UCD protesters ask Napolitano to come to Mrak

By Tanya Perez

On Monday, 32 days into their occupation of the fifth-floor reception area of Mrak Hall, protesters sent an open letter to University of California President Janet Napolitano, asking her to meet with them at UC Davis.

“We ask for you to meet with the protesters here at UC Davis and work with us to resolve the underlying problems with the administrative structures at UC Davis, and across the entire UC system,” they wrote.

Among their concerns, the letter states, is “(Chancellor Linda) Katehi’s own distance from and disregard for the needs and safety of UC Davis students and workers.” This dissatisfaction “is more than just a problem with Katehi; it’s symptomatic of a deeper trend of disconnection and diminished accountability resulting from the continuing process of privatization in the UC system (and higher education in general).”

Meanwhile, the protesters are seemingly wearing out their welcome in Mrak. A note last Friday from Provost and Executive Vice chancellor Ralph Hexter to the campus community addressed questions he said have been received by his and Katehi’s offices.

Hexter began by including the university’s freedom of expression policy, and acknowledging that students have the right to protest. But “challenges” are presented by protesters refusing to vacate Mrak.

“Because Mrak Hall is not a residence hall,” Hexter wrote, “it has been necessary to assign additional staff to monitor the building throughout nights and over the weekend in order to ensure safety. The protesters’ remaining in Mrak Hall when it is closed is but one of the violations of campus regulations about which the occupiers have been repeatedly informed but which they continue to ignore.”

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[Source]: The Davis Enterprise