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ISSUE 8: LABOR Issue 8 explores the oft-ignored interconnectedness between citizens, cities, and the invisible labor that sustains our privileged lifestyles. Everyday hundreds of workers from Santa Ana and other surrounding cities are shuttled into Irvine on Orange County's OCTA bus system where they work in our dining halls, housing complexes, and gardens. They clean our bathrooms, serve us our food, and prune our hedges. These workers do the dirtiest work for the lowest pay, and at the end of the day they commute back to their homes at the borders of barely affordable housing. It's an effective strategy designed by those who prefer a system where workers and their needs can be conveniently swept away at the end of the day. University administration and the city of Irvine can then claim no responsiblity for the welfare of these people. Issue 8 takes an honest look at the dynamics of privilege and wage as they unfold in front of us. But Issue 8 is also an invitation to get involved in the ongoing issues we face as students and citizens. This issue is a call to action. a

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