as the coordinator of the "musical" part of the SDS event that led to their ultimate suspension I would like people to understand exactly what happened. I am terrible at formatting, sorry.

Amy Levinson, TESC Alumni, BA, MPA '82,'98

Dear Staff, Faculty, Students,

This letter is to inform the staff, faculty and students about what actually transpired in the lead up to the March 7th SDS events which the administration used as justification to suspend SDS’s group status. It is in part, but not entirely, a response to Phyllis Lane’s May 16th letter. It will also include other information pertinent to the entire situation surrounding SDS’s suspension. We would first like to apologize on behalf of SDS for any miscommunication or confusion around this issue which has been created and would like to make Olympia SDS more available and accessible to the staff, faculty and students for any questions you may have. You can find us now on the 4th floor of Sem 1, day or night or can reach us at olympiasds@riseup.net.

In Phyllis Lane’s letter explaining the decision to sanction SDS, she states, “The March 7th event was cancelled because the SDS planners had not been forthright with the Student Activities staff about the event and when advised and directed to adjust and amend the event they chose to continue to plan the event which featured a benefit concert.” By referencing the documented exchanges between SDS members and staff, it becomes apparent that this is simply not the case. SDS earnestly worked with numerous members of the professional staff in order to arrange for the event to work in accordance with the wishes of the college.

Lane’s second point insists “The SDS group proceeded with the event on March 7th after being notified that the event was cancelled because they did not adhere to the advice and directives of the Student Activities advisors to adjust or cancel those portions of the program which were in violation of the moratorium and the college policy.” As mentioned above and illustrated below, the group in fact worked closely with members of the staff, attending to concerns brought forth along the way. In fact, on the Wednesday before the scheduled events, members of SDS and supporters made desperate appeals for Lane to permit the panel discussion on it own, demonstrating their continued willingness to work cooperatively with staff members. She was unwilling to make any accommodations or compromises at this juncture.

Timeline for Organizing the Events

June 2007

Members of Olympia SDS met with former Black Panthers and political prisoners in Atlanta, GA at the US Social Forum and discussed the case of the San Francisco 8 (SF8). We discuss possibilities to set up a Northwest speaking tour on issues of torture, political prisoners and the Black Panther Party.

November 2, 2007

Olympia SDS holds a benefit show for the SF8 at the Eagle’s Hall in Olympia.

November 30 – December 1, 2007

Members of Eugene SDS approach members of Olympia SDS at the Northwest SDS Conference in Tacoma and ask if we would like to help in setting up a Northwest speaking tour of the San Francisco 8.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Three members of Olympia SDS go to a Tacoma SDS meeting to meet Ed Mead who is involved with setting up the speaking tour. The four discuss logistics for setting up the event in Olympia.

Early February

Brendan Dunn meets local activist and Evergreen alum Amy Levinson to discuss setting up an acoustic show with musicians David Rovics, and Danny Kelly and Mark Eckert from Heliotroupe. The two discuss possibilities to connect this event with the San Francisco 8 panel.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

SDSers Shyam Khanna and Brendan Dunn fill out the paperwork for the events. The events are collectively called “Resisting the War at Home and the War Abroad” to incorporate both events (the war at home being that against the Black Panthers in this case and the war abroad hinting at the musical acts which would raise awareness about anti-war activists and war resisters). We explain to SDS’s advisor Mike Renes the nature of the events – the panel discussion and film screening, followed by some acoustic folk music. When asked if we needed any audio or sound equipment for the musicians, we explain that we could provide that ourselves. Our first request is that the events take place in the Longhouse because the space is more intimate and suitable for the events planned.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Thomas Mercado signs and approves the paperwork we submitted for the March 7th events.

Week of February 24

Activities Advisor to SDS Mike Renes approaches the group with concerns surrounding the events. A series of communications followed where Renes and members of SDS worked collaboratively to ensure that the concerns held by the Student Activities Board and the Dean of Student and Academic Support Services were addressed.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Renes informs the group of two possibilities available for hosting a benefit on campus. Brendan Dunn then replies that renting a table and asking for donations would be the preferred option taken by the group. In a an e-mail sent later that date Renes informs the group that he has found a way to avoid having to charge a fee, emphasizing that the event cannot be billed as a benefit and admission could not be charged.

Monday, March 3, 2008

1:23 a.m. Brendan Dunn submits an e-mail to TESC crier announcing the event. In specific reference to the music portion of the event Dunn states, “Directly following this will be a concert for Carlos Arredondo starting at 8pm at the same location, featuring folk musicians David Rovics, Danny Kelly and Mark Eckert. Donations for Carlos will be accepted at the event.” This directly refutes the claim made by Phyllis Lane in her chronology of events. At this point SDS was in compliance with the instructions that the event could not be billed as a “benefit” or a “fundraiser”.

