Introducing the Trans and Queer Center at Return to Evergreen

During the 2016-2017 school year, Evergreen added a new resource center to campus. Located in the Library building, the Trans and Queer Center (TQC) aims to provide academic and social support for the LGBTQQIAA members of Evergreen’s community.

Read the whole story here – http://www.evergreen.edu/magazine/winter-2017/coming-out-party

The Gay Resource Center in 1974, a predecessor to the Trans and Queer Center.

In a nutshell, the TQC’s main goals are to help:

  • Navigate coming out
  • Become a better advocate for yourself
  • Get support and advocacy to meet your needs
  • Find culturally-competent medical and mental health providers

The Center’s newly-hired director, Amria Caluya, says alumni support is important.

“If you’re an alum who came out in college, you can give to ensure that there’s a space for today’s students to develop their identity in the most meaningful way possible. I couldn’t imagine what my own life would look like if I hadn’t had access to a place like this.”

 

Amira Caluya will offer a session at Return to Evergreen about the TQC’s history.

You can share your support by attending their session at Return to Evergreen, where you can learn about its history and meet students – http://www.evergreen.edu/return/2017/sessions

A Once-in-a-lifetime Culinary Experience

Guests dined alfresco under twinkling lights.

“Oooohhh… Aaahhhh… Mmmm… Wow… Delicious!” were heard throughout the evening from the 22 guests who had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the amazing alumni-coordinated and student-supported Organic Farm Dinner. Top bidders at The Evergreen State College Foundation’s annual Art of Giving Gala & Auction won invitations to the unique culinary experience on September 9, 2017 helping to raise more than $200,000 for scholarships at Evergreen.

Annie Sloan and Archer Hobson-Ritz, who graduated in 2017, spearheaded the unparalleled event that resulted in a heartfelt volunteer capstone project in appreciation of their Evergreen education. In true Greener fashion, Annie and Archer created and designed the menu using an Evergreen education as the theme. Each of the 21 courses were paired with either an alumni-owned beverage or a drink they made themselves, like parsnip milk or bay leaf juice.

Justin Roberts, student and Shellfish Club member, demonstrates how to shuck an oyster.

As the other guests and I arrived at Evergreen’s Organic Farm, we were warmly greeted by students and invited to enjoy a glass of Whitewood dry cider on the porch while the finishing touches were completed for the cocktail hour. We then moved into the Sustainable Agriculture Lab (SAL) and enjoyed music by MonkFlower while sampling a variety of hors’d’oeuvres including Kumamoto oysters donated by Taylor Shellfish, Olykraut tapioca pearl mignonette, cured ham, lamb (grown on the Organic Farm) prosciutto, Sikkim cucumber and geoduck, broccoli leaves with cured egg yolk and cured salmon roe, and sublime chicken stock pie paired with a Salish Sea Hibiscus Liqueur, sage, and egg white cocktail as well as a non-alcoholic sparkling strawberry top shrub.

Glenn Tippy, current student, led a tour of Evergreen’s Organic Farm.

A student-led tour through Evergreen’s Organic Farm transitioned the party from the SAL to the dinner table. Guests popped the largest raspberries ever seen into their mouths as they strolled through the farm. The steamy cup of corn silk and cover crop broth (illustrating how even the parts of the vegetation that would normally be discarded or used in compost can create a nourishing meal) greeted us at the end of the tour. The broth was matched with a rose and shiitake rosé vermouth.

Archer Hobson-Ritz ’17 presents Three Magnets Vanilla Smoked Urban Farmhouse Ale.

We dined alfresco with centerpieces of candles and potted flowers and twinkling white lights, and dried herbs decorating the canopy. Before I go into the main courses of the dinner I want to remind you that everything, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, was prepared completely from scratch by recent Evergreen alums.

Annie Sloan ’17 serves gourmet pizza during the “Freshman Year” course.

Beginning with “Freshman Year,” lamb tongue pizza with truffles and nasturtium was distributed in a cardboard pizza box and paired with Three Magnets Smoked Urban Farmhouse Ale while Pink Floyd played in the background with a lava lamp illuminating the darkness. Then an array of delicious bites—sourdough fried mushrooms with lavage, fried eggplant with honey, fried Olykraut, candied hemp, and hazelnut butter wrapped in beet (to mimic a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) plated on cedar rounds. Each bite was more delicious than the last. “Freshman Year” was also paired with Iggy’s kombucha.

