Welcome to Virtual Picnic Day!

As we bring an unprecedented academic year to a close, we invite you to consider the assertion made by award-winning writer, Arudhati Roy, that “the pandemic is a portal.” The prompt we like to pose in our restorative justice circles is “If the pandemic is a portal, I am moving away from [insert what you are moving away from] and I am moving toward [insert what you are moving toward]. In considering the 2021 Picnic Day theme—Discovering Silver Linings—we would like to make the declaration “We are moving away from survival mode and moving toward finding ways to thrive.” We look forward to thriving with our UC Davis community as we navigate a safe return to campus.

Chancellor May’s charge to “outgrow the expected” not only guided us as teachers and researchers this academic year but in our personal lives as well. We are proud to share this day with you-even virtually-making it accessible to friends and family who, perhaps, have been unable to participate in this campus event in the past.