Human Writes is doing a project to interview, highlight, and appreciate Student Activists and their work!
Do you know outstanding student social justice activists?
Leaders/organizers of protests, student organizations, rallies, or events?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
UC Regents Meetings March 24-25
UC San Diego students were well represented at the UC Regents Meetings at UCSF yesterday and today! Here are a few brief updates of the meetings and my experiences:
The most inspiring part of the meetings were the public input sessions where the Regents ever so kindly allow each person 60 seconds to speak. UCSD students, many of which had driven 8+ hours to San Francisco were able to get on the speakers' list and voice our opinions!
The UCSD Black Student Union co-chairs Fnann Keflezighi and David Ritcherson spoke and gave a presentation along with Victor Sánchez, the President of the UC Students Association about recent racial incidents. Ritcherson asked all the UC students who attended the meeting on Wednesday to stand up and show our numbers and solidarity, and reminded all of us that all of the regents “work for us!” Keflezighi and Ritcherson also clarified that the actions taken by the UCSD administration and the plans proposed were all created and put into action by the students and not the administration. They also elucidated how incompetent the UCSD administration has been in dealing with issues of diversity and the need for real experts on campus climate and racial issues.
The most inspiring part of the meetings were the public input sessions where the Regents ever so kindly allow each person 60 seconds to speak. UCSD students, many of which had driven 8+ hours to San Francisco were able to get on the speakers' list and voice our opinions!
The UCSD Black Student Union co-chairs Fnann Keflezighi and David Ritcherson spoke and gave a presentation along with Victor Sánchez, the President of the UC Students Association about recent racial incidents. Ritcherson asked all the UC students who attended the meeting on Wednesday to stand up and show our numbers and solidarity, and reminded all of us that all of the regents “work for us!” Keflezighi and Ritcherson also clarified that the actions taken by the UCSD administration and the plans proposed were all created and put into action by the students and not the administration. They also elucidated how incompetent the UCSD administration has been in dealing with issues of diversity and the need for real experts on campus climate and racial issues.
Throughout the meeting, many students expressed their support for the Irvine 11, the group of students arrested for interrupting Israeli ambassador Michael Oren during a lecture on campus in February. Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake presented on the issue and defended his role in the enforcement of the student conduct code, and received hissing by a number of audience-members.
Overall going to the Regents Meetings was an eye-opening and powerful experience. What struck me the most was seeing the lack of diversity of the regents themselves; there were very few women and even fewer people of color sitting at the table...It got me thinking about how regents are chosen because they certainly don’t seem representative of UC students or the California population!
Even if the regents may be only half-listening to us or too busy with their own agendas, it felt empowering to voice our opinions and to build community with all the activists that attended!
- Here is my one-minute public input blurb:
My name is Melissa and I am a 2nd year student at UC San Diego and an intern at the UCSD Women’s Center. This year there are 8 student interns at the Women’s Center where we’ve been trained on social justice issues such as race, gender, and sexuality and we work with the LGBT Resource Center and the Cross Cultural Center to form the network of campus community centers that many students say are the only places on campus where they feel at home. However, next year, because our budget has been cut, the Women’s Center will not be able to hire as many interns or put on as many programs– and as a result the UCSD community will suffer. Given that racism, sexism, and homophobia are rampant on our campuses, it is clear that Campus Community Centers are crucial to the University in promoting diversity, tolerance, and community, and yet they remain extremely undervalued and underfunded. Why are we being asked to pay more to attend a university that is becoming increasingly less welcoming and comfortable for students of color and other underrepresented students? I realize economically the UC system is struggling, but we need to consider our priorities, and in order to decrease the racism, sexism, and homophobia on our campuses we must fund and support social justice centers and programs.
- Memorable quote from Wednesday's meeting: "That UC logo up there...that should read 'Let there be PROFIT!'"
- UCSD students are on TV for a few seconds! Look for us around 30 seconds sitting on the left.
- You can check out videos from yesterday's meeting here: http://www.ustream.tv/regentsmeeting
- The Daily Californian: Regents Discuss Changing Admissions Policy in Light of 'Toxic' Racial Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle Article: UC Regents Sorry for Acts of Hate on Campuses
Thursday, March 4, 2010
March 4th: DAY OF ACTION UPDATES
Activism across the state and nation for educational and social justice!
