year students, D:
11rst_y_ear guiet, E & F: first year apts., G: no theme, H: quiet, I & K: gender neutral, K: quiet, N: sustainability, R-U: no theme.
-i!1iI:'1€itM4J rou can drink and have booze if you're of age, but despite Washington's recent cannabis legalization, TESC is federally-funded,
and seems to have no interest in challenging the drug war. RAD services will likely ignore weed and paraphernalia, but police will not, an RA
may or may not. You can also definitely get busted while an RA is doing nightly patrols, if they smell or see you smoking, so be cautious about
that. You'll find that Olympia has a fairly friendly and open cannabis culture, but it is always better to be cautious. All it takes is for someone
in a position of authority to have a bad day and decide to take it out on you. If you do get caught, keep your wits about you; first offenses are
traditionally handled without criminal charges. The best option you really have is to use cannabis off-campus. As long as you're 21 or over, you
are entirel legally in the clear.
_..,."'il'-loil,lj,_There's no denying it, Evergreen housing contracts are a scam. As it stands, you are signing up for the full-year, it's not done by
quarters. reaking the contract means that you get very little of your money, unless you break your contract later in the year. In that case, you
get no money at all.
Mandatory Meal Plan for Freshman: Some blame this racket on Evergreen's losses after previous food services, but there has also been a
push from parents who are concerned about their children eating. Mandatory meal plans were implemented because of the financial backing
needed to provide food for 4000 students (including the 900 students on campus); mandatory
purchases of the meal plans ensure that
Ara-mark, an unsavory corporation, makes a huge
profit. (TIP: you can bypass this mandatory requirement by talking to your RA or RD and
sa in that you have special dietary needs that cannot be met by the food service.)
• • The ar students, but they're working for a state school, and are in a position of authority over you. It isn't advisable to trust them.
·
•,
According to Washington Title 59, RCW 59.18.040, you as a student living on state property are exempt from the Washington
State Landlord and Tenants Law; you have no renter's rights to privacy. So essentially, if the police see fit, they are within the law to access
ever room of our house without a warrant.
With the exception of fish and documented service dogs, it is almost impossible to get permission to live with companion
arnma s. at oes not mean that it is impossible to have them, though. First, check to make sure that it is alright with your roommates, and
then, as long as you've got roommates or friends who can cover for you when Evergreen staff perform their scheduled inspections, you can
easily live with a companion animal. Be certain that you have a social network in place first, though. A companion animal's life and comfort is
your responsibility. Many Evergreen students adopt animals, and then abandon them when it is time to leave. Olympia is full of starving feral
cats. Don't be a scumbag. Being responsible for another life is not a joke. Plan ahead.
Mi,M,,r:S
Cooper's Glen is right across the street from the Evergreen campus apartments. The Glen is a cheaper alternative to campus housing, where
you aren't under the watchful eye of agents of the state. 2-bedroom apartments run $750 a month at present, and you can enjoy the nascent
leftist community in the Glen. There are also single and 2-bedroom apartments, but these are usually occupied very quickly. Rent is a monthto-month deal, and minor damage to the apartments can easily go unnoticed by management due to the low level of maintenance. In the
past, there have been weekly potlucks, community movie nights, and game nights. Nobody raises an eyebrow if you want to walk from one
apartment to another with an open drink in hand, and no one much cares if you'd like to sit calmly in the field and have a smoke. Be respectful, though. This atmosphere exists only so long as others' living environments aren't being disrespected. It is also notable that as the local
economy tanks more and more severely, what used to be a housing complex largely for students 1s now increasingly a place for young parents
to live with their children. It is important to refrain from creating a difficult environment for these kids and their parents.
The Glen isn't all fun times, though. Make no mistake, Cooper's Glen is a slum. There are health risks posed by the pervasive black mold that
grows on every surface in the Glen apartments. For most, these result in nothing but some minor irritation, but for others, the consequences are
severe. It has spread deep within the walls, and though the management claims that there are no health risks associated with the mold, that is
a blatant lie. Many people who have lived in apartments in the Glen have suffered massive respiratory issues due to the mold. If you have extant respiratory conditions, it is not advisable to live in the Glen, if it can be helped. In addition, maintenance on the apartments is minimal. This
year, the new management has proposed renovations to the apartments, for which the rent will be increased. Among the proposed renovations
are a couple that will end up increasing the monthly electricity bill. Action in response to these changes is still in the works, though it seems the
new management does have some changes in mind that will be beneficial to the community. Still, never trust a landlord.
Every bite of food consumed can be viewed as
a political, social, and environmental issue. It's hard to
make it in this economy (yes, even with Obama) by producing high quality, truely organic, non-exploitative,
sustainably-grown food. This makes the stuff your body
actually neeas either hard to find or so prohibitively
expensive that your average person is forced to eat a
bunch of cheap crap. For, although bright and shitty
advertisements and conveniently overflowing grocery
store shelves entice you to chow down on the brands
you know and the names you trust as though they
were good for you, a lot of the heavily marketea "food"
in stores is full of horrible shit. The irony is that the most
heavily advertised food, often making healthy claims
such as low-fat, reduced calories, and heart health,
leave consumers obese, nutritionally depleted, and
with sickly immune systems.
Of the many failures and societal issues agribusiness practices result in, associated health
problems are possibly the foremost concern for most
people. Looking backwards, obesity and cancer are
only recent phenomenon, having become epidemics
after the second agricultural revolution. Hydrogenated
oils and geneticalfy modified (GM) crops (sucn as the
corn and soy products that are in most every processed
food) have unknown, barely studied effects on human
bodies. A survey of scientific studies of Aspartame (aka
Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener) showed that 92%
of independent researchers identified it as dangerous,
linked to headaches, seizures, and brain-damage. (Curiously, none of the studies funded by Nutrasweet identified any health concerns.)
The food industry is also replete with worker
exploitation. In the US, migrant workers make up a large
percentage of the agricultural work force. For them,
safety on the job is a Joke because they're either being
exposed to toxic chemicals daily (pesticides, fertilizers,
etc.) or working in the most dangerous job listed by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, i.e. slaughterhouses. Coffee
farmers throughout the Americas work in sweatshoplike conditions, earning less than $1 (US) per pound of
"gourmet" coffee.
The environment is impacted by industrial
farming practices in more ways than can be discussed
in this article. Monoculture farming, the excessive and
hazardous use of chemical fertilizers /herbi/fungi/pesticides, shipping food half-way across the globe so we
can eat mangos in February, and the destruction of rain
forests to grow soy beans and raise cattle for US hamburgers are just tips of this frightening and completely
unsustainable system of proviaing the food we eat.
You'll likely come to find that many people at
Evergreen and in Olympia in _general are pretty food
conscious. Not a bad trend to follow. Here's a short run
down of ways to provide some better food for you and
yours at little or no cost.
b~oWING YOUR OWN . Be it gardens, farms, or guerilla gardening (gardening in otheiwise unused space), growing your own food is
extremely satisfying and surprisingly easy. Watching little hard seeds
explode into luscious edible green things is intensely fulfilling. It is this connection to your food which makes you
truly independent. It is also cheap and top notch. There
are lots of opportunities around Oly for access
t o
garden space. GRuB (Garden Raised urban Bounty, www.goodgrub.org) builds .JIJ~~~
planter boxes for low income people
for free! There are always unlimited
places to grow food for free, year
round, and they are probably near your home.
THEGLEANERS COALITION · This organization harvests non-saleable organic produce that
would otheiwise rot in the fields and distributes it to
low income people through organizations such as the
Thurston County Food Bank, Safe Place, and Food Not
Bombs. Volunteers take what they need and share the
rest. And there is always plenty to go around. Check www.
gleanerscoalition.org/ for volunteer information and scheduling.
OLYMPIA FARMER'S MARKET· This is a great place
to support the livelihoods of locals with the purchase of
their goods of unbeatable yummy quality. And you can
use food stamps there. Open April-October: ThursdaySunday, 10-3. November-December: Saturday & Sunday 10-3. 700 Capital Way (north of 4th and State)
THE OLYMPIA FOOD CO-OP· The Co-Op is a friendly, notfor-profit, member-owned store with high ethical and nutritional
standards, and an emphasis on organic, local, and bulk food. They
have comparable prices (lowset markup of any co-op in the west),
vegan-friendly options, and community bulletin boards. The Co-Op
donates any profit to various non-profits, and is always looking for
suggestions on how to better serve the needs of our community. For
a small fee (waived for low-income individuals) you too can become
a member of the Co-op. Non-members pay 10% above the marked
(shel0 price. Members can vote in Co-Op elections and also volunteer
at the Co-Op and receive extra discounts. Low income discount+ Volunteer discount + Bulk Order discount= 45% off the shelf price! Go to
the Co-Op, it feels like home. 2 locations: West: (closer to TESC) 921
Rogers (754-7666); East: 3111 Pacific Ave (956-3870).
THE THURSTON COUNTY FARM MAP· A directory and map of small
farms in the Olympia-area. Take a bike ride over to one of the farms,
talk with the growers, and enjoy the beauty of small-scale agriculture.
Putting money directly in the hands of the farmers is exciting for everyone. Pick one up at the Farmer's Market or the Co-Op.
DUMPSTER DIVING • All corporate grocery stores and many restaurants throw away lots and lots of food every single day. A prime
example of this can be found on campus. Dumpster diving is a skill
best learnt by getting out and doing it and not getting frustrated if you
don't get immediate results. Legality (aka theft, Ires- oassing) varies
from situation to situation so take that into
consider.
ation. But you may end up with
_ __.
thousands
and thousands of dollars
.,..c->-worth of groceries, doughnuts,
pizza,
and
beer for the
~~--:-,-- cost of a few
dol lars of gas and
a new headlamp.
And trust me, you 'll never
cease to ask yourself, "Why
=---- the hell would anyone throw this away?"
~
--..>.,.,. ROADKILL · Don't knock
ii Iii you try it. A lot of happy animals are killed by humans in their metal
death boxes (aka cars) every day. Why should
they go to waste and rot in the ditches and not at
least be honored by putting their flesh and hides to
good use? Learning to skin and process me?t is an
ancient skill that is fun to learn and can provide you
with healthy food, hand crafted bone tools, and useful
leathers. Venison, raccoon, rabbit.. Welcome to Yumtown.
FOOD NOT BOMBS · Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer global
movement that shares free vegetarian meals as a protest to war and
poverty. Each chapter collects surplus food that would otheiwise go
to waste then prepares community meals which are served for free
to anyone who is hungry. The Olympia chapter meets at Media Island
(816 Adams St.) on Saturdays at 2:30 to cook and serves at 4:30 at the
downtown library (8th & Franklin).
SHOPLIFTING. The corporate grocery stores fuck over their workers,
small and medium sized food producers, and you. Don't stand for it! Ultimately you'll have to evaluate for yourself whether it is ethically sound
to steal from corporations. Consumerism is consumerism whether or
not you pay for it (the manufacturer will still be paid, and the packaging
will still need to be thrown away). Consider the consequences some
workers may face by their employers if you shoplift. And be conscious
of the possible class/race prililedges you may be exercising while getting away with something others may not be able to.
13
To me, shoplifting and dumpster diving are reclamations of the purest elements of survivalism. These acts
are part of a confemporary analog of tne hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Not only can we survive off of the wastefulness of society, we are also afforded an opportunity to reject the overall exchange economy, and to live
life closer to our terms. Shoplifting sets me apart from liberals and their condescending Buy Nothing Day, as
if I had a choice in the matter. Aside from the many reasons that could be described as sociopolit1cal, 1 will
tell you this : no 99-point wine has ever tasted as sweet as a $5 bottle of rotgut that I stole from a grocery that
would literally let me starve if I didn't have money.
Shoplifting in Olympia is not a difficult thing to do if you've got the right mix of confidence
and cunning . I like to play characters. I like to think about the different sorts of
shoppers ttiat are likely to be in the store when I'm planning on doing
'
it, and I try to see which of those roles I'd be
a bIe
to pull off based on my appearance.
Thrnk like the people the store
is targeting, and then act like
you're one of them: flustered
housewife; self-centered hipster; yuppie; Fort Lewis musclehead. Do I have the clothes
to play the part? The haircut? Will a massive ACAB
tattoo on a forearm need to
covered up? How does this charter
with
workers? Is this person
confident? Nervous? Do they make
eye contact or small talk?
Ultimately, whether you want to roleplay, or
whether you simply want to shove
something into a pocket is up to you. However, there are
some tips that I adhere to, that might help you:
I never hit locally-owned independent businesses. There's no real benefit. It's just taking food from one
pocket and putting into another. There are some exce ptions with more high-end businesses opening up
downtown, but they treat us like criminals no matter what, and you can believe they'll be watching .
Unless I have a hookup with an employee, I don't mess with really high-end businesses. The cops respond
very rapidly, almost as if they treat businesses preferentially based on class.
I always scout the store first: pay attention to the number of employees, how hard they're worked, how much
they're paid. You want employees that don't care, and with corporate greed being our country's largest
product, that is usually the case. Note the cameras, and if you're uncertain about anything, assume that the
camera is real and is being monitored. Better safe than sorry. If you're taking the bus rafher than biking or
walking, see how far the bus stop is from the store in case you need to run.
Whenever possible, buy or adequately inspect the product you intend on stealing. You need to be certain
that there's no RFID or other security device that will set off alarms. If it's something that you really need, you
might be better off finding a way to open the package in the store and removing lhe product.
Be confident, but be smart. Minimize risk to yourself, workers, and whoever you might be working with.
Dumpster diving is another way to get what you want from the massive but inefficient jaws of the capitalist
beast. It is dirty work, but so is a job, and you aren't going to be dumpster diving for 40 fucking hours a week.
Dumpster diving can provide you with food, clothing, furniture, appliances, and even data which is easily
the most valuable thing you can find, if you know how to use it. Here, we'll only be talking a 6out Evergreen,
and Cooper's Glen across the street. At the end of every quarter, some of our less conscientious classmates
throw away countless items when it gets too inconvenient to take those things back home for vacation. Each
progressive quarter of the year excfuding summer, there's more and more stuff, and the end of the spring
quarter is a treasure trove. In my time here, I have furnished 3 entire apartments with items that I acquirea
dumpster diving, from beds and mini fridges to books and even a significant amount of cannabis.
Evergreen is clamping down, though. They have some sort of a deaf with the Salvation Army, who purchase
the items dirt-cheap for their stores, and Evergreen staff makes certain that none of it gets in the hands of
those of us who need it. If you aren't familiar with the Salvation Army's hard-right evangelical rhetoric, do
yourself a favor and search them (duckduckgo is a secure and anonymous choice for web searches) and
their homophobia, misogyny, and transphob1a online. One way to circumvent Evergreen's greed might be
to spread the word about an alternate location for people to gather their stuff before they leave. This would
allow us to get our pick before Evergreen's little exploitation scheme takes effect. Dumpstering at Cooper's
Glen is a bit simpler. It's an unspoken rule that if you have something that's useful, such as furniture bags of
clothes, canned food, etc. you leave it outside of the dumpster enclosure rather than inside, so that folks can
get their pick first. But the Glen is under new management, so it is difficult to tell whether this will hold true
for the upcoming school year. Be smart and be safe while dumpstering: wear long sleeves and long pants,
wear gloves, ana wash up afterwards. You don't know what might be in lhere - treal cuts immediately with an
antiseptic. For an added bonus, the chorus of Carl Douglas' f974 hit, "Kung Fu Fighting," can be changed
to "Everybody was dumpster diving!" and you can just whistle the rest of it.
14
TESC FOOD SERVICE
As an entity, Evergreen, as well as most colleges around the
country, don't serve their own food but outsource their "food service"
to a "food service provider". In Evergreen's case, food service (like
anything over $3,300) is put out to bid by the purchasing department.
Then companies make bids for the food service, with both amounts and
changes they wish to make to the contract. The biggest food service providers in the United States are Sodexho, Aramark, Chartwells, and Bon
Appetit. Once every 5 years, Evergreen's food service contract goes out
to bid, openino the opportunity for a differen t food service provider on
campus. HopeTully, some day Evergreen wi ll transition to self-operated-meaning we operate our OWN frigging food service!
1980 - Judith, an Evergreen student, founds ''The Corner" student-run
cafe after Saga/Marriott attempts and fai ls at a late night sandwich gig
under the governance of housing.
1988 - ''The Corner" moves to the new Housing Community Center.
Much of lower campus and Cooper's Glen residents are patrons of the
cafe. Fine Host, the food service provider at the time, had poor quality
traditional foods so ''The Comer" made bank on being the only simple
vegetanan opllon .
1998-2000 - ''The Corner Coup" charismatic vegans took over. Vegans
at the lime only made up six percent of the housing population and
could no_t be sustained by only their business. Cliquey kids, exclusive
food options, homie hookups, and "barters" (nugs fo r sandwiches, eh,
eh?) brought the demise of the comer, as best anyone can tell - the story
seems somewhat lost to the ravages of time.
1990-2001 - Fine Host is Evergreen's food serv ice prov ider.
2001- Students wrote a business plan for a coffee/pastry shop and a pizza place, which became the Subterranean, located in the H.C.C. They
did pizza delivery, but lost money.
2001 - Food Service Disappearing Task Force committee decides it
would be in Evergreen's best interest to make preparations for transitmn to Self-Op(erated). They also recognized the first priority of getting
Evergreen's Food Program to be healthy. At the ti me of the DTF there
was not enou~h time or money to make the transition to self-op (college
run food service) before the end of Fine Hosts contract.
2001 - The food service contract goes out to bid again , and Sodexho
makes a pass. Masked students with a declaration to keep Sodexho off
campus because of its human rights abuses attend an open meeting between TESC and Sodexho. The corporate executives were intimidated
and retracted their bid to be Evergreen 's food service provider due to an
"anti-corporate climate" on campus.
2001-2004 - Bon Appetit becomes Evergreen 's food service provider
and loses an average of $1,500,000 a year.
2003 - Subterranean reformed from pizza place to sub shop. They
lose $7000 in a year and the student-ru n cafe closes permanently. In
2-3 years the various incarnations of the H.C.C. student-run cafe lost
$134,000, at their worst losing around $25,000 in a year.
Spring 2004 - SOFA (Students Organizing for Food Autonomy) campaigns to end corporate food service and transition to a sustainable selfoperated food service, collecting over 600 student signatures for their
pet1t1on.
Fall 2004-2013 - Aramark is the only bidder on Evergreen's food service contract, so they win the contract, despite not meeting Everoreen's
0
specifications for the bid on the contract.
Winter 2005 - SOFA organizes weekly potlucks with all of its members to show support for food service change on campus. Hundreds of
members join and attend potlucks. Potlucks happened consistently for
almost 2 years despite Evergreen's attempts at crackin g down.
Fall 2006 - Aramark's stustainability intern helps them achieve 17%
local or organic purchasing (based upon their definitions of local and
organic) .
Winter 2006 - Convinced goin g self-ope rated is unfeasible, SOFA
members begin to direct energy into a side operation student run/owned
cafe with hopes of eventually transitioning to self-op.
Winter - Spring 2006 - Seven Evergreen students complete 44 credits
1n a _gro_up contract on food service issues and write a business plan and
feas1b1hty study for the cafe. Only at a school with such great freedom
could we do what we're doing.
Spring 2006 - Using the selling point of a student run cafe, students
vote on and approve the Campus Activities Building redesign. This is
a self-imposed fee of $16 million, only $300,000 of which goes to the
student run cafe. Over the next 20 years, every fu ll time student wi ll pay
a few hundred dollars a year toward thie fee.
Summer 2006 - Students vote on the Flaming Eggplant Cafe as the
name of the cafe. The Flaming Eggplant Cafe registers as an official
student group and completes their first business plan.
Winter 2007 - The Flaming Eggplant writes its budfl._et proposal to apply to the S&A board for funding of the operation. I he budoet is presented to the board in March with a record turnout of about 75 students.
Spring 2007 - The S&A board denies the Flaming Eggplant budget request, citing depleted reserves from fund in g the recent million dollar
childcare center renovations. Undeterred, members of the Cafe add a fee
proposal to a student vote process already underway through the Geoduck Union. The proposal requests $2 per credit from each student registered in Fall quarter 2007. The vote passes with nearly 90% approval
and grants about $120,000 to the cafe for start up and operational costs .
Fall 2007 - Evergreen and The Flaming Eggplant si~n a Memorandum
of Understanding, a contract that stipulates the conditions under which
Ihe cafe may operate. This contract represents official approval from
Evergreen for the Cafe to operate.
Spring 2008 - Eveq?een Residential and Dining Services offers to
buy a ~ommissary trailer and_lease it to The Flaming Eggplant until the
space 111 the redesigned CAB 1s completed. RAD will then use the trailer
as an emeroency kitchen fo r its residents.
October 10, 2008 - The Flaming Eggplant opens!
2010 - CAB building redesign is scheduled to be complete. On the
3rd floor, there is a new space, the new home of the Flaming Eggplant,
complele with rooftop greenhouse and dining.
2013-2022-Aramark was chosen as the Food Service provider with a
nine year contract. This last contract allowed Aramark to bring Evergreen's first franchise food, Einstein Brother's Bagels, that owns over
775 cafes nationwide . In addi1ion to recent research intoAramark's
food purchasing, 92% of Aramark's food purchased for the Evergreen
caml?us comes from Sysco distributing. As the country's largest food
distnbutor with a virtual monopoly in the private sector and hundreds
of millions of dollars in lucrative government contracts, Sysco teeters
on the edge of bankruptcy and required a government stimulus last
year. Evergreen may have an organic farm, but our hand in deep in the
shit of corporate foods environmental, economic, and social destruction.
How can you help?
-In less you are required too, DON'T buy a dinino meal plan. Instead
bring your lunch, eat at the Flaming Eggplant, or ireate potluck days
with your classmates. Please refrain from as much as possible from
buying Evergreen's corporate food.
-Let Aramark's market projections go to shit and DON'T eat at Einstein Brother's Bagels. Even if you are on a meal pl an, eating in the
Market is a better choice. Einsteir:i's is not buying local meats, eggs,
and beans, hke the Market. Plus, 1t may scare Aramark (and other large
food providers) away during future contracts.
-Talk to your friends about corporate food and read more about the
effects of food on our economy, environment, and laborers.
-Freshman! Create food alternatives . A great way to create community
on your dorm room floors or beyond is to hold no-bake potlucks and
creative recipes food swaps. You don't need an oven/stove to cook .
Get a crock pot, hot pot/water kettle, or a mini electri c grill . Hell I
used a clothin° iron.
-Let Aramark hlow you want more sustainable food opinions and
fucking transparency! Start petitions, give them online comments, and
give them hel l.
-The contact comes up for additions in 2017 and then up for other
companies to put in bids in 2022. Keep talking about these issues, we
need to keep ou r food organizing strong and commun ity stronger.
The Flaming Eggplant Cafe seeks to nourish people with healthy
ingredients, nurture the local economy, and help sustain a unified
community. They strive to provide wholesome foods through a
locally-oriented, collectively-managed, cooperative part of TESC.
And they work to enable people to choose food that makes positive effects on the earth and that encourages economic and social
justice. They are always looking for passionate people to get involved on staff, as volunteers, or as an internship.
Vendors
Magic Kombucha - Oly
A new Olympia company that offers the
only locally brewed kombucha.
cessed in town with organic ingredients.
Supporting wild instead of farmed salmon
is important for the health of the ecosystem because farmed salmon get sick often and pollute waters.
Lattin's Country Cider Mill - Oly
Been making fresh cider for 31 years and
is proud to have won a number of awards
for having the best cider in the country.
Oly Kraut - Oly
Founded in 2008, by food activists and
fermentationists Sash Sunday and Summer Bock.
Hazelnut Milk
We use hazelnut milk instead of soy because soy is one of the five agricultural
commod ities that farmers are paid to
farm. This system leads to grown monocrops and destroys biodiversity and local
economies. Our hazelnut milk is made
from Oregon hazelnuts.
Calliope Farm - Oly is only 1.5 miles
away from the college and they grow
food - 100% free of chemical fertilizers,
pesticides and herbicides. They add only
organic amendments, manures, and compost to their soil, they buy certified organic seed, and they use minimal small
scale machinery.
Olympia Coffee Roasting Co - Oly
The only entirely organic coffee roaster
in Olympia and has worked with the Cafe
and the Community Agroecology Network
(CAN), a Santa Cruz organization that
wors directly with coffee cooperatives in
Latin America. Because of the work that
OCRC and CAN have done, we will have
coffee from a coffee co-op in Nicaragua.
OCRC is now working with CAN, a new
relationship has been made and there is
the potential for more CAN coffee to be
used more widely throughout Olympia.
Coffee is delivered to the Eggplant once
per week and brewed daily.
Earthly Gourmet - OR is an independently-owned, wholesale distributor of
raw, vegan, gluten-free, gourmet, sustainably-harvested, local produce in Oregon & Washington State.
Organic produce from:
Kirsop Farms - Oly
Pigman's Organic Produce
Lacey,WA
The Evergreen Organic Farm
Organically
Grown
Cooperative
(OGC) - Portland, OR
Calliope Farm - Oly
8 Arms Community Bakery - Oly
This small business uses mainly organic
ingredients in its pastries that we buy.
Gluten free and vegan options avialable.
Blue Heron Bakery - Oly
The only organic bakery in town and has
been here since 1977. The breads are a
mix of whole wheat, spelt, and multigrain
flours. For a fun down hill bike ride, go
visit the bakery on Mud Bay Road.
Through these distributors we are able to
work with small producers on the west
coast, including Jerusalem House, a company started by immigrants from the Middle East that makes out tahini; Surata Soy
Foods, a Eugene company that makes
organ!c tempeh; and Lundburg Rice, responsible for some of the only organic
rice grown in California that is available
on the market; and Sweet Creek Foods
who supply our pickles.
Northwest Natural - Oly
This wild-caught Alaskan salmon is pro-
Glory-Bee Foods - Eugene, OR
Provides dry goods, oils, spices.
DISTRIBUTORS
17
~Cop's~
"Those who argue that the police sometimes do good things bear the burden of proving that those same
good things could not be accomplished at least as well by other means." -Anonymous
THE ILLUSION OF POLICE NECESSITY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES IS SOMETHING MOST
PEOPLE
FROM
COMFORTABLE,
LIBERAL BACKGROUNDS OFTEN
HAVE A HARD TIME QUESTIONING. "WE NEED COPS, DR ELSE
WE'D BE KILLING EACH OTHER,"
THEY SAY. BUT I ALWAYS LIKE
TD ASK PEOPLE,
"WHEN WAS
THE LAST TIME A COP REALLY
HELPED YOU?"
SURE, THERE
ARE THE RANDOM ANECDOTES
OF AN
OFFICER
RESCUING
A
CAT OR CATCHING A BURGLAR.
BUT, IN REALITY, MOST POLICE
OFFICERS
(AND THE
OLYMPIA
POLICE DEPARTMENT [ □ PD) IS
ND
EXCEPTION
HERE)
SPEND
MUCH OF THEIR TIME HARASSING POOR PEOPLE AND
PROTECTING THE INTERESTS OF THE
RICH
AND
POWERFUL.
THINK
ABOUT IT: HOW MANY LAWS AND
SOCIAL PROBLEMS COULD
BE
BETTER ADDRESSED THROUGH
DRUG
COUNSELEING,
.JOB
PLACEMENT,
PSYCHOLOGICAL
TREATMENT,
OR
ANGER
MANAGEMENT?
BUT THIS IS NOT THE
WAY OUR SOCIETY IS
STRUCTURED. THE P □ LICE--AND THE
STATE BODY THEY REPRESENT- PREFER TO
KEEP THEIR
POWER
STRUCTURES
IN
PLACE SO AS TO KEEP THE PRDLETARIET (THAT'S
YOU) IN CHECK. THE RICH AND POWERFUL WANT TO
STAY RICH AND POWERFUL AND THEY WILL USE THE
LETHAL FORCE OF THEIR HIRED GOONS (AKA PIGS,
AKA COPS) TO MAKE SURE THE PENDULUM DOESN'T
SWING TDD FAR. ALL THE WHILE, THE CIRCUS OF
CORPORATE MEDIA KEEPS US SO AFRAID THAT WE
COULDN'T IMAGINE IT BEING ANY OTHER WAY . THUS,
THOSE ON TOP TELL US TD BE HAPPY BELOW THE
POVERTY LINE BECAUSE IF WE TRY TO GET FREE BY
ANY MEANS, THERE'S A BOOT WAITING TO STOMP OUR
COLLECTIVE NECKS.
BUT WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?
WELL,
IT
STARTS
WITH
ADDRESSING MANY OF THE ACTUAL CAUSES OF CRIMES. THE
VAST
MAJORITY
OF
PEOPLE
IN PRISON ARE IN THERE FOR
CRIMES
RELATED
TD
HAVING
LOW ECONOMIC STATUS (THINK
THEFTS, DRUGS, AND ROBBERIES). RAPISTS AND MURDERS
ARE CERTAINLY HARDER TO DISMISS BUT, THEN AGAIN, MANY
OF THESE PEOPLE LIKELY CAME
FROM
A
VIOLENT,
DETRUCTIVE
BELIEF SYSTEM IN THEIR FAMILIY
AND CULTURE THAT FOSTERED
SUCH
DISTORTIONS OF REALITY. BELIEF SYSTEMS THAT, IN
TIME I FEEL, CAN EVENTUALLY
BE ERASED FROM OUR COLLECTIVE
CONCSCIENCE
THROUGH
INTENTIONAL HEALING AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF TRUELY NURTURING AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES ON A SMALL SCALE.
DEALING WITH SOCIAL DEVIANCE IS NOT AN EASY TASK. IT
REQUIRES
INTERVENTION
AND
HELP ON ALL FRONTS. BUT THE
THREAT OF CAGES, FINES, OR
DEATH
IS
NOT THE ANSWER.
THESE ISSUES ARE EASY TD IGNORE IF YOU LIVE A COMFORTABLE LIFE. BUT THEY ARE CENTRAL TO MANY OF THE
PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD TODAY. WHO KNOWS BEST
HOW TD DEAL WITH A PROBLEM AT HOME? THOSE INVOLVED, OR A POLICE FORCE FROM ACROSS TOWN OR
ACROSS THE GLOBE?
INTERACTING WITH THE POLICE IS THE ONLY
WAY TD KNOW YOUR ENEMY. THE NEXT STEP IS TD
KNOW YOURSELF, YOUR ENVIRONMENT AND WHO YOU
TRUST. TAKING CARE OF OUR PROBLEMS OURSELVES
IS THE FIRST STEP TO EMANCIPATING OURSELVES
FROM THE POLICE.
18
The
O
lympiaP oliceD epartment
An Ongoing History
June 1988 - In custody death of Danny Spencer, who was beaten and
hog-tied by Olympia officers Cliff Maynard & Aldo Fantoni.
August 1988 - Inquest field in the death of Danny Spencer. Taped for
TCTV. Inquest official findings reveal "positional asphyxiation" as
cause. Death Certificate says "Homicide" as cause of death. Officers
are not held responsible.
Spring 2004 - OPD extends their deadine to
investigate citizen complaints from 30 to 45
days.
2005 -
1991 - Citizens ask City Council to establish a Civilian Review Board
to bring more public accountability to the OPD. Council rejects the
idea.
1992 - Olympia City Council allows citizens to file complaints against
police at City Hall rather than just at the Police Dept. Assistant City
Attorney brought into investigating process.
March 1996 - Oly Copwatch established to push accountability. They
organize public testimony on police abuses, propose Non-ViolenUDeEscalating Training for officers, are aggressive about the hiring and
promotion of women and people of color as officers, call for adoption
of a community oriented policing policy and establishment of independent civilian review board.
February 1997 - Forum organized by City of Olympia, which brought
various experts to testify on structure and organization of police departments. Accountability is a side issue. Video taped for TCTV.
May 1997 - Copwatch sets up meeting with expert on law enforcement, Eileen Luna, to discuss issues with Olympia city officials. She
says citizen review is good for the city and the police.
August 1997 - Gary Michel (of Oregon) hired to replace Chief John
Wurner after 18 years with OP D.
1998 - $15,000 of Olympia's City budget earmarked to conduct police accountability study.
2000 - A police accountability study is done by John Walters with
components of case review and small public sessions. Study finds accountability system lacking, technical system Aaws, and recommends
corrections as well as a different intake system.
January 11, 2001 - l<ent DeBoer, a mentally ill man who lives in
Olympia, is shot six times by Officers Jeffrey Dale Jordan and Gregory Thornton Brown while Cliff Maynard uses hisTASER on the man.
DeBoer lives, but experiences severe health problems as a result of
his injuries. His federal lawsuit was dismissed.
2001 - Olympia City Council decided to create and Independent
Auditor to oversee police complaints rather than a civilian review
board. Council elects to exclude citizen participation in the auditor
process.
2001- Olympia City Council buys riot gear for the OPD due to complaints about street festiva ls and conduct during May Day.
Summer 2002 - Oly Copwatch reorganizes after hiatus due to police
harassment of homeless people in downtown.
November 7, 2002 - Officer Jeff Jordan TASERs Stephen Edwards
four times in one minute outside Ralph's Thriftway for suspected
shoplifting and punches him in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Edwards is dead just 15 minutes later.
Oly Copwatch
maintains records of pol ice use of force and puts
continued pressure on
City Council to reign in the
police.
Feb 2005 - TASER use
drops in half.
Spring 2005 - Olympia City
Council creates a "Chief's
Forum," in theory to serve
as a venue to citizen input
and discussion about police
operations and public safety.
Spring 2006 - Chief's Forum
actually starts meeting.
May 2006 - Police display a
complete lack of restraint
and use excessive and
unnecessary
violence
against protesters at the
Port of Olympia protests.
August 2006 - Ron Nesbitt, an OPD officer fired
in 2005, is calling for a citizens' review board as a check to police power and misconduct.
Nov 2007 - Multiple, coordinated uses of political violence against
Port Militarization Resistance participants by OPD officers in ful l
riot gear. The scene commander during these attacks becomes Professional Standards Lieutenant for 2008-2009.
