PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY > > Students at Holyoke Community College Need Your Solidarity! > > At HCC in Holyoke Massachusetts, students have been organizing since > September to build opposition to the US war on Iraq. We have been > particularly motivated by the tragic death of Jeff Lucey, HCC student > and a friend to many on our campus. Jeff returned from military > service in Iraq last year suffering from severe PTSD. When he sought > help at the local VA hospital, he was turned away. Jeff committed > suicide last year. > > This Spring, activists in the Anti War Coalition (AWC) launched a > campaign to kick the military recruiters off campus. The AWC voted to > join the Campus Anti War Network last month. Student Senate President > Angela Greany led a successful effort to pass a resolution calling > on the HCC administration to bar recruiters from campus. > > Now members of the College Republicans are striking back against > Angela, the Anti War Committee, and left wing faculty members. . The > Republicans are trying to get the AWC decertified as a student group. > Unable to win their positions politically (we trounced them in a > debate in the fall), they have also turned to a disgusting campaign of > harassment against Senate President Angela Greaney, that has included > physical intimidation, following her around campus, and sexual > harassment. > > So Angela and the other members of the anti war Coalition are > fighting back. We are demanding that the Republicans stop the > harassment immediately. We want them to write a public apology to > Angela for their sexist and threatening behavior. Finally we ask that > they sign on to a pledge agreeing that they will not engage in racist, > sexist and homophobic harassment toward ANY student or student > group. We are also demanding that the HCC Administration permit Angela > to get extensions in her classes since these events have seriously > disrupted her academic semester. > > The AWC is circulating a petition with these demands and gathering > endorsements from student organizations and faculty members. On Monday > April 27, we will be holding a speak-out on campus to publicize our > demands and expose the methods that the Right wing has taken on our > campus to intimidate activists. > > We are asking for your support. The college administration have > tacitly supported the Republicans and tried to sweep these incidents > under the rug (including telling one faculty member in the AWC who has > been targeted by the Republicans that he was "asking for it") . > Please send the college president, Bill Messner, an email expressing > your support for our demands and solidarity with Angela and the AWC. > Feel free to use or modify the statement below in your email. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] president (bill messner) > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] VP Student Development (John D'Orazio) > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dean of Student Services (Isabel Huskey) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/_OLuKD/8WnJAA/cUmLAA/MknplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VTJP/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
