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SE Convention, Campaign Updates,
ALSO:

Poems, and Much Much More!

{
A MESSAGE FROM THIS ISSUE’S WORKING GROUP
Welcome to the eighth issue of the SDS News Bulletin, and thank you for
reading. As always, it’s an exciting time for SDS right now, with our fourth
national convention planned for this July 10-12 at MTSU in Murfreesboro,
Tenneessee. Please also consider attending SDS’ first Training for Trainers
in Cleveland, Ohio from August 14-16, where student organizers from all
over the country will learn to train others in important organizing skills.

Find more information about these events at our brand-spankin’ new

website: http://www.newsds.org

The Bulletin Working Group continues to meet weekly via conference call
and is open to all SDS members, so get involved!
Join up on our listserv: groups.google.com/group/sds-news-bulletin
…and start jumping on the calls! We won’t bite. We’re fun and we need your
support.

You can download this or any previous issue at sdsnewsbulletin.

wordpress.com

Print out copies to distribute to your chapter, give them to folks who would
like to start chapters, bring them to events… you get the idea!
We will also be putting supplementary content and links on our blog:
sdsnewsbulletin.wordpress.com
BE HEARD!

We’re already thinking about the next issue – so should you! Submit your
campaign updates, chapter reportbacks, visual art, reports from actions
and events, poetry, essays, stories, songs and anything else you can think
of to:sds.bulletin@gmail.org

A DISCLAIMER ON CONTENT
Viewpoints expressed in articles contained herein are solely those
of the author(s) or artist(s). These views do not necessarily reflect
the views of SDS, the SDS News Bulletin, or it’s editors.

2
 (DIS) ON
TENTS C TABL
E OF

A Tribute to Emily Silverstein PAGE 4

Call for a Working Class Political Party PAGE 6

Powershit 2009 PAGE 8
Collective Liberation
Towards a More Colorful Queer Future PAGE 10
Radical Mental Health Collective PAGE 12
Dan the Dude PAGE 14
Student Power for Accessible Education
Drew: Socially Responsible Investing PAGE 15
Milwaukee: Designated Suppliers Program PAGE 15
Millersville: Staying Afloat in Times of Crisis PAGE 16
v
Chapter Reportbacks
Gainesville SDS and Millersville U. SDS PAGE 18
Speech on Campus: Porn @ UMD and Racists @ UNC PAGE 20
Funk the War: Rochester and Gettysburg PAGE 21
Poems!

This issue’s working group members:

Jon Berger Gurujiwan Khalsa Allie O’Hora
Nicole Davis Daniel Meltzer Erica Varlese
Joanna Grim Alex Niculescu
Cover photos by Sally Quinn and Emily Silverstein of Gettysburg
SDS and Jake Allen of Rochester SDS 3
Emily Rachel Silverstein:
Tribute to a
Beloved Comradical
by Nicole Davis, DC-SDS
It is difficult to know how to  boyfriend, speaking depths to the  was a victim of patriarchy can be 
pay tribute, honor the memory,  cruelty of this world she was so  both a disservice to their identity 
and capture the amazing beauty  desperately and excitedly trying to  and a furtherance of patriarchy, 
that is Emily Rachel Silverstein.  make more beautiful and just. as it turns someone into a story, a 
For 19 years, she was my cousin,  While the tragic end to Em‑ statistic, and ultimately narrows 
best friend, and in recent years,  ily’s life is certainly a testament  their life as being defined only by 
my favorite blossoming activist.   to patriarchal violence that could  patriarchy. We certainly need to be 
On April 9, 2009, it seemed like  spark a long discussion of the  more serious about our collective 
the world ended and lost a lot of  collective liberation work still to  liberation work and I hope people 
its beauty, the day that Emily was  be done, Emily’s life was about so  remember that domestic violence 
taken from this world. She was  much more than its last few hours.  is not a thing of the past. However, 
brutally murdered by her ex‑ Only focusing on the way someone  Emily did not live the majority of 
her life as a victim, and I would 
rather celebrate her strong and 
beautiful spirit during her 19 years 
of life.
It is important for people to 
know about Emily Silverstein 
because she is the essence, the 
heart and soul, of SDS. This makes 
her death not just a personal loss 
for those who had the privilege to 
know and love Emily, but a loss for 
all of SDS and others working for 
social change. Emily may not have 
ever goPen the chance to go to a 
national convention and she was 
not on multiple conference calls a 
week, but she did the often over‑
looked, yet most important work 
of starting a local chapter and 
successfully organizing her cam‑
pus.  This is the work that makes 
SDS a force to be reckoned with 
in this growing national student 
movement. In response to what 
she perceived as a void of sub‑
stantially radical activist groups, 
she helped start an SDS chapter at 
GePysburg this year. She created 
space for radical activism to take 
4
place in a way that had not 
existed before. Emily had 
an ability to inspire and ex‑
cite people to get involved 
and do work because she 
was always so genuinely 
enthusiastic about what she 
was doing, making people 
feel like they were a part of 
something truly important. 
Emily gave people faith 
and confidence in them‑
selves and the ability of the 
group to make collective 
change. Just weeks before 
her death, a high school 
friend visited her during  testament to the type of infectious  passionate, caring, and thought‑
the GePysburg Funk the War and  inspiration Emily invoked and the  ful; someone whose exuberant 
was so inspired by the work Emily  way she embodied the heart of  face and full‑teethed smile would 
was doing in GePysburg, that he  what will make SDS successful for  simultaneously light up a room 
decided to start a chapter at his  the long haul. and give you a warm sense of 
local community college. That is  Like all of us, she also had a life  peace and calm. She was an artist, 
just one example that serves as a  and beauty outside of her activism.  a blossoming writer, a young aca‑
She was an an‑ demic, a dreamer, a library dweller 
thropology major  for days on end. She loved a good 
and English mi‑ thrift store find, a beautiful spring 
nor who was ex‑ day, and coffee. Lots and lots of 
citedly preparing  coffee. She loved so many things 
to study abroad  and embodied so many things. 
in Morocco next  She lived big and with wide‑eyed 
fall and study  enthusiasm for 19 years.
leftist politics and  When I went back to GePysburg 
women’s rights in  for the memorial services, the at‑
the Middle East/ mosphere was somber and haunt‑
North Africa.  ing, apparent that there was a vital 
She would dance  energy missing from the campus. 
on rooftops and  While there will always be a physi‑
make thought‑ cal void in the beauty that was Em‑
ful cards for  ily’s smiling, encouraging face, her 
her friends. To  spirit was clearly there and very 
be friend or kin  alive. She lit a fire that will con‑
to Emily is to  tinue to burn. In that way, Emily 
have known a  will live on forever during every 
love—and now a  action and victory, whether it be at 
loss—that words  GePysburg or within every person, 
cannot describe.  young and old, wherever they may 
Never have I  be, that she inspired through her 
met someone as  love and hope and dreams to com‑
compassionate,  mit their lives to political action. 
5
A Call for a post-SDS Organization
& Mass Working Class Political Party:
Our Role as Catalyst
Students have a unique role in the class
by Nathan Johnson
struggle. Youth provide a certain vitality,
Milwaukee SDS
eagerness, and spontaneity to the battles
against inequality. Students feel the enthu-
siasm of self-empowerment as they engage
for the first time in political, economic, and
social struggles and, gaining in confidence,
throw their weight into more ambitious proj-
ects. Perhaps more than any other social
force, students feel the urgency of ending
injustice now, before their outrage has a
chance to cool. History in all capitalist coun-
tries, most recently the Grecian uprising,
confirms that progressive students play a
catalyzing role in the class struggle.
However, with no disregard to the impor-
tant role of the students, it is undeniable that
the working class alone is capable of staging
a revolution or carrying social movements
through to a successful conclusion. Just
consider how greatly more effectual a gen-
eral strike is compared to a student strike—
only the general strike is capable of bringing
a government to its knees.The working class’
greater strength lies in its greater numbers,
its cohesiveness in being an actual social
class (a differentiated social class notwith-
standing), and its connection to the immedi-
ate means of production and distribution.
In America, where the labor movement is
particularly weak in contrast to that of Eu-
rope, it is all-too-easy to forget this real-
ity and for students to consequently act as
6
though they were better off “going it alone”
than making efforts to link up with the dor-
mant working class. The Weather Under-
ground carried this substitutionist notion, in
which any elite group substitutes itself for
the working class, to an ultraleft extreme,
which only served to alienate the mass of
ambivalent students and workers alike.
When the Weather Underground appointed
itself as a revolutionary vanguard, instead
of building a mass working class organiza-
tion, it cut itself off from the working class.
Frustrated with the inertia and passivity of
the working class, the Weather Underground
substituted itself and its bombings for the
self-emancipation of the working class, and
for that reason inevitably failed to emanci-
pate the working class.
While it may be easier or more fruitful in
the short term for SDSers to stick to familiar
avenues of struggle, the medium- and long-
term situations in our nation demand that we
build the necessary bridges to the working
class.This historical need coincides with the
task of creating a counterpart organization
for graduate SDSers. Once students gradu-
ate from the more liberal atmosphere of the
university, they stand a greater chance of
becoming integrated into class society. Un-
fortunately, this danger holds true even for
SDSers. Even if graduates wish to remain
active, they might only be able to choose
among non-revolutionary and/or less effec-
tive organizations.
Since SDS has reestablished itself in 2006,
the loss off graduating activists has not yet
made itself felt in a strong way, as devoted