November 15, 2008 - 23 year-old Jose Ramirez-Jimenez is shot i n
the back to death by OPD Officers Paul Bakala and Michael Hovda.
The execution was justified as the three claimed he attempted to
Aee in his car. Present during the murder was a woman who's faced
harassment from OPD officers several times since. Out of fear, she
has removed herself from Olympia. Bakala, Hovda and Gassett are
still with OPD.
July 2009 - John J. Towery is investigated and ousted as a military
informant by local radicals. Towery had been planted and active in loca l anarchist and "anti-war" war groups for at least 2 years. Towery
co-authored one of the most recent intelligence publications for the
U.S. Military. During this time he went by'John Jacobs' and provided
the military and, as far as we know, local police with major protest
and demonstration intelligence.
August 15, 2009 - OPD Officer Chris Cook shoots and kills Joseph
Leonard Burkett at Saint Peter's Hospital in Olympia.
. . TASERs (an acrqnym for Thoma A. Swift's Elect ric R1flef taken from a science fiction story) are classified
as "less ethal" weapons. This simply means that they are
less-often-lethal when compared to fire arms. They are
riot, and ar~ riot. intended to be, non-lethal. This Is an
important d1stinct1on. Today there is a booming, very lucrative industry in developing "less lethal" weaponry and
riew TASER technology is constantly being developed and
implemented. The intent of this industry Is to put a more
friendly face on police terrorism.
TASERs aren't nice. They can cause 1st, 2nd
arid 3rd degree burns; puncture wounds; bruising; car~
d1ac arrest; and death. TASER-Nation, a watchdog grou_p
p_uts the number of police murders from TASERs are 338
since 1~99. Even _Amnesty Int~rnational reports that 277
peqple In the United States died after being tasered by
police between June 2001 and October 2007. Contrary to
popular mythology, one does not have to have previous
heart problems to die from a TASER.
. L~gal_ly, Tfi.SERs are only supposed to be used by
the police in sItuatIons when otherwise lethal force such
as firearm~, would be used. In reality, the upholders of
law brand1~h these w~apons at our community without
any potential threat being posed to them and without second thought.
. At Evergreen, t~e. notoriously ruthless Officer
Perez Is respons1ole for training the department in the use
of TASERs. In the course of one week, two Evergreen
POWl!R INDICATOR
ANOOA'rArOKT
--~
c,,.rITT cwirc1 1
eu:sT0OO11:i.
~tudents were TASERed on campus by the Evergreen Polic;e Dep_artm_ent (EPD). i:his is quite a drastic and rather
frightening figure, especially considering that neither of
th~se students pos~d any type of violent threat to the
officers: the use of less lethal" weaponry was purely off~nsive, not defensive. One student was TASERed for run ning away from the cops that caught him drinking. The
other student was TAS~Red three days later while tie was
running around raked In the mods and yelling happily after allegedly taking sorr,e LSD. Evergreen police ordered
by2tanders to holq this student to tlle ground while an
officer TASERed him four times. By the third time the
people hold)ng him down sa_id . that they could fee1 the
current pulsing through the v1ct1m's body. Clearly, neither
student could not have appeared to be posing a violent
threat to the police or his community. What the fuck?
IN THE BEGINNING - Evergreen was patrolled by unarmed, polo shirt wearing " Public Safety" personnel.
Late S0's - Rumors circle that administration was discussing arming our polo-clad pals.
1995-96 - Arming the safety personnel was formally proposed by acting interim director for public safety, Undersheriff Neil Mcclanahan. This sparked public outcry, protests, sit-ins and petitions.
1996-97 - "Public Safety" personnel
replaced by newly ordained "Police
Services." Polos and shorts replaced
by police uniforms. So-called " limited
arming" meant they could carry their
guns from 6pm to 8 am while patrolring on foot away from their vehicles.
They could now also give traffic tickets and make arrests.
During the 1996-97 school
year, complain1s about the use of
excessive force and allegations of
sexual harassment of Police Services
secretaries by campus officers arose.
The officers involved are still patrolling your campus. By the end of the
1997-98 school year, rumors began
circulating that the Administrafion
was just waiting for students to forget the struggle to prevent campus
arming before moving to full-time
arming for all officers.
September 2002 - Evergreen cops
began carrying guns with them at all
times of the cfay. At first, the excuse
given for the 24 hour arming was
fhat there had been specific threats
made against students and faculty
and the police had to respond by
increasing their threat preparedness
level. On November of that year, former Army Ranger and
Evergreen sophomore Andy Mickel killed a police officer
in Red Bluff, California with three gunshots to the back of
the head. After this, it became clear that members of the
administration, the police, and the Washington Federation
o f
State Employees (which is the cop's
union), were intent on keeping the
Evergreen police's full time arming
status permanently.
The cop's union claimed that
they were concerned about
the officers' safet;y and by not
allowing the Police to have
guns at all times, the officers
were being forced to work in
unsafe conditions. Vickv Peltzer, the chief of police for the
University of Washington was
brought in as an outside con-
sultant on the issue and she too recommended that Evergreen police be armed 24/7. The Police Services Community Review Board held several forums around campus
to discuss full time arming and in the end they also recommended that campus police be allowed to carry guns
24/7.
2003 - Vice President Art Costantino recommends to
President Les Purce that campus police be allowed to carrv
guns at all times. Finally, in May of 2003, Les Purce made
his final decision to authorize a
rewriting of campus police procedure to allow for 24/7 arming.
He was !=JUOted as saying, "tlie
safety of both the campus and
our officers will be enhanced by
allowing our officers more consistent access to firearms."
2009 - Announced around the
same time as the school's budget cuts"'the Active-Shooter Response 1-'lan, or the "Rifle Proposal " as it's come to be known,
l)Urports to protect the college
from the threat of an armed
shooter intending to attack
Evergreen students, staff and
faculty. The proposal recommends purchasing high-powered AR-15 assault rifles, body
armor and helmets, a sum total
of $10,000, and training Police
Services in active-shooter tactics at a recurring cost of $2000.
Some critiques of the Rifle Proposal include Art Constantino's
pressure on the Geoduck Student Union to come to a decision without satisfactory campus input, unequal attention
to a low-priority threat (active
shooters) while what is widely regarded as a major threat
(sexual violence) remains unaccounted for. The absence
of any student representatives to the Police Services Community Review Board (PSCRB) until February is noted, as
well as confusion over where money for the proposal will
come fromL and hostility to the notion of inflating the Police Budgec as the campus is forced to cut 12.5% of its
services. There is audacity to the police requesting rifles
for a potential school shooting, when the college lias not
even taken the critical step in preventing a snooting by
implementing a system where faculty and staff could "lock
down" classrooms and offices in the event of an armed intruder.Lastly, none of the four private liberal arts colleges
in Washington state have their security armed with riffes.
In addition, most of these institutions have unarmed, unofficial law enforcement.
Over the summer, though, despite fears of the campus
trying to pull a fast one on the absent students, the proposaf is ultimately denied .. for now.
21
EVERGREEN & PRISON LABOR
A few years ago, Evergreen contracted Correctional
Despite what you may have heard, prisons simply
don't work. Although incarceration rates have risen in the past Industries (Cl) to provide asbestos abatement in D Dorm for
decade , there has not been a corresponding decline in crime $49,900 (the prisoners being paid $2.00/hr.). When a custodian
rates . In fact , increasing incarceration rates may work adversely found out about these plans and confronted some of his supervisors, he was told that Housing/Evergreen always contracts out
against crime. Prisoners live with inadequate medical care, abusive guards, and lack of rehabilitation programs. Rape and the to the lowest bidder, which in this case "just happened" to be the
spread of AIDS is exacerbated by the absense of condoms. All
prison industry.
Evergreen has contracted out to CI "several times" in
this, coupled with an environment of criminal peers, often make
the past (the furniture in Student Activites was made by prisonexiting prisoners more violent than when they went in. They
leave with pennies to their name after receiving little treatment ers 30 years ago). They do so under the provisions of Engrossed
Second Substitute Senate Bill
or guidance within prison . With
little chance of getting a job or 2,&10,coo - .---------------~~---_-_-_-_-_- _ - _ : ; , - - - - ~ - - - - ~ ~ 6489, which passed the legislature and was signed by the
being in a supporting community,
Incarcerated
governor in 2004. Section 10,
it is not surprising that more than
paragraph 3 of that law (RCW
60% of prisoners commit a crime 2,000,rm
Americans
28B.10.029) states that "higher
after being released.
U20-2007
education and correctional inWhile many prisoners
only need drug or alcohol coun- 1,soo.cOl Sourcu! Justice- Po.'icy ln$l!u~ Rtport!
dustries shall develop a plan to
The Pvnishing Decade, &
build higher education business
seling or help finding jobs, the
U.S. Bureau of Justi1;c St.ilistics BulletWl
NCJ 2219.$4: Prisoners in 20<17
with correctional industries to
government opts to throw these
people in cages. More than 70% of 1,000,coo __::~~~~~~~~~~~~_j__
increase higher education purchases of correctional indusprisoners are locked up for non-vi tries products .. ." Paragraph
olent crimes, most for drug crimes
4 states that " institutions of
or low level property crimes. Re- soo.ooo
higher education shall...purhabilitation programs cost far less
- and are more effective - than
chase one percent [now 2% as
of 2008] of the total goods and
prison (which costs more than
1320 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007 services ...from class II inmate
sending a person to Harvard, more
than $35 ,000 a year).
work programs, operated by
the department of corrections."
Most prisoners come from poverty-stricken neighborAny money inmates make while incarcerated can
hoods that suffer from inadequate education , unemployment,
broken families, social isolation and other factors that make theoretically be used to start paying their restitution or saved to
criminal activity more likely. Prison time does absolutely nothhelp them transition when they are released. Jobs allow prisoning to address these root causes of crime.
ers to learn skills and not have to sit in their cells for as much
Largely a result of the "War on Drugs ," America's time. However, CI, as a business, takes advantage of the fact
incarceration policies have disproportionately impacted minori- that taxpayers are paying for their necessities , and uses cheap
ties, especially African Americans. While African Americans
labor for their own profit. Essentially, they get paid for prisoners
constitute only 13% of drug users , they represent 74% of those doing work while undercutting local unions. With a law requirsentenced to prison for drug possession. The result is that one in
ing the college to purchase some of its goods and services from
three black men between 20 & 29 is under some form of correcinmate work programs, Evergreen's use of cheap prison labor
tion.
will continue.
--..'.::=::;====+~=--
A FEW WAYS TO GET INVOLVED IN PRISON ACTIVISM AROUND OLYMPIA:
•
Books to Prisoners - B2P Olympia is an all-volunteer effort to provide reading material free of charge to inmates in prisons
and jails across the country. They are always in need of good books, stamps, volunteers, and donations (find donation boxes around
Olympia and TESC campus). They meet every Sunday from 2-5 and Mondays from 5-8 on the cornver of 6th and Thomas SW to answer prisoner requests, package books, eat popcorn, and chat. http://www.bookstoprisoners.net I btopoly@resist.ca [ (360)352-5460
•
Gatewa s For Incarcerated Youth - This 16 credit program at TESC aims to bridge the gap between incarceration and education. It is a program held in a maximum security juvenile institution with Evergreen students being peer learners with incarcerated
youth. This can be an amazing learning and growing experience for all involved. Stop By Sem II 52 E2131 or call Tony Zaragoza at
(360) 867-6025 for more information on how to get involved.
•
Demand that Evergreen includes labor and wage standards in RFP's (Request for Proposal) when searching for the lowest
bidder to work for the school.
•
Write Letters - The Sabot lnfoshoppe (second floor of SEM I) plans to hold prisoner writing parties throughout the coming
year. Get involved and give a shout to political prisoners everywhere.
22
ADMINISTRATION?
WHO MAKEB THE RDLEB AT THIB PLACE?
For most people familiar with it, Evergreen is viewed as a radical place. Go hang out in a bar in Lacey
if you're not sure about the college's reputation. However, underneath this revolutionary reputation lies a hierarchical institution that often resembles the fucked up shit in society that we are considered radical for opposing.
One of the reasons there was no functioning student union or separate form of governance for students
at Evergreen for so long ( until the Geo duck Student Union was formed in 2007) was that the college was formed
with the idea that students, staff, faculty and administrators were supposed to write policy and make decisions
togethe1: To this end students are supposed to be represented on the dozens of committees, boards, and Disappearing Task Forces (DTFs). DTFs are committees that come together to research specific issues, make a recommendation to the board of trustees, and then disband. The first ever DTF wrote the colleges leashed dog policy.
There are dozens ofDTFs, boards and committees although often the discussions and decisions that come out
of them are simply viewed by the administration as no more than recommendations. Despite the existence of
these (more or less) democratic decision making bodies, most decisions that affect the college are made unilaterally by the administration.
DTFs seem on paper to be very democratic as representatives of staff, facility, and students are supposed to be having open discussions about issues affecting the college. In practice, however; the faculty, staff,
and most often students are kept from having a voice. They typically have one unadvertised monthly meeting
with a representative of the administration there along with at least two staff and a faculty and maybe a token
student. The students are the only participants not compelled to be there, volunteering their time to work
through a process that has rarely been proven effective. Maybe students too should be paid to be a part of a
DTF.
Often, when controversial decisions need to be made (e.g. changes to housing, foodservice, cops, etc.)
they are often made in the summer when few students are around. Evergreen is a bureaucratic maze that keeps
many students from engaging in policy discussions. Check the campus governance structures of other progressive liberal arts colleges: some have student representatives with decision-making authority guaranteed by the
colleges' charters. Some even have town hall meetings for the entire campus. The evidence suggests that Greeners have significantly less sway in the workings of the college than at nearly any other alternative college in the
country.
HOW TO JOIN ABOARD ORDTF:
I. Visit the Vice President for Student Affairs' office in
Library 3236 and ask for a list of existing boards/DTFs.
2. Pick one that you are interested in.
3. Contact the Chair of that board/DTP and find out
when and where they meet.
4. Show up, and keep showing up. Making a presence
and raising a stink has proven effective.
23
Many students suspect that corporate interests dominate our college, but few realize how bad it is. The
eight people serving as the Board of Trustees are at the top of Evergreen's hierarchy, and are responsible for
everything from hiring and firing TESCs' President, to determining the cost of on-campus living, to setting policies for the entire institution. The Trustees serve a term of six years, and are appointed by the Governor. They
are generally prominent business and community "leaders" and political supporters of the Governor. Knowing
anything about Evergreen is not a requirement.
The Board of Trustees is also responsible for how the college uses its multimillion dollar endowment fund.
The Board has always kept a tight lid on what companies it owns shares in. Although some of that information
in the past was recovered from the libraries paper recycling, the endowment is now administered as a part
of the much larger University of Washington endowment; effectively removing the possibility of socially conscience investing & boycotts like those that helped bring down the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Biographies of the BOT are at http://www.evergreen.edu/trustees/trustees.htm
Student Trustee
There is a single student trustee whose position rotates every year. The candidates are chosen by the GSU
and presented to the Governor for final selection. !twas a huge battle to get this position and can serve as a huge
student voice. The trustee this year is Dixon McReynolds.
The President
TESC's President is responsible for implementing the policies of the Board of Trustees and shapes the
entire landscape of the college's administration. Although most everyone agrees
that Evergreen's President, Les Purce, is generally a very nice guy (he has even
been rumored to participate in late night jam sessions in the HCC) he is still a
powerful bureaucrat who comes from a corporate background. Les Purce was
formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Power Engineering, Inc., a multinational
electrical engineering corporation.
In April 2000, Purce was a keynote speaker at a conference entitled "Advancing the Northwest Economy through Science and Technology". This conference
.
was sponsored by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is operated by
a private corporation called Battelle. Battelle works directly with chemical and '
~~tr;
biological weapons, counter terrorism, law enforcement, nuclear energy, human
,, ' ··
genome-mapping, the Army, the Air Force, the Marines and national security.
• ~
. ... .- w••
.""!.. ~ (,
••
·,· .
•.. ----1
►
.. . .. .-.,,,,
•• ~
In the spring of 2008, Les Purce willingly co-operated with the Thurston ..
U: ,..t '( '
~
County Sheriff's Office in their efforts to hunt down and prosecute students in
connection to the Valentine's Day Uprising. He also pressured the S&A Board to use student funds to pay for the
cost of the damaged patrol car, taking much-needed resources away from student groups on campus.
-
....
1
~-.
<-•
Although Les Purce has been generally supportive of students' efforts around organizing against the
war, he has refused to make a statement against the war using the college's name.
Admin vs. Students?
There are certain powerful figures in the administration that view Evergreen as dangerously radical and would
like nothing better than to move the college in a more mainstream direction. However, you should not assume that
all of the administration is bent on undermining the radical edge of Evergreen. In the past, students have found
many allies within the faculty and staff. Just make sure you use your discretion when dealing with the schools
bureaucratic process and don't let their actions discourage you and your efforts at making Evergreen a better
place.
Then again, students at TESC have been known to take matters into their own hands. In 2008, members
of the then-existing chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a successful sit-in for over a week
in front of Vice President Art Constantino's office in response to the group being banned for hosting an event the
administration unjustly cancelled.
~
GETTITIG FJ\ID TO SMJ\Sl1 Tl1E STJ\TE
Student Activities and Alternative Sources of Funding
For being such a small college, Evergreen has a huge
number of student groups and a very visible activist population-hence the school's rowdy reputation. Starting a new student group is easy. Just get a few student signatures and BAM!
you're on your way to getting sweet sweet funding to support
anything that you (and your contingent of co-conspirators) are
interested in. Speakers, overnight trips (with gas and sometimes
plane tickets paid for), movies, supplies, etc. can all be paid for
by the school (which is really from the students, who throw
down $171 each quarter).
The Services and Activities Fee Allocation Board, or
the "S&A Board:' divies up
these funds at student group
budget hearings and consists
of nine students, a board coordinator, two staff advisors
and an office manager. The
board has traditionally been
underpaid and overworked,
yet it serves a very important
role. 1hey allocate and over
see all funds for student groups and initiatives. 1he board's mission is to distribute their 2 million dollars worth of fees to student groups who prove they have lots of students behind them
and that what they propose benefits the student body's desires.
A new process for sleeting board members this year
goes like this: half are chosen by the Geoduck Student Union
(GSU) and the other half fill out an application and are interviewed by members from the previous year's board. The GSU
utlimately approves all of them. Board members are hired at the
beginning of the school year. Normally, not more than a dozen
people apply for the nine open positions, so your chances are
good if you're looking to get involved in the administration side
of student activities. Decisions regarding funding levels of the
next year's student groups, the bulk of what the board does, have
to receive final approval by the Board of Trustees.
Student Activities funds most things around campus
that are not specifically academic. KAOS radio, The Child Care
Center, Cooper Point Journal, The Bike Shop, and 1he Women
of Color Coalition are all granted funds through the S&A board
along with many other student groups.
funds for a particular event or speaker or other types of funding. Be very careful when challenging these precedents; think of
them as the ancestral traditions that the Board is indoctrinated
with during its two day retreat in November. A challenge may
incite a revolution or a reactionary retreat into narrow-minded
thinking. If one succeeds in creating a new precedent, though,
it clears the ground for other groups to spend money in similar
ways. This hive-mind has good days and bad days. Straightforward, simple answers that reflect actual planning of a project and
good documentation that the group is active are all they really
ask for. The board operates quite differently depending on the
make up of the board. 1he best way to feel them out and know
what to expect is to sit in on
other peoples hearings, so you
know what kind of questions
they'll be throwing at you.
The worst thing you can do
is to show up to your student
group hearing alone. Then it
really looks like not many students support the initiative.
So, bring hella friends.
Enter the room!
As a former Board member, nothing was more frustrating than watching a group gather outside the glass prison
where the board meets, while the board, inside, was discussing
said group. Board meetings are open to the public. 1his lesson
applies to life, too: no power structure is going to invite you to
the table if you have demands for its change-you have to make
your demands heard.
Preparation
This is the most important tip. Attach only relevant,
well marked, and easy to understand documentation to your
request. Cut and dry and to the point makes it easier for everyone and leads to less questioning that you have to defend. If you
know what you are doing, it is very unlikely the Board will deny
your request for funding. Having a clear idea of why you need
money and what you are going to spend it on makes the Board
very happy. And a happy Board is a spendy Board.
OTHER OPTIONS
Foundation Activity Grants:
TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR FUNDING
The Board, like any other administrative organ, operates like a hive-mind. The very fact that the Board has to operate
in this way is a weakness that can be exploited. To make decisions
easier the board uses the idea of "precedent" to aid in allocating
Foundation Activity Grants are offered by The Evergreen State College Foundation Board of Governors and administered by the Academic Grants office. This program supports
the projects of individual students, student teams and studentfaculty teams. Activity Grant projects are usually carried out
in conjunction with academic programs and all projects must
have at least one faculty sponsor. In the past, the program has
supported a variety of efforts, including theatrical productions,
art projects and exhibitions, scientific research, video and film
productions, student literary magazines, and expenses for students to attend professional conferences and present their work
Demand is high for these grants. The Foundation can award
about 20 to 25 grants each year, up to a maximum of $1,000 per
student. A team of two students may apply for a maximum of
$2,000. Teams of three or more students may apply for a maximum of $3,000.
http://www.evergreen.edu/sponsoredresearchlfoundationactivitygrants.htm
Clean Energy Grants:
In the winter of 2005, Evergreen students voted in favor of a selfimposed clean energy fee. As a result,
every student currently pays $1.00 per
credit, every quarter, in order to purchase Green Tags from Evergreen's energy providers (Puget Sound Energy
and Tacoma Public Utilities). Because of
this student vote, Evergreen now offsets
100% of our electricity purchases with
green, renewable sources. In fact, according to the EPA, The Evergreen State ...-.·.-.·College is the 8th. largest purchaser of
green energy in the country. The sole
purpose of the Clean Energy Fund is to
provide financial support for on campus renewable energy projects. Projects
eligible for funding must fall into one
of the following categories: 1) research
into renewable energy and conservation technologies; 2) clean energy projects intended to save energy or produce
electricity; or 3) demonstration projects
which educate the community about sustainable technologies.
http:llwww.evergreen.edu/committee/cleanenergylgrant.htm
Diversity Fund:
The President's Diversity Fund was established by
Evergreen's Long range Planning Committee to provide funding
for activities generated by the Evergreen community that educate the community and advance our efforts to become more effectively multicultural. Challenging speakers, national discourse
and skill-building workshops are all examples of educational
activities the fund is intended to support. In order to qualify
for Diversity funds, proposed activities must aim to promote
constructive community discourse about issues of culture and
life-style differences faced by the Evergreen community, including but not limited to: issues of race, ethnicity, color, sex, class,
sexual orientation, religion, disability, and veteran status. The
fund currently consists of an annual budget of $40,650.
http://www.evergreen.edu/diversity/fund/home.htm
The Greener Organization (GO)
25
The Greener Organization is a group dedicated to giving the students a voice in Residential and Dining Services. GO
seeks to have a broad representation of student residential life;
one of its goals is to have a representative from every building in
housing. Unfortunately, very few people actually stick with the
group all year (or even all quarter), so the reality is that it tends
to be made up of one or two people's extended friends groups
who rubber stamp each other's proposals. Most of these proposals involve the GO's best publicized and most often used function, which is to fund events for Housing residents. GO is given
a very substantial pot of money every year (literally thousands
of dollars a quarter) to use as it sees fit, to throw substance-free
parties, bring in guest speakers, throw concerts, fund plays or
workshops, host a campus-wide pillow
fight, whatever events the board comes
up with or are brought to it that benefit
-..
Housing Residents as a whole. If one has
J;
~ an idea for an event but needs funding
·.,_,-y..~ - ;,-:;
._.. and/or logistical help to pull it off, pres-,)-. -4.......
' ·
-~ i- jent it to GO during one of their weekly
1 -ll ~ -meetings and convince them that it's an
~•
event t h at b ene fi ts th e w1101e ofh ousing
.•.· ~_.....'
,_:< ~-... i
(instead of a certain age group or dorm)
~
,. ,...
and that the event has some sort of following that will attract people to it. Obviously, GO would benefit immensely in
these activities if as many people from as
many different backgrounds and housing styles joined it and gave their input.
That representation is much more vital
for GO's other main function, which is
to act as a sounding board for Residential and Dining Policies, and proposed
Housing improvements and projects
(for example, GO approves murals or
their removal if old ones have been
damaged beyond recognition). While it can't generate or veto
policy, it can send the policymakers back to the drawing board
until they have a policy that the GO Board feels gets Housing's
intent across without disenfranchising any group of Housing
residents. In 2007-08, the GO contributed $15,000 to campus
events.
All that you have to do to gain full GO membership is
to be a current Housing Resident (but not an RA) who shows up
to three consecutive meetings. To join or propose an event to the
GO, contact the RDP at 867-6655.
,l .
,1 ,. _-
Do It Yourself:
If none of these schmucks will give you money, talk to
the Student Government. They can approve a vote for a new student fee. The Bus Passes, The Flaming Eggplant Cafe, The CAB
redesign, The Clean Energy Fee, and the "drunk bus" were all
student initiatives voted on by students and subsequently self
imposed fees. It makes for a pile of fees, but some pretty cool
projects. Or do your own fundraising or grantwriting. Or go
raise hell at the Evergreen Foundation office.
'STUDENT GROUP DIRECTORY
wet,
rhe, fo[low~
breef Uft" of TESC ,itud.e+,it- ~OUJJl' cw o f ~ '13 . Stop by the,u,- l.ocat'iow, caU, 'em,, or
look, curoun.d, CCLWIJJLA-1¥ for f½,eirl'for {,y\forJ-1.'tC!.t'LOW o-n, m.eet'fA14Y t ' ~ e>ve-ritl; or worWiopl-:
Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
We're here to create a safe and supportive environment
for people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to bring
up issues that wouldn 't otherwise be recognized in the
dominant culture.
tesc.apic@gmail .com
Astronomy Club
To engage the student body in activities and discussion
that will educate them about the universe, and to raise
awareness about the important issue of space exploration.
evergreen.astronomy@gmail.com
Bike Shop:
Our mission is to provide cyclists with the proper equipment, information, and a reliable, friendly enviroment
to work on their bikes. We have tools, parts (used and
new), greases, supplies, resource materials, classes,
workshops and volunteers to help people work on their
bikes.
theevergreenbikeshop @evergreen .edu
Black Student Union:
The purpose of BSU is to promote unity in the Black
community at Evergreen and educate the community
about
Black culture.
Cam. -. pus Food Coalition:
Campus Food Coalition exists to provide a
· space for Evergreen Students,
taculty, and community members
to discuss and raise awareness
of food issues on campus. We
will implement plans of action
to work toward accurately reflecting Evergreen's sustainability
goals and community ethics via
our campus food system.
evergreenfoodcoalition@
gmail.com
Capoeira Angola
A group dedicated to celebrating and practicing this Brazilian
martial art.
Sem
1 3117, 867-6879
Center for Ecological & Nature
Skills Education
CENSE provides students with opportunities to increase awareness
through exploration of wilderness
survival skills, ethnobotany, wildlife tracking, bird language, and
the cultivation of a land stewardship ethic.
Sem 1 3115, 867-6033
Chemistry Club
A forum for the science community at Evergreen.
Sem 1 3166, 867-6143
Circus Resurgence
The Evergreen Circus Resurgence is a deliberately inclusive student group devoted to the practice of circus arts.
Coalition Against Sexual Violence
The Coalition Against Sexual Violence (CASV) provides
resources and creates safe places for survivors and
allies to support one another and to work to end rape culture. CASV works to dismantle the systems supporting
sexual violence with empowering workshops, speakers,
films discussion, advocacy, education and art. CASV recognizes that sexual violence affects people of all identity
groups. CASV strives to focus on intersectionality so that
one day all of us will be safe and happy in our bodies.
tesccasv@gmail .com
Common Bread
An interfaith student organization where students and
the surrounding community can attend meetings and programs involving the world's religious traditions.
Sem 1 3124, 867-6583
Community Gardens
Our mission is to spread organic gardening practices to
people who otherwise would not get the opportunity to
love it; students just out the city/suburbs, people who live
in apartments that don 't allow space for a garden , people
who are intrigued by the idea of growing their own food
but intimidated about trying it on their own.
TESCcommunitygardens@gmail.com
Cooper Point Journal
Cooper Point Journal members commit their efforts
to two primary purposes : compiling submissions from
students at large to create a newspaper that focuses on
and reflects the student citizens of The Evergreen State
College and examines how matters, particularly within
the college, affect and involve students.
http://www.cooperpointjournal .com/
Developing Ecologically Aware Practices
DEAP is a student organization intended to promote sustainability issues, ideas and projects through the practice
of permaculture.
demetergarden@gmail.com
Evergreen Anime Club
Our purpose is to promote cultural understanding
through Japanese animation and Asian cinema.
Sem 1 3125, 867-6105
Evergreen Conservation Corps
The Evergreen Conservation Corps is a community of students dedicated to education , awareness, discussion, and
action for wildlife near and far.
Evergreen Mycelial Network
The Evergreen Mycelial Network (EMN) works to promote
the use of mycology (the study of fungus) at TESC . We
emphasize teaching cultivation and remediation skills,
identification, as well as the medicinal, spiritual and culinary benefits of fungi.
Evergreen Psychological Society
The Evergreen Psychological Society is a student group
dedicated to providing space and resources for Evergreen
campus members who share an academic interest in psycholog y and the mind.
Evergreen Queer Alliance
The EQA aims to serve the needs of the queer community at The Evergreen State College by providing a safe
space, resources, advocacy, awareness, education, entertainment, and community.
Evergreen Roleplaying Club
The Evergreen Roleplaying Club exists to offer positive,
enjoyable and informative tabletop and live action roleplaying game experiences to the Evergreen community.
Evergreen Shakespeare Society
The mission of the ESS is to expose students, the campus community, and the greater Olympia community to
the thoughts, works, and craft of Shakespearean drama;
to facilitate channeling learning into practice by providing
plays and hosting group readings and discussions.
shakespeareorder@gmail .com
Evergreen Shellfish Club
The mission of the Evergreen Shellfish Club is to provide
a hands-on and educational experience through shellfish
aq uaculture for the Evergreen community; to develop and
maintain a strong commitment to water quality and our
access to healthy marine resources on Geoduck Beach.
shellfish@evergreen .edu
Evergreen Student Music Project
The Evergreen Student Music Project has been in place
for 25 years. Our goal is to produce a collaborative album
made entirely by Evergreen students. We take submissions from students, produced by the Advanced Audio
Program, and release the finished project for fellow students, staff, and faculty to enjoy.
http://blogs.evergreen.edu/esmp/
audiointern@gmail.com
Evergreen Students for Sustainable Animal Agriculture
The mission of ESSAA is to create and encourage opportunities for experimental and practical learning in animal
agriculture to Evergreen students.
essaapasturedlamb @gmail.com
Evergreen Thinkers Society
The Evergreen Thinkers Society will be devoted to facilitating free and open debate on any topic at The Evergreen State College, with a particular focus on some
of the more fundemental questions of humanity and our
reality. We will create a space and an environment where
truly open debate and discussion on the topics and any
other can be held.
Evergreen Vocal Ensemble
Evergreen Vocal Ensemble is a student group at TESC
27
dedicated to sharing and developing an appreciation for
a variety of vocal music on campus and in the greater
community.
Fiber Arts Club
The Evergreen Fiber Arts Club provides a supportive
community space for many to come as beginners to learn
or as skilled individuals to improve their craft. We seek to
empower community members by teaching them practical skills in fiber work and assisting them in exploring the
potential of this field as hobby, study, or profession . We
do this through providing weekly gatherings, workshops,
a library of resources, and networking with the larger community in a sustainable and intentional manner.
evergreenfiberarts@gmail.com
FIST!
To provide a space for discussion and community around
mutual aid, anti-oppression, with an emphasis on marginalized communities and voices.
raiseyourfist@riseup.net
Folk Dance Alliance
The Folk Dance Alliance intends to make Contra and
other traditional dancing available and accessible to the
Evergreen and larger communities. Let's Dance!
Sem 1 3117, 867-6879
Freedom First Dance Collective
(formerly the Evergreen Dance Co-op) is a student-run
and directed group of dancers dedicated to supporting
and empowering the community.
We facilitate regular dances
and workshops open to the Evergreen population and provide
a space for honest expression
and interaction.
Freedom of Consciousness
Club
The FCC is a social resource
for the psychonauts of Evergreen community. Promoting
non-discriminatory, mindful exploration of consciousness
through
interdisciplinary
means including psychedelia, the occult, magick, tarot,
astrology, meditation, yogas,
philosophy of mind, shamanism, radical world theories, diet
and physiology, radial art, the paranormal, and lucid dreaming.
Sem
1 3165, 867-6784
Gaming Guild
Dedicated to making gaming easier
and more fun for all gamers in the
Evergreen community.
Sem
1 3125, 867-6105
Generation Friends Comedy Arts
Coalition
J:,
-Evergreeri'sstuderifcornedy-troupe works to explore '
comedy in the form of improvisation, sketch, and short
films, and to provide Evergreen students interested in
comedy a place to develop their individual comic voice.
Sem 1 3168, 867-6036
Geoduck Campus Games
We have the most unique and exciting theme and teambased games and related themed events for faculty, staff
and students to play across the entire Evergreen State
Campus.
geoduckcampusgames@gmail.com
Geoduck Student Union
The Geoduck Union is the official representation of the
student body at The Evergreen State College. The Union
is committed to unifying students across all Evergreen
campuses, serving their interests at the local, state, and
national levels and empowering all students to participate
in positive social and political chance while fostering a
fair and diverse community. The Union works to improve
students' quality of life by advocating for students' rights
and needs, facilitating communication among students,
and ensuring a fair balance of power among faculty, staff,
administration and students.
http://blogs.evergreen.edu/geoduckunion/
Giant Robot Appreciation Society
To spread the appreciation of Japanese anime and culture across campus.
evergreenchibicon@gmail.com
Greener Film Society
The Greener Film Society allows students to collaborate
and appreciate all aspects of film and its production
through screening, workshops, and a general open forum
for discussion.
greenerfilmsociety@gmail.com
Greeners 4 Christ/Evergreen Jesus Folk
We are a community of people striving to be the family of
God at Evergreen through scripture, prayer, and active
love.
