What: Students, faculty and staff of the University of California, Davis, are being invited to renew their commitment to community at an event titled "A Call to Community." When and Where: Noon on Friday, May 18, on the West Quad on campus Audio and Visuals: * About noon, a carillon bell system from within the Memorial Union and then trumpets on the Quad will summon the campus to the event. * Individuals and campus organizations will be encouraged to sign pledges affirming the values expressed in the campus's Principles of Community and identifying actions they will take to fulfill their pledge. And they will be invited to express, on butcher paper, what community means to them. * Representatives of the first campus organizations to sign pledges will help plant three eight-foot crape myrtle trees on the West Quad. * Principles of Community excerpts will be displayed on large signs. * As part of a hate-free campaign launched at the event, buttons with the slogans "Hate stops with me" and "Respect starts with me" will be distributed. * The symbol being used for the event and the hate-free campaign it launches is a bright yellow hand with a white curl in its palm. According to organizers, Native Americans recognize it as a sign of peace, strength and friendship that also represents a warm and inviting environment. Who: Two undergraduate students will emcee the event. Speakers will include: * UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef; * President Tiqula Bledsoe of the Associated Students of UC Davis; * a spokesperson for the Graduate Student Association; * other representatives of the campus community; * and a representative of the city of Davis. Background: "A Call to Community" will focus on the importance of community and how faculty, staff and students -- individually and collectively -- can help foster appreciation for diverse cultures and backgrounds, different perspectives and civility. The event also will launch a hate-free campaign, organized by a subcommittee of the Task Force on Campus Community, and is one of several initiatives to address issues of campus climate following this year's incidents of violence and bias, incivility and tensions over the contested student election. "'A Call to Community' is not going to solve all of the campus's problems, but it will help to bring issues to the forefront," student Erica Alfaro, one of the coordinators of the hate-free campaign, is quoted as saying in a California Aggie story this week. Organizers said they hope to inspire personal responsibility for contributing to an inclusive and respectful campus community. The event will celebrate the campus's Principles of Community, an expectation of behavior adopted in 1990 and signed by representatives of faculty, staff and students. Individuals and campus organizations will be encouraged to sign pledges in support of the values expressed in the campus's Principles of Community and to identify actions they will take to fulfill their pledge. Representatives of the first student organizations to sign the group pledges will be asked to participate in the planting of three crape myrtle trees on the West Quad. Chosen for their symbolic value, the hardy trees with pink, lavender and white blossoms will stand as a living testament to the campus's appreciation of a diverse community, the event's organizers said. Following "A Call to Community," volunteers will distribute packets to campus departments to provide information and encourage discussion of campus community. With a cover letter from the chancellor and campaign organizer Alfaro, the contents will include: * a student government resolution and other statements in support of the goals of the event and the hate-free campaign; * a summary of initiatives related to campus community that are now under way or being planned for summer and fall implementation; * information prepared by Student Judicial Affairs on referral and reporting mechanisms for hate and bias incidents and crimes; * information on the Campus Violence Prevention Program, which provides educational programming and support services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and hate crimes; * information on other campus and city of Davis programs that foster community or respond to related problems; * and pledge cards like those to be signed at "A Call to Community." Directions and From Interstate 80 eastbound, exit at Richards Boulevard. At the end of Parking: the ramp, turn right and proceed over the Interstate and through the tunnel. From Interstate 80 westbound, exit at Richards Boulevard and proceed through the tunnel. At the stoplight, turn left onto First Street. Turn right onto B Street and follow it for several blocks to Fifth Street. At the stoplight, turn left onto Fifth Street. At the Howard Way stoplight, turn left into campus. Those other than television trucks and vans should park in the Parking Structure on the left. Television vans and trucks may check in at the information kiosk and then proceed through the gate into the core campus area. Once inside the gate, turn right and then left onto West Quad Road. Please park along the east curb of West Quad Road. Unmarked media vehicles should display press identification on the dash to avoid being ticketed.