graduates may continue to work with their
SDS chapter as before. However, with every
passing semester more SDSers will have
graduated and (especially the less active el-
ements) will be at risk of losing their way in
the grind of our competition-based society,
for lack of a post-SDS organization. There
will inevitably come a time when even dedi-
cated graduates begin to feel out of place
working within SDS. To maintain momentum
and broaden the sphere of our movement,
there needs to be continuity between SDS
and a revolutionary working class organiza-
tion, which, in spite of the existence of sev-
eral sectarian leftist political parties, is still
lacking in practice.
The task of creating a working class party
belongs, of course, to the working class and
to the working class alone. Yet this is not to
say that students cannot be of help in this
key struggle. To the contrary, there are three
principle lines of action: 1) agitate for the de-
struction of the Electoral College which as-
sures the continued hegemony of the ruling
class’ two-party dictatorship; 2) heighten
efforts to join with unions and working class
organizations in their struggles, and openly
encourage the formation of a working class
party; and 3) create a sister organization for
SDS graduates in order to establish a core
continuity between students and workers.
A sister organization for graduate SDSers
would not, by itself, be sufficient to create
a mass working class political party, but to-
gether with SDS could help catalyze its de-
velopment.
One of the most serious shortcomings of
the radical 60’s and 70’s was the failure to
establish a working class political party. As
a result of this failure many of the rebellious
students of the time have since become as-
similated into the two-party system, or sim-
ply have withdrawn from political activity
altogether. The remaining active elements
lack adequate organization.
SDS’ own existence may indirectly rely on
the formation of a working class party. When
the ’60 s and ’70s wave of popular protest re-
ceded, SDSers found they could not survive
the ebb period of the class struggle that fol-
lowed. History could very well repeat itself if
a working class party is not created during
the current wave of activism; our SDS stands
the chance of going the way of its predeces-
sor and we could be senior citizens by the
time another SDS revives at the instigation
of a new imperialist war—quite a depressing
thought.
The severity of the present economic
crisis is daily making it more pressing and
plausible to raise the demand for a work-
ing class party. The international scope of
the crisis promises that its course is beyond
the control of any president. It won’t take
long for the American public to feel disen-
chanted with the empty rhetoric of “hope
and change.” But we cannot wait until then
to act; we must raise class-consciousness
all the while and earnestly work to create
conditions favorable to the formation of a
working class party. We must raise the issue
on our own terms, instead of bemoaning the
Electoral College and two-party system ritu-
ally every four years.
Creating a working class party means de-
finitively breaking with the two-party spec-
tacle. We can have no illusions as to the
bourgeois nature of both the Republican and
Democratic parties, even if a number of left-
ists who fancy themselves “pragmatic” vol-
unteered under the Obama campaign. There
are no two ways about it: the working class
needs to abandon the defeatist philosophy
of “lesser-evilism,” mobilize under its own
banner instead of submitting to the ruling
class’ party apparatus, and develop political
experience of its own. This accomplishment
would undoubtedly mark a milestone in the
history of the international class struggle.
Let us learn from history and do the work
that needs to be done.
7