Heavy Hips Movement Club
Heavy Hips embraces all forms of self expression through
the vehicle of dance and movement practice. We are
grounded in the essence of community and encourage
members to share their knowledge of their art form in a
safe, open-minded environment that welcomes all shapes
and sizes.
heavyhips @yahoo.com
International Languages Club
The international Language Club is committed to educa-
-
-----------
'
1
_., .• l
tion through its meetings, to provide stu ents wit an environment of immersion into world language and culture.
Keeping with the mission of Evergreen, the club will provide interdisciplinary educational opportunities, create interest and visibility of world languages on our campus. It
will bridge the gaps between native and non-native speakers of languages. The international LAngauge Club plans
cultural activities including special events, guest speakers,
field trips, food, film , art, and music festivals.
Meditation Group
Sharing a safe space to open our heart and mind. We
welcome everyone, regardless of meditation experience.
Together we seek ways of listening and speaking to each
other, the universe and ourselves . Weekly sits hold unique
meanings for each individual and we hold space for a diverse along with collective presence. Our hope is to create
a supportive, mindful community as we travel through this
journey called Life.
Mideast Solidarity Project
The Mideast Solidarity Project (MSP) raises awareness
about human rights, immigration, and U.S. foreign policy
in the Middle East, surrounding regions, and the diaspora.
mideastsolidarity@gmail.com
Movimiento Estudiantil Xican@ de Atzlan
We, the estudiantes de M.E.X.A. de Evergreen, are dedicated to furthering the education of our hermanas y hermanos, promoting chicanismo within the community, and
continuing in the struggle of our Raza as indigenous peoples. By politicizing our Raza, we strive for the self-determination of our gente for the purpose of liberating Aztlan.
tescmecha@gmail.com
Native Student Alliance
The Native Student Alliance (NSA) is committed to building
positive relationships among Native and non-Native communities by hosting cultural events. NSA is an inter-tribal
organization that brings awareness to Indigenous issues
in and outside of the Evergreen community. We strive to
support our members and promote a welcoming community environment that respects our varying backgrounds
while encouraging our efforts in social activism.
evergreen .nsa@hotmail .com
Old Growth Poetry Collective
The Old Growth Poetry Collective is dedicated to the creation, development, and nurturing of creative artistic expression through poetry. The collective does this through
organizing events, performing in the Pacific Northwest,
and regularly honing our craft or mentoring new poets
through workshops and skill shares.
Police Awareness and Student Safety
We seek to foster and build a relationship and effective
communication methods between the students, community, police, and emergency responders at the Evergreen
State College . By working closely with the police and the
emergency responders on campus and off campus, we
strive to increase the level of education, self-awareness,
and protection. We organize meetings and workshops on
crucial safety protocols, police and emergency responses
to incidents and many other safety measures.
Our goal is to foster a safe, healthy, non-hostile
environment on campus to achieve this end. , ,..,.._,_.A,(
We support all student, faculty, and community '. .··
members in creating a safe environment.
·t
PASS has tried to get automatic rifles for the~
Evergreen Police through a petition that used
scare tactics!
r
the Phrontiserion
.
The Phrontisterion is an organization dedicat-~
'ed to the promotion of interest in and study of ,
the classical, Greco-Roman and ancient Medi- , . ·
terranean world by means of weekly meetings,
·
guest lectures, and theatrical performances.
·
Queer and Trans* People of Color
Queer and trans* people of colors mission is to
develop a space where conversations across
intersections of race, class, ethnicity, sexual
orientation , and gender identity can be had and
explored through art, discussions, workshops,
and other mediums of community building. We
are building community through our common
experiences, although we come from different
backgrounds. QTPOC hopes to create safe
space for growth by creating a supportive atmosphere to share ideas, opinions, and skills
pertaining to QTPOC identity. We support community by holding consistent and stable space
and providing peer support and resources.
qpocateve rg reen @gmai I.com
Riot to Follow Theater Productions
RTFtheaterproductions @gmail.com
RTF Theater Productions serves to provide
student theater to the students of Evergreen
State College.
S&A Board
The S&A Board is the student committee that
allocates Services and Activities fees to all of
the organizations you see here. This student
committee renews itself annually and seeks
new members every Fall.
You can work here, and you can apply to get
money for a student group.
Sabot lnfoshop
Our mission is disseminate radical and anarchist information to the community through a variety of mediums, including but not limited to: films, zines, books, workshops,
and speakers. In addition, we serve as a hub for people to
hold meetings, network, and dialogue, publish zines, and
1,
29
newsletters and collaborate.
This student group has been banned for the 2013-14
year. When they put on the Anarchist Convergence last
spring , a shitty blogger came and wouldn't listen when
asked not to photograph, so naturally someone threw his
camera out the window. They'll most likely be back 201415!
Sacred Psychedelic Science
, Sacred Psychedelic Science is
a group devoted to learning and
discussing the values of psyche' delics for spiritual , medical and
- ,·· 11 ,/4 other use. We do not encourage
.,
or discourage the use of illegal
substances, but we are here to
create open dialogue about psychedelic drugs.
Slightly West Literary Magazine
, Slightly West hopes to foster a
community for writers of all kinds.
We want to create an open and
safe space for those who share
an interest and desire to grow in
all forms of literary expression .
We welcome students, staff, and
faculty to participate in our meetings and workshops and gatherings and readings.
. This student group didn't publish
. ~., anything for the 2012-13 school
· year, so join and make it rock!
slightlywest@gmail .com
Socialist Alternative
Our mission is to enrich the Ev~ : ergreen community through inter. ~ active education about socialist
ideas and world events. We write
and distribute literature, facilitate
discussions and study groups,
bring national and international
speakers to campus, and organize campaigns for social justice
in order to develop socialist perspectives.
everg reensocial istalternative@
gmail.com
Student Gallery Organization
The Student Gallery Organization (SGO) functions to maintain a space for enrolled students to showcase their creative works on campus. The
SGO allows current students who are passionate about
art the opportunity to be involved in running an art gallery.
studentgallery@evergreen.edu
Student Video Gamer's Alliance
The Student Video Gamer's Alliance (SVGA) exists to
l
30
provide video game related services to the Evergreen
community. Our three primary purposes are as follows:
1. To promote social gaming- We hope to help gamers
meet each other and form lasting friendships while enjoying the recreational use of video games.
2. To educate the Evergreen community concerning video
games and their social, political, and psychological commentary.
3. To create a space for individuals interested in gamedesign to share ideas.
Students for a Democratic Society
We're an anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, non-hierarchical, pro-queer, pro-feminist group dedicated to fighting all
forms and systems of oppression, both locally and internationally, moving towards a free world based on joy and
desire.
olympiasds@riseup.net
Students for WashPIRG
Students for WashPIRG will work to continue to fulfill the
initiatives of the larger organization of WashPIRG at the
Evergreen State College. When the voices of ordinary
citizens are drowned out by powerful special interests
WashPIRG stands up and takes action by combining student activism with professional organizing and advocacy.
Students for WashPIRG will fulfill the mission of student
activism through on=campus program work while fighting
to win a student vote to gain the funds necessary to hire
professional organizers and advocates to further our effort on a statewide and national scale. Students for WashPIRG welcomes any and all help through training research
materials, etc. that can be provided by the professional
campus organizer, and other WashPIRG staff to help fulfill
this mission.
If you don't want to give money to WashPIRG, which is
back on campus, you can go down to Registration and
Records or one of its neighbors and opt out of the fee.
People like this group, lord knows why.
Transgender Resources and Education Xtravaganza
To provide resources, outreach, education, health, supp o rt
and advocacy
for
non-gender
fo rming
students at the
ergreen
State College.
trextravaganza@
gmail.com
Womyn of Color Coalition
WOCC is a
dedicated to creating a safe space for women of colo r.
We collaborate with campus and community groups in
order to organize gatherings, forums, performances, and
events. We strive to educate and empower the women
in our communities by honoring our unique experiences
and celebrating our cultural ties.
Womyn's Resource Center
The WRC is a center on campus that provides free menstrual products, pregnancy tests and condoms, as well as
houses a vast lending library of books, zines, and DVDs
which are available to all. Our office strives to be a safe
place to get information and connect to campus and community services. The WRC group is a student group that
welcomes all womyn and their allies. Our mission is to
meet the needs of womyn on our campus by providing
free resources, hosting events and creating space for our
members to express themselves and empower one another.
wrc@riseup.net
Wonder Collective
The Wonder Collective strives to enrich the campus community by hosting events and creating situations that
create Awareness of the wonder which surrounds and
abounds!
Young Roots
"To inspire the next generation to fall in love with their
food, connect with their community, and with nature.
Young Roots wants to create a safe place for naturebased activities that are educational, engaging, and fun.
We want to increase community engagement by creating
a structure that supports their growth-both as gardeners
and as leaders within their families and communities."
Young Roots organizes workshops that emphasize stewardship of the land, gardening practices, and the importance of local food systems. Young Roots aims to form a
strong and supportive community of gardeners in which
all learn, teach, and grow together. The group also strives
to strengthen the bonds between Evergreen, GRuB,
families of the surround- i n g
community, and to
instill the love of organic
gardening
gardeners,
which will
last
a
lifetime.
These staple insititutions on campus are also funded
by Student Activities and, thus, you!
Children's Center
Provides low-cost child care to students and staff (3
months - 5 years). They're open M-F 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Bldg. 201 , 867-6060
Clean Energy Commitee
This committee is composed of four students, two staff,
and one faculty, and is responsible for reviewing budget
proposals for clean energy related campus projects. Student representatives to the committee are selected in the
fall for one-year appointments.
Sem 3157, 867-6220
KAOS Radio
Evergreen's non-commercial, community radio station
plays a variety of independent music, news and public
affairs programming. Students and volunteers run the
shows and internships are also available for students.
KAOS airs at 89.3FM.
Sem I Annex B, 867-6888
S&A Productions
This group organizes stage events for the Evergreen
campus, often bringing major acts to the school. S&A Productions provide opportunities for students to learn about,
and gain practical experience in, event production and
planning.
Sem I 3164, 867-6222
KEY Student Services
KEY is a federally funded TRIO grant program that
serves students who are the first in their family to go to
college, low income, or have a documented disability and
have a need for academic support. They are there to answer all of your questions and to get you oriented and
comfortable with the new world that is college.
LIB L-2108, 867-6464
Access Services for Students with Disabilities
Access Services for Student with Disabilities (ASSD)
works holistically to empower students with disabilities by
promoting self-reliance, effective problem solving skills,
enhanced academic and personal development, and
equal access to all aspects of college life. Their goal is
to invite and celebrate diversity within our campus community. Services available include pre-admission counseling, academic adjustments, including alternate testing
arrangements, scribes, peer note takers, alternative format books, auxiliary aids, such as sign language/oral interpreters, closed captioning, assistive listening devices,
adaptive software and computers, and referrals to on and
off-campus resources.
LIB L2129 , 867-6348
Public Service Centers
At Evergreen
Evergreen has seven Public Service Centers. many of them useful
but underutilized resources. The collective mission statement for the
service centers addresses the desire to build relationships and form
networks that promote and enhance Evergreen·s integrative and col laborative approach to learning. in a variety of settings among a
variety of groups.
The Center for Community-Based Learning and Action
The CCBLA helps to link students and faculty at Evergreen with
organizations working on a wide range of community issues . There
are lots of resources here to learn about some projects happening
around town . They can help you out if you want to get involved
with something but don "t know where to start. SEM II E2125 I 8676137
The E,·ergreen Center for Educational Improvement
The ECEI works to create partnerships with educational communi ties to improve teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms. Check it
out if you are interested in education . SEM.11 E3 J20 I 867-6388
Labor Education and Research Center
Provides a safe forum for workers. community members and Ev ergreen students to look at their lives and work through the lenses
of labor history and political economics . They develop educational
programs in collaboration with organized labor and labor support
groups to address relevant issues to worker's unions and work lives .
To that end. the Labor Center works with an advisory committee
to develop credit and non-credit educational programs for union
and community members . Center sponsored programs examine the
causes. consequences. and solutions to economic injustice. racism .
sexism. and homophobi a . SEM II E2126 I 867-6055
The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center
The Longhouse exists to provide service and hospitality to students.
the college. and the surrounding Native communities . With a design
based in the Northwest Indigenous Nations· philosophy of hospitality. its primary functions are to provide a gathering place for hosting
cultural ceremonies. classes. conferences. performances. art exhibits and community events . The longhouse is located past the library
and lab buildings . 867-6413
Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute
The NIARA expands the services which the college can offer the
tribes. enabling Evergreen to assist local tribes to meet their economic. governance and resource goals. At the same time. the Insti tute provides additional. real-life learning opportunities for Evergreen students. SEM II 31221867-661 ➔
Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education
WCIQUE emphasizes collaborative. low-cost. highly effective approaches to educational reform . The Center works with faculty. staff.
and administrators at regional and national levels to suppo11 student
engagement and academic achievement. particularly for students
underrepresented in higher education. SEM II E 2115. 867-6611 .
Washington State Institute for Public Policy
The Institute·s mission is to carry out practical. non-partisan research - at legislative direction-on issues of importance to Washington State . The Institute conducts research using its own policy
analysts and economists. specialists from universities. and consultants. Institute staff work closely with legislators. legislative and
state agency staff. and experts in the field to ensure that studies answer relevant policy questions. If you·re into the bureaucratic side
of things. go for it. 110 Fifth Avenue SE. Suite 214 •Olympia.WA
9850..i (360) 586-2677.
32
THE EVERGREEN MORALS
So Evergreen used to have some pretty sick murals,
among them was this big Malcolm X portrait in C dorm and
this huge panoramic anti-consumption mural in the lobby of A
dorm, where the grey paint is on the stairs going down. In fact,
there used to be murals scattered all around campus. But no
more. Aside from the new mural outside the library, the only
colorful piece to be found is in the stairwell of A building. It
seems housing has covered almost all of their murals over the
past few years. Housing states that they painted over the murals
because of the cost and difficulty in maintaining them. They
also say that when the murals were painted they were unaware
of the level of fumes that the residents were exposed to. This
new awareness has led to the policy that they will only allow
murals in the fire towers of these buildings.
It's nice to
art on the walls. It
the active viewers
disrupts the monotfor all who pass by.
for artists to paint
they live in is one of
things a school can
that our adminis"progressive"
or
tend to be, are not
job at this. It's obvilot to figure out contion and 'nature' of
expression, as well
voices heard by the
control our environwe walk on.
live in a place with
engages not only
of the art but also
ony of blank walls
Providing an outlet
the
environment
the most important
do, and it seems
tration,
however
"radical" they predoing a very good
ous that we have a
cerning the definiart, freedom, and
as how to make our
figures that try to
ment and the paths
If graffiti isn't your thing, there might still be a legal
way of expressing yourself on the dorm walls, or at least the
fire towers of these buildings (the fire towers are the well ventilated, nearly-outdoor staircases). All you have to do is design a
proposal for the Greener Organization and they might even buy
you the paints! And hey, if they say no, at least you can say you
tried before you busted out your Krylon stash.
Diversity And Evergreen
Diversity means a lot of things at Evergreen.
TESC advertises itself as actively promoting diversity. YetL
the school's administrative policy does not discuss whac
they mean when they say d1vers1tv and how or with what
they seek to support 1t. Do you define diversity as a quantitatively measurable appearance of inclusivity with statistics that depict the success of your institution because of
its ability to attract and retain a broad enough range of
constituencies? Is diversity solely a tangible element that
is meant to enrich the lives and educations of the majority populace-the
white middle class-whfle still abiding
by laws of a state institution (i.e. that
ttiey cannot intentionally segregate or
actively discriminate against certain
constituencies)?
Another thing that struck me
as especially strange was that, though
the school's social contract, as well
as its administrative policy, does not
specifically discuss or define diversity
or its commitment to diversity, The
Evergreen State College Admissions
page does. "The community of faculty, staff and students work together to ensure an environment that embraces differences, fosters tolerance and
understanding, and celebrates a commitment to cultural~
ethnic and racial awareness." How does the community or
faculty, staff and students work together to bring about
such an environment? Does the administration, or even
the faculty and staff, demonstrate on a comprehensive
level a sophisticated awareness of race and racism, let
alone demonstrate a perceivable concern about students'
lives concerning race? The reality is that students, administrators, faculty and staff actually don't work together.
Day
of Absence
I
33
In fact, there is very little in the way of communication
across these lines, esRecially about diversity itself. Many
of the administrative offices, as well as the board of trustees, are separated from the lives of students. And though
they may believe that they know what's best for us and
for the faculty and staff, they do not actively engage them
in discussions about support and awareness.
I take the meaning of diversity to mean a full
spectrum of experiences and lives
that encompass a range of racial, socio-economic, religious, sexuality and
gender, age and ability political and
nationality identities. Ali oppressions
are not the same and this is one of the
key elements that are missing from
the vague statement the institution
takes on diversity. Not all oppressions
are treated equally in our society, so
why should we P,retend that we could
cater to those different experiences in
the same way?
Without creating a definitive
community and an experience-driven
definition of its commitment to diversity, Evergreen has
failed to create what they say they already -have: an
open and supportive learning environment ttiat protects
and empowers underprivileged communities, particularly
people of color. The problem is a far-reaching and multifaceted one. Without the critical awareness necessary to
create a commitment to concerns of diverse communities
and methods for responding to oppression, the institution
embodies a commitment to the status quo. It's not the
numbers that matter or the bottom line, it is the experiences of people.
Day
of Presence
~
GRADUATION SPEAKERS AT TESC
You may have heard about the controversy created when former MOVE activist Mumia AbuJamal spoke atTESC's graduation ceremony in 1999. One of the world's foremost political prisoners,
Abu-Jamal has been on death row since 1982 for allegedly killing a police officer in Philadelphia in
1981. His trial was a case study in the corruption of the US Criminal Justice system, and nearly every
human rights organization in the world has demanded a retrial. Students worked hard throughout
the year to raise awareness about Mumia's plight and the problems of the criminal justice system,
encouraging students to write-in Mumia for tne graduation speaker vote. When Evergreen's first
choice for graduation keynote sr,eaker (Governor "Gary Locke) fell through, Mumia was chosen as
the replacement. Following significant media attention and pressure from the state government, the
administration overruled tne graduation committee and selected another keynote speaker, reducing Abu-Jamal's role in the ceremonies. Before graduationd rumors circulated that during Mumia's
speech discontented seniors & opponents of Mumia woul be playing horns or screaming to make
his words inaudible, but the speech went on with no disruption. Instead, the majority of fhe crowd
(students and guests alike) rose to a standing ovation.
Other notable graduation speakers in recent years have been Vandana Shiva and Derrick Jensen.
Looking at the pastlist of EverRreen's graduation speakers, Governor Christine Gregoire, who was the
keynote speaker at Evergreens 2006 graduation ceremony, sticks out I ike a sore tnumb. Graduation
speakers are voted on by graduating students, but there are questions as to how or if Gregoire was selected. While Gregoire was spewing out bullshit rhetoric about how _globalization just means "we're
all more connectecl," four banners were dropped, readin things sucn as "Gov. Gregoire Please Stop
9 chilclren were wearing buttons asking the
Your Racist Welfare Po licies" and "Work First= Kids Last,'
Governor if they needed to get a job, graduates and attendees wore patches stati~ "I oppose Governor Gregoire's presence today," the Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition (WROC) had a giant mai lbox set up where you could mail postcards to the Governor,
and graduates and the people in the larger audience held up
bright yellow signs that clearly said, "l OPPOSE WELFARE
CUTS TO CHl[DREN." Midway through her speech, many
of the graduates stood in silent opposition througho ut
her speech, turned their back to the Governor ancfhe ld
their signs toward the audience. Some graduates handed
postcaras to her asking her to implement full family support as opposed to fulrfamily sanction when thex wa lked
across stage for their diploma. These actions let Grego ire
know she isn't welcome by many at Evergreen and snows
that we are not fooled by her "liberal" image.
HONORABLE ALUM
U:7hen I think of the amazing people that have graced this school with their presence, I feel proud to be a part of the history of the same
p_lace. No I'm not talking about tEe alumni in the entertainment industry that g_et the most attention here (e.g. Matt Groeninf{ and Michael
Richards), but those who really deserve our thoughts and avenging memorials. The best thing we can do to remember the nameless is dedicate
ourselves to destroying the society that forgot them.
SCOTISCURLOCK
Scott Scurlock enrolled at Evergreen in 1978 to study
organic chemistry and biochemistry. He used this knowledge,
along with supplies stolen from the school, to begin manufacturing crystal meth and eventually became one of the most successful meth dealers in the northwest. Eventually, Scurlock began to
develop guilt over his job and finally quit after his main distributor
was murdered.
With no more income, Scurlock once again had to
solve the problem of subsisting without working, a problem many
people you'll meet in Olympia also try to solve. His thirst for adventure and anti-work lifestyle eventaully led to trying his hands
at bank robbing. It's also thought that he was also inspired by
the recently released films Robin Hood and Point Break, a movie
about surfers who rob banks to avoid work.
Scurlock called on his friend and Evergreen alumni
Mark Biggins to get involved. And, in the summer of 1992, they
robbed their first bank in Seatle wearing masks like in Point
Break. Not everything went as planned. They originally wanted
to steal a bank employee's car to use as the getaway vehicle, but
Biggins panicked and flooded the engine, so they ran away with
dogs chasing them, escaping across a golf course. They netted
$19,971 from the robbery, but the entire experience terrified Biggins and he packed up and left.
Without help, Scurlock decided to start robb ing banks
himself. After netting $252,000 on his sixth solo job in Seattle, a
friend, Steve Myers, was attracted into the mix and a year later
they started working together. Meyers was the getaway driver
and sat in the car mon itoring police frequencies with a scanner,
commuicating via walkie-talkie to let Scurlock know if there was
trouble coming . The pair robbed five banks in 1994.
Other than two banks in Portland, Scurlock only robbed
banks in affluent neighborhoods in Seattle, often repeatedly hitting the same banks. He also studied FBI forensics manuals to
take every precaution in make sure he left no identifiable trace
behind. He was nicknamed "Hollywood" because he'd use pancake makeup and facial attachments like false chins to disguise
himself. He figured out the shift changes for police in the area
and would often hit banks in between the shift changes or when
police were dispersed away from the area. Scurlock went to great
pains to buy cars anonymously, including ones to leave as bait
for the police to throw them off his trail. He paid banks employees
to let him know when the most money would be in the bank and
the best time to strike. He also built an underground secret room
on his property with a mini makeup studio and place to count the
money. Even now, Steve Meyers praises Scurlock's efficient approach: "Nobody ever was hurt, and nobody was ever intended
to be hurt."
Making plenty of money, Scurlock certainly did not forget to spread it around . He would reportedly show up at benefit
shows in Olympia and pay hundreds of dollars as his admission.
He was a huge supporter of Earth First! and donated a good
amount of money to their campaigns, as well as to rape crisis
centers. A mix of Peter Pan and Robin Hood, Scurlock never
wanted to grow up and face adult responsibilities, nor did he want
to see those that needed money go without.
Bumbling police officers and FBI agents failed again
and again to catch up with "Hollywood." One cop had the idea
to stake out a bank Hollywood had robbed before and monitor
walkie-talkie frequencies. But his plan didn't work when Hollywood hit a bank in Seattle outside the range the officer was
monitoring frequencies on and got away with $141,405, laughing
with his middle finger out the window of the getaway car (Okay I
made up that last part). None of this was enough thrill or money,
so Scurlock decided to rob three banks in two hours, a plan that
would include jamming police frequencies. This plan was aborted
though and they only robbed one of them.
On Thanksg iving Eve in 1996, Scurlock drove to Seattle with Mark Biggins and Steve Meyers for his 17th bank robbery,
a robbery that would net $1.08 million (Bringing his career total
to $2.3 million) and also be his last. Scurlock and Biggins walked
into the Seafirst branch on NE 125th St. and whipped out their
guns while Meyers was waiting in the car. A teller immediately hit
the silent alarm. The robbery took longer than expected because
the tellers initially gave them a smaller amount of money than
Scurlock knew was there. He had a teller lead him into the vault
where he stuffed bricks of cash into nylon duffel bags. Altough
there were dozens of officers on alert for Hollywood, they were
all patroling in the wrong neighborhoods and didn't respond quick
enough to stop the job in progress. Almost in the clear, had Meyers made a left at one intersection instead of a right, the gang
would have escaped successfully, but this wrong turn put them
right in holiday traffic which the police were also stuck in. The
cops say they saw Scurlock's van going back and forth in traffic
and decided to do a traffic stop while the gang rummaged through
the loot looking for tracking devices. Meyers says that the police
knew it was them and began firing at the car, injuring Biggins and
Meyers. Wounded and bleeding, Biggins returned 37 rounds at
the cops out the window with an assault rifle as they sped away.
Soon afterwards, Scurlock stopped the car again, getting out to
fire three shotgun shells at the cops and speeding away again.
Crashing into the side of a house on 77th St., Biggins and Meyers were wounded and couldn't run, but Scurlock managed to get
away on foot. 200 officers rushed to the scene and couldn't find
him anywhere.
Scurlock hid two blocks away in a camper on someone else's property. The next day, those in the house reported to
police that they saw someone by Scurlock's description on the
property and noticed the curtains had been drawn in the camper
from the inside. Officers claim they went and knocked on the
camper, threw tear gas inside and then sprayed two full canisters
of pepper spray through the window, but didn't notice any sign
of response. Sgt. Manta says he went closer to get a look with
his flashlight when he heard a gunshot. The officers responded
by firing 30 rounds into the camper and calling in all sorts of task
forces and special units with armored cars, and throwing more
tear gas in the camper. Finally, the cops busted the door down to
find Scurlock with a gunshot to the head and five other gunshot
wounds to his body, with a 9mm glock pistol next to him and a
discharged shell.
Meyers and Biggins were both given 21 years in prison. "I regret in a sense that it ever happened," Meyers says. "But
I can't sit and look at this man and say I'm regretting that I ever
knew the guy. Some of the best years of my life were with this
guy." True crime writer Ann Rule wrote a book available at most
major bookstores about Scurlock's life called The End of the
Dream: The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up.
The Queer People of Color Project
Both Evergreen and the greater Olympia area
are considered, by the majority populous, to be places
that are made up almost entirely of fairly liberal minded and at least queer tolerant white people.
There is a lot going on in this construction
of Olympia's population and its regard for
underprivileged populations; the overarching issues have to do with exceptionalism that through some virtue, our little corner of
the world is exempt from the sway of racism and homophobia. Firstly, people of color
communities are invisibilized by the white
majority and because they are invisibilized,
their needs are not being met by community
organizations or social services provided
within the area. Secondly, queer tolerance does not necessarily mean queer educated or queer loving. Homophobia
is something that is still very much rampant even within
queer communities themselves, so to say that
Olympia, or even Evergreen, has already
tackled queer acceptance is pretty ridiculous.
Queer community and acceptance
in the Olympia area is something of a contention. Because there are queer people in
the community who are out publicly, people
automatically think that this is something of
safe haven for queer folk, which is simply not
true. Trans people still have a lot of difficulty
finding health care practitioners that can actually serve them respectably in the Olympia area and homophobia is imbedded in every institution we have here.
There are community groups in Olympia as well as one
at Evergreen that have organized spaces for queer people,
but these organizations are a long way from
meeting the needs of all of their constituents,
partially due to lack of resources, but also
because there just hasn't been enough time
or consideration taken to create a fixed commitment to broader issues affecting the queer
community.
The problem that plagues most
queer groups is a lack of political muscle and
social awareness directed towards organizing
efforts. There is a long standing presumption that queer
folks are automatically better at understanding oppressions across the board, and that this understanding makes
them immune from participating in or actively reinforcing
oppression. Consequently, a lot of queer groups have not
even begun to tackle the racism and cultural insensitivity
of their organizations and the members of their organizations and the membership of these organizations sorely
reflects this neglect. If there was much more concentration on queer groups educating themselves
on white privilege and racial/cultural issues,
then these communities could begin to serve
queer people of color in a much more intentional way. This is not to say that it isn't
necessary for there to be more building and
organizing, specifically in order to cater to
the concerns and desire for communities of
queer people of color, but this would create
a greater and more concerted opportunity
for coalition building and communication
amongst all queer folks and their allies. A
queer group of color would also enable queer people of
color to work through the issues that are specific to them
without worrying about how it may be construed or misunderstood by those who do not understand
racism and racialized experiences. For queer
people of color, race is deeply intertwined to
their experience as queer people, and though
an all white queer group may be able to relate
to confronting homophobia, transphobia and
heterosexist thinking, they are not able to ful ly connect to the ways in which these issues
have been treated and have affected people of
color communities. Homophobia and sexism
is a big issue in a lot of people of color communities, and in many of them, queer identities aren't dealt with at all, but are instead uncomfortably
relegated to silence, or even discussions about the affects
of assimilation on people of color, as if queer identities
were a product of white people.
Oppressions are interlocking. Race oppression is closely tied to gender oppression
and class oppression. The people of color
community at Evergreen and in Olympia
does not function, even in its most radical
manifestations, as a wholly unsexist and unhomophobic entity because the racism that
we deal with on a day to day basis is also one
that is shaded with sexist and homophobic
thinking. The Queer People of Color Project
arose out of discussion on the need for safe space to discuss and tackle the issues we as queer people of color
face, as well as to provide a forum for organizing and
activities that can help us build our community.
QPOC can be contacted at tescqpoc@gmail.com
38
now!ll_jewTo nr 1u1nLLr To Qurrn FrorLt or (oLort (QFOC):
words befare we liegin:
ll LISI Dr rnr C/ll1F rrtIDr 2013 QFOC C/lUCUS
1
IJhere are so manyfacets to tlie .£(j2J7ilcommunity.
!In order
to lie able to tru!jjSl!J7)10rf tlie .£(j:ll'rQcommunity in its entirety, it ls our re!l'onsibillty to ensure we are ableto see tfie breadifiqidiversity tfiat exists wltliin tfits fa.liefin regards to race ana
etlinicity, in regards ro class, in regards ro ableness, religion, ere. 'Jlt tfiisyear's Can!,P 'Pride, we
as.fectour Qyeer 'Peqpfe qiColor Caucus to brainstorm_Just afew tlitngs tfiat wfiite allies can do
in order to fietter SZ!J7)10rf_peqpfe qlcolor witliin tfie movement Wliai_faltows is a conyn'!ation or
tfiesep_oints. :1ls_!fOU readtliem, imagine fiow mucficloser we coulalie to a trulj_Just andetjultabfe
worla we cou/r:tsee everyone in our community. -l. Mason, Camp Vride 20\3 YilCU\lJ Member
!f
1. Understand LGBTO Stereotypes and how they often do not include people of color.
2. Be open to different types of communication (restricting to modern/standard English is in and of itself
oppressive.)
3. Learn all of the terms of the Rainbow Spectrum (downe, stud, same gender loving (SGL), dam, etc.)
4. Understand Appropriation (twerking, two-spirit, sass invoking of black womanhood stereotypes)
5. Just Listen (Defer until you understand)
6. Don't apologize for your privilege or guilt; don't thank me for sharing what POC folks have known
to be true for years
7. Find other white folks to process your white guilt.
8. Understand how people of color have helped to pave the way for the work you do. (Inclusive
LGBTO History, Stonewall, etc.)
9. Don't just know who's missing from the room; invite those folks to create the space with you.
10. Know that our community experiences regarding race are more complex than simply just Black/
White
11. Know that just because we do not discuss the impact of racism in our lives on adaily basis, that our
everyday realities as people of color are in fact shaped by the continuous institution and perpetuation
of racism especially when it goes unaddressed.
.Jl.fjout tfie organization.· Camyus Pride envisions camyuses anaa society
free efanti-£[i:BTyrefudlce, fjigotry anafiate. We work to devefq_p student leaders_, camyus networks, anafature actions to create sucfiyositive cfiange. £earn more at Camyus:Pride.org.
39
General GBLTQ Resources
Olympia Parents/Friends/Families of Lesbians
and Gays (PFLAC) PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their
families and friends through support in coping with
an adverse society; education to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy to end discrimination
and to secure equal civil rights.
http://pflag-olympia.org/ I info@pflag-olympia.org
Free At Last GLBT Alcoholics Anonymous Weekly meetings are Mondays at 7 PM at United
Churches on 11th and Washington
United Communities AIDS Network (UCAN) Located 147 Rogers St. NW. UCAN provides AIDS
awareness education and advocacy as well as prevention and care services such as a support group,
a buddy system and a drop-in care program. They
have a volunteer program.
360-352-2375 I www.ucan-wa.org
Gender Smash -An open mic night for trans/queer
folks & allies. Third Thursday of every month at
Le Voyeur 8-lOpmALLAGES, 10pm-midnight21+
only.
www.myspace.com/gendersmash
Pastiche Foundation - A nonprofit providing for
GLBTQQIA grassroots action.
pastichefound@ gmail .com
Mpowerment - Mpowerment Olympia (formerly
the Olympia Men's Project) strives to create a diverse community of guys who like guys who like to
have fun, hang out, and participate in a wide variety
of events.
352-2375 I mpoweroly@ucan-wa.org
Stonewall Youth - LGBTQ support group for people under 21 years old. Stonewall Youth has a weekly support group on Wednesdays from 5-7
stonewallyouth.org I (360) 705-2738
Evergreen Queer Alliance (EQA) - Dedicated to
serving the needs of all queer people through education, outreach, support and action .
Sem l 3128 I 867 -6544
Evergreen Queer Christian Alliance
Student group working to create healthy, positive
relationships between the Queer and Christian communities.
Sem 1 3166 I 867-6143
Gender Alliance of South Sound
Meetings are held the 3rd Saturday of each month,
7-9 at Fertile Ground Guesthouse, 311 9th Ave SE
contact@southsoundgender.com
The New Boyz Club
Meets every other Tuesday, 7-9 pm, at an undisclosed location in West Olympia.
