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The Cooper Point Journal (October 4, 2017)
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theCOOPERPOINT
J O U R N A L
The Evergreen State College Student Newspaper | October 4, 2017
RECONVOCATION
YEARINREVIEW
AROUNDTOWN
4
6
3
RECAP + DISSCUSSION WITH
COMPLETE, UPDATED TIMELINE OF
WHAT WENT DOWN IN 2017- 2018
STUDENT DEVELOPED CRASH
COURSE IN OLY HOTSPOTS
STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Ja s m i n e Koz a k G i l roy
News Editor
C h l o e M a r i n a M a n ch e s t e r
Community Editor
G e o rg i e H i c k s
A r t s & C u lt u r e E d i t o r
Sally Linn
Comics Editor
M o r r i s s ey M o r r i s s ey
Web Manager
Fe l i x C h ro m e
Distribution Manager
Jo e S u l l a m
R ec o r d s A s s o c i at e
A p r i l D av i d s o n
B u i s n e s s A s s o c i at e
C o u l d b e yo u !
Writers
Ta r i Gun st one
Mason Soto
HOW WE WORK
The Cooper Point Journal is produced by students at The Evergreen State College,
with funding from student fees and advertising from local businesses. The Journal
is published for free every other Wednesday during the school year and distributed
throughout the Olympia area.
Our content is also available online at www.cooperpointjournal.com.
Our mission is to provide an outlet for student voices, and to inform and entertain
the Evergreen community and the Olympia-area more broadly, as well as to provide
a platform for students to learn about operating a news publication.
Our office is located on the third floor of the Campus Activities Building (CAB) at
The Evergreen State College in room 332 and we have open student meetings from
4 to 5 p.m every Wednesday.
WRITE FOR US
We accept submissions from any student at The Evergreen State College, and also
from former students, faculty, and staff. We also hire some students onto our staff,
who write articles for each issue and receive a learning stipend.
Have an exciting news topic? Know about some weird community happening? Enjoy
that new hardcore band? Come talk to us and write about it.
CONTACT
O f f i ce
T h e E ve rg re e n S t at e C o l l e g e
CAB 332
2 7 0 0 E ve rg re e n P k w y N W
O l y m p i a , WA
Email Us
cooperpointjournal@gmail.com
Call Us
(360) 867-6054
Visit Us
We d f ro m 1 1 a . m . t o 5 p. m .
C o ve r A r t B y
Je s s i c a M a i a R a s s mu s s e n
WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
02 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
We will also consider submissions from non-Evergreen people, particularly if they
have special knowledge on the topic. We prioritize current student content first, followed by former students, faculty and staff, and then general community submissions.
Within that, we prioritize content related to Evergreen first, followed by Olympia, the
state of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, etc.
To submit an article, reach us at cooperpointjournal@gmail.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We want to hear from you! If you have an opinion on anything we’ve reported in the
paper, or goings-on in Olympia or at Evergreen, drop us a line with a paragraph or
two (100 - 300 words) for us to publish in the paper. Make sure to include your full
name, and your relationship to the college—are you a student, staff, graduate, community member, etc. We reserve the right to edit anything submitted to us before
publishing, but we’ll do our best to consult with you about any major changes. Thank
News
FACULTY FOR EQUITY
TEACHERS ADDRESSING STUDENTS
DEMANDS FOR EQUITY
by Mason Soto
After a tumultuous Spring 2017 quarter, many faculty realized the failings of the administration in responding to student concerns, as well
as the need for better communication around equity issues and campus demonstrations. Through email communications and a series of
discussions with student activists, a network of supportive employees here at Evergreen formed a group called Staff and Faculty Acting for
Equity, a group that intends to coordinate with staff and faculty with students and administration to tackle issues of inequity and engage
productively with the spring events.
After a Spring 2017 quarter
full of organizing from the margins, many on campus realized
the failings of the administration
in responding to student concerns, as well as the need for better communication around equity
issues and campus demonstrations. Through emails and a series
of discussions with student activists, a network of supportive employees here at Evergreen formed
a group called Staff and Faculty
Acting for Equity, intending to
coordinate staff and faculty with
students and administration to
tackle issues of inequity. Just
last Wednesday, on September
27 the group helped facilitate
a Re-Convocation Rally along
with student organizers, showing a continued commitment
this quarter to addressing inequities of experience spanning the
lives of students and staff alike.
The Rally brought hundreds
of students to Red Square, along
with organizers from all over the
Olympia community, like radio
station 106.5 KOWA and Chicano unity organization MEChA,
bringing info on resources from
groups like the Thurston County
Food Bank and Showing Up for
Racial Justice. Participants made
collective art, listened to emotionally charged speeches from
both faculty and students organizers, and sang songs of healing
and coming together for the new
year. Even a surprise appearance
at the rally by Bret Weinstein did
not manage to dampen the collective spirit of the Re-Convocation, proving steady movements
for the atmosphere of activism
against oppression on campus.
The group of supportive faculty
who helped make the rally happen was formed following student demonstrations in late May
when off-campus email threads
circulated by Julie Russo and
Elizabeth Williamson created a
statement for staff solidarity with
activists. In its public release, the
statement acknowledged that
faculty have unique roles in addressing student demands, that
white faculty bear greater responsibility in combating racism, and that Bret Weinstein
had endangered this campus. An
informal interest group grew out
of these threads; over the summer this network came to include
staff and faculty, especially those
faculty who work directly with
marginalized students via support
services and who were already
closest to the equity work student activists were engaged with.
The participants wanted to ensure students did not feel alone
against the administration. “The
situation was ongoing, and we
weren’t sure what the administration’s response was going to be, if
any,” said Russo in an interview
with the Cooper Point Journal.
