[2372] in peace2
WALKOUT THURSDAY: how you can help
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (gangolan@MIT.EDU)
Wed Mar 19 01:53:03 2003
From: gangolan@MIT.EDU
Message-ID: <1048055986.3e7810b274b04@webmail.mit.edu>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 01:39:46 -0500
To: nowar-announce@mit.edu, peace-announce@mit.edu, greens-announce@mit.edu
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
MIT's Walkout Against War will be happening on Thursday. 11:30 AM. Spread the
word in every way possible. Here is a summary of the ways you can help:
================================
I) GET THE WORD OUT! (Wednesday)
================================
- Person to person outreach - (A) We have an official booth in the Student
Center 9am-4pm; Supplies are available there (B) We also need a group of people
in Lobby 7 & 10 to just stop everyone and say "The Walkout is happening
tommorow - 11:30 am". For more info contact: sweiwang@mit.edu
- Flyering: Go to the Student Center Booth to get flyers - and then post them
up everywhere! Contact: arjunm@mit.edu
- Forward the "E-mail for Faculty" at the bottom of this e-mail to your faculty
and staff.
- Final meeting tonight! 10-401 9pm
==========================
II) THE DAY OF THE WALKOUT
==========================
**Midnight Run: The night (morning) before we will be flyering the hallways and
chalking the larger classrooms, as well as the sidewalks and steps in front of
77 Mass ave. Contact: stine29@mit.edu
**8 AM - CONGREGATE AT STUDENT CENTER - Materials will be distributed, and the
action plan will be detailed.
**8:30 AM - BEGIN FLYERING - two dozen students will be stationed to hand out
stickers and flyers to ALL incoming students, staff and faculty as they enter
campus. Locations will be both ends of the infinite, the Kendall T, and bldg.
66.
**10:30 AM - CLASSROOM OUTREACH - we need students who would like to go from
classroom to classroom starting around 11am, respectfully requesting professors
to make brief announcement about the Walkout. This of course, will be done at
the professors discretion. Congregate in Lobby 7 at 10:30.
**11:00 AM - CLASSROOM OUTREACH BEGINS.
**11:30 AM - WALKOUT! March through campus.
**12:00 PM - RALLY! Student Center Steps (Faculty, Staff and Student Speakers).
**1:30 PM - Sign-Making, Discussion Groups, & Music.
**3:00 PM - Convergence with Harvard walkout
========================================
FACULTY OUTREACH LETTER (Please Forward)
========================================
Dear Faculty,
This letter seeks to clarify some of the issues surrounding the planned
campus-wide Walkout against War. Many faculty members are strongly against the
war and support the Walkout as a form of protest. To this end, some have
already planned to cancel Thursday classes and provide make-up classes, and are
encouraging students to participate in the walkout. Others have expressed
somereticence - and perhaps confusion - over the meaning of a Walkout.
Why a Walkout?
Student walkouts will be happening across campuses world-wide. MIT will
be just one of thousands of universities involved. The walkout calls upon
students and faculty to devote a single day to public expression on this
critical issue.
In choosing to walk out, students are NOT walking out on their classes, their
professors, nor their education - all of which they value. They will be leaving
their classes to come together in a global outpouring of student protest, and
to participate in a range of anti-war activities. Symbolically, they will be
making the point that they cannot remain complacent - nor can they continue
with their normal daily routine - when inexcusable acts are done in their name.
It is essential to democratic society that people who feel strongly about
this issue publicly express their views. In light of this, walking out should
not be seen as contrary to the educational experience, but an active part of
it.
Is it merely a Walkout?
Students are not 'walking out' of their classes as much as 'walking toward' a
series of other anti-war events planned for that day. After students leave
class, they will be participating in campus rallies - where both students and
faculty will be speaking on the war. Discussion groups will also be taking
place, much like happened at MIT after 9/11. Harvard will also be marching to
MIT to meet us, after which we will be marching in solidarity. If the bombing
has already started, several large public demonstrations will take place in
Boston that evening
What can you do?
* Walk out! Talk with your students and arrange to reschedule should the
walkout fall during one of your classes. Over 800 Students, Faculty and Staff
have already signed the pledge committing to Walkout. Join us!
* For those who will not be canceling classes but do support students' right to
walk out, making a short announcement and providing a minute for students to do
so at 11:30 am would greatly help reduce any disruption. Chancellor Clay has
encouraged faculty to try and minimize academic consequences for students who
choose to participate.
Though this will be a spontaneous event, we hope any inconvenience to faculty
and staff is minimized.
The MIT Anti-War Coalition invites you to visit http://nowar.mit.edu for
updates and information.
====================
The Walkout Schedule
====================
11:30 AM Walkout!
11:30-12:00 March Through Campus
12:00 AM Rally (student and Faculty Speakers)
1-3:00 PM Sign-Making/Discussion Groups
3:00 PM Convergence with Harvard walkout (location/ march route TBA)
Evening In the event of war, Mass Demonstrations in Gov't Center
