May 15, 2008 8:50 AM

Yoruba what?

Amidst the pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day, familiar traditions such as the faculty processing in in full academic regalia melded with more obscure customs. The chief marshall, for example, carried a beaded Yoruba staff selected for the ceremony, and Chancellor Gene Block accepted a gold medal while being installed in a position he has held for close to a year. What does it mean? Read on.

Why didn't UCLA inaugurate Block when it hired him last August?

Two reasons. First, UCLA chancellors have traditionally been inaugurated in spring. On a more practical level, not only does it take a long time to plan an inauguration ceremony, but the university also wants to ensure that the incoming chancellor weighs in on what kinds of individualized touches or events to include. This can be simple or it may be as complex as a multi-day academic symposium. Block's personal touch brought in several UCLA musical performances, from Folklorico dancers to a Brazilian drum ensemble.

Why does he get a medal?

The Chancellor's Medal is passed down from one chancellor to the next, and represents the authority of the office. Though the meaning is different, it resembles the golden UCLA Medal, the university's highest honor. Each chancellor actually receives two Chancellor's Medals — the one that is passed down from person to person and worn over full academic attire for ceremonial occasions, and a duplicate that is theirs to keep, even after leaving the office. UC President Robert Dynes presented the medal to Block at the inauguration, "as tangible evidence" of his powers and responsibilities.

Was that a Yoruba chieftain's staff I saw?

Many universities, including some UC campuses, have a university mace, or staff. From a tradition begun in the Middle Ages, the ceremonial staff symbolically embodies the university's authority. UCLA incorporated the tradition into the inauguration, despite lacking an official UCLA staff. Chief Marshall Michael Brown, chair of the University-wide Academic Senate, carried a staff from the Fowler Museum. The colorfully beaded wooden staff of office from Nigeria would have belonged to a king or chief of the Yoruba people. The staff would have appeared in ceremonies and given authority to a ruler's messengers.

1