Last weekend our varsity basketball teams and their parents and coaches visited Skid Row to deliver the clothes, blankets, shoes, and other goods to men and women living on the downtown streets. They had collected those items from us all at the flag pole over the past four weeks, as part of the Basketball Closet program initiated by Assistant Athletic Director Coach Harvey Kitani.
One of our Husky parents found himself in charge of distributing shoes. A man wearing two unmatched left shoes approached the shoe table and, after a quick survey, found no shoes to fit.
"What size do you take?" asked the Husky dad.
"Size 12."
"That's my size too. Here, take my shoes."
At Thursday's morning meeting I contrasted that Husky moment, and the attitudes it reflects, with some of what we have endured during the past several months of presidential campaigning. No surprise that we have endured tension on campus in the past months and of course, in the past few days.
I offered the following as an attempt to guide us all during demonstrably divided times:
Dear Huskies
With great respect and appreciation for each of you and for the community we inhabit, and for your individual views and perspectives in this moment and in general . . .
We find ourselves in interesting times, and we can take comfort in, and good energy from, one another and in the common values we share.
We acknowledge that, after the election, we are, variously, delighted, disappointed, angry, happy, confused, and/or scared.
So . . .
How do we talk to each other and our children about this diversity of feeling?
We remind ourselves first that we will respect the outcome of the election. From George Washington on down, our transitions of power have been peaceful, if not always friendly. Such transitions remain a novelty in many other countries. We must not take that for granted.
And we look to the Husky Pledge that declares we must "respect ourselves and others" to remind ourselves that, whatever our political leaning, we will not tolerate bigotry. We will stand by each other on and off the Husky campus.
- We respect those with differing political views at the same time as we argue our points and our reasons for agreement and disagreement.
- We respect all skin colors.
- We respect all religions and those who choose not to follow formalized religion.
- We respect both genders.
- We respect traditional and non-traditional parenting, including same-sex families.
- We respect hetero and LGBTQ students and adults.
- Respecting each other is part of respecting ourselves. Respecting ourselves is part of respecting each other.
- As we move into the next few days and on into the next four years we must always resist temptations to cast those with whom we disagree as idiots, demons, or less than human. We must resist name-calling.
And I want to assure our children that they are safe. The checks and balances inherent in our three-branch federal system help to insure that the most radical, some might say extreme, suggestions that are floated by presidential and other candidates in campaigns are almost always tempered, and sometimes abandoned . . . even when one party controls all three branches. There are interesting conversations to be had here concerning, variously, "getting things done," "stagnation in Washington," "campaign promises," and "the nature of compromise," to name just a few.
We have a range of opinion on this campus: part of our beautiful and proud diversity: let's listen to each other and learn what we know or think, and what we think this will mean to their future.
"You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked in their shoes."
Grandparents' and Friends' Day
Thanksgiving Break
Cameras Needed! 