By Daniel Meltzer, DC-SDS
We’ve heard the ecstatic reportbacks. Tens of
thousands of participants.The largest civil disobe-
dience for a climate issue in US History. The birth
(or coming-out party) of a movement. But perhaps
it’s time to critically engage what happened at
PowerShift 2009: PowerShift does not shift who
has power. Instead, it encourages us to continue
giving up our power to the institutions that hold
power. Tragically, these are the same institutions
that created the problem of climate change in the
first place.
Movements’ demands are always met and then
absorbed into the state and/or capital; cooptation
is not a new response to social movements. But
what is new is the movement being co-opted be-
fore any demands are met. If this was the birth of
the Climate Justice movement in the US, it is still-
born. Power coopted PowerShift. Power (the larg-
est private employer in the country and the third
most powerful politician in the country) attended
PowerShift, and, instead of acting to stop the hor-
rors that climate change inflicts on communities
as well as the environment, it stood shoulder to
shoulder with its protesters.
One of the primary demands of PowerShift ’09
was the creation of “Green Jobs.” WalMart, the
nation’s largest private employer, was a sponsor
of the event. Who has the power to create “green
jobs” if not the nation’s largest private employer?
Another demand was legislation to be passed that
addresses climate change. PowerShift ’09 solicit-
ed Nancy Pelosi, Speaker for the House of Con-
gress, the most powerful person in Congress and
two heartbeats away from the presidency, to speak
at their event. Who could be more qualified to cre-
ate legislation addressing climate change than the
Speaker of the House?
In some ways, PowerShift 2009 was like an anti-
war rally where George Bush leads the crowd in
a rousing “No Blood for Oil!” And while we’re on
8
Shi t 2009:
the subject, there was a complete blind spot for the
largest single polluter on the planet, the user of
the most fossil fuels, the only institution with liter-
ally no environmental restrictions: the US Military.
A speaker at the action on Monday, DC’s shadow
representative to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Nor-
ton announced, to applause, the creation of a new
green building complex in DC.The buildings, which
will run on natural gas, are the new Homeland Se-
curity Complex, as in, the very building which will
tell the largest single polluter on the planet when
and where to deploy. PowerShift completely lacked
workshops on the role of the US state as the world’s
largest single polluter, pulling not-yet-radical stu-
dents away from an analysis that would have set
them against the institutions of capitalism and the
state.
Furthermore, PowerShift drew community and
campus organizers away from community and cam-
pus organizing against climate change. One of the
primary activities of the Chesapeake Climate Ac-
tion’s Campus Coordinator in Virginia was to sup-
port the campaign in Wise County against a new
coal plant, working on one a mile long petition and
one of the longest testimonies in state history. As
PowerShift 2009 drew nearer, however, PowerShift
shifted the duties of these organizers towards
pushing national, rather than local, climate legis-
lation. The drive was also away from direct actions
and civil disobedience and toward lobbying and
other more mediated means of creating change. In
a tragic misuse of organizing power, during the se-
mester leading up to PowerShift, the primary task
for the position was convincing people to attend
the conference in DC.This is how PowerShift func-
tions: big hype, drawing organizing power away
from effective struggle, and framing disastrous
failure as victory by siding with Power. The clear-
est example of this might be PowerVote.
PowerVote had the aim of getting a million sig-
natures from young people saying that they would
“pledge to make clean, just energy a top priority in
[their] vote this election.” It’s hard to put a finger
The New Climate Justice Movement
Without Illusions
on what exactly the purpose of PowerVote was. Af-
ter all, this petition drive was not part of a larger
movement that used electing a politician as a tool
in its repertoire. It wasn’t even used cynically to get
a larger pool of e-mail list subscribers for an orga-
nization that would engage them in further action,
or even to solicit funds. In a bizarre self-reflexive
twist, the tool of signature collection was the goal
itself, and the tactic of collecting the signatures
the victory, because no other goals were met, and
no other victories could be claimed.
What was asked of the petition signers was com-
pletely unaccountable and something almost no
one followed through on; the lure of “Clean Coal”
Obama was too strong for even the single issue of
environmental activism. Without people following
through on what was asked of them, there was only
one measurable goal, and by that yardstick Pow-
erVote was a failure. By November 4th, they had
only 300,000 of the million signatures they aimed
for. But they took this failure in stride, ignoring it
mostly by cheerleading and siding themselves with
Power, namely, Barack Obama. What Obama’s vic-
tory helped them erase wasn’t just that they failed
to get the numbers they strived for, but that they
never actually did any organizing. They didn’t build
their numbers in support of an issue, they merely
corralled names into a list, which went to a na-
tional organization that seems to be satis-
fied with sitting on it.
I talked with a PowerVote/Power-
Shift participant at St. Mary’s Col-
lege of Maryland (at the #2 po-
sition of the Top Ten Pledges
(By % of School Size)), and
I found out that their
PowerVote chapter,
while excit-
ing in that it
trained new
student activ-
ists in the or-
ganizing tools
of petitioning
and “dorm-
storming,” had
lapsed into in-
action and purposelessness after the election. The
campaign seemed to reach a dead end when Barack
Obama stepped to the plate. This is a PowerVote
“success” story. They mobilized to get the majority
of their campus to support a phantom cause, and
then fell away, feeling like they should have used
their time and energy on something that actually
had a tangible effect. PowerVote, in effect, drew
campus organizers away from campus organizing,
and campus organizers have nothing to show for
their devotion.
The importance of addressing climate change
is undeniable. But PowerShift will never move to-
wards Climate Justice while it enjoys such a cozy
relationship with both the state and capitalism and
while it draws organizers away from effective lo-
cal organizing. Recent protests against the Group
of 20 in England have shown us where the climate
justice movement has found natural allies interna-
tionally. European Press highlighted anarchists,
anti-capitalists, and climate change activists as
working together to confront the hegemony of state
power and capitalism. Capitalism and the state are
the two biggest sources of climate change, and the
movement for climate justice should function
together with the movements against
these institutions or be made ir-
relevant and ineffective by
lifestyle politics and
Titanic brass-
polishing.
9
Toward A More Colorful
Queer Future
By Alex Niculescu, U. Penn SDS
Over the last few years  where.  with the same results. Assimi‑
mainstream gay advocacy  In as much as anarchists say  lation pretends to seize power 
groups have focused their ef‑ that “our dreams won’t fit in  for an entire identity group and 
forts on one issue, a panacea  your ballot boxes,” queer bod‑ instead simply reconfigures the 
to seemingly solve all forms of  ies and experiences are too,  structures of power in society 
inequality that gays are faced  well, queer, to fit in the state’s  and correspondingly redis‑
with: marriage rights. With the  centuries‑old definition of mar‑ tributes privilege in a way that 
passage of Proposition 8 this  riage. For queers to appeal for  capitalism, patriarchy, or any 
summer in California, many  marriage is to desire assimila‑ other dominant ideology can 
people’s hopes that gays would  tion into a heteronormative  accommodate. In this instance, 
achieve full equality in this  conception of sexuality, gen‑ wealthy, white, monogamous 
country were dashed. What  der, and relationships, things  gay couples who agree with 
was even more distressing,  which the state should have no  the gender binary stand to 
however, was the wave of rac‑ business regulating or legis‑ benefit, which leaves out the 
ist backlash against people of  lating in the first place. What  majority of queers everywhere. 
color in California, who were  scares me even more about  In fact, the “struggle” for as‑
accused of being the cause  assimilation is that it compels  similation, through marriage 
of Prop 8’s passage (this is a  us to ignore the structures of  campaigns, actively silences 
completely unfounded claim,  power and interaction of pow‑ every other queer who is not a 
as studies have shown).  er dynamics in this country,  member of this elite, privileged 
When I look at the actions of  because supporting marriage is  gay vanguard (as they have 
HRC, GLAAD, and other main‑ supporting a means of institu‑ so positioned themselves), but 
stream gay advocacy groups  tional oppression. Historically,  who is enmeshed in the inter‑
from the past years, they make  marriage was never rooted in  sectionality of oppressions we 
me sad to call myself queer.  religion, but rather it was a  are faced with everyday. As 
In particular, their perpetual  way for the state to regulate the  Audre Lorde once said, “There 
focus on marriage rights as  transfer of property from a wo‑ is no such thing as a single‑is‑
the most pressing issue facing  myn’s family to her husband,  sue struggle because we do not 
queers, the only obstacle block‑ effectively binding the wife  live single‑issue lives.” Where 
ing the road to full equality, is  into a slaveholding document  does a black lesbian womyn fit 
an awfully myopic and mis‑ wherein she too became part  in the gay marriage campaign? 
guided claim. To assume that  and parcel of the man’s life  An FTM trans immigrant from 
marriage is the main issue all  possessions (Mrs. is a posses‑ Latin America? A genderqueer 
queers should be organizing  sive form of Mr.). For queers to  working‑class sex‑worker from 
around automatically con‑ appeal to an institution that has  the rural Midwest? 
structs an essentialized ver‑ historically oppressed womyn        Assimilation into state‑sanc‑
sion of a gay person, when the  (as well as non‑whites) baffles  tioned heteronormative and 
very existence of queer people  me.  patriarchal institutions such 
should be to contradict and        Assimilation has a prec‑ as marriage and the military is 
confront essentialism every‑ edent, and it always ends up  not an option—why would we 

Collective Liberation
want “equality” in a state that  shackled to her 
denies those equalities to other  bed after being 
citizens based on race, class,  denied medical 
gender (identity), nationality,  treatment? Was it 
religious affiliation, etc...? Mar‑ a gay rights issue? 
riage rights aren’t the prob‑ An immigrant 
lem—marriage, and any form  rights issue? Or 
of institutional oppression, is!  was it an issue 
Mainstream gay activism  of a legal system 
is based on an outdated no‑ which reinforces 
tion of change which is polite  white supremacy 
and gradual, a change which  and patriarchy at 
holds the door for the power‑ all costs? In our 
holders who will proceed to  public struggle, di‑ Inspiration: cop cars burning on the eve of white 
walk all over it, a change which  viding our bodies,  night riots by queers avenging Harvey Milk’s 
actually reinforces the existing  choices and lives  murder. They didn’t show that in the Sean Penn 
power structures it pretends  into neat categories  movie did they?
to oppose. As a radical queer,  of LGBT makes it 
I see myself as part of a larger  that much easier    There was a time when 
struggle for equality, but not  for capitalism to slowly accom‑ queers didn’t ask for change, 
the state’s liberal definition of  modate some by extending  they made it happen. A time 
equality which hinges on white  privileges, while continuing to  of militant, organized queer 
supremacist notions of indi‑ invent new ways to marginal‑ resistance to state power, when 
vidual rights and self‑determi‑ ize others, all the while mar‑ truly fierce trannies, dykes, 
nation. No, I work for radical  keting to every new compart‑ fags, drag queens, and all other 
equality through collective  mentalized niche identity. The  gender traitors baPled cops 
liberation from all oppression.  time has come to realize how  in the streets instead of ask‑
Where was the HRC in July  queer liberation is, always has  ing nicely. A time of White 
2007 when Victoria Aurellano,  been, and must continue to be  Night Riots, Stonewall, Sylvia 
the inmate of an ICE deten‑ bound with the liberation of all  Rivera, and the Street Trans‑
tion center and an immigrant  oppressed peoples everywhere.  vestite Action Revolutionaries. 
transwoman, died of AIDS,  No maPer if you are a white  I believe that time is due for a 
lesbian or a  comeback. We are beginning 
Filipino MTF  to look beyond the superficial, 
transperson,  the figureheads, and peer at 
an injury to  the privilege that keeps them 
one is an inju‑ in place. Even still, we can see 
ry to all, and  that the dummy power‑holders 
to effectively  are not the ultimate problem, 
achieve vic‑ rather it is the coercive power 
tory, we must  bestowed upon them which 
constantly  perpetuates the systems of 
remind our  structural oppression, and it is 
aggressors  this power we must seize and 
of this, our  abolish. 
promise of 
solidarity. 
Sylvia Rivera (right), famous for going up to a NYC       
legislator and hiPing him in the head with a clip‑
board until he signed an equality bill, amongst other 
radical direct actions. 11
 Introducing DC’s by the DSMV

