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Mini-Controversy Over the UC Seal

Byuclafaculty
An alternative seal?

There seems to be a controversy simmering in the Daily Bruin about the UC seal.  No, it’s not quite as hot a controversy as the one that arose over the attempt to create a modern replacement for the seal last year.

Blog readers may recall that the proposal back then, when inverted, looked like the hindquarters of an elephant and was eventually dropped.

A graduating student complained that the seal, with “let there be light” from Genesis, was insufficiently secular.  He also objected to the star and the book on similar, too-religious grounds.

See http://dailybruin.com/2013/06/24/seal-does-not-reflect-academia-the-student-body/

To the defense of the seal comes Dr. Kathleen Moon, Publicity Coordinator, UCLA Department of Music, who says, “’Let there be light’ is indeed the English translation of ‘fiat lux,’ a Latin phrase from a creation story.  Many expressions derive from antiquity.  Should these be excluded merely because of their origin?  Creation is an entirely appropriate image for a community that searches for and creates new knowledge.  Whether that knowledge be divinely inspired or wrested from the world by our own efforts or something of both, that is left to individual interpretation.”  See http://dailybruin.com/2013/07/01/uc-seal-reflects-rich-history-tradition/

Can we kiss the seal controversy goodbye after this exchange?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIkUiD8N81k?feature=player_detailpage]

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