349-0134 I niksavvy@hotmail.com
40
TRANSPHOBIA AT EVERGREEN
Evergreen State College is known for it's liberal
students and faculty, but when it comes to issues of oppression and, more specifically, gender identity, people
still have a lot to learn.
about transgender and genderqueer issues. STAR looks to
provide support for all gender variant students, educate
allies within the community, and work towards genderneutral campus policies.
Transphobia is sadly a matter of fact everywhere
you go and Evergreen is NO exception. While there has
not been a history of violence against trans-folks on campus there is still a lot ignorance and slander against transpeople.
One of the great things about Evergreen is the
history we have of activism for transgender, genderqueer
and intersex people. Such activism has been going on ever
si nce the opening of the school. In 2000, Lesilie Feinberg,
a multi-issue trans activist came to speak to a large crowd
in Red Square. Many authors such as Caitlin Sullivan, Kate
Bornstein and Aaron Link have come to speak on campus
over the years. For two years, Evergreen had a Trans, Genderqueer and Intersex film festival. The festival was one
of only 3 of its kind at the time in the US. Programs have
begun to include gender identity in seminar iliscussions,
heTping to bring a greater awareness of the subject to students.
During the 2007-2008
academic year there were accounts of people making inflammatory remarks a6out
gender identity via TESCcrier and TESCtalk. These
remarks included remarks
about transfolks just wanting attention and that transfolks should just make up
their mind. If this wasn't bad
enough, these remarks remained largely unchecked.
While a brave trans student
crafted a response, only one
ally "called out" the oppressive and ignorant language
being use<f on the listserves.
~·
i ; ·., '
=·
people,
.~S. RAVCCAL
BREAKING
DOWN
gender
:'bm,klbc- ,,
~n of o,,r
"f.\'( >U /I 'I< >N
Students, even radical students, have very little
understanding of the oppression that transpeople face in
their day to day lives, and
usually contribute to that
oppression. One way that
this expresses itself on Evergreen's campus is through
conversation. Many nontrans people assert that they
understand what it means to
be trans, that there is a right
and a wrong way to be trans
or that a person isn't actually trans. This language and
the actions they inspire are
forms of oppression and
need to stop.
There is currently a
student group on campus,
Society for Trans Action
and Resources (STAR), that
works to help promote understanding in the administration, faculty, and students
Through the hard work of students, the recreation center has installed two new single occupancy
gender-neutral locker rooms. There have a1so been more
gender-neutral bathrooms throughout campus. All single
stalled restrooms in SEM II have become gender neutral
and there is one on the second floor of the library as well.
The counseling center staffs counselors who are versed
in issues of gender identity and the medical center is becoming more accommodating to trans-gender and gender
queer folks.
In the past few years Evergreen and its student have made
strides in becoming more trans-friendly, but it still has a
long way to go. A good way to get there is to educate yourselr.Look into the authors mentioned above, talk to STAR
and learn correct terms and pronouns (as it is always good
to ask what pronoun people prefer, regardless of their appearance). Below is a website that is good to reference with
correct terms and definitions.
www.banyancounselingcenter.com/ tsterminology.html
GENDER NEUTRAL HOUSING
A relatively new housing theme on campus is
"Gender Neutral," wherein one's gender is not the means
by which one is assigned to college housing. This makes
for a comfortable and safe living environment for members of the LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Quee1~ Ally)
community. Unfortunately, GN is first come, first serve,
which means spots that could have gone to individuals who really wanted a safe space may end up going to
straight couples who didn't want to do extra paperwork to
live together. Yes, our Allies should be welcomed into GN
but some kind of priority system needs to be developed.
Personally, I suggest an essay explaining why it is necessary for a person to live in GN.
41
The world is full of racial prejudice
and bigotry. When these practices are institutionali zed, racism is formed. When Stokely
Carmicha el Trst coined the phrase " institutional racism " he highlighted the fact that
qovernance structures nad failed to meet
fhe collective needs of some of its people
" because of their color, culture or ethnic
origin." In other word s, racism still plays an
integral part in the very institutions that
claim to protect and care for us. In 21st
century society, racism still persists. Many
rights such as fair hiring practices, sitting
anywhere on the bus, and integrated schools,
although taken for granted by white people,
have l::ieen fought for with great conviction
by people of color,
many of who are
BE RESPECTFUL. BE
still alive today.
PRIVILEGE.
Although "race" is a social construct,
the exploitation of this construct carries a
lot of weight in our society. Racism is one
of the vital ways that the powerful elite
spreads systems of classiTcations in order to
keep us divided, distracted, and conquered.
These classiTcat1ons are perpetuated in order to use our differences as an excuse to
t reat people as subhuman, and deny them
the fruits of their labor. The end result of
t his is an accumulation of economic, political, and social beneTts into the hands of a
certain "race." The aaily reiteration of this
system through the myriad of human interactions is calred white privilege.
The manifestation of white privilege
is all around us. We see it in our bias Eurocentric textbooks, to banks givinq statist ically fewer loans to people of color the
disproportionate incarceration of people of
color, and the high levels of froTling from
t he police. We can also see i daily in the
habits of our schools and workplaces. The
belief that people of color have overcome
all the obstacles to true equality is a complete delusion. Racism, and the subsequent
[)rivileges that fllOSt w _
h ite people beneJt
tram, creep th~1r w 9y into many parts of
our everyday lives In ways that most of
w hite people are unaware of. This unawareness in itself is a large component of white
privilege. In this way, racism is as personal
as it Is political. Just because a white person has experienced hardship in their life,
and feels unprivileged in respect to their
class, gender, and etc. doesn't mean that
they don't still personally, and systemati cally, beneTt from white privilege. (If this is
a concept that you would like to learn more
about, see: intersectionality.)
Despite the lip-service paid to these
issues, don 't expect much to be different at
Evergreen. Despite its reputation as a radical institution, Everqreen has its fair share
of problems, especially when
it comes to race. Evergreen is 77% white.
That means diversity isn 't too great here,
and mos~ of the time we don 't live up to our
progressive reputation . An example of white
privilege, (and the lack of awareness that
comes with it) that you 're likely to come
across at EverCONSCIOUS OF YOUR qreen is the tenBE AN ALLY.
aency for a whit_e
person to dominate seminar (especially when this privilege
intersects with cis-male privilege) and interrogate a person of color about tneir culture.
This isn 't good for a lot of reasons. On one
hand, it may alienate the person of color
and, on the other, it forces them to become
some kind of delegate of their entire race,
even though they have their own un ique
experiences. Such tokenism sucks and only
works to accentuate the disconnect many
white people have from the concept of diversity. Also, when white people dominate
seminar it comes off as intensely arrogant
and this rarely sparks meaningfu dialogue.
When in seminar, I remember to try to
check my privilege, especially when it comes
to interactions with my classmates. I like to
ask myself, "am I dominating, or is this a
dialogue?"
Lastly, cultural appropriation (when a
person takes parts of someone else's culture
and adopts them as their own) also happens
often at TESC via hairstyles such as mohawks or dreadlocks whidi, while seemingly
sweet dos, are actually large parts of some
people's cyltures, not just the late.st trend.
These are ImP,ortant things to examine: your
hairstyles and the clothes you wear. Again,
a lack of awareness is a huge component
of white privilege, especially when it comes
to stealing a part of a culture from people
that have been slaughtered and exploited by
white people for centuries.
42
reo
~ ~v ( ' Y~~J
nd
a
State
Washi,gton State has a lo,g histo,y of white
'
supremacist and fascist activities. Dating back to the KKK's
involvement in state politics during the early 1920's
to Dudley's Silver Shirts (The SS initials were not incidental). While this may seem distant, during the revival of fascist
movements in the U.S. in the l970's some frightening groups started to mobilize. One such notable group was the white
supremacist violent organization called "The Order" founded here in Washington. "The Order" existed throughout much
of the l 980's, robbing stores, banks, and armored cars in an attempt to raise funds and stockpile weapons for a dreamed
of white Aryan separatist nation based primarily in the northwest (not to be confused with the Cascadia independence
movement). This group also perpetrated a string of bombings and murdered a talk show host in Denver, CO notorious for
spealcing out against such white supremacists. Though the Order was eventually caught and prosecuted by the FBI, many
such violent white supremacists separatists exist. For instance an attempted bombing of a MLK Jr. Memorial march was
foiled as recently as 2011 in Spokane, WA . The northwest is still seen as a viable area for a future white nation and many
Neo-Nazi 'sand racists of all stripes move here in preparation for achieving this goal.
The work of Antifa (Anti-Fascist Action) and ARA (Anti-Racist Action) has done a lot to thwart Nazi groups
both in Seattle and Portland. Portland in particular mobilized to stop a burgeoning racist skinhead group called White Aryan Resistarice (WAR) from growing. It's important to remember that while these groups may appear to be irrelevant fringe
groups, their very real capability for extreme acts of violence are intensely relevant to the ethnic and religious groups they
target and play a part in institutional racism as well.
For instance, take a look at Shawna Forde. Shawna Forde assumed a leadership position in the WA chapter of the
Minutemen Border patrol groups. They actually patrolled the Canadian border for illegal immigrants ... No joke. They did
catch an illegal immigrant once, a drunk U.S. citizen going to Canada. As much of a joke as this may seem Shawna Forde
went on to organize a small group to go to Arizona and eventually was found guilty in the house invasion and murder of
Raul and Brisenia Flores while they impersonated border patrol agents . Brisenia was nine years old.
Though generally inactive as of late, a group of neo-Nazis, called the National Socialist Movement (NSM), occasionally
hold rallies in Olympia. Typically, they draw 10
or so NSM members and hundreds of protesters. They
are usually separated (protected) from the
rotesters by the cops. They stand and throw out
disgusting hate speech for a bit while the
rotesters yell back or ignore them. Then the
Nazis leave. These Hitler caricatures do
pose a threat; they can and have committed hate crimes, and they attempt to
recruit vulnerable lost souls. They should
be confronted and know they are not
welcome here, in whatever creative way
that may be.
But really, they basically come to
'"--- - Olympia to get the attention-as-fuel they
need to make themselves feel thoroughly victimized, and then go on their
way (Think a Neo-Nazi version of the
Westboro Baptist Church). It is debatable
what should be done about them. They
get mountains more media coverage than
if we just let them holler and hate. If
you feel the desire to fight racism, just look
around you. There are so many ways oppression is playing out and directly affecting
people all around you every day. If they
come to town again, handle the Nazis how you
think fit, but always examine how people of
color, queer people, homeless
1
people, and other minority groups are constantly
being oppressed in ways that affect
their daily lives more than a dozen vehement Nazis. Put some real energy into stopping that too. If that
means building a community of resistance and support while opposing outright Nazi's in the streets, all
the better.
Further info:
The Anatomy of Fascism by Robe11O. Paxton
Blood and Politics: the History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the
Mainstream by Leonard Zeslcind
Rose City Antifa
N1~, 1~1t
.AG1\IN
sk
~
A New MENtality
How Male Oppression Relates to Sexism and Homophobia
How can men help women fight sexist oppression? How can straight men or women help fight
against homophobia? The answers to those questions
are also the answer to another question: How can men
help other men (and themselves) overcome their own
oppression and homophobia? As Terrence Growly puts
it: "As a man I accrue privilege simply by remaining
silent." However, it should be acknowledged that men
too are oppressed, consciously or not, in this patriarchal, heterosexist society. Especially men who overtly
challenge our culture's gender stereotypes and socialization.
We live in a society where overt
male to female physical violence is deplorable by many standards, but male
to male violence is both accepted
and embraced. More men have
died at the hands of other men
than have women. Much of this
killing stems from institutions
that are designed to assert male
domination, or at very least a
social norm of masculinity. Furthermore, we live in a society
that accentuates the dominating
traits of men and the submissive
traits of women.
personality or an inability to communicate, both of
which inhibit healthy relationships.
The socialized gender boxes of patriarchy
force men and women alike to present a false image
of themselves to each other. These are images that
lack both humanity and spirit, images that separate us
and mystify us. While women in our culture have the
license to show each other affection both physically
and emotionally, the same is not true for men . If men
do the same, fear or suspicion often follows. For men,
homophobia keeps the gender roles in place. Should a
man want to divert from any sort of social standard of
masculinity (wear pink, act effeminate, cry in
public), he may be, at the very least, silently
judged by others as weak or as less of a
man.
men can
Homophobia
The gender boxes that are
put around both men and women can
be devastating. Especially when gender is confused with sexuality. When
we think of gender purely in sexual
terms, men and women have difficulty forming friendships that are based
on an understanding of each other's
struggle. Instead, these friendships
may be based on sexual definitions of
gender. Many young men already associate
their masculinity with their sexual prowess.
STOP
rape
Socialization/Gender Boxes
The process by which men are
taught to be tough, aggressive, and incontrol and women are taught to be pleasing, passive
and controlled is called socialization. Socialization is
subtle. It occurs when young boys are given toy guns
and blue shirts as gifts, and their female counterparts
are given Barbie dolls and pink skirts. It occurs when
teen magazines, movies and music suggest girls will
be feminine if they consider their body to be their best
asset. Socialization occurs for men when we are taught
that our masculinity is analogous to our sexuality, or
that our ability to take control of a situation is a measure of our manhood. If we listen to the media, men
are supposed to be aggressive leaders and/or aloof and
mysterious. In fact, these myths of masculinity manifest themselves respectively through a domineering
Same gender relationships, when seen through
sexuality, become stigmatized and feared, especially
for men. This is the essence of homophobia. Homophobia is not exclusively a queer issue. It is a straight issue.
When gender is examined through sexuality, men fear
each other. Men do not develop deep or lasting relationships with other men because of the fear of being
labeled as gay. How often do men, in society at large,
sit down and really talk to each other about their fears,
passions, hopes and sorrows? Likewise, just as women
get together and talk about their oppression and how
to liberate themselves, so too should men.
Socialized gender boxes also dictate who we
should be attracted to. How do we treat those who's
sexuality doesn't fit the mold? As straight men and
women we take our heterosexual privilege for granted.
Besides the obvious challenges of being rejected and
scorned by society at large, queer men and women face
considerable obstacles in many aspects of life. As difficult as love can be, for queer couples it is even harder.
Their validity as couples is constantly challenged. They
rarely are allowed to live their lives outside of their
sexual identity. While straight people can be congresspersons, lawyers, doctors or teachers, queer people are
known most often for their sexuality, and secondly their
talent or occupation. We as straight people have the
right to raise children without
the threat of state intervention;
few queer couples have had that
luxury. Queer men and women,
just as straight men, do not have
the social acceptance to share
affection in public. Therefore,
ending heterosexual privilege
contributes to our own liberation as loving men.
Sexism at Evergreen
Some of you reading
this article may be thinking,
"This may be the case in the
Midwest, or in some small hick
town, but here at Evergreen,
we are all evolved men." I wish
that were true. Many female
activists often talk about how
domineering some men are,
how so many workshops, activities, and trainings are
led by men, and how often the majority of comments in
meetings are made by men. If men are not willing to
look at their own sexist, competitive, and aggressive or
domineering behaviors, which are rooted in their own
oppressive socialization, our revolution will only go so
far. We may have a kinder gentler patriarchy, but the
patriarchy will remain none the less. Furthermore, every year on the Evergreen campus women are sexually
harassed and even sexually assaulted.
So what can we as men do to help ourselves,
and thus our female comrades as well? Many believe
it starts with self-examination. Where do my notions
of masculinity come from? What did my father (or
mother) teach me about being a man? Do I feel intimidated by a powerful woman? Do I feel competitive
in the presence of a powerful man? Do I find myself
dominating the conversation a lot at meetings, in class,
or other social situations?
Examining ourselves and our actions, we wi ll
begin to see how the heterosexist, patriarchal systems
we're involved in affect those around us. In our interactions with friends who are women or queer, we
shouldn't feel a sense of politically correct alarm every t ime
we try to interact. At the same
time, our interactions shouldn't
become interrogations of how
we enact the oppresive systems
of patriarchy and heterosexism.
Above all, listening and seeking
to truly understand, without reserve or defense, is the best way
to learn how our actions affect
those we love.
Furthering a commitment to
a changed society, we can mentor our younger peers. We can
provide them with healthier
models of masculinity than what
we may have received growing
up. We can provide them w ith
courage and support to stand up
to derogatory comments, sexist and heterosexist stereotypes, as well as educating them about their own
privilege as males and how not to abuse that privilege.
Most of all, I encourage men to talk to other men
in deeper ways than you usually do, to create a new
mentality behind our notions of masculinity. Equa lly
important, I encourage men to listen more deeply to
other men and to other women, queer and straight.
45
Trigger
Warning:
This article may be triggering, or
stressful, so before you read
it we suggest you have some way to care for yourself prepared. There are resources at the end
of this article that you can call or contact if you feel you need support. Contact SafePlace's 24/hr
hotline if in need of immediate support (360 754 6300).
STATISTICS
In the United States, l /3 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime, l /6 men, and ½
transgender people. (a side note: l /12 transfolk will be murdered in the U.S. a year, compared
to cisgender folk, who have a l /18,000 chance of being murdered in the U.S. 70% of reported
LGBT related murders were of LGBT people of color).
Also, approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
Our belief is that these statistics are low - that many more people than that will face sexual violence. Every person knows someone close to them who has been assaulted.
RAPE CULTURE
We live in a "rape culture." This means that the prevalent attitudes, social norms and practices
excuse, tolerate or even condone sexual violence. Examples of this are victim blaming, sexual objectifkation and trivializing rape. Blaming a survivor for wearing a short skirt, or for being drunk,
or being in 'the wrong part of town' are all part of rape culture. Saying that men always want to
have sex, or can't control themselves is a part rape culture. The myth that only men commit assault
is a part of rape culture. Any gender can have their boundaries crossed and any gender can cross
another person's boundaries. In rejecting rape culture, let's be conscious about how gender norms
impact our expectations about what we do and what we should do, and what others do or should
do.
Survivors of sexual violence often minimize their experiences, refusing to call what happened to
them assault or rape. The WA law sa✓,s that rape is "when one is penetrated in the mouth/vagina/ anus, with a penis/digit/object.' However, even if that doesn't happen, if you feel you have
been violated, then you HAVE BEEN.
e11+es1nz=
tcc:r iM•i·iii-UIRi
There is a correlation between societal power structures and instances of sexual violence. Not only
does patriarchy affect sexual violence, but also racism, misogyny, ableism, classism, homophobia,
heterosexism, ageism, and much more. Rape is about power, not about sex. Looked at within the
context of this correlation the trends exhibited within sexual violence reinforce the dynamics that
permit certain social groups eminence over others.
We believe that sexual violence is employed by capitalism to make controlling the masses easier,
to make us more compliant workers. If we spend all of our time healing from this monstrous event
in our life, we will have no time to revolt. The effects of capitalism impact the perpetuation of
racist and patriarchal mentalities, with in turn permits the use of sexual violence as a means of
control.
Consent, sexual choice, and sexual freedom are ways to resist!t
46
WHAT IS CONSENT?
Consent is enthusiastic participation from all parties before, during and after an event. In this article, we are referring to sexual activity, but consent is important in all aspects of life.
In terms of consent, it's important to be aware of how intoxication affects cognition. Whether alcohol, weed, or other intoxicants, reasoning capabilities and cognition are impacted, heightening
the sensitivity of the situation, making it all the more important to apply good communication and
consent skills. Remember, legally, you cannot give consent when intoxicated, but it is possible to
have a positive sexual experience when intoxicated.
Consent is an active process of willingly and freely choosing to have sex with someone.
No one can force you to give consent. Saying 'yes' is an active process on both (or all) partner's
ends. Giving consent has to happen at every stage. It is not implied or assumed. You do not automatically have permission to have sex with your partner, and they do not automatically have
permission to have sex with you. Giving consent is an important part of a healthy relationship.
Remember, communication is key! Talking is the most important thing you can do before, during
and after you engage with someone sexually. It's important to talk about triggers, and how to
handle a situation where you or your partner becomes triggered.
BASIC TIPS FOR CONSENT
Talk about what you want, what you don't want, what your partner wants/doesn't want before
you engage in sexy stuff. Pay attention to body language, it can help you understand what is going on before, during and after sex.
HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO ASK
IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT:
H~ f ---- '
'
----,
p~ ----,
~
~
A-u~:Z~,
H*M-t~~'
W~.w~~!1ia1N-tck,
, ~ ~,,, tc:t ,W~ ~ ~ k4 ---- tc ,,N,,
W~1.,c.~t1a,
w~~t,ta~~, ----'
"This isn't just for long-term partners; it is possible to have a
consensual one night stand!"
47
REMEMBER:
No means no, not now means no, I have a partner means no, maybe later means no, no thanks
means no, you're not my type means no, fuck off means no, I'd rather be alone means no, don't
touch me means no, I really like you but ... means no, let's just go to sleep means no, I'm not sure
means no, you/I have been drinking means no, silence means no.
Self care!
Every person has crossed someone else's boundaries, and every person has had their boundaries
crossed. Your experiences and feelings are valid, and you are valid. You are not alone.
EVERGREEN:
Office of Sexual Violence Prevention: provides brief, advocacy-based counseling for survivors.
In order to access this counseling a survivor can make an appointment Monday-Friday by calling 360-867-5221.
O.S.V.P. can also make referrals for free ongoing therapy for survivors in the community.
Counseling Center: 360-867-6800. Provides counseling for crisis and healing, as well as referral to agencies off campus, when applicable.
Coalition Against Sexual Violence: A student group located in Student Activities in the CAB
building. Provides advocacy for survivors, resources, and education. Contact tesccasv@gmail.
com or 360-867-7074.
Hidiil·i
SafePlace: Provides advocacy for survivors, counseling,
and referrals. It's 24/hr advocacy line number is 360754-6300. www.safeplaceolympia.org
Crisis Clinic: 24/hr anonymous crisis line: 360-5862800. www.crisis-clinic.org
F1•19Mil
www.crisisinterventioncenter.org
www.rainn.org
www.basicrights.org
"Thinking Class" by Joe Kadi
Learning Good Consent Zine
What to Do When Someone Tells You that You Violated Their Boundaries ... Zine
4
n
I
On the NoHon Of
t'o yamory
to the contrary, it is a belief that we should more deeply love our
partners without constraints. Polyamory is not for everyone.
Tlie dominant culture of 'serial monogamy', or having
multiple loves, doesn't always worl< out with everyone having their
needs met. It establishes a hierarchy of relationships with all attention going to the latest prospect of 'the one.' It discourages deep
loving connections with friends, since love comes loaded with expectations and commitments. Keeping to one lover can feel very
stifling to queer peop_/e that have to reconcile their attraction to
dijjerent genders.
Polyamory is a term used to refer to the practice of having or being
open to having multiple lovers. Poly's ( as practicers of polyamory
are sometimes called), are not just concerned
with sex, but also with developi';K multiple
supportive and mutually benepcial relationships. The word comes from the
Greek word Poly which means 'many'
and the Latin word Amor which
means 'love.' Monogamy derives its
suffix from the Greek word Gamos
which means 'marriage.' Polyamory
differs from polygamy, which refers
to mufriple marriages. While polyamory is more common at Evergreen
and m the Olympia than other places
in the U.S., it is still poorly unaerstood
and often misused.
Polyamory does not imply dysfunctional relationships. It requires respect, communication, trust, emotional maturity, and lots of talking with
all people involved. With multiple
partners, special attention to safe sex
and sexual health is a ve1y important
part of expressing love for those you
sleep with. Palys go through a lot 01 the
same struggles that monogamous folks
go through in their relationships. Ideally,
they are 8uilt upon values of trust, loyalty, negotiation, and compasszon, as well as
the rejection ofjealousy, possessiveness, and
restrictive cultural standards.Such relationships are often more fluid than the traditional
"dating and marriage' model of long-term relationships, and the participants in a polyamorous
relationship may not have preconceptions as to duration.
What distinguishes polyamory
from traditional forms of non-monogamy
(i.e. ''chea ting") is an ideology that openness,
goodwill, intense communication, and ethical
behavior should prevail among all the parties involved. Powerfuf intimate bonding among three or
more persons may occur. Some consider polyamory to
be, at its root, the generalization of romantic couple-love
beyond two people into something larger and more fundamental. Polyamory is not synonymous with 'sleeping around'
or the practice of having multiple casual sex partners, although
they aren't mutually exclusive oy any means. Polyamory is not a
way to have many lovers and avoid deep emotional investment;
P
o
I
y
> I respect that each connection in my life will find it's own right
place, time, and spirit - with an appreciative understanding that
each connection evolves in unpredictable ways.
> I realize and value that there are all kinds of love, and not all of
them are sexual. I will be open to all expressions of love. I will give
and receive love freely and often.
> I do not believe in placing arbitrary limits on myself or others
based on an understanding of love as a finite commodity. I firmly
believe that the more love I give, the more it grows and that people
have an unlimited capacity to love.
> I wi II strive to be aware of how social conditioning is effecting
my responses to love, and work towards breaking bad habits so that
love can be redefined, explored, and expressed without hindrance.
> I appreciate that each expression of love is special. I recognize
that all love has value and that one kind of love can never be better
than another.
> I will keep my heart open to receive love. I will keep my heart
open to give love. I will not be afraid to explore and express love
frequently in multiple ways. I will be open to vulnerability and
intimacy. I will lower my shield to let love in and will slow down
and listen when my shield goes up.
> I believe that self-love is essential and without it love is impossible.
> I understand that people have varied needs, that one person cannot fulfill all needs of another, and it is our responsibility to express
and get our own needs met. I recognize that this builds community
and connection, which is the goal and helps to spread love.
> I will encourage those I love to love more. I will be supportive
While polyamory seeks to grow our relationships beyond possessiveness, it's still ok to feel jealous when your
partner spends all their time with their new flame; hoP.efully
you can unaerstand and love them for their passzon and still have
your needs met. Honest and constant communication ofyour feelings, as in any relationship, is the key.
f
e
s
t
o
when someone I love finds love or expresses love. I will look inward
if any expression of love causes me to feel threatened or insecure. I
will be open to being told I am not being supportive.
> I will examine my own fears and strive to not let them get in the
way of expressing and experiencing love. I will listen with an open
heart if someone's honesty hurts me. I will strive to always respond
with grace and speak authentically.
> I believe in being open to change and fluidity in relationships,
even when it hurts. I believe love is the absence of guilt and fear. I
believe love is acceptance that love involves choices.
> I recognize that love can become strained, love can be withheld,
and love can be painful. I will strive to be honest with myse lf and
others in order to remain compassionate to myself and others.
> I respect that love fosters deep bonds, and that expressions of
love should be encouraged without the fear of threatening someone
else's comfort. I believe that compassion, safety, trust, and respect
are essential to maintaining love.
Books:
The Ethical Slut:A practical guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships,
and Other Adventures by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy
Opening Up: a Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships
by Tristan Taormina
Poly Yahoo group for the Olympia Tacoma area:
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Tac-OlyPoly/info
Articles on Jealousy:
http://www.morethantwo.com/jealousytheory.html
http://www.morethantwo.com/jealousypractice.html
Unitarian Universalists for Polyamory awareness:
http://www.erosong.neUPolyFor UUm.htm
~.
RIOTS
NOT
DIETS
Do you have a body? Then read this article! By looking at some commonly socialized misconceptions and elaborating on why they are damaging and dangerous, we
hope to address some of the difficulties surrounding fat bodies in radical spaces.
Even in radical spaces fat bodies are made invisible, and in order to create effective
movements it is important to look at all aspects of disenfranchisement. We do want to
clarify that this article was written by two cis gender female dames, so our perspective can only go so far; we can only speak from our experiences.
Definition of Body Positivity: Body positivity is working towards acceptance, love and
appreciation of the different ways our bodies look, function, and feel and challenging
beauty standards that are sizeist, fatphobic, transphobic, racist, ageist and ableist. We
will promote body positivity for ourselves, and encourage others to do the same. We
will not make any comments, jokes or statements that would put our bodies down or
the bodies of other people.
MEDICAL MISCONCEPTIONS:
Fat people are too lazy and self-hating to be 'properly' thin.
Fat isn't a choice any sane healthy human should make .
Our cultural, biological, and medical understanding of fat is reasonable, honest, and
unbiased.
I am not a fucking disease. My body is not for you to judge as healthy or unhealthy, to
create standards that few can conform to as what health is. It is not for others to judge
why someone is fat, and it's dangerous to think that anyone's body is the way it is
because they are psychologically unfit/unwell/incapable of making sound decisions.
Fat doesn't equal lazy or crazy.
The American Medical Association has classified Obesity as a disease, which is incredibly harmful for people of all sizes, and especially for already vulnerable members of society. It is just another way to create an "other" out of fat people, to dehumanize them. We must refuse to accept the AMA's decision, and we must break down
the stigmas it will build.
Sometimes doctors are great, and sometimes they are not. Shaming someone's body
and hiding it in concern is the go to response for doctors. This can be harmful internally, and also medically because they will ignore a real problem to focus on someone's weight. The way doctors/media blindly treat fat as unhealthy is often internalized, causing people to spend their lives dieting, which is proven to rarely work, or
undergo drastic surgery.
If doctors really cared about our health, and not just making us conform to society's
standards, they would stop shaming. The healthiest thing a person can do is love
themselves, whatever size they may be.
SIZE/BEAUTY MISCONCEPTIONS:
Fat is a flaw. "You have such a pretty face, but. .. "
"Inside every ugly fat person, a beautiful skinny person is just dying to get out!"
Fatties can't just BE. We should, can, and will want to change our bodies.
All of these misconceptions are based on the idea that fat folks should feel ashamed
of their bodies for not being thinner, and that they should want to change as a result
~?
that shame. Ideas that hinge on shaming, no matter
Books:
who they are targeted toward, are continued in order to
- Fat!So?: Because You
create hierarchies and make people fight each other for Don't Have to Apologize
status. Social constructions surrounding notions of beau- for Your Size
ty prevent us from viewing attraction subjectively, since
- Bodies Out of Bounds: Fat
the conception is that there is an objective standard.
ness and Transgression
But fat folks are beautiful, ugly, rude, kind, generous,
- The Fat Studies Reader
miserly, exuberant, or diffident just like everyone else;
- Lessons from the Fat-ofat has nothing to do with it. It is just as ill-conceived to
sphere: Quit Dieting and
shame people for being too thin, because all comments Declare a Truce with Your
on people's weight are out of place. Bodies do not define Body
people!
- Revolting Bodies?: The
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW TO REACT
Struggle to Redefine Fat
TO PEOPLE'S BODIES:
Identity
Fat people (or anyone, for that matter) want to hear
"oooh! did you lose weight?!?!" as anything other than an expression of concern.
Female-socialized fatties are taught to always, if nothing else, find one person in the
room fatter than they are.
Fat people want to lie about our weights. We want you to lie for us too.
Many folks, predominantly female-assigned, are taught from a very young age that
the way to pay someone a compliment or let them know that you like them is by commenting on their appearance. Seemingly benign comments on how beautiful little
girls are or how boys are going to up to be strong place excessive emphasis on the
value of people's bodies over their thoughts or emotions. Hand in hand with this invasive social tendency go destructive messages about how being fat lessens a person's
worth (i.e. the idea that if someone doesn't lose weight they're considered lazy or
stupid); if we're told that our bodies -and how people react to them- set the standard
for how we feel, then it follows that people desire to look like what the dominant
messages in society deems superior. In this way, socialization that stems from a pervasive fear of being fat (since fat can't be attractive, right?) embeds itself deep in the
way that people see themselves, insidiously suggesting to everyone that their bodies
are defective or deficient, when no one is in fact any such thing. Everyone internalizes these messages through constant exposure and repeated reinforcement. If ou
want to pay someone a complient, men- - ~-,....,_.....,,,m
insightful they said or how you
. ~~~
admire their art or music, rath~
er than reinforcing anyone's no- · ' ·•
tion that how they look defines· ·..
.·
them.
" •· .
EATING:
~i:
From all sides we are told that ~
what we eat should be regu,
:•
lated and that by regulating
/:
we are positively affecting
our health. Whether from
I
weight loss ads or comments like "You are what
}
you eat!" the things we put in.o1hr mouths
are constantly
1
.~ . _
)
called into question, suggesting that health and size are
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
only the result of how our taste buds are organized. Our -"[Fatness] - as an identity or
body-conscious culture teaches that fat people are fat
an experience - does not exist
because they eat foods that are "unhealthy," but that is
in a vacuum ... because womsimply untrue. Because of these messages, many people en,
- poor people and people of
play what I like to call "The Food Game," testing their
color are likelier to be classieating habits against others' as a source of validation, or fied/seen as fat in our culture,
using their lack of eating etc. to justify eating something [fatphobia] de facto upholds
that is perceived as "unhealthy." But talking about how
sexism, classism and racism."
little or how much you've eaten that day perpetuates the - Virgie Tovar
idea that other people have, or should have, anything to -Cultural feelings about fat are
say about your eating habits, which makes it hard to stop not the same across all races,
playing .the Food Game with yourself. Remember that ev ethnicities,
and regions.
eryone's eating habits are their own decision and that it's -Violence against fat people is
none of anyone's business to question those decisions.
a hate crime.
RETAIL HELL:
-Separating the fatties who
Profit motivated, retailers exploit damaging stereotypes are "healthy" from the fatties
and modes of thought in order to make more money.
who are "unhealthy" creates a
From shaming advertising practices to so-called "vanharmful dichotomy that hurts
ity sizing," clothing manufacturers perpetuate the notion everyone and the fat positive
that smaller is better and that all bodies should look the movement.
same; they play on society's fear of fat. Plus size stores
-Body positivity is vital to creare often 3 times more expensive - skinny jeans at Tor- ate a movement where all peorid cost $70 while at American Eagle they cost $40. Bein • pie feel safe.
a fashionable funky fatty takes a lot more effort than it
does for someone who the fashion industry caters to. As a result of these underlying motivators, many retailers do not make clothes for fat bodies or, perhaps even
worse, banish their "plus size" section to dark corners full of frumpy designs in ugly
patterns. Because of the bias toward fat in retail, it's also much harder to shop at thrift
stores and other more socially conscious clothing options, which can lead to inappropriate shaming over shopping at retailers like Forever 21. This shaming does not
consider that it is a privilege to be able to walk into nearly any store and find things
that come in your size as someone who is not plus size.
