The idea of the “starving student” might be a longstanding archetype about the sacrifices made in higher education. But, I say it’s time to end this notion now.
I am often reminded of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sometimes it’s as simple as pressing the shuffle on my iPod and hearing the lyrics of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” by the rock band U2.
As a collector of superhero action comics, it was only fitting that I created an action verb to describe my new job as UC Davis chancellor. I call it “chancell-ing.”
We all know that housing is a pressing issue in our city, in the Sacramento region and across California. It’s an issue we need to address at all levels in our state, city and campus.
Every day, it seems, we learn about instances of sexual harassment and sexual violence from courageous individuals who share their experiences from years ago or from more recent times. Just last week, Time magazine named “The Silence Breakers” as its 2017 Person of the Year to recognize those women and men who have told their own stories of sexual harassment and assault. They are people who “... helped force a nationwide reckoning” and who are “voices that launched a movement.”
A seemingly benign flier that appeared around UC Davis over the weekend (Nov. 4-5) serves as a reminder that our campus, for all its charm, is hardly insulated from the issues facing our society at large.
