At the 2012 Pacific Northwest Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA) Regional Conference, chapter leaders voted to endorse the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions aimed at forcing Israel to meet its obligations under international law. The Pacific Northwest MEChA Conference’s endorsement follows an endorsement made at the 2012 National MEChA Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona. That announcement came on a day that commemorated Cesar Chavez Day and Palestinian Land Day, linking the two liberation struggles against discrimination and oppression. The Regional Conference was hosted by the Evergreen State College MEChA chapter. Evergreen State College has recently been an epicenter of Palestine solidarity. In 2010, students voted overwhelmingly for divestment from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation, such as Caterpillar, Inc. Caterpillar has been the focus of calls for boycott at Evergreen since the death of Evergreen student Rachel Corrie in Gaza. Corrie was crushed under a Caterpillar D9 weaponized bulldozer operated by the Israeli military as she attempted to non-violently prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. More recently TESC Divest! launched the We Divest! campaign to pressure investment giant TIAA-CREF to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation, including Caterpillar and Elbit Systems. MEChA de Evergreen stated that “As a chapter, we endorse and support the global call for BDS... We recognize that our peoples’ historical and present struggles - against deportation, occupation, exploitation, and dehumanization - in Arizona, in the border, and in the United States - not only coincide, but are also connected to Palestinians’ struggle against Israeli military occupation and settlement of Palestine. Elbit, the company that provides surveillance equipment on Israel’s illegal apartheid wall in the West Bank, was also contracted by the U.S.

Yesterday the parking representative told me that parking was a privilege, not a right. For a person who cannot walk the long distance from the parking lot to the studio, or walk from the bus stop parking to the studio, an accessible parking space is more than some random privilege or convenience. They have made some accommodations, but change them often and have given me tickets and yesterday clamped my car while I was on the air. They have ticketed my car previously despite having clearance to park. When I voiced my protest they advised me that I would have to go in person to their office to fight the tickets; an office that is not readily accessible. At one point the designated parking, with the “handicapped” sign was only accessible via six very steep concrete stairs; It would be funny, I even laughed out loud later, but cried real tears when at that time it might as well have been 500 stairs.

Legends & Lowlife

Sunday 10 October 2010, Evergreen—The Evergreen Foundation had an event in the Library Building. Last school year, the Evergreen student body voted overwhelmingly (80%) to divest from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories. Today, students with TESC Divest were on hand to ask that this student vote be respected.

 Protest Biomass Incinerators!
Monday August 9th
-12 noon Percival’s landing, Olympia
-2 pm Red Square, Evergreen State College

Join us to protest the planned biomass incinerator for The Evergreen
State College. The facility will have serious effects on everyone in
the region. From toxic emissions at the stack to the decimation of our
forests there are countless reasons to oppose this project. This is a
family friendly event.

On Saturday there was a celebration and memorial of the life and work of the late Howard Zinn. Zinn was scheduled to appear at Evergreen to give a talk titled "Three Holy Wars." The memorial celebration of the life of Howard Zinn was organized by Peter Bohmer, Sandy Yannone, Larry Mosqueda, Victoria Larkin, Jeff Antonnellis-Lapp, and Jana Dean.

Speakers giving tribute included Peter Bohmer, Cindy Corrie, Gary Galbraith, Victoria Larkin, Arun Chandra, Lin Nelson, and Josh Simpson.

The following video is the Three Holy Wars lecture, a version of which Howard Zinn was scheduled to give yesterday at Evergreen. The topics contained in the lecture include challenging the idea that a just cause can translate into a just war, and a revision of some of the popular myths about American wars - like the notion that the American Revolution was a popular revolt (Zinn argues that the war was not a popular uprising, but instead a revolt initiated and maintained by owning class interests.)

Howard Zinn's "Three Holy Wars"

After the video a few people made additional statements, and then David Rovics performed closing music.

Many of you have been influenced by Howard Zinn and read or even worked with his People's History of the United States. He had planned to speak here in Olympia, Saturday, Feb. 6, at 3 P.M. but passed away last week. He'd be delighted to know people will gather to consider the people's history and tell the people's stories that day anyway. Come honor and celebrate Howard Zinn's life and work at The Evergreen State College this Saturday Feb. 6 from 3 - 5:00 in Lecture Hall 1. The program will feature a recent interview of Zinn with David Barsamian and a recording of the address "Three Holy Wars" that Zinn had promised to bring to Olympia. Local educators and activists and artists will testify to the ways that Howard Zinn has touched their lives and work. We will close with music sung by David Rovics. The event is free. Donations will be collected in Howard Zinn's name to fund peace and justice work here in the US and in Haiti. For more information, contact Larry Mosqueda, 867-6513 From the committee organizing the Howard Zinn Celebration of Life Memorial: Jana Dean, Sandy Yannone, Victoria Larkin, Larry Mosqueda and Pete Bohmer --

The Schrammie: Living high off the taxpayers hog By Ken Schram Story Published: Jan 20, 2010 at 9:07 AM PST I would have thought that a college president was pretty smart. I'm now forced to re-think that notion. And so it is that I'd like to invite the head muckety-muck of the Evergreen State College, Dr. Les Purce, to put away the pomp and circumstance and come on down. Dr. Les is wallowing in the wealth of taxpayer generosity. Having been given a sumptuous residence as part of his presidential Evergreen package, he instead chose to live in a different house and insist on an additional $60,000 a year to pay for it. Meanwhile, the house the college expected Dr. Les to live in sits empty. What with repairs, utilities, maintenance and upkeep on the one house along with allowances for the new one, cost to us taxpayers is over $300,000 so far. And now Dr. les says he wants a maid to take out his trash, wash his dishes and keep things tidy for him. Oh, Dr. Less. For being so cavalier with our money; for living high off the taxpayers hog even as you advocate for raising college tuition high and higher, I'd ask that you take this moment to take a bow, because this "Schrammie" is for you. --- Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com.

saw this sad story in the olympian.  What a terrible thing to do.

 this is some of the story

An audit at The Evergreen State College revealed that a professor with a study-abroad program to Chile hasn't accounted for at least $50,000 in student fees and other college money, and that he misrepresented the college by signing contracts with a Chilean company partly owned by his family.

I got some grizzle up my sleeve today while eating a sandwich from the Flaming Eggplant Cafe. At the Flaming Eggplanet, tempeh is called grizzle. Anyway, there are other items on the menu, besides grizzle. Salmon burgers, falafel, sausage, salads, and more.. The student run cafe, which has been in the works for 2 or 3 years, is now in full swing. It's in the Red Square at Evergreen. Check it out. The sandwich I had was delicious.

To all of the graduates, congratulations.

Things kick off on campus at 1PM, I recommend taking the bus out there to avoid the traffic and parking mess that is graduation day.

The guest speaker is exciting this year, it's Dr. James W. Loewen who wrote the book, 'Lies My Teacher Told Me'.