Guests read their original poetry during “Seminar.”

The next course was “Seminar.” Served on edible paper with original student poetry and three different perspectives on tomatoes. We were encouraged to discuss our poems, use the edible paper to eat the tomatoes, and share our thoughts on each of the tomato varieties. This dish was paired with Mercer Viognier Culloden Vineyard 2015.

Bonnie Zion learned to make Sichuan buttons while studying abroad and she prepared individual bites of lamb broth Sichuan buttons that burst with flavor in our mouths. This course was matched with COR Alba Gewürztraminer or Pinot Gris Celilo Vineyard 2014. Next up was freshly baked bread with seasoned lardo, pickles, and bay leaf juice.

The Longhouse-inspired course was served on compostable palm plates and consisted of Ozette potatoes, smoked sockeye salmon, greens from the Longhouse Ethnobotanical Garden, and paired with Mercer Reserve Chardonnay Zephyr Ridge Vineyard 2014. Armando DeLao ’17 caught the wild salmon as well as the salmon roe served during the cocktail hour.

Next up was “Fall Quarter” where lamb sausage (remember, made by scratch!) was paired with charred pear, served on burnt leaves, and paired with Mercer Mourvedre Horse Heaven Hills 2013.

“Winter Quarter” was a delicate parmesan and white sweet potato cappelletti with hazelnut snow and pine oil coupled with parsnip milk. The creamy white parsnip milk was refreshing and mildly sweet.

“Spring Quarter” was a delicate plate of light pink rose granite and pea tendril yogurt served with fermented honey and pineapple weed juice.

Guests were delighted to discover the flower pots were filled with cookie toppings!

“Week Ten” was full of surprises—just like life at Evergreen! As a dish of ice cream was served to each guest, we were informed the dirt in the flowerpots in front of us was actually squid ink and chocolate cookie toppings for the ice cream! Squeals of delight burst out at this revelation—those who had been inspecting the flowerpots earlier had exclaimed, “I know that’s dirt!” We didn’t know what “woodruff” was, is that an ice cream brand we asked? No. Woodruff is a flowering perennial plant that was harvested from the Evergreen forest and used to make the ice cream. The final touch to this incredible dessert was coconut sugar caramel to pour on top. Three Magnets Vanilla Tompkins Stout was served with this dish.

The lead chefs were Bonnie Zion, a current student, and Daniel Saunders ’16.

For “Evaluation,” we walked along a path lit-up with tea lights to the rustic Farmhouse dining room, where we enjoyed anise pinwheels, raspberry and lemon verbena pavlova, and, drumroll please, lamb bacon donuts with rosemary and black pepper! For nightcaps, Salish Sea Honeybush Liqueur and Batdorf & Bronson coffee were offered.

Gathered around the farmhouse table, with Paul Simon’s Graceland in the background, participants were presented with gift bags including a wall hanging of the menu with original student artwork, sweet pea and angelica seeds, raspberry jam from the Organic Farm, pouches of dried pepper and lavender, and two small decorative stones.

Those of us who were lucky enough to indulge in this incomparable feast will treasure the experience for years to come. Annie and Archer, along with all of the supporting volunteers and alums, appreciated their ability to give back to Evergreen by supporting scholarships for future generations of Evergreen students. If you’re interested in helping coordinate next year’s Organic Farm Dinner, feel free to contact me at wonderwm@evergreen.edu. In the meantime, save the date for the next Art of Giving Gala & Auction—you are sure to be inspired—March 10, 2018.

Evergreen, Our Home: Move-In Day

Here at Evergreen, Orientation Week is underway, and campus is swarming with fresh faces. You know what that means! In addition to participating in fun icebreaker campus activities, freshmen experience the exciting chaos of moving into their dorm!

New students scramble to assimilate into Greener life during this exciting week, whether it’s going to a fun event hosted by Geoducks@Nite or doing chores like getting their picture taken for their Student I.D. We look back on this transition week in our own time at Evergreen as one of enthusiasm and anticipation. These new Greeners will join us Alumni in just a few short years.

