From the left, Claire Buss, Zoila Lara-Cea, and Kevin Sazo are three of seven hunger strikers entering their eighth day of protesting recent cuts to the Ethnic Studies department at UC Berkeley. Photo: John C. Osborn
Zolia Lara-Cea considers UC Berkeley home, and the staff and faculty in the Ethnic Studies department family.
On Tuesday, Lara-Cea, a third-year Ethnic Studies student, switched between studying material for an upcoming final and talking with joy about her long history with UC Berkeley outside of California Hall yesterday. Seven days without nourishment did little to crack her spirit, and, despite her fatigue and the speed with which her heart beat even after walking a short distance, she spoke with a clear, coherent purpose.
“Even though you’re physically hurting, you need to make sure your spirit is in good shape,” Lara-Cea said. “They’re [staff/faculty in department] part of our family. An assault on them is an assault on our family.”
Lara-Cea is one of seven people now entering their eighth day without eating to protest the controversial consolidation of Ethnic Studies with other social science programs, resulting in staff reductions and the demotion of faculty to half-time. Despite camping out on the lawn for a week, and issuing a set of demands, students have yet to reach a deal with administrators.(...)
Read the rest of UC Berkeley hunger strike enters eighth day (630 words)
By John Osborn. |
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