For unforseen reasons, Student Affairs has notified students that they will not be recieving any money whatsoever from Grinnell College to cover the cost of the trip to Fort Benning, GA for a School of the Americas Conference. We have heard from the president of the college that for "legal" and "ethical" reasons, the school cannot fund the trip. However, the "SOA Convergence" is a series of workshops, film showings, and discussions about issues of social justice and nonviolent activism with 20,000 people from around the world. The trip has always and continues to be perfectly in line with the college's stated mission to produce students who are ready to engage in social justice outside of Grinnell We were given very little information and were not kept informed by the administration. In addition, the College has funded the trip for the past five years and never previously taken issue with students participating in the event. Therefore, we ask for your support on the following petition: "I, the undersigned, strongly disagree with the administration’s decision to cancel funding for student transportation to participate in the November 21-23 vigil at the SOA/WHINSEC, in which students will be involved in social justice and activism workshops and activities. As, the "SOA Convergence" is a series of workshops, film showings, and discussions about issues of social justice and nonviolent activism with 20,000 people from around the world, the trip has always and continues to be perfectly in line with the college's stated mission to produce students who are ready to engage in social justice outside of Grinnell."

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