Over the summer, the goals of
this network unfolded through
working groups established for
various issues, like introducing
equity issues at the annual faculty
retreat, bettering communication with students and administration, re-orienting incoming
students on spring events, and
handling media coverage. Some
early gains were won for a staff
retreat where coordination with
the administration allowed for
the event to emphasise consideration of the equity issues brought
up by student demands and two
outside facilitators were brought
in to provide a re-commitment
to equity work for faculty. Later,
an all-faculty email delivered a
document compiled by Russo,
Williamson, and Joli Sandoz that
gave support for acknowledging
and minimizing equity issues in
learning spaces. Further collaboration with student activists and
Student Activities and Support
Services resulted in the orientation for first-year students including discussions about equity and
previous demonstrations—a presentation of community members’
statements about the spring and
understanding equity was shown,
and space was held for students
to discuss their own impressions.
In our interview, Russo explained that the group’s main
mission is to be a conduit for
student demands around diversity and equity, as well as maintain a clear line of communication between student organizers
and supportive faculty. Therefore,
meetings for the group often included students and equity advisors as well as faculty and staff.
Russo remains optimistic about
the informal role Staff and Faculty Acting for Equity has attained: “The unofficial status
is a positive because it enables
types of response and organizing possibilities and agility more
than a bureaucratic system can.”
The group already has more
plans for the coming year, like establishing Equity Office Hours in
the Unity Lounge and Trans and
Queer Center for students to bring
up in-class and campus concerns
that they may not be able to address with their program faculty.
Otherwise, members like Zoltan
Grossman continue to track media coverage, watching for dangerous narratives, and the group
is ready to support the new role
of Vice President of Equity and
Diversity Chastity HollomanDouglas who began on October 1.
Russo also understands that
there are limits to what the group
can do, especially for staff and
adjunct faculty who do not have
the same autonomy that tenured
faculty have that enable them to
become involved in organizing
without risking their job security.
Furthermore, she knows that navigating the balance between faculty responsibility in supporting
academic learning and supporting
student activism is often a precarious experience. With the success
and community support at the
Re-Convocation Rally as an indication, the efforts of students and
faculty striving for a more inclusive campus are off to a good start.
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 03
News
ONE LAST
UPDATE ON THE
STAFF + FACULTY DL
THE EQUITY ADVISORS
Bridges Puts the Students “In Charge”
by Georgie Hicks
The Presidential Equity Advisors is a group of 8 students of color that convened over the summer. Their main
goals were to advise on matters of equity as it related to the student conduct code and to also do work surrounding the planning of the new Equity Center.
The group arose from demands made of George Bridges
and the administration during the May protest to put
together a paid task force of
students to overlook the revision of the student code of conduct that was already underway.
The group hoped to recenter on the students this institution was built for. They
hoped that their employment
would set a precedent that students should be paid for the often overlooked work they do
for this school and their peers.
The group had 3 charges: “to
review the student code of conduct and to give recommendations to senior administration,”
“to design an equity center,” and
“to give recommendations to
the college about how to communicate with the student body,
educate the community about
the code of conduct and seek
feedback from the community
to elevate awareness of institutional values.” The group’s main
purpose was to advise about what
students would like to happen
at Evergreen to promote equity.
The students understood how
important the work was but
were also acutely aware that the
things they did were only recommendations and that the administration still has the final say.
The student advisors were
not alone—the suggestions they
made were also run through the
student code of conduct committee that includes two attorneys
from the state attorney general’s
office, Assistant to the VP of
Student Conduct Andrea Seabert Olsen, and about 20 other
people on the student code of
conduct committee. During the
presidential advisors’ equity forum, it was stated that the revisions “will flow through the necessary people to [ensure they]
stay within the legal guidelines.”
The student advisors compared Evergreen’s Code of Conduct to other progressive schools’
codes and tried to identify the
best practices regarding student protest and demonstration.
The main suggestions the
group gave the administration
were to improve the accountability for faculty and administrative
employees as well as committing
to transparency as an institution.
04 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
Both of these would be steps
intended to improve equity for
marginalized students. A primary concern was that the only
people whose actions are required
to adhere to the student code of
conduct are the students. Some
feel this leaves the administration
open to take actions that affect
the student body but leaves students with no way to hold the administration accountable. The equity advisors we spoke to believe
that policies must be changed
so that students, staff, faculty,
and the administration are all
held accountable to each other.
More suggestions that the
group came up with over the
course of this summer include addressing staff at the college. They
ask that Latoya Johnson, an administrative assistant who provided her support to the presidential
equity advisors over the summer,
be given a permanent position.
Another suggestion was to have
Wendy Endress’ email reviewed
“by a diverse population of people” to avoid further endangering
students. Endress’ emails were
a factor in student protests last
year after she allegedly included
misinformation about the detainment of two black students by
the police in an all student email.
Above all, the Equity Council suggests that the school work,
not just talk, on real issues of accountability, equity and transparency. “There is work that is being
done that is not being reported
to the students. There is work
that is being talked about but
not actually done,” said one of
the student equity advisors. The
student hoped that the work they
did over the summer will help to
change Evergreen for the better,
but said, “I think it is a success in
that we learned a lot and I think
it was a success in that there was
a lot of research that got done
that could be important. It’s kind
of hard to gauge the success until we see what the school does
with it. George [Bridges] also has
a history of being a really good
listener but does not have a history of going out and doing the
work after the listening happens.
He seems to [understand] the
work and congratulated us on the
presentation, but we still have to
wait and see if he does the work.”
by Jasmine Kozak Gilroy
The Staff + Faculty DL is set
to be temporarily shut down
Monday, October 2 2017, following weeks of rumors regaurding the future of the DL.
The DL is to be replaced by a new,
Greener Commons style website
that can be reached by the URL
discourse.evergreen.edu. “Greener
Discourse” will not be acsessible to students and will require
login credentials to access the site.
Any attempts to access the site as
a student are met with the error
message, “I am sorry, your account
is not in a group that has access to
the discourse. If you think this is
in error contact us at Help,” with a
hyperlink to the Technology Help
page. It is still unclear whether or
not “Greener Discourse” will be
acsessible to student staff members as the all Staff and Faculty
DL was in the past, though recent attempts made by student
staff seem to imply that it will not.
