Letter to the Editor: Stanford hunger-striker heads to infirmary

Dear Editor,

I was, to say the least, tickled in reading the local article, Stanford hunger-striker heads to infirmary. Of course, my condolences go to the persevering student in recovery completely and my strength to those who continue, but I just have to slap my knee and say “oh gee!” when I read about an old-fashioned hunger strike. Before reading the article, I had no idea there was any spirit of activism at Stanford, perhaps simply on account of our neighbors UC Santa Cruz’s and Berkeley’s shadowing activist reputations. I believe that there can be a compromise that Stanford can and should make that could ensure decent wages, and I am glad to read that there are other believers out there. My only concern is that, the wage increase demand will still not be enough for those trying to live above the line of poverty. I’m not speaking with statistical knowledge of the sort, but is $11.15 an hour even enough to avoid poverty?