Here are some things that I can remember doing while in PAX from the 1994-1995 school year. There must have been other stuff as well, but the following comes from records that I kept (other things I probably forgot). I could try to remember who was involved, but I would miss people, so should I? The first term I didn't make it to meetings since I worked at the same time, so I missed out quite a bit. compiled by Aaron Kreider on November 30th, 1996. *************************************************************** Sometime in October 1994 when the US came real near to invading Haiti The weather was sunny and gorgeous outside as students gathered on a Friday afternoon to vigil. Tensions had been rising between the US government and the military regime in power in Haiti, and an American invasion seemed more likely than not. We gathered together, wanting to see Aristide restored as president, but with questions about the wisdom of yet another US military intervention in Haiti as the way of solving the problem. US invasions are plain bad, so the vigil was called to protest the planned US invasion of Haiti. The vigil was organized I think mostly the night before by members of GSWA and PAX (Dora Kaufmann deserves credit). The vigil was from 11:30-12:30 AM. Some people would have had classes during the time, but there were over 100 people at the vigil. President Stoltzfus (of Goshen College) started the vigil with a prayer. We had silence, sang, and talked. It was the best and most spiritually meaningful vigil I had ever attended. The vigil received plenty of TV and newspaper coverage. There were protests scheduled across the country. A deal was made on Sunday and the US came very close, but did not invade. After the US occupation of Haiti, a group of twenty students fasted in empathy with the difficult situation that Haitians were in. We fasted for one day. ****************************************************************** The following was not an "official PAX activity", rather more spontaneous, though I guess we had three members go. Still if ever, ever again, the state of Indiana tries to murder (ie execute) a prisoner, go there and witness it. Written long after the fact on Nov 19, 1996: Not in our name: Gregory Resnover, murdered by the state of Indiana One of my fears on SST (summer '96) was that PA would execute Mumia. My plan was to protest at the US embassy, but I doubted I'd find out about it in time. So when I came back to Goshen, I checked my email to catchup on what had really happened in the country that wouldn't be in the Intl Herald Tribune. Well among my messages was a tantalizing series of urgent appeals from July, to save the life of Ziyon Yisrayah. The messages showed signs of hope up until the very last one that came from the day of his fated death. I didn't get anything on whether he had been executed or not. I searched the web, interested, say very interested in knowing what had happened. I found appeal after last minute appeal with evidence of his innocence, and then finally the unfortunate truth that the execution had gone forward. Ziyon was the co-defendant of Ajamu Nassor (sp?) who was murdered by the state at about midnight, on a Wednesday night in early December of 1994. That Wednesday morning I was over in High Park at a 9am class. I came out of the class and as usual glanced at the Communicator at the end of the second floor hall on my way out. There I read that Indiana was to execute a man for the first time in an awful long time (at least ten years, maybe nearer twenty). I didn't know where Michigan City was, but I had the deepest urge that I'd ever had up to that time. It burned in me, and I knew I had to go. I went. I got Matt Bricker to drive, my brother (Matthew), Richard Wenger (a non-trad) and his wife and son came as well. Another group of three students went as well (independent of our going): Hilary (Harder?), a friend of her's, and Andy Gerber (who were in Amnesty I think). I'd never been that close to a prison before. It was also cold, probably 10 or so Fahrenheit with snow on the ground. There was a press conference at 8 or 9pm or some such time. We then made a decision to stick the thing out for the execution at midnight. I near froze my feet with only a pair of socks and lousy running shoes. We suffered, but not as much as Ajamu did. We took a break, got some warm drinks (hot chocolate for me) and came back and waited some more. There was a "let them fry" group of protestors who suspiciously looked like they were in some far-rightwing group (they appeared to have a leader too). They added to the scene. I met a nice guy whose name I remember because it's Aaron. He was from Chicago (I think) and working on ending the death penalty with some organization. It was too cold, too sad, to do anything besides try to survive the cold and think a little. We did some chants. Before midnight, we gathered in a circle and held hands (or gloves) to remember. WE chanted, "not in our name", in a steady (Buddhist like) chant. There was some silence, maybe we prayed, maybe someone talked a little about the case or Ajamu's life. Meanwhile at Goshen, students were done with their limo rides to Greencroft, and were currently ballroom dancing at the Christmas formal, inside, warm, happy, in their best outfits. What a contrast. I held the hand of an elderly black man who was very quiet. I found out later that he was (90% sure) Ajamu's father. People came out of to speak to the reporters and just like that, without anything happening outside that we could notice, it was all over. The man was dead. It was late, so I took off my pizza cardboard sign that was hanging around my neck with a plastic bag as a cord and that read something like: "Abolish State Murder" (with fake red blood drips on the murder part). We went back to our comfortable college. I cannot remember what I felt the next couple days, but I do know that every year that this stupid Christmas formal happens I go back to that one night. That night I was sure, and I still feel that was the most confidentially RIGHT act that I've