Rex Zhang

State legislators unveiled a new proposal Tuesday that would increase the number of California residents admitted to three UC colleges by limiting out-of-state and international enrollment.

For many international students pursuing their studies at UC Berkeley across vastly different time zones, the pandemic has been a time marked by isolation, exhaustion and mental fatigue.

As campus plans to return to in-person instruction for the fall 2021 semester, international students seeking visas to study in the United States are facing difficulties related to COVID-19 measures that may prevent them from getting to campus.

UC Berkeley junior and current ASUC Senator Ronit Sholkoff is running for ASUC president with the goal of creating a smooth transition back to campus and improving student access to resources.

During the ASUC Senate meeting Wednesday, senators and executives expressed support for the international community and passed several resolutions, with one resolution urging UC Berkeley to provide additional support for international students.

Anti-Asian hate crimes have risen significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, with reporting database Stop AAPI Hate receiving almost 3,000 accounts of hate crimes since last spring.

During its meeting Wednesday, the ASUC discussed the Graduate Assembly, or GA, push for independence, the ongoing struggles international students face from remote learning and the rise in xenophobia.

While most students are taking classes in the same country as their respective universities, international students have to deal with time zone differences, access to course materials and visa complications, along with their regular school work.

Following the resignation of ASUC Senator Dhruv Krishnaswamy on Jan. 10, Will Liu was elected to fill his seat.

The ASUC Senate focused on student advocacy initiatives at its Halloween-themed meeting Wednesday, passing five resolutions.