Tag Archives: VSU Spectator

Humans are the cause, and it’s time for people to become the solution –Danielle Jordan for SAVE



LTE in the VSU newspaper, The Spectator, today. -jsq

To the Editor,

Climate change is the defining issue of our time.

Ninety-seven percent of scientists agree that
humans are the cause. S.A.V.E.
believes that it’s time for people to become the solution.
Globally,
we are feeling the impacts of record-setting temperatures, most
notably in the extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels.


Recent

chemical (W.VA) and

coal ash spills (N.C.) add to the urgency
of moving beyond fossil fuel. Yet here on our campus there’s a
remarkable disconnect between the classroom and the board room.
Shockingly, the VSU Board of Trustees includes science deniers,
oblivious to the threat of climate change—and to the academic
integrity of this institution of higher learning.



Recently,

the Board dismissed S.A.V.E.’s

request that VSU rid its portfolio of fossil fuel holdings.
Board Chairman,
Wayne Edwards,

a financial analyst, cast doubt on



the study that accompanied our request.
But we ask you, who knows more about climate, a team of
2,000 scientists from 154 countries who have compiled data from more
than 9,000 studies, or a stock broker? Our point is that serious
decisions at this institution are being taken by people who lack the
proper credentials.

Chairman Edwards

dismissed socially responsible investing as Continue reading →

SAVE fossil fuel divestment on Spectator front page twice in two weeks

Winning PR by losing initial decisions:
SAVE‘s doing it right.

Will Lewis write for The Spectator yesterday,

SAVE fails to persuade Foundation,


“Compliance with your well-intentioned request is impractical
for a number of reasons and perhaps even a breach of the fiduciary
responsibility that all of our trustees take very seriously,”
the refusal read.

Here’s
SAVE’s request,
and here’s SAVE’s president’s comment:



Danielle Jordan, senior anthropology major and president of SAVE,
said, “There’s a lot of disappointment but we are not going to
stop, we don’t see this as the end of our campaign. It lets us know
where we stand with the Board of Trustees.”

The VSU Foundation’s Investment Objectives in the

Investment Policy and Guidelines
states that “Foundation funds should be
invested to produce maximum total return consistent with prudent
risk limits.”

On the other hand, the

VSU Trustee Handbook
says the Mission Statement of the VSU Foundation is: Continue reading →

Divesting from oil and gas –Prof. Matthew Richard

Dr. Richard posted this letter to the editor of the

The Spectator,
VSU’s student newspaper,

on SAVE’s facebook page today. I added the links and the images. -jsq



To the Editor:

I would like to address the VSU community with this letter.

VSU Students, faculty, and staff, did you know that many of the
clothes that we admire and purchase in the USA are made in places
like Bangladesh? Indeed, some of our most popular brands of

clothing, including GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic originate
there. Perhaps you know that many Bangladeshi clothing manufacturers
employ children as young as 12 years old who earn as little as $32
per month despite working up to 14 hours a day? It’s little wonder
that so many of us can look so stylish—and for relatively
little money.

If you didn’t already know this, does it matter to you now? Are you
concerned that the money you spend supports sweatshops in Bangladesh


and elsewhere, perpetuating the misery of millions of our fellow
human beings? Undoubtedly many of us are concerned, and we
understand that we can make a difference in the world by being more
judicious about where we shop. It’s why we choose to buy groceries
at worker-friendly Publix rather than Continue reading →

This is what democracy looks like at the Chamber @ Occupy Valdosta 14 October 2011

A gentle reminder to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce of

what just happened at the polls yesterday.

Myrna Ballard:



I understand that you have something that you’d like to say?

Occupy Valdosta:

This is what democracy looks like!

Here’s

the video:




This is what democracy looks like at the Chamber @ Occupy Valdosta 14 October 2011

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.

That’s Sam Allen, president of
FVCS holding the front Vote No sign;

Vote No for the Children is holding another one.

Greg Gullberg of WCTV is standing in front of Myrna Ballard,

Jade Bulecza of WALB has a camera in the lower right,
David Rodock of the VDT
is standing behind Myrna Ballard in the video,

Desiree Thompson of the VSU Spectator was there,

Valdosta Today was there,

George Boston Rhynes of K.V.C.I. and bostongbr on YouTube
was there,
and LAKE was there.

-jsq