Body positive locations/retailers/spaces: Fat Fancy in Portland, Dumpster Values Plus
Size Clothing Swaps (look 'em up on facebook!), NOLOSE
FAT SEX MISCONCEPTIONS:
Fat people are unlovable. Fat folks are easy. Fat folks will have sex with you because
it's their only option/do the "freaky" things .because they are lonely, they have lowself esteem. Feeders are the only people who like fat folks. Fat is a fetish.
To start off, stereotypes about fat people are often heterosexist, continuing the patriarchal idea that female bodies exist for male enjoyment. These ideas that because
we are fat, we have low self-esteem and must compensate for that are just more forms
of social control. Gayle Rubin says that "sex is used as a political agent as a means
of implementing repression and creating dominance in today's western society."
Stereotypes about fat chicks putting out more, or fat men not being good in bed, are
not only an attempt to deny autonomy but also to control fat people through a sexual
52
hierarchy.
RESOURCES:
Not only are these stereotypes harmful socially, but
Relationships and Faties: http://
they are often internalized, causing people to think of fatbodypolitics.com/2012/04/07 /
themselves as unworthy of love, or putting all of their reinforcing-the-sexual-hierarchy-in
self-worth in another person's hands. The myth that
fat-positive-spaces/
fat bodies are unlovable can shatter someone's self- http://www.sexandthefatgirl.com
esteem. The idea that fat is only a fetish is another
Obesity is not a disease: http:/ /www
attempt to other people who don't match society's
virgietovar.com/2/post/2013/06/
beauty standards, and to other those who want them. stigma-loading-the-effects-of-disWe must define ourselves, and not put worth on what ease-classification-amas-decisionothers think of us. One's self-image must come from to-call-fat-a-disease.html
within, not from other people.
Health at Every Size; Messages for
REPRESENTATION IN MEDIA:
Various people and professionals:
Being fat is regarded as unattractive and immoral.
http:/ /www.lindabacon.org/haesFat bodies are either swept under the rug, or are
book/health-at-every-size-bookused as a warning against gluttony, against sin. Simi- excerpts-downloads/
larly, being poor is regarded as immoral. If you are
Some Fat Facts regarding Health:
poor, you deserve to be poor. If you are fat, you did
http:/ /www.bodylovewellness.
something to deserve that fatness. Often, because of com/2010/06/30/just-so-were-clea
food deserts, lack of money, lack of education, poor some-fat-facts/
folks are fat. Those people are hidden from the pub- The Failure of Diets: http://junkfood
lic, except when they are on TLC's reality television
science.blogspot.com/2007 / 12/
shows.
part-two-what-does-evidence-reImages of fat people in the media perpetuate the
veal-can. html
idea that fatties cannot be lovable, but occasionally
http:/ /phys.org/news9490693 l .htm
can tell a good joke. THIS IS NOT TRUE (though they Some Thoughts on Thin Privilege:
may tell good jokes). Self-deprecating fat jokes are
http://fatheffalump.wordpress.
not the only thing that fat people have to offer. Mak- com/2010/09/26/accepting-theing fun of someone's weight is not the same thing as reality-of-fat/
making fun of their personality. Fat people almost
Doctor's Office Cards, Helpful
never get to be main characters, and if so, they're
Phrases for the Doctor's Office:
usually men on a sitcom and are still mocked. Fatties http://danceswithfat.wordpress.
are the villain, the joker who never dates, the supcom/2013/04/0 I/what-to-say-at-th
portive best friend. Even - or hell, especially - libdoctors-office/
eral media makes fun of fat people.
Fat People in the Shitty Media: http:/
However, there is hope. Rebel Wilson, for one. There's www.obesityaction.org/educationthat show, Drop Dead Diva. And who didn't love John al-resources/resource-articles-2/
Goodman?
weight-bias/fattertainment-obesity
The Media is one of the main tools of social control,
in-the-media
and it is a tool of capitalism. Everything that hapFat People of Color: http:/ /fatpeopens in the media has financial motivation. It shapes pleofcolor. tumblr.com/
how we view ourselves and others. We must smash
http://pocfatfashion.tumblr.com/
that control, and to do that we must start w/ our own Creating Community: http://fatbehavior and working to love ourselves and respect grrrl-activism.tumblr.com/
other people.
http:/ /radicalsexeducation. tumblr.
Body positive shows/online My Mad Fat Diary, Adi- com
positivity Project, Lose Hate Not Weight, Drop Dead
Diva, Margaret Cho.
I'm fat. I came out of the womb at 10 pounds and have stayed a
healthy, stron2, and cuddly soft weight throughout my life. Until I got to
college, I didn t think about fat-phobia. I thought fat-hating attitudes were
just normal, scientific, even simply just right. But fat-phobia is prejudice just
like any other. It's a bunch of sucky assumptions about people with no real interest in honest information. Here's a list of some misconceptions to watch out for.
Do your homework, respect the fatties in your life!
Fat isn't okay. it's dirty, ugly, smelly, and gross.
Fat people want to lie about our weights. We want
you to he for us too.
Being fat is a choice. Fat people are too lazy and
self-hating to 17e 'properly' thin.
Fatness is important. Weight matters.
Fat isn't a choice any sane healthy human should
make.
Fatties can't be, won't 11e, and aren't vegetarian/
vegan.
Our cultural, biological, and medical understanding
of fat is reasonable, honest, and unbiased.
Fat people eat differently than other people.
Violence against fat people isn't a hate crime.
Fat is a flaw. "You have such a pretty face, but ... "
"Inside every ugly fat person, a beautiful skinny
person is just dying to get out!"
Cultural feelings about fat are the same across all
races and ethnicities.
Fatties can't just BE. We should, can, and will want
to change our bodies.
It's OK to augh at fat in appreciation of how it
moves, feels,jiggles, looks, and is.
Fat people should never appear on television in
leading roles unless they provide comic relief, or
offer support as a sexless vest friend.
Fat people have to wear different clothes than
'normal' people because their bodies are gross, not
because the clothing industry refuses to take fat
bodies seriously as cute, sexy, and normal.
Fatties have to wear traditional 'sexy' clothing to
BE sexy.
Fat people (or anyone, for that matter) want to
hear "oooh! did you lose weight?!?!" as anything
other than an expression of concern.
Images offat-phol7ia are absent in "radical" movements (Adbusters, anyone?).
Female-socialized fatties are taught to always,
if nothing else, find one person in the room fatter
than they are.
Fat people are anything other than -gorgeous·, ·
powerful-, -smart·, ·radical·, and -sexy· people!
Fatties are people. We love and laugh and fuck. We have strengths and faults that
have nothing to do with the size ofour bodies. Love yourfat,yourfat loves you.
54
SJlT Tt1E WOITD ..
Mynstruation!
A person's anatomy should not
be feared or stigmatized. In our
patriarchal culture, the uterus,
ovaries and vagina are often
shamed and controlled. This is
a fucked up norm that often
plays a role in the violence, oppression, and confusion experienced by folks with vaginas.
Ways to the combat this oppression is to develop respect
for your body and explore how
you relate to your biological
processes!
Some words about Tampons:
-A menstruator is likely to use
10,000 or more tampons a life
time. This can add up to a hefty
environmental toll.
-Tampons soak up more than
just blood- they absorb the
vaginal mucous necessary to
maintain health pH balances in
the vagina which can lead to
yeast infections. Tampons have
also been traced to Toxic Shock
Syndrome, a possibly fatal syndrome which causes symptoms
like fevers, nausea, vomiting
and fatigue.
-Many tampon companies employ gendered and oppressive
advertising. Not every menstruator identifies as a female and
not every menstruator gives a
shit about their period being
"clean" and "discreet".
Although not ideal, tampons
are a _P,art of many menstruator's life and can make menstruation a lot more comfortable in day-to-day living. It is
important to not shame people
who choose to use these tools.
Tampons can be self-care in the
midst of a chaotic life! No mat-
ter how a menstruator decides
to handle their blood, it is most
important that we make efforts
to de-stigmatize menstruation.
Here are some alternatives to
tampons. If you want to, explore your body and see whats
right for you!
-A1l cotton, non-chlorine bleach
tampons without the applicator- you can usually get these
at the coop.
-Sea sponge- you can get these
at health store and coops. Keep
them super clean and they are
reusable. They are not vegan.
-Reusable menstrual cups: Diva
Cup, Instead Cup or the Keeper
Cup. These are different flexible "cup"-shaped devices you
can put into your vagina to
catch menses. Once the cup is
full of blood, you just empty
it out (and you can water your
plants with it!). As with any reusable divice you put in your
vagina, keep these super clean.
-Lunapads/Gladrags or homemade menstrual cloths. These
are basically like commercial
pads, but you reuse them and
they can be made with fun
cloth patterns. I have a soft one
with little chicks on it. It's very
special.
Want to learn more?
Making Stuff and Doing Things
Edited by Kyle Bravo
Cunt: A declaration of Independence by Inga Musico
http:/ /spotsite.org
http://www.seac.org
MISS LUCY SINGS
THE BLEEDING CHEER
the Winnipeg Radical Cheerleaders
miss lucy has a problem
her money has run dry
she can't afford tampons
and she can't understand why
(why) the government taxes them
when they should be free
they have no problem profiting
off something that we need
(need) to have alternatives
to perfumes, bleach & dye
gives me a rash & makes me scratch
the companies they lie
(lie) to sell us garbage
that goes into the lakes
stop filling up the landfills
we're putting on the brakes
(break) consumer cycles
that feed us guilt and shame
i'm getting offyour white couch
and showing off the stain
(stain) yer stink in' standards
of how i'm supposed to feel
you think i smell, well go to hell
it's natural to bleed
(bleeding) in my keeper
cloth pads are line with me
and screw your midol
give me red raspberry tea
(teaching) one another
about menstrual health
shared knowledge and experience
is our greatest wealth
(wealthy) corporations
i think your time is done
your stupid douche and silly wings
i want N-O-N-E, N-O-N-E, N-O-N-E,
none, none, none!
55
Statement on Faceism
I have friends and I think about what you say to me
and I process it and I listen to music and I read books
and I get wet sometimes and you don't know what I've
done all my life and you can't read my life by my face.
What am I capable of? What do I think of my face? How
do I live? Who is my daddy?
Just cuz it seems like there aint space doesn't mean
there aint space. Space to talk about faceism. You will
have to remember intersectionality but also to not generalize experiences. You will have to listen after and before you have talked. Never turn awareness off.
But, no, I can't direct you to any spots because the
counseling center will let you gush and will give you space
You don't know.
but will say, "Well, we can't help, but bring your insurance and we will find you a therapist off-campus. You are
If you don't give me time or space to live, I won't
insured, right?" And there are no groups for faceism on
give you time or space to make me feel UN-HUMAN. Do
campus but there are friends and there are art-making
not make quips about my face. Do not try to exclude
tools and I promise you once you have found the right
me from your conversations. Do not speak slowly to me.
people it will turn from one-sided to two-sided, from a
Do not stare at me unless I give you permission and
monologue to a conversation.
do not be my friend or invite me places if I'm only there
It's tough. It's tough. It's tough. Winter is icy and dark.
cuz 1) you're sorry 2) you think I'm interesting because
I cried and freaked out and laughed through my freshof 3) my face.
man year and then I left and got a surgery but came back
Do you live with a facial difference? And are you new
because I am stubborn and I see potential in this place
to this school, or picking up this manual because you're
and there is a reason why I came here and I still have a
interested, or perusing, or curious to see what's inside
tough time but I have met great people fighting for what
this year's pages?
.
they fight for, people who are willing to listen, too, and
Hey: if anyone calls you a twitchy-faced fuc~, ~o not
talk about it, too, and do not pity me, and do not see
laugh it off or agree with them just because it is the
me as a saint, but see me as the gold I am
third "Thirsty Thursday" of the first
the gold I could be, maybe diamond is a
of your college experience.
better image, and they are all
Do not do drugs because you miss your
..
over the town and I haven't
friends and you want to feel that comfort again.
found a crew like back home
Do not do drugs with people who do not love you.
NDEllltTANDll'IO but there are great individuHey· it is kinda difficult trying to network here,
AND
als but yeah they're not my
•
·
COMDATlNG
as anywhere else. There's very few people willPACE-ISM
therapist but yeah I haven't
ing to talk about faceism because of various
found a good one here but yeah
reasons, one huge one being experience.
that's why I spend so much time making
I am not faceism's poster kid but I do
•·••·
art because yeah there is some stuff that
feel like a hybrid virgin/lamb with a halo
you don't want to talk about or leave in
around my distorted head when I talk about
your friend's heads but yeah wow there is
it and it's tough. For the other stuff
potential for beautiful things.
I wanna talk about, I feel grimy,
dirty.
OctoberR~ffind
Lr
nnR
~L.5
56
W!Jinl3D Wl (jJjJlJl.J ::JiJ =« @I :(iN 1;Ji;J3
A LETTER TEI .:JABBERERS ArtEI rtEIRl11E5
I At1 A 1nJt1At1 with autism. I use typing to communicate. Because I never
had the ability to communicate in ways that worked for me during school, teachers never assumed I had the intelligence to go to college. As college students
yourselves, you must remember the great privilege you have that you are in college. Maybe you had to fight really hard to get there, but I bet you had at least
one person who believed you could make it. Never forget those people as you
struggle to make your way .
.ALSIJ RE.t1Et1BER that students with disabilities have more adversity to
overcome than you do. Of course they are intelligent, always assume that of every person. Those students probably had more people thinking they wouldn't go
to college than people who believed in them.
l'tlllol A BIT lltt AUTISt1. Unlike some disabilities that have obvious markers, autism is an invisible one. People see me and can't tell I'm disabled until my
body starts twitching, moving in unusual ways, or until I start babbling about movies. I hate when people stare at me or question why im laughing when there is
seemingly nothing funny around. You are not a mind reader, so don't assume why
someone is doing something out of the ordinary. It's also okay to laugh along,
think of a joke and just let loose. Share it with the person laughing, maybe they will
like it too.
THE IJTHER THINK. TD 1:.1Jtts11JE.R about autism is sensory issues. If you are
in a classroom with bright fluorescent lights, ask if they can be dimmed or turned
off. You never know if someone in the room will be bothered by the lights. They
might be too self conscious to bring it up, but also be too overwhelmed to focus on learning. The sounds in a large classroom may be overwhelming to some.
Make it a point to not scrape your chair if you can or bang on the table .
.AUTISt1 IS I.Rlllolltll. t11JRE. Atlll t11JRE. l:.1Jt1t11Jtl , with the rate of diagnosis
being .. l in 88 children. In 2000 the rate was l in 150 (source: http://www.cdc.gov/
ncbddd/autism/data.html) , surveying children born in 1992. With that in mind,
there are probably a few people with autism attending your college. It's not easy
to tell whether someone is autistic and no one who is has an obligation to tell you.
So just do your part and you might be doing your classmate a favor.
THE lollJRLIJ IS FoULL IJFo t1ANY IJI\IE.RSE. HUt1AtlS with many different
needs, these suggestions I have shared are just a few things you could do. Try your
best to be attentive to your classmates and support them if they make their needs
known. Often help is just offered, but not always wanted. Let them take the lead
in how to best support them and you are sure to have a great learning experience.
Happy learning!
Just another autistic chick
1 ll()'l l~S'l S1ll~l~'l Y
111\SI(~
1
b/"'7~ w,e- by
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1
Wear protective shoes that you can run in and clothing covering your skin to protect from exposure to
weather and chemical weapons.
DON'T WEAR CONTACT LENSES. Contacts can trap
chemicals in the eyes and cause severe pain or blindness.
Shower beforehand to get off any dead skin cells
that chemicals could stick to.
Don't wear earrings. DO tape over non-removable
piercings.
Bring a bandanna soaked in apple-cider vinegar or
lime juice to aid in breathing in case of chemical exposure.
Don't wear natural fibers (cotton, wool, hemp, or
fuzzy, absorbent fibers).
Bring fresh clothes in a plastic bag (in case yours get
contaminated by chemical weapons).
Bring any medications you may need; especially inhalers and insulin or medications you may need in
the next few days (in case you are stranded or arrested). Wear Med-Alert tags and inform any street
medics of serious medical conditions.
BRING WATER and remember to eat & stay hydrated.
Look out for each other.
Don't wear tampons. Chemicals can be absorbed
into tampons, causing toxic shock syndrome.
Don't shave before a protest or wear oil-based skin
products (lotions, sunscreens, etc.).
DON'T USE AMPHETAMINES OR OTHER DRUGS DURING THE TIME PERIOD SURROUNDING A PROTEST.
Drugs such as cocaine can dramatically worsen the
effects of chemical weapons, and are associated
with the majority of electroshock weapon-related
deaths.
BE EXTRA CAREFUL IF:
You are, or are with, children, animals, or the elderly.
You have asthma, a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or have heart conditions.
You are a nursing mother. Toxins can be passed through breast milk.
You have long hair, facial hair or dreadlocks. Chemicals can get trapped in them & cops can use them to grab you.
TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS
will make your skin burn all over again. Do not to get chemiSTAY CALM!
cals into sensitive areas or wounds. Avoid alcohol and other
Remember: the pain is only temporary. Get away
from the 9as cloud. If you are wearing contact lenses take
them out immediately. If you can't do it yourself, have someone with CLEAN hands help you. Blow your nose, spit, cough,
etc. Try not to swallow. Flush eyes with water, making sure
head is tipped so that water is flowing out of the eye sockets.
Take as COLD a shower as you can stand. Hot water
drugs for a while, as your body is cleaning itself of toxins.
Wash your clothes in harsh detergent.
Organic Miso and citrus fruits are the best to eat
afterwards. Also burdock, nettles, Oregon grape, or dandelions can be useful to purge your liver and systems. Use garlic,
ginger, mullein, and marshmallow root for lung support. Treat
stress with milKy oat, and use licorice for throat care.
The Olrmpia Street Medic Collective developed following the May 2006 port protests. It was formed by individuals from
various factions o the activist community to educate ourselves and keep each other safe in the streets. The collective has since grown
and now holds numerous health and safety workshops, street medic trainings, forums on weaponry and protest preparedness, and
attempts to attend all protests and gatherings in Olympia where EMTs and Paramedics are unlikely/unable to attend. The collective
holds ongoing trainings, scenario cfays, and fundraisers. If you are interested in becoming a street medic, helping us during scenario
days (make-up artist, actors, etc.I, making donations (medical supplies always welcome), or in helping with fundraising, pfease contact us at olysmc@lists.riseup.net
58
Engaging in anti-oppression work is not easy. Learning about how to combat and
counteract the damaging systems pervasive in our society takes an enormous degree of self-reflection and, for pretty much everyone, means checking our privileges
and adjusting our behavior. After immersing themselves in this kind of emotionally
trying work or being exposed to it for a long time, some people lose sight of the fact
that everyone comes from a different background and has different things to learn,
but it's important to remember that everyone is in the process of working through
their shit. No one comes to this work without something to figure out, and, on the flip
side, no one comes without something to offer. Sometimes, the process of working
through our socializations and misconceptions can be a grueling one, but fret not, for
there is a way to not burn out! In fact, you hold the key to that survival, and that key
is ... SELF CARE!
"What is self care?" you say? Well, self care doesn't look like anything in particular;
it is more about paying attention to what you need and respecting your boundaries in order to keep yourself healthy, happy, and present. For different people that
means different things, and a crucial component of engaging in effective self care is
allowing yourself time to figure out what your personal forms of self care look like.
One day that may mean giving yourself the night off, but the next it may mean finally
working on the project you've put off for a few days. In order to judge what will be
the best way to take care of yourself, listen to what your body, your emotions, and
your behaviors are telling you. For me, self care can be as simple as taking a shower,
doing a load of laundry, or going for a walk. Whether by taking time away or irl\mersing yourself in an endeavor, self care doesn't have to be time consuming, but is still a
crucial component of any radical action.
So remember: by thinking about the radical, anti-authoritarian, and non-mainstream,
you are opening yourself up to a difficult experience that may take a great deal of
work. But you are also taking the best steps toward creating safer spaces in your
community and elsewhere for people of all ilk. And that starts with understanding
what to do to be in the best
emotional and physical
state possible in order to
.__.__.....,...._
tackle both the good
and the bad.
So, go forth and love
yourself! (if you want to.)
OF YOURSELF AND YOUR BODY
GitEEI1 IS Tl1E I1EW ItEIS
WHAT THE HELL IS THE GREEN SCARE ANYWAY?
The Green Scare is a roundup strategy
aimed at scaring the majority of radical activists from
effective dissent through the targeting of a few activists with Draconian prison sentences. A similar tactic
was used in the 1950's (during the Cold War's "Red
Scare"), where anyone remotely considered communist
was targeted. We are seeing a similar tactic applied
to environmental and animal rights activists today.
The code name for this current wave of repression is
Operation Backfire. The prisoner support zine, Spirit
of Freedom, defined the Green scare as, "the tactics
that the US government and all their tentacles (FBI,
IRS, BATF, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, local police,
the court system) are using to attack the ELF/ALF
and specifically those who publicly support them. "
The ELF (Earth Liberation Front) is not so
much of an organization as it is a concept. It is
a label given to direct actions which fit the philosophy of the ELF- to inflict economic damage
upon industries that destroy the planet while
taking extreme efforts that no humans or nonhumans are injured in the process. To this end ,
ELFers (or Elves) bring to light the atrocities those
businesses and industries perpetuate.
The ALF (Animal Liberation Front) is the
predecessor to the ELF. Like the ELF, the ALF is
a label given or chosen by activists. The
ALF differs in that most actions are not
for economic damage but for liberating
animals from oppressive facilities , such
as testing labs, fur farms, and slaughterhouses. However, the liberation actions
do economic damage as well as give the
animals another shot at life.
An underlying principle of the ELF and ALF
is that absolutely no being is hurt in their actions. Further, since both movements began,
there have been exactly zero injuries to humans. Despite both groups vow of nonviolence, the FBI considers both to
be the number one domestic terrorist threat.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Stephen Peifer said in court
that the alleged ELF members and their "crimes"" ... is
a classic case of terrorism ,
despite their protests of
lofty humane goals ... it was
pure luck no one was killed
or injured by their actions ...
if that is the standard, then
the Ku Klux Klan did not
60
.
.
commit terrorism when they burned empty black
churches during the civil rights upheaval ... " thus liken ing non-violent environmental activists to a notorious hate group that also had the full power of the
state and decades of systematic oppression behind
them. What is more horrifying is what Judge Aiken
said : that to qualify for "federal criminal terrorism" an
action "does not require a substantial risk of injury."
Thus completely nullifying the meaning of terrorism
and opening the door to call any direct action that
threatens destructive industries or the state "terrorism."
Both movements operate with the use of
autonomous cells and neither movement has selfdescribed leaders. Despite this blaring fact, the FBI
coined a core group of "leaders" and called it the
"family ". The "family" consisted of alleged environmental activists who all lived on the West Coast,
predominantly in Eugene and Olympia. This "group"
was the first to see extreme FBI repression, being
blamed for several ELF actions without proof of their
involvement. The FBI became dependent on "snitches" and paid informants for information leading to
arrests, promising shorter prison sentences and
lesser charges. What happened instead was that all
named activists became imprisoned along with the
snitches. In fact, the accused who turned into informants statistically got much longer sentences than
those who refused to rat out their friends.
of reducing their own sentences. Throughout the entire case there were glaring holes and unreliable witnesses. Yet, due to the power of the media and state
she was put away regardless .
Unfortunately, Brianna Waters also became an informant in exchange for a shortened
prison sentence.
One of the larger lessons learned through
the Green Scare was that the FBI had no leads until
people began snitching, so movements with an effective security culture pose a legitimate challenge
to the FBI and those they serve. The state will screw
you over regardless if you help them or not, and
the power and omnipresence of the state is not as
monolithic as they would like all to believe.
The easiest way to support political prisoners such as these is to write them letters of support
and if you can, donate to their legal and commissary
funds. The Sabot lnfoshoppe on the second floor of
SEM I plans to hold prisoner writing parties throughout the year.. look out for flyers .
Check www.greenisthenewred.com
for info on individual prinsoners .
----
The Green Scare has been horrific for the
victims of this police repression. Bill Rodgers of
Prescott, Arizona was found dead in his cell two
weeks after his arrest. The FBI labeled Rodgers the
leader of the ELF and mastermind of the arsons that
had caused upwards to $20 million. Eric McDavid
received 19 years for "conspiracy to destroy property by means of fire or explosives" a euphemism for
thoughtcrime. In reality, a paid informant known as
Anna was paid $75,000 to fabricate a crime and implicate whoever fell into the net. Both of McDavid's
co-defendants Zachary Jenson and Lauren Wiener
plead guilty for lesser charges and agreed to testify
against Eric. The result is a person who committed
no crime is now in prison for two decades.
Activist Jonathan Paul received 4 years and
3 months. Activist Joynna Zacher (Sadie) of Olympia received 7 years and 8 months. Activist Nathan
Block (Exile) of Olympia also received 7 years and
3 months. Brianna Waters, the once coordinator for
the Evergreen Animal Rights Network and now a
mother, professional musician , and violin teacher,
was sentenced to 6 years for a crime she was not
even at. She was named as a lookout to an arson by
two people facing hefty prison sentences with hopes
1
.,
Ex-Greener Briana Waters was sentenced to 6 years, later
turned informant.
Security Culture 101
A security culture is a set of customs shared by a co11111Hmity whose me111bers may engage in illegal or unwanted activities, the practice of
which 111ini111izes the 1isks of such activities. The 111ainfocus of a security culture is keepmg information about illegal activities private and
between involved 111dividuals only. - From Wikiped,a
The core premise of establishing a culture of security is not letting be known what need not be known. If
a community has a strong sense of security culture, it matters less who's phones are tapped, what houses are bugged,
or who is or isn't wired because the information received
will not lead the feds to anything that can meaningfully
implicate individuals.
Radical and activist communities are no place
for "I'm more anarchist/militant/serious-about-the-causethan-you" posturing. If one commits illegal acts, the least
amount of people possible should know (if you are working in a cell or affinity group). Don't casually throw around direct action ideas in
public if you potentially want to try them
in the future. Don't talk about about illegal things you've done or hint at why
you've dropped out of mainstream actions.Bragging, directly or implied, is
simply dumb when anything you say can
be held against you in court.
Security culture is not guessing
who did what and when. There is no place
for gossip when running your mouth
can lead to someone being indicted by
a grand jury and facing years in prison.
The feds don't really care if they have the
"right" person or not. On the contrary,
government repression is about instilling
fear in radical and activist communities,
not bringing people to "justice." They'll
use that gossip whether or not it's even
remotely true.
The police and the FBI (and depending on the
situation, CIA and NSA) become interested in activities
when they begin to meaningfully challenge the homogeny of power and business as usual. Radical environmental and animal activists (such as the Earth Liberation Front
[ELF] or Animal Liberation Front [ALF]) are considered
the number one domestic terrorist threat, while crazy militant anti-gay and anti-abortion groups are silently left out
of the equation.
That being the reality, if you take part in radical
activist activities, it is best to assume there may be an informant in the room, that your phone is tapped, and that
your emails are being read, whether or not it may be true.
SO WHAT DOES SECURITY CULTURE LOOK LIKE?
Security culture is never talking to the police or
FBI about anythmg. Ever. Evening the most seemingly innocuous question will be used against you or your friends.
Know your rights as a citizen. The FBI will do whatever
they can to scare the shit out of you and make you talk.
The majority of what they say is posturing and they will
have no qualms lying to your face nor do they have to do
what they say they will if you do talk. They are trying to
intimidate you and pesuade you.
Security culture looks like having your friends and allies'
backs. If your friend or someone m your community gets
snatched and is in jail, it is your duty to
support that person. Jail and prison are
about breaking people and is a political tool that is used to scare and coerce
people into becorrung informants. Jail
and prison are about isolating you. Write
letters, keep up to date about where they
are being transferred to. Go to court hearings. Mal<e sure they are getting treated
well. Fundraise for their legal defense.
And show they are not forgotten .
Security culture looks like being aware
of who is and who isn't reliabfe- especially when planning illegal activities.
How long have you know the people you
are working with? What is their nistory
in the community? Can it be traced and
verified? Are they level-headed and responsible or do they have something to
prove? Where is sensitive information to
be kept?
Work with reliable and experienced
friends you trust. Informants, snitches
and infiltrators have been a part of the history of radical
movements around the worla. But, don't get overly paranoid. The feds would love nothing more than for radical
and activist communities to turn into neurotic, scared, isolated groups of people too afraid to attempt to do anything
at all ilisobedient.
The best defense to government repression is
having strong, healthy, loving communities ofresistance.
We should strive to build longstanding communities of
interwoven relationships that span time, multiple communities, nations and even landmasses. The more interwoven
our communities, the harder they are to unwind and infiltrate. Security culture is to activism what a condom is to
sex. Its for the safety of you and your partner(s), so don't
forget it!
•
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
1. You have the constitutional right to remain silent. You 8. You do not have to let officers without a warrant into
do not have to talk to law enforcement or anyone else your home, nor do you have to answer their questions.
even if you do not feel free to walk awax, or if you Enforcement cannot get a warrant based on your reare arrested or in jail. You cannot be punisned for not fusal, nor can they punish you for refusing consent.
speaking. It is smart to talk to a lawyer before answering any questions. Only a judge
9. If officers insist on searchc;an order you to answer ques- 11:i do not. consent. t.o ing your home do not interfere
wfth the search in any way, but
tIons.
,..,m going:
.
a, sea.reh . ,.
clearly say you have not give_n
consent
and that the search Is
2. The only two ex~eptions to
t.o
remain
silent..
J:
not answering questions are. in
against your wishes. Get names
-.,va,nt, t.o speak t.o a, and badge numbers of searchsome states _you must provide
your name If you are stopped
ing officers and contact a lawla."Wyer."
and told to ic/entifv yourself. You
yer immediately.
are not required fo answer any
other questions. Second, if );'.OU
10. If you give consent to a
are driving and pulled over 'for a traffic violation you search, officers do not need to get The court's permisare required to show license, registration and insur- sion to do a search. Police may search your car but
ance, out nothing else.
only the area within reach and in containers that could
conceivably contain a weapon (not the Altoids tin
3. You have the constitutional right to talk to a lawyer you have your weed stashed in). Smelling something
before answering questions regaraless if police tell you Is not grounds for a search (though a K9 unit smelling
about that right, even if you ao not have a lawyer. If sometning is). Thex must have a warrent to look in the
you do make sure you have a business card on you
truck. Always say you do not consent to the
to show the officer and ask to call your lawyer.
search.
Remember to get the name, agency, and telephone number of any law enforcement who
11. If law enforcement knocks on
visits you and give tnat information to your
the door, do not OP,en it. Instead, ask
lawyer.
through the door 1f they have a warrant. n the answer is no, then do not
let them into your home and do not
4. Anything Y.OU say to law enforcement can
be used against you and others. Lying is a
answer any questions or sax anything
crime, butoeing silent is not. Even 1f you another than " f do not want to talk to you.
syvered some. questions you can choose to be
If thex do have a warrant ask it fo be
silent at any time.
slippea under the door, or shown through
a P,eephole window, or a door that is open
5. If enforcement threatens to get a subpoena
only enough to see the warrant. If you open
you sti 11 do not have to answer any questhe aoor to see the warrant, shut the door
tions right there and then. If you are subbehind you and ask for the warrant. Make
poenaea contact a lawyer right away.
sure the warrant contains the judges name
You must follow the subpoena's diand signature, your name and correc1 address,
rections about where and when to
the date, place to be searched, a description
report to court but you still do not
of any items being searched for, and the name
have to say anything.
of the agency that is conduction the search or
arrest. An arrest warrant that does not have
6. If asked to meet with officers
your name may still be validly used for your
for a "counter-terrorism interarrest if it describes you enough to identify
view" you have the right to say
you, and a search warrant that aoes not have
no, to have an attorney r,resyour name may still be valid if it gives the
ent, to set the time and place
correct address and description of fhe place
of interview, to find out the
to be searched. A warrant that is a "warrant
Ruestions they will ask beforeof removal/deportation" does not give the
Hand, and to answer only the
officer the authority to enter your home.
questions you feel comfortable
If you say the warrant is not complete or
answering. If taken into cusaccurate, say you do not consent to the
search. But, do not interfere if the offitody you _still have the right to
remain silent. Never assume
cers decide to do the search even after
that anything you say is off the
you told them they are mistaken. Call a
record and TI: is a criminal oflawyer as soon as P,Ossible. Ask if you
are allowed to watch the search. If you
fen_se to knowingly lie to an
officer.
are allowed you should take notes1 including names badge number, wnich
7. You do not need to answer
agency each officer is from, where they
any questions if you are shown
searclied and what they took. Have any
a warrant.
other people present act as witnesses.
HELL YEAH
63
'1'111~ 01.YHPIA \T-l)J-\Y UPIUSING
.~
Make Destro
B
During the your first few weeks at Evergreen, you'll
Sadly, this reality is no exception to the rule. Mos
notice some Bank of America (BOA) representatives. These banks, and especially the big ones, routinely invest in opera
people are super friendly and they talk a big talk. They'll prom- tions that are either bad for humans , the planet, or both. Well
ise you free checking and lots of convenience. With the ATMs Fargo, for instance, is one of the single largest stockholders i
on campus and the numerous locations around Olympia to serve the GEO group, which owns and operates private prisons an
you, banking with BOA can seem pretty appealing. Before you detention centers like the one in Tacoma known for its abuses
make this decision, or even decide to make a donation (that to immigrant detainees . And banks in general are shisty as fuck,
is, pay the ATM surcharge), here are some things you should They'll do anything to make a buck. Just look at the current
know.
financial crisis we're dealing with, brought about by super rich
In 2007, BOA began to tout an environmental platform banks feeding off the poorest people ti! the candy coated housin which they will, "support environmentally sustainable busi- ing bubble popped . Internationally, the World Bank and IMF
ness . .. and to address global climate change."
routinely scheme together to "invest" in poor countries to supYet, as par usual, the high and mighty rhetoric masks posedly pull them out of squalor. When, in reality, the heavy
policies that achieve the opposite. Bank of America calls itself fees and infrastructural changes they impose in return for their
a leader in the fight against climate change because they've loans leave many countries " helped" by these institutions more
pledged 2% of the companies $1.1 trillion in assets to fighting indebted and less likely to provide for themselves than when
climate change spread out over the next 10 years. Yet, BOA they first cried out.
