January Activist Newsletter ContentYesterday was the day we’ve all been waiting for since that historic November day (and for most of you, for the past 8 years!). Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. While for many it was a welcome completion to an exciting and successful campaign season, we here at Campus Progress saw yesterday as the kick-off to a long, fierce four years of pushing for policies that make our world a better place. From bringing our troops home, to making birth control accessible to all, to making college affordable, to getting environmental toxins out of low income communities, to fighting for racial, gender, and LGBTQ equality, there is much work to be done. We will be doing all that we can – online, in Washington, in local communities, and on college campuses across the country – to hold President Obama and all of our elected officials accountable to the mandate that young people voted for – an equal, just, progressive society. Will you join us? Click here to tell us what you will be expecting from this administration. In the meantime, check out the issue updates below. - Tanya, Pedro, Tommaso, Erica and the Campus Progress Team
IRAQ Antiwar leaders and tons of progressive groups held an Inauguration Action Center in downtown DC yesterday, celebrating Bush's departure from the White House and welcoming President Obama. Tents were erected with tons of materials about participating organizations, giving inauguration attendees ideas about ways to stay involved post-election.' Activists were spotted all over town with signs reading "Mr. President, I hope for _______," many using the blank space to pressure Obama to keep his commitment to a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq. The gatherings were celebrations, not protests, with organizers reminding participants to "make demands without appearing adversarial." Meanwhile, we saw a few things slip under the radar during Bush's last days in office. Congress' authorization of the Iraq War just expired on the first of January. Until the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is fully authorized, this war is entirely unconstitutional. Some even argue that the SOFA wouldn't help the legality of the war because Bush didn't require SOFA to have Congressional approval. The U.S. just opened the doors on the largest U.S. embassy building in the world - in Baghdad. Spokespeople call the building's construction "a step meant to symbolize [the U.S.] transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government." Some have called the building "fortress-like," and ThinkProgress insists that the embassy "is likely to create even greater Iraqi resentment toward the U.S. occupation" because of its gaudiness. Iraqis still live in pallid conditions, many without electricity. Check out this video created by the Center for American Progress about the ongoing refugee crisis in Iraq.
CLIMATE CHANGE On December 22nd, 2008, there was an unprecedented environmental occurrence in Tennessee which cleared the smokescreen of lies told by King Coal. Before this winter break, most people didn't know that the byproduct of burning coal is toxic ash and mud deposited in large and precarious ponds. The levees of these ponds have the bad habit of breaking and flooding surrounding communities with toxic slurry contaminating crops, rivers and families. These spills have happened in the past, but never at the scale of the Christmas Tennessee spill. The most recent of these disasters was over 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez spill and contaminated tributaries to some of North America's most important rivers, virtually eliminating the livelihood of thousands of Tennesseans. This tragedy is yet another example of just how dirty coal is, regardless of how many PR dollars are spent to greenwash it. Washing coal with soap and stashing its carbon emissions underground simply won't cut it. The world is finally beginning to see through the coal industry's lies, unfortunately to the credit of this catastrophic event. The coals spill cast a macabre shadow over the New Year for many, but some managed to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel. The momentum to clean up our nation's energy infrastructure is stronger than ever, and President Obama has repeatedly committed to including energy efficiency, transmission and renewable energy investments in his economic stimulus plans. While this is the time when serious action to solve the climate crisis and against Killer King Coal can happen, it will require sustained involvement from every one of us. More than 10,000 students will be rushing the United States Capitol on March 2nd for PowerShift '09 to demand a clean and just solution to our future. Will you join us?
COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY So far, the new year has brought very little comforting news about college affordability. States are continuing to divest from higher education in the face of tight budgets, which is leading to tuition hikes and enrollment caps. Student loan borrowers are having a more difficult time paying back their loans as they compete in an increasingly tough job market. Private colleges are also suffering because of the recession’s effect on their endowments and uncertainty about what enrollment will look like for the ’09-’10 school year. Amid all of the bad news, Kent State University – Trumbull earned some kudos for pitching-in to help the economy. They are offering free tuition for laid-off workers, and we hope that other colleges in hard-hit areas follow their lead. Another small step that many universities could take to garner good will in tough economic times is to limit presidential salaries. The conservative Center for College Affordability and Productivity found that these salaries have risen very quickly in recent years, and do not seem to be tied to performance or fundraising. The public perception of student loan companies is finally reaching Herbert Hoover levels, but many people in power can’t seem to get beyond the Chicken Little routine. Despite the fact that the “crisis” in student loan availability was, mostly, a story invented by the industry to gain government assistance for the very real crisis in student loan industry profit margins, the federal government is continuing to spend as much as $500 Million a week to prop up the industry. Yes, this is the same industry that is still getting headlines for corrupt practices after several years of scrutiny and still has not been forced to pay back the government after a scheme to unlawfully bilk taxpayers for more than a billion dollars was uncovered. Students, not lenders, deserve a bailout. What students do need is some relief from the effects of the recession. Campus Progress has joined other groups in calling on Congress and the new administration to help struggling students, and has released an action alert so that you can do the same. If you are on the fence about the need for relief for higher education, check out this op-ed from Inside Higher Ed. If you missed the news, President-Elect Obama picked Arne Duncan, who led Chicago’s public school system (and played professional basketball in Australia), as Education Secretary. So far, Duncan has focused on K-12 policy and has little direct experience in higher education policy. We hope that Mr. Duncan will be a quick study and strong advocate for increasing access to education, reducing student debt, and creating a more efficient (and less corrupt) financial aid system. Check out coverage of his confirmation hearing. Finally, a few random updates: there is a new book about Latin@s and education, check out an interview with the authors here; an economist explored why many smart and talented low-income students are not applying to selective schools, and what we can do about it; the University of California system was forced to pay $33 Million to former students because they illegally raised their fees in 2003; and there seems to be a new documentary on student debt in the works, so check out the trailer!
