"We certainly won't cut anything just because it doesn't match our own ideas, or because it isn't "correct" or laudatory." -- Richard Alexander's letter soliciting Alumni contributions to the 25th Anniversary display and book, "Voices of '71."
Attempting to create an internet dialogue among the Evergreen Community certainly has been an interesting experience. The response has been 20-1 AGAINST the College's removal of Steve Park's cartoons from the "Voices of '71". While I intended to publish responses from both sides of the issue, there has been no reply from TESC administration, and the few (very few) supporters of their action have not given permission to have their statements listed on the site.
Several alumni have asked point-blank for an explanation from the administration. They feel they have only heard one side of the story. I agree with them. There has to be another side to this, and I believe the administration should be willing to share it with us, not hide behind innuendoes of racism. I welcome the administration's response to this issue, and will be only to happy to post it unedited on the site.
It is apparent from the responses I have received that Evergreen has changed, as has the rest of society. What disturbs me the most is that I believed in Evergreen as a place that would "always give a weirdo a fair shake." I don't believe this has happened in this instance, and I am concerned with the administration not allowing people to make up their own minds.
Apparently no consideration was given to the artist whose work was first praised highly, then quietly censored. By rejecting his Evergreen experience, the administration is essentially saying, "Unless your experience at Evergreen fits within our idea of the Evergreen experience, it's not valid and deserves to be wiped out." This is not only an insult to Steve Park, but an insult to the entire Evergreen Community.
One student wrote to me saying, "I've got to tell you that if TESC pulled a book, it must really be trash." He went on to say he did not want any samples sent to him because he "may not have the stomach for it." I replied, in part, "Your reluctance to even view the work in question is indicative of the dangerous path we walk down when we allow censorship to make up our minds for us."
I do believe this is a very dangerous path, particularly for a college that I expect to maintain the highest standards of academic freedom, free speech and intellectual discourse. If there is no dialogue presently on campus, there certainly should be. Evergreen is an institution I hold dear to my heart, and to have it apparently drift so seriously astray concerns me deeply.
Under these circumstances, I find it hypocritical of Evergreen to be celebrating an "Ultimate Alumni Gathering" and requesting contributions to a "Fund for Innovation and Creativity." Do the two alumni who contributed $120,000 to the fund this year know about the administration's actions? I will boycott the gathering next weekend, and I will not support the College financially. I urge you to do the same.
Please forward this note to other members of the Evergreen Community.
Sincerely,
Roger Goldingay, Class of '73 E:mail: roger@rgimages.com