Radical Mental Health Collective

We are the DSMV, which stands for either the Dis‑ not, whether to treat experiences gained in extreme 
trict Support of Mental Variety or the Determination  states of consciousness as valid or merely the result 
of Self by the Mentally Varied, depending on your  of  funky  brain  chemistry,  and  whether  to  identify 
preference.  The  DSMV  is  a  collective  in  the  Wash‑ as having a “mental illness” or possessing “danger‑
ington, DC area that is working to create a space for  ous”  gifts.  We  hope  that  this  workshop  will  create 
discussion and education around the issue of radical  a space to discuss, ask questions, share stories, and 
mental health in our community. open up a dialogue about mental health in our com‑
We believe that radical mental health is for who‑ munities.
ever wants their needs met—be they physical needs  The questions listed here are among the ones that 
such  as  food,  shelter,  and  medicine,  or  emotional  we have been discussing over the course of several 
or  psychological  needs.    Just  like  being  physically  months’  worth  of  meetings.    The  major  points  of 
healthy,  being  mentally  healthy  is  vital  for  every‑ our  (working)  definition  are  numbered.  The  ques‑
one, not just people who have so called “mental ill‑ tions that those parts of our definition suggest to us 
nesses.” Radical mental health means both empow‑ are listed below. We put this outline together for a 
ering people to help meet their needs and opening  workshop we presented, and left the questions un‑
up  space  to  discuss,  ask  questions,  and  learn  from  answered so workshop participants could fill in their 
each other.  This involves community support and  own  notes  and  answers.  Also  included  here  are  a 
education,  learning  what  it  means  to  be  an  ally  as  few resources that might be useful to you in looking 
well  as  examining  systems  of  oppression,  such  as  at your own situation, and being prepared for situa‑
patriarchy, racism, classism, and homophobia in re‑ tions such as crises and extreme states of conscious‑
lation  to  mental  health.  Radical  mental  health  also  ness.  We  hope  these  questions  and  resources  will 
involves  respecting  self‑determination  in  terms  of  be useful (or, at the very least, thought‑provoking) 
treatment, knowledge, and terminology. It is up to  tools for you, your friends, and your community!
the individual whether to take psychiatric drugs or   
mad love,
DSMVers

Resources that we may or may not like:  It’s all about you!:
Word Salad 1‑3 Some  of  the  things/people/places/etc.  that  up‑
The Sane Society  set/trigger me are...
Toxic Psychiatry by Peter Breggin Some of the things/people/places/etc. that help 
Navigating  the  Space  Between  Brilliance  and  me  to  feel  bePer,  to  distract  myself,  or  to  cope 
Madness are...
Mutant Superpowers and Lithium Pills by Sas‑  
cha ScaPer

Ma d Maps
Dyscrasia 1‑2.5
 

Cartoons by Sarah 
12 Bower, DC‑SDS
 Radical mental health involves community sup‑ chiatric drugs while knowing what we know about 
port: pharmaceutical companies? 
Who is mental health for?  How  can  we  respect  someone’s  decision  to  use 
What is a good ally? How do we be good allies?  recreational drugs, to self‑injure, etc., even though it 
What do we do when someone we know seems  can seem self‑destructive?
to be going into crisis? How can we accept someone’s decision to reject 
Is  it  ever  right  to  institutionalize  individuals  conventional treatments?
against their will? To drug them against their will?
How  do  we  as  a  community  address  persons  ...and in terms of knowledge:
whose needs are harmful to the community?  How can we respect knowledge and experiences 
Why is radical mental health relevant to us as ac‑ gained in extreme states of consciousness? How can 
tivists  and  radicals  that  are  building  communities  we reject or go beyond society’s understanding of 
and working towards a common vision? people in these states as dangerous, insane, illogical, 
What is the relationship between systems of op‑ etc.? 
pression  (such  as  patriarchy,  racism,  classism,  ho‑ How can we be respectful of folks who do identi‑
mophobia, transphobia, etc.) and mental health? fy with mainstream understandings of these states?
What are people struggling with and how can we 
find bePer ways of addressing their struggles? How  If I feel like I am in danger, I can call...
can we meet peoples’ needs? (Remember to have everyone’s contact informa‑
What  topics  aren’t  being  discussed  in  our  com‑ tion readily available!)
munities that we want to see discussed?  

Radical mental health means self‑determination 
in terms of terminology/identity…:
What does it mean to be labeled as “mentally ill” 
in a society that is clearly insane?
When does behavior become dysfunctional? Can 
we define for ourselves what functioning looks and 
feels like?
What  does  it  mean  to  embrace  the  language  of 
pathology?
Can  we  use  the  language  of  pathology  without 
giving implicit support to the oppressors?
What  does  it  mean  to  embrace  the  concept  of 
“dangerous gifts”?
...in terms of treatment…:
How can we respect someone’s decision take psy‑
Some things you might want to include on your mad map(s):
•     Things that trigger me are…
•     People/places/things that make me feel (un)safe are…
Mad maps are like contingency plans, preven‑ •     Warning signs that I may be unsafe/upset/going into a state 
tion plans, and wellness plans all‑in‑one. They  of crisis/etc. are…
don’t have to be wriPen out—they can be verbal,  •     I’m not myself when I’m like this…
or in whatever form works best for you. They’re  •     If I am behaving/feeling this way, please do/don’t do this…
useful to have with people you trust and are  •     If I am upset, please do/don’t say…
close to… folks like your partner(s), parent(s),  •     If I am this way, you can help me by…
friends, housemates. You may want to have  •     After I come out of a state of crisis, please do this…
multiple maps—one for each person, one for  •     When (if ever) is it okay for you to call the police? An ambu‑
your parent(s), and another for your friends, and  lance? My doctor/therapist/psychiatrist? My parents? Friends X, 
so on. And, of course, when you’re giving out/ Y, and Z? (Remember to include contact info, if necessary.)
making the maps, you’ll wanna discuss them  •     Am I okay with being put in the hospital? (If so, under what 
with the people, and make sure they’re willing  circumstances?)
and able to handle the responsibility. (You don’t  •     Are there medications/treatments that I do not want? (If so, 
wanna get there only to find out your friends’  which one(s)?)
uncomfortable helping you with X, Y, Z, or all of 
the above!) 
13
 
 Dan the Dude:
Do’s and Don’ts for the Dudely Organizer
by Robin Markle,
Philly SDS

This cartoon is one

page from a zine called
Do’s and Don’t for the
Dudely Organizer. To
read the rest of Dan’s
patriarchy adventures,
visit http://danthed-
ude.wordpress.com

14
 Drew University SRI Reportback larger  voice  in  the  decision 
making  process  regarding 
their University’s endowment. 
by Erica Varlese, Drew SDS a  Green  Initiative,  built  a  formed commiPees to practice  Working group members have 
Drew  University’s  Socially  LEED certified dorm, and pro‑ socially  responsible  investing,  also  wriPen  requirements  in 
Responsible  Investing  work‑ claimed  environmental  issues  particularly  through  divest‑ the  charter  that  ensure  the 
ing group had a major victory  as  a  large  part  of  the  Univer‑ ment,  during  Apartheid  in  continued  communication 
last month with the approved  sity’s  mission  in  various  ad‑ South Africa and, more recent‑ and transparency between the 
creation  of  a  Socially  Respon‑ dresses  given  by  the  Univer‑ ly, with the genocide in Sudan.  SRI  CommiPee  and  the  Drew 
sible  Investment  (SRI)  Com‑ sity  president.  By  targeting  The Drew SRI CommiPee is an  community at large. 
miPee on campus. environmental  issues  as  the  extension  of  the  University’s  Ellen  Taraschi,  a  freshman 
Students from the working  first  possible  campaign  of  the  tradition of participating in so‑ at Drew University and mem‑
group  have  been  working  on  SRI CommiPee, University ad‑ cial justice issues through eco‑ ber of the SRI working group 
the  campaign  in  a  variety  of  ministrators and trustees were  nomic means. said  she  felt  the  SRI  Commit‑
forms  for  roughly  two  years.  very receptive to the working  The Drew SDS SRI working  tee  would  be  a  “great  oppor‑
Working group member Alan  group’s mission. group is now in the process of  tunity  for,  literally,  everyone. 
Kant  (Drew  ‘10)  said,  “We  In  the  last  meeting  with  a  staffing  the  commiPee.  Both  It  will  bring  our  community 
have  worked  incredibly  hard  gathering  of  University  ad‑ students  and  administrators  closer  together.”  She  added, 
for  months,  meeting  several  ministrators, faculty members,  are  hoping  to  announce  the  “To have six to eight students 
times  a  week,  and  sometimes  and  trustees,  Drew  SDS’  SRI  formation  of  the  commiPee  accomplish this by themselves 
twice a day, to make this com‑ working  group  presented  the  before the end of the semester.  is amazing.”
miPee a reality.” “Drew University Socially Re‑ The commit‑
The  working  group  mem‑ sponsible Investment Commit‑ tee will have 
bers had been in contact with  tee  Charter.”  The  charter  was  five  student 
some of the University’s trust‑ met  with  approval  from  the  m e m b e r s , 
ees after presenting them with  University,  specifically  trust‑ out of eleven 
information on the companies  ees and faculty members with  total  mem‑
in which Drew invests that are  whom the SRI working group  bers, in an at‑
considered  “toxic  polluters.”  has  been  collaborating.  In  the  tempt to give  
The  campus  has  announced  past,  Drew  University  has  students  a 

