- Dan Thetford,
Occupy BloNo camper
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Members of Occupy BloNo use extension cords and crock pots to prepare a hot meal at the group's base camp between the Bone Student Center and Milner Library Friday, Nov. 11. (Photo by Lynn Tangorra/ Staff Photographer) |
As a lightning storm passed over the campus of ISU, members of Occupy BloNo were camped outside of Milner Plaza under the circus tent between the Bone Student Center and the library.
It was a 60-degree evening and the weather forecast did not drop below 55 degrees through the night and a steady wind was blowing out of the southwest. With a flannel button up, fur-lined sweatshirt, notebook and a pen, I made my way to Milner Plaza to “Occupy” the night.
When I arrived, the group was sitting around in a circle holding their general assembly. A homeless man was asleep on the people’s love seat, a black faux leather love seat couch with the name painted on the back of it, and a smiley face on the side. Four members of Occupy Springfield were in attendance to show support of the second longest collegiate run “Occupy” movement in the country.
At this point, Occupy BloNo had camped out on the bridge and Milner Plaza for two weeks; time enough to organize truly democratic meetings where every person has a voice.
Simple hand gestures help facilitate the meeting so no one is interrupted while speaking. Two fingers in the air allow one to wait to speak next in order to voice their opinion and the “Jazz Hands” motion suggests praise for a certain concept.
The “Occupy” movement began Sept. 17th in New York City by a Vancouver-based activist group called Adbusters Media Foundation. They called for a citizen occupation of Wall Street to protest the marriage between corporations and politics called “Corpritocrisy.”
“All of these problems stem from the fact that our political process has become determined by corporations,” said Dan Thetford, an “Occupy” camper. “Corporations have been given person hood status which means they have speech. Their speech is money towards political candidates.
“The saying goes ‘How many lobbyists can you afford?’ I certainly can’t afford any, can you? So what we are doing is taking the idea of the 99 percent to bring the people of this country into it, because the 1 percent is a tough fight.” Thetford said.
White poster board taped to the ground with sayings from the official “Occupy Wall Street” declaration surrounds the campsite. Phrases like “They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses,” and “They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage,” surround their camp.
Stares from students leaving the library and BSC are regular for the movement. “It’s that ‘Occupy’ thing,” one guy leaned over and said to his friend. The feeling from the Bloomington-Normal community is not entirely negative. Those who support the movement, but cannot camp out, have donated blankets, scarves, food, coffeemakers, tents and even tobacco.
Once the meeting wrapped up, Derick Downey, arts technology major, pulled out a banjo and played a song that he wrote for the movement, and everyone gathered around sang the chorus at the top of their lungs.
I found myself sitting in on a conversation with Downey after his song, along with a declared Communist from “Occupy Springfield.” Through the haze of cigarette smoke, we were told that “Occupy Springfield” was having trouble with legal issues trying to occupy the state capitol and getting a permit.
People from the movement would come and go from the campsite, while others sat around and talked about frustration in politics and business. “Why should a CEO make 300 times more than his or her employees?” Thetford asked.
“Now there is mass scale leaching off of the working class, which has been detrimental to society,” he continued. “There is a bunch of bad shit going on, and [the 1 percent] isn’t even hiding it anymore.”
A few night owls were up at 2:30 a.m., discussing books and music, while others had curled up in their blankets and sleeping bags. The Occupiers are not camping out to celebrate the wedding of government and big business, but waiting for an ugly divorce of “Corpritocrisy.”
This generation, considered a stagnant group of young individuals, has now begun to prove that they are a booming voice across a nation that doesn’t listen, and their message is slowly being heard. Across the country, the storm continues to roll on, gaining momentum.