The archdiocese was concerned that certain articles on Evergreene Digest were not appropriate as part of a Catholic Church website. The most offending article was a study that showed that aspects of the pro-choice movement were making headway in reducing abortions. The archdiocese was also concerned about being involved in any copyright complaints that might arise. The good news is that Evergreene Digest is not going away; it’s going independent and will break clean of any perceived affiliation with the Catholic Church or SJA. After August 1st, the SJA website will provide a link to Evergreene Digest as it does to other independent websites but not host it.

Evergreene Digest leaders Mike Steigerwald and Dave Culver

Since March of this year (2006) the SJA website had hosted a new section called Evergreene Digest. It’s a no-brainer that sometimes we just aren’t getting the whole story in mainstream media. Most of us want more than 30-second news stories and we want broader perspectives on the issues that affect our lives. But getting such alternative information can be overwhelming. Two St. Joan of Arc “techies” have gone a long way to make the getting of the whole story a lot easier by publishing a web-based journal called Evergreene Digest. (The name was inspired by the book, The Greening of America, and is a nod to Minnesota’s state tree, the Norway pine.)

Evergreene is a monthly journal that not only covers a variety of topics by providing links to over 150 publications and groups but also highlights interesting, topical articles. Evergreene arranges its content by category for easy access to topics of interest to the reader. It also welcomes original material by local authors, photographers and artists.

I often hear people complain that there is so much information “out there” that they can’t keep up. So, why have yet another information source? Because Evergreene is designed especially for the busy person. It is a web-based “gateway” to information that is not in the mainstream news sources or even being talked about in the American conversation. And, it is designed for EASY access. You can either peruse the summaries of featured articles and click on “More…” if it interests you, or you can click on a favorite category and go on from there as time and interest dictate.

It is also important to recognize what Evergreene Digest is not trying to do. It is not merely a site with links to other sources, and it is not bringing readers day-to-day news coverage. Rather, it presents more in-depth background materials to give you a framework to better understand what is going on in the world and respond to it. If you have time to look at only one or two things, remember . . .

While Evergreene Digest started out as a project of a small committee and staff, monthly production of the digest is now largely carried out by Dave Culver and Mike Steigerwald. “Sometimes our hardest task is deciding which category to put an article into,” says website designer, Dave Culver(right). His view is that the web topics are all interrelated at the core anyway -- be it religion, economics, art, politics or any of the others. Read one and it leads you to another.

I use the word “techie” playfully and with respect. Both Dave and Mike are highly educated with strong liberal arts educations.

Dave, who was born in LaCrosse and grew up in Minneapolis, graduated from Marquette University with a BA in English and a minor in Speech and Communications. His education was entirely in Catholic schools, mostly Jesuit-based. He “wouldn’t trade a minute of it,” he says, even while recognizing that such a broad education can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse. For Dave, “sometimes it’s hard to really see the truth of what’s going on and yet feel so helpless about it.” Dave later obtained a degree in electronics from Dunwoody. He has had a career of teaching and training in speech, communications, management development and quality improvement.

Mike Steigerwald(right) wouldn’t change a minute of his education either, even though, after 4th grade, his learning took place entirely in public schools. Mike was born in Troy, NY, but spent his childhood in Delaware and Pittsburgh. He went to high school in Ann Arbor, a school that has won awards for being one of the best in the nation. He then attended the University of Michigan where he earned a BS in Engineering and a MSE in Applied Mechanics, but with a strong emphasis in computer programming. Mike has had a career as a software engineer, computer programmer and currently web programmer.

Don’t let that “engineer” title fool you though. Mike is a critical thinker and he is passionate about exposing the public to critical thinking. Thus, Evergreene Digest has a special category called Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is not encouraged in schools today, Mike says. “People should know that it’s okay to ask questions.” Evergreene Digest’s goal is to empower readers to use critical thinking tools to recognize the truth in the midst of the propaganda.

Both Dave and Mike have a strong personal commitment to finding the truth behind the veneer of popular media. According to Dave, “90% of what Evergreene publishes is not even seen in the mainstream.”

An example of an irksome revelation to both of them is their recent coverage in Evergreene Digest of “planted” video releases. Yes, Free Press and the Center for Media Democracy (CMD) found dozens (77 in all) of local TV stations airing corporate propaganda as news. These are segments promoting commercial brands and products slipped into stations’s regular news programming and passed off to you, their viewers, as legitimate new reports. None of the 77 ever disclosed the clients behind these segments. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an investigation in the wake of this discovery. You can follow the uncovering of these fake news reports on Evergreene, starting with the May issue. Look under Media.

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Rose Grengshas been a SJA parishioner since 1982. She is an immigration attorney and passionate about the subject. She is a member of the choir and active in the Peace Movement. She and her husband, Paul, routinely attend the 11:00 Mass. She is the mother of four children and grandmother of three. She is looking forward to retirement, travel and enjoys music, especially singer, songwriter, Greg Brown.

Evergreene Digest, while a relatively new endeavor, is an important contribution to social justice and our need to know the truth. It’s growing, evolving. Check it out. Add it to your “Favorites.” It may make you ask questions.

Until August 1, 2006, you can reach Evergreene Digest from the SJA website by clicking on General Information on the home page, then scrolling down to Evergreene Digest. After August 1, 2006, you will be able to reach Evergreene Digest from the SJA website by clicking on General Information on the home page, then scrolling down to Links. Or you can go directly to its new address, www.evergreenedigest.org. Add it to your favorites! Contributions of articles and/or photographs are welcome. There is a link for this on the Evergreene web page.