STUDENT PROFILE Kaili Lambe
Women and Gender Studies Senior
Dartmouth College Groups/Publications/Organizations Involved with: Dartmouth Coalition for Progress (DCP), Dartmouth Council on Climate Change (DC3), Gender Neutral Program Floor, Sustainable Living Center (SLC)
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How did you become politicized? What got you to where you are today?
I became politicized in 10th grade when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Most other students either didn't care or supported the war, but I was strongly opposed to it and, along with a few of my friends, organized a protest during our lunch break. We had signs that said "smart bombs are still dumb" and "no blood for oil." Apparently this offended another student because he complained to the Principal who prohibited us from protesting during school hours or on school grounds. I was outraged and wrote a letter to the administration outlining all the reasons why we should be allowed freedom of speech to protest the war. When they did not overturn their decision I was further galvanized and participated in demonstrations at the University and in other parts of town. It was a little disheartening to see that our efforts had little effect, but it introduced me to the energy of a truly progressive community. As part of that activist community, I saw that there is a tremendous will to make progress in this country. When I enrolled at Dartmouth I got involved in an anti-poverty campaign but felt helpless to effect lasting change since it primarily focused on community service that only helped in the short-term. Today, I'm finally beginning to understand how to have a significant impact. I've found that as a senior, my biggest responsibility is helping underclassmen ensure the long-term success of their projects, such as the newly invigorated anti-poverty campaign that DCP is working on this term, under the leadership of a first-year student.
How did you get involved with Campus Progress?
During my internship at the Center for American Progress this Summer I witnessed first-hand the amazing work that Campus Progress was doing and I wanted to get involved. When Campus Progress organized a lobby day after the National Conference I helped set up appointments for the students to meet with Members of Congress and their aides to talk about college affordability, student debt, and energy policy. At the end of the summer I applied to be a student representative so that I could continue the Campus Progress campaigns here at Dartmouth.
Tell us a little bit about your group and your accomplishments, particularly in the realm of climate justice?
This past fall, I helped spearhead the Power Vote campaign on campus. Through tabling and reaching out to other campus groups, my co-chair and I were able to collect around 200 signatures on the pledge. We stirred interest in freshmen and other students who were unsure about how to channel their concern for the environment and recruited them to DC3 or some of the other green groups on campus, such as the Big Green Bus. This winter we are organizing a group of Dartmouth students to go down to Power Shift in D.C. and take on a tangible project upon our return to Hanover so that we can put what we learn into practice.
Dartmouth College is one of the oldest schools in the nation and Greeks largely dominate student life. What are some of the challenges and opportunities that this presents? In your experience, does the mix of Ivy and Greek attract a particularly conservative student body? Dartmouth has a reputation for being particularly conservative, but in actuality there is just a vocal minority of conservative students here. There is a large group of student activists, and when they are motivated they are a force to be reckoned with. Because of our fast-paced 10-week terms, students have very little time for activism and the only efforts that seem to succeed are those with short term goals that can be planned, executed and evaluated before finals start. The Greek system, however, actually makes continuity easier since there is always a dedicated core membership that can be relied upon to continue a project. My sorority, for example, has been helping the efforts of the local Women's shelter, WISE, since I joined the house three years ago. Also, since Greek life is so structured, and accountability is key, members commit to and complete projects (which differs from the lack of follow through I've seen in other organizations). I found this to be particularly useful when I headed up Green Greeks, an effort to make the Greek houses more sustainable. When most houses got involved, other houses felt the pressure to join. Additionally, Greek houses often sponsor events such as "Consensual Sex is Hot," which is an annual event designed to prevent date rape and sexual abuse. While the Greek system can sometimes be racist, homophobic and sexist, at Dartmouth it provides a safe space for all communities, whether that is in particular houses or through programming. Dartmouth's conservative traditions have definitely changed, especially over the last 25 years.
Have you made any untraditional allies in the fight for climate justice on campus?
While I wouldn't necessarily call them untraditional allies, we have made friends in surprising (and important) places. The Provost's office is especially committed to promoting sustainability at Dartmouth, and last year I was involved with the candidate search for the full-time Dartmouth Sustainability Manager, who is now part of that office. Additionally, after much lobbying from students, the President of the College committed to reducing our carbon emissions 30% by 2030 (and 20% by 2015) through energy-saving renovations on our buildings. Also, as I mentioned before, the Greek system has gotten involved, and some houses are working on cutting their energy use while others are promoting recycling and composting.
What are your next steps? What's next for you on campus in terms of activism or personal goals?
As a senior, I'm hoping mostly to ensure that all of the ideas that have been born this year, including a new chapter of STAND, a feminist group, and a civil rights campaign continue to be successful in coming years. The feminist campaign is especially important to me and we will be working on branding feminism as something positive and widespread on campus in the next couple months. Although I'm sure that environmental activism will continue to be a proud tradition at Dartmouth, I hope that the unity across groups will continue to build over the next couple terms.
Any words of advice for young progressives working on conservative campuses?
Find a rallying point and use it to unite people from across different communities on campus. It's easier than you might think to get people to join your cause; just talk to them, listen to their perspectives and I'm sure you'll find some common ground. Sometimes that commonality is enough to get them to enlist them as your co-leader. Even when you feel discouraged or don't know what step to take next, don't give up. Talk to someone and get advice about where to go next. Also, use all the support you can get because it's hard to get re-invigorated once you burn yourself out.
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