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Voices from the Archives
The following are creative works submitted by students as part of the Tell Us How UC It project in 2016. These materials offer an in-the-moment expression of community sentiments and personal experiences and perspectives of the campus climate. The accompanying descriptions and biographies were written by the students and have been taken directly from the living archive.
ELECTION NIGHT \ ANAIS PICHARDO
Pen drawing, 11 x 8.5 inches
This work depicts the protests that erupted the night of the election shortly after it became evident that Donald Trump would be our next president.
Anais Pichardo is a freshman attending Sixth College. She grew up in New York and lived in Pennsylvania until she moved to San Diego to attend UCSD.
CONSUMPTION \ ANONYMOUS
Drawing and essay
Asian students in America are taught that all Asians, no matter their circumstances, are expected to be smart. For those who rise to the top of their grade, this belief is a source of pride. For those who are mediocre, this belief is a burden that criticizes them. For all of us, the belief in the model minority creates a constant fear of slipping grades and letting grades rule our lives.
An American-born Vietnamese student from San Jose.
REACH \ ALLIE PAI
Digital art, 656 x 685 pixels
The hands represent the community of UCSD and the impressions I have of UCSD… There are hands reaching out in a friendly, welcoming way; there are closed fists; there are hands pointing at me to exert pressure or to accuse. The hands are full of color, showing the diversity of the people I have encountered. Their colors blend together.
I am a freshman at UCSD. I am a fourth generation Korean-American girl. I have anxiety and get no sleep. Haha... I’m so tired.
LIFE AT UCSD \ ANONYMOUS
Drawing
Reading from Angela Kong’s “Re-Examining Diversity Policy at UCSD”
This represents how I feel at UCSD. Some of these words are also aspects I have observed about the school and its student body.
FRIENDS AT UCSD \ MELISSA CASTRO
Ink painting, 22 x 28 inches
This piece is more of a positive take on the climate at UCSD. I have made so many friends while attending this school, even though as a transfer student, I have spent less time here. The art department is a very tight-knit community and I feel very close to my peers. Though there are many possible institutional critiques I could have focused on for this project, I chose to do something more positive in nature.
My name is Melissa Castro, and I am a senior studio art major at UCSD. I transferred here from a San Diego community college. I was born and raised in San Diego and have made art all my life. One day, I plan on becoming an art teacher.
ONE AND THE SAME \ BRIANNA ALDERMAN
Painting, 5 x 7 inches
This piece was inspired by the messages of peace and love that were written across campus in response to the words of hate that were written down Library Walk and in front of the Raza Resource Center.
This piece exhibits individuals from different ethnic backgrounds coming together to form one group.
SHH \ ISABEL RICKER
Photograph and essay
This entry reflects my changed view of the campus climate after completing my CAT course revolving around migration and cultural tension in the U.S.
I am a freshman here at UCSD, new to the campus. I am currently a speculative design major at Sixth College.
UNITED \ WENJIA SHEN
Drawing
I see different people unite together on campus. They are in different positions, but they have the same goal. They all want freedom and justice. I think UCSD has achieved this goal, or it is achieving it.
First-year UCSD international student from China.
BENEATH THE SURFACE \ ANONYMOUS
Drawing
The drawing tries to portray how the people of UCSD possess a multitude of qualities and differences that one generally can not see on the surface. Having only been at UCSD for nine weeks, I have come to realize that a lot of people here, including me, don’t really take the time to get to know people on a deeper level. This has led us to make assumptions about others that may not necessarily be true, which may have led to even further misunderstandings. And such an idea is what I wanted to portray with my drawing.
I am a first-year international student from Taiwan. Although I went to an American education-based school, I didn’t really interact with a group of people as diverse as that of the UCSD community. This has led me to reflect on how I should interact with people who are different from me.
UNTITLED MURAL \ THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE STUDENTS
Paint on canvas, 78 x 72 inches
Countless Marshall College students contributed to the creation of this mural in the spring of 2010 as part of a Visual Arts Department installation. The project was spearheaded by Demetra Matin (Marshall College intern) and Justin Glover (student activities coordinator). In 2017, the mural was included in the Tell Us How UC It exhibit in Geisel Library.
HOW I SEE UCSD \ TIFFANY HUYNH
Sheet music and essay
Although I have only been at UCSD for a few months, I have felt so many different feelings: happiness, love, stress, confusion. I have seen people come together as a single body, but I have also seen them divided. Being at UCSD as a first-year has opened my eyes to a larger, more “real” world. Driven by my passion for music, this piece reflects the multitude of emotions that I have felt and will continue to feel during my time here for the next few years.
I am a Chinese American first-year at UCSD, majoring in physiology and neuroscience. While I love science, I also have a passion for music. In my free time, I enjoy playing the piano and violin.
MIXED MESSAGES \ KAITLYN RITCHEY
Photographic collage and essay
Artwork is a collage of photographic recreations of chalk messages left around campus. The writing discusses my impression of the campus climate.
Freshman at UCSD participating in CAT: Migration Narratives.
DIVERSITY \ ANONYMOUS
8-page digital comic, 8.5 x 11 inches
TUCKED AWAY \ EMILY SINGER
Graphite, sumi ink, colored pencil and marker on paper, 14 x 17 inches
Tucked Away is a series of three mixed-media drawings of locations on the UCSD campus that are hidden gems. None of these locations are in plain sight; they have to be found.
Many students feel that the school environment at UCSD can be very stressful. Luckily, there are many tucked-away places that students can go to get a breath of fresh air and relax between classes or study sessions. In these drawings, man-made structures are present but the viewer still gets the sense that they are surrounded and sheltered by plants or trees.
Emily Singer is a third-year at UCSD majoring in visual arts studio and minoring in Chinese studies originally from Santa Monica, California. Her work is inspired by Japanese comics and animations, folktales and mythology, as well as the art scene of the Los Angeles area.