An
email
recieved
by
faculty member John Hurley, the
VP of Finance & Administration, explained that following last
year’s drama, President George
Bridges put together a working
group to study the use and future
of the DL. They found “that Evergreen’s use of campus-wide DLs
is highly unusual,” explaining that
“Employees at other schools typically do not have the ability to
post or reply campus wide.” Although the DL will remain as a
trial, some are up in arms
about the changes, considering it an assault on their rights.
Community
ED SORGER
Returns to Evergreen
by Chloe Marina
Ed Sorger has taken over the position of Evergreen Chief of Police from Stacy Brown, who quit the position
over the summer following student backlash against the campus police during Spring Quarter. Ed Sorger was
the Evergreen Police Chief from 2006 to 2016 when he retired. He had previously worked at Lacy PD. Stacy
Brown was Sorger’s successor at Evergreen and he is now acting as interim chief until a long term replacement
for Brown can be found.
Evergreen students have had
a tumultuous relationship with
the police on campus, one of the
more notable incidents being a
cop car which was flipped, had
the word “PIGS” spray painted
on the side, and had recycling
bins stacked along the bottom
(top by that point) of the car following a Dead Prez concert on
campus in 2008. The school has
also had an uncomfortable relationship with Sorger himself who
was allegedly complicit with Federal attempts to spy on students.
Students also found fault with
Sorger when in 2014 an Evergreen Police Officer went up
against him for the department’s
use of dorm walkthroughs, which
the officer alleged were illegal.
In a Cooper Point Journal article published following this
incident, student journalists explained that it was college policy
to allow walkthroughs despite
the fact that in 2008 the State v.
Houvener ruling determined that
“students at public institutions
have an expectation of privacy
in the hallways of their residence
halls and police may not patrol
the hallways without a search
warrant unless one of the warrant exceptions exist,” according
to The Law of Higher Education,
Fifth Edition: Student Version.
In an interview with the CPJ,
Sorger stated, “It’s a community
policing effort—not a fishing expedition.” “We decided that we
would make sure students at the
beginning of the school year would
know that officers are going to be
there as a part of the community
and a part of the safety issue, and
that officers are a resource to students.” These walkthroughs were
being phased out of practice in
2014 though campus PD officers
accompanied RAs and RDs on
patrols of lower campus up until
this year. This policy changed as a
result of the protests in the spring.
In 2014, The Evergreen State
College Police, under the com-
mand of Ed Sorger, were accused
of spying. Civil rights lawyer
Larry Hildes said on the radio
program Democracy Now! that the
police had “spied on, infiltrated,
or otherwise monitored the activities of Port Militarization Resistance and/or related or associated
activists.” Hildes revealed that information obtained through public records requests revealed that
information on the student group
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on campus was given to
multiple outside groups, including the Thurston County Sheriff ’s
Office, the Olympia Police Department, the US Capitol Police
Department, and John Towery.
Towery was revealed in 2009 to
be a military spy whose mission
was to infiltrate various PNW activist groups including SDS and
Port Militarization Resistance
who were protesting the militarization of local PNW ports,
including the port in Olympia
which drew protests in 2016 and
2017 because of the transport of
fracking sands from the port to
pipeline construction locations.
Two former Greeners and SDS
members worked with Hildes to
uncover emails proving that Evergreen police were sharing information about students groups and
events on campus with outside
agencies. This walked the line of
FERPA violations if students were
named. FERPA protects students
and their education records from
becoming public information.
At that time, both Sorger and
Wendy Endress declined to comment on these allegations. Following this, there was no comment made to the CPJ in 2014.
Ed Sorger, upon retiring from
Evergreen in 2016, stressed
the importance of understanding your community as a police officer’s, and encouraged all
Evergreen police and incoming chief Stacy Brown to take
time to get to know the community they were policing.
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 05
Community
Questions about
Amplification &
Disruption
Electronic Media (EM) provides sound amplification and
as video and audio documentation for a number of events on
campus and the clients who host
them. EM normally has a presence at a number of events on
campus during any given week.
Thus, they could potentially
play a crucial role in allowing a
student disruption to continue
or effectively hinder it by turning microphones and speakers
off. Additionally, the documentation captured by their stateowned cameras and audio recorders could be subpoenaed
and used as evidence against
students in the case of litigation.
In order to have safe and effective demonstrations, there needs
to be transparency between the
students and this often forgotten about part of Media Services
around its protocol for continuing its service during disruptive
action. The current guidelines
were announced and distributed
among EM’s staff during this
year’s training just weeks ago.
As the dean of the library, Greg
Mullins, who oversees and administrates to EM, has of lately
been unresponsive in collaborating on an official policy, the
guidelines are the result of a discussion among the full time staff.
While the opinion of student
staff has been listened to during this process, it has had little
influence on what was produced
and they are working to be more
involved and outspoken while an
official policy is being generated.
The first thing EM’s staff advocates to its student employees is
personal safety. However, in the
case of disrupters attempting to
operate equipment such as PA
systems or projectors intended
to support the client’s event, the
following guidelines are being
disseminated to student staff:
“Check in with the event sponsors
[before the event] to see if they are
comfortable with allowing others
to present their opinions using the
mics.”
“In the case of individuals simply
taking over the stage, in general the
PA should be turned off unless the
clients are comfortable with [it].”
“Documentation cameras should be
paused . . . [and] wait for the clients
to indicate they want to proceed.”
“If there are attempts to damage the
equipment, remove it from the site,
or other behaviors which are possible safety risks to the attendees, Police Services should be immediately
contacted.”
The priorities of these preliminary
06 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
by Sally Linn
After a year of student action and event disruptions,
Electronic Media has taken it upon themselves to produce a set of guidelines for its staff to follow in the case
of more upsets.
measures are unfortunately client-centered which is often Evergreen’s administration or campus
groups that are overseen by higher-ups. As EM is technically hired
by each client group, the full time
staff feel it is them whose consideration should be prioritized.
Events, however, should not be
considered in terms of ownership but rather from a mentality of service; the student and
community attendees are most
frequently the people the events
are being put on for. Attempting to sway the event to the sterile plan of the client’s intentions
may not always be the most beneficial for the campus community.
