On Dec. 4, the membership of UAW Local 2865, the University of California-wide student-worker union, will vote on whether to answer Palestinian civil society’s call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. This call demands the Israeli state end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, end discriminatory policies against Palestinian citizens of Israel and grant […]
Category Archives: Opinion
Submission: Student leaders should prioritize immediate campus issues over divestment
Last month, we learned of the University of California’s plans to raise tuition up to five percent over the next five years – a potential 27.6 percent increase. There are few issues more pressing to students than the affordability of higher education and rising student loan debt. It was impressive to see student leaders from […]
Travis Fife: EVP should focus on financial transparency of UC, not Gov. Jerry Brown
As students at the University of California, we stand in a difficult middle ground between two massive institutions that determine our financial fate. On the one hand, we have UC leadership: UC President Janet Napolitano just executed a bold political move by passing a tuition increase plan in spite of a whole host of student […]
Aram Ghoogasian: USAC bylaw would undermine student interests
When governing bodies vote to make their guiding documents more lenient, red flags are rightly raised. The Undergraduate Students Association Council is taking just such a vote Tuesday. The student government will vote on a bylaw change that aims to clarify what constitutes a conflict of interest for sitting councilmembers. USAC President Avinoam Baral said […]
Submission: DAPA fails to provide comprehensive immigration reform
On Nov. 20, President Barack Obama announced a series of executive actions on immigration. His announcement came as the result of Congress’ inability to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill along with pressure from immigrant rights activists to reform the nation’s immigration system. The centerpiece of his executive actions is known as Deferred Action for […]
Casey Kovarik: Grand Challenges delay conveys need for small-scale sustainability
Only a year since its launch, UCLA’s Grand Challenges initiative is already behind schedule. Under the theme of “Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles,” UCLA announced the plan in November 2013 in hopes of achieving 100 percent sustainability in Los Angeles by 2050. The plan consists of numerous projects that aim for improvements in three […]
Editorial: President’s immigration plan leaves undocumented students vulnerable
President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration fail to provide real security for undocumented families despite providing expanded deferred action for certain undocumented persons in the United States. That lack of security undermines the stability of every family member’s life and compromises undocumented students’ access to higher education and their continued presence on college campuses […]