Today the movement begins and the struggle continues!
"Whose University?" "OUR University!"
"Ain't no power like the power of the students, cuz the power of the students don't stop!"
"Lay off, Yudof!"
"Real Pain, Real Action!"
Day of Action UPDATES:
UC Regent Live (Blog) Live updates/photos of all UC Campuses
Student Activism "What's March 4th Looking Like So Far?"
JusticeUCSD Videos & Flickr: Justice UCSD From the Stop Racism, Sexism, & Homophobia at UCSD Blog
UCSD Rally in front of Geisel Library, Photo by Kevin Chiu
Poster in Price Center
Geisel Library
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
March 4th: WE MARCH FORTH!
TOMORROW:
March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education!
Teach-Out! Walk-Out! Speak-Out! Again
st the Privatization of Education
UCSD DAY OF ACTION SCHEDULE:
9.00 AM – 12.00 PM
Breakfast at Su
stainability Resource Center (next to PC Theater)
9.30 AM
BSU Rally at Chancellor’s Complex
11.00 AM
Faculty Press Confer
ence at Cross Cultural Center, Comuni
dad Rm
11.30 AM
Walkout/gather at Gilman Parking Structure
11.45 AM
March to Geisel Library
12.00 – 3.00 PM
Rally at Silent Tree (Library Walk)
including the Arts Collective, Sam Jung, Jake Blanc, Fnann Keflezighi, Mar Velez,
Edwina Welch, Kuttin Kandi, Micah Cardenas, Yen Espiritu, Ivan Evans, K.
Wayne Yang, Maria Tillmanns, Carolan
Buckmaster, Matias Marin, L. Chase Smith, Krishna Sriram. And MCs: Chevelle
Newell and Bryant Pena.
2.30 PM
Buses leave for All San
Diego Rally from Chancellor’s Complex
March begins at C
entro Cultural de la Raza (Park & President’s Way) @ 3.30 PM
March Downtown to Governor’s Office (1350 Front Street)
· first-come-first-serve on buses
· travel to downtown also by Rt. 150 at Gilman
Monday, March 1, 2010
Stand with our Community, Join the Activism!
SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS at UCSD:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
• 12:00-2:00pm: Reclaiming Our University Reclaim the comfortability we should have on our campus and maintain visibility of our community.
• 12:00-2:00pm: Critical Gender Studies Meeting about recent events(Cross Cultural Center, 2nd Floor, Price Center East).
• 7:00-9:00pm: Asian & Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APSA) Forum on the current racial emergency (Cross Cultural Center, 2nd Floor, Price Center East).
Thursday, MARCH 4, 2010
• ALL DAY: Day of Action: Teach-Out! Walk-Out! Speak-Out! Against the Privatization of Education
- State-Wide Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education
- UCSD Coalition for Educational Justice
Some events/descriptions courtesy of Stop the Racism, Sexism, & Homophobia at UCSD
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Social Justice Activism in the UCSD Community!
Learn more about the recent activism
surrounding the racism, sexism, classism, & homophobia at
UC San Diego:
- UCSD Guardian Campus Reacts to Racial Slur
- UCSD-Chronicles of Racism 2010 [Video]
- UCSD
Administrative Response: Join the Battle Against Hate
- NBC News:
Take Action!
☛ WEDNESDAY February 24th:
- Institutional Racism Press Conference 10AM on Library Walk
- Teach-in with Vice Chancellor Penny Rue 12pm in PC East Ballroom
☞ FRIDAY February 26th:
- Gender Buffet: A safe space to explore how gender, race, and class intersect 12pm @ the Women's Center
☛ TUESDAY March 2nd:
- Reclaiming Our University Reclaim the comfortability we should have on our campus and maintain visibility of our community.
☞ THURSDAY March 4th:
- UCSD Day of Action! Teach-Out! Walk-Out! Speak-Out! Against the Privatization of Education
- State-Wide Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education
- UCSD Coalition for Educational Justice
Voice your opinion, CONTRIBUTE to Human Writes today!
Stay tuned for Human Writes' Official LAUNCH
Coming soon!
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