colin orr

In fall quarter of 2000, Evergreen student Sky Cosby began selling a few radical, underground books on campus. Shortly afterwards, he created a student originated study on opening an independent bookstore and drafting a business plan.

A couple years later, Cosby opened the doors to Last Word Books in downtown Olympia. Every quarter since its opening on May Day of 2002, Last Word Books has sold used books on topics ranging from anarchy and counterculture to administrative law and philosophy. Chances are, if you aren’t a freshman and you’ve been on Red Square more than once, you have seen him or the Last Word stand.
However, when he arrived on campus this fall, ready to set up his table as he had done for almost ten years, Cosby was informed by Conference Services that he was no longer welcome on campus as a vendor and would not be sold a permit. When he asked why, Conference Services said their hands were tied; a moratorium had been instituted over the summer banning book sales. Why did this happen, who was at the bottom of it, and is this the kind of treatment Evergreen alumni can expect from the campus?