A few weeks ago I was driving from Westwood to Orange County. It was a Friday afternoon, and the roads were jammed. I sat in standstill traffic on the 110, nervously looking over my shoulder to see if the freeway gods would finally allow me to merge into the next lane over. One thought flashed […]
Author Archives: Chris Campbell
Adapted Language: The 2011 department merger that never was
The University of California was facing a multi-billion dollar budget crunch in 2011, leading UCLA officials to consider numerous proposals to preserve the quality of the school’s education in the face of severe budget cuts. The UCLA Academic Senate floated one such proposal: consolidate six language departments into a single European languages and cultures department. […]
No Offense, But: Burgers
Renowned east coast burger chain Shake Shack will fulfill its manifest destiny by moving into Southern California this year. Its first Los Angeles location will open March 15 in West Hollywood. But where do Angeleno’s burger-based loyalties lie? Opinion editors Ryan Nelson and Ara Shirinian debate the virtues and vices of various burger joints in […]
California will remain Democratic in next Senate election
We all know the 2016 presidential contest is a big deal. Yes, I spent my Monday night with the Iowa caucuses, watching the first step of choosing the next leader of the free world as if it were a pro wrestling tournament. So I’m not surprised that news coverage has been dominated by the Donald […]
Chris Campbell: Olympic bid must drive LA to a greater investment in public transit
In 1984, Los Angeles was facing threats of smog, hair metal and potentially the biggest traffic disaster in its history. City officials were gearing up to host the 1984 Summer Olympics. The city had gone without serious public transportation for over 20 years and had grown (in)famous as the epicenter of American car culture. But […]
Chris Campbell: Equity measures should protect free speech, but promote mutual respect
Yet another free speech column? Please, try to contain your excitement. Apparently we didn’t get nearly enough self-aggrandizing punditry and opining on all sides of the political spectrum in 2015 when that famous question took college campuses nationwide by storm: Should speech be limited in the name of tolerance? So here I am, kicking off […]
The Quad: A long campaign season can save us from President Trump
“Everyone should get a bigger piece of the pie. Who doesn’t love pie? Who doesn’t love America?” The line came from none other than Donald Trump – or at least an actor portraying the cantankerous mogul, along with other students portraying Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina at a mock […]