BY MARTA TAHJA-SYRETT After the long awaited move from the Library Building, the Student Equity and Arts Lounge (SEAL) is now located in a naturally-lit room on the third floor of the College Activities Building. The SEAL celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 4. I met with Samuel Silvestro, the peer […]
Chaos In & Near City Hall: Dir. Simmons Did Not Communicate With 501c3s, Council
BY VINCENT AWKERMAN & DANIEL The Olympia Police Department (OPD) continues to clear camps on city property and enforce bans on sitting or lying on sidewalks, despite a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which found anti-camping ordinances to violate the Eighth Amendment. According to the City’s […]
Student Conduct Code Revised: But Not By Students?
BY SAMANTHA LUNA-PATTERSON On Sep. 18, the revised Student Conduct Code — now titled the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities — came into effect. Over the course of the summer several a committee held several meetings in order to finalize the language and technicalities of the revisions to the […]
Yvonne McDonald: Community Organizes After Tragic Death
By Mason Soto & Marta Tahja-Syrett Candles and flowers shrouded a framed portrait of Yvonne McDonald at a vigil in her honor on Aug. 23. More than a hundred people came to commemorate her life and demand justice for the circumstances of her death. The vigil was one of many […]
City Closes Downtown Park “Indefinitely”Artesian Well, 24/7 Restroom Remain Open
By Daniel Only four years after its opening, the City of Olympia closed downtown’s Artesian Commons Park “indefinitely,” according to a August 24 press release. A chain link fence appeared before dawn that day, surrounding the main square and a section of sidewalk north of The Pet Works. The well […]
March for Our Rights
By Mason Soto On April 21, gun-rights activists gathered at the Olympia Capitol for an event they called “March for Our Rights”, rallying on the grounds and steps of the Legislative Building, carrying an array of guns from pistols to rifles and shotguns strapped to their backs and waists. The […]
March For Our Lives Olympia Students March on Capital, Call for Gun Control Reform
By Mason Soto On March 24 thousands of citizens young and old moved onto the Capitol grounds from all around the state, coming together on the steps of the legislative building with colorful signs bouncing through the spring air. The crowd was not like at other protests in town— there […]
Vaneesa HopsonOlympia mother dead after being “chemically restrained” at cop’s request
By Mason Soto In the still-dark morning hours of February 7 Vaneesa Hopson, 35-year-old mother and former nurse, died outside her west Olympia apartment while in the custody of the Olympia Police Department (OPD), following the administration of a “chemical restraint” by Thurston County paramedics. Hopson’s neighbors report that on […]
Former Evergreen Chief of Police Alleges Hostile Work EnvironmentStacy Brown Makes Moves Towards a Legal Claim of Discrimination Based On Race and Gender
On February 5 legal representation for Stacy Brown, former Chief of Police for The Evergreen State College sent a letter addressed to Aileen B. Miller, Assistant Attorney General and representative of The Evergreen State College (TESC) alleging that Stacy Brown resigned from The Evergreen State College because the College was […]
Interview with VP/VP of Equity and DiversityChassity Talks Day of Absence/ Day of Presence
By Georgie Hicks On January 10 President George Bridges announced a new equity symposium that will be happening later this year. In the email Bridges states, “For almost 20 years, our college-wide program, Day of Absence/Day of Presence, provided a focal point for this important work each spring. This year, […]