Week seven: Trump Jr. visit met with protests, AFSCME strikes, Sharetea to open
(Tanmay Shankar, Jintak Han, Joe Akira and Rachel Bai/Daily Bruin staff)
By Jenna Hajny
Nov. 15, 2019 2:33 p.m.
This Week in the News serves as The Quad’s space for reflection on current events at and around UCLA. Every week, Daily Bruin staffers will analyze some of the most significant stories to keep readers up to speed.
Week seven has ignited lots of activity on campus – from demonstrations in response to Donald Trump Jr.’s visit, to AFSCME’s sixth strike in two years, Bruins have seen and heard their fair share of the commotion this week.
Sharetea to launch in Westwood after battling zoning regulations
After experiencing delays, international boba tea franchise Sharetea will open its Westwood Village location by the end of 2019. The shop will offer teas such as honey milk tea, and the menu will feature more than 50 unique drinks.
This franchise was originally planned to open earlier this year next to BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, but a demanding permit and relocation process delayed the opening. Owner Allen Cho said it takes between six months and a year to attain a permit for this type of establishment.
Cho said it has also been difficult to improve the store’s functionality because of special regulations for historical buildings on Broxton Avenue. Aside from Westwood’s constraining regulations, he said notoriously high rent costs continue to drive away businesses similar to Sharetea.
Donald Trump Jr.’s book promotion attended by over 400, marked by protests
On Sunday, Donald Trump Jr. spoke in Moore Hall to a crowd of over 400 attendees to promote his new book titled “Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us.” The event was put on by UCLA’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization with chapters at colleges throughout the nation.
Trump was accompanied by Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, an attorney, former Fox News host and Trump’s girlfriend. During the event, Trump spoke about enduring discrimination for his conservative beliefs. He also criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders’ advocacy for democratic socialism.
Several politically and racially affiliated clubs on campus demonstrated outside the event such as Young Democratic Socialists of America, Refuse Fascism, the Revolution Club UCLA, and the Afrikan Student Union at UCLA. Refuse Fascism also protested again on the Hill later that afternoon.
The cancelation of Trump’s question-and-answer session was unclear. Organizers blamed time constraints while Trump expressed concerns about his words being misinterpreted.
Students unveil Bruin Bite app to offer new take on social eating on the Hill
Bruin Bite, an app that helps students meet up for meals, officially launched this fall following a successful soft launch in spring 2019. The app works by having students on the Hill pick a day, dining hall and time to eat a meal, then pairing students with similar selections.
Bruin Bite was started in January 2018 by Ayush Patel, a fourth-year computer science and engineering student. Bruin Bite came to fruition under DevX, a design and technology club at UCLA.
Hirday Gupta, a third-year computer science student, who is now running the project, said Bruin Bite’s goal is to promote community on the Hill. The app currently has 300-400 users per week, but the team intends to promote further growth by reevaluating its approach to marketing.
AFSCME strikes for 6th time in 2 years after new labor charges filed against the UC
The University of California employee union went on a statewide strike Wednesday to protest the University’s practice of outsourcing jobs. Thousands of employees participated statewide, with hundreds of workers and students marching at UCLA.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 is an employee union representing over 25,000 employees in the UC system. The union held a strike to address six Unfair Labor Practice charges filed against the UC, stating the UC violated state and University rules included regarding contracting.
UC Office of the President spokesperson Andrew Gordon said in an email statement the strike was an attempt to control some of the conversation in the current negotiations. However, John de Los Angeles, an AFSCME spokesperson, said the strike was about much more than better wages or union growth; it planned to address issues of job security.
The ULP charges were based on the results of a 2017 California state audit that identified problems in outsourcing. In response to the audit, UCOP enabled a platform called CalUsource in January 2018 to keep track of contract data.
Because of the union’s continued protests against the UC, the Democratic National Committee moved the sixth Democratic presidential primary debate from UCLA’s Royce Hall to Loyola Marymount University.