The Class of 2021 gathers in Red Square during Orientation Week.

So long, summer

Many students opted to have a “Greener Summer” by continuing their studies with a wide variety of summer programs. From harvesting on the farm, to creating neon art, and building robots.

Enjoy the photos and these last few days of summer before we begin a new school year on September 25!

Don’t miss Return to Evergreen November 3-5, 2017!

Edmond Lapine ’08 to be remembered at Return to Evergreen on November 4

Edmond Lapine and his mother Sami Kopelman at his graduation in 2008

Edmond Lapine ’08 was among the 36 people who died in a fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland on Dec. 2, 2016, where friends were gathered for a night of music and fun.

Now, fellow musicians and alumni are coming together to help fund a scholarship in Edmond’s name that will provide financial impetus for anyone deserving of a college education, but lacking financial assistance. Calvin Johnson ’85, is a musician, cultural icon, and founder of Olympia’s K Records, where Lapine had interned.

“I really liked him,” says Johnson. “He had a gentle nature, a love of music, and was a snappy dresser. His death was a shock to many here in Olympia. When his mother started the endowment fund for the Edmond William Lapine II Scholarship at The Evergreen State College I wanted to help raise the funds as a tribute to this delightful person who left us much too soon.”

Read more about how Edmond’s friends and family continue to celebrate his life, and join us on November 4th at Return to Evergreen for a special benefit concert for the Edmond Lapine II Scholarship.

 

 

 

 

 

Internships Spring Forward at Evergreen

Internships transform classroom learning to experimental learning.

Internships transform classroom learning to experiential learning.

The sun was shining last Monday on the first day of Spring Quarter as students and faculty returned from the break. As the weather warms up, many students’ minds turn towards summer plans and landing an internship. For many, internships form the crucial bridge for transforming classroom learning to experiential learning and ultimately, their first job.

Last spring, Bre Pettis ’95 coordinated with the Alumni Programs Office to offer an exclusive internship opportunity for Evergreen students at his new business venture, Bre & Co. Read more in The Evergreen Magazine.

Bre Pettis ’95, Val Shamma ’16, Frances Lilliston ’17, Nick Boelk ’16, and Keri Carkeek ’92, chair of The Evergreen State College Foundation’s Board of Governors, at the Bre & Co. workshop.

Bre Pettis ’95, Val Shamma ’16, Frances Lilliston ’17, Nick Boelk ’16, and Keri Carkeek ’92, chair of The Evergreen State College Foundation’s Board of Governors, at the Bre & Co. workshop.

If you’d like to enlist help from an Evergreen student intern at your place of work, contact the Assistant Director of Internships and Employer Development, Kevin Andrew at andrewk@evergreen.edu or (360) 867-6189.

Didn’t receive your copy of The Evergreen Magazine? Update your address here and we will make sure to send you one!

Evergreen Celebrates Record-Breaking Art of Giving

“I dream of changing the world. Evergreen has helped me become the kind of person who stands a chance to turn that imagined world into a reality.”

Chelsea Rabourn ’17 – Student and scholarship recipient

Alumni, community partners, and friends of Evergreen gathered at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma on March 4 to celebrate the power of higher education. This year’s Art of Giving Gala and Auction raised a record $200,000, surpassing the goal of $155,000. The Art of Giving is The Evergreen State College Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser, benefiting scholarships and educational opportunities for Evergreen students across Olympia, Tacoma, and Western Washington.

The annual Art of Giving Auction and Gala takes place at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, WA. on Sat., Mar. 4, 2017. Dr. George S. Bridges.

President George Bridges speaks at Art of Giving on March 4, 2017.

Since 1976, the Foundation has supported student scholarships by raising private gifts from remarkable and generous donors. While individual tuition and public funds maintain the college, private gifts provide an additional margin of excellence through donor-funded scholarships, fellowships, program endowments, and other opportunities that enrich the Evergreen experience.

Learn more about the event here.

Celebrating Evergreen @ 50: Founding Day

Two celebrations on Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of the legislative signing that would form The Evergreen State College. On campus, students, staff, and faculty gathered to reflect on the history and future of the institution.

Gov. Daniel J. Evans

Governor Daniel J. Evans signs the legislation that would form The Evergreen State College. Evans would later serve as college president.

