Marc's response is justified, though I reject the language of the two opening questions.

My conversation over the phone with Vivienne lead me to believe that she was participating in a competition organized by her school and I didn't carefully scan the email explanation that she sent me afterward to send to the list. I am really down about my oversight and apologize for it.

I did learn the details of the competition's funding when she and a colleague came to see the space and pick up the key the night before their practice, and at that point I processed the explanation of the sponsorship much differently than Marc. While she is not happy about the sponsor, Vivienne's justification of pursuing this event was that this was a great opportunity for her students to get a hold of resources and a learning environment they would otherwise not have had. She wanted to be able to do this event at a hackerspace because her ultimate goal was to use this competition as a bridge to connect to a critical, hacker community (for what this bridge is worth, given the obvious discrepancy). I felt at once uneasy and understanding. I respect the sentiment that she expressed that she needed to take the opportunity that was there, just as I am not quick to jump to judgment of many of my bright and fascinating friends back home who were in a position in which they (felt that they?) needed to join the military in order to realistically afford higher education. That said, I stand with Marc in my rejection of the military industrial complex (or whatever you would like to call it), but I do not know the answer to more nuanced questions of access to aspirational education within a race-class divided society. I invite your conversation.

If Marc or anyone else would like to bring up this topic at the general meeting, I could not make it this Wednesday but am available the following.

Vicky