Banks are totally fucked. So what's the alternative?
continues to be one of the largest financiers of coal, which attributes 40% of annual Greenhouse gas emissions.
Well, if you can't stuff it all under the mattress , the next best opBank of America has also invested billions of dollars tion is a credit union . Credit unions, unlike banks, are owned by
into companies that practice Mountaintop Removal (MTR) such their members and are nonprofit. They offer competitive interest
as Massey Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources . rates, usually beating the best rates from local banks.They are
MTR is a method of getting coal by literally blowing off the open to all members of the community and directly accountable
tops of mountains, causing horrific ecological damage to hu- to them. Members are not simply clients and they are not just
mans and non-humans alike.
beneficiaries of a small loan fund . They are shareholders with a
Bank of America has also financed billions of dollars political voice in the institution that holds their savings .
Locally, the Washington State Eminto more than 150 new coal-fired power plants throughout the
US. Such clients include Peabody Energy, the largest coal min- ployee's Credit Union (WSECU) and Tulip
ing company on the planet. Thus, BOA is financing hundreds Cooperative Credit Union are your best
of millions of tons of new CO2 emissions every year. Each of options. Tulip was started as a indethe proposed 150 coal plants would add between 600 million pendent learning contract aby TESC
and I .I billion tons of additional CO2 emissions each year, thus students , is run by the Food Co-Op
making moot every other effort currently being purposed to (see map in back for locations), and
fight climate change.
is super badass.
The Environmental Resource Center
1.
.
is _w_orkin,g with WashPirg, Olym_pia
,
Rising Tide and th~ Cascade Ch·'-\:}.;'•l}/F.fj,:.-_-:{' ,
mate Network to kick BOA off
,:-' ~ ~ ._··'.· ~-.
of campus and bring in a local
·.-~:-.- · ···- ~
),:l:i}J.N/1,
.- ·-Jr~;,
c~~ii:1:;~~1E:ii lt.~J
Gentrification is the rebuilding or changing of an
area, neighborhood, or city to suit both the desires of the
- generally small amount of affiuent people living there and
the wants of those (wealthy folks) who would live in said area
e if changes were made. Gentrification discounts the needs of
n the majority of the people who already live in an area. In
many cases it ultimately displaces people already living there
through a variety of ways. This includes driving up property
- values (making it impossible for low income people to live
there and middle income people to own businesses), tearing
, down old affordable housing units to make way for new luxury housing units, the creation of stricter anti-homeless laws,
and the introduction of high-end chain stores that drive out
local shops.
Olympia is changing and with every new city council meeting it is becoming more and _m ore gentrified. This change is
happening throughout downtown and is most apparent by
the building of new luxury condos, stricter anti-homeless
laws, and the construction of a new city hall.
The Olympia Downtown Association (ODA) is
a non-profit organization which works to benefit the few
well-off business owners in downtown Olympia. The ODA
(which includes less then a quarter of downtown business
owners) often claims to speak for downtown business as a
whole and uses this claim to promote various harmful and
oppressive causes. The ODA has been working to gentrify
downtown through the promotion of anti-homeless laws, the
promotion of luxury condos, and the promotion of high-end
business, the regulating of public art, and taking a "tough on
crime" stance.
Actual crime downtown as documented by the
Olympian and the police department has remained fairly
constanr-and was never really high. Still, fear of crime and
fear of'others' is the flames fanned for decades by the ODA.
Unfortunately, the ODA and the actual residents of downtown seem to have much different ideas about what an "improved" downtown is.
Recent moves made by the ODA to "improve", or attempt to improve, downtown:
1986: Criminalization of skateboarding
1987: Outlawing of teen dance clubs
1990: Criminalization of loud car stereos
1991 : Outlawing of"cruising"
1993: Criminalization of "aggressive pan handling"
1994/1995: Attempted stop of transitional housing for
homeless
1995: Proposed criminalization of car camping
1995: Proposed outlawing of fortified wine (against the
homeless)
1996: Outlawing of OAPP Needle Exchange
1996/1997: Attempted banning of sitting on the sidewalk
1999/2000: Criminalization of graffiti and lobbying against
designated "graffiti walls"
2000/2001: Proposed public financing of a massive Convention Center downtown
2001 /2002: Proposed criminalization of car camping and
camping, proposed outlawing of fortified wine, proposed
ban on pan handling
2002/2003: Proposed public financing of a massive Convention Center downtown
2005: PBIA/BID (Parking Business Improvement Area/Business Improvement District) passed
2005/2006: Continued attempts to rid downtown of graffiti
and loitering
2006:Supports sidewalk ordinance which makes it illegal to
sit, lie, vend, or solicit within six feet of the edge of a building
2008: Publicly came out in favor of the water front rezone
which would allow for the building of high rise condos,
"strongly recommends that the Council support the Planning
Commission's position in favor of the height amendment';
ODA.
2008: Supports RV ordinance, an ordinance designed so that
unhoused people can't sleep in their RV's on city streets
2009: Continued Public support of waterfront rezone
2009:Creation of Sunday Sweep, an event to clean up downtown (including grafitti). This event will go along with the
OD A's twice a year "city clean up"
2009: Adapts a new nationally tested model of city planning
know as "Main Street''. Intended to economically restructure
downtown, "beautify" downtown, and make downtown
"safer"through continued cooperation with the police.
the Anti-Homelessness Trend
Over the last five years, the Olympia City Council
has passed severe anti-homeless legislation. This legislation is selectively enforced, only targeting those who the
police assume to be unhoused. The intention of these laws
is to keep unhoused people out of downtown Olympia. It
is city council's hope that more people with more money
will come to our city if they (the wealthy) do "not have to
deal" with unhoused people. This is part of gentrification :
ridding the city of those who live here to suit the wants of
those who someday may live here and whose money will
benefit the already wealthy.
In 2006, The Side Walk Ordinance--originally
proposed in 1996--was passed . The ordinance makes it
illegal to sit, lay, vend, or solicit within six feet of the edge
of a building . Basically, this law makes it illegal for unhoused people to sit, ask for money, play music, and/or
sleep downtown. This law is targeted at unhoused people
and is only enforced on unhoused people*.
In 2008, the RV Ordinance was passed making it illegal for RVs to be parked on city streets at night.
This was created so that people do not sleep in there RVs
downtown at night. In a town with so few public shelters,
if you tell someone who has an RV that they can't sleep
it in town, you are basically saying that they can't sleep
in town. It is yet another attempt to push people who are
unhoused away from downtown.
The City Council has been having a profound
negative effect on the unhoused communities of Downtown Oly, but they are not the only negative force. A contingent of the downtown business community, general behavior of the Olympia city government and Olympia Police
Department, and the difficulty of receiving social services,
coupled with recent cuts in services, add to the mistreatment of unhoused peoples.
For example, some members of the downtown
business community will call the police if a person is sitting in front of their store, will refuse restroom access,
enact No Trespass orders, and join organizations
such as the ODA, which lobbies for anti-homeless legislation.
The cops go through cycles of targeting encampments of unhoused people
and arresting the residence of said camps
and doing street sweeps.**
This new legislation, along with
an already oppressive environment,
makes living downtown increasingly more difficult for unhoused
people. As allies, there are some
things that we can do to stop
these trends and make Olympia a
safer place for all of its residence:
1) Holding city council people accountable for passing legisla
tion and fighting to reverse it.
2) Holding downtown business owners accountable for the·
treatment of unhoused people. Holding them accountabl
if they don't allow people to use their awnings or restrooms
Holding them accountable if they call the cops on unhouse
people who are sitting on the sidewalk in front of their stores.
3) Fighting gentrification as a whole in Olympia. The mor
gentrified a town is, the less services there are for unhouse
people. The more gentrified a town is the more anti-homeles
laws there will be.
4) Participate in harm reduction services through commu
nity groups. There are many amazing organizations in down
town Olympia who do work with unhoused people (e.g. N
Gap*** and EGYHOP****). Both groups are community r
and funded and believe in the self determination of those the
serve.
*There have been times when unhoused folks and housed folk
had been standing in the same area engaging in a conversatio
with each other and cops have come by and ticketed the un
housed people in the group and left the housed people alone.
**Street Sweeps are when the police kick unhoused people o
the streets and often arrest them
***No Gap is a low barrier (will serve anyone who wants thei
services, regardless of financial, addiction, legal or mental healt
status) advocacy outreach program that operates in Downtow
Oly They believe in working for people to get wha
they want. They are always looking for more vol
unteers and do monthly trainings on outreac
and advocacy work. olynogap@gmail.com
****EGYHOP's mission is to bring ba
sic resources, emergency interven
tion, information about services, smal
meals, basic items to ease life o
the streets, and friendly faces t
empower members of the street
population in Olympia. This popu
la/ion includes, but is not limite
to, disenfranchised youth and unhoused or low-income folks. Fo
the past eight years, two people
go out on bikes every night with
carts full of outreach supplies
to the streets of downtown
Olympia. Donation boxes are
located around town and the
Evergreen campus, the largest of which is by Bike & Bike
in Dumpster Values thrift shop
downtown. EGYHOP is a project of Done & Done. Mail donations to: PO Box 6382, Olym- .
pia, WA 98507
•
I
SIGNS OF THINGS To COME
CONDOS
The City Government, The ODA, condo developers, and two small
citizens groups are pushing to build several different mixed use (residential
and commercial) high-end properties in downtown Olympia. The proponents
' of these buildings say they will bring in rich people who will spend money
downtown thus revitalizing the downtown economy, and thereby benefiting
all of us. This argument equates to trickledown economics, which history has
shown does not work.
What will actually happen if these buildings are built is that property values will go up downtown, making it so that people who already live
downtown will no longer be able to pay their rent. Storefront rent will also
go up. This, coupled with the competition that will come from the big name
high-end stores that will inhabit the commercial sections of these buildings,
will make it so that already excising, locally-owned businesses will likely go
out of business. Due to the rise in property values, police presence will increase, this will mean an increase in enforcing anti-homeless legislation and
will further work to push unhoused people from the city. In short, building
luxury mixed use structures will displace those who already live downtown
and make the city a home designed for people who do not currently live
here.
Currently there are several condo projects in the works. The shell
of one high-end structure was recently completed near Adams and Union
1 downtown. Another is the building of a "market rate* mixed use" structure
on Columbia between 4th and 5th downtown. The building will include highend housing and expensive storefront space. Both of these projects have
slipped relatively under the radar and work on these projects has begun with
little to no protest. But that is not the case for all attempts to build high-rise
condos downtown.
In spring 2008, the development firm Tri-way proposed legislation
to raise the building height limits on the Isthmus so that they could build
, condos there costing .8-1.2 million dollars per unit. This issue became a huge
public controversy with democrats who did not want the water front views
and the environment to be destroyed teaming up with anti-gentrification
radicals to spread the word about the legislation and condos. The groups
petitioned, flyered, made their own media, and spoke up at public forums
while some people launched a vandalism campaign against the developers.
The groups got the city council to hold public forums on the issue. By the last
public forum, over three hundred people came to speak against the condos,
with less than 40 coming to speak in their favor. In the end, the city council
voted for the rise BUT all the outreach work payed off. The state decided that
the view the condos would block is an issue for them. Now the decision is up
to the State Senate, and even if they vote to allow the building and Tri-way
is still interested in perusing this project, at that point it will be held up in
legislation for quite a while giving us time to restructure our strategy.
The campaign showed us that unlikely alliances and a diversity
of tactics can halt and even stop the construction and inhabitance of these
buildings and that we should not give up. It is up to all of us to learn more
about the other condo projects that have begun so that we can figure out
ways to either stop their construction or change the building's use. Keep
your ears and eyes open as new campaigns start all the time. Do research
and get to talking with other local activist to either join in a campaign to stop
condos or start your own.
* "Market rate" does not mean affordable. Tri-way enterprise uses the term market rate to describe condos that range between $.8-1.2 million.
nu: NIW CITY IIALL
On 4th Ave in downtown
Olympia, between Cherry and Chestnut,
The New City Hall is being built. Construction began May 2009 and is slated
for completion January 2011. The cost of
the building was originally estimated to
be $35.6 million but may end up costing
more. There was never a public outcry
for this building nor was there referendum passed saying that the citizens of
Oly want a new city hall. The city council and their committees decided that it
was a necessity for the city. Their official
reason being that there are a few city
offices that, due to lack of space in the
current city hall, are in buildings around
downtown and the city wants all of the
offices to be together.
The new city hall is part of
changing the face of downtown Olympia to appeal to a few people and people
who may live here in the future. The
new city hall will fit city officials' vision
of the future. Currently, the city hall and
jail share a building. With the building of
the new city hall, the jail, police station,
probation office and other offices relating to "criminal justice" will be taking
over the entirety of the old city hall. This
will allow space for the jail and police
stations to grow. It will also consolidate
all departments of the "criminal justice"
system in Olympia. This will allow the
city to become "tougher on crime."
Changing the face of our city
and creating the infrastructure for a
stronger criminal justice department
are tell tale signs that gentrification is
hitting our city. More than anything else,
the new city hall is a symbol of the gentrifying of Olympia and the changing of
a really great city.
There has been a lot of anger
downtown about the new city hall. But
there hasn't been very much action
taken about it. It's a hot topic and most
people you talk to downtown agree that
it's a waste of money and a sign of things
to come. Keep your eyes open for flyers.
There are a few info campaigns that
will be starting up soon that would love
more people to work with.
Olympia is a great place filled with wonderful people and business owners who are trying harq
to do the right thing. But there are many businesses downtown that work against unhouse
folks, female bodied folks, and the Oly community in general. Below is a list of some of th
worst businesses in Olympia. This is not a complete list of all that is wrong in the Oly busines
world, just those businesses with multiple strikes against them.
69
1. The first resolution calls for The Evergreen State College Foundation to divest from companies that profit
from Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, as part of instituting a socially responsible investment policy.
z. The second resolution calls on the College to ban the use of Caterpillar, Inc. equipment from campus.
While other US colleges have passed similar divestment resolutions, these are the first of such resolutions
passed by direct vote by an entire student body. Additionally, the student government unanimously passed
its own resolution strongly supporting the measures.
Divestment has been a popular tool employed at college campuses nationwide to protest South African
apartheid and other human rights abuses around the world. It was only natural that divestment would be
used to work .toward an end to the oldest existing military occupation, Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine
- and to target the corporations that profit from the illegal occupation.
The second resolution targets the Caterpillar Corporation, which is responsible for knowingly selling equipment for war crimes and military use against a civilian population, despite calls to cease sales by Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations. Israeli military officials have acknowledged that Caterpillar is a "key weapon" in its continuing occupation of Palestine. Activists worldwide
have waged a campaign for several years to hold Caterpillar accountable.
Evergreen senior Rachel Corrie was killed in 2003 by a weaponized Caterpillar bulldozer as she attempted to
prevent the demolition of a civilian Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to claim that Corrie
was not run over by the armored bulldozer, contradicting every eyewitness testimony.
The resolutions have received broad support outside of the campus, including an endorsement by Jewish
Voice for Peace. Organizers also received a touching letter of support by students in the Gaza Strip, who
wrote, "We strongly believe that through steadfast campaigns and grassroots efforts, those dissident voices
- people of conscience and bravery - will be victorious."
The resolutions passed overwhelmingly, with 79.5 percent of participating students voting for the divestment resolution and 71 .8 percent voting for the Caterpillar resolution. This election marked the largest
student voter turnout since the creation of Evergreen's student union.
"In passing these resolutions, students at Evergreen are sending a clear message to the administration that
we want a socially responsible investment policy with an unwavering commitment to human rights," said
student organizer Noor Salah.
70
The resolutions were inspired by similar initiatives by students at UC Berkeley, Hampshire College, and University of Michigan-Dearborn, and following a letter of encouragement from Desmond Tutu. These steps are
part of a greater international movement that seeks to find nonviolent solutions to ending the Palestine/
Israel conflict.
Nearly 2 years later, On June 4, 2012, The newly opened Flaming Eggplant Cafe, a student worker collective
at The Evergreen State College (TESC), formally announced its decision to boycott Israeli goods, becoming
the most recent business to join the growing international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BOS) movement.
According to the Flaming Eggplant's mission statement, one of the cafe's goals is to "nourish the local food
system by making delicious, healthy, ecologically and socially just food accessible to all." In its statement
of principles, the collective also expresses its commitment to "supporting political participation and direct
action to create a just and egalitarian society." Office Coordinator Cris Papaiacovou said, "We came to a
consensus as a collective to support the Palestinian civil society call for BOS because it is directly in line with
our mission and statement of principles." He added, "We are proud to join this non-violent movement to
pressure Israel until it ends its human rights violations against Palestinians." .
It has been more than three years since the passage of the resolution calling for the Evergreen State College
to divest from Israel's continued occupation of Palestine, and still the board of trustees at the college insist
that there is nothing they can do to proceed with divestment and continue to serve up excuses to Evergreen
students. Evergreen is hoping that their students will just forget about the vote to divest and ignore the
school's
current
policy of completely disregarding it's student body's wishes. During the upcoming year, TESC
Divest will will continue to harass and hold the Evergreen
St ate
College's board of trustees accountable to the
students they serve, while also highlighting the
plight of Palestinians and the role the college
and our government plays in upholding Israeli
, apartheid.
D9 (armoured/weaponized) Catapiller destroying Palestinian land. '
You mav have heard of all the fracking
oing on in t1ie east coast and the controversy over it. Fracking
6r more specifically hydraulic fracking is the process of injecting
chemica l filled water, or fracking fluid, into a well drilled into the
round at high pressure. The force at which the fracking fluid is
(orced into the ground causes the rock to fracture and the natural
gas and oil held inside to be released as proppants (small ceramic
pieces) hold open the rock. The fluid that comes up is held in open-air ponds allowing it to evaporate before being t aken to a water treatment facility or dumped on the road.
Besides making oil and gas more available to pollute our air the process of extracting it is very dirty and has
many health risks to the people and the environment.
There are 80-300 tons of up to 600 types of chemicals used per well including known carcinogens and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, lead, uranium, mercury, radium,
methanol, hydrochloric acid, and formaldehyde. Only 30-50% of the toxic wastewater from fracking is recovered
from a well.These chemicals end up leaking into the aquifers, contaminating the water and crops grown near by.
The wastewater that is recovered from the well is first evaporated to release VOCs, then placed in condensate
tanks to steam offVOCs. This is done 7 days a week, 24 hours a day."As the VOCs are evaporated and come into
contact with diesel exhaust from trucks and generators at the well site, ground level ozone is produced. Ozone
plumes can travel up to 250 miles."The ozone is a respiratory irritant that causes breathing problems among
other symptoms. Children especially who often play outside are at a high risk,"their lungs are still developing, th ey breathe more air per ' pound of body weight, and they are less likely to notice symptoms."
Radioactive tracers are
fractures have occurred in
"Trade-secret exemptions
sometimes placed in the fluid pumped into the well to determine where the
the rock, but only so much is known about the chemicals used in fracking.
block information on more than five ingredients for every well in Texas."
So how are we involved?
Proppants are pieces of
into the wells to help hold .
typical well uses about 3 1_·
The proppants that are used in fracking are being shipped through our port.
sand covered in ceramic to make them stronger. The proppants are pumped
the fractures in the rock open allowing oil and gas to escape more easily. A
million pounds of proppants.
The proppants are from
that is making them is in
of Olympia where they
in each month to our
Olympia is the
supporting the
pants to come
Ceramics,
business
"We
a Houston, Texas based company called Rainbow Ceramics but their factory
China. So these proppants are made in China then shipped here to the port
- ~ - go by train to North Dakota. Currently there is about one shipment coming
• port.
}J. l'i,
.. 1-Y~
. only port in the country that proppants are being shipped through. We are
continuation of fracking and the destruction of lands by allowing the prop;/i.
into our port. Mark Chang, the U.S. director of operations for Rainbow
~
the company behind the proppants, hopes to at least triple the original
by the end of this year and make an example of the port of Olympia.
were the first big (ceramic proppants) business to come into the U.S.
and into Puget Sound," he said."When other companies see the
success that we're having here, I would expect
more to follow." As a community we need to
stand up and say no to fracking. Don't let them
use us as an example for other ports to import
harmful materials.
People have been attending the port commissioners bimonthly meetings trying
to get them to stop allowing the shipments of proppants in.There have been to
steps taken by the port commissioners to
change so know 1t is up to the community to
make known that this is not what we want to
see happening in our port.
"The goal of Port Militarization Resistance is to end our community's participation in the illegal occupation of Iraq by stopping
the US military's use of the Port of Olympia." - From Olympia PMR's mission statement
PMR was started by Olympia radicals that understood
that congress would not end US imperialism and that direct action was the only option available that has a proven track record.
A new President did not end the wars . Endless solemn marches
did not end the wars, countless hours of bearing moral witness
did not end the war, and a million candles did not end the war.
(Not by themselves, anyway.) Only popular direct action, bold
and uncompromising, can end genocide.
All across this imperial motherland they call America, civilian
port cities are being used to fuel the war machine. Munitions
and war vehicles (including the infamously easy-to-blow-up
Stryker armored transport) continued to be shipped out of publicly owned ports. Ports just like the Port of Olympia, the Port
of Tacoma, and the Port of Grays Harbor. But this opportunity
to oppose the bloodshed did not go unnoticed.
Port Militarization Resistance was direct action against the
occupation of Iraq. PMR organized around opposing military
shipments through local ports as a means of cutting off material support for the wars. This is achieved through a spectrum
of tactics, including street demos, civil disobedience, and court
challenges. While the military is loathe to relent in its quest to
murder every living thing everywhere, local Port Commissioners (who are not beholden to the military) can be made to see
that working with the military isn't as profitable as it may have
initially seemed.
PMR, the organization, was founded in June 2006 by Justice
and Peace activists, and it maintained a singular focus of opposing war shipments. PMR has succeeded in kicking the military
out of the Port of Olympia and delayed shipments at numerous
other ports in the northwest.
A BRIEF TIMELINE OF PMR ACTIONS
2006 - People in Olympia set up blockades at the
Port of Olympia. At one point 22 pear.le laid down in
front of strykers and were consequently arrested, thus
setting a new standard for port resistance. They cost
the port and the city over $26,000.
March 2007 - The US military planned to ship
strykers out of the port ofTacoma . For 11 days people
resisted. Hundreds of people, from Bellingliam to
Portland, came to resist.
This r.ort protest saw an escalation of tactics. People
tore down fences and used materials to build blockades in the port. The police came out in force night
after night. They arrested and beat i;:,rotesters. The c ity
and the port ended up losing over $500,000 .
May 2007 - The military used the Port of Grey's
Harbor in Aberdeen to snip strykers. The city was
so afraid of protest that it increased security to new,
heightened levels. Nothing was blocked, but the city
spent ov1:;r_ $1 OOhQOO in security and wi II not longer
accept military s Ipments.
November 2007 - Strykers were coming back from
Iraq through the Port of Olympia. Over 50 people sat
down, forming a human barricade that the police did
not have the immediate power to move. After the people
sat, other activists tied fences behind them, creating a
barricade and strengthening the block. Another group of
activ ists went to the back entrance of the port, where it
was decided that a barricade would be bui lt, and people
would sit in front of it when police came to tear in down.
These two blockades started the holding of the port and
the stopping the United States Army for 18 hours. The
two entrances were held through the night and broken
up brutally by riot police in the morning, but the protesters carried on and took it to the streets. At strategic intersections barricades were built and at the on-ramp to the
73
worked together and got shit done.
August 2008 - The military came back to Tacoma to
attempt to move strykers from Iraq back to Fort Lewis.
Numbers were small due to the time of year, but significant developments were made
On the first night, two wimmin attempted to get in front
of a police line to stop stykers. While they aidn't succ~ed, it set <;>ff a chain of events. The next night protesters
did something that had not yet been seen auring PMR:
they brought resistance to Fort Lewis. Protesters successfully blocl<ed the entrance to Fort Lewis, the second largest military base on the West Coast.
highway a group of activists locked themselves together
using a locl<box.
several days later, protesters came to the port to find
that the train tracks had been cemented a tactic that
caused those strykers traveling by train to be delayed for
2 weeks.
The next morning, a group of protesters sat down in front
of military equipment stopping it for the day. In the early
evening, protesters learned that police were gathering at
the local station. Tf)e protesters moved quicl<ly. A group
of wimmin took the front entrance while another group
of protesters stayed at the back entrance to make sure
strykers didn't move from the front.
The wimmin inspired a large media presence, including
live feed, and forced the police to change their tactics.
The police, who had used dispersement techniques such
as diemical weapons and pain compliance all week, arrested each womyn one by one. When all of the wimmin who were taking part in the action were arrested,
the news vans pullea out and the riot police began to
gas the fri:m t entrani::e and strykers. The police attempted to disperse with
chemical
weapons,
less lethal weapons
and flash bangs. The
protesters kept in front
using their bodies and
fauna objects, including dumpsters and sail
boats to prevent the
strykers from moving.
That night, peopre
stalled strykers, broke
police cars and bank
windows and held
strong in the face of
!ntense police brutality.
Over the course of
ten days, protesters
in Olympia stopped
the military numerous
times, twice for over
ten hours. People of
different
ideologies
The next night, people used lockboxes to lock themselves togetlier when they went back to the Fort. The local police didn't know what to do with the lockboxes.
The protesters s~ut down the ~ain gate to Fort Lewis,
effectively blocking stryker vehicles for 20 min.
Port of Tacoma 2008 was the smallest port action seen
in the last year. However, it is important to point out its
successes. It brought our strategy to a different level by
b!ocking \he fort a~d it go~ organizations doing their first
direct action and, in that, 1t built ties between NW activists who had never even considered working together.
These ties will help resistance in the NW grow.
There has not been any PMR actions of note since 2008
(mainly due to the fact that the US military has not dared
to returned to Olympia since 2008), but with fracking
materials being shipped through the Port of Olympia and
the spectre of the military trying to make another shipment through the port again, PMR may still be very much
needed and ready for a rebirth.
VIVA PMR!
ON MIGRATION
Contrary to what the right wing pundits spew about
immigration in this county, the causes of mass migration are
very simple and clear. No one willingly leaves their family and
friends to work long days, often times for less than minimum
wage, in conditions that would make most U.S citizens quit. If
one were inclined to leave their land and family they wou ld not
be called migrants, but simply travelers or tourists.
Migration is forced displacement, a wandering search
for better living condit ions. Mass displacement is caused by
wars, famine, or simply the functioning of industrial production
(the destruction of countryside and forests, mass layoffs, and so
on). The economic policies put forth by the capitalists that make
up the U.S government, both Democrats and Republicans, rob
people and families in other countries of their local autonomy.
With trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA and the more
recent SPP, indigenous and rural communities are forced into
giving up their land and resources for the development of the
globa l economy, the proJt of capitalist business abroad, free
trade, and the neo-liberal agenda -for a world where people have
no autonomy over their own resources and absolutely no say in
what happens in their communit ies. This simultaneously forces
workers in those countries who's resources are being exported to
countries far away deeper into poverty.
All of this is a good enough reason to leave your land
and family hoping to make enough money to send home and
feed your children. When your home is under attack from foreign business people with only the dollar on their mind, you Jnd
yourself in a position where you stay and Jght a seemingly unbeatable enemy, or you go to the country that is pushing these
genocidal policies and work, picking their food and cleaning their
homes.
The problem here is not people coming to steal AmeriJ
can jobs; th_e _problem is the destruction of communities abroad: 1
and the policies that starve families far away as wel l as families 1 ,
within this country.
1•
OPERATION ENDGAME
Operation Endgame is an OfTce of Detention and Re
moval Strategic Plan that was passed in 2.004. Within this plan
the ODR (OfTce of Detention and Removal) states that it's mis
sion.is "removing al l removable ali ens." It is their plan to hav
t,!;iis ma's r,emoval of people done byJ.ffiey"ear ·2cfr2i.
~
' t:l~P-h9t1qn_~~99ll_le" tha!_lt,isj1Jrf!R_~ra1~q_ ~
.
.
.
, I
J
--l ,_:' '
•
roundups at factories and secret raids of homes. They claim that
" .. .the alien will be detained in safe, secure and humane environments; he will be transported safely; his movement will be fully
coordinated with his family, legal representative, and country
of origin, whenever appropriate." This has not been the case in
any way what so ever. Not only have there been numerous cases
of sexua l, physical, and mental abuse -even death, within these
facilities, many family members don't Jnd out for weeks what
happened to their loved ones.
ICE DETENTION CENTER
In the tide tats of Tacoma near the Thea Foss,
hidden from the view of the public, lies a Homeland Security Detention Center. The facility has a contract with the
feberal department of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is currently the main detention faci lity in
the northwest. The center can imprison up to 1,000 undocumented workers.
Since 2.004, sixty-four people have died in these detention faci lities around the country. And over 300 people have
became very ill in this local faci lity alone due to food poisoning.
This detention center is run by the Geo Group, a company
that takes pride in calling themselves " ...a world leader in the
privatized development and/or management of correctional
facilities." They " ... design, build, Jnance and manage prisons
worldwide," including prisons in North America, South Africa
Australia, and the U.I<. The mega bank Wells Fargo is one of th~
top Jve share holders of this murderous company, essentia lly
controll in g a good portion of the company . This 1s one of the
two biggest prison companies in the world, as well as one of the
major beneJcianes 1n this plan to rob people of their families and
tear people's li ves apart.
Recently, resistance to the presence of the detention
center in Tacoma has been gaining momentum. A coalition of
students, anarch ists, act1v1sts and co ncerned c1t1zens have held a
series of workshops, marches, beneJts and skillshares in solidar1 : ity wit_h the northwest immigrant community. As the repression
1 , 1ntens1Jes, so must ou r commitment to abolish in g these facili# 1 ties and the systems that keep them running.
I
These detention centers must be closed. Such treatI ment of people forced to leave the ir homeland due to economic
I tyranny reigned on them by the global north is an injustice. The
1
immigrants shou ld be freed.
1
. -_ . . . .
.
,
. - r=~· .:. . .
t..=. =- .
J
~l ·
tt·~
r~
,
. ..-·. •-~
; \--·. -J- ~ -~
- ~ ,. - ,.,-omt,._._..,._,_
May Day is an international holi- hung by the state of Illinois. The trial
day that celebrates solidarity between was by no means a typical "fair" trial; the
workers of the world and is commemo- jury was hand selected by the prosecurated through public celebration intended tion. The Haymarket Martyrs were later
to strengthen unity between all workers. commemorated by the Second InternaMay Day was initially created in North tional in Parts.., calling for an InternationAmerica1 where, ironically, to this day;bit is al Worker's .t1.oliday to be celebrated on
not offioally recognized as a holiday. u:r- May 1st. Many European countries have
ing the 1880s, wlien the tyP,ical workday turned this day into an official holiday.
was 12-16 hours, a protractea struggle was
launched demanding the 8-hour workday:s
Olympia has a rich May Day hiswe're now used to. Protests took place all tory witli events that usually include a
over North _A~erica demanding workers bunch of Evergreen students in the festivrights on this issue. The events came to a ities. These events have had attendance in
flashpoint in Chicago on May 4th, 1886 the thousands and are the largest annually
when a peaceful P,rotest was interrupted occurr~ng politica). gather~n,gs in Olympia.
by a bomb that killed and injured several Sometimes there 1s overm,gfit campmg for
Q_eople, protestors and police included. May Day celebrators witfi festivities goThis event is known as the Hay- ..-~~~.. ing into the night. May Day fias
market affair. The bomb is a mys··
also been a day to create ~erilla
terr. of history - yet, the radical
co_mmunity gardens in OlymleaaershiP. invo1ved in the propia. Every y~ar many ~v~nts
test was 15lamed for the actions
occur on this day, and 1t 1s a
of a zealous individual or
good way of getting clos~r
QOlice saboteur. Eight
to the subculture m
Radicals were perseOlympia. So get out
cuted in order to
.·
on the streets next
disrupt the orga- · '
May 1st and start a
nizat1on of labor;
ruckus!
four of them
76
You Can'l Swing A Dead Cal ,val10ul
llilling A Musician In Olympia
The Olympia music community today is a noisy, vibrant, D.I.Y. smorgasbord that follows in the giant footsteps of
some visionary artists that have called this city home. And now,
lucky you! Here you are, all ready to be a part of it yourself, and
you'll be in good company. The independent music community
in Olympia has been thriving here for years. In fact, this little
pebble of a city happens to be one of the best music communities in the country. We are home to two incredible indie music
labels, I< Records and l<ill Rock Stars, as well as a handful of other
fantastic D.I.Y. labels and collectives. I< Records has been around
since 1982 when Evergreen grad Calvin Johnson formed it and
began recording Oly bands and his own band, Beat Happening.
Beat Happening went on to become a bit of a big-time thing for
DIY music, doing their fair share to put Olympia on everyone's
radar. Since then, I< has become a thriving independent record label that has done a lot of work towards getting many Oly bands
out there and into people's ears. And they've put out a lot of
music! Built to Spill, Old Time Relijun, l<arp, Love as Laughter,
Dub Narcotic Sound System, Beck, Modest Mouse, and so many
more bands to discover!