At the state Capitol, Governor Jay Inslee commended Evergreen’s innovative approach to education and read this proclamation to commemorate the occasion,

“WHEREAS, Evergreen aspires to offer an outstanding education to all Washingtonians, including those with low income, students of color, first-generation baccalaureate earners, veterans, students with a disability, LGBTQ students and those of non-traditional age; and

WHEREAS, Evergreen alumni distinguish themselves at the highest levels in politics, the arts, business, teaching, science and environmental sustainability, contributing to our state’s dynamism and high quality of life;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim March 21, 2017 as

Evergreen @ 50: Legislative Launch Day

in Washington, and I urge all people in our state to join me in this special observance.

Signed this 21st day of March, 2017″

Governor Jay Inslee

See photos from the event and share your own memories of Evergreen @ 50 in the comment section below!

The celebration doesn’t stop here, join us at Return to Evergreen November 3-5, 2017 as we look back at 50 years of outstanding education and distinguished alumni.

A Revolution You Can Dance To on April 22

Olympia and Evergreen were at the epicenter of a history-making independent music scene in the 1980s and early 1990s. Whether you performed in a band, did spoken word, were involved with KAOS Olympia Community Radio, recorded music, created a zine, made flyers, attended all-ages shows, documented happenings, or organized shows and festivals, the world took notice. You were participating in and transforming the culture – a revolution was taking place!

You won’t want to miss this limited time exhibit and exclusive alumni event happening on Saturday, April 22!Revolution

We’re thrilled to invite you to the Washington State History Museum to catch up with old friends, view the exhibit, and join former KAOS DJ Diana Arens as she interviews more than a dozen Evergreen alumni who made an impact on the scene.

2-4pm – Diana Arens, BA ’93, MPA ’15, in conversations with:

Steve Fisk, John Foster, Toni Holm, Dave Rauh

Calvin Johnson, Mariella Luz, Lois Maffeo, Tae Won Yu

Pat Castaldo, Pat Maley, Michelle Noel, Kento Oiwa

Nomy Lamm, Slim Moon, Joshua Ploeg, Aaron Tuller, Sarah Utter

4-5pm – An acoustic performance:

Chris “Sandman” Sand in the A Revolution You Can Dance To exhibit.

Buy tickets now to reserve your seat! And learn more about the Revolution You Can Dance To exhibit here.

Greeners Giving Back: Sean Lynch 15′

I recently had the opportunity to interview Evergreen graduate Sean Lynch ’15, the Youth Programs Coordinator for CIELO in Olympia. This nonprofit organization has provided health and educational resources to the underserved Spanish-speaking community in the Puget Sound area for over 20 years.

Sean helping a student work on his reading skills.

Sean helping a student work on his reading skills.

Andrew: How did Evergreen influence the work you are doing at CIELO?

Sean: Evergreen had a huge impact on me; the small classes and collaborative learning environment allowed us to share ideas as well as build relationships. Out in the world, being able to interact and build relationships is key. Evergreen’s approach to education also gave my professors the opportunity to get to know me, examine my learning style, and meet my needs.

Andrew: What were the challenges you faced when you arrived at CIELO, and how had Evergreen prepared you for those challenges?

Sean: The biggest challenge was getting people together to work towards common goals. Evergreen prepared me for this challenge by not only promoting collaborative learning, but by preparing me to work independently as well. It’s a balance.

Sean Promoting CIELO

Sean promoting CIELO.

Andrew: The world of nonprofit work can be very demanding, any advice for current or future Greeners who are interested in pursuing this type of work?

Sean: Expect challenges and don’t be afraid to work through them. Don’t shy away from road blocks and challenges because that is how you’re going to learn and adapt. And most importantly, be yourself. Don’t ever be afraid to be you because people value that.

Andrew: What’s your best CIELO memory?

Sean: My best memory was last year’s winter potluck. It was amazing to see how many students and their families attended. I had the opportunity to speak and thank them for all of their hard work and effort. Afterwards they were all coming up to me and thanking me, it was cool to see that mutual respect we have for each other. The relationships here are mutual as we learn and grow together.

Sean leading the Homework Club

Sean leading the Homework Club.