Editorials

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau

CAMPUS ISSUES: As UC Berkeley prepares to welcome a new chancellor, students should respect the legacy that Chancellor Birgeneau leaves behind.

Birgeneau Press Conference
Derek Remsburg/Senior Staff

During Robert Birgeneau’s nearly nine years as the chancellor of UC Berkeley, he led the campus as it weathered an unprecedented challenge. While the state slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from the University of California’s budget, he fought to maintain the quality of education at this institution against all Read More…

Editorials

A deplorable delay

CITY ISSUES: Berkeley Police Department seriously mishandled communication following a death in its own custody.

Berkeley Police Department made a serious mistake in delaying the release of the autopsy report from the death of Kayla Moore — one which reflects poorly upon the department’s communication tactics. Moore, a 41-year-old transgender Berkeley resident, died of an accidental drug overdose while in police custody in February, but Read More…

Editorials

Education democratization

CAMPUS ISSUES: The university needs to ensure academic research is openly accessible to members of the general public regardless of status.

The University of California has done the right thing in joining the nationwide open access movement by officially coming out April 26 in support of California state assembly bill AB 609. AB 609, which was introduced to the state assembly in February, aims to make results of government-funded research freely Read More…

Editorials

Let’s talk about quotas

CITY ISSUES: The city should work harder to hear local business input when making vital decisions on where businesses can operate.

Berkeley City Council made the right decision Tuesday in choosing to defer a vote that could determine whether and where certain businesses can operate on Telegraph Avenue. Before the vote is taken, the city needs to do more to involve the area’s business owners in this important discussion, which could Read More…

Editorials

Divestment quid pro no

CAMPUS ISSUES: Events surrounding the ASUC Senate’s passage of SB 160, including a disgraceful deal offer from a senator, cast a pall over the campus.

If ASUC Senator Jorge Pacheco truly wanted to settle charges against President Connor Landgraf, he should have done it the right way. Attempting to thwart the democratic process instead and influence Landgraf’s decision on whether to veto the ASUC Senate’s controversial divestment bill was wildly inappropriate. Elected representatives of the Read More…

Editorials

Abandon SHIP

UNIVERSITY ISSUES: Following the recommendation of student leaders, UC Berk eley should withdraw from the UC Student Health Insurance Plan.

In theory, the UC Student Health Insurance Plan’s benefits should outweigh its costs. But in practice, they don’t. For this reason, UC Berkeley should withdraw from the systemwide plan and revert to managing its own health coverage for its own students. SHIP was supposed to unite all UC campuses under Read More…

Editorials

CalSERVE’s call to action

CAMPUS ISSUES: After a remarkable comeback in the 2013 ASUC election, the CalSERVE party is poised to positively impact student life.

The CalSERVE party’s domination of this year’s ASUC election represents a pivotal moment for UC Berkeley’s student government. For the first time in four years, the next student body president is not from Student Action. For the first time in three years, the next senate does not contain an 11-member Read More…

Editorials

The divestment dilemma

CAMPUS ISSUES: The controversial divestment bill passed by the ASUC Senate this week should have been crafted in a more inclusive manner.

On Wednesday night, members of the UC Berkeley community continued a proud campus tradition of speaking out against injustice. People with diverse opinions about an ASUC Senate bill that calls for divestment from companies tied to human rights violations in Israel agreed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs resolution. Yet, in Read More…

Editorials

Aquatic promise and conflict

CAMPUS ISSUES: The new aquatic facility planned for Bancroft Way is a good idea, but it needs to first resolve issues of land use and parking.

Plans to construct a new aquatic facility at UC Berkeley are welcome, but the project needs to solve conflicts with city planning before breaking ground. The $15 million facility is set to be constructed adjacent to the Tang Center on Bancroft Way in order to take some pressure off the Read More…

Editorials

Improved ASUC elections

CAMPUS ISSUES: The intent of CalSERVE and Student Action to not withhold charges against each other is positive election development.

The ASUC elections are becoming fairer. Recent indications that the CalSERVE and Student Action parties will not continue an old practice of agreeing not to pursue charges against each other is encouraging, though the tradition should have been eliminated long ago. Still, it is the latest instance of what appears Read More…