This is a college, a place established for the education of
students. Therefore, students
should always be prioritized
first. Disruptions, or at least the
technical support of disruptions,
should be considered from a
student agenda and perspective.
Electronic Media student employees are concerned about student voices and the platforms the
school creates and, depending on
the course these guidelines take,
potentially controls. A number
of student staff have expressed
that in the case of an event disruption, they will proceed with
inaction with regards to audio
amplification. While it is widely
recognized that recording should
be stopped during any kind of
demonstration, they have made
clear to their bosses that turning the faders down is not something they are comfortable with.
As both students and staff
members of a central group on
campus, they play a gatekeeping role when it comes to these
questions. Is it the students’ job
to attempt to help with de-escalation? Or is it appropriate for
them to make personal decisions
which could dramatically sway
the efficacy of a demonstration?
Without clear guidelines for the
student staff, which at present are
yet to be disseminated, it leaves
the students who run the PA systems with a decision to make: follow what is advised for the benefit
of the client’s neutrality or allow
things to proceed as unplanned.
Needless to say, some students
would not be comfortable making
this decision while on the clock.
The full time staff have given
student workers the option of
considering themselves off-theclock. This would of course be the
case if student staff were to participate in a demonstration, start
documenting with their personal
cell phones, or otherwise commit
themselves to actions that do not
fall under their EM responsibilities. This state of being off-theclock can be used by them to defer action with regards to shutting
off microphones and speakers.
The students have expressed
their discomfort both with
the lack of an official protocol
and with one that would effectively silence student voices.
As a student employee wrote in
an email conversation between Peter Randlette, head of Electronic
Media, and Greg Mullins, dean of
the library, “These guidelines are a
blueprint for how we, Electronic
Media, The Evergreen State College, and really how our society
chooses to engage with or silence
social movements, resistance to
fascism, and anti-racist work.”
The consequences of an insubstantial policy orient the school
against the values, actions, and
dialogue of the student body.
EM full time staff do not want
their student workers to be coerced into a role of de-escalation
yet the line that states, “In the
case of individuals simply taking over the stage, in general
the PA should be turned off unless the clients are comfortable
with [it],” would essentially be
taking an action to that end.
These procedures are still being discussed among the EM
staff and the administration.
We’ll be sure to update you if
any major changes come out of it.
While it’s always uncertain if
a demonstration will go according to plan, if you are planning
a disruption, its best always to
be prepared. Bring a megaphone.
Community
STU F F 2 D O
By Morrissey Morrissey & Chloe Marina Manchester
SUNDAY 10/6
LIBRA DANCE PARTY
SATURDAY 10/14
Vouyer is at it again, and the stars are aligned in the shape of a scale, and zodiac
dance party IS BACK! Dance, dance, dance into the morning until you’re all balanced and sorted out at this Libra Season dance party. No cover fee and DJ’d by
Rondo Maas and DJ Split.
MOBILE HEALING SPACE FUNDRAISER
Le Vouyer. 10 p.m. Free. 21+.
SUNDAY 10/6
DANCE OLY DANCE
Thurston Community Media. 8 p.m. Free.
Another dance party on this dance October night, this time TELEVISED!
Dance Oly Dance is a public access T.V. show that has a monthly DJ and greenscreen-powered dance party every first Friday, live on TV and open to the public!
Wear your funnest and spookiest costumes and your comfiest monster shoes and
boogie the night away.
Abigail Stewart House. 7 p.m. By donation.
Come out to help raise funds for a mobile community healing space! Help put
funds together to get the Dandelion Seed Collective, a local collective focused
on natural and herbal healing, a vehicle or trailer to be used as a healing space
on wheels. There will be tarot readings, wreath making, teas, a photo booth, raffle
prizes, and more! Accompanying the family-friendly activities will be a fun jams
by DJ Leola and country tunes by the first openly gay country band, Lavender
country. Seeya there!
SUNDAY 10/14
SATURDAY 10/14
BENEFIT FOR N.W. DETENTION CENTER FUNDS
OLYMPIA ZINE FEST
In today’s political climate, it can feel scary and stunting when you see so
much going wrong and you don’t know what to do to help. In these times, it’s
especially important to show up to community gigs like this one. With a line
up of 4 amazing acts (all of which boast amazing music by queer musicians) you
will be able to come out and see people you love, dance with your friends, and
help your community. Come see Skelevision (PDX), Skep. Lef., noneforme, and
Pleasure Systems play some soothing tunes.
The Olympia Center. 11 a.m. Free.
It’s back! Every Olympian’s favorite fest is here at last! Olympia Zine Fest
returns for it’s 2017 table expo to share publication and art from over 75 local and
far away artists. Not only can you come see tablers at the main expo, but there
are workshops and activities to attend as well, including Bess Bess’ “Combatting
Fatphobia” workshop (Oct. 14, 2:30PM - 3:30PM) as well as Nia King’s “How to
Self-publish Your Book” (Oct. 15, 11AM - 12:30PM) and even “Shrinky Dinks”
with Liz Yerby (Oct. 14th, 1:45PM - 3:30 PM).
New Moon. 8 p.m. By Donation. All ages.
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 07
Arts & Culture
JESSICA MAIA
RASMUSSEN
08 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
Arts & Culture
I applied to the exhibition documenta14 because I was interested in studying an exhibition that was
politically engaged. In my senior program Art/Work I was studying art theory, philosophy, and studio
arts which supported my interest and pursuit in documenta. This exhibition was founded in Germany
as a form of cultural revival after WWII. Additionally, since the GDR was recently active in Germany
the history is embedded in various ways of thinking about government.