A Victory for Milwaukee SDS

by Dawson Barrett, Milwaukee SDS

This morning, April 2, 2009, Uni‑ issuing press releases, and obtaining  “week of actions,” which included a 

versity  of  Wisconsin‑Milwaukee  administrators’  e‑mail  exchanges  sweatshop clothesline display and a 
Vice Chancellor Tom Luljak mailed  through open records requests. student/labor rally.
a  lePer  to  the  Worker  Rights  Con‑ While  a  small  handful  of  long‑ The  rally,  held  today  outside  of 
sortium,  pledging  to  participate  in  time members have remained active  the chancellor’s office (with a make‑
the  Designated  Suppliers  Program,  throughout,  much‑needed  energy  shift  car  baPery‑powered  PA),  was 
a  set  of  standards  which  intends  to  was injected into the campaign this  initially  expected  to  be  a  protest.  
guarantee living wages and the right  school year by new SDSers.  Dozens  However,  after  Vice  Chancellor 
to  organize  to  the  garment  work‑ of students who passed through the  Luljak called group members prom‑
ers  who  make  university  apparel.   organization  in  the  last  two  years  ising to sign the DSP pledge, Sweat‑
Luljak’s  lePer  was  the  culmination  also put in hours upon hours of hard  Free  UWM  turned  the  event  into  a 
of  over  two  years  of  student  orga‑ work.  Additionally, Milwaukee SDS  celebration. 
nizing,  and  it  made  UWM  the  46th  was  assisted  and  encouraged  along  Members  of  Milwaukee  IWW, 
school to sign such a pledge. the way by national and regional or‑ the SEIU, SUFRIR, and 9 to 5 joined 
GePing  UWM  signed  on  to  the  ganizations such as United Students  Luljak,  bookstore  director  Erik 
program was one of the initial proj‑ Against Sweatshops and Sweat Free  Hemming,  and  student  organizers 
ects  adopted  by  Milwaukee  SDS  Communities. in celebrating the victory, while also 
when it formed in Fall of 2006. SDS  In  the  last  several  months,  SDS  focusing on the many baPles ahead, 
members  have  met  with  reluctant  was joined by Trafficking Ends with  which  include  Milwaukee’s  Paid 
administrators,  organized  petition  Action, the Milwaukee Network for  Sick  Days  initiative,  the  DREAM 
drives and lePer writing campaigns,  Social  Change,  and  other  campus  Act, and the Employee Free Choice 
held protest rallies, and chalked the  and  community  organizations  to  Act.  UWM signing the DSP is an im‑
sidewalks  of  the  campus  on  an  al‑ form  the  Sweat‑Free  UWM  Coali‑ portant  victory  for  Milwaukee  SDS 
most weekly basis—even in freezing  tion. The coalition’s efforts have in‑ (and for students and workers), but 
weather.  SDSers also had to compete  cluded hosting a traveling workers’  there will be no rest for the weary!
with  the  university’s  considerable  tour,  planning  a  sweat‑free  fashion 
PR  efforts  by  conducting  research,  show,  and  organizing  this  week’s  15
 Staying Afloat in
Times of Crisis
Abundant Apathy and Shortcomings All Around
by Josh Redd, MU SDS
The members of the Millersville University chap-
ter of SDS have felt the pains of growing, shrinking,
and many other shortcomings during the past two
semesters. We left the end of the 2008 Spring semes-
ter with high spirits after holding our biggest event
on campus—a Peace Rally on the 5th Anniversary of
the Iraq War—and we had high hopes for the follow-
ing year being even more successful. The proceeding
Fall semester at MU for SDS looked like the stock
market, it downright plummeted due to low-turn outs
to meetings.
Many of our members from the previous semester
had dropped out, coming out of the woodwork when
there was action to be a part of and to be seen as
the “cool/crazy radical kids.” Others were busy with
heavy course loads and still others were fresh to
the scene and not quite ready or willing to do too
much. Without any student power to fuel our desires
of putting together kick-ass events, campaigns, and
making the campus a great place to be for everyone,
we merely huddled together in our meeting rooms,
barely staying afloat. Sometimes we did have those
spectacular meetings where we would get great
ideas fleshed out and we would leave our meet-
ings with our heads way up high. We did manage to
sponsor and host two events: we invited Witness
for Peace member Freddy Caicedo to speak on the
Colombian-style NAFTA that is currently being
debated, and Kevin Funk and Steve Fake who co-
authored Scramble for Africa: Darfur Intervention
and the USA. The latter event resulted in a modest
turnout, though mostly comprised of SDSers, but
neither event led to any further events or campaigns.
Before the semester ended we had read about the
Accessible Education campaign that national SDS
was taking part in and decided that student debt
was one thing any student should definitely be cool
with combating. We decided at that point to begin
our own Student Debt Relief Campaign. Because
our school does not offer course booklists more than
16
three to five days before school starts, we decided
to change that, especially for students who could
spend anywhere up to $900 on books. We began
by collecting signatures from students who be-
lieved that we should, as students, have an online
booklist available to us at least two weeks prior to
the start of each semester. We were overly excited
and did not plan our steps well and our semester
ended before we really had a chance to get many
student signatures. Other than approximately 150
signatures that we collected, our semester had
come and gone without significantly affecting the
Millersville student body.
Our Spring semester has been much more
active, but still full of doubt for the future. We’ve
been continuing to work on the Student Debt Re-
lief Campaign, collecting signatures from over 700
students and even gaining the support of faculty
members. Our next goal with the petition is to
gain support from the student senate, since they
are the student senate and are, according to their
constitution, supposed to promote the general
welfare of the study body and represent all stu-
dents. Our hope was that with their backing, rep-
resenting the student voice, we would be able to
push the faculty to go through with our initiative
to have an available and accessible booklist. We
attended their meeting and were met with heavy,
tense resistance. “What about Student Services,
Inc.?”, “Did you explore every other avenue before
coming to us?”, “Did you ask the professors
first?”, “How are you going to punish professors if
they don’t follow through with your request?”, and
other questions were thrown at us. They also said
that there was no sense in putting “too much”
pressure on the faculty and have them “rush
something together” just to please us and why
not just wait for the federal bill that would require
pre-registration booklists to go into effect? These
student “representatives” were concerned about
the businesses losing money, begging permis-
 for the booklist from students
and some who even had Obama
buttons on their person said they
didn’t feel like it! This political
climate at Millersville is easy yet
difficult to understand. While a
large portion of the students prob-
given to all students in courses ably come from “working class”
taught by non-tenured and up for backgrounds, there is a sheer
re-tenure faculty. The evaluation disproportion of those who iden-
forms include several questions tify as Republican and those as
about how the student felt about Democrat, and third-party affilia-
the quality of the course content, tion is virtually non-existent. No
whether the professor was re- one has time to worry about the
ceptive to students, if they were crisis in Darfur, Gaza, the world
sion from faculty, and many other
timely, etc. The forms also hold over; students don’t want to exert
ridiculous ideas. They voted to not
a spot for open comments and any extra energy thinking about
support the booklist initiative four
concerns about the course. We be- the political, economical, and
to sixteen.
lieve that if we can inform enough social injustices—it’s far easier
We decided to skip the senate
of the students that by simply to be “blind” to the real facts, to
since they were unwilling to help
requesting the placement of mate- worry where the next party will
their classmates and go straight
rials online, they can convince the be, or if skipping your next class
to each department and find out
professors to do it and, as a result, will be possible. Another problem
whether or not it was feasible
save the student body hundreds of that is that Millersville is a huge
to create an online booklist for
thousands of dollars. We will not teacher-school, folks that want to
each respective department.
know the results of this attempt teach obviously cannot have any
We knew it was feasible since a
until next year—perhaps during sort of record, and we’re just seen
few departments already do it.
some summer courses—but after as ruckus-causing “radicals.”
We talked with several depart-
talking with a few professors, We remain hopeful about the
ments, receiving support from
many are open to alternative ideas future here at Millersville. It will
every single one and learning of
to help out students. always be a struggle; we have the
other ways to share the booklist
Campaigning and organizing first of our members now gradu-
and obtain books at a discount
on the Millersville campus is very ating and during the past year
price! While we were doing well
difficult and often the resistance the chapter has lost some other
with this plan, it still took its toll
is suffocating. I don’t know how active members, but only gained a
on us and we decided that we
Millersville University ranks in the few. It’ll be interesting to see how
would take a swing at our second
way of student activism, but surely the chapter fares in the coming
goal, which was to encourage
it is on the very low end, apathy is semesters and for now we will
the professors to place reading
abundant here and very difficult keep steady on the campaign for
materials and worksheets online
to deal with. Even with the rise student debt relief.
using the different technologies at
our and the professors’ disposal. of Obama and his campaigning
This would save the students through community organizers, lit-
from buying as many overpriced tle to nothing has changed for us
books, especially ones where only or any other group on campus (ex-
small sections are used and those cept making the College Republi-
that are used for one semester. cans sore losers, perhaps). Mere
This would include the utilizing days after his election to office,
of E-Reserve through the library we attempted to get signatures
and Blackboard—which not only
can provide course documents,
but can also be a place to show
grades, for online class discus-
sions, and much more. To achieve
this goal we believe we can utilize
the faculty evaluations which are
17
Chapter Reportbacks

