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Olympia's Evergreen State College held its graduation Friday in Red Square Plaza on the campus.
Last year riots forced the taxpayer-funded college to hold graduation in Tacoma's Cheney Stadium---under tight security.
Evergreen's enrollment is in free fall.
And the Seattle Times is trying to figure out what's wrong.
Evergreen was founded in 1967 as an experimental, nontraditional college---one of the nation's only alternative, liberal-arts colleges that is funded by taxpayers.
It represents Progressivism in its finest moment.
No grades, no departments, no majors. For years, the Evergreen State College has been famous---or infamous---for a free-wheeling approach to higher education.
Evergreen accepts 97% of its applicants. About 38% of freshman receive federal Pell grants, meaning they are low income, and about 17% are what they call "underrepresented minorities." Black, Latino or Native Americans.
The Seattle Times, in an article yesterday is asking why the college is in such steep decline.
Evergreen is an experimental lab--not a center for learning.
The great experiment the taxpayers have funded since 1967 has provided little in education, but much in social experimentation.
Why would progressive Democrats create such a school in the first place?
They didn't.
Republican Governor Dan Evans, along with other so-called "progressives," wanted more than "just another four-year college," and urged the trustees to "unshackle" their "educational thinking from traditional patterns."
Evans said his vision was that the faculty would go beyond awarding letter grades; they would instead provide meaningful and constructive feedback through narrative evaluations.
Evans' dream became a reality in 1971 when Evergreen welcomed its first class of students on its 1,000-acre campus and 3,000-foot Puget Sound beachfront.
The college history claims that Evans and his cohorts envisioned a "courageous college."
The Times says, "In a sense, Evergreen reinvents itself every year. It does not offer classes that constitute the basis of specific college majors; many Evergreen courses are taught by teams of two or three professors from different disciplines, and the curriculum is constantly revised or rewritten."
How has Evans' dream worked out?
Racism and segregation.
Last spring, Evergreen campus boiled over with racism and the demand by students to enact segregation.
Student leaders invoked what they called, "Day of Presence/Day of Absence," in which organizers asked white students to stay off campus for a day.
Jewish Professor Brett Weinstein criticized the idea, calling it racist.
He then received death threats, was shouted down when he tried to address the issue and was ultimately forced off campus. Then forced to resign. He sued for a couple million dollars. He eventually got $500,000.
Some Legislators are trying to defund the college.
Last year following the school's display of racism---with affirmation from the college's president---several lawmakers began a process to defund Evergreen.
State Rep. Matt Manweller's House Bill 5946 would have "phased out state funding for Evergreen State College and ultimately sell the institution."
Manweller said, "At the end of the day, we the legislature and the people have to speak up and say, 'We are not going to contribute our tax dollars to a college that wants to re-institute a Jim Crow approach to education and segregation'."
He said, "When you cross the line and start attacking a Jewish professor, when you cross the line and start telling white people or anybody based on the color of their skin that they can't come to school, that violates our anti-discrimination laws."
He says his heart goes out to the "non-crazy students at the college, but there has to be change at the top...These guys are out of control."
The non-crazies aren't coming back.
The Seattle Times said yesterday, "The Evergreen State College is anticipating a big drop in enrollment this fall."
They attempt to make the case that it is a "variety of reasons," "not just one thing," etc., etc.
While it may be a variety of things, they are all related to the pathetic premise upon which the college was launched in the first place.
The college's history tells of the time when college founding father Governor Dan Evans rappelled down the clock tower on campus to celebrate its completion. A clock tower, mind you, that tells all different times rather than the time of day on campus.
The school told the Times, they understand it's time to change.
Indeed it is.
The projected fall enrollment represents steep decline---down about 20% over the past 5 years. The school has been forced to cut $6 million out of its budget---about 10% of its total---and lay off 20 faculty and staff. In addition, 19 vacant staff positions will be unfilled.
You can blame Washington State's so-called "moderate Republicans" and Dan Evans for creating this miscarriage of education.
But for the fact that it still exists, you must blame the current "moderate" Republicans in the legislature and their Democrat colleagues.
If Evergreen State College continues, you can blame yourself for electing "moderate" Republicans and Democrats. And silent Republicans who claim to be conservative---until they drive into Olympia. Or DC.
Until common sense prevails, life at Evergreen will go on along the shores of Puget Sound---and the folks will continue to pay for the nonsense.
Be Informed. Be Bold. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.