Joe Garrett ’70
I had just transferred to Cal, and I didn’t really know what to expect. On my very first day, I left Priestly Hall, walked a block to campus, and was standing at Bancroft and Telegraph waiting for the light to change.
Across the street was a preacher haranguing whoever walked past him, the Hare Krishnas were chanting, people were passing out fliers, and a flood of students were streaming onto campus.
When I crossed the street and started walking through Sproul Plaza, there were dozens of people sitting behind tables espousing every cause under the sun. A dog was splashing in the fountain, and someone was giving a speech on the steps of Sproul Hall. The campus was throbbing with life, and I knew that this was exactly where I was meant to be.
If it’s possible to love an institution, that’s when I fell in love with Cal.