Southeast SDS Con-

vention Reportback
by Richard Blake, Austin Gilmour, and Chuck Allen, Gainesville
SDS
The third Southeast Regional SDS  To  keep  with  the  trend  everyone  and White auxiliary met jointly in a 
Convention was held in Gainesville,  managed  to  wake  up  even  later  on  fishbowl sePing which was a fun de‑
Florida  on  February  20th  to  22nd,  Sunday  than  they  did  on  Saturday,  parture  from  the  standard  meeting. 
and  we  were  super  stoked  to  host  but  after  a  few  bagels  for  breakfast  The Working Class caucus and Class 
it.  We  started  off  in  true  SDS  fash‑ and some bad coffee, things got back  privilege auxiliary also met jointly in 
ion with the first official event of the  on track once again. The closing ple‑ an effort to foster bePer understand‑
convention being a protest against a  nary  went  well  as  we  talked  about  ing  of  how  to  create  bePer  alliances 
heterosexist  ballot  initiative  coming  issues we wanted to work on region‑ between ourselves as activists.
up for a vote in local elections (which  ally  and  what  we  had  taken  away  Hosting  this  convention  was  a 
was later defeated). After gePing ev‑ from the convention. It was tough to  wonderful  experience  for  Gaines‑
eryone  registered  and  hooked  up  say goodbye but we hoped everyone  ville SDS and we would like to thank 
with a place to stay for the weekend,  was  going  home  to  tell  tales  of  the  everyone for the opportunity and for 
we  quickly  transitioned  into  one  of  fabled  city  of  Gainesville,  the  new  coming down to see our liPle town. 
the  sweetest  dance  parties  Gaines‑ friends  they  had  made,  the  burned  The  convention  played  a  huge  part 
ville  has  seen  in  a  good  long  while,  bridges  they  had  rebuilt,  the  great  in  reinvigorating  our  chapter  and 
courtesy of DJ Ernie Hotsauce. food they had eaten, and the inspira‑ replaced  some  enthusiasm  that  had 
Undoubtedly things were slow to  tion they had gained and given. been missing for awhile by gePing us 
start  on  Saturday  morning,  but  we  Workshops  were  given  through‑ plugged into the national campaign 
eventually pulled it together with the  out  the  weekend  by  SDSers  from  (thanks MTSU) which we have been 
aid of some performance enhancing  all  over  the  region  on  a  variety  of  working hard on ever since.
substances.  We  proceeded  to  elect  topics  such  as:  Organizing!,  Radical  For many of our newer members, 
three  new  southeast  reps,  all  from  Recovery,  SDS  &  the  Obama  elec‑ it  was  their  first  experience  with 
different  chapters,  in  a  surprisingly  tion,  March  20th  Anti‑War  Protests,  SDS  outside  of  the  confines  of  our 
painless process, which was a break  Chapter Building & Retention, Radi‑ chapter.  We  also  met  new  members 
from tradition. Meals were provided  cal Art and its Role in the Movement,  of  old  chapters,  and  entirely  new 
for all each day in the form of various  Facilitation,  and  Farm‑worker  Is‑ chapters.  This  helped  foster  a  sense 
flavors of vegan slop (usually served  sues. The workshops were illuminat‑ of  being  part  of  a  larger  movement 
over  rice),  courtesy  of  expert  chefs  ing,  as  were  their  hosts.  They  were  and that we are not alone in our mis‑
Gilmour  and  Surrency.  There  was  well aPended and we heard nothing  sion, which is really what SDS is all 
plenty  of  Sriracha  and  Nutritional  but  good  feedback  from  those  who  about.  It’s  these  sort  of  gatherings 
Yeast to go around. We managed to  went. that  uplift  us  when  we  feel  that  the 
fit in some five‑a‑side soccer during  In the collective liberation efforts,  huge struggles we take part in seem 
lunch time which has become a sta‑ the  Women’s  caucus,  Trans/Gen‑ too daunting, that serve to remind us 
ple of the Southeast SDS conventions  derqueer  caucus,  and  Queer  caucus  that there is a community of activists 
over the years. During dinner, musi‑ met,  as  well  as  the  Men’s  auxiliary  out  there  in  the  SDS  universe  who 
cal instruments of all sorts appeared  and  Straight  auxiliary.  Although  are fighting the same baPles we are, 
and started to circulate as we all sang  it’s  sometimes  difficult  to  remain  that we can always count on to flood 
and  laughed  along  to  the  songs  we  engaging in these meetings, we had  our  university  presidents  voicemail 
grew  up  on.  On  Saturday  night  we  innovative  facilitators  and  aPentive  if  need  be,  and  that  we  will  always 
beat  a  Gainesville  SDS  record  and  audiences.  Likewise,  caucuses  al‑ be  ready  to  put  on  a  benefit  show 
successfully constructed a 15‑person  ways  seem  enjoy  the  intimacy  of  a  for when someone in Providence or 
human pyramid, which was a great  regional discussion in which we can  Hunter  College  or  Asheville  needs 
way to bridge political divides with  break  down  chapter  dynamics  and  bail  money.  Hope  to  see  y’all  at  the 
progressives,  anarchists,  and  every  build  support  networks  for  our  fel‑ next convention.
flavor of Communist you can imag‑ low  caucus  members.  In  a  different 
ine all in the mix. approach, the People of Color caucus 

