Greeting from the encampent at the U of M

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I couldn't sleep, but wanted to update you guys. We have about 15-20 people right outside the admin. building at the U of M, camping out all night.

Spirits are high, and we're in for the fight.

More tomorrow.

[The Traveler]

1. I will be watching with interest

What are ya'll about?

[oldtime dfl_er]

2. Please keep us informed

What's the fight?

www.cafepress.com/showtheworld

[Carolab]

3. U of M is trying to close the General College.

These students are protesting it.

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4. Spirits stayed strong through the night.

I finally fell asleep at 4, woke up at 7, 8, and finally 9. Home to shower, then right back.

We're planning a lot of student outreach today (last day of classes) and community outreach over the next week, leading up to a big rally on the 16th.

Our encampment is actually where they are having graduation, so we are temporarily moving out of respect to the graduates (some of which most definitely came from GC) and then moving right back in front of the admin. office when it's over.

We didn't get any media attention yesterday, but maybe after we're out there a few days, they'll pick up on us again.

[katinmn]

5. Article in the MN Daily with pictures

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/05/06/64300

May 6, 2005 Rate this Article
Hundreds rally at U for GC
By Anna Weggel

Correction: The Daily incorrectly identified a speaker at the General College rally. Barbara Hodne was identified in the article as Heather Dorsey. Both are General College teaching specialists. In the photo, Barbara Hodne was also the woman who conducted the interview with Guy Vandenberg, a General College senior accountant, who pretended to be University President Bob Bruininks in a skit.
The Daily misquoted Minneapolis City Council member Natalie Johnson Lee, Ward 5. Johnson Lee said: “You are our future; you are our business; and if we aren’t looking out for you, we need to go the hell home.”

After a task force’s proposal to close down their college, General College supporters took a stand Wednesday.

In fact, they took approximately 500 stands.

Students, staff members, faculty members and supporters of General College carried signs, sang songs and spoke in front of a hoard of advocates wearing yellow shirts.

Khong Xiong, General College Student Board president, was one of the many speakers at the rally.

-more-
edited to add link to another article
http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=56478&sID=4
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder also has a story and photos but you can't right-click on it.

Supporters rally to save General College

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6. they are still camping out

I have spent, in the past 3 days, over 18 hours on campus trying to mobilize support for GC (four of them were sleeping in a tent). I'm taking a break tonight, because I have blisters on my feet and am wiped out, but I'll be back out sunday night.

We're planning a rally on the 16th, when the regents vote. Until then, we have a tent city sent up on Nortrhop Mall.

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7. if anybody can drop by the U of M, it would raise our spirits, i'm sure

we love visitors. and you can't miss us, we're have our tent city set up right in the main mall area.

just an idea, if anybody has some free time. i have a feeling the weekend will be tough, because there are few people on campus, which means our visitors will significantly go down.

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8. we started with 5 tents, and are up to FIFTEEN

as of 1 this afternoon. i'm sure it's grown.

we rock. i'll be camping out again tomorrow night.

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9. 18 tents, and growing. we now have two homeless veterans that are helping

us. and two guys from england last night who have been traveling throughout the midwest stayed with us, because they thought we had a noble cause.

planning a big rally when the regents meets...i'll post more later.