March 28, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this email finds you well and healthy. I am writing with a request to all 鈥� please, find opportunities to join events in support of friends and colleagues who are organizing amazing opportunities for learning and thinking, and enjoy the exciting exchange of ideas and talents that our campus community has to offer.
I ask this, in part, as my own response to the relentless cycle of tragedy befalling our world. While we grieve yet another school shooting, , the devastation of natural disasters such as the earlier this week, and this morning鈥檚 heartbreaking , we could easily become numb to it all. These are only a few of the tragedies making headlines, but the hard truth is that there are far more 鈥� on the macro and micro level, often unknown to broader audiences, and being shouldered in silence. I鈥檓 asking that rather allowing numbness to creep in, we choose instead to become stronger as a community. I鈥檓 asking you to find ways to connect with each other and to celebrate our lives and the richness of our work here at 海角社区CI. Let鈥檚 honor life as a way of honoring lives lost.
Please join me in leaning in and finding opportunities to be together. You are not alone, and you do not grieve alone. Please rely on each other as we experience these tragedies and join me in reaching out to those who need it the most. It can be as simple as a hello, a smile, or a kind word that can truly make someone feel included and know that they belong on our campus. Together, we can build a community that consistently looks out for each other and supports each other in times of success and in times of hardship.
Some events you can join this week, two of which are already underway, include:
- Channel Islands Coastal Oceanography & Marine Biology Symposium, Tuesday, March 28 from Noon to 4 p.m. at the Broome Library, Room 2325.
- Black Entrepreneurship Roundtable, Tuesday, March 28 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., in the Grand Salon.
- Spring Pinkard (Living-Learning Community) Cookout, Tuesday. March 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the South Quad. Join us for food catered from It's in the Sauce, field games, and fun.
- Outdoor Adventures Bonfire, Thursday, March 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sycamore Beach
- PrideFest on Thursday, March 30 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Malibu Hall 140 to celebrate our LGBT community featuring art, music, and dancing.
- Research on Tap, Thursday, March 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Dullam Courtyard at the John Spoor Broome Library. This is an opportunity to have a conversation with 海角社区CI faculty and learn about their work and the impact it has had on the community and the region.
- Ventura County History: A Reflection on a Career in Academe, Thursday, March 30 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Sierra Hall, Room 2422, presented by 海角社区CI鈥檚 History program. All are welcome to the presentation of Dr. Tomas Almaguer to learn about his impressive scholarly career.
- Cesar Chavez Day Surf Contest & Beach Day, Friday, March 31 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hueneme Beach.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.