Day 86

Along the highway I commute on every day are several billboards as with most highways (or "freeways" as I should be calling them now that I'm a Californian). They are usually advertising a phone service, a newly released film, or some other consumer good. This week, one of them depicts a small portion of the torso of a stout man in a suit with a wad of cash sticking out of the handkerchief pocket of his suit jacket. The text reads, "Whose University, Yours...or Yudoff's." I did a real life double-take when I noticed it the first time (then, just like last Friday, had to remind myself to pay attention to my driving). The UPTE appears to be the primary sponsor.

According to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, UC student protest groups are in a bit of a disagreement about whether to continue their activities focusing on UC administration, or to shift attention to Sacramento. They don't agree about whether the administration is the real problem and/or potential solution, or the legislature. I would find the Sacramento shift more promising if we were seeing evidence that Yudoff and his Chancellors were kicking and screaming about the state's cuts, but they just aren't. Yudoff seems to be just trying to divert the river from flowing full force into his office with a few bags of sand rather than a full blast-and-dam project. He practically ignores student, faculty, and staff outcries (though he obviously can't ignore this recent bout since it made national headlines and completely disrupted the whole system for an entire day), and doesn't seem to be doing anything outside of occasionally rolling his eyes at the legislature and whining to students and faculty, "don't look at me, blame the state!" How are we to believe in his sincerity when he's just socking it to campus constituents without taking up his own bullhorn and leading the parade to Sacramento? This could all be going much better for him and maybe even for the university, but he seems to be just screwing it all up. 


We're being let go a few hours early today to get a head start on the long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving all!