I began an internship in the exhibition department a few weeks before the opening of the 100 day
bi-locational exhibition. I was an assistant for project managers, curatorial assistance and curators. My
most involved project was with Irena Haiduk. One thing included project management for one of her
performance art pieces—Spinal Discipline. In this, I would do hospitality care, administrative work,
time-sheets, and manage the performance weekly. The performance was a group of “Sirens” walking
around the city of Kassel balancing Marcel Proust literature on their head. My day-to-day tasks were
actually quite mundane. And I would say I sold a part of my soul through a 50-70 hour work week,
however, my deep dedication and belief for the projects and exhibition supported being able to be so
“I would say I sold a part of my soul through
a 50-70 hour work week, however, my
deep dedication and belief for the projects
and exhibition supported being able to be so
overworked. With that being said, in the end
I realized that my labor is one of the most
precious things I own and have to offer.”
overworked. With that being said, in the end I realized that my labor is one of the most precious things
I own and have to offer.
At Evergreen I was interested in the relationship between the public/private and, while documenta
conceptually questioned that, nothing about my leisure life was seperated from my work/public life.
Everything from eating, socializing, working was centered around documenta. My colleagues and I
experienced ourselves as being documenta. There was an ambivalence of what the work was saying and
the reality behind the scenes. Work was presented on gender and sexuality yet most of the team lacked
sexual diversity. Work on exploitation yet the exhibition was made possible through exploitation. Even
though documenta is doing important socio-political work, it still exists as a non-for profit
organization, which loosely means its stakeholders hold agency over the content and distribution of
funds. This provides contention between the politicians, artistic director, artists, and visitors.
In the end, my engagement was prominently as assistant to The Parliament of Bodies—curated by
Paul Preciado—which was the Public Programs of documenta14. Some tasks included but were not
limited to project/participant research, hospitality care for speakers/performers, and on-site technical
assistance. We had a variety of programs in the evening: anything from Redefining the Idea of Global
Left to movie premiers. Like that of Fluido which discussed the commodification of sexual fluids.
While discussions around aesthetics in terms of “what is art?” are important in an exhibition, I found
that The Parliament of Bodies could put it secondary to the fact that most visitors are citizens, which
brought in questions of civic responsibility.
The Parliament of Bodies was the foster parent to the thesis work I started before I left Evergreen.
While in Art/Work I was researching theories of intimacy; studying how intimacy developed out of
the private and into the social sphere.
&
UP
COMING
TUES. SEPT 19
TESC Student Art
Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 5 pm.
Welcome to
Dis Orientation Week
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 7 pm.
Dis O Movie night, “Trouble”
WED. SEPT 20
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 7 pm.
Protest Saftey & Prepardness
THUR. SEPT 21
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 1 pm.
Gentrification: Olympia &
Beyond
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 7 pm.
Dis O Movie night,
“Born in Flames”
FRI. SEPT 22
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 1pm.
Student Power at Evergreen
& Beyond
Obsidian
414 4th Ave E. 9 p.m.
Sahba Sizdahkhani (Iran),
Angelo Spencer, Hammer of
Hathor
SAT. SEPT 23
TESC Student Art Gallery
2700 Evergreen Pkwy NW. 2 pm.
Plant Walk
Obsidian
414 4th Ave E. 6 pm. All Ages.
GIRL DIRT ANGEL FOG:
Sea-Witch v.2 Release Party
STAFF RECOMMENDED
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 09
Arts & Culture
ERIN CLAYTON HORBACK.
A R T S
WA L K
This weekend Olympia’s downtown streets will
come alive with culture and creativity at the Arts
Walk festival. A staple of downtown community
life, Arts Walk offers a quick snippet of the vast array Olympia’s artists, condensed into two nights.
by Mason Soto
Since 2000, this twice annual event has brought hundreds of artists across the area together in booths and performances that span
from Fourth Avenue and Capitol Way outwards to Sylvester Park and even City Hall. Individual artists are sponsored by downtown
businesses to host and sell their work outside the storefronts, and the businesses and eateries themselves often have extended hours to
accommodate shoppers during the festival. Some art is produced by the employees of a business, like at Obsidian and Primeval Ink Tattoo, giving Olympians a chance to see their servers as something more, while other booths might hold folks from far and wide who you
would not see here any other time. Many pop-up food trucks and vendors sprinkle the event as well, bringing the best quick eats of the
town all to one place (and do not miss out on the free snacks at some of the artists’ booths, too!) Finally, live music and performances
make the festival unforgettable, with diverse and interesting sounds from folk music and latin jazz to Hawaiian dance and orchestrated
symphonies. There is even a circus performance scheduled for Friday night, and music at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Whether
you’re drinking some (maybe) free champagne at an art gallery and wearing your beret for a fancy night on the town, or don your favorite patched up vest to watch someone play banjo on the corner of Fourth and Franklin for the folk punker in your heart of hearts,
Olympia’s Arts Walk is a hit for everyone.
PRIEST POINT PARK
Just east of Downtown lies 314
acres of lush winding woods along
Budd Bay. Follow steep trails of
Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, and
red alder through ravines hugging
teal water inlets, or take a leisurely
walk on the saltwater shorelines.
Watch out—Priest Point Park is
known for its muddy shores, don’t
wear your back-to-school sneakers. Pack your rain boots instead.
Watch heron and eagles hunting for food against a backdrop
view of the capitol building and
downtown Olympia. Priest Point
Park is perfect for getting your
EL GUANACO
NOM NOM DELI
JOSH’S RESTAURANT
I first ventured into El Guanaco for
their annual celebration of El Salvador’s National Pupusa Day. Pupusas, tradition Salvadoran corn cakes
stuffed are fillings, are a staple at El
Guanaco, where they sell them individually. Although they do feature
full sized menu items that run from
about 10 to 15 dollars, my favorite
way to enjoy their food is by ordering several of their smaller, cheaper
dishes. On a typical outing to El
Guanaco, I’ll order a couple of pupusas with different fillings, plus one
of their many appetizers, and some
The cheapest spot for food in
town. Hecka bánh mìs and other
Vietnamese eats, check out their
a la carte spring rolls and hum
bao. Plenty of options for you
veg-heads too. When you walk in,
there’s the shrillest dingdong like
at a gas station food mart, only
more ear-splitting. The owner is
always shining a smile, asking general questions in an intimate way.
