Cecilia Lunaparra
Berkeley District 7 Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra reported that Berkeley faces a $30 million structural budget deficit, which may require departmental cuts and a sales tax measure. She highlighted upcoming council votes on police pepper spray reporting on March 10 and possible tear gas ban reversals. Lunaparra also urged students to apply for open seats on the Homeless Panel of Experts and Personnel Board.
passed by unanimous consent
moved by Yang,
seconded by
Reading
passed by unanimous consent
moved by Memon,
seconded by
Yang
7 more passed
moved by Beardsley,
seconded by
Stankovic
9 people spoke
Adan Souza, a Berkeley Law student affiliated with Cal Legal, spoke in favor of SR 25/26-058 regarding Peyrin. Souza argued from a legal perspective that Regents Policy 2301 was not violated because class curriculum was completed before any political discussion, warning that overenforcing the policy risks broader censorship.
Max Schlossberg spoke in favor of SR 25/26-058, condemning the suspension of a teaching assistant as an abuse of power and infringement on academic freedom. He urged the Senate to pass the resolution to protect free speech and prevent a dangerous precedent for students and faculty.
Aya, a graduate student and former student government member, urged senators to vote yes on SR 25/26-058 and go beyond symbolic condemnation by leveraging their access to institutional power. She emphasized that administrative discipline against faculty puts all students and faculty at risk.
A graduate student encouraged the Senate to pass the resolution and actively use their positions of power to fight for full reinstatement with full pay rather than stopping at a symbolic condemnation. They warned that allowing the suspension to stand sets a precedent for the University of California to penalize unfavorable legal speech.
Jaylen, an undergraduate and Jewish student, spoke in support of the resolution. They emphasized that criticizing Israel and opposing genocide is not antisemitic and urged senators to vote yes.
Yusuf Karan, President of the Muslim Student Association, spoke in support of Peyrin Kao, praising him for demonstrating ethics and advocating for Muslim students on campus. He also criticized the university for lack of transparency and for silencing student organizations, specifically citing the cancellation of a Black Palestinian Solidarity Panel.
Ayla Surdi, a visibly Muslim undergraduate at UC Berkeley, spoke in favor of the resolution. She argued that supporting it protects free speech, moral ethics, and marginalized students who face discrimination on campus.
Jenna, a data science major who took Professor Karen's CS51B class, urged the ASUC Senate to support the resolution demanding his reinstatement. She praised his teaching quality and commitment to students during his hunger strike, arguing that suspending him without pay undermines free speech and devalues his contributions to the CS department.
A computer science student spoke in support of Professor Pan Tao (Perrin) and the resolution, praising his dedication as an instructor and advocating for more ethics requirements in STEM. The speaker asserted that university administration suspended him to protect corporate and defense sector interests that influence course materials.
Senator Selina Mendez thanked the public commenters for speaking and advocating. She highlighted the critical role of ethics in STEM education, referencing coursework like Data 8 and Computer Science.
Senator Alrai thanked the Center for Policy for helping write the bill and echoed public comments regarding the impact of repression on academic freedom, emphasizing the importance of the resolution.
Vice President Isha Chander encouraged attendees to attend an upcoming meeting with the chancellor to demand administrative accountability. She thanked organizers and student leaders for supporting the legislation and reminded elected officials to leverage their seats for student advocacy.
