Elyce Kirchner

As I turned a year older last week, I couldn't help but reflect on the last year. It’s been a time of change. As you may know, after 15-plus years of being a television reporter, I very suddenly left the business. I haven’t publicly talked about why, until now. Last March, I developed Sudden Hearing Loss (SHL) and lost the majority of the hearing in my left ear. At the same time, I developed tinnitus, which is a loud noise or ringing in the ear. My doctors believe a viral cold caused my SHL. Yep.

A petition created by a UC Berkeley alumna, who is calling for the removal of a professor accused of sexually harassing his research assistant, is gaining traction. Aarti Kelapure’s Care2 petition aims to gather 5,000 signatures. As of Thursday afternoon, 4,069 signatories had backed her in demanding that university officials fire professor emeritus John Searle and omit his name from a campus ontology center.

A petition created by a UC Berkeley alumna, who is calling for the removal of a professor accused of sexually harassing his research assistant, is gaining traction. Aarti Kelapure’s Care2 petition aims to gather 5,000 signatures. As of Thursday afternoon, 4,069 signatories had backed her in demanding that university officials fire professor emeritus John Searle and omit his name from a campus ontology center.