Inside you will find soothing green
paint and a disproportionate albeit charming word-art mural. When
ordered to go, their bánh mìs are
swaddled like babies in white pa-
Josh’s Restaurant is new in
town, the project of long time
resident Josh, best known
for hosting DIY shows out
of Le Vouyer. His resteraunt
is part resteraunt and part
tape shop. All food is sold in
red solo cups, with plenty of
vegan, vegitarian, and gluten
sensative options. Josh’s is the
most fastest and most wholesome food you’re going to get
under ten bucks in Olympia.
10 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
Look up “Josh’s Resteraunt” on Instagram + Facebook or stop by and
say hello at 412 Franklin Street.
Arts & Culture
J. KOZAKGILROY
J. KOZAKGILROY
BURGER FIGHT
BIG TOM’S
vs
by Sally Linn
EAGAN’S
Have you ever wondered about the mysteries* behind the Eastside/Westside feud between Big Tom’s of the Eastside and Eagan’s (Pepsi
Fry) on the Westside? So did we and decided to put each drive-in to the test, burger on burger, shake on shake, so you know where to get
the best drive-thru Goopy burger in Olympia. We broke it up into seven categories and came up with one definitive and quickly obvious
answer. From each stop we ordered a Big Tom burger—yes, Eagan’s also features a Big Tom burger, though their staff could not tell us
why—a small fry, and a vanilla malt. Here’s what we found.
Ambience
Big Toms is something you can’t
miss while driving by. Its dinosaur statues will grab your attention
first. They have a wall of Big Tom
themed pop culture characters such
as Big Wonder Woman and Clone
Tommer from the #GOOPWARS
saga. It’s a charming and kitschy
place to sit in your car and let the
sauce slither down your forearms.
There’s seating too—we sat at
the outdoor diner stools that are
spaced awkwardly far apart. You
can also walk up to a burger window that’s attached to the side of
a house and order your burger to
stay in the “Garden of Eatin’.”
Eagen’s is a parking lot where your
viewing pleasures include cars blowing past on Division, other people
eating in their cars, and a dilapidated storehouse with a mural featuring tweaker fast food characters
like a crazy eyed hot dog dripping
something wet the end of its wiener.
Winner: Big Tom’s
Customer Service
Both stops had a kindly staff. At Big
Tom’s they wear loungewear with
sweatshirts under an apron. Eagan’s
staff had much more of an Olympia
vibe with all staff wearing black tank
tops and many sporting dyed hair.
Big Tom’s staff apparel had a more
friendly demeanor and seemed genuinely excited to be serving us fast
food. The Eagan’s girl taking orders
only got excited when we started inquiring about the Big Tom/Pepsi Fry
similarities and their history. Unhelpful but still affable.
Winner: Big Tom’s
Price
We ordered the same meal at each
restaurant for an accurate comparison. A Big Tom burger, small fry, and
vanilla malt at Big Tom’s came out to
$14 and some change while Eagen’s
charged us $16 something. Both are
overpriced for what they deliver, with
a standard burger at Big Tom’s being
$6.49 and similar prices at Eagan’s.
You can save a few dollars at Big
Tom’s.
Winner: Neither are a good deal.
Speed
The shakes came out first at both
places with the staff walking it to
our car while still in line. Big Tom’s
seemed much more production oriented. They had likely twice the staff
on hand as Eagan’s and it showed.
Our car kept rolling through the line
and our order was swiftly handed to
us. Eagan’s on the other hand had us
waiting behind cars, then at windows.
Winner: Big Tom’s
Burger Integrity
Each place’s Big Tom burger came
with double meat and double cheese
with veggies and the same mustardbased Goop sauce. The fundamental
differences remain a mystery. Now to
where it counts. Which burger held
up better? In terms of structural integrity, the Eagan’s burger was more
sound, less of a slop mess—one you
can easily pass around inside of a car
without any paper wrapping. There
was a lot of bun and not enough veggies though.
The Big Tom burger had more sauce
and more substance. I like my burgers saucy and they should be nearly
soggy by the end. Slightly messier
but more adventure. The meat was
cooked almost identically at each
place but Big Tom’s had something
special in the seasoning that puts it
on top.
Winner: Big Tom
Fry Fry
Like the burger name and the Goop
sauce, the fries too were also almost
identical at each stop. Both places
were serving crinkle cut fries that
had a crispy outer and a melt-in-yourmouth inner, fries that don’t leave
you parched. On the whole they were
both pretty average fries with Eagan’s
being slightly crispier but in a slightly
less convenient package wrapping. It
was hard to tell if they were recently
defrosted or not.
Winner: Eagan’s Pepsi Fry
Shake Shook
The difference between the two
burger drive-ins was most apparent
in their vanilla malts. They tasted
nearly the same and both had a sickly pale yellow hue to them, but Big
Tom’s had considerably more malt in
it. Eagan’s might have had the same
malty taste if the powder wasn’t all
clumped at the bottom of the cup. The
straw given with a shake at Big Tom’s
is likened to one you’d receive with
bubble tea. It was huge and somewhat disconcerting to be drinking
something so thick out of. Eagan’s
straws were regulation shake width.
They also had a plethora of shake flavors, not limited to fruity dairy nightmares like lime and watermelon.
The Verdict
We all felt like dirt after all this consumption. Big Tom’s far surpassed
Eagan’s Pepsi Fry in overall experience. Being a Westside landmark,
Eagan’s was more like a novelty to
dine at than being any solution to a
craving. Being on the Eastside it is a
slightly bigger commitment for most
folks to get to Big Tom’s but one that
pays off in nearly every category. If
you want a dirtier, quick stop (to get
to, not to get your food,) choose Eagan’s. If you’re committed to getting
some good local fast food, take the
drive and head to Big Tom’s. Whatever you choose, they’re basically the
same thing.
*Urban ledgend says that the ownsers Big Tom’s and Eagan’s were once
married and, after the divorce, split
their restaurants as well as with the
rest of their belongings. Eagan’s is
apparently still bitter that it’s not as
good.
