From the "You've got to be kidding me" Department.
December 10, 2008
To: UCSC Community
Fr: Campus Provost David Kliger
Re: Mediated discussions about tree-sit on Biomedical building site
I am disappointed to report that the parties involved in mediated talks
seeking a voluntary end to the year-long "tree-sit" have mutually agreed to
end the talks without resolution. While we were unable to reach agreement
during these talks, I am appreciative of the efforts made by all parties to
bridge our differences.
Further information on the university's position with regard to the issues
raised by the protest can be found at:
http://www.ucsc.edu/biomedical_building/
With our agreement with the city, county, and citizen groups over our
Long-Range Development Plan now in place, we will continue with our plans
to construct the Biomedical Sciences Building. This is a state-funded
building that is needed by programs such as Molecular, Cell, and
Developmental Biology; our Health Sciences major; Biomolecular Engineering;
and Environmental Toxicology.
My thanks to the many of you who provided assistance and advice throughout
the mediation process. My thanks also for the patience shown during the
past 13 months by the faculty, staff, and students on our campus who have
been most impacted by this protest.
I fail to understand why these negotiations are even taking place. We've got dirty hippies (quite literally.. you should see the mess they leave in the bathrooms) trespassing in our trees. In any sane place, they'd be arrested and barred from campus. For the most part, they aren't even students! They are townies who have decided they have nothing better to do than prevent the university from opening up a bio-medical sciences building.
I consider myself a reasonable person. I would even support pitching in for the trampoline after we cut the tree out from under them. Maybe, just maybe, if I was feeling really nice, it could be there before.