Is Anyone in Charge at UC Berkeley?

The Little Rascals at UC Beserkely are at it again today as Occupy UC Berkeley kicked off. Oh, by the way, police had to shoot some guy on the campus who was carrying a gun. (I'm sure there was no connection.) Outside of that, today's highlight was a keynote speech by none other than former US Labor Secretary and Berkeley professor Robert Reich!!!

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/shooting-occurs-at-uc-1226661.html

It looks like Chancellor Birgeneau has no clue what to do next other than blame the campus police, who apparently got in a little stick time at a protest on November 9.  I have a suggestion:

Hide under your desk.

Meanwhile down at my campus-er- I mean the campus where I work.......


"Whose campus? Our campus!"

As I was saying. Last Wednesday there was an occupy UC-Irvine protest. I wasn't there. I was teaching my classes. However, one of my inside sources who was there told me about 7 people showed up. Apparently, that was a bum scoop because the campus newspaper, the New University, had breathless headlines saying there were 300 people who took part including some faculty.

http://www.newuniversity.org/2011/11/news/calling-all-anteaters-2/

In case you didn't know, our mascot is an anteater.

“The University is very concerned with its perception in the world,” said UCI Librarian for Chemistry, Earth System Science and& Russian Studies Mitchell Brown, using the campus libraries’ struggle to keep up availability to students to comment on the broader impacts of state- level cuts to higher education. “I want someone who’s a free thinker, who challenges conformity […] libraries are an essential part of that. Libraries are about rigorous confrontation of knowledge. Libraries are a place for dialogue. What’s good for the libraries is good for the students.”

Did you get that?

Here's more:

“There’s an assumption that once reality has been determined, you can’t say anything further,” she said. “Critique is the mainstay of the enlightenment education that the university historically supports.”



Professor Terada highlighted UCI’s underground culture, which is blossoming as students find new and creative ways to engage in campus life in spite of the massive budget cuts. She argued that by actively divesting in the UC system by cutting funds, and admitting increasing numbers of out- of- state students, the Regents were creating an environment in which California citizens no longer have any reason to invest in the University because it is no longer for them."

(Underground culture? Is she talking about the Anthill Pub? The part in bold is actually true. At least I agree with it.)

At any rate, it looks like Beserkeley chancellor Birgeneau is in over his head and losing control of his campus. I wonder what UC President Mark Yudoff has to say about all this.

Never mind.