Power outage at UCSD
LA JOLLA, Calif. — A power outage affecting UC San Diego’s main campus and Jacobs Medical Center occurred at roughly 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. According to NBC, no injuries occurred as a result of the outage. A notification sent to students through the Triton Alert system announced that power was restored at approximately 6:27 p.m.
There is no known cause of the outage at this time. Messages UCSD sent out at 4:32 p.m. stated that police were aware that multiple buildings had inoperable elevators, and they were “prioritizing elevators with occupants in them.” Alerts sent to students also stated that backup generators were working at the time of the outage.
AS passes resolution recognizing May as AAPI Heritage Month
LA JOLLA, Calif. — On Saturday, May 31, Associated Students at UC San Diego announced the passing of the Resolution for the Celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Several college councils, including Warren, Sixth, Eighth, Revelle, and the Student Council of Eleanor Roosevelt College, adopted similar resolutions in solidarity.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Associated Students certified its efforts to celebrate AAPI communities.
“We recognize the invaluable contributions of AAPI communities, their resilience in the face of historic ongoing injustice, and the rich diversity that they bring to our campus,” the post read.
The resolution was sponsored by A.S. Sens. Daniel Sitanggang, Cameron Ettefagh,
Jonah Kravitz, Faisal El-Khouri, Cody Kim, and Executive Vice President Jacob Hoang.
The resolution emphasizes A.S.’s mission to stand in solidarity with AAPI communities in the face of injustices and declared that “the ASUCSD Senate and the aforementioned UCSD College Councils, do join together to formally celebrate this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
It also encourages the respective college councils and A.S. officers to ensure that the student body has access to the resolution to utilize at their discretion.
Immigration raid at local San Diego restaurant
SAN DIEGO — On Friday, May 30, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted a search and made several arrests at Buona Forchetta, a popular Italian restaurant located in South Park. The Department of Homeland Security told KPBS that ICE officials arrived at the restaurant around 4 p.m. with a criminal search warrant.
Just prior to the restaurant opening at 5 p.m., all 15 of the restaurant’s staff members on-site were put in handcuffs, including general manager Renato Ametrano. Most of those who were detained were released, but it is unclear how many workers were arrested — bystander accounts vary from two to four workers.
On May 31, the restaurant released an official statement via Instagram.
“At this moment, our priority is not public perception or headlines,” the statement read. “Our priority is our people. We are working closely with our attorneys to locate and support our detained employees and their families. We are also surrounding the rest of our team, who witnessed and experienced this event firsthand, with the emotional and mental health support they need.”
Armed ICE agents threw stun grenades at the crowd as bystanders yelled and surrounded the agents’ cars.
The San Diego Police Department responded at around 6:07 p.m., but ICE officials had left the scene by the time police officers arrived. In a statement to NPR, SDPD said it was not involved in the operation.
Mayor Todd Gloria shared his response to the incident in a statement to NBC 7:
“Federal actions like these are billed as a public safety measure, but it had the complete opposite effect. What we saw undermines trust and creates fear in our community. I raised these concerns and my strong objections directly with Homeland Security Investigations leadership this morning. I will continue to advocate for the respect, dignity, rights, and security of everyone in our city.”
President Drake appoints S. Jack Hu as new UC Riverside chancellor
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — On Wednesday, May 28, University of California President Dr. Michael Drake announced the appointment of S. Jack Hu as the new chancellor of UC Riverside. He will assume the role on July 15.
Hu was the University of Georgia’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost since July 2019. He was previously the University of Michigan’s vice president for research. Hu has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tianjin University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Hu will become UC Riverside’s 10th chancellor. His predecessor, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, retired in 2025, following his initial appointment in 2013.
Hu’s annual salary has been approved at $824,000. UC chancellor salaries currently range from $785,000 to nearly $1.2 million.
In a statement from the UC Office of the President, UC Board of Regents Chair and member of the search advisory committee, Janet Reilly, spoke on the appointment.
“On behalf of the UC Board of Regents, we are proud to welcome Dr. Hu as UC Riverside’s next chancellor,” Reilly said. “Dr. Hu’s reputation as a results-oriented team player makes him the ideal partner to bolster UC Riverside’s impact on students and the region through robust research, economic development, and community engagement.”
Harvard continues pushback against Trump administration during commencement
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Thursday, May 29, Harvard University hosted its 374th commencement ceremony amid legal battles with the Trump administration. The commencement took place after the University announced on April 21 that it would be suing the Trump administration for attempting to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification.
International students studying at Harvard are at risk of losing their visas amid the administration’s order barring enrollment of international students. President Donald Trump proposed that Harvard should reduce its international enrollment from 25% to about 15%. This could impact nearly 7,000 international students who await the verdict on their futures. The president of Harvard, Alan Garber, referenced the tensions as he opened the ceremony.
“To the Class of 2025, from down the street, across the country, and around the world,” Garber addressed the crowd as he opened his speech. “Around the world, as it should be.”
Dr. Abraham Verghese, bestselling author and professor at Stanford University’s department of medicine, was the commencement speaker.
“Proof of what makes America great, if I may use that phrase, is that it allows an immigrant like me to blossom,” Verghese said in his speech.
There is currently a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge against the Trump administration’s restriction of Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. This order is expected to be preserved until it can be replaced with a preliminary injunction, according to NBC.
