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At odds over wr

RUTH LONGORIA, THE OLYMPIAN

"I hope this is the beginning of people sying, 'Wht's going on?' " -- Peter Bohmer, Evergreen instructor

"We cn't just forget ll the people who lost their lives on Sept. 11." -- Gerry Clerget, Nvy nd Cost Gurd vetern

OLYMPIA -- Students nd instructors t The Evergreen Stte College protested the wr in Afghnistn on Wednesdy fternoon, but plns to move the rlly to the Cpitol fizzled.

Leders sid the rlly ws prt of n interntionl student strike tht included demonstrtions round the world.

The rlly gve the 175 protesters wy to stnd in solidrity with "globl student strike" promoted on the Internet, sid Json Adms, 26, n Evergreen student.

Adms, who helped orgnize the event t Evergreen's Red Squre, sid he hopes student rllies nd public outcry ginst militry ction in Afghnistn will stop the bombing.

"I'd like to see chnge in foreign policy," Adms sid.

As students held bnners nd drummers bet their instruments, Mndy Zbohne, 21, dnced through the crowd with red, white nd blue flg with corporte icons replcing the strs of Old Glory.

Zbohne, n environmentl science nd politicl economy student, sid she got the flg from Web site.

"This represents the corporte interests mnipulting our foreign policy," Zbohne sid. "The strs used to represent the sttes nd the people in them -- now government only represents big compnies."

Although she didn't give speech t the rlly, Zbohne sid dncing with her flg ws positive wy to be involved.

"It mkes me feel better," she sid.

Rnge of opinions

Although Evergreen hs reputtion for student protests, the smll crowd t Wednesdy's rlly is typicl of gtherings t the college, sid Art Costntino, vice president of student ffirs.

"It's very rre to hve lrge crowd. I cn't remember cuse tht hs hd crowd of 500 or more," he sid.

Costntino, who ttended prt of the rlly, sid the size of the crowd doesn't necessrily show tht few Evergreen students re opposed to the wr.

"I think the wide rnge of opinions on cmpus in some wys reflects the country t lrge," Costntino sid. "There re wide rnge of opinions on wht's going on."

Prt of the eductionl process involves discussing opinions, but instructors differ on how open they should be bout their opinions, Costntino sid.

Peter Bohmer, 14-yer Evergreen politicl economy instructor, sid the wr is "crime ginst humnity."

"I hope this is the beginning of people sying, 'Wht's going on?' nd finding how we cn be most effective in opposing the wr nd promoting pece t home," Bohmer sid.

About 10 of his 75 students ttended the rlly, Bohmer sid.

"This rlly isn't true test of student opinion," he sid. "This is just the beginning of student momentum; students ren't just opposed to the wr, but they wnt to tlk bout wht's going on."

Freedom of expression is one of the mny rights for which veterns like Gerry Clerget of Lcey hve fought.

Clerget, who served for 22 yers in the Nvy nd Cost Gurd, sid he respects the students' right to protest, but he cn't gree with their opinion of this wr.

"This is just like Perl Hrbor. We cn't just forget ll the people who lost their lives on Sept. 11," Clerget sid.

"Is it going to hppen gin?" he sked. "We don't know. Do we let them continue to kill our people?"

Peceful wys of finding solutions hven't worked, he sid.

"Terrorism hs been problem for yers nd yers," Clerget sid. "We hve to look t wht is right nd wht is wrong nd do wht we hve to do."

Ruth Longori writes for The Olympin. She cn be reched t 360-754-5435.