Welcome

Unity and Regeneration

[Dean Woo delivered the following opening remarks on August 22, 2018, on the occasion of the beginning of Fall Semester, at the annual ENV All-College meeting attended by most of the faculty and staff of the College of Environmental Design.] 

Late in the afternoon on Frday, June 29, a shooting outside the Commons claimed the life of custodian Rodney Hunter. A little earlier that afternoon, public safety specialist Mark Manlapaz was stabbed to death about a mile away at the Lanterman site. 

Both killings remain under investigation by L.A. County Sheriff’s detectives. Until the investigation is completed, we won’t have the full story. It would be a disservice to both families and to our university community to speculate about what really happened. 

But we do know that, for the Lyle Center staff member and the MSRS student who were present at the Lyle Center that afternoon and witnessed the shooting, it was shocking and horrific. 

For all of the Lyle Center staff -- whether they were up here on the hill or somewhere else during the incident -- it was very disturbing because it involved a co-worker. 

We are living through a period of unexpected violence, sometimes coming from an unexpected source, erupting in public places such as a city street, a government office, a movie theatre, a night club, a church sanctuary, an elementary school, a high school, or a university campus. 

Sometimes we at Cal Poly Pomona may feel that we are an oasis of tranquility, insulated from the tumult of the real world. But the violence of June 29 shows that we aren’t insulated. 

On August 8, we suffered another loss with the death of Casey Hoke, a Graphic Design major who was active in the Pride Center community and worked as a designer for the Office of Student Life and in the Office of Admissions and Outreach. Casey was known to have personal struggles. Despite those struggles, Casey became prominent not only on this campus but also nationally as a leader of the emerging generation of transgender youth. To Casey’s family in Kentucky and Casey’s friends on campus, we extend our condolences. We are grateful for Casey’s contributions to our community. 

In preparation for semester conversion, the faculty and the staff of this College have confronted colossal challenges and performed magnificently. But we can’t assume that all of the obstacles are behind us. We can’t assume that Fall Semester will unfold without a hitch. 

Therefore, as the semester system becomes real, and as we take stock of the loss of life on June 29 and the loss of Casey Hoke on August 8, let us be mindful of human frailty. Let each of us take responsibility to do our part to calm the tensions roiling our world, starting by making an effort to be kinder to our faculty colleagues, our staff colleagues, and our students. 

The words “regenerative” and “regeneration” are part of the special language of the Lyle Center and our College. In Fall 2018, in the College of Environmental Design, regeneration means being able to withstand a shock, a blow, a storm, a crisis, a sickness, a trauma -- and still live. And still generate new life. 

Let us rededicate ourselves to the goal of regenerating the world around us.

Michael Woo
Dean