One of Los Angeles’ claims to fame is its year-round sunshine, but that has proved to have negative consequences. The city government is now taking steps to combat the state’s ongoing drought. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently called on the city to reduce its water usage by 20 percent over the next three years, […]
Author Archives: Aram Ghoogasian
Aram Ghoogasian: Vagueness, student fee hurt chances of passing referendum
Few things get students’ blood boiling like fee increases do. That’s what makes asking students to voluntarily raise their own fees such a tricky endeavor. The Bruin Diversity Referendum, a revamp of the referendum that failed to pass in 2013, is on the special election ballot. The referendum proposes a fee increase of $9.93 per […]
Aram Ghoogasian: More specific guidelines for general representative position necessary
Trying to do too much and not trying hard enough can be equally dangerous when you’re an elected official, especially when your term is only a year long. Political platforms need to be ambitious enough to yield tangible results or be left at the door. This is a problem that has plagued many Undergraduate […]
Aram Ghoogasian: Organizations should address root problems of homelessness
Many homeless people have problems that can’t be solved with a new home; it’s just more complicated than that. And oftentimes, these complexities don’t get the attention they deserve. Over the next 15 years, Los Angeles homeless organizations will receive $214 million in funding from public and private backers, much of which will be used […]
Aram Ghoogasian: Hostility in USAC fall election may hinder future progress
The beginning of the academic year is a honeymoon period for UCLA’s student government: Councilmembers aren’t at each other’s throats yet, they’re excited to put their platforms into action and students are open and optimistic about the work that could get done. But this year the Undergraduate Students Association Council might be deprived of even […]
Aram Ghoogasian: Judicial Watch lawsuit lacks legal, moral basis
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” – unless they don’t have the proper paperwork and want to go to college. Undocumented students don’t need extra help to make their lives more difficult, but a conservative watchdog group is trying to make that happen. Judicial Watch recently filed a […]
Aram Ghoogasian: UCLA should up water conservation efforts in wake of flood
UCLA is up to its waist in problems after students were up their ankles in dirty water last week. Last week, a water main burst on Sunset Boulevard, wasting about 20 million gallons of water and flooding parts of campus during one of California’s most severe droughts in recent memory. As the damage done to […]