Still Here: One Chunk, Countless Ripples of Dissent

Embracing Intellectual Discomfort with Professor Roy Bauer (1955- 2023) 

Born in Newport Beach, raised in the heart of Mexico City’s La Colonia de Las Águilas until age four, and returned to California for an esophageal repair due to a congenital malformation, I learned early on about life’s unpredictability. Even at six to seven years old I found myself contemplating legacy. Wondering about what it would be like to be an old man looking back on life and fondly remembering it—thinking, “What could I do now that would make that older self proud to have lived in such a way?” When I joined Professor Roy John Bauer’s classroom, I met a foul-mouthed, charming kindred soul. 

Raised Catholic yet troubled by the arbitrary and inconsistent application of religious doctrine I witnessed growing up, I sought deeper understanding of the philosophical foundations underlying all world religions—ethics, morality, and logic. This search led me to Professor Bauer's Irvine Valley College classroom in the Fall of 2012, where he inadvertently ended up becoming one of the most impactful educators in my life. Satirical but with a deep and cutting wit that reminded me of Slavoj Žižek, Bauer’s personality and style was uniquely his own. I not only learned about fallacies and contradictions present in divine command theory, but also of Occam's razor, of embracing intellectual discomfort, challenging the status quo, and how to critically examine not just what we think, but how we are conditioned to think.

I can still remember sitting in that IVC standard tablet arm desk listening to him passionately lecture on how few people had the privilege of accessing meaningful education, and how all of modern civics would change if every student in the United States was required to take some sort of philosophy course in order to better understand logical fallacies, especially as it pertains to politics. He explained it with so much fervor and detail, showing us how many politicians often preyed on cognitive blind spots—and how we would likely never see either political side ever put down their rhetorical weapons—lest they be left without the means of striking back with their own fallacies in future political combat. These lectures have stuck with me for more than a third of my life now and critically shaped my worldview in ways I did not expect—but am grateful to have arrived at. As the saying goes, we stand on the shoulders of giants.

At the time, what struck me most was the contrast between his despondency and my youthful optimism. While he lamented the limited access to meaningful education, I believed change was inevitable—that each generation would surpass the last. Over the twelve or so years since leaving his classroom, I've come to understand his perspective. His observation about the deliberate separation of philosophy from practical disciplines like mathematics, medicine, and engineering revealed a systemic issue: educational institutions designed to produce specialized workers rather than fully reasoning human beings. Comprehensive education, he noted, remains a privilege of the wealthy.

This intellectual journey eventually led me to my undergraduate honors research thesis, “Bulletproof Education: Porrismo Estudiantil, the Paradox of School-Shootings in Gun-Controlled Mexico, and the Legacies of Scholastic Gun Violence in the Americas,” completed under the mentorship of Dr. Kent Eaton in the Politics Department at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Eaton’s expertise in territorial politics and his comparative analysis of Latin American governance provided the rigorous methodological framework that shaped my research. His scholarship on how territorial interests influence political outcomes—including democracy, development, and security—proved essential for analyzing how porrismo—a phenomenon regarding parastatal violence—operates within Mexico’s complex federal system. Moreover, Dr. Eaton’s extensive field experience across Latin America—including work in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay—brought invaluable regional context and depth to my investigation.

Inspired by Professor Bauer's conviction that truth-telling could transform society, and guided by Dr. Eaton's comparative methodology, I now dedicate my work to pursuing the truth and illuminating the path ahead so that others may see clearly—bringing attention to events and tragedies that may never see a day in court, but which through storytelling and rigorous academic investigation, may receive some modicum of justice in recognition and acknowledgment. Like Professor Bauer, I believe that exposing these mechanisms is essential for creating the meaningful change he envisioned—where education truly serves to develop fully reasoning human beings rather than mere economic functionaries, and where historical patterns of institutional violence can finally be understood and addressed rather than perpetuated in darkness.

Kristopher Lomelin-Orduna is a writer, researcher, and advocate whose work explores the intersection of education, politics, and justice. A 2024 graduate of John Lewis College at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he earned dual B.A. degrees in Politics and Legal Studies with Highest Honors in both, as well as Dean’s Honors. As a Koret Undergraduate Research Scholar, he completed his honors thesis, “Bulletproof Education: Porrismo Estudiantil, the Paradox of School-Shootings in Gun-Controlled Mexico, and the Legacies of Scholastic Gun Violence in the Americas,” under Distinguished Professor Kent Eaton, presenting his findings at the 2024 Koret Slam Symposium.

An avid surfer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Lomelin-Orduna balances his academic and professional pursuits with a passion for the ocean, martial arts, and the arts—dabbling in music production and visual media in his spare time. Currently preparing for the LSAT to pursue law school and a career in immigration law, Kris writes “the absurd advocate” on Substack, and is preparing to launch a second newsletter, “Wet Pack Surfing Co.,” reflecting his love for surf culture and storytelling. Inspired by the John Lewis College motto “Good Trouble Lives On,” he is dedicated to creative expression, community engagement, and the ongoing pursuit of truth and justice. He lives in Santa Cruz, California, where he writes daily and finds inspiration in the rhythms of the sea.