May is Mental Health Awareness month. With Snapchat filters and student programming focused on mindfulness and suicide prevention, it would be easy to believe mental health is a priority at UCLA. That is, unless you’re seeking long-term treatment. The UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services center is the on-campus provider for mental health services. According to […]
Author Archives: Emily Merz
Arbitrary definitions and quotas are barring businesses that would boom in Westwood
Westwood’s casual drinkers can rest easy: Their new choices for a relaxed, inviting destination are a rowdy tavern and a bar that blasts music from the early 2000s. Sepi’s, a casual pub and sub shop in Westwood, closed its doors Tuesday. To say there was an uproar would be an understatement. Sepi’s has been a […]
Without wider student input, Title IX advisory board is just another echo chamber
Twenty-three percent of female and 5.4 % of male college students have experienced violent sexual assault while in college. More than 4 % of all college students have experienced stalking while working on their degree. Each university that receives federal funding has an office to contend with the harrowing reality of those statistics. From investigating […]
The Agora addresses growing problem of high demand for housing in Westwood
For one of the most bustling university locations with a student body of more than 44,000 students, you would expect to see fast-paced development to meet the ever-growing demand for student housing. But Westwood’s housing market is stuck in the 20th century. The consequences of this slow development affect every student here: Westwood has one […]
California’s multistep marijuana permit process rightly impedes weed rollout
One year ago, California stoners and casual marijuana users alike expected to have a bustling legal recreational weed market by now. Contrary to popular belief, though, the deal didn’t make the state into a forest of weed by 2019. While the state government expected around 6,000 legal recreational dispensaries at this point, only 547 have […]
Financial aid’s lack of clarity, transparency makes university less accessible
It’s no secret that attending college is more expensive than it’s ever been. As a public institution, UCLA has tried to be affordable to students regardless of their socio-economic status. While UCLA frequently touts the numbers of how many students receive aid, what it often glosses over is how complex and elusive the financial aid […]
UC masks disregard for student mental health with lip-service programs
The Depression Grand Challenge. Free mental health screenings. Mini-horses at Powell Library during finals week. UCLA and the University of California have really prioritized students’ mental health services lately, they say, pointing to these amenities. Looking at the budget and staff sizes of psychological services at UC campuses even seems to prove their claims. But […]