April 30th

Today was a big day in the garden. Today is the first day when students have had the opportunity to reap the rewards of their labors. Yesterday, Thursday afternoon students harvested collards, beans, and peas. E, the head chef for Bon Appetite, cooked the collards for a luncheon for the housekeepers held in the garden. E prepared the collards in a vegetarian southern style with brown sugar seasoning. They were delicious. Students also shared their beans and peas with president Eastman. They were served today in a lunch that he held.

After the Coalition for Community Justice (CCJ) sponsored housekeeper luncheon students began to gather in the garden in force. Students then marched through campus gaining numbers as they peacefully walked and chanted for a better wage. The march led students to president Eastman's office where they presented the president with a petition signed by one third of the student body advocating raising workers wages on campus to a living wage. President Eastman was very receptive and spoke with students and participated in an open discussion on the topic of workers wages. Look for an article in the St. Pete Times or for a report on the news. The days events were evidence of the community building power of the garden.