[ASA_PEWS] Dennis Loo: Presente!

[Alessandro Morosin]

PEWS Colleagues:

I am saddened by the recent passing of Dennis Loo. I doubt he was
professionally involved in PEWS, but I wanted to bring his legacy to your
attention. In addition to working with Dennis personally on different
political initiatives over the years, I've always taught students sections
of his book "Globalization and the Demolition of Society" (you might
recognize the title as a Karl Polanyi quote). Dennis was a lifelong
anti-imperialist who made a huge difference via teaching, blogging, working
with Project Censored, and giving numerous speeches at demonstrations (many
of which are on youtube). He always wanted to bring complex radical theory
to the public, and he was very proficient and warm while doing this. His
perspective was always global and internationalist.

This statement was recently published by Cal Poly Pomona:

https://www.cpp.edu/class/news/articles/2021-04-01-dennis-loo-in-memoriam.shtml

In Memoriam: Dr. Dennis Loo, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Cal Poly
Pomona.

April 1, 2021

[image: Dr. Dennis Loo]

Dr. Dennis Loo, was born July 7, 1951, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He passed away
March 6, 2021, at La Jolla Scripps Memorial Hospital. Dennis suffered from
Multiple System Atrophy for many years but passed away peacefully in his
sleep. As he left this world, he was listening to Hawaiian music played on
a cell phone by his nurse. He is survived by his wife Barbara and son
Stefan.

Upon graduating from Punahou School, Dennis traveled five-thousand miles
east to attend Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree
with honors in Government. It was at Harvard that his career as a
journalist and activist began, having been exposed to the protests of the
1960s. There is a letter that Dennis penned to the *Harvard Crimson*, dated
May 6, 1971, that reveals the character that so many of his friends and
colleagues came to admire about him: that he was a person of action and
fearless advocate for student-centered education. In his letter, he penned
a list of demands that highlighted the importance of serving all students,
especially those who were underrepresented. “End the discrimination against
women, minorities, and radicalism in admissions, hiring, granting of
tenure, and course offerings,” read one of Dennis’s seventeen demands, a
testament to his perpetual need to reimagine possibilities for higher
education.

After Harvard, Dennis returned home and worked as an editor and
photographer for the *Hawaii Observer*, and he taught in the University of
Hawaii’s Ethnic Studies Program. He eventually made his way back to the
mainland to pursue his Ph.D. In Sociology at University of California-Santa
Cruz, earning a prestigious paper award from the Society for the Study of
Social Problems. Dennis began his career as a professor at California State
Polytechnic University-Pomona in the Behavioral Studies Department (which
later became the Department of Psychology and Sociology, and then
eventually the Department of Sociology). During his tenure as a professor,
he would pen groundbreaking books, including *Impeach the President: The
Case Against Bush and Cheney* (2006) and *Globalization and the Demolition
of Society* (2011). He was a passionate and rigorous instructor, having
taught everything from Introduction to Sociology to Classical Theory to
Political Sociology to Criminology. Dennis’s political activism transcended
the page and the classroom. When asked to share their favorite memories of
Dennis, many of his beloved colleagues recalled the time they’d see him at
anti-war protests and demonstrations, speaking out against the dangerous
afterlife of U.S. wars and empire.

When Dennis passed, his friends at the University shared beautiful
memories: his infectious laughter; his love of theory and social movements;
the everyday conversations; his deep love and connection to Hawaii; his
brilliant wide-ranging knowledge; his passion for environmental and
diversity issues; his charming little companion Sasha; his avid interest in
horse racing; his ability to challenge his colleagues and his students to
think critically; his courageous life and teaching; sharing family stories
and jokes during carpool rides; his Santa Cruzer identity; his unwavering
activism at Cal Poly Pomona, the Cal State University system, and beyond;
his retirement speech, full of reflection, humor, and gratitude; his
willingness to ask for support, like the time he asked for origami paper to
help his hand-eye coordination; his willingness to speak out for others;
the wisdom he’d so willingly share in the department hallway; watching him
enjoy his apples and avocados at department meetings; the joyful moments
shared with Dennis’s wife Barbara and son Stefan; and above all, his
friendship.

In this year of unspeakable loss, Dennis will always stand out as a model
for a life well lived. May the brilliance and kindness he has imparted on
those who had the privilege of knowing him live on. He will certainly be
missed.

*E hoʻomaha me ka maluhia. Moe ka ma maluhia lani (Sleep in heavenly peace.
Rest in peace.)*

-- 
Alessandro Morosin
Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology, DePauw University
PhD, Sociology, University of California-Riverside
M.A., Global and International Studies, University of California-Santa
Barbara