For all intents and purposes, University of California President Janet Napolitano has performed her job admirably well. Student perception of Napolitano has dramatically shifted since the demonstrative strip protest at the March UC Board of Regents meeting to a much more positive reception of her recent budget negotiations with Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown’s latest budget […]
Author Archives: Kunal Patel
Kunal Patel: Current UCLA outreach program inadequately serves women engineers
For as much effort as UCLA has put toward increasing its undergraduate diversity through outreach programs, one group of individuals – women in engineering – is consistently overlooked. It is quite troubling that as the field of engineering and its associated salaries have grown in the last few decades to contain many of the highest […]
Kunal Patel: UC must support legislation that improves treatment of research animals
As a biochemistry student who has worked in research labs, one of my greatest dilemmas has been whether research conducted on animals is ethical. It is understandable why scientists test on animals – it’s the closest thing to human trials. But more importantly, scientists can attempt all sorts of experiments that range from benign nutrition […]
Kunal Patel: Brown politically shrewd, focuses on reducing urban water consumption
After failing to push through substantive water reform legislation during his first two terms as governor, a more politically shrewd Gov. Brown will not let his vision for a more water-sustainable California fail again. Earlier this month, Brown issued an executive order which mandated California towns and cities – but not California agricultural corporations – […]
Kunal Patel: Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act alienates potential voters
Indiana Gov. Michael Pence’s feigned ignorance of potential discrimination toward the gay community from Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act fooled no one. Pence repeatedly claimed that the law would not discriminate toward any member of the LGBT community. However, due to the broad language of the law that allowed staunch protection of religious beliefs, Pence’s […]
Kunal Patel: Napolitano, UC administrators must be more accessible to students
University of California President Janet Napolitano is in quite the predicament. At the UC Board of Regents meeting this month, student protesters disrupted the regents meeting by stripping, shouting and throwing fake money to decry the tuition hike plan. Before the regents walked out on student protesters, Napolitano offhandedly said “we don’t have to listen […]
Kunal Patel: Upholding freedom of speech includes protecting unpopular ideas
The recent controversy surrounding a racist bus chant perpetrated by University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members and subsequent expulsion of two chant-leading members has reignited the debate of free speech on college campuses. Two days after the racist bus chant video was posted online, University of Oklahoma President David Boren expelled two SAE […]