18
Reportback from Millers-
ville: Bill Ayers Protest
by Millersville University SDS
On March 20, 2009 Dr. William (Bill) 
Ayers was scheduled to speak at Mill‑
ersville University for the Annual Anna 
Funk  Lockey  Lecture.  This  year,  the 
lecture  focused  on  Urban  Education, 
Ayers’ specialty. His scheduled arrival 
was announced early on in the semes‑
ter  and  because  of  the  Obama‑Ayers 
“scandal”  during  the  election  many 
people on campus, and in the commu‑
nity at large, were quick to assume that 
Ayers  was  coming  to  “brainwash  our 
children.”  Others  made  remarks  like, 
“What  is  urban  education  anyway? 
Teaching kids to build pipe bombs and 
overthrow my country, probably.” The 
local newspaper was harassed daily by 
    On the evening of the lecture, SDS  testing  came  and  went  without  any 
Lancasterians  up  until  the  scheduled 
members  put  together  signs  demand‑ trouble—an  anti‑terrorist  government 
date  of  the  lecture  and,  if  any  author 
ing free speech and made a large ban‑ organization of some sort came to help 
failed  to  present  Ayers  in  a  negative 
ner  with  the  phrase  “MU  =  Education  protect everyone (costing over $12,000 
manner, they were bombarded shortly 
not  Ignorance”  due  to  the  amount  of  in private funds), but we ended up not 
afterwards with e‑mails and wriPen ed‑
ignorance regarding Ayers’ work in the  needing  them—and  everyone  left  the 
itorials complaining about how liberal‑
area of education for over 20 years and  sidewalks shortly after the speech was 
ism was killing America. Over and over 
to show that Millersville University it‑ over.
local  Lancasterians  and  MU  students 
self is a place to be educated, not igno‑    Looking back on all the drama that 
were  showing  that  they  were  only  ex‑
rant. About  six  prepared  SDSers  were  was stirred up, it is interesting to note 
posed  to  Ayers’  radical  past—his  in‑
the first to arrive on the scene, since we  that not one person commented on the 
volvement  with  SDS‑splinter  group 
had read and heard possible visits from  fact that that Ayers’ “terrorist activity” 
The  Weather  Underground  and  their 
right‑wing groups such as the Freepers  was through the Weather Underground 
“violent”  tactics  to  overthrow  the  US 
and  the  American  Sheepdogs,  as  well  and this organization was a split off of 
government.  They  failed  to  recognize 
as  some  turnout  from  locals  and  stu‑ SDS and there was a new SDS at Mill‑
why the WU had done what they had 
dents.  We  received  many  interviews  ersville!  We  were  also  (not)  surprised 
done—challenging  systematic  and  in‑
from  four  or  five  different  TV  stations  to hear from a local Democrat that they 
stitutionalized racism, the deadly Viet‑
(see  millersvillesds.wordpress.com  for  were given a specific script to read from 
nam War, and the problems of capital‑
articles,  pictures,  and  videos!)  and  we  when  being  interviewed  by  the  press. 
ism.  President  McNairy  even  sent  out 
were met with about 20 anti‑Ayers pro‑ We  watched  this  person  hawk  over 
an e‑mail, also released to local papers, 
testors, plus a visit from a single mem‑ every newspaper writer and news sta‑
stating that the lecture would still go on 
ber of Repent America, the evangelical  tion reporter waiting to give the same 
and that Millersville, like any universi‑
organization.  Their  signs  were  chock  exact statement about the awfulness of 
ty,  was  a  “marketplace  for  ideas”  and 
full  of  different  statements  trying  to  Millersville University inviting an un‑
that canceling Ayers’ speech would es‑
degrade  communism,  liberals,  Ay‑ repentant  terrorist.  Opportunities  like 
sentially be a form of censorship, which 
ers  himself,  and  the  University.  Some  this always give us some fresh air from 
is  undemocratic  and  would  show  that 
signs  read,  “MU  Grads  against  terror‑ what we usually do and provide easy 
the  University  would  give  in  to  any 
ists,” “Next Year Let’s invite Osama!”,  access  to  the  media  for  us  to  take  ad‑
pressure from the outside community. 
“Ayers, I hope you burn in hell!”, “Hey  vantage of. We hope next year we’ll be 
Local  and  state  politicians  threatened 
Ayers,  Chavez  wants  his  Communist  able to counter these sorts of folks, plus 
to  pull  funding  from  the  school  if  the 
Manual back”, and “Invite Teachers not  the outside organizations that visit like 
event were to go on; according to some 
Terrorists.” We had more SDS members  Repent  America  and  the  TFP  (Tradi‑
sources a few of these people did give 
come out over the course of the evening  tion, Family, Property), among others.
up this threat and apparently many of 
these  threats  from  local  alumni  were  and we even had a few other students 
empty threats anyway. stand  on  our  sides.  Overall,  the  pro‑ 19
 Chapter Reportbacks By Carlyn Cowen, UNC SDS was singled out for arrest and forced 
to stand in front of her classmates in 

College Park
On April 14, former congressper‑ handcuffs for several minutes before 

