denice denton

i never knew her personally, she went to UCSC after I had graduated but I was impressed by her because she was very proactive in advancing women and minorities in the scientists and was the first openly gay person and youngest to hold a chancelor´s position at the university of california. and when she was criticized publicly for certain decisions or demands she made during negotiations with the UC she was characterized very badly, in a kind of beastly, manly way that focused more on her sexuality and appearance.

i just found out that she died last saturday reading an email from president dynes. the email was very strangely oblique about her death and so i looked up more info. apparently she jumped from the 43rd floor of a high rise in san francisco and it has been ruled a suicide.

that blows my mind.

i´m not sure what i have to say about it right now, but it`s strange to be sitting here and read that. as an alum of UCSC i know about her and read about her often when i receive my newsletter. it just seems strange that someone so intelligent and a trailblazer as a woman and a scientist felt that things were so bad that leaping off a building was the solution. it´s very sad indeed and certainly forces me to put a LOT of things in perspective.

i´m always really saddened as well by the thought of those left behind trying to deal with what happened and in their own grief dwelling on what they could have done to prevent it. such a tragedy.