Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and I apologize for the errors. I’ve updated the story to hopefully correct the inaccuracies, but please let me know if there are any further corrections needed. I can be reached by email at editors [at] cityonahillpress [dot] com.

-Julie Eng, City on a Hill Press Editor-in-Chief

1) I’m the UCSC Graduate Student Association president2) I wouldn’t say I support the group’s methodology (not consulting with the UCR student body) nor their policy per se.  I am much more in line with Jonathan Stein in being excited that students are the ones coming up with the ideas – and critical of UCOP and the Regents that they aren’t the ones thinking outside the box.

All ceremonies are developed by the OA National Committee in order to
ensure they meet standards for respect of the American Indian cultures.

** “provided an opportunity for scouts to continue scouting past the age of 18″

You have to be a registered BSA member to be an active member of the OA. Young men over 18 can register as Unit College Scouter Reserve, become an assistant Scoutmaster or join Venturing.

** “secret initiation ceremony”

This has not been a secret since the mid-1980s— the term used is ‘safeguarded’. The OA attempts to keeps the ceremonies a mystery so as to not spoil the ceremonies:

“The Order of the Arrow, recognizing the attractiveness of the unknown,
utilizes the form of mystery. This shall not be interpreted, however,
as justifying the withholding of any information regarding the
Order from any person legitimately interested in investigating
its nature, purpose, or method. Nothing in the Order shall be
interpreted as interfering with any member’s religious obligation.
”

**”Within the overall association, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), there
are Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Venture Scouts, Varsity Scouts and Sea
Scouts,”

There are no Girl Guides or Venture Scouts in the US— the closest would be in Canada.

The BSA has three membership divisions with some subdivisions:
* Cub Scouting: boys first to fifth-grade; or, 7 to 11½ years
* Boy Scouting: boys 10 to 18 years
  *Varsity Scouting: boys 14 to 18 years
* Venturing: young men and women 13 through 21 years
  * Sea Scouting young men and women 13 through 21 years

The Order of the Arrow is the honor society for the Boy Scouting division, not the entire BSA. Venturing has an unofficial honor society called the Corps of Discovery.

**”refashioned their logo from the Stylized Indianhead,… to an arrowhead… However, the OA
website does not note the reason.”

http://www.oa-bsa.org/qanda/qa-07.htm

“We will adopt a new logo; one focused on the Arrow rather than the
Indian. The Arrow is easily the most recognizable symbol that has its
origin in our first ceremony. By taking the Arrowhead from the Arrow on
the sash as our logo, we unify our image and strengthen the identity
embodied in our name, the Order of the Arrow ”

Ed P., assistant Scoutmaster, Eagle Scout, Arrowman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic-serving_institution 

I think the interview linked to in the story goes into more detail about this.

Additonally, what about the increased in diversity? I think its great but eventually if the university were to only have 10% white students or something really low, would we then try and outreach to them? what is an ideal figure for the school? equal amounts of all?

Christ…

Please – don’t cut the service!

Nice recipe, Mikaela!

The author and the people they interviewed do make a valid point: It’s hard to have an interdisciplinary program structured as a department. In this day in age “interdisciplinary” morphs in to “competing priorities”. This is a time for change for UCSC and the UC system but not all of these changes need be for the worse. The discussions about these programs that have made UCSC unique aren’t just going to go away. Hopefully in the near future the university community will be able to find a new model for these programs that will allow them to flourish in “the new normal”.