Home > politics > This lack of diversity is stifling me

This lack of diversity is stifling me

November 17th, 2009

Update (12/27): I’ve redacted the name of the sender from the post below. I meant nothing personal to her (anything sarcastic or caustic was meant to liberal socialists as a collective), and I don’t want this page coming up on the first page of Google when someone searches for her.

Among the spam/ham I get in my inbox:

From: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx <xxxx...@berkeley.edu>
To: gra...@physics.berkeley.edu
Subject: [Grads] Strike Schedule of Events and Supporting The Movement
        Without Striking
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:31:36 -0800

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Hi Grads,

I've attached the schedule of events for the next three days.  Wednesday is
a day of protests, most importantly a large rally on the steps of Sproul
plaza at 12.  Thursday aims to turn the campus into an Open University for a
day by having free lectures, and by faculty and GSIs leaving their classroom
doors open to anyone who wants to come in and learn.  Friday events have yet
to be completely determined.

What can you do if you don't want to strike but still want to support the
movement?

For Everyone:
1. Attend the rally at 12 on Wednesday
2. Attend some of the other scheduled events
3. Sign the petition requesting the Regents postpone voting on fee increases
until they have explored other options: http://saveuc.org/petition_fees.php

For GSIs:
1. Let your students know that they are free to strike and will not suffer
repercussions
2. Take a few minutes in class to talk about the issues facing the
University
3. On Thursday leave your classroom doors open so that anyone who wants to
participate can join you

For GSRs:
1.  Talk to your lab mates about the strike and inform them of the issues
facing the university
Also, everyone should urge the state to increase funding to public
education.  You can sign the following petitions:

http://checkingeducation.com/petition

http://www.ucforcalifornia.org/cal/home/

You can also talk to your family and friends at home and ask them to contact
their representatives to let them know they support public education.

The pressure the students, faculty and staff are putting on the UC Office of
the President seems to be working.  Since the September walkout they have
greatly increased their efforts to convince Sacramento to reinvest in higher
education.  Let's keep the pressure on and let them know that we want the
University of a California to stay a *public* university!

Resources:

http://ucstrike.com/links.php

http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/

http://keepcaliforniaspromise.org/

http://people.ucsc.edu/~bmalone/Teaching.html

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_______________________________________________
Grads mailing list
Gra...@physics.berkeley.edu

http://physics.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/grads

Wait. There’s something wrong with this email. It lacks diversity. It’s just like UCB student population—it’s lacking the minority opinion. What if, in some bizarro world, I didn’t want to support this “strike”? What if, if you could imagine the possibility of a GSR wanting to be in research lab and GSI wanting to focus on teaching, I think this “strike” is a distraction to my duties and disgraceful to the flagship campus of the University of California?

What can I do if I hold such outrageous, minority opinions? Do I not exist? Do my options not exist? Ms. Xxxxxxxx would have you believe that the only reasonable position a reasonable person could possibly take is supporting the strike.

Apparently I am an unreasonable unperson who needs to be silenced. Well, come silence me, then.

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