With all of our hopes for a brighter 2021, I found myself with a heavy heart yesterday, learning of the passing of a beloved Arts & Humanities student, Alondra Bandt, who was completing her final year of coursework toward a B.A. in Spanish. Alondra was killed in a car accident in Santa Rosa on Monday, January 4, 2021, along with her mother, Tomasa. Dr. Jeffrey Reeder writes that Alondra was “a ray of light brightening all of our lives, she was always wonderful and kind, and her presence lifted the spirits of those around her. Alondra had great hopes, dreams, and plans for the future — she was planning on continuing her education in graduate school as well as fulfilling her dreams of traveling and living abroad in Spain.” Our hearts go out to the entire Bandt family as we begin the process of ensuring Alondra will receive a posthumous degree.
Hollis Robbins, Dean
The troubling events yesterday — the storming and pillaging of the Capitol building in Washington DC and the dire increase in Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths here in California — put the death of a promising student in a larger perspective. It is going to take all of our efforts to build trust and faith in institutions of government both locally and nationally. It is going to take all of our efforts to make our institutions work. Our new Chancellor, Dr. Joseph Castro, wrote after the events yesterday, "The CSU — the country’s largest public university system — is preparing a new generation of diverse and ethical leaders who will help to strengthen our state and nation in the years to come.” This is our challenge and I am confident that all of us in Arts & Humanities — every student, faculty member, and staff member — will endeavor in our commitment to build a thriving and inclusive future.