Winner: Big Tom’s
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 11
Arts & Culture
POC TALK
The relief of Brett Weinstein and Heather Heyings’ resignation was accompanied by the hardest of eye rolls following the news of the $500,000 settlement they will be receiving. As POC, the settlement reminds us that the
damage and trauma that has been inflicted upon our community by a combination of ignorance and negligence
has deep and empty pockets. Normally in POC Talk I do not take the time to address white people but this time
due to the cathartic nature of this letter, I am making an exception.
This situation is a great learning opportunity, for the White
community that rallied around
Brett as a “good guy,” who “isn’t
racist” (read: morally or personally bad), something better
explained by Peggy Mcintosh,
white feminist and anti-racist activist and scholar when she says,
“I was taught to see racism only
in individual acts of meanness,
not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.”
Brett is the definition of white
privilege and fragility—the fear
and “danger” he and his wife felt
they were exposed to was only
the slightest sliver of what POC
deal with on an almost daily basis. The fear they were experiencing is not unique or even new to
those of us who face backlash by
fact of our mere existence. None
of this is to deny the legitimacy
of their fear, but instead to point
out the privilege there is in being able to make the decision to
place yourself in a space of vulnerability by publicly expressing
opinions and ideas. This authority over the way people will treat
you is what makes Brett and
Heather the textbook definition
of white fragility and privilege.
White fragility, a term I was
recently accused of “creating,”
is defined as “a state in which
even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable,
triggering a range of defensive
moves. These moves include the
outward display of emotions
such as anger, fear, and guilt,
and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the
stress-inducing situation. These
behaviors, in turn, function to re-
instate white racial equilibrium.”
The White woman and scholar
who actually created the term,
Robin DiAngelo, explains that
this fragility arises out of “a social
environment that protects and
insulates them [White people]
from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial
protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while
at the same time lowering the
ability to tolerate racial stress.”
Brett’s class had to be moved
for fear of angry protesters interrupting it while my class and
many, many others had to be held
in a park and the school had to
be evacuated for fear of being
shot. While people talked about
these two things as if they were
equivalent, being yelled at and
being threatened with death are
obviously not comparable. Obvious that is, unless the former is
being faced by a Privileged White
man and scared white women.
Privileged white men and scared
white woman have been our
deaths for centuries and this case
put us in no less danger. Ask my
fellow students, friends and faculty who received an onslaught of
death threats. Black and Brown
people had to avoid campus, miss
classes, leave their jobs, and, in
some cases, even move their entire lives and families because of
death threats and doxxing, because of fear of being murdered,
because of organized groups
who would see us exterminated.
Dear White Liberals let me
be blatantly clear: all this is directly tied to Mr. Weinstein’s TV
appearances, the massive AltRight following his Thiel Capi-
12 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
tal executive brother’s possesses
and the dangerous ignorance of
“tolerant liberalism,” that can
see the storming of our school
by Alt- Right groups and death
threats to students, staff, and faculty as equal to a group of students yelling at a faculty member.
This is classic white fragility, the
inability to deal with the fact that
maybe you are not the authority
when it comes to issues of race
and that your personal opinion
isn’t only not needed but in the
long run doesn’t really matter.
It’s laughable that he thinks he
should be entitled to $500,000,
much less the almost $4 million
they originally attempted to get
because a group of student yelled
at him. PoC, LGBTQIA+, disabled and other minority groups
face harassment on an almost daily basis, it’s horrible and it’s traumatizing but ain’t nobody going
to pay us $500,000 to deal with it.
Our work environments are
hostile, our personal relationships are traumatizing, academia
is a hotbed of racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic
garbage and Brett is example #1.
As minorities we do not have the
privilege to believe that we could
be rewarded $500,000 for getting
up every day to deal with white
supremacy. We don’t deserve subjugation but we expect it, Brett
does not deserve $500,000 but we
expect him to get it. The system
works flawlessly and the obfuscation from the white liberals eyes
is all a meticulously crafted part
of the plan. Black and Brown
people deserve reparations and
respect but we know we won’t get
it because we are not a middle
aged, college educated, White
man with the money, time, and
experience to bring a lawsuit
against the people who oppose us.
Brett is the epitome of what we
are fighting against, not just the
Neo-nazis in the streets but the
“well meaning” highly educated
freedom of speech liberals who
would see us murdered in an attempt to offer tolerant free speech
to the hateful among us. Brett is
a reminder that even would-be
or self-identified allies may be
dangerous when they reclaim the
power they have always had. The
fact that Brett is in fact a jewish
person shows how the concept
of Whiteness is ever changing
and morphing, giving and taking
privilege to fit its own purposes.
Brett holds true to form when we
think of how capitalism, White
supremacy and classism intertwine to keep each other standing.
So after almost one full year of
anxiety-provoking coverage of
Brett’s antics I am proud to say,
Good bye, Good riddance, so
long, farewell, See ya next never!
I am 100% sure you will take your
disparaging tour on the road in an
attempt to not only further place
students of color in danger but to
keep reveling in that sweet, sweet
alt-right fame you appear to have
gotten a taste for. I hope your “liberal” mindset was more appreciated at the Ayn Rand Institute hosted “Are We Killing Free Speech?”
event you spoke at on the 19th.
POC Talk out!
send your questons + ideas to
poctalk@cooperpointjournal.com
Should I text him? I mean like
fucking for go it. We’re all dieing anyway so what do you have
to loooose? Dignity is a lie, boys
are evil but do it, follo yr dreams
I’m drowning in class, what do I
do? Talk to yr prfos sometime
their chill or spill all the water so at lest every one else also
drowns??? ALos if you’re stressing about something that’s due in
a couple days sometimes the bst
thing to do is just tell yrslf that
you have the night off probably
How much coffee is too much coffee? This feels very targeted but
also same so? If you do too much
coffffeee, alcohol rules work. Eat a
slice of bread and drink hella water
Everything is going my way. I have
nothing to complain about. What do
I do? Um like chill tf out and enjoy it?? soon enough either things
will go awry and/or the anxiety
you feel over your contendness
+ guilt of enjoying life will take
over and you will be sad again….?
