Ledger

Initiative 920 defeated

Initiative 920, a ballot measure that would have cut funding for higher education, was defeated during the Nov. 7 general election.

A resounding 61 percent of Washington State voters said no to the initiative. If passed, I-920 would have dropped the Washington State estate tax, which is a source of $184 million in tax revenues that goes directly toward funding education.

Both ASUWT student government and the Ledger were vocal opponents to I-920. Student government passed legislation in October that stated their opposition to the ballet measure and engaged local media outlets with their stance.

Commencement Ceremony planning underway

The University of Washington Tacoma is starting planning for the Commencement Ceremony by soliciting ideas for the event's keynote speaker.

In past years, low student input led to controversy surrounding the choice of speaker at the event. The Commencement Ceremony was nearly boycotted by seniors in 2005 when a guest limit was proposed and a speaker was picked with no student feedback.

Planners are hoping to avoid that problem this year by soliciting as much student feedback as possible. You may send your suggestions for a speaker to albinot@u.washington.edu by Nov. 17.

Photography exhibit explores lives changed through education

A compelling exhibit of 50 photos at the UW Tacoma Library this month examines the lives of poor students who are changing their lives through higher education.

"The Missing Story of Ourselves: Poverty and the Promise of Higher Education" runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 12. The exhibit is part of a project sponsored by Hamilton College in New York. Vivyan Adair, a Hamilton College professor of women’s studies who coordinated the photography project, will speak about the exhibit at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 in the library.

Photographed from an insider’s perspective, these images and stories present a unique view of poverty and reframe the cultural valuations of poor parents, families, work and higher education in the U.S. today.

The 50 framed, museum-quality photos are taken by students at Hamilton College who set out to document their lives as single parents on welfare trying to get a college degree. Pictures of families, friends and school demonstrate how higher education is their pathway to a better life.

The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibit is presented by the UW Tacoma Diversity Resource Center. Adair’s lecture is sponsored jointly by the Diversity Resource Center and the Education, Nursing, Urban Studies and Social Work programs. For more information on this exhibit, call the Diversity Resource Center at (253) 692-4776.

Courtesy of Jill Carnell Danseco, UWT Public Relations

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