10:36 a.m. Renes informs the group that the concert has been cancelled, with apologies and a short explanation. Renes relays that in the initial tentative production worksheet, information about concert was not included. Renes is in error in making this assertion, in that a look at the sheet indicates that “an acoustic concert” had been mentioned. In addition, Renes tells the group that a potluck would not be permitted. In spite of the other cancellations Renes states, “We can go ahead with the panel discussion and film, the contract is being processed now and should not be a problem.”

Afternoon. Mike Renes tells Brendan Dunn to draft a letter explaining the final changes for the March 7th event that will then be sent on Tesccrier and other listserves. Since the “concert” was cancelled, Renes and Dunn discuss possibilities to go forward with the musical component of the night, if the administration approves it, because the acoustic music could be reformatted into an “open-mic” event or low key “musical act”. Dunn agrees to send Renes a letter for him to edit and review before it is finally sent over Evergreen and other listserves.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

5:54 p.m. Dunn forwards the above mentioned draft to Renes for editing before it is sent on Tesccrier and other lists. The draft mentions that there will be no food at the events, no donations accepted at the events for Carlos Arredondo and that the musical portion of the night will “by no means be a large production, performance or concert”.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The draft mentioned above was never forwarded to any listserves because Renes informed Dunn that the panel was now cancelled along with the concert. Dunn and several other students meet Phyllis Lane in her office, seeking an explanation. Lane explains that the panel discussion would be canceled because, in her interpretation, the “main event” was the concert and the panel discussion was a supplementary component. The students rebutted that the events were in fact publicized as two separate events, with two separate fliers, under a unified heading. Lane remained steadfast in her assertion that because the concert was the primary focus of the evening, the panel would be cancelled in accordance with the existing concert moratorium. The students made one final plea with Lane to allow the panel to continue as planned, due to the fact that travel arrangements had already been arranged and since a panel discussion did not fall under the concert moratorium. Lane declined. (Do notice that in subsequent communications Lane has distributed, her explanations have been modified)

Later in the day, after considerable debate internally and consultation with the panelists and the musicians, the group decided to host the events. We arrived at this decision first, because at this juncture we wanted to honor the arrangements made with the panelists and musicians, and second, we believed the group was being targeted for its radical politics and its controversial public statements. (Renes had indicated in an e-mail exchange that the college had honored events scheduled before the implementation of the moratorium). This decision was also conditional, in that we agreed we would produce no further publicity of the events.

Friday, March 7, 2008

SDS comes to the lecture hall before the start of the events to find it unlocked and was able to access the media cabinet by obtaining a media key earlier in the day. The events go forward without incident. SDS presents the SF8 with a check for $400 and was able to raise $150 for Arredondo that evening by setting aside a donation bucket. The police entered the hall at the conclusion of the event, during clean-up, informing those in attendance that the events had been cancelled. (Arredondo submitted a thank-you to the group several weeks later, indicating that the money helped him attend the “Winter Soldier” hearings held in Washington D.C. which was hosted by Iraq Veterans Against the War).

Monday, March 10, 2008

SDS receives notice that it will be receiving disciplinary action. The group remained in constant contact with advisors at the Student Activities office.

Wednesday, March 13, 2008

SDS receives notice from Andy Corn that the group would be suspended until January 1, 2009 to be followed by probation until March 13, 2009. This included a suspension from registration status, a repeal of all allocated funds, and denial of access to scheduled spaces for meetings and events, check-out equipment, and after-hours access to CAB 320. Corn indicates that the events were cancelled “due to the current moratorium on concerts, and based on the continued advertising of the event as a concert” and this violation of college policy led to the suspension. He finishes the letter by instructing the group of its right to appeal the decision.

Why did this get promoted to the front page, but when I posted the response from the College that had some very important facts about the case, I didn't get updated?

But I am Just Another Voice

Drew, were you able to get any further information about item #5, "Riot/SDS"? If the administration is seriously trying to draw connections there, I think it strengthens SDS' case for free speech infringement and political targeting. I keep hearing from folks that after Valentine's Day, admin instructed police to investigate SDS in connection with the riot and events at the Port. Seeing this "update" conflating the riot with SDS activity could indicate that SDS has been presumed guilty without a full investigation, and that their loss of status might be driven by that presumption, rather than 'violations' of a moratorium that was imposed with no student oversight or clear guidelines for application. More information about that please, if you've got it!