2020

November 25, 2020

This section includes mentions of racism and sexual assault.

Feb. 6: The Cal Lutheran community receives an email from President Chris Kimball announcing two racist incidents including a video of a student using the n-word, and students allegedly in blackface.

Feb. 11: BSU spearheads conversations about racism at Cal Lutheran.

The lawyer representing the team who allegedly used blackface said no one involved with the team engaged in any activity wherein anyone was in blackface.

Black Student Union urges students to take a questionnaire on their biases in early February 2020. (File Photo by Gabby Flores – Photo Editor)

Feb. 18: Students participate in a walk-out for racial justice and discussions continue on campus as Board of Regents announce their special visit.

Hundreds of California Lutheran University students participated in a walkout Feb. 12 to call attention to the lack of action they feel administration has taken in response to two racist incidents that surfaced in early February. (File Photo by Isabella Breda – Editor in Chief)

Feb. 25: Students describe racism on campus to Board of Regents.

March 10: Faculty Senate calls on administrators to address the racial climate.

March 13: Cal Lutheran announces the upcoming transition to fully remote learning because of COVID-19.

March 24: Gill’s office vandalization investigation is found to be inconclusive, one year later.

April 27: President Kimball agrees to reopen the investigation on Gill’s office.

May 12: Angela Naginey is named as the university’s new Title IX Coordinator.

Angela Naginey, a university employee since 1997, was named the new Title IX coordinator earlier this year. (Photo by Isabella Breda – Editor in Chief)

May 20: Shaun Harper holds a final webinar with Cal Lutheran Faculty and Staff that leads to discussion in the Zoom chat.

August: Cal Lutheran’s partnership with the Coalition for Family Harmony begins.

Cal Lutheran’s new Campus Advocate Dahkotahv Beckham said he strives to connect survivors with a plethora of resources depending on the needs of the individual. (Contributed – Dahkotahv Beckham)

Sept. 1: President Lori Varlotta, the first female president at Cal Lutheran, begins her tenure.

Cal Lutheran President Lori Varlotta. (Contributed – the Office of the President)

Sept. 11: Some Cal Lutheran professors join a nationwide anti-racist teach-in.

Sept. 18: The People Of Color Collective sends a letter to administration asking for specific actions and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sept. 23: President Varlotta announces university is experiencing a revenue shortfall of nearly $24 million.

Oct. 1: Cal Lutheran lays off 17, furloughs 66 in effort to meet the shortfall.

Oct. 6: President Varlotta agrees to address POC Collective letter asks.

Nov. 3: The first Community Scholars for Black Lives are announced.

Throughout our research, many of our interviewees emphasized the hope that despite the ebbs and flows, Cal Lutheran would remain true to its core values of providing a student-centered education and offering a space for students to find their purpose.

“Looking at specific events, and some of the events that you are looking at, consider that they’re very short-lived,” Wines said. “They’re temporary things that were dramatic, and had reaction. But the most important thing about the school, the way I look at it anyway, is what’s going on day-by-day, year after year after year. That’s what’s important there. There’s chapel once a week–people can go to that. There’s a core there, it’s still functioning the way it did when the school started. And that’s what’s important.”

“But you know one of the things that I think has remained true is, you know, the emphasis on being student-centered,” Kuehnel said.

“So and we, we obviously feel God has a plan with this place, and he’s not done with it yet,” Lundring said.