Almost one year ago, The UCSD Guardian published a satirical piece in its “DisreGuardian” special edition imagining a world where UC San Diego “anti-woke-ified” Thurgood Marshall College’s dorm names. This world has now become the reality.

Only six months after the original satire article was published, Marshall College administration, in conjunction with the University, transitioned Marshall’s existing housing into redesignated spaces — residential housing that does not belong to any college, akin to the Rita Atkinson Residences — as part of its Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood construction project. In June 2023, the University began the first half of the RWNLLN pitch: demolishing the Marshall Lowers. This past Fall Quarter, it officially renamed the Marshall Uppers and Residence Halls to the Pangea Apartments and Residence Halls, removing the buildings’ social justice-themed names — Grassroots, Human Rights, Justice, Knowledge, and Movement.

In an interview with The Guardian, Amber Vlasnik, Marshall dean of student affairs, explained the change:

“These were decisions we made, going, in some cases, years ago, because at Marshall, we are always carefully balancing our history and our alumni with the present moment and our future.”

Vlasnik shared that the change was mainly meant to clarify to students that these apartments and residence halls are no longer operated by Marshall College. The Pangea Apartments now only house transfer and upperclassmen students and are currently operated by Residential, Retail and Supply Chain Services, who also oversee the UCSD Bookstore, Housing, Dining and Hospitality, and other UCSD student services.

Marshall College was founded in 1970 and strives to uphold values centered on social justice and community involvement, in honor of its namesake Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. As any Marshall student can attest, the college’s values are apparent in everything, from its student-named buildings to its signature programs — including its Partnership Schools Program through which students volunteer at schools in underserved communities.

For some students, preserving Marshall’s values amid the changes on campus is a priority.

“Even if the buildings are changed, the values are still there, the history is still there,” Marshall third-year Anya Baphna said. “I hope that new students know about it and are still taught what we were taught.”

Vlasnik also emphasized the importance of continuity, noting that building Marshall’s community remains central to the college’s mission, even as it adapts to new spaces.

However, Baphna was concerned that she was not informed of these changes, despite living in the Marshall Uppers last year. It wasn’t until a couple days ago that she found out.

“I would say I’m disappointed,” Baphna said. “Last year, I lived in Knowledge, and although they’re just building names, I feel like it was part of our community. They were known as the Marshall Uppers, and even if they’re just building names, I feel like they subconsciously reminded us of Marshall College values.”

Vlasnik explained that Marshall College gathered input from students, alumni, and staff in an effort to incorporate as many perspectives as possible. These committees selected new building floor names, furniture for new residential and college spaces, and sifted through archival graphics for inspiration on art installations in the buildings.

Vlasnik emphasized the college’s commitment to balancing its rich history with present needs and future goals.

“We’re all working really hard to live into these spaces and this new footprint, and to build a community that feels familiar to those who have been here — like our Marshall students [who] have been here for a while — and [one] that is really welcoming to our newest students,” Vlasnik said.

So, to circle back to the question posed a year ago: Was Marshall “de-wokified”? The answer appears to be no, even as the college continues to navigate physical and administrative changes.

Vlasnik hinted that students can expect more changes at Marshall College in the coming year. While some are already planned — such as relocating the Voice Courtyard mural in Pangea to the new Voices Courtyard between the Alianza and Umoja buildings — others are still in development.

“We can do [these projects] in a way that includes many voices and honors the vision and the hope of the project, not just trying to get it done quickly,” Vlasnik said. “So, [we’ll] take our time to do it, to do it well, to do it right.”