Month: June 2008

UC Regent Watch: George M. Marcus Loses His Temper at Protest to End Poverty Wages at UC

George Marcus violently smacked the camera I was holding with his open palm.

On June 6th, George Blumenthal was inaugurated as the 10th Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz during a ceremony on UCSC’s East Field. Students and workers, organized through the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), held a 10-hour day of action to deliver a loud and clear message — end poverty wages at the University of California. George M. Marcus, a Regent of the University of California, was a passenger in one of the many cars rerouted or delayed by the demonstration.

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UC Workers and Students Block California Highway 1 in Santa Cruz to Protest Poverty Wages

On June 6th, George Blumenthal was inaugurated as the 10th Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz during a ceremony on the East Field overlooking the Monterey Bay. Students and workers, organized through the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), rallied at UCSC, marched to the Chancellor’s Inauguration and blocked California Highway One at Mission and Bay during a 10-hour day of action to deliver a loud and clear message — end poverty wages at the University of California.

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The University is Unsustainable: A presentation by Darwin BondGraham and Will Parrish

The University of California’s most significant contribution to the world has been in the form of increasingly sophisticated and destructive nuclear weapons.

On June 2nd, the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) class at UC Santa Cruz hosted an evening entitled “The University is Unsustainable: militarism, nuclearism, corporatism and the UC.” Student researchers Jono and Leah presented on UCSC’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) while UCSC alumni Will Parrish and Darwin BondGraham focused on the University of California from 1868 to 2008, from the genocide of Indigenous Nations, the Spanish American War and the Manhattan Project, through to the present: a time of renewed nuclear-militarism and increasing corporatization and privatization of the University.

The full presentations by Jono, Leah, Will and Darwin are available below in audio format.

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Celebrating 200 Days of Tree-Sitting Resistance to UCSC Expansion

On June 2nd, UC Santa Cruz students were joined by the legendary Raging Grannies of Santa Cruz and other community supporters in the celebration of 200 days of tree-sitting resistance to UCSC’s 2005 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). The gathering was called to fortify spirits, resupply the tree-sit, and plan for summer. Activities included a native plant workshop, songs by the Raging Grannies, discussions and a piñata.

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