For many at UC Davis, three tragedies in the space of 12 days were more than just shocking. They shattered a belief that the campus is a safe haven from violence and death. Others say these events-a boat accident that claimed five lives in the Sea of Cortez, a 21st birthday drinking celebration that ended in death, and a violent stabbing of a student on campus-are isolated incidents that won't change the sense of community here. Dateline queried a number of staff and faculty members about what they were thinking in the aftermath of these high-profile events. Some were involved, others were bystanders. But they all had opinions about these questions: Have the serious incidents changed how they view UC Davis, and if they do believe the community's self-image was damaged, what can we do to help it heal? People were also asked, given these widely reported incidents, what should we tell those at a distance-alumni and donors, parents, and prospective students, staff and faculty-about what kind of place UC Davis is? Here are their comments: Sally Harvey, director of the Academic and Staff Assistance Program "It's legitimate to say that the world sorely intruded on the ivory tower at UC Davis. We don't expect these things. There are some lessons we should take to keep our sense of community during all times: o "Gather together and appreciate each other when things are normal and regular; enjoy them and learn from them in more than the academic sense. o "We don't want to wait until the bad occurs to bring us together. We need to be constantly aware of the importance of the community to us and others. Acknowledge and appreciate your colleagues on a daily basis. o "We need to remember that a gift of tragedy is to teach us to appreciate life as we experience it. Remember Patty West's line [during the Sea of Cortez memorial service], 'Go to paradise as often as you can'? I think the corollary is to make sure you create that paradise for yourself and those around you." UC Davis Police Chief Calvin Handy "We should remember that UC Davis and the city of Davis are essentially very civil communities when looked at over long periods of time. Statistically, violent crime comprises only about 1 percent of the overall crime reported to the two police departments annually. While there is crime in Davis to be sure, and some of it violent, it would be a mistake to begin to unintentionally suggest that these incidents somehow reflect a loss of control by our community and its institutions. Sometimes the unexplained happens. "There is no way to account for the situation involving the Baja expedition. It could not be foreseen. We will work hard to understand it and always remember those who lost their lives. The alcohol-related death and the stabbing assault of the respective students are equally tragic and have traumatized the campus community. These two incidents speak to our need to continue to educate and promote our values, principles and social responsibilities." Rocky Barrera, school services coordinator, Early Academic Opportunity Program, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services "Maybe my perspective is a little different since I am not a 'born and bred' Davisite. I don't even live in Davis, although I have worked for the university for 11 years. My work in outreach has taken me to many communities near and far that are very different from Davis. I feel that much of our campus has insulated or attempted to insulate itself from the 'greater community.' There are in fact very separate realities and a high degree of alienation between what I would call a privileged class of 'Davisites' and other members of our community who have experienced not quite as fortunate circumstances. "For those such as myself, these recent occurrences are not unusual or shocking in the least. The fact that they all happened so near in time and at Davis is unusual. Most would continue to believe that Davis remains a fairly safe environment and friendly campus." Bob Powell, professor of chemical engineering and materials science "For me the tragedy that has been most profound is that involving the Sea of Cortez. These were researchers familiar with their environs going about the business with which they were very familiar. The campus has acted in a very positive way to help us move beyond this terrible event, but the loss is enormous, and there will likely be echoes for a long time to come. The broader community is impacted in ways that it could never foresee by the loss of Polis in the intellectual life of the campus. "What we tell a wide audience is that these events are completely isolated from each other. Any one of these would have been a great blow to the campus. Having them occur in such a rapid fashion is extraordinary. But, we must recognize that Davis is a large university-25,000 students, 1,500 faculty and a large staff. We must seek to develop ethics and standards wherein none of these tragedies occur, but we simply do not and cannot control the actions of individuals." Leslie Campbell, senior associate director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services "I still feel Davis is one of the premier universities in the nation and provides a wonderfully supportive environment for students. It also offers a wealth of support and opportunity for employees. This is evidenced by the support systems that immediately went into action with each of these wrenching events and the number of units and individuals who were involved. "Most people recognize that this was an extraordinarily