In the News.

University of California, Davis. In the Top 10 public schools in the country. Check. Located in the family-friendly little town of Davis, CA. Check. Environmentally friendly. Check. Smells like cows. Check. Police use pepper spray against students who peacefully protest. Check. (Yes, I said it. Check.)

If you have not heard, watch the first 2 minutes of this YouTube video.

I love UC Davis. I am a senior here and am thoroughly enjoying my last year here. I am surrounded by intelligent students, amazing (for the most part) professors, and everyone here composts and recycles. I am used to hearing about protests at UC Berkeley. That is what they do, protest. At UC Davis we get our occasional rallies and protests, most recently due to the tuition increases. (Let's just say I am glad I am graduating this Spring.. I don't know if I could afford to pay $22,000 a year in 2015 compared to the $12,000 I already pay now.)

But what happened last Friday was something I never thought I would see happen on my campus. Those were my peers. Those were my professors. They got tear gassed. For sitting and peacefully protesting. It is hard to fathom and as I watched the first 20 seconds of that video I got the chills. I still do.

The police were called in to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and administration at UC Davis. But I am pretty sure we need protection from the police. It is not safe to tear gas students. And by taking such violent acts against peaceful protestors, the police were only provoking a violent riot. But, thankfully, the protestors were kept their composue and did not allow a riot to break out.

I am currently in a History of the United States in the 1960's class. It is fascinating, by the way. I love history. Just as many African-Americans did, the people involved in this movement are protesting in a peaceful way, in order to make the police look like they are the ones doing wrong. Fox news can say all they want about the Occupy movement, but when violent acts such as these are taken out on peacefully protesting students, the police come out looking like the agitator. The police look like the monsters.

Currently, there is a petition going around calling for Linda Katehi's resignation, the UC Davis Chancellor. Students and faculty are unhappy with the Katehi she handled the situation and are feeling as if the one person who should be on their side is not.  In Katehi's two emails she is clearly playing both sides when she should be standing up for the students and with the students.

Am I going to sign it? I don't know yet. Katehi is scheduled to address the students tomorrow, so I am at least going to hold off and hear what she has to say. Someone needs to be held responsible for these violent acts taken against the students, and part of her job description is taking responsibility.