Beware the Surveillance Dragnet
A broken window. That is all the evidence the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) needed to gain access to 375 privately owned cameras, pointed at anyone crossing Union Square for seven days last summer. The blanket use of mass surveillance like third-party camera footage has...
How To Be A Better Journalist, According to David Hoffman
I was pretty nervous when I phoned David Hoffman last Thursday afternoon — to the point where I forgot to do all the things you’re supposed to when starting an interview: make small talk with the source, say a little on what your story’s about,...
The Temporary Outdoor Living Ordinance Offers No Solutions
Accessible and affordable housing has been a major problem in Santa Cruz for almost a decade. Yet, City Council has failed to create any policy that provides real solutions for the houseless community. The city has repeatedly torn down and swept housing encampments, which has...
Letter from the Editors: Statement in Solidarity with Asian Communities and Invitation for Submissions
Content Warning: Violence against Asian and Asian American communities, murder This past week we witnessed one of the worst attacks against diasporic Asians in the U.S. in recent memory. Eight people were shot and killed in Atlanta on Mar. 16 — six of whom were...
Financial COVID Relief From UCSC Has Been Few and Far Between for Students
In the next couple of months, UC Santa Cruz might be sending students a check to help with the burdens that come with the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the second time in a year that UCSC will have the chance to provide direct relief...
Submission: Law Enforcement Actions That Harm Rather Than Heal
On Jan. 6, we all witnessed a horrific event unfold on the news. Thousands of people who “disagreed” with the election results marched to the Capitol with violent intent. Armed with zip ties, nooses, metal batons, firearms, and stun guns, they pushed past the “thin...
Recent Anti-Asian Attacks Continue Centuries of Discrimination
As a Chinese international student walked into a CVS to place a money order, she was told to show her ID. Upon showing her Chinese passport, the cashier told her that CVS does not sell money orders to foreigners. This happened to my friend at...
Pirouettes and Plies Paused by a Pandemic
With one leg stretched along the three-foot barre, I looked over at the floor-to-ceiling mirror and wondered if my teacher would tell me that my toes weren’t pointed. I leaned over, connecting my hand to my foot for the stretch I noticed all the other...
Students Need More Mental Health Support
Content warning: This piece contains reference to suicide and mental health issues. “Get some exercise and stay optimistic.” This is the advice UC president Michael Drake gave for staying mentally healthy during the pandemic in a recent interview with the National Center for Free Speech...
Nationwide Blood Donation Shortages Expose Long-Held Homophobic Guidelines
With a nationwide blood donation shortage caused by COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted restrictions on men who have sex with men (MSM) to bolster the supply. Once COVID-19 shortages are over, these homophobic restrictions will be reinstated, unless the FDA creates a...