(Update: On 11 Oct 2021 the Reed College Board of Trustees announced its decision to divest the college’s endowment from fossil fuels. Read about it here.)
Reed’s plans to divest all fossil fuel holdings from its endowment were announced today by commencement speaker, Igor Vamos ’93. In the midst of his speech, which focused largely on the challenges of climate change, he told today’s graduates that their job is to “do what they must” to address these challenges rather than just “do what they love” (a reference to a phrase used by Steve Jobs at a Stanford commencement address). Vamos then added that Reed College Pres. John Kroger had informed him over breakfast of Reed’s decision to join 11 other colleges and universities and divest from fossil fuel companies.
This statement, along with much of the speech, was greeted with wild and enthusiastic applause. Let’s hope that the President and the Board of Trustees were listening.
DIVEST !!!
May 22nd update: link to the Oregonian’s coverage of the Vamos prank.