UNC SDS Tancredo and Goode Protests

son Tom Tancredo came to the Uni‑ being  taken  away  for  questioning.  
versity of North Carolina in Chapel  This public humiliation will no doubt 
Porn Scandal Hill  to  speak  at  a  forum  hosted  by 
the newly formed Youth for Western 
chill the speech and political activity 
of other students. 
by Jon Berger, College Park SDS Civilization.  The  anti‑immigration,  In  response  to  the  police  sup‑
right‑wing  conservative  urges  the  pression  of  activism  on  campus, 
This past March, the University of Mary‑ US to reject “the siren song of multi‑ students  and  community  members 
land made international news when the Stu‑ culturalism” and depicts Islam as “a  have  formed  the  Protesters  Defense 
dent  Power  Party  screened  the  big  budget  civilization bent on destroying ours,”  CommiPee.    They  are  demanding 
porno  flick  “Pirates  2:  StagnePi’s  Revenge”  proposing  that America  respond  to  that  the  charges  be  dropped  against 
in  opposition  to  Republicans  in  the  State  any future terrorist aPack by bomb‑ all  the  activists  involved  in  the  Tan‑
Senate.    When  State  Senator  Andy  Harris  ing Mecca and other holy sites. The  credo and Goode protests.  They have 
saw a news piece on a planned screening of  YWC  is  a  newly  formed  chapter  of  filed  a  formal  complaint  against  the 
the film by the movie theatre in the student  a  right‑wing,  anti‑immigrant  orga‑ Department  of  Public  Safety,  which 
union  building,  he  introduced  an  amend‑ nization  that  has  been  identified  as  will  necessitate  a  “full‑blown”  inter‑
ment to the state budget bill that would com‑ a  potential  white  supremacist  hate  nal investigation, but the PDC is also 
pletely strip funding from any public univer‑ group by the Southern Poverty Law  demanding  an  independent  review 
sity that screens an XXX film on campus. Center. board  to  investigate  police  actions.  
After initially standing up to threats from  Around 100 protesters converged  The  International  Action  Center  has 
Harris,  the  university  administration  caved  outside  the  event  shortly  before  it  taken  up  a  petition  in  support  of 
to  pressure  from  Harris  and  the  Republi‑ began, chanting, “Racist, sexist, an‑ the protesters, which has already re‑
cans and canceled the screening.  Members  ti‑gay! Right‑wing bigots go away!”  ceived over two thousand signatures.  
of Feminism Without Borders, a group cam‑ Within  minutes  the  police  aPacked  The PDC is calling on SDS members 
paigning  to  end  sweatshop‑produced  ap‑ the  demonstration,  throwing  sev‑ nationwide to show their support for 
parel on campus, started gePing press calls  eral  protesters  to  the  ground,  pep‑ the UNC student activists by signing 
from  reporters  trying  to  get  an  easy  “porn  per‑spraying  eight  to  ten  students  the  petition  at  hPp://www.iacenter.
vs. feminists” story out of the scuffle. directly  in  the  face,  and  brandish‑ org/actions/tancredo_042509/  and 
FWB and our allies in the Student Power  ing  Taser  guns  near  the  students  submiPing  solidarity  statements  to 
Party,  a  left‑ish  coalition  running  a  slate  of  in  a  small  crowded  space.  Less  than  unc.sds@gmail.com.   
candidates for student government elections  five  minutes  into  Tancredo’s  white  These  events  are  part  of  a  larger 
that week, decided to capitalize on the tim‑ speech, the overwhelming opposition  paPern of suppression of student ac‑
ing of the issue and plan our response under  to Tancredo and the YWC led to the  tivism across the country, as we have 
the SPP name.  We decided to just go ahead  event being shut down. recently  seen  with  the  NYU  sit‑in.  
and screen the film on our own, preceded by  Since  the  event,  campus  police  At the same time, white supremacist 
a panel discussion about academic freedom  have  embarked  on  a  campaign  of  groups  are  on  the  rise.  Hate  groups 
on campus and the role of porn and censor‑ intimidation  and  harassment  of  the  have  increased  by  54%  since  2001.  
ship in society.   students  activists suspected  of being  The radical right is using the econom‑
We enlisted the support of the ACLU and  involved.  One SDS member who was  ic  crisis  to  fear  monger  and  spread 
professors,  and  made  such  a  giant  stink  in  not  even  in  aPendance  was  pulled  xenophobia,  successfully  recruiting 
the  media  about  it  that  the  university  ad‑ out  of  her  classroom  and  interrogat‑ new  members  to  these  groups.    The 
ministration  eventually  fell  in  line  behind  ed by campus police.  At a subsequent  thinly‑veiled  hate  rhetoric  of  these 
us,  bending  over  backwards  to  provide  us  event  hosted  by  YWC,  six  activists  groups has significant consequences; 
with  permits  and  building  space  to  hold  a  were  selectively  targeted  for  arrest  hate  crimes  against  Latin@s  alone 
press conference that we had organized and  out  of  many  that  were  there  to  pro‑ have  risen  40%  since  2003  (FBI).    It 
planned on holding outside of the library. test  anti‑immigrant,  anti‑affirmative  is  now  more  important  than  ever  to 
The  screening  went  off  without  a  hitch,  action  congressperson  Virgil  Goode.  continue  speaking  out  against  rac‑
the  media  lapped  it  up,  and,  for  the  most  Nine  days  after  her  participation  in  ist  messages  of  Tancredo,  YWC  and 
part, focused more on free speech issues than  the  Tancredo  protest,  one  student  other white supremacist groups, both 
on the porn itself.  The Republicans backed  on and off campus.
off after we called their bluff, and we expect 
they  will  think  twice  about  playing  moral‑ rates 2” and giving millions of dollars of free  issues around porn in society, because 
ity chicken with the public funding of Mary‑ publicity to a rampantly racist and degrad‑ we wanted that discussion to come lat‑
land’s universities in the future. ing $10 million film, we could have shown a  er when we could give those questions 
One major criticism of these events is that  more feminist‑friendly film.  the aPention they deserve.  
in  the  hullabaloo  over  free  speech  and  “Pi‑ Our response to this criticism is that this  Does  (some?  most?)  porn  degrade 
rates 2” on campus, we played into the hands  was a baPle over free speech and the ability  and  objectify  women?  Is  there  a  link 
of both the corporate porn industry and the  of  the  university  community  to  talk  about  between watching porn and sexual as‑
Republican censors.  Instead of showing “Pi‑ difficult issues like this without grandstand‑ sault?    What  are  the  characteristics  of 
ing  and  threats  from  the  state  capital.    We  sex‑positive, queer and women‑friend‑
20 didn’t  adequately  address  the  substantive  ly porn?  
Gettysburg Funk the
War andTent City Rochester SDS Funk the War
by Jake Allen, Rochester SDS
by Ethan Hall, On  March  19,  Rochester  Students  for  cupation  of  Iraq  took  place  using  a 
Gettysburg SDS a  Democratic  Society  took  to  the  streets  spokescouncil model as its overall frame‑
with  its  first‑ever  Funk  the  War!  mobile  work. Local peace and social justice orga‑
On March 21 2009, GePys‑ dance  party  against  the  US  Occupation  nizations  acted  autonomously,  sending 
burg SDS went out to address  of  Iraq  and  Afghanistan.  With  over  100  representatives  to  spokescouncil  meet‑
the apathetic war weariness of  students from local universities and high  ings to stay in communication with each 
the American public. We feel  schools in aPendance, the youth marched  other and to keep the planning of differ‑
that too many progressives have  through  the  streets  of  Rochester  raising  ent  actions  running  smoothly.  Because 
stepped away from resistance,  slogans  like  “Student  Power”  and  “US  the  spokescouncil  model  allowed  for 
assuming that our new Presi‑ Out Of Everywhere.” a  diversity  of  tactics,  a  series  of  actions 
The  march  brought  a  lot  of  visibility  took  place  throughout  the  day,  from 
dent would serve their interests. 
to anti‑war resistance in Rochester by be‑ banner  drops  over  highways  to  a  Food 
Over six years, this country has  ing  energetic  and  militant—occupying  Not  Bombs  serve  highlighting  poverty 
poured billions into the pockets  Main St. from Clinton Ave. to Exchange  and the war economy. The success of the 
of war profiteers, yet at Get‑ St.,  even  in  the  face  of  mounted  police.  day’s events was a testimony to this kind 
tysburg, no students had ever  The  students  moved  toward  the  inter‑ of boPom‑up organizing.
publicly voiced their opposition. section  of  Main  and  Exchange  just  in  The  march/dance  party  was  ground 
When we learned about the  time  to  meet  Iraq  Veterans  Against  the  breaking  for  Rochester.  Several  activists 
Funk the War event planned by  War (IVAW) and Rochester Against War  admiPed that they hadn’t seen this kind 
our sister chapter in Washing‑ (RAW),  among  others,  in  the  intersec‑ of anti‑war energy since the invasion of 
ton, DC, we set out to take the  tion. Students and community members  Iraq  six  years  ago,  when  students  had 
swirled around bewildered police in cars  again  led  crowds  into  the  streets.  The 
idea back to GePysburg with our 
and  on  horseback,  then  moving  toward  sheer  electricity  of  the  march  energized 
own twist. Through our viral  the Federal Building where an impromp‑ not  only  participants,  but  nearly  every‑
advertising and the cooperation  tu rally took place. one it came in contact with. This was the 
of the college administration,  After spending some time at the Fed‑ first action that I have aPended in Roches‑
SDS gathered dozens of students  eral  Building,  listening  to  speakers  or  ter where large numbers of people actu‑
to take part in our pre‑march  performing  street  theater,  the  students  ally joined the action off the sidewalks—
arts and crafts. With signs, face  decided to start moving again, this time  testifying  to  the  effectiveness  of  tactics 
paint, and t‑shirts completed,  crossing  a  pedestrian  bridge  and  tak‑ that are inclusive rather than alienating, 
our whimsical, yet somber mood  ing  St.  Paul  Street.  The  police  were  run  energizing rather than demoralizing. As 
carried into a march through the  ragged  trying  to  pursue  this  (now  even  one local activist said, “The big news of 
larger) band of students and community  Thursday’s  anti‑war  rally  and  march  is 
college campus and surrounding 
members snaking through the streets of  that  it  was  all  about  the  students.  They 
area, drawing jeers, confusion,  downtown. The marchers finally wound  were  multi‑ethnic,  multi‑aged,  anti‑
and abundant supportive ap‑ their  way  to  the  Liberty  Pole,  where  an  capitalist,  anti‑authoritarian  from  high 
plause. As the marchers re‑ energetic dance party was held.  schools,  colleges  and  graduate  schools 
turned to our set up site, a series  Organizing  in  Rochester  against  all  over  the  Rochester  region. And  they 
of bands performed to draw  the  6th  anniversary  of  the  war  and  oc‑ were the majority.”
additional positive aPention, 
sharing our message once more.  honored a pledge to continue fighting  opposition can never be replaced, but 
Funk the War succeeded in  for the causes that Emily had put so  despite the crippling loss of a voice 
generating a much needed buzz  much time and energy into by partici‑ for what is right, those of us at Get‑
within the anti‑war community  pating in Tent City, a miniature refugee  tysburg, and within the SDS organiza‑
at GePysburg, and drew new  camp that remained intact on campus  tion, feel that we have been endowed 
members to GePysburg SDS to  into the weekend when prospective  with Emily’s spirit of fighting the 
join in our fight for transparency  students came for Get Acquainted Day  good fight, and, if anything, we are 
and accountability within the  and were shocked to see GePysburg  more motivated than before to carry 
College’s finances. with a progressive flair. Emily’s loss is  out the SDS mission. We will continue 
GePysburg recently suffered a  felt heavily within SDS; she was co‑ to push harder at GePysburg, to hope‑
tragic loss, when student activ‑ founder of the GePysburg chapter, and  fully serve as a model for progres‑
ist Emily Silverstein was killed  she was integral in laying the ground‑ sives looking for a voice for change, 
early this April. Her life was  work for a new social activist move‑ as more people than ever have come 
celebrated on campus on April  ment here. Her passion to fight harder  out in support of student activists at 
15th, and this past week, SDS  and with more motivation than any  GePysburg.
21
 Free Verse
Untitled FRIDAY
by Hillary Lehr, 
Barkeley SDS free your mind day
MONDAY i can taste the weekend and it smells like canned 
soup and two buck chuck 
my cell phone alarm clock Fridays I pilgrimage to trees and give ‘em fat hugs
beepbeep beep‑beep‑beep cause they hug back
want to ignore you‑you‑you and i show her my taPoo where her branches will 
but I don’t have to get out of bed to hit snooze never be snapped
safe on my back
TUESDAY this oak ten times my age shall live as long as long as 
i do
the class i never make it to
but i have the feeling if i did Fridays I try to watch the sun scoop beneath the 
the meaning of life would sneak into my ear b/c bridge and leak into the bay
i finally found the right mix of as i wait, wait for that wave
dust, ink, stale coffee, powerpoint, and eye boogers at 9:42am wait for change
But I can never catch the bus up telegraph before 10 wish i could wish change into reality
by exploding    into a million tiny atoms 
WEDNESDAY dive through your pores and pluck your heart strings
i want to tickle the businessman’s lungs
ooo, a protest. popping pus out of Cal’s british petroleum pimple we are alive
because slaughtering iraq wasn’t as profitable as BP had hoped we are breathing
when did college campuses become a tree gave us this breath
a monoculture corn field of ©orporate ©olonization a picket line gave us the weekend
the blossoms of our mind   modified    into     commodities
your ideas for are sale SATURDAY
and you can make a lot more than 2 cents
when you let an OG like BP pimp you bePer than E‑40 where we can flirt with destiny
if you start running the second you see the bus
THURSDAY you can usually catch it and

my throat is horse SUNDAY SUNDAY SOMEDAY
my fingers ache from gripping bullhorns
my ears are ringing from words bouncing our arms shall rise like branches rise to the sun
and release hot air balloons filled with our dreams 
off stone cold walls where and
rich white men behind them are/ one day
counting/ they must be someday
laughing/ because they are not they will rise
thinking

as income gaps stretch apart like teeth that can’t afford braces
my tuition stacks up so high that my fistfulls of cash
won’t fit through the professionally whitened teeth
       of the businessmen running our school   
so on Thursdays I work two jobs

22
Connect with SDS
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23