The VSU Spectator posted the most detailed traditional news media report of Occupy Valdosta,
along with an excellently edited video.
Desiree Thompson wrote 20 October 2011,
Occupy movement inspires Valdosta,
According to Occupy Valdosta’s mission statement, the group exercises
their right to “peacefully assemble, to nonviolently occupy public
space, to create an open process to address the problems they face,
and to generate solutions accessible to everyone.”
In an attempt to raise revenue, Bank of America Corp. plans to charge
customers at the beginning of next year with a $5 fee every month they
use their debit cards outside of withdrawing from the Bank of America ATM.
Protestors demanded an answer from the bank downtown, but employees
refused to comment.
Occupy movement inspires Valdosta —VSU Spectator
We are the 99%,
Marching to Occupy Valdosta, Occupy Valdosta,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 14 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
The Occupy Wall Street movement may have started far away in New York,
but Valdosta’s citizens are rallying to join the growing movement,
with the hope of bringing change to their own community.
“We have the right to peacefully assemble,” Erin Hurley, senior
anthropology major, said. “It’s time to take back our country and
put it in the hands of the people, not just one percent.” She is one
of the organizers of Occupy Valdosta, which will be protesting on Friday
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The organization has a Facebook page with over 150 followers, about 75
of whom are expected to join the protest, according to Hurley, who is
one of the organizers of the event.
Occupy Valdosta held a meeting on Wednesday, which both students and
community members attended, to discuss their plans for the protest and
what they hope the movement will achieve for the community and the nation.
The Spectator didn’t publish any pictures, but here’s one:
Occupy Valdosta Organizational Meeting, Drexel Park, Valdosta, 12 October 2011.
Picture by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
That’s Mikayla Beyer on the right with the backpack, at last night’s organizational meeting.
The Spectator included this interesting quote by a professor who wasn’t there:
Continue reading →
Protesting Gov. Nathan Deal at Valdosta State University (VSU), 16 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
The students had been standing on the sidewalk in front of the
Continue reading →
Georgia’s pardons board rejected a last-ditch clemency plea from death
row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday despite high-profile support from figures
including the pope and
a former FBI director for the claim that he was
wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.
Davis is scheduled to die Wednesday by injection for the killing of
off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was slain while rushing to
help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years
that Davis’ execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.
Steve Hayes, spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said
What about Phil Kent? — Kathryn Grant to Gov. Deal @ VSU 16 Sep 2011
Student protesters,
Press Conference, Gov. Nathan Deal (VSU),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
One of the biggest events around here is on the VSU front lawn today:
The Happening.
I would post VSU’s description, but I went to
their page on it
and all I got was this picture:
It’s not on VSU’s facebook page, either.
The VDT doesn’t have it listed in its Community Calendar.
Karen Noll reported on WACE’s facebook page that
the VSU Faculty Senate passed a resolution Thursday 19 May 2011 that
biomass will not be considered renewable for VSU’s climate commitment goal.
Why?
Because
leading medical associations have identified woody biomass
incineration as increasing risks of
“a variety of illnesses, some life-threatening”,
because biomass incineration
produces more CO2, NOX, and fine particulates than existing coal plants,
and because it
“may lead to
unsustainable forestry practices and a net increase in global greenhouse
gas emissions”.
Come out and enjoy your evening to celebrate the Earth! There will be
food, games, live bands, speakers, and fun! Bring your friends and family
and enjoy an evening in the park!
We are also collecting canned for to donate to those in need!
The usual LAKE photographers can’t make it, so please take pictures
and videos and post them to the Internet.
Send links to information@l-a-k-e.org and we’ll post some on the blog,
or you can post them directly on the
LAKE facebook page.
Protestors wearing respirator masks held signs reading “Biomass? No!”
in front of the Valdosta City Hall building on Thursday. Members of
the Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy, the VSU student organization
Students Against Violating the Environment, and other concerned Valdosta
citizens showed up to protest the construction of the Wiregrass Power:
Biomass Electric Generating Plant.
“We already have solar power resources in place that we could be using
and I feel like money should be directed towards that,” Ivey Roubique,
vice-president of the Student Geological Society, said. “It wouldn’t
be good for the community and even though I’m in college here it
still matters.”
The Spectator article quotes from two speakers for whom LAKE
happens to have video, linked below.
Continue reading →
Erin Hurley provided the very model of how to give a speech:
I’m the president of
Students Against Violating the Environment at VSU.
I’m here representing
200+ members of SAVE, that consists of students, faculty, community members.
We are deeply concerned with environmental issues and
we are networking together to make this city a more humane and
sustainable community
for future generations.
As a student, I feel I have the right to be able to breathe clean air
at the college I attend.
With this biomass plant possibly being built here,
the future for generations to come are in jeopardy, and we want to protect our fellow and future students’ health.
Please take into consideration the future health of this university
and its community,
and don’t sell grey water to the proposed biomass plant.
Erin Hurley, President of
SAVE, Students Against Violating the Environment, speaking at
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
She said who she was, who she represented, how many, what they were for, what they wanted, quickly enough that attention didn’t waver, slowly and loudly enough to be heard, and briefly enough to transcribe, with pathos, logic, and politic. Even the mayor looked up at “As a student….”
According to Occupy Valdosta’s mission statement, the group exercises their right to “peacefully assemble, to nonviolently occupy public space, to create an open process to address the problems they face, and to generate solutions accessible to everyone.”
