Twelve UC Santa Cruz students from the school’s CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group) chapter will meet with Senator Diane Feinstein on Friday, March 12 at her San Francisco office to tell their healthcare horror

stories. They will present her with a 5 foot tall “Get Well Soon” card filled with over 200 stories from individuals who have felt the wrath of an unjust healthcare system. In a March 8 press release, the group said, “UCSC

students have been greatly affected by the lack of health care reform and are tired on inaction in Washington D.C. It is critical that legislators hear from their student constituents on this issue which usually thought of as an issue affecting primarily the elderly and those with families.”

In the last week of February, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County announced that they were dropping SB 211, a piece of state legislation that would have allowed Santa Cruz County to put a measure on the ballot to create and open space district. The Land Trust has been working toward establishing an open space district (an area with protected scenic lands, water supply and productive farms and forests) for years, but has decided that they jumped the gun on authoring the legislation for it. “By withdrawing the proposed legislation, we are able to go back to the drawing board and rethink our way forward,” said Executive Director Terry Corwin in a Feb. 26 newsletter.

La Selva Beach resident Ronald Schusterman, best known for his research on the hearing, vision, and cognitive abilities of marine mammals, died on Feb. 11 at the age of 77. Throughout his life, Schusterman had many notable achievements, among them was helping debunk the idea that pinnipeds use echolocation and demonstrating that sea lions can understand syntax and a serious of commands. In 1985, Schusterman moved his research program to UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory, where he conducted experiments to understand how California sea lions, harbor seals, and elephant seals think about the world around them. He helped establish the lab’s reputation as a leading center for marine mammal research. Schusterman was also a research marine biologist and adjunct professor of ocean sciences at UCSC from 1985 until his retirement in 2003. A memorial service is being planned for Sunday, Feb. 28. For more information, contact info@pinnipedlab.org.

Sudents, faculty, and staff are banding together: On March 1 and 4, tens of thousands of students and workers from the University of California, California State University, and community college systems will take action against budget cuts and more. Some will march on their own campuses while others will head straight for the state capitol. Plans for the 4th have evolved from a statewide strike in California into a national day of protest in support of higher education. Organizers at UCSC also have big plans. Check GT’s March 11 issue for more information and event coverage.