Like, just think about it for a
few minutes u will probalby find
Something to complain about
i believe in u don’t worry things
will turn shit again soon xoxoxox
how do i get Dwayne the rock
Johnson to date me? messgage
him on insta tell him to ‘come to
olympia and ill show you a good
time’ tell him youll take him to
taco bell no one can refuse that
no matter how rich and famous
Plz tell me how to turn up? if
you dont know how to get
turnt you will nevr know
how to get turnt sorry square
We get drunk so you don’t have
to. Ask us the questions you can’t
ask your RA @
wastedadvice.sarahah.com
Letters & Opinion
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 13
Letters & Opinion
RUBY THOMPSON.
PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
Proposed Updates to Weapons Prohibited,
WAC 174-136-043
Tues, October 10, Purce Hall LH2, 12-1pm.
Search Greener Commons for “Weapons Prohibited”
To read the proposed draft.
Send comments to John Carmichael at
carmichj@evergreen.edu
14 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
the
C O O P E RJ P
OINT
O U R N A L
COME WRITE FOR US!
meetings wednesdays at 4 p.m.
CAB 3200
bring your pitches.
Letters & Opinion
RUBY THOMPSON.
by April Davidson
ARIES 3/21 - 4/19
LIBRA 9/23 - 10/22
TAURUS 4/20 - 5/20
SCORPIO 10/23 - 11/21
GEMINI 5/21 - 6/20
SAGITTARIUS 11/22 - 12/21
You’ve got ecstatic energy all around you. Moving fast is something you can’t help most of the time
but moving forward too quickly could give you motion sickness right now. There will be a moment,
either now or in the next two weeks, when you get a surprise message or a final piece of information
that ties everything together. Coincidences and synchronicities are anything but. The significance
of what crosses your path are crucial to maintaining your flow. Stay present and watch for clues.
There’s been some conflict and it’s important for you to admit that instead of presuming everything
is fine and moving on. Acknowledging an external reality is one thing but recognizing how the issues you’re facing have their origin from a private, internal, or psychic place is another. Take some
alone time to re-establish your values and heal. Your responsibility over the next two weeks is to be
very kind and gentle to yourself.
Focusing on your own rules or version of the truth will only isolate you further. If you want the assurance of your greatness, power, and the validation of your peers then you must be open to exploring the shadows. You may now just be realizing how the role you play in others’ lives has a direct
impact on your overall happiness or state of being. You will be called on to help a friend in crisis, or
some other humanitarian effort. Trust in what can’t be seen, in the spiritual and intangible.
CANCER 6/21 - 7/22
A breakthrough. A sudden change that you may or may not be ready for. If you have been in a state
of isolation that is about to end. You’ll be pushed into the public eye and experience a humbling,
but do whatever you can to keep your cool and display your competence. This time is not about
other people, it’s about you and there won’t be a moment to reflect on all the transformation. Your
authentic self is all you need to show up with grace.
LEO 7/23 - 8/22
You’ve been processing things in a logical way. You want to know what’s right and wrong but there’s
a lot of doubt and something feels like it’s missing. What do you believe in that can help you keep
from succumbing to negative thinking? You’re doing your best and the only way through will be to
have faith and definitely way more fun. To cut through confusion with ease, concentrate on your
own feelings; go inwards and figure out your desires for peace and courage.
VIRGO 8/23 - 9/22
Feeling rejected, ostracized or insecure? You could spend this time reassessing what your course of
action has been in your relationships and consider a change or a different strategy. Your downfall
has been in the aggressive veracity of your convictions and in defiantly holding your position against
all criticism. The way out of this pit is to invent your own thrills and be your own inspiration. Find
your calm center and then share your light freely.
You have a vision and a strong foundation from which to build. For the most part you are stable
because you understand material concerns easily. Knowing how things ought to be is a useful quality but when chaos arrives, and it always does, so does your guilt and doubt in yourself. Understand
that arrangements will collapse but that doesn’t mean the whole project or partnership should be
scrapped. A temporary inability to execute your will is a good time to stop and savor your blessings
and achievements.
Although you are most likely a master of your domain, soon there will be a surge of emotional
energy that will make it more difficult to complete your duties. Right now would be an excellent
time to ask yourself if you have any habits that inhibit you from doing your best work. Are there any
addictions or biases that weaken your personal control? Renewing your commitment to your health
will increase your ability to pursue your master plan.
The stars are giving you full permission to cut loose from your responsibilities and pursue an
amount of fun that will replenish your fortitude and return you to your true self. While it might not
seem like there is enough hours in the week, if you don’t take time for laughter and play you won’t
have the energy for your obligations. Grab your friends, seize the moment and defiantly snatch opportunities to get your kicks.
CAPRICORN 12/22 - 1/19
You’ve been hard at work on your career and public life but right now you need to focus on your
home and family life. Being trustworthy and practical is easy for you but allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open is something you could work on. Now is a very opportune time to strike a balance
between these two areas. If you’re worried about being able to maintain your position on your path,
know that the trail you’re blazing can’t be stolen out from under you but your emotional center will
atrophy if you don’t cherish and tend to it.
AQUARIUS 1/20 - 2/18
Seems like you’re feeling a bit restricted, confused or overwhelmed. You have everything you need
and then some and that’s exactly the problem. Your growth and expansion has distracted you from
your normal routines and now everything is confusing. The only way through is to keep going. You
will feel powerless at times but trust that you have the stamina, compassion, and originality to pull
this off.
PISCES 2/19 - 3/20
You’ve got a singular mind for your meeting the emotional and material needs of others. You flow,
you adapt quickly and you even have fun with it. Being involved and sharing experiences brings you
a lot of pleasure but your personal projects are lacking because of this. You’re due for a creative
transformation. Your next big love will come from what you already possess, a deep well of intuition
that can wash away lies and doubts, and it will be all yours.
OCTOBER 4, 2017 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 15
16 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
cpj_20171004.pdf