Faculty member Jose Gomez

Students in Jose Gomez’s Equality and the Constitution program will give oral arguments relating to six cases before The Evergreen Supreme Court this spring. Although not a public event, we thought alumni would like to know what issues are being critically examined on campus this spring.

The Court will hear oral arguments in the following six cases. Each case involves controversies that implicate equality, primarily equal protection under the Fifth and Fourteenth  Amendments to the United States Constitution. These are real cases recently decided by various circuits of the United States Courts of Appeals and one state supreme court. Three of the cases (two involving same-sex marriage and one involving affirmative action in higher education) were argued before the United States Supreme Court earlier this year, and decisions from that court are expected any day now.

1. Case No. S2013-05:  United States and BLAG v. Edith Windsor, on a writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit – 9:40 to 10:40 a.m.  Issue: Whether the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines the term “marriage” under federal law as a “legal union between one man and one woman” deprives same-sex couples who are legally married under state laws of their Fifth Amendment rights to equal protection under federal law.

2. Case No. S2013-04:  Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, on a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit – 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  Issue: Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permits the consideration of race in undergraduate admissions decisions.

3. Case No. S2013-02: City of Arlington v. Frame, on a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit – 12:20 to 1:20 p.m.  Issue: Whether Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. (and their implied private right of action) extend to newly built and altered public sidewalks.

4. Case No. S2013-06: Hollingsworth v. Perry, on a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit – 9:40 to 10:40 a.m.  Issue: Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the state of California from defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

5. Case No. S2013-01:  State of Iowa v. Mootz, on a writ of certiorari to the Iowa Supreme Court – 11:00 a.m. to 12:0 p.m.  Issue: Whether a state district court erred when it denied a defendant a peremptory challenge during the jury selection process on the basis that he was using the strike to engage in purposeful racial discrimination.

The Evergreen State College has been planning a June 1 learning and celebration event for alumni and the community called Return to Evergreen.  The College announced today that the event has been postponed until fall 2013.

“Return to Evergreen gives alumni and other participants a chance to engage with each other, the College and current students, share their experiences, expertise and successes and enjoy a day on campus,” explained Evergreen spokesperson Todd Sprague.  “Unfortunately, representatives of the Student Support Services Exempt Staff bargaining unit, with whom the college is currently negotiating a first contract, and supporters of the Washington Federation of State Employees have communicated plans to engage in labor actions related to and/or during the planned event.

“It’s our sense that the uncertainties caused by these union communications and potential actions could pose challenges for both staffing and seminar participation that could negatively impact the event experience for participants.  Because the college does not want alumni or other guests to travel to campus with the intent of participating, only to have those plans obstructed by the union, the event is being postponed until fall 2013.

“While registrants will be contacted directly, some elements of the event were open to the general public and we want people to know that it has been postponed.”

Sprague noted that the college’s annual Science Carnival – showcasing the work of Evergreen science students and bringing youngsters and other visitors from around the region to share in science presentations and activities – will continue on May 31 and June 1 as scheduled.  For more information on the Science Carnival, visit www.evergreen.edu/sciencecarnival/.

Memorial wall in the Library foyer

Every Memorial Day for the past several years, Evergreen has held a public reading of the names of service men and women lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It is a painful thing, a good thing – and a very Evergreen way to ensure we don’t forget.

Nobody said being an informed citizen was a bowl of cherries.

Read the story in The Olympian.

Craig Bartlett spoke to students in Astronomy and Cosmologies

Lecture Hall 3 has seating for 100 people.  Last Friday, it was filled to the top row with students eager to hear from the revered creator of Hey Arnold!. For almost 2 hours, Craig Bartlett ’81 kept us enthralled with stories of his long and winding road: growing up in Western Washington, college at Evergreen, on to Los Angeles and the magic world of television.

He shared clips from the iconic Arnold series, as well as from the claymation Penny Cartoons (a segment on Pee Wee’s Playhouse). We were delighted to see extended clips of a show that never made it to air, Party Wagon (which can be seen on You Tube.This Bartlett fan says “opportunity missed, TV network people!”).

We also enjoyed hearing the story of how Bartlett moved to Henson Studios and created the pre-school hit series, Dinosaur Train for PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). Listen closely to that catchy theme song.  That’s Craig himself performing the song he wrote for the show opening.

Craig is turning his creative energy toward outer space as he develops a new series for PBS called Jet Propulsion.  It is his work on this show that created the link with the Evergreen program Astronomy and Cosmologies.  Don’t see it yet?  Here’s a blurb from the program description:
How have people across cultures and throughout history understood, modeled, and ordered the universe they perceive? From sacred stories to physics-based astronomy, we will explore a variety of cosmological concepts in science, literature, mythology, philosophy, history and/or archaeoastronomy.

Sound familiarly interdisciplinary, Greeners?  Ah yes.