From the President
Democracy, Hope and Opportunities
Nov. 9, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
We have a president of the United States.
Until Saturday, it felt as though we were in suspended animation, even as we all tried to focus on our lives and work. For many of us, everything took place through a prism of waiting, with the incessant background noise of baseless accusations, active disinformation and lawsuits. And yet democracy prevailed.
I want to thank you for everything you did – individually and collectively – to participate and encourage participation in that democracy. Thank you to those of you in VIDA and the Public Policy School who worked to provide election information in a variety of ways, and those in HEFAS who registered voters. Thanks also to the instructors and staff members who helped organize discussions and activities that focused on important issues, including through the Arts and Activism event series as well as the information on the De Anza Votes and CivicsWatch webpages. Thanks to each and every one of you for voting.
I know there is much celebration among the De Anza College community. Yet clearly, there is much work to be done: in the United States, in California, in Silicon Valley. The politics of California – which, as someone who moved here over the summer, I am just beginning to learn – made for complex election results. There are deep divisions, but there is hope, and there are opportunities. I know that I look forward to doing that work with all of you, at De Anza College.
With appreciation,
Lloyd