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Saturday, May 1, 2010

Reflection and Meditation Sites on UC Campuses

The below video from the Daily Californian, the UC Berkeley campus paper, concerns a proposed site dedicated to "reflection and meditation".



I note this with interest because I understand UC-Irvine is also interested in setting up a similar site. Estimated cost, as I understand, is 8 million dollars.

Where are they going to get the money in the light of the current fiscal crisis that has hit the UC system?

8 comments:

Lance Christian Johnson said...

I have no problem with this so long as 1. it's for anybody to use and not just one religious group, and 2. if it gets paid for through donations from the people who want it in the first place.

Where did you get the $8 Million figure?

Gary Fouse said...

Lance,

It will be paid by you the tax-payer.

Where did I get the 8 million figure? You forget, my dear Lance, I am an investigator by profession. I have my sources.

The question still stands: If the UC system is facing such a budget crisis that necessitates tuition hikes, how do you spend 8 million on this?

Lance Christian Johnson said...

Well, see what I wrote above. If it comes from the taxpayer, then I'm against it.

And you'll forgive me, but some of your "sources" have proven themselves to be rather dubious.

Gary Fouse said...

Lance,

Such as?

Lance Christian Johnson said...

Oh, like how Paul Jones supposedly admitted that there had been no increase in temperatures. Even when I showed you the exact quote from the actual interview, you kept defending your sources. Then you started to hem and haw because he said that the increase wasn't "statistically significant." I don't remember the exact word you used, but you didn't seem to realize (as your source didn't either) that what he meant was that the increase wasn't quite large enough for them to be 100% certain that it wasn't just due to random chance. (See - scientists, unlike conservative pundits, don't like to speak in absolutes. You guys see it as a weakness in them, when in fact it is a strength.)

Oh, and then there's this whole "hide the decline" thing that you keep talking about, even though there wasn't a decline (see above about an increase in temperatures) so what exactly was it that they were hiding when there was never a decline to hide?

Must I go on? Or can you see why I don't automatically trust your sources?

Gary Fouse said...

Lance,

Pls don't go on because you're rambling all over the map here and not making a lot of sense. This guy Jones isn't out of a job and under investigation for nothing.

As for "Hide the Decline", I played the video once-big deal.

Bottom line- I still strongly suspect this is a big hoax. You disagree. I like Kitzmann-you like Tucher (that's German beer, folks)-not much more to say.

Miggie said...

Where are all the Separation of Church and State people on this question? Obviously the space is more for prayer than for "meditation" and obviously it is more for Muslim prayer than any other prayer. Instead of being an "opportunity" to learn about other faiths, as one speaker put it, the resources would better applied to having the Muslim students learn more about the culture they are in.

Siarlys Jenkins said...

I have no problem, but why does it cost $8 million? Why don't they just designate a corner? If those who use it want to spruce it up a bit... follow the example of People's Park, which was beautified entirely by volunteers, before Ronald Reagan sent in the cops to tear it up.

This time, don't tear it up, but no reason to spend money on it. Volunteer participation is a great way to get a sense of ownership.