unusual time for the campus-one that I've not witnessed before in my 25 years on campus. I don't feel we've lost confidence or self-esteem, but I recognize this was a series of tragedies that can and do happen in life. "We will continue to acknowledge that Davis is a unique community-supportive for students and safe-and will reinforce the quality of our academic programs, with distinguished faculty and research opportunities for undergraduates. We also will continue to acknowledge, when asked, that drinking among college students is a universal problem, and that we are galvanizing campus resources to focus on education, information and, where necessary, supporting treatment for those with serious problems. "We will also reinforce that the stabbing incident was a domestic-violence case in the family-housing unit on campus. We'll also tell them about the rape prevention/violence prevention programs and women's support groups that the campus sponsors." Carol Miller, senior administrative analyst in the Office of the Provost and chair of the Staff Assembly "I've been on campus for 25 years, and I think this is the first time the campus has been hit with three such horrible incidents in a short period of time. Each by itself is a tragedy; when taken together they seem devastating. "However, I believe the incidents are truly three isolated tragic events, not a pattern of behavior for the campus and community. Viewed in that context, I think campus and community leaders have responded appropriately, and in ways that hopefully will reduce the chances that such incidents will occur again. "I think we continue to tell outsiders-and insiders-that UC Davis is a relatively small, tight-knit and safe community. But bad things do sometimes happen to good people, and how we deal with adversity reveals our true character. I choose to believe, as the Principles of Community state, that "we will strive to build a true community of spirit and purpose based on mutual respect and caring," through the good times and the bad. Mark McNamee, dean of the Division of Biological Sciences "The incidents do point out the value of sustaining a strong sense of campus community. Gary Polis and colleagues clearly touched the lives of many segments of the campus community. "I have come to realize that the lives of our students in the classroom and the laboratory are different from the lives of our students outside the campus. I hope we can find ways to gain a better feel for the total lives of our students." Michele Butler, immediate outreach coordinator for Undergraduate Admissions "I have not had a single question from students or parents regarding the recent tragedies. I believe our prospective students and their parents understand that they were accidents and greatly appreciate the interviews with our chancellor, who came across as very concerned and compassionate in Bay Area news reports. "The student who died from alcohol poisoning is viewed as an isolated incident brought about by a poor decision. At this point, I do not believe we need to worry about adverse reactions. I think there is actually a bit of empathy for us having to endure these extremely tragic incidents one right after the other." Donna Justice, editor of I.T. Times, Information Technology "I am very new to UC Davis but I have been working in Davis for nearly eight years (I live in Sacramento). My impression of Davis has always been that it is a safe, sleepy town, filled with people with above-average incomes and intellect. Honestly, my view hasn't changed. "I think the way the campus has communicated its response (through Public Communications) about the Baja incident has been just right. Those researchers were pursuing knowledge for the betterment of humankind. They were heroes and survivors. UC Davis should honor their contributions and ultimate sacrifice and be as supportive to their loved ones as possible. "As for communicating about the stabbing and the alcohol overdose, we should put them in the context that these are issues that all campuses are struggling with and that as a result of these tragedies, we have redoubled our efforts to educate students and to work with community leadership to address the problems." Charley Hess, professor emeritus of environmental horticulture "I view the three recent tragedies as isolated incidences rather than a pattern of behavior that should bring concern to the community or to parents and alums. In some ways it was fortunate that the national press was involved with other issues and did not focus on the UC Davis tragedies. I think the campus, including the UC Davis Public Communications Office, handled the incidents very professionally and sensitively. The take-home lesson is that such incidents can happen at UC Davis or with UC Davis faculty members and students on field trips. We must be sure that we think of worst-case scenarios and take reasonable precautions to prevent them." Bob Loessberg-Zahl, director of program planning and budget operations, Planning and Budget Office "I don't believe that the fact of these tragedies has at all compromised the quality of the campus community. Adversity is no respecter of virtue. Instead, I believe that we ought to judge ourselves and steer others to judge us on the basis of how we respond to adversity. "Therefore, I think it would be very productive to talk straight to each other about things the community can do to hold its members accountable on some very serious societal issues that transcend the campus (alcohol abuse, domestic violence)."