In a leaked tape, UC Davis administrators were recorded saying that they do not care about students who do not provide revenue for the school. Students who are not involved in clubs, athletics or organizations on campus are seen as “useless” to the university.
In a scene very similar to Mitt Romney’s 47 percent gaffe in the 2012 election, UC Davis officials held a closed-door meeting to discuss ways to increase revenue for the school. An anonymous member of the conference recorded the speech and sent it to The California Aggie. The video can be found at the Twitter link below.
The speech, made by Caspar Darry, head of UC Davis Tax Collection and Revenues, was addressed to department heads and financial pundits.
“We feel as though we need to invest in where the money comes from. We should be funding people that bring us revenue,” Darry said. “If a student does not provide a positive impact on the school’s budget, we shouldn’t care about them. If you sit in your dorm or house all day, we don’t care about you.”
In response to the speech, the student population and the Davis community have united in protest.
“We are all uninvolved students,” said John Clarence, a second-year biology and mechanical engineering major. “I know I make money for the school with my research, but that doesn’t mean I should look at people who don’t negatively. We are one.”
Local activists have planned a “Do Nothing Day” Wednesday of next week. Students are encouraged to stay at home and to avoid providing the school with any of the resources that the school needs, namely, themselves.
The administration is expected to release a statement on Monday in response to “Do Nothing Day.”
You can reach ETHAN VICTOR at ejvictor@ucdavis.edu or read the nonsense he posts in the Twittersphere @thejvictor