done. The pain of cold and waiting only helped. So each year I remember and promise that no matter where or when, if Indiana murders another man or woman, and I am in the state: I will be there. I have no choice. Nor would I want to have a choice. It is time that people told them to stop the KILLING! ps: Years later, I've found out that there is substantial evidence pointing towards major doubts in his guilt. I don't care, I don't really look at it. That isn't the point. Not now. "Hey hey, Governor Bayh (pron: By) we charge you with genocide!" ****************************************************************** 1995 Protesting the Contract on America The Republicans seized control of both the Congress and Senate in the elections of November 1994, for the first time in many years. The major issue of the Winter school term was opposing the Republicans' contract. I wrote this on February 28th, 1995: An Attack on One is an Attack on All: Save Student Financial Aid! Unlike most congressional elections, in November 1994, the Republicans had a platform: The Contract with America. Most people didn't know about its contents and voted against Clinton. But when the Republicans got a slim majority in the Congress they thought (or wanted to believe) they had been given a clear mandate to implement their agenda. The contract is a motley of different bills with a peculiar choice of budgetary priorities. While the US is the world's only superpower, it calls for an increase in defense spending and cuts in financial aid to post secondary students (and to other programs as well). This is what the Republicans and Newt Gingrich call their "Fiscal Responsibility Act"! Students don't vote as often as older people. Students don't contribute money to political campaigns. Students are generally not rich. The Republicans think that students don't count and that they can cut and slash education without any real opposition. Victimizing the Poor During the eighties it has been shown that the rich got richer, while the poor actually got poorer. The Republicans want to transfer money from the poor to the rich through welfare reform (actually welfare cuts), tax cuts for the rich, and cutting student financial aid. They want to cut aid by 20 billion dollars over the next five years. Education has been proven as one of the best ways of improving one's life circumstances. It is "the great equalizer", in a society of a horrendous contrast between wealth and poverty. The Republican dominated Congress wants to replace Pell Grants (money up to $2300 per student that is given and doesn't have to be repaid) with work study. This would disadvantage students who might already be working part or full time, and overall it would make it more difficult for poor students to succeed as they would have less time to study. 41 percent of Pell Grants go to students with family incomes below $12,000 and 91% go to students with family incomes below $30,000. These grants are aimed at letting the poorest people in our society get a higher education, and an elimination of the grants will deprive many people of an education. Middle Class will pay as well Stafford Loans that allowed students to borrow money without paying interest until they were out of college or university will now make students pay interest while they are in school. This means students will have to borrow even more money and go further in debt! The average family income of loan receivers is only $35,000. Half the students receiving Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Work/Study have a family income below $30,000. 77% of students receiving the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant come from families with income below $30,000. The Cuts have Started About a week and a half ago the budget appropriations committee passed over 200 million dollars of cuts in education funding for the next fiscal year starting July 1. The cuts have started and the financial aid budget is being slowly and silently chiseled away. As the government fiscal budget comes up in late March, watch for even more cuts. It Effects Everyone Number of Amount of Targeted Program to be cancelled Students Federal Funds Federal Supplemental 3 215 3 $200,315 Educational Opportunity Grants 3 3 Federal Perkins Loans 3 220 3 $279,370 Federal Work-Study 3 336 3 $154,233 (1993-1994 data from Goshen College) The elimination of the interest free exemption would cost Goshen College students a lot of money. For 1994-1995 $1,887,888 of loans were awarded. At 7.43% interest this would add $140,270*2.5 years (avg length a student will lose interest free exemption) = $350,675 increase of students education costs. This doesn't include the Pell Grants that might be replaced with work- study programs. Total cost to students is 200,315 + 279,370 + 154,233 + 350,675= $984,593. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST 1 MILLION DOLLARS!!! (*Editor's note from 1996: Ummm, I think if one looked over the figures one would find the 1 million dollar to be a bit of an exaggeration. As a Canadian, I still find the American financial aid system very complicated and I never did totally understand it. Whether one million or only a fourth as many cuts would have been applied to GC, the entire cut of $20 billion over 5 years was still enormous.) The sum of aid programs affects ALL of the students at Goshen College, either directly or indirectly. What do you think will happen to enrollment as people have to pay more than they can afford for their education? Enrollment at Goshen College that is already in the doldrums with fall further if the cuts go through. The only way the college can make up for the inevitable decrease in enrollment is by cutting costs and increasing tuition. International and minority students will receive less of a tuition discount. The college will have to fire/retire employees, majors and minors might disappear, and down-sizing will be even worse than it is now (by the way the Multicultural Affairs office's budget is being slashed 50% by next Fall). Surely they cannot cut financial aid? It isn't