Nov. 26, 2024
Dear Students and Colleagues,
In my pre-election message to you a few weeks ago, I quoted Chumash Cultural Advisor, Raudel Ba帽uelos. He encouraged us to look to sat鈥檞iwa as a way of grounding ourselves in community, saying, 鈥淭he more we listen to one another and share empathy and curiosity about our differences, the more we see the commonalities that are in all of us. That sacred mountain that overlooks us, that is what it is all about.鈥
Now almost one-month post-election, this advice holds true. For some, the presidential election results represent victory and a validation of personal beliefs and values. For others, these results bring fears for personal safety and worries for our collective future. Still others may exist somewhere else along the continuum between just those two positions. What must we do now, to not only co-exist but to grow in this complicated time, in this space that we share? One answer is to begin by taking Raudel鈥檚 counsel to heart.
and , I believe, are literal survival skills, whatever our personal beliefs and values may be. For me, it then follows that our proficiencies and deficiencies in enacting curiosity and empathy have direct implications for our individual well-being and for that of the institutions we cherish. I continue to work on cultivating these skills with intentionality myself, so I can play my part in ensuring that our differences will strengthen our campus community, not divide us. In fact, I have been making a point to remind myself of the critical need for this internal work by holding Raudel鈥檚 words close and making an effort to really see sat鈥檞iwa each day that I鈥檓 on campus 鈥 allowing that powerful, timeless presence to remind me of my desire to respond always with curiosity and empathy, especially when I am feeling challenged.
In our global, national, and local contexts, I am certainly feeling challenged; I know many of you are, too. For your own well-being and for that of the institutions you hold dear, I encourage you to take up the hard work of growing your capacity for curiosity and empathy 鈥 while keeping awareness of the and the need for balance in mind.
While I believe deeply in all of the above, what must also be acknowledged is that a call for the cultivation of curiosity and empathy may ring worse than hollow for those members of our campus community who are feeling unsafe, particularly for those who are or otherwise minoritized. It is to you and for you, in particular, that I am writing today, as well as to those of you who may be experiencing (para. 20) 鈥 which the neuroscientists who coined that term say can lead to feelings of apathy, withdrawal, and helplessness to the point of negatively impacting physical health. Please believe that whoever you are and whatever you are going through, curiosity, engagement, and connection are precious and essential to us all, and that I will do everything in my power to ensure that Cal State Channel Islands is a place where each member of our community can know they are valued and feel they belong.
We move forward, in service to each other, our mission, and our region.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President