Campus Referenda Voting Guide 2020
Campus elections are open until 11:59 p.m. May 20. Measure 74 — Sustainability Office Fee Amendment Students voted to fund the Sustainability Office in 2010 under Measure 45, which is scheduled to sunset in 2020. Measure 74 would extend this date to 2030. Funding for...
SUA Campaign Tactics Divide Candidates and Students
Student Union Assembly (SUA) candidates Bella Bullock, Chase Hayes and Simelia Rogers emailed over 7,000 students on May 11 asking for their vote in campus elections. SUA president Davon Thomas compiled the email list by searching common names in the UC Santa Cruz campus directory....
Relieving Food Insecurity During a Pandemic
There are 146 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two associated deaths in Santa Cruz as of May 13. One in five adults and one in four children in Santa Cruz County are food insecure, according to a study that was conducted by the Second Harvest...
Retailers Allowed to Reopen May 8
Retailers across California will be able to reopen with modifications that could involve curbside pickup, deliveries, physical distancing, masks and hand sanitizer beginning May 8. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcement on May 7 after the state experienced weeks of stabilized hospitalizations and intensive care...
Students Leave Santa Cruz but Their Leases Continue
When thousands of students signed yearlong leases for off-campus housing last summer, few could have foreseen any reason their stay in Santa Cruz would be cut short. But as the pandemic forced most of the student body to return home, student renters have found themselves...
Extended Census Deadline Opportunity to Revamp Outreach During COVID-19
Reminders to fill out the U.S. Census have probably flooded your mailbox for the last couple months, but as COVID-19 puts a halt on usual outreach tactics, Santa Cruz County census workers have restrategized to make sure as many people as possible fill out this...
Three Santa Cruz Hotels Contracted for Houseless Isolation
On April 3, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Project Roomkey, a statewide initiative aimed at securing up to 15,000 hotel rooms for houseless individuals. The state acquired 12,603 rooms and 1,200 trailers as of April 29. “This is something that’s going on all over the place,...
Despite Council Vote, Food Not Bombs Continues Providing Meals
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Food Not Bombs (FNB) only provided meals to the houseless community on weekends. Since Santa Cruz’s shelter in place order began on March 17, FNB has served about 100 houseless individuals for over 50 consecutive days. “The thing that’s very...
Santa Cruz Updates Shelter in Place Order
Beach restrictions reimplemented Santa Cruz County’s latest shelter in place order, issued April 30 and effective May 1, eases restrictions on movement by expanding the list of essential businesses. Santa Cruz Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel deemed landscaping, construction, plant nurseries, childcare and golf courses...
New Lab Brings COVID-19 Test Processing to UCSC
The UC Santa Cruz Molecular Diagnostic Lab opened its doors on May 1, becoming one of four facilities in Santa Cruz County capable of processing tests for COVID-19. The lab has the theoretical capacity to process upward of 800 COVID-19 test samples per day, though...