The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Tuesday, February 6, 2024
VOL. 72, ISSUE 15
NEWS
est. 1954
YDSA ORGANIZED PETITION DELIVERY TO THE CHANCELLOR’S CABINET.
Petition to remove Starbucks from UCR circulate on campus BRENDA JOVEL AND SENNA OMAR Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
Approximately two dozen University of California Riverside (UCR) Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) members gathered outside Hinderaker Hall chanting “F*** Starbucks,” “What’s Disgusting? Union Busting,” “People over Property” on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. These YDSA members delivered a petition titled, Boot Starbucks from the University of California Riverside (UCR) campus, which has garnered over 780 signatures to Gerry Bomotti, the Vice Chancellor of Planning, Budget and Administration. Following the petition delivery, UCR YDSA members joined Providing Opportunities, Dreams and Education in Riverside’s (PODER) protest against Regents decision on Regents Policy 4407: Policy on Equitable Student Employment Opportunities. For more
information about this protest, turn to page three. The petition was addressed to UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, Executive Director of Real Estate Services and Asset Management Thomas Toepfer and Vice Chancellor of Planning, Budget and Administration Gerry Bomotti. The petition called on Chancellor Wilcox and Executive Director Toepfer to “end UCR’s licensing agreement with Starbucks and invite a local or student-run business to replace Starbucks at Glen Mor. YDSA’s goal was to present the petition to Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox. While this was the goal, the petition was instead delivered to Vice Chancellor Bomotti who agreed to respond to the student’s concerns within a week after the administration had the opportunity to “educate ► SEE STARBUCKS PAGE 4
OPINIONS
MATA ELANGOVAN / THE HIGHLANDER
THE REGENTS’ POSTPONEMENT OF POLICY 4407 IS AN ACT OF CAVING TO POLITICAL PRESSURE.
UC’s commitment to lifting bans on legally hiring undocumented students is an empty promise THE HIGHLANDER EDITORIAL BOARD
After years of pressure to remove restrictions on the hiring of undocumented students, led by The Opportunity for All campaign, a group of students and UCLA law professors, the University of California suspended implementation of the plan for one year in a crushing vote last week. In comments following the Regents meeting, UC President Michael Drake remarked that the plan was “inadvisable” with “substantial risks” to the University of California due to legal ramifications of federal law, notably the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 that bars employment of undocumented immigrants. President Drake’s statement contrasted with the position of activists and legal scholars who had developed an alternative legal theory that argues that the U.S. congressional ban does not apply to states or UC since it does not explicitly mention them. Voting 10-6 to retain a ban on the hiring of undocumented students, UC officials showed they are more concerned
with perceived legal, political and financial risks and less with the welfare of their students. UC must keep its word and allow undocumented students to work legally on campus. Approximately 4,000 undocumented students attending the ten UC campuses are barred from legal employment, including paid fellowships, residency jobs and research opportunities. Due to these bans, undocumented students lose the valuable opportunity to gain work and research experience that is necessary in a job market where employers expect more than just a college degree. Building resumes, gaining work experience and career networking are essential for a successful transition into the work field, especially for the majority of undocumented students who face additional barriers as first-generation and low-income students. Instead, students without legal status are forced to look for alternative income and career options outside of campus — a frankly
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
► SEE EDITORIAL PAGE 5
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