Many people probably also know Olympia music from
the Jerce riot grrrl movement that came tearing out of here in the
nineties. Revolutionary bands such as Bikini l<ill, Sleater l<inney,
and Bratmobile gave no-bullshit, feminist inspired punk music a
name and made Olympia the epicenter of the movement/sound
that would change music and many lives. Which is, of course,
the point, right? From Bikini l<ill, l<athleen Hannah would go
on to form Le Tigre and Tobi Vail would later become involved
with the label l<ill Rock Stars. l<i/1 Rock Stars has been kicking ass
around here since 1991 when it was formed as a spoken word
label by Slim Moon. Soon enough, it became a label for punk
rock that has since been enormously intuential in the local and
international punk/indie scene. Notable bands include (drum roll
please): Unwound, Sleater l<inney, The Gossip, Deerhoof, Bikini
l<ill, The Decemberists, Thrones, He/la, Gravy Train!!!, The Old
Haunts, etc. You get it right? So much good music!!!
Depsite appearances, Olympia also maintains an assortment of its own local emcees and rap artists. For anyone
not privy to these local legends, Olympia natives Hostalion
have been holding down Oly hip hop for years. Xperience
released Soul Tree a few years ago and is featured on
a Greyskul album. He is also
part of the Stepcousins with
Seattle's Macklemore. Al<A, QStorm, Zhivago, Nicotine and
Compost, and the Saints of
Everyday Failures (whose inner
circle consists of MC's ePrhyme
& D-scribe) are other loca l notables.
Gone but not
forgotten are Resident
Anti-Hero, who moved
on to bigger and better things (such as
cage Jghting) in Eugene, and Glimpse,
who moved to Seattle to become a
professional homeless person.
As for hip hop events, the granddaddy of all others has got to be WORD LIFE which happens downtown
at the Clipper every year. WORD LIFE is a series of shows
featuring local crews and touring acts. Over the last few
years, it has hosted Immortal Technique, 2Mex, Sage Francis,
Awol One, Typical Cats, Pigeon John, Lyrics Born, Vast Aire,
Big Jus, Aceyalone, Dose One, Drunken Immortals, Greyskul,
Existereo, Sleep, Labtekwon, Daddy l<ev, D-Styles and the list
goes on .. .
The only way to fully discover all of Olympia's musical
treasures is to get out there and put yourself into the thick of
things. Meaning, you have to actively participate in this music
community in order to fully appreciate it. But isn't that always
the truth?
If you look hard enough, you'll Jnd Oly's best kept secrets in venues and basements all over this city where new bands
and emcees are blowing minds on the daily. So attend a show
of someone you've never heard before, you may be pleasantly
surprised.
There are venues downtown that host great shows as
well. Of course, there are all the bars which hold shows fairly frequently. Some feature bands often, such as Le Voyeur. But let's
skip these 21+ establishments in this article, shall we? We don't
buy into that ageist crap anyway, right? Olympia boasts a number of great all-ages venues such as The Northern on 4th, the
Eagles Hall, the Midnight Sun, and Traditions. Many are holding
shows most nights of the week and have hosted some amazing
local and touring bands in the past. The music at these venues
varies, too. There are always great hip-hop, punk/indie shows,
dance music, electronic, and the hardcore scene is becoming vibrant (and fun), as well . There's also bluegrass, folk, old time,
and twang music all around, so check it out!
m a n y
a
A quick word to the wise and the wonderful: like
music cities of its kind, Olympia has
bit of a pest problem with hipsters.
Shock! Awe! They may try and
make you think that music is
about points, knowledge, or
insider secrets. In essence, the
will try and suck the soul out
of the art. Don't let them
fool you! Music has always
been, and always will be,
about passion, desire, expressing the mind and the
body through sound and
energy. Please, please don't
I_
become a soul sucker. Let's
·• · .,.,
make Olympia music about
music again.
It all comes down to
the fact that if you want
hear it, you gotta search
it out or make it happen yourself. Make
some noise!
77
Olympia has a great music scene but it's always hidden under a bridge or at the end of a dark alley. Here are
some answers for common questions concerning where to start digging around for the underground.
Where can I see music in Olympia?
There are lots of great places where people of all ages can see music in Olympia. If you're living off campus, some
might even be your neighbors.
Northern: Olympia All Ages Project - an all volunteer-run, diy, all ages show space and art gallery. Northern puts on shows
of all kinds for local artists and touring acts. shows range from intimate audiences of only a few people to full capacity; sweaty
dance parties. Northern is located in a large garage attached to the back of the Fish Tale Brew Pub. From the 5th Ave side
it looks like it is covered in space goo. Halfway between Adams and Jefferson on 5th Ave or Legion Way there is an alley. Go
halfway down the alley then turn down the narrow fenced passageway to reach the "front" entrance. Mornings and afternoons the garage door facing 5th is open, and a coffee shop named Bar Francis operates out of the space.
Le Voyeur - Le Voyeur is a restaurant downtown that is also a bar that also has a room for shows in the very back - through
a dark tunnel of course. Lots of punk and other shows there. They do not start on time.
Traditions - Traditions is cafe and fair-trade shop on the corner of 5th Ave and Water St. They are normally closed in the
evenings but often host performances, jam sessions and sing-alongs. A good place to see bluegrass, folk music, world music,
jazz, or 20 people simultaneously playing ukelele. Its a little pricier then elsewhere, $12-15, but they do offer a low-income or
and student discount on tickets ($8-ro). http://www.traditionsfairtrade.com/pages/tradhome.html
Washington Center For The Performing Arts -The Washington Center or WCPA is a historic theater that was renovated and is now run by a government-funded non-profit. I think. Their season runs from the fall through spring and runs
the gamut from musicals to comedy to symphonies to flamenco. Tickets are normally expensive but go down there the day
of, and they will sell any remaining seats for $10 to anyone with a student ID. http://www.washingtoncenter.org/upcomingevents/
House Shows - The foundation of the Olympia music scene is house shows. You will see some intense and amazing peri~r5::nec:~~~:~use shows. You will also see some weird shit. A~d ou will often run the ris\t bein deaf~ned. I'd inves.t II
The house scene is forever changing. Here is by no means an exhaustive list.
Guest House - The Guest Collective puts on shows from folk to punk (and
of course folk-punk), with friendly, fun, and respectful vibes. Its on the Westside, on
. '\\1, ·
4th Ave. Apple tree out front, shows in the basement. Enter through the front
door.
http://www.guestcollective.org/,
https://~.facebook.com/guestcollecti_ve
:--:;;~ : ~- ."it.-t
Track House - The Track House puts on heavier shows; metal and punk and n01se
·.
· .~:~'..,,-~? and whatnot. It is a Black House (ask someone what that is!). Easy to spot. It is the rundown,
<_'··'
all-black house right next to the train tracks downtown. On 7th Ave between Jefferson and
Cherry. Do not be alarmed by the state of the lawn https://www.facebook.com/track.house.9
ABC House -ABC house is an "historic punk house" if you will. It has been putting
on shows for a while now, probably longer then most ofyou have been alive. Shows in the basement around back. Wall< up the driveway, tum left. Near the base of the ancient tree, descend
the moss-covered staircase, open the creaking portal and enter the dim red-lit cavern.
Rose Home For Folk - Bi-monthly intimate acoustic shows fea-~
turing local and touring acts. No drugs _Qr alcohol permitted. Be punctual. Located on the Westside, near Th~ Coop. https://www.facebook.com/pag- .
/i:.:';-, ~:::}'j;!:;;;: es/Rose-Home-For-Folk/348501035260268,
rosehomeforfoll<.tumblr.com
·[!:J;-:;f_•-,,;;
Little House On The Perry - In the warmer months Pat Maley puts
~on some lovely shows in his backyard. Generally, folk or singer-songwriter stu
:;-'.
This house is on Perry jt1st south of Harrison. Enter around
thro~_gh _t!1,~. _all
>. :·"~
. ~--· :J -~ii
~,i:i:..:~::{?'i:~;:'~
.-
..
.....·--- .
,...;-:
How do I find out about nifty shows?
For those of you who spend time in the physical world, information about shows can be found in plain sight. Fliers of every
variety encrust windows, walls, bulletin boards, and lamp posts about town. Some places that are consistently fliered for
shows include Capitol City Guitars, Kind Solomon's Reef, Rainy Day Records, and the Wall beside the Capitol Theater. Show
info also litters the interwebs. These days most local venues have a website or facebook page or both. Campfire Island, a show
on KAOS, keeps a good show calendar at http://www.campfireisland.org/show-calendar-z/. Check them out on KAOS (89.3)
Saturday nights at ropm.
Ant I doing it right?
A few words on show etiquette. First, DO pay the cover. DO NOT whine about it or try to scam the venue or pay with a
poem or some shit. It costs money to put on shows, to go out on tour, to maintain gear, to pay for noises complaints. I have
never been anywhere that has cheaper shows then Olympia. Without your support none of this can happen. Second, DO
respect the venues. Don't punch holes in the walls, or tag the bathrooms (unless they're cool with that). Respect venue rules.
Some places don't allow drugs and alcohol. If you can't deal with that, don't go to their shows. Finally; the question of when
to arrive for shows. The relationship between the advertised and actual start time of show vary tremendously Figuring out
when to actual show up is one of the hardest parts of going to shows especially house shows where you don't know anyone.
Ultimately; shows start late because they are waiting for an audience, so arriving late can become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
However here's some guestimates for the venues listed here. Northern - 15min to 1hr late Le Voyeur - 1-3hrs late House Shows
- 1hr late unless they are known for punctuality Traditions - pretty on time Washington Center - this is a professional theater
and they start on time.
Northern - 15min to rhr late
Le Voyeur - 1-3hrs late
House Shows - rhr late unless they are known for punctuality
Traditions - pretty on time
Washington Center - this is a professional theater and they start on time.
How do I find local music I like?
Go to shows. Check out bands other people recommend. Check out people's music online, a lot of it is free to stream. Olympia has a lot of little la-~'lllllli~..lll~bels. If you like a band, look up their label and see who else they put out music for.
Some radio shows
pla
'I 1 o c a I music such as the previously mentioned Campfire Island
Indy
Media
inOlytown
w
0
n
D
s
The Disorientation Manual (DisMan)
A compellation of anonymous articles and essays to aquaint
TESC freshmen to the Evergeen and Olympia community in
a way the suits never would. Made by students in the summer for students to get plugged-in in the fall. New content is
always appreciated and encouraged. You can start sending in
submissions for the next issue anytime, but it will not be assembled until summer quearter of 2010. The Sabot lnfoshoppe published this year's manual, contact them at 867-6574 or
evergreeninfoshoppe@riseup.net.
The Sabot lnfosquat
This student group attempts to put out quaterly zines on
whatever. But they'll publish most anything. And I mean anything. You can also go to their space on the second floor of
SEMI and make your own zine with their materials. 867-6574
evergreeninfoshoppe@riseup.net
80
The Cooper Point Journal
The Cooper Point Journal (CPJ) is written, edited, distributed, operated, and mostly funded by students enrolled
atTESC. Any student is welcome to submit any article on
any subject at any time. You can even get paid to work
on the CPJ. SEM II C3105 I 867-6730 Icpj@evergreen.edu
http://cpj.evergreen.edu
The Counter Point Journal
In the spring of 2009, a few people atTESC had come together with an intention of starting a monthly newspaper called the Counter Point Journal (CxPJ). All involved
in the CxPJ's creation had already tried working within
the frameworks provided by the Cooper Point Journal
(CPJ) - but had all eventually realized the many shortcomings of the CPJ. A major failing of the Cooper Point
Journal is that it has been a predominantly professional
and reactionary perspective ; the majority of the front
page articles have been neatly wrapped stories from the
perspectives of figures such as Art Constantino, Andrea
Seabert and Ed Sorger among many other administrators whose job it is to confine the realm of debate and
facilitate the regular development of what has become
the "business of education:'
The CxPJ is guided by the belief that the main
purpose of the media is to act as a check and balance
against the powers that be. When the press fails in this
aspect, it transforms from an instrument of independence and social change to a mouthpiece of oppression
and status-quo. A wholly free, democratically run and
easily accessible press fosters the growth of grassroots
social movements and helps those with the least institutional power use their voice.
If you wish to work with or contribut to the CxPJ
contact tesc.counter.point@gmail.com. Back issues
found at cxpj.wordpress.com.
Slightly West
This annual literary publication is student directed and
includes student and community member work. Contact them at slightlywest@gma il.com
The Ovarian
The Women's Resource Center publishes this annual zine
on various topics. Stop by Student Activities in SEM I for
contact information.
Works In Progress
Works In Progress is a free, volunteer-operated progressive community newspaper based in Oly that has been
publishing for over 15 years. W.1.P.s' mission is to confront injustice and encourage a participatory democracy
based on economic, social, and environmental justice
and to provide a voice for those most affected by the exclusionary and unfair practices that seek to silence the
oppressed. Submissions to submissions@olywip.org
Student Zines/lndependent Learning Contracts
If you are a self motivated student, you have ample resources to publish anything you want for free. Many other various student groups put out periodic publications
that you can contribute to. You could also do an independent learning contract to publish your own work. If
you need funds to publish, it only takes time. Active student groups can request money, and you yourself can
get money with a Foundation Activity Learning Grant
(see the section "Getting Paid to Smash the State:')
w r
D
s
OlyBlog - olyblog.net
OlyBlog is devoted to citizen journalism, including hyperlocal news and discussion specifically about Olympia,
Washington. If you care about this community and are
tired of corporate media, then this is the place for you.
South Puget Sound lndymedia - o/ympiaimc.org
Seattle indymedia - seatt/e.indymedia.org
Independent Media Centes are a network of collective ly
run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate,
and passionate tellings of the truth. They work out of a
love and inspiration for people who continue to work
for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions
and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.
These are the local sites you can easily post to and learn
about what's affecting your world.
Zine Library at Last Word Books - zinelibrary.net
A library of hundreds of radical zines ready to print in
PDF format. What started out in the Olympia Zine Library
(at Last Word Books) scanning the radical zines is now
a place people around the world can print and upload
zines made by people like you!
Media Island international - mediais/and.org
Media Island International is a resource and networking
center for individuals, organizations, and movements
working on socia l justice, economic democracy, ecological sustainability, and peace. The site, like the physica l
building, is underutilized.
I f1 I1 G
r
S
Thurston County Community Television (TCTV) Channe/22
Your local public access television station. Getting your
own show is as simple as a few $20 workshops.
956-3100 I tctv.net
you
DIDN'T COME TO COLLEGE TD STUDY ALL THE TIME DID YOU? THE LAND IN AND AROUND
SIMPLY STUNN ING , YOU'D BE A
SUCKER TO NOT SEE ALL OF IT.
OLYMPIA IS
BELOW ARE SOME SWEET PLACES TO START.
GREAT HIKING SPOTS WITHIN BIKING DISTANCE
CLOSEST BACKPACKING LOCALES
Priest Point Park - Head east to downtown Olympia, take a left on
Lower South Fork Skokomish Trail (I Hour Away) : Take Highway
East Bay drive and head north, entrance on you r right. Nice second
growth forested trails and beach trails, great for the doggie.
101 North about 30 miles, and go left on Skokomish Valley Road.
In 5.5 miles, veer right onto Forest Service Road 23. Stay on 23
past numerous junctions, for 9.2 miles, to the junction of Forest
Service Road 2353. Go right and down this road. Cross the onelane bridge and go left staying on paved road. The pavement ends
after another one-lane bridge. The !railhead is on the left at the end
of the pavement; park at tne pull off by the !railhead. If you drive
to the yellow gate, you've gone too far. Rivers, huge trees, steep at
first, then quite flat.
Watershed Park - Head east to downtown, take a right on Capital
St. take a left toward Interstate 5, follow the signs to get to Henderso~ Blvd., parking lot is on the left. More lush than Priest Point but
smaller and with more traffic noise from 1-5.
Nisqually Wildlife Refuge - Get on Interstate 5 north, take exit 114
and follow directions to the Refuge. Lots of birds (especially in the
winter), plants, and a wide variety of shrubs.
McLain Creek - Take a right on Evergreen Parkway coming from
TESC and take the exit before the bridge to Highway 101. Take
a right on Mud Bay road, a left on Delphi. Look for signs for the
Creek. Big trees and lots of birds, newts and you can watch the
salmon spawn here!
Dosewallips Trai ls ( 1 ½ Hours Away/: Take Highway 101 North
about 60 miles to Brinnon and take a left at the 6ig sign for Dosewallips. There are tons of trails in this area. Stop by the ranser station on the risht side of the road soon after you get off Highway
101 for directions. Staircase, Lena Lakes, and Lake Constance are
personal favorites .
The North Fork of the Ouinault {2 Hours Away/: Take Highway
Mirna Mound Nature Preserve - Take Interstate 5 south to exit 95,
head toward Littlerock, turn right on Waddell Creek Road. The entrance is on the left. Probably the most bizarre place in the county,
a massive field of severa l foot tall natural bumps. The wildflowers of
the pseudo-prairie peak in late April and are superior to anywhere
else within 100 miles of Olympia.
101 North about 8 miles to State Route 8 West towards Montesano for about 30 miles to Highway 12 West. Highway 12 becomes Highway 101 North-tal<e this for about 40 miles to Lake
Quinault South Shore Road. After 12 miles turn right onto North
Shore Road-go 3 miles to ranger station . Lots of BIG trees and a
few trails with many options, like the 5-6 hike along Skyline Trail
through some of the most beautifu l scenery in the park.
SWIMMING HOLES
Munn Lake: Take Caito! way toward Tumwater, turn left at Cleve-
land Ave which turns into Yelm Hwy. Turn ri ght at Henderson Blvd
and left at 68th Ave. A good spot close to town.
,,,e_J..,.=a
Pioneer Park: Same directions as
Munn Lake but on the right of Henderson Blvd after turning off Yelm
Hwy. Provides access to the Deshutes
River and is a popular place for tubing
and broing down.
~-......-<'iJ!J,.(
•
Spider Lake: Take 101 to the Skokomish Valley Road, turn west on
tne Valley road. Drive 5.5 miles to FS Road 1123. Turn right, drive
10 miles to FS Road 112353. Veer left and continue 8 miles to Spider Lake trail head. Beautiful, serene, and out of town.
BEACHES
Ruby Beach: Like virtually all beaches on the northern coast, Ruby
Beach has a tremendous amount of driftwood. It is notable for the
number of sea stacks there. Located on Highway 101, 27 miles
south of the town of Forks.
Second Beach: From 101, take the 11 0 (north of Forks) east. Second
Beach is before LaPush . Popular with photographers and is reached
by way of a 0.7 mile forested trail that leads to a 2-mi le long sandy
stretch of beach. Great for a driftwood fire and chillin.
82
llIDE A J?IJCIHNG
"Putting tlie fim 6etwem your regs
*'Training for !ucliing c~s
"Doing your own repairs
*'Never having to 6uy gas
1111{1~
Riding a bike is fun. Driving a
2000-pound machine powered by increasingly expe_nsive oil thi3-t people are killed
for, creatmg explos10ns at unearthly
speeds emittmg toxic fumes that are ki!Iin_g the planet, and risking _Y,our life (over
4u;OOO people in the US are killed every
year by cars) is stupid.
Riding a bicycle is a great way to
improve youi: P.hysical fitness; _think of
1t as cross trammg for out runmpg cqps
or any other sport you_ ma_Y, ~nJoy. Ur,
to aP.peal to your vamty, thmk about
how hot bilcing_ will make your ass look.
There's g_robably nothing more fun
in all of Ulympia than bombing down
Harrison Avenue through the rounda-bouts and riding Rast a1l the suckers stuck in traffic clowntown.
Bikes can be really cheap. Not
only don't you have to pay for gas,
but it's not that difficult to learn to
do your own repairs. And you are
privileged to have hella resources
here in Olytown that can help_you
learn more about your bike. lt-yo u
have a car and sold it, _you could
deck out a sweet bike ana. still have
lots of beer money left over! (Don't
drink and bike though! BUis and split
skulls are no fun)
F
X
A
F u C k
Bike & Bike: Free bikes/parts/repairs for low
income folks in the back of Dumpster Values
(302 4th Ave E). Open Sunday from l-4pm and
M-Tu from 4pm-6pm. Friday is Trans and Ladies night from 5-9pm.
TESC Bike Shop: Free/ cheap bike stuff and
knowledgeable volunteers to service your
bike. Open as often as volunteers can staff
it, everyday in the basement of SEM I
867-63991
www.evergreenbikeshop.blogspot.com
*'That cute 6ilie yunli ass
"Driving less, living more
• Laugliing at trajfc
*§rnundscoring
People who ride bicycles will
tell you that the world just 1ooks different outside of a car. You'll notice
all kinds of interesting little things
from people watching to plants
growing tfrrough the cracks of the
s1dewalR to graffiti art. A car drives
t!1ro1:1gh/past,'.over com~~nities; cyclmg 1s travel m commuruties.
CRITICAL MASS
Critical Mass is an international
movement that started in the Bay
area over a decade ago when cyclists started riding en masse once
a month to assert their presence in
traffic. For years now that monthly
celebration has spread across the
nation and has attracted a lot of
police repression. Fuck em! The
ride happens across the world
every last Friday of the month.
In Oly, riders gather at Evergreen at 5 pm, 5:30 at Harrison
and Division, and 5:45 at Squirt
Fountain Park.
n g
B
k e
Note: The folks at Bike & Bike and the TESC bike
shop are volunteers and are there because tlzeiJ
want to help you, 1wt paid bike mechanics getting
paid to do t/1e work for you. If you approach tlzem
by asking them to lzelp you, tlzei/11 be glad to put
in a lot oJworkwitlzyou, and you'll probably learn
a lot. if you think they're your personal mec7zmzics, awl you can order them to do repairs while
you leave your bike in the s/zop, you re not gomg to get venJ far (in life or on yo1tr bike).
Capitalist Ventures: If community resources aren't
your thing, you can get ripped off at one of the many
bike shops m 1he 01 y area.
81
84
!Tltllltl
If you're new to Olympia, you may be wondering what the hell there is to do in a small town like this. Well, if all the previous articles haven't proven to you by now, there's a lot more going on Oly that just the Sweat at the Voyeur. Below is
good start of some places to get out, spend money (if you're into tliat sort of thing), or save it. We recommend you create your own adventures and not rely on consumensm and capitalistic pleasures to mediate your life . But, then again,
there are some unique places here we'd love to share with you.
FOOD
$ - If you tip properly you can fill up on 10 bucks.
V - Vegetarian and Vegan Options
24. Traditions Cafe - $V - Liberal international restaurant, store
and community meeting place. Free lending library with DVDs.
5. The Bread Peddler - $ - Good sandwiches and pastries.
28. Urban Onion - $$ - An almost classy healthy restaurant/ gay
nightspot. Bit pricey, but tasty organic food.
7. Mini Saigon - $V- Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese
31. Darby's - $V - Hip and delicious, great for breakfast.
8. Great Cuisine of India - $V - Very good food. The buffet can
be worth it.
9. Ben Moore's - Old Oly joint. Laid back and quaint.
10. The New Moon Cafe - $V -A wise choice for breakfast.Soon
to be Black Moon collectively owned Cafe!
15. Quality Burrito (QB) - $V - Eat here if you like deliciously
large gringo burritos. Open Late.
16. Old School Pizza - $ - Classic Olympia pizza. The pizza is
good and cheap. Cool atmosphere. They have good hardcore
shows from time to time.
18. The Hotdog Stand at Jake's - V - Late night eats right on the
sidewalk. Cheap, basic, good.
23. El Guanaco - $V - Good Salvadorian food, get the pupusas.
38. Le Voyeur - $V - The most hip greasy spoon in town. Sandwiches, soups and entrees all of which can be made vegan on
request with as much grease as you can handle. It will take a
while to get your food regardless of how busy they are. Open
really late, and your clothes will smell like food after you leave.
39. Clubside Cafe - $ - Brighter than looking directly into the sun.
Greasy spoon, open super late.
Taco Truck-$ - Bomb, cheap, may have lard in the beans. In the
parking lot on the NW corner of Plum & 4th Ave.
Capital Market - Best asian market around. A great place for
coconut water and Thai Iced Tea. Best pho in town.
2419 Harrison Ave NW
Vic's - $V - Super chronic, best pizza on the west side, and a
popular hang. Check the vegan options. 233 Division St NW
COFFEE
12. Cafe Vita - $ - Seattle/Olympia based joint. Definitely hip,
academic, and chill. Shitty owner.
26. Batdorf and Bronson - $ - Reliable, tasty, local and a good
place to study. At their tasting room near the farmer's market (1)
you can get three tiny sample cups for free.
27. Starbucks - They do give their workers health care, and let
home bums chill there, but there are better places to support in
town than the corporate giants.
Sizizis -A great tea selection, tasty coffee, hip atmosphere, and
vegan cupcakes. Who doesn't like palindromes? The only 24
hour hangout in town (unless you count Texaco) . 704 4th Ave E
BARS
We recommend you pick up a bottle of firewater and kick it on
your friends' front porch and drink home brew you made 6 months
ago for some good wholesome family oriented times. But if you
must resort to paying way to much for a few beers at a semisocial creepy dude and sometimes friendly acquaintance filled
atmosphere here is a guide to a few of those places.
11. The Brotherhood - Probably the best all around bar in Olympia. Hip/Scenester friendly, strong drinks, nice patio out back!
13. The 4th Ave Tavern - Nothing particularly great or horrible.
18. Jakes - Queer dance club/bar. Great venue, great folks, great
grinding! Curiously straight for a gay bar.
21. The East Side - Beer only, lots of pool tables (free on Sundays), thirsty Thursdays are cheaper, definite Greener hangout.
85
OTHER OLY GEMS
1. farmers Market - Mostly a tourist hangout, the seasona l market is overpriced yet local.
29. De Galores Bookstore - Multicultural indy bookstore.
30. Free Wall - Legal graffiti wall behind the Capitol Theater.
4. Procession Studio - Opens two months before the Procession of the Species so you can get crackin' on your batiked psychedelic rhinoceros float early. The address is in the alley way
at 311 1/2 Capitol Way North, behind the Royal Lounge. But the
studio door/entrance is located in the alley connecting Columbia
to Capitol Way.
32. Rainy Day Records - Independent and local record store,
big selection of queer and foreign films for rent.
14. Last Word Books and Zine Library - Independent and radical bookstore, new and used books, friendly and kind owners,
zine library in the back.
33. Safe Place - Safe Place connects youth to immediate help
and safety and offers supportive services to both youth and their
families.
17. Dumpster Values - Overpriced vintage, handmade and
trendy clothes. Dollar bin in the back supports Books 2 Prisoners.
Houses the following:
34. Planned Parenthood - Safe sex gear, pregnancy tests, STD
tests, sliding scale abortions and consu ltations.
Phantom City Records - Independent & local record store
Bike N Bike - Stop in for free bikes, bike repair, bike knowledge,
or bike parts. It is an umbrella project of Done & Done, and has
a weekly Trans/Womyns only night.
community Print - Letterpress & book arts resource center
30. Capitol Theater - A really great old movie theater, they host
many benefits, volunteer for free passes.
36. Library - Read a Book! Zines, books, internet, printing access, home bums, and good vibes.
37. Media Island - Alternative literatu re library, activist hangout,
indy radio broadcast spot (KOWA), and food not bombs kitchen.
40. Midnight Sun - Performance space/ cheap place to host theatrical performances and sometimes shows.
19. The Northern -All Ages Venue! Not so cool about discounts,
which is shitty.
20. Fire and Earth - Hookahs and shishah, rolling tobacco and
accessories, local art glass, & herbs. Local and friendly, womanowned business.
22. Artesian Well - "It's the water!" Fresh, clean, and delicious water flows from a giant underground reservoir. Across the
Street from the Estside tavern in the parking lot.
25. Radiance - for all your Hippy-woo-woo needs: massage,
crystals, oils, books ... but especially good for the big wall of bulk
herbs.
Eagles Hall - Venue for all sorts of shows, ceremonies, galleries,
dances, parties and more. 805 4th Ave. E
THE EASTSIDE- The east side of town has its own secrets. You
must discover them for yourself.
THE WESTSIDE - Avoid the mall at all costs, dance at house
shows, participate in Westside Arts Walks, and lend a hand at
any of the community gardens (check the corner of Madison and
Thomas).
TRANSPORTATION
6. Olympia's Intercity Transit Center - Local fair is $1 or $2 for
a day pass. 620 to Tacoma or Seattle with at least one transfer
for under $5. Transist systems to Shelton, Aberdeen and other
distant locales stop there as well.
35. Greyh ound Station - More expensive, yet faster buses that
go all over the country.
Capitol Aeroporter - Overpriced airport shuttle. It will pick you
up at any location.
Olympia/Lacy Amtrak Station - Located at 6600 Yelm Highway
SE, take the 64 from the Transit Center.
CAP Bus or $1 Bus - To Portland-is h. Free with student ID, the
small shuttle picks up a dozen passengers at Tumwater Square
daily. It drops you off at Salmon Creek. Catch the 105 to downtown Portland from there for $3.
www.lccac.org/Transportation%20Schedule.htm
Hitchiking - The 1-5 ramp at the end of Plum is a great place to
get a lift to Portland and beyond. Fly a sign, don't look sketchy,
and jut that thumb!
.• •
FREE FOOD!
FACT! There are more low-income students at TESC than at
any other four-year college in WA. One reason being that it's the
cheapest four-year college in WA.
MYTH! There is a strictly limited pool available for food stamps.
FACT! Just because you decide to collect food stamps in order
to supplement you food budget, it does not mean that someone
else will get denied .
2. Union Gospel Mission - Daily daytime shelter and meals.
MEAL TIMES Breakfast Mon-Sun 6 - 7 am Lunch Mon-Fri & Sun
at Noon. Dinner Mon-Fri 6 pm 413 Franklin ST. NE 709-9725.
Dental services, and safe places for all types of recovery.
3. Thurston County Food Bank - Located at 220 North Thurston
St. near the downtown transit center. Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1-3pm. If you earn less than $970 per month in
a single person household you are eligible for food benefits from
the state of Washington.
37. Food Not Bombs - Delicious, radical , vegan food for all!
limes can often change, but for now: Saturdays! Prep at 2PM
Media Island, 4:30 PM eat at the Timberland Library, across the
street. Clean up lasts until 6PM .
Salvation Army - 365 days a year 3 meals a day 352-8596 (shelter services too) must be sober.
Free Food Box - Located at the TESC health center.
Olympia Food Co-Ops - They provide a 10% discount for low
income people and waive membership dues. This program does
not require documentation, but the co-op asks that all interested
individuals read a short history of the program before choosing
to use ii. Also if you have time to·volunteer you get an extra 25%
off. Also if you volunteer there you get first pick at free food that
is damaged or pull-dated. There is no hierarchy in the staff and
it is a State non-profit so they are not ripping you off. This food
is at cost and provides good jobs. Eastside location 3111 Pacific
Ave. 956-3870 Westside Location 921 Rogers St. 754-9141 Get
off the "41 " at the Bowman stop and walk down the hill.
Wild Foods - 7 months out of the year you can find yummy
healthy foods growing wild. Blackberries and Dandelions; Wild
Mushrooms and Fish; come to mind instantly. Most houses
around town have fruit trees and other goodies that few mind if
you glean from .
Dumpsters - Depending on your standards you can pretty much
live off of other peoples waste in most parts of the U.S. Discover
your own spots in Olympia.
OTHER FREE STUFF!
Sabot Free Box- In the Sabot lnfoshoppe (SEMI, second floor).
Random Shit mostly. *needs to be resestablished.
Free Store (at the Westside Co-Op) - Open when it's open.
Hours vary because it's run by volunteers. It is an 8' by 8' by 8'
cube of fresh and stale free stuff.
Hippy Christmas - You can outfit an entire 6 bedroom group
house with the things students in housing get rid of the first two
weeks of June. Thankfully there are donation pods around now
for community groups, but they won 't mind if you glean from there,
and not everything makes ii past the convenient dumpsters.
CHEAPER HEALTH INSURANCE!
Washington Basic Health - Washington State provides subsidized health care plans to low-income individuals. The waitlist
is usually very long. Apply early! Plans cost as little as $17 a
month. The application process is simple and easy. To apply
contact the Washington State Health Care Authority at 1-800826-2444 (ask for a basic health application packet), pick up a
packet at the health center, or find more information online at
www.basichealth.hca.wa.gov/.
Charity Care at Providence St. Peter's Hospital - If you go
to their emergency room and state you wish to apply for Charity
Care you may be able to receive all or part of your care for free!
All you have to do is simply explain your living situation (i.e. being broke) and if you qualify you receive discounted care for the
next 6 months!
Dental Insurance - Basic Health does not provide dental insurance. Go to the TESC Student Health Center for information on
low-income dental care options. They are extremely limited and
there is often a waiting list for most routine services. Emergency
dental services are, however, available with a minimum wait and
with costs on a sliding scale. The Mission has a community dental clinic.
CHEAPER EDUCATION
cLEP - If the main reason you are 1n school is to get a diploma,
find out about some of the ways to get it fast and cheap. CLEP
(college level examination program) tests are cheap, easy and
will give you cred its.
5pSCC - Classes at SPSCC (South Puget Sound Community
college) are also fairly cheap.
PLE (prior learning from experience) - Is a program offered
through Evergreen that offers credits for non-classroom experiences. Academic Advising (866-6312) can fill you in on these
alternatives.
Residency - Before school starts, immediately open a bank account in the state, register to vote, and get your Drivers License
or ID card IN THIS STATE and registe r your vehicle if you have
one. For more information about residency, contact Rafael Lozano at 867-5189 or pick up a checklist from the registration office.
It will either Cost you $20,000 if you are a resident of WA State
for a degree or $60,000 if you are not a resident. Consider it a
$40,000 donation to the college so the rest of us can go to school
for cheaper and you can never pay off your debts.
..
Wait - Because once you turn 25, you are legally financially independent (poor in the governments eyes), and don't make $50,000
a year the federal government will pay you to go to school. You'll
get all costs covered plus some in most cases. You will also get
more out of your education because of your life experience and a
probable increase in awareness of what you want to do with your
life and what you want to learn while you're here.