a question of whether, it's a question of how much. President Clinton while opposed to some of the larger cuts, included some cuts to higher education funding in his proposed budget. The level of cuts is decided by how much the government can get away with. If the cuts are not popular and if there is a massive show of support for financial aid, then most (but not all) of the cuts will not go through. There is Hope: Join the Nation-Wide Student Campaign! Student activist groups are organizing all across the United States to make their opinions heard and listened to in Washington. See the article I posted on the demonstration at Columbus Ohio for an example. Students are rallying, phoning, writing, and holding teach-ins all across the US. There's a movement underfoot to save financial aid and together we can stop Congress from passing through small cuts here and there, by showing them that students do notice and do care! Are you angry at losing a couple thousands of dollars a year in financial aid? Upset because some of your friends won't be able to afford college as the cuts come into effect next fall? Are private colleges only for the rich? Will students from less well- off families be forced to attend large anonymous public schools with huge class sizes and receive a lower quality education? Help stop the cuts by joining a coalition to save our right to higher education. If you want to help, want addresses for Congress and Senate, or other information, then contact me or Hermann Bauer. Email: Aaronlk Telephone: (535) 7680 Campus Mail: Aaron Kreider ******************************************************************* The following was the culmination of a lot of work. The protest was the biggest thing if you combine numbers of people, length, number of speakers, and press of anything I'd seen happen in my years at GC (ie fall 1993-current fall 1996). It almost didn't happen, with me being the only person who knew about it until a week or so beforehand (I was on an email group that was planning the national day). Students got incredibly mobilized and I at least had tons of fun listening to some of the speakers. We had a stereo system set-up as well as an information table. Our theme song was: "Talking about a Revolution". They didn't put that in the papers! Hermann and Dora deserve a lot of credit for this event (as do others whose names I forget). I wrote the following as a summary of the event about a month after. Goshen College Takes Action! Several months ago, a small 3-person non-profit campus activism organization, the University Conversion Project, after having consulted with people from various campuses, decided upon a Nationwide Day of Action against the Contract with America for March 29th. The call came forth as a result of people learning more about the Contract with America's provisions and discovering how much the Contract disagreed with their view of government and country. Most of the organizing was done with the use of the internet. Communication between students interested in the day of action was done through an email mailing list focussed on the right's activities and how to stop them. The list focussed on campus activism and was composed of hundreds of students from across the US. Ideas for action, facts on the Contract, and updates were quickly disseminated. Increasing numbers of campuses announced that they planned to take part, and many student groups endorsed the action. Several schools held action days on March 23, because March 29 conflicted with their break. On March 29 and March 23, over 100 campuses participated in some form of action whether a protest, a teach-in, a march, or a vigil. An ad-hoc group of people against the Contract with America (many of us are from the Peace Club: PAX) planned the Goshen College event in only one week's time. This short time period required intense activity among numerous people. So after all the organizing stuff was over, the protest/rally/action/event was scheduled for 11AM-1PM on Wednesday, March 29th. We held it in the west side of the Union gym, due to the possibility of rain. Inside the gym there was a podium set-up for our speakers, several tables with a petition against the Contract with America, letters to fill-in and send to Congress about the Contract and financial aid cuts, and some information about the Contract. We also had some sound equipment to keep things moving. The protest started off slowly with some letter signing and socializing as people gathered. By about 11:20AM we had enough people to start the speeches. The speakers included students, faculty, and two members of Seniors for Peace. The speakers looked at the contract from historical, Christian, Mennonite, pacifist, student, and personal perspectives. They raised important points in criticism of the Contract. After the speeches started attendance kept on building, peaking at slightly over 80. Speakers were interspersed during the two hours, with some time given for people to write letters and look over information on the Contract. In total 129 people signed the petition while the protest was on- going, so at least 130 and maybe 150 people came by. There were also three newspaper reporters, a tv station, and a radio station. The Elkhart, Goshen, and South Bend papers all reported on the protest in their Thursday, March 30th editions. The petition totaled out at 228 signatures with a further hour of petition gathering, compare that to the 1000 or less students that attend Goshen College. Copies of the petition are being sent to Representative Tim Roemer, Senator Richard Lugar, Senator and President Bill Clinton. Stop the Contract on America, Aaron Kreider ED's note: Note that eventually the proposed cuts were reduced to around ten billion over five years, then around six billion, and by the time they actually came in they were rather insignificant (near zero). Clinton threatened to veto any cuts to student aid (he knew a good issue when he saw one). Also that year Tim Roemer had a forum where he spoke in favor of student aid to a packed room of 80 or so students.