By now it may all be forgotten, but last Wednesday, as the news broke, it was shocking the entire nation, if not every campus in the country.
It was on all newsfeeds.
A stabbing spree at UC Merced?
Is that Berkeley?
Even in higher ed, most probably had no idea what UC Merced was or where it placed in the UC chain.
It’s about three hours from Berkeley in traffic, in what I call the red part of the blue state, California. 6,600 students. Tenth and newest campus in the system, it was meant to serve the most underserved in the state, the residents of the Central Valley.
The Valley is the forgotten part of California. Rich in ag, but not during draught. Residents tend to move to the coast (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego): for better weather, more opportunity, a semblance of glamor.
