------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the May 17, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- ROONA RAY ON ORGANIZING: SIT-IN ASKS, WHAT IS TO BE DONE? By Leslie Feinberg Harvard Yard Cambridge, Mass. Roona Ray was the outside organizer for the Harvard students who sat in to demand a living wage for the lowest-paid university workers. While the occupation was still going on, she explained to Workers World that the apparatus functioned "to make sure the kids inside are getting enough food, whatever they need." "It is our job to make sure that the sit-in is visible to the world," she stressed. This student campaign is about three years old, said Ray, a third-year junior in biology and women's studies. When the occupation began April 18, she recalled, "We anticipated this being a week long, maybe." It lasted for three weeks. She described the disciplined organizational structure that was built from the ground up to support the sit-in. The students who took over the administration building divided themselves into three affinity groups to make decisions. Each group had an outside liaison to keep in touch and help meet the group's needs. A centralized group of four to six people was around full time to confer with three people at a time from inside the occupied building. "Three people are all that fits at one time leaning through a window," she pointed out. They discussed on a daily basis "the non-logistical political part of what's going on." While decisions in many other areas of work were made by consensus, this group had to be more centralized. "It's hard to get everyone on the same page. And rumors start so easily that it's hard to disseminate information." People inside took on "a lot of organizing and made a lot of the phone calls." A graphics designer inside made "the more jazzy posters and e-mailed them to us. And he makes artistic banners and lettering." One person inside and another outside worried about nothing but food. Everyone inside and hundreds of supporters outside had plenty to eat. So much food was donated that "We've been giving some to the homeless shelter across the street." FROM PITCHING PRESS TO PITCHING TENTS The outside apparatus was impressive. Each of the 12 undergraduate residence houses had one or two house captains who organized postering and leafleting, dinner discussions and teach-ins. They scheduled house vigils at 7:30 p.m. that then marched to a larger end-of-day vigil outside the sit-in. Ray described a growing base among the Harvard graduate schools. The medical school and school of public health were harder to reach because they are on satellite campuses more than half an hour away. But, Ray added, "They have been pulled in by their custodians, who are due to be out-sourced in July." Groups on campus--from Chicanos in La Raza to Black law students to lesbian, gay, bi and trans youth--sponsored and organized the daily rallies outside the sit-in. Two event organizers kept track of what was going on: rallies, events, schedules. "Our rallies are in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole," she said proudly. "And it also gives us a way to talk through the windows with privacy. None of the cops or administrators has knowledge of any of the languages of Brown people." Three to four people on the press team "pitch the highlights to the press. Now the press comes to us. Every day they cull facts, set up interviews, make press packets." One on-campus publicity person made posters every day, printed up the daily schedule, reviewed all the literature on the 24-hour-a-day information table and decided what new literature was needed. One person checked the e-mail and sent out daily updates every day. "We've been getting e-mail from every corner of the earth," Ray said. About nine people worked with a "webmaster" to update the occupation Web site at www.livingwagenow.org around the clock. The tabling crew worked shifts day and night. The tables were filled with literature and staffed to answer questions. Huge easels near the table served as sign-up locations for much-needed tasks. "At night," Ray stressed, "the tabling crew serves as security. Especially early on we were afraid the police could bust us up in the middle of the night." Direct action teams dressed up to crash university events with informational leaflets. The literature committee translated all the information into Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese for the Harvard workers. The music people worried about the sound system and what equipment the many musicians who entertained all hours of the day and evening needed. Skits attracted crowds on Cambridge streets and in the campus dining halls. The tent department scouted for more housing and equipment. Who stepped forward to do all this work? Ray thought about it for a moment. "We're heavy on women. It has been a lot of Jewish and South Asian students. I'd say everyone is kind of queer-identified. Maybe I'm exaggerating; we have a strong contingent of queer- identified people on the outside. "It's honestly a diverse and talented community that's come out of this," Ray concluded. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. 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