On Tuesday May 27, Troy Araiza Kokkinis, a graduate student-worker and aspiring performance artist, appeared for a mandatory meeting with UCSD Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) Assistant Director, April Bjornsen. UCSD OGS threatened Araiza Kokkinis with suspension if he did not show up for a meeting regarding “an incident” that took place on April 23 “in front of the Office of Graduate Studies.”
Araiza Kokkinis appeared for the meeting with roughly 25 fellow students and workers. They walked to the fourth floor of Student Affairs together and entered the OGS office. An administrator greeted the group and asked Araiza Kokkinis to proceed towards Assistant Director Bjornsen’s office for the meeting. Araiza Kokkinis refused, stating that the meeting should be held in public and that the “incident” was not an isolated conflict between himself and OGS. Bjornsen refused to hold an open meeting, claiming that public meetings did not fall under standard procedure.
Araiza Kokkinis remained firm in his position and did not enter into a meeting. A fellow student-worker proceeded towards Bjornsen offering an envelope addressed to OGS Director Kim Barrett, which consisted of two petitions: one signed in support of dropping all charges on Araiza Kokkinis, and another requesting the elimination of the 18 quarter limitation on TA employment, signed by 240 supporters.
Upon leaving from the Office of Graduate Studies, the students and workers posted a banner across the front of the office doors, quoting OGS Director Kim Barrett’s response to an email from a graduate student, in which the graduate student asked to meet with her regarding the problematic 18 quarter limit to graduate student employment. Bjornsen refused to accept the envelope.
Upon leaving from the Office of Graduate Studies, the students and workers posted a banner across the front of the office doors, quoting OGS Director Kim Barrett’s response to an email from a graduate student, in which the graduate student asked to meet with her regarding the problematic 18 quarter limit to graduate student employment. Bjornsen refused to accept the envelope.
Roughly an hour and a half later, Araiza Kokkinis received an email from Assistant Director Bjornsen with the following message:
"I am sorry that you chose not to meet with me today at 1:00 as originally scheduled. As a result I will convey via email what I had hoped to communicate to you in our meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an incident that was reported to me via the Student Conduct Office. A complaint was filed regarding an incident that occurred involving you on 04/23/14 around 3:30 PM near the front door of the Office of Graduate Studies. The Student Conduct Office deemed that while the incident did not rise to the level of a violation of the Student Conduct Code, it warranted a discussion with you, thus my request to meet."
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an incident that was reported to me via the Student Conduct Office. A complaint was filed regarding an incident that occurred involving you on 04/23/14 around 3:30 PM near the front door of the Office of Graduate Studies. The Student Conduct Office deemed that while the incident did not rise to the level of a violation of the Student Conduct Code, it warranted a discussion with you, thus my request to meet."
OGS swiftly moved from threatening to suspend Araiza Kokkinis if he did not appear to a meeting. Instead, Bjornsen reduced the severity of the action to borderline misconduct. After the action, Araiza Kokkinis reflected on his feelings using the words of Ice-T's 1990s hardcore project, Body Count, stating, "Goddamn, what a brother gotta do to get the message through to the red, white, and you?"
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