Protesters bash Connerly, delay regents
meeting
SAN FRANCISCO ““ Thursday’s University of California
Board of Regents meeting was unexpectedly delayed when
approximately 16 student activists, protesting Regent Ward
Connerly’s stance on racial consideration, were so boisterous
that the regents had to call a recess during the public comment
period. The students, who were from local community colleges, UC
Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, were protesting Proposition 54, an
initiative authored by Connerly that would prevent the state from
collecting information about a person’s race or ethnicity.
The students addressed the regents in an orderly fashion at first,
but became increasingly louder and sharper in their attacks against
Connerly. Finally, Regent Chairman John Moores had to call a
temporary recess and university police officers stood guard in
front of the regents. Although plainclothes UCPD officers
surrounded the students while they protested, the students left the
building of their own free will. The students accused Connerly of
being a “racist billionaire” and said he represented
“rich segregationists,” not the University of
California. James Drake, a fifth-year rhetoric and African American
studies student at UC Berkeley, called upon the regents to
“remove this cancer from the board” in referring to
Connerly. Many of the other students also called on Connerly to
resign. Connerly seemed hurt by the personal affront, saying that
the protesters misunderstood his intentions. “There are bona
fide reasons why I think it’s desirable to keep racial
information and we’ve tried hard to craft that in Proposition
54, but it’s never justifiable to personally attack
people,” he said. Connerly, who was appointed by Gov. Pete
Wilson in 1993, added that he has no intention of resigning from
his position. “I have until March 1, 2005, and I will serve
out my term,” he said. Proposition 54 is a controversial
initiative that has drawn sharp criticism from state education
officials, law enforcement officers, and medical practitioners. The
regents, current UC President Richard Atkinson, and president-elect
and current UC San Diego chancellor Robert Dynes have all come out
against the initiative. Proposition 54 will be on the California
recall ballot.
UC Santa Cruz secures lucrative NASA
contract
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded a
10-year, $330 million research contract to UC Santa Cruz on
Tuesday, one of the largest contracts awarded in UC history. The
contract will establish a University Affiliated Research Center
that will specialize in information technology, biotechnology, and
nanotechnology, will provide the UC with access to top-tiered
research scientists at NASA, and will become a substantial addition
to the UC system, said UCSC Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood. UC
President Richard Atkinson, who was attending his last regents
meeting before his retirement in October, agreed that the research
facility is a valuable acquisition. “It’s a great step
forward for the Santa Cruz campus,” he said. The UC makes
sizable contributions to the field of research and development with
three national research laboratories and some of the leading
research scientists in the nation. UC researchers have helped
develop medicines, Internet technologies, and even nuclear weapons.
The research contract was awarded to UCSC through a competitive
bidding process.
Reports compiled by Charles Proctor, Bruin Senior
Staff.