Welcome to spring semester—and to a long-awaited 2021. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday season. Despite the realities of the ongoing public health and economic crisis as well as the recent stresses on our democracy that we all witnessed in recent weeks, we press on with our educational mission. It is gratifying, in fact, to know that so many students are continuing—or just beginning—their higher education journeys here at San José State.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Celebrating SJSU’s Fall 2020 Graduates While Looking Ahead To The Holidays
As we near the end of a difficult 2020, we have two end-of-year occasions—fall graduation and our extended holiday break—to which we can look forward. Each offers us a welcome respite from the challenges we have faced these past nine months.
An Historic Election Draws to a Close
Today, November 7, 2020, is an historic day for the United States and for the democratic principles we hold dear.
In addition to electing the nation’s 46th president, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., we will now have – for the very first time – a woman holding the second highest office in the land. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, is, of course, a Californian and Bay Area native, and her Jamaican and Asian Indian ancestry symbolizes the rich diversity and possibilities of our nation.
Post-election reflections
The current election cycle, which has not yet quite concluded as of this writing, has generated a mixed array of emotions for many of us. With more than 100 million votes cast even before Nov. 3, the overall turnout for these elections will likely equal or surpass any others in our nation’s history. Even more impressive, perhaps, is the number of first-time and young voters who cast a vote or were active at the local level. Adjusting so well in the midst of a global pandemic demonstrates the power of our democracy.
“What the Eyes Don’t See” a compelling, though sobering, campus reading selection for our times
It was a real treat for me to join a recent Zoom webinar to discuss this semester’s campus reading program selection, What the Eyes Don’t See, by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. Dr. Mona is a pediatrician, public health advocate and immigrant who practices in Flint, Michigan. Her book brilliantly shines a spotlight on the water crisis there, revealing how children were exposed to dangerous levels of lead.