More than 1,400 University of California faculty members, including hundreds from UC San Diego, are urging the university system to restore SAT and ACT testing for STEM admissions, arguing that growing numbers of underprepared students are straining instructors and weakening readiness for college-level math. Faculty cited a UC San Diego report showing a sharp increase in students requiring remedial math support since the UC system adopted test-blind admissions in 2020. Critics maintain standardized tests can disadvantage low-income applicants and fail to fully capture academic potential.

Students across Pacific Beach were recognized this week with the Hope of America award, honoring leadership, character and academic excellence. Presented annually by the Kiwanis Club of Pacific Beach, the award surprised students during a breakfast ceremony attended by their families and teachers. Educators praised recipients for their responsibility, self-discipline and compassion, saying many students underestimate their own impact in the classroom and community.

UC San Diego students gathered at the Epstein Amphitheater as the university’s Costco Club continued its quirky end-of-year tradition: devouring dozens of Costco rotisserie chickens. This year, club members consumed 60 chickens while celebrating the passing of leadership from outgoing president Jacob Hoang to the next generation. What began as a viral one-man eating challenge has evolved into a campus spectacle drawing crowds, raffles and social media attention — cementing the Costco Club’s strange but beloved legacy at UCSD.