Marriage - If you are under 24 and your parents make the big
bucks you WILL NOT be eligible for financial aid even if they don't
give you one red cent of it.. . unless you get hitched! Find a friend
who you trust enough to join in eternal matrimony (or at least
for the duration of college) and you wi ll be considered financially
independent and will be eligible for thousands in grants and subsid ized loans that you wou ld otherwise have no access to. Do
it before the deadline for financial aid! Applications are at the
county courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, 786-5453. If you
want your application processed faster, APPLY ONLINE at http://
www.fafsa.ed.gov/. You can make around $5500 in personal income and still receive fu ll financial aid.
EXPLORE!
There are tons of ways to lower your expenses. Try playing
around with your needs and seeing what superfluous things in your
life you can get rid of. Try living 1n the woods, using coupons, or
both! You can work with the Bike Shop to build a bike, get your
books from the libraries, or photocopy the chapters you need. You
can audit classes, or make your own beer! There are always loopholes and ways to do it yourself. Be creative. And ilf you ever run
out of ideas, there are elders and allies in town who will offer great
advice on how to never pay for anything!
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The following is a list of non-proJts and other volunteer-based organizations in the Olympia area that
didn't Tt elsewhere in the DisMan. There are a lot of
amazing groups in town doing amazing things that
directly affect and support those around you. If you
have spare time, stop by one that looks interesting
and give back your community. They are organized
based on the following broad topics:
• ARTS
• INTERNATIONAL
• ANIMAL
• LEGAL
• COMMUNITY
• ENVIRONMENT
• Low INCOME/
UNHOUSED
ADVOCACY
• FOOD
• YOUNG PEOPLE
• HEALTH/MEDIATION
Community Print
Community Print is a Letterpress, Silkscreening, and
Book Arts resource center run by artists and students
in the Olympia area, located at the back of Dumpster
Values thrift shop. Workshops for all skill levels are
taught on an irregular basis - check postings on the
door. Costs around $10 per "project." The collective's
goal is to be accessible to all members of the community while keeping the art of letterpress thriving!
communityprint@yahoo.com I (360) 705-3772 I 302
4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501
Olympia Film Society
OFS attempts to show films that depict the experiences of under-represented people in mainstream
film industries including People of Color, queers, and
religious minorities. It supports independent film
makers and hosts a number of benefits for local to
international organizations. The OFS has a number of
volunteer positions, and hosts an annual film festival
in autumn.
www.olyfilm.org I (360) 754-6670 I The Capitol Theatre: 206 E. 5th Ave. Olympia, WA 98501
Earthbound Productions: Procession of the Species Celebration
Created by the community for the community, the Procession of the Species Celebration is a joyous, artistic
pageant, embracing the languages of art, music and
dance to inspire learning, appreciation and protection
of the natural world. Music, dance and art classes as
well as an extensive art studio are held for two months
prior to the celebration. The final parade is held annually on Saturday of Spring Arts Walk, usually the
last weekend in April. Make a costume and join the
parade!
www.procession.org I (360) 705-1087
Raccoon Arts Collective
This awesome group of artists and D!Yers are responsible for the Westside Arts Walks that happen every so
often. The Arts Walk seek to take art out of the galleries of the rich and into the living rooms of all who wish
to share their creations. The Arts Walks provide an
outlet for visual artists, musicians, fire dancers, game
players, actors, and other amazing souls to share their
passions with all who want to partake. They take place
in an assortment of homes in the NW neighborhood of
Olympia every few months and are fucking badass. If
you want to open your house as a venue or have art to
share, contact them for more info.
www.raccooncollective.blogspot.com I raccooncollective@gmail.com
Heartsparkle Players
As a multicultural company Heartsparkle uses Playback Theatre and other interactive theatre techniques
as tools for community building, education and social
change. It will provide affordable performances for
the public; and for groups who lack resources. It will
be a community resource and share its artistic skills.
It will empower communities and individuals by providing a forum for stories to be heard, shared and honored. It will maintain a high level of artistic quality and
integrity by providing on-going training opportunities
for our performers.
www.heartsparkle.org I (360) 943-6772
Rad Skills
Puts out a monthly calendar of free workshops,
skillshares, and events around town.
radskillz@riseup.net
ANIMAL
••
•
Wolf Haven International
one of the world's largest and most respected wolf
sanctuaries. Located on 80 acres of peaceful forest
and Mirna mound prairie. Hosts family programming
and educational tours.
www.wolfhaven.org I (800) 448-9653
COMMUNITY
Bike and Bike
An umbrella project of Done and Done. Located in the
back of Dumpster Values, they provide bike parts and
knowhow for free. Build a bike, help build a bike.
302 4th Ave E, Oly
Building Revolution by Increasing Community
Knowledge (SPSCC)
B.R.1.C.K. is a chartered student club at South Puget
sound Community College utilizing creative approaches to promote student awareness and advocate
for progressive social change. The group acts to sponsor events and bring speakers and films to the SPSCC
campus and Olympia community.
www.spsccbrick.org
Community Sustaining Fund
The Community Sustaining Fund provides grant support for progressive and community-oriented projects
in Thurston County. Our funding is aimed at creating
a democratic, equitable, nonviolent and ecologically
sound society.
www.traditionsfairtrade.com/sustFund/sustFundhome.html I (360) 252-4332
Enterprise for Equity
Enterprise for Equity is a community supported nonprofit that helps disenfranchised people and people
with low-income turn their ideas and talents into
businesses. EfE wants to build an inclusive economy
in the South Puget Sound. Its mission is to ensure that
low-income people in the region have access to training, technical assistance, peer support and credit for
small business development. To qualify for training,
participants must have income under $18,130 (single
person) or $37,000 (family of four), or be TANF recipients, GA recipients, and Veterans Administration
beneficiaries.
www.enterpriseforequity.org I (360) 704-3375
Free School
More of a concept than a place as the free school is
currently without an physical location, this group has
been working for close a decade in the community to
bring people together to share their knowledge with
each other without cash and all the troubles that come
along with it. Check the calendar on their website for
class and their locations around town.
www.freeschoolunity.org
Free Store
Located at the Westside Food Co-Op (921 Rogers St.
NW), the Free Store is an all volunteer "Goodwill with
no prices." Folks donate things they no longer need.
And folks who need come to the store to take what
they need. Sounds too simple to work, but it does.
Open on a varying schedule, check the board on their
door.
www.oly-wa.us/FreeStore
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
The !WW is a non-hierarchical, directly democratic
union that organizes workers as a class, regardless
of their employment status. The IWW believes that
the employing class and working class have nothing
in common, and seeks to abolish capitalism, while
forming a new, more equitable society based on freeassociation and production for need instead of profit.
The !WW was founded in 1905 and has been a force
in establishing various workers rights for the last 100
years.
www.iww.org/en/branches/US/WA I (360) 705-0793
I olywobs@riseup.net
Media Island International
Media Island International's (Mil) resource and networking center offers a 24-hour info porch, library,
computer center, and a variety of tools for grass-roots
organizing. The Mil house can be used for meetings,
workshops, and movie nights. Food Not Bombs utilizes
the MIi kitchen. People are welcome to stop in during
office hours to browse, socialize, plan, compute, watch
a video or just sit down and enjoy a hot beverage. The
website offers an open-submission news site, South
Sound community calendar, directory of local organizations, and forums to help facilitate communication
and participation within Mil. Consider volunteering
for office hours or organizing a benefit!
www.mediaisland.org I (360) 352-8526 I 816 Adams
St. SE, Olympia, WA 98502.
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MOMS Club of Olympia
MOMS Club of Olympia, WA is a group for at-home
mothers and their children. It is a wonderful way to
meet other stay-home moms, and a fun way for your
child to meet other children. Events and meetings are
held during the day and children are always welcome.
The club caters to mothers who live in the Olympia
school district and Shelton. It does various service
projects in our community to help members get involved.
www.momsclubofolympia.com
South Sound Clean Clothes Campaign
The South Sound Clean Clothes Campaign is a coalition of Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey students, union
members, people of faith, and concerned citizens
raising awareness about the sweatshop industry, and
challenging individuals as well as public and private
institutions to create positive change by altering their
purchasing practices. Our monthly meetings are held
on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at
Traditions Cafe, 300 5th Avenue SW.
www.southsoundcleanclothes.org I (360) 705-2819
Northwest Olympia Neighborhood Association
A non-profit association of your neighbors who are
interested in promoting the quality of life for the residents of our community. NWONA's mission is to enhance the livability of our community through citizen
participation at all levels of our community. Go to their
meetings and get involved to help decide how association money is used to enhance your neighborhood.
www.nwona.org
Thurston County Tenants Union
TCTU is a non-profit, membership based organization of tenants. The TU challenges and transforms unjust housing conditions and housing policies through
empowerment-based education, leadership development, and community organizing and tenant ownership. It provides free informational services and
promotes the rights of tenants through active public
advocacy and organizing.
www.tenantsunion.org I Tenants Rights Hotline: (206)
723-0500
OlyGeek
An all volunteer organization that recycles used technology to provide computers, education, Internet access to those in need - in exchange for volunteering.
www.oly-wa.us/OlyGeek/ I (360) 705-9999 I
115 Olympia Ave, Oly
ENVIRONMENT
Black Hills Audubon Society
Our goals are to maintain and protect our ecosystems
for future generations, and promote environmental
education and recreation. BHAS efforts include both
education and activism on behalf of wildlife and their
ecosystems. Classes include monthly programs and
several birding and natural history field trips, available to members and the general public. Activism
includes efforts to protect local natural areas and
"important bird areas" and to strengthen local environmental protections.
www.blackhillsaudubon.com I (360) 352-7299
Capitol Land Trust
The mission of the Capitol Land Trust is to preserve
the natural heritage of South Puget Sound. It is dedicated to the conservation, appreciation and stewardship of the diverse open spaces and unique natural
habitats of the local watershed. The group purchases
land parcels and establishes conservation easements
to prevent development of natural areas, offering
landowners non-regulatory options. http:/ /www.
capitollandtrust.org I (360) 943-3012
Climate Solutions
Climate Solutions is a non-profit organization working to help pioneer solutions to global warming. We
are demonstrating a model of regional leadership that
strengthens communities and provides economic opportunity. Local programs include Northwest Climate
Connections, the annual Bicycle Commuter Contest,
and the Energy Outreach Center, an exhibit of technology available to energy-efficient homes.
www.climatesolutions.org I (360) 352-1763
Gifford Pinchot Task Force
The Gifford Pinchot Task Force seeks to preserve and
restore the ecosystems and communities of southwestern Washington by promoting conservation of
forest areas and sustainable restoration-based employment. The Task Force is the primary educational
resource on the region's forest conservation, policy,
and law. It engages interested citizens and policy makers through canvassing, hikes, field events, presentations and press, lobbying, and coordination with regional and national conservation organizations.
www.gptaskforce.org I (503) 221-2102 J 917 SW Oak
St., Suite 410, Portland, OR 97205.
Nisqually Reach Nature Center
The Nisqually Reach Nature Center provides estuarine
environmental education on the Nisqually River delta
in view of the river's headwaters on Mount Rainier
(Tahoma). It offers a hands-on experience for local
school kids, research opportunities for local college
students, internship opportunities for budding naturalists and educators, and volunteer opportunities for
concerned citizens. NRNC is a private non-profit oranization where nature comes to life. The center has
Yooo square feet of space filled with bird specimens,
interactive learning opportunities, viewing scopes, lab
equipment, and as a highlight, 3 large tide-connected
aquariums to view Puget Sound's underwater world.
www.nisquallyestuary.org I (360) 459-0387.
Nisqually Land Trust
Established in 1989, the Nisqually Land Trust is a
nonprofit group of farmers, business and professional people, homemakers and others. It is working
to protect the Nisqually River basin through private,
non-governmental means. By doing so, it protects fish
and wildlife habitats, particularly sensitive salmon
runs. The land trust provides for the conservation of
wetlands, scenic areas, recreational lands, agricultural
resources, open spaces, and historic, cultural and archaeological sites.
www.nisquallylandtrust.org I (360) 458-1111
Nisqually Stream Stewards
Works to help protect and improve the health of our
streams and salmon. NS Stewards monitor the health
of streams by taking benthic macroinvertebrate
("stream bug") samples and finding other stream and
riparian data. They can improve stream health by removing invasive plants or planting native plants along
stream banks. Stewards help distribute valuable nutrients in salmon-bearing streams through the salmon
carcass return program. Interns interested in gaining
both office and fieldwork in the field of salmon habitat
protection/restoration and volunteer project implementation are hired. Volunteers are always welcome
in tre e plantings, stream health monitoring and salmon carcass flings.
www.nisquallyriver.org/stewards I (360) 438-8715
Olympic Forest Coalition (OFCO)
The Olympic Forest Coalition promotes the protection,
conservation and restoration of natural forest ecosystems and their processes on the Olympic Peninsula.
The programs of OFCO focus on educating members
of the public, officials, agencies, and other environmental, community and recreation groups on issues
of importance to help achieve these goals.
www.olympicforest.org
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People for Puget Sound
People For Puget Sound is a citizens' group working to
protect and restore the health of Puget Sound and the
Northwest Straits through education and action. Its
vision is a clean and healthy Sound, teeming with fish
and wildlife, cared for by people who live here.
www.pugetsound.org I (360) 754-9177
South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH)
SPEECH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and educating citizens of the Olympia area
about environmental news and issues. It is an environmental education center and information clearinghouse providing support and resources to those who
seek to preserve, protect and restore the environment
of the Pacific Northwest. The group publishes the annual South Sound Green pages, a monthly environmental journal of environmental news and commentary
about South Puget Sound
http://www.oly-wa.us/GreenPages I (360) 528-9158
Sustainable Community Roundtable of South
Puget Sound
The mission of the Sustainable Community Roundtable is to facilitate dialogue, vision, action, and celebration to help create sustainable community in South
Puget Sound. The Roundtable seeks to build consensus on how we can become ecologically, economically
and socially sustainable. It publishes the annual State
of the Community Report, on local environmental and
health concerns, seeks out businesses that operate
in a sustainable mind-set, and sponsors events yearround.
www.sustainsouthsound.org I 360-754-5352
Washington Environmental Council
WEC is a statewide environmental organization and
works primarily on the state level to protect our land,
air and water. The Electronic Waste Recycling campaign works to launch a program to provide for safe,
simple and free recycling of TVs and computers for the
people of Washington. The Sustainable State Forests
Campaign seeks to improve the management of Washington's state forests, creating a model of sustainable
forestry. The Water for Washington Campaign focuses
on restoring and protecting the quality and supply of
water in rivers and streams. The Protecting People
and Places Campaign aims to improve fish and wildlife
habitat across Washington through updated and better enforced shoreline and land use protections.
www.wecprotects.org I (360) 357-6548
Woodland Trail Greenway Association
The Woodland Trail Greenway Association is dedicated to the creation of a linear park and trail along the
Olympia Woodland Trail corridor from the Chehalis-
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Western Trail in Lacey to the shores of Capitol Lake.
The WTGA, formerly the East-West Greenway Association, is a non-profit coalition of active, interested
citizens and organizations which serve as a public
voice to promote the funding and development of the
Olympia Woodland Trail corridor for recreation and
natural open space preservation.
www.wtga.org I info@woodlandtrail.org
FOOD
Garden-Raised Bounty
GRuB is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to nourishing community by empowering people
to grow good food. It sprouts inspired, self-confident,
and community-minded youth through educational
and employment opportunities. The Kitchen Gardens
project helps low-income families to help themselves
by building raised-bed gardens at their homes. The
quality of life and nutrition of low-income seniors are
improved through therapeutic garden programs.
www.goodgrub.org I (360) 753-5522 I 2016 Elliott
Ave NW Oly, WA 98502
Terra Commons
Terra Commons is a non-profit building network. It
seeks to create lasting social change by researching,
designing, and implementing natural building techno logies in the Salish Bay ecoregion. It holds work parties
and presentations to demonstrate the applications of
natural building, sustainable agriculture, appropriate
technology and habitat restoration. Projects include
sites at Fertile Ground Inn, Media Island International,
and Culture Seed.
www.oly-wa.us/Terra I (360) 339-3329
Left Foot Organics
A non-profit organic farm which supports the inclu-
sion of people of all abilities. Employs people with
developmental disabilities and rural youth in the production of high quality organic food.
www.leftfootorganics.org I (360) 754-1849
HEALTH/MEDIATION
CHOICE Regional Health Network
Helping seniors understand Medicare, assisting low
income people access health and social services.
crhn.org/www /index.html I 1-800-981-2123
Dispute Resolution Center
The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County
(DRC) is a community based non-profit agency empowering people in their relationships by providing
conflict resolution services. Trainings on mediation
and conflict resolution are also available (at a price!).
www.mediatethurston.org I (360) 956-1155
Feminists In Self-Defense Training (FIST)
FIST provides basic and advanced self-defense workshops open to all women and children, covering mental preparation, assertiveness, strategy development,
and physical defense skills. Workshops are facilitated
by female-identified folks in a self-affirming, nonthreatening atmosphere. Cost is usually sliding scale
from $5 to $35. FIST publishes a free quarterly newsletter.
fistselfdefense@riseup.net
Fern Haven Center
The Fern Haven Center is a non-profit educational
program center that offers public workshops, trainings, and counseling services for individuals and organizations in the areas of communication and relationships, creative and intuitive arts, community building
and service, women's support, spiritual psychology,
personal growth, and conscious organizational process. This includes a variety of workshops based on
Non-violent (Compassionate) Communication (NVC).
www.fernhavencenter.org I rod@fernhavencenter.
com
Free Herbal Clinic
Just what is sounds like, this amazing group of people
offer education, personalized health consultations,
botanical remedies and other supplies free of charge.
They serve to empower anyone and everyone, regardless of financial or other circumstances, to take charge
of their own health care. They are currently without a
location but keep a look out for them to reopen soon.
olyfreeherbalclinic@riseup.net
Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Olympia Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation seeks to replace violence, war, racism, intolerance,
and economic and social injustice with nonviolence,
peace and justice. Olympia FOR collaborates with the
larger community to educate and to engage in nonviolent and compassionate actions. The bi-monthly peace
and social justice newsletter contains feature articles
on various peace and justice concerns, announcements about other resources, and calendars of local
and out-of-town events.
www.olyfor.org I info@olyfor.org
Planned Parenthood
Your one stop cheap clinic such things as emergency
contraception, STI testing, birth control, abortions,
and pregnancy testing.
www.plannedparenthood.org I (800) 230-7526 I 402
Legion Way, Suite 201, Oly
Puget Sound Network for Compassionate Communication
PSNCC - pronounced 'peace-nik' - is a regional nonprofit association of volunteers who envision a world
in which all needs are met compassionately. Its mission is to contribute to this vision by living & teaching th e process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC),
93
which strengthens the ability of people to connect
compassionately with themselves and with one another, to share resources, and to resolve conflicts.
http://www.nwcompass.org I (206) 382-8576
Safe Place
SafePlace is the only advocacy agency and confidential
shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual
assault in Thurston County. Business hours are 9am12pm, 1-5pm M-Th and \Naik-in advocacy hours are
10am-12pm, 1-3pm Tu & W.
www.safeplaceolympia.org I (360) 786-8754 I 314
Legion Way SE Olympia, WA 98501
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
WCSAP is a membership agency comprised of individuals and organizations dedicated to ending sexual
assault in their communities. WCSAP's mission is to
unite agencies engaged in the elimination of sexual
violence through education, advocacy, victim services,
and social change. It offers trainings throughout the
year and an annual two and a half day conference on
topics ranging from advocacy, service provision, prevention, to management issues. It also has a sexual assault prevention resource center.
www.wcsap.org
INTERNATIONAL
Bridges Not Walls
A coalition of community members from the South
Sound region of Washington State who have united
to address issues of immigration in our community.
We believe immigrants, regardless of legal status, deserve to be treated with dignity. We seek to make our
communities a place where the contributions of immigrants are valued and respected.
www.oly-wa.us/Bridges
Centro Integral Educativo Latino de Olympia (CIELO) Project at Radio Ranch
The CIELO Project is to facilitate programs with the
focus of providing services to the Hispanic community in Thurston, Mason, Lewis and Grays Harbor
counties. Free ESL (English as a Second Language)
classes are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30 to
8:30pm. Proyecto Familia' is a multicultural mental
health services team that works with families. Support to Leadership develops self-sufficiency for Latino
families through development of parent leadership.
Parenting Wisely provides culturally competent parenting classes to the Latino community. Programs also
include Spanish Literacy /GED Preparation and HIV/
AIDS education. The Radio Ranch is an eight acre lowcost conference center close to Olympia and Lacey.
www.cieloproject.org I (360) 709-0931
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)
CJSPES has been working since 1980 in solidarity
with the FMLN (Farabundo Marti National Liberation
Front) and the Salvadoran social justice movement to
promote an alternative to the oppressive US-backed
policies of the Salvadoran right. CJSPES currently
works within the solidarity and anti-corporate globalization movements, to build a cross-border movement that can confront the injustices of the neoliberal
economic model that is ravaging El Salvador and much
of the globe. In particular, CISPES is now helping to
launch a hemisphere-wide campaign against CAFTA,
a proposed free trade agreement between the United
States and Central America modeled on NAFTA.
www.cispes.org I (360) 866-6513
Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project
The sister city project that bonds Olympia, Washington and Rafah, Palestine was envisioned by local
peace activist and friend, Rachel Corrie (1979-2003).
Through her dedication to social justice and acute
cognizance of the Israeli military occupation, she believed that cultural exchanges between our two communities could result in significant social change. The
project will collaborate with the people of Rafah to
create lasting friendships across borders and bridge
94
cultural gaps through popular education, advocacy,
communication, and community exchange. These
friendships help members to educate themselves,
increase awareness, and demonstrate solidarity in a
common struggle for a just and prompt peace in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meetings are on the 1st
Thursday of each month at The Olympia Center (222
Columbia Street) at 7 p.m.
www.orscp.org
lEGAl
American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Thurston County Chapter
The ACLU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership
organization devoted to protecting the basic civil liberties of all Americans, and extending them to groups
that have traditionally been denied their basic civil
rights. The Thurston County Chapter acts as the "eyes
and ears" of the Affiliate Office, ACLU-WA, reporting
civil liberties abuses. It testifies at local and state hearings and performs as an activist group to defend civil
liberties. It also does outreach to educate the public
in understanding, appreciating and protecting their
rights.
www.aclu-wa.org I (206) 624-2184
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political
organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase
understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Citizens of voting age may become League members.
It takes action on selected governmental issues, sponsorship and coordination of voter registrations, meetings with candidates, and publication on specific topics.
www.lwvwa.org I (206) 622-8961
Olympia Civil Liberties Resource
Olympia Civil Liberties Resource is an Olympia-based
organization working to defend the civil liberties of
all citizens - particularly activists exercising their constitutional rights. OCLR seeks to educate the public
regarding current threats to civil liberties, and to act
as a general resource for activists. The group provides
legal assistance, information about your rights, and
solidarity during the isolation of arrest and trial.
http://olycivlib.blogspot.com I olycivlib@riseup.net I
Support Line: (541) 687-9180 (For information if you
are contacted by the FBI).
Thurston County Draft Counseling Center
Protect your rights. Learn how the system works. The
Draft Counseling Center provides free, confidential information and counseling about how a military draft
would work and how to pursue conscientious objection and other alternatives. It also provides help for
people who want to get out of the military.
(360) 491 -909 3 I 5015 15th Ave. SE, Lacey
lOW INCOME/UNHOUSED ADVOCACY
Done & Done
Done & Done is a non-hierarchical 501(c)3 non-profit
which umbrellas projects, such as EGYHOP and Bike &
Bike, with a primary focus of providing items and services to empower the unhoused, youth, low-income or
otherwise marginalized populations of Olympia and
Thurston County.
Mail donations to: PO Box 6382, Olympia, WA 98507
Emergency Shelter Network: Homeless Resource
Advocacy
The Family Support Center is a community resource
center offering a variety of services for children and
families. 5 member agencies work together to offer
affordable, accessible, and preventative services that
help parents raise healthy children. Resource Specialists work with families in crisis and those seeking information about community resources. ESN provides
shelter and resources for families and single women in
Thurston County. Information and referrals regarding
resources, employment, rental assistance, voice messaging services, homeless child care and more. ESN is
a program of the Family Support Center in collaboration with Associated Ministries of Thurston County.
www.familysupportctr.org I (360) 754-9297 I 108
State Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with
people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. Houses are built in partnership with
the buyer; and sold at no profit with a 20 to 25 year
non-interest mortgage. Working with donated materials, home owners are required to invest sweat equity
(500 hours) into the construction process, working
alongside other volunteers. Donations of funds and
materials are accepted. Habitat owns and manages
the Sound Builders Restore, a non-profit store dedi-
.......----95
f
Thurston Union for Low Income People (TULIP)
Tulip's unique mission is to fight poverty and promote
social responsibility by bridging the gap between low
income and more affluent people. Tulip links low-income members with the financial products, services,
and education necessary for financial independence.
At the same time, it offers more affluent members the
opportunity for community investment through the
loans and deposits they make with Tulip.
www.tulipcu.coop I (360) 570-2292 3111 Pacific Ave
NW, Olympia, WA 98501
Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic
Rights (POWER)
POWER is an organization of low-income parents and
allies advocating for a strong social safety net while
working toward a world where children and care giving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty
has been eradicated.
www.oly-wa.us/power I (360) 352-9716
Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition
WROC is a coalition of individuals and welfare rights
groups organized around their own welfare offices
whose mission is to empower people on welfare to effect positive change in their lives, the welfare system,
and other institutions that impact their lives. WROC
empowers recipients through education, leadership
development, grassroots action, and through the
creation of a support network for its members. We
network with other organizations and individuals to
dispel the myths about welfare and to create a broad
power base to effect change on the local, state, and national levels.
www.wroc.org I (360) 352-9716 I 701 Franklin SE,
Olympia, WA 98501
cated to diverting used building materials from the
local transfer station as well as providing educational
and volunteer opportunities for the community.
www.spshabitat.org I (360) 956-3456 Restore: (360)
753-1575 I 210 Thurston Ave. NE, Olympia
J
Homeless Resource Advocacy
HRA is a program of the Family Support Center. In
conjunction with the Emergency Shelter Network, we
ive homeless individuals a supportive environment
0 work on life skills directly related to establishing
and maintaining stable, permanent housing. The program offers a variety of resources and opportunities
based on individual needs. Case management services
are provided. Job skills training, nutrition, parenting,
problem solving, legal issues, and credit matters services are provided through community advocacy.
www.familysupportctr.org I (360) 528-8999
J
YOUNG PEOPlE
Avanti High School (AHS)
Avanti is an alternative high school residing within the
Olympia School District. With its small numbers and
low student to faculty ratio, AHS is very open to community involvement, ripe for input from Evergreen
students. Evergreen students have contributed to the
Avanti curriculum as student teachers and assistants,
as well as leaders of mini-units, and hosts of community service projects.
avanti.osd.wednet.edu I (360) 596-7900
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Helping children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships. They
contribute to brighter futures, better schools and
stronger communities for all.
www.thurstonbbbs.org I 360-943-0409
Freechild Project
The Freechild Project seeks to advocate, inform, and
celebrate social change led by and with young people
around the world, particularly those who have been
historically denied the right to participate. We offer
resources, programs, and training to aid in youth-led
community organizing and activist projects.
www.freechild.org I (360) 753-2686
The Little Red Schoolhouse Project
Our goal is to see every child start school with basic
school supplies, a backpack and 2-3 outfits of new or
clean used clothes.
www.redschool.org I (360) 438-1100 x 1143
96
A L:is¼ of Recommended
Read:ing
Tl1anks lo lasl Word Rooks
1984 - George Orwell
The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein
A Room Of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
Going Local· Creating Self-Reliant Communities In The
Global Age - Michael H. Shuman
Best Democracy Money Can Buy - Greg Palas!
Better Than Sex - Hunter S. Thompson
Black Elk Speaks - John Nierhardt
Black Looks: Race & Representation - Bell Hooks
Black Skin White Masks - Frantz Fanon
Civil Disobedience & On Walden Pond - Henry David Thoreau
Culture Jam - Kalle Lasn
Days Of War. Nights Of Love - Crimethinc.
Discourse On Colonialism - Aime Cesaire
Guerilla Capitalism - Loompanics
Howl - Allen Ginsberg
I Seem To Be A Verb - R. Buckminster Fuller
The llluminatus Trilogy - Robert Anton Wilson
In The Presence Of Fear - Wendell Berry
Leasing The Ivory Tower - Lawrence C. Solely
Lies My Teacher Told Me - James W. Loewen
The Little Prince - Antoine de St. Exupery
Medicinal Plants Of The Pacific Northwest - Michael Moore
PIY: A Handbook For Changing Our World The Trapeze Collective
The Mismeasure Of Man - Steven Jon Gould
The Doors Of Perception - Aldous Huxley
The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Night Thoughts Of A Classical Physicist - Russel McCormmac
Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser
The Feminine Mystique - Betty Freidan
Flatland - Edward Abbot
Gender Outlaw - Kate Bornestein
No Logo - Naomi Klein
A Pedagogy For Liberation: Dialogues For Transforming
Education - Ira Shor & Paulo Freire
Pedagogy For The Oppressed - Ira Shor & Paulo Freire
People's History - Howard Zinn
Plants Of The Pacific Northwest - Pojar & McKinnon
The Practice Of The Wild - Gary Snyder
The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
~
- Emma Goldman
Revolution For The Hell Of It - Abbie Hottman
Simulacra & Simulacrum - Jean Baudrillard
Small ls Beautiful: Economics As If People
Mattered - E.F. Schumacher
Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg
Touch The Earth· A Self Portrait
Of Indian Existence T.C. McLuhan
The Trial Of Henry Kissenger Hitchens
Travels With Charley - John
Steinbeck
Understanding Media - Marshal
McLuhan
The Wab To Rainy Mountain N. Scott omaday
You Are Beina Lied To - The
Disinformation roup
97
A Short List of Radical Terminology
Affinity Group -A smal!, non-hierarchical collective of activists who collaborate on direct action via consensus dec1s1onmaking.
Neoliberalism - An economic doctrine promoting marketled growth, deregulation and the privatization of state-owned
enterprises.
Anarchy - .A social state in which there is no governing peron or group of persons, but each individual has absolute liberty
(without the implication of disorder).
Permaculture - A contraction of permanent agriculture. It
is an ethical design S)"Stem applicable to food production, land
use and community building which seeks sustainable ways of
living.
Anarchist - An advocate of a stateless society, where decisions are made based on equality as opposed to authority or
hierarchy.
Black Bloc - An affinity group, or cluster of affinity groups
that assembles during protests, demonstrations, or other forms
of direct action. Black blocs are noted for the_ distinc_tive allblack clothing worn by members to conceal their 1dent1ty.
Privilege - The concept that certain groups or classes of
people nave the ability to do things or experience things that
others do not have, solely based on who and what they are
Really Really Free Market - A free market based on the
principle of gift economics whereby participants bring gifts and
resources to share with one another, without money being exchanged.
consensus Based Decision Making - A participatory
decision making process for collectives that seeks_ the resolution of minority ob1ect1ons (according to the principle of inclusivity) as well as the agreement of all participants.
Security Culture - A set of customs shared by an affinity
group which engages in illegal activities, the practice of which
minimizes the risk of such activities.
D.I.Y. - Do It Yourself, a movement of creating what we need
and want ourselves, without relying on multinational corporations to do it for us.
Socialism - An economic system that believes in retaining hierarchy but, at least in theory, ensuring that there is financial
equality among all people.
Direct Action - Direct action is a form of political activism
which rejects reformist politics such as electing representatives
as ineffective in bringing about change. It involves taking responsibility ourselves for solving problems and includes strikes, occupations and blockades.
Socialization - The process where the dominant, mainstream
society imparts its values on its children from a very young age.
These values are often oppressive and related to giving certain
people privilege over otliers.
Fair Trade - products that resist the "free trade" movement
by a certification process where distributors negotiate directly
with the growers or creators of a product and guarantee a
living wage.
Freegan -A person that follows an anti-consumerist lifestyle
accoraing to which participants attempt to restrict their consumption of natural resources and participation in the conventional economy to using salvaged and discarded goods.
Free Trade - Treaties between countries pushed by multinational corporations to make the countries safer for business by
eliminating taxes, labor rights, and environmental protections.
Globalization - The idea of breaking down barriers between
nations. Unfortunately, this is usually used in the mainstream
media to only denote breaking down business barriers, not
barriers between people, sucli as borders and immigration
struggles.
Guerrilla Gardening - Nonviolent direct action whereby
disused plots are converted to gardens without seeking the
permission of property owners.
lnfoshop - A space (often a social center) that serves as a
node for anarchists involved with radical movements and countercultures for trading publications (typically books, zines, stickers and posters), meeting and networking with similar individuals and groups.
Mutual Aid -The voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources
and services for mutual benefit.
Solidarity - The feeling of unity based on common goals, interests, and sympathies. It is a term which is promoted by many
social movements to help create social relationships based on
justice and equality.
Wage Slavery - A term which asserts a similarity between
slavery-the ownership and control of one person by another-and wage labour.
World Bank & IMF (International Monetary Fund)
- Organizations setup after WWII to lend money to countries.
This money is generally only loaned out after the debtor country agrees to implement SAPs (Structural Adjustment Policies),
which invariably involve getting rid of labor rights, environmental protections, and any social program which interferes with
foreign investment.
WTO - World Trade Organization, the enforcement body of
GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), the mother of
all free trade agreements, run by an unelected bod)" that has the
power to eliminate democratically elected laws if they interfere
with free trade or business interests.
Zine -A small circulation, non-commercial publication of original or appropriated texts and images. Zines are often distributed througli secondary circuits, such as: trade, zine symposia,
record stores, concerts, independent media outlets, mailings; or
zine "distros."
Zie/Sie Zir/Hir - Gender neutral pronoun/ pronouns that
specifically avoid the gender binary system by having a pronoun
that neither assumes a male or female recipient.
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