ISTANBUL, TURKEY ””mdash; For as long as I can remember, but especially after Sept. 11, 2001, whenever I would tell people of my plans to visit family in the Middle East for the summer, I was sure to encounter at least one person worried for my safety. I’ve always laughed in response ““ the image […]
Author Archives: Noor Hashem
Wandering away from Wonderland
Viewpoint 2 is angled a little to the right so you can see better. In the little space between it and the taupe foamy board, I’ve crammed a lot of information, most new and some old; a few old bits with a new twist. Sometimes I’ve thrown away things that I should have kept, and […]
Take the roads less viewed
Imagine seats made of foliage and decorated with floral blooms, hammocks strung together between trees, made of vines and stuffed generously with feathers donated by local fauna. Picture pure, unadulterated streams running nearby on their way down from a rocky peak where there is only crisp air to breathe. Wildlife prances about; squirrels make friends […]
Communication key to learning
The season where high school kids explore UCLA is back. I love to watch them, wide-eyed and hopeful. “Look,” they whisper, “college students.” “Look,” we think, “high school students.” In a way, they’re right to gawk. The college student is an amazing creature. We’ve got fresh perspectives on the world, and we’re old enough to […]
Purpose of specialization puzzling
Fictional Bob takes a piece of a puzzle. He measures its height, width and depth. He analyzes the lines and curves of its grooved sides. He tests its composition and the ink used to print it. He makes conjectures about the color choices and the symbolic meaning of the details in the art. He smells […]
Public deserving of flat-out truth
The world is flat, and I can prove it. Except that I can’t show you the proof I have because it’s very sensitive material. I have to hide it for security, or else Russia or the Middle East or Mexico might find the information and try to push us off the edge. I’ll just keep […]
Campus offers plethora of activities
Monday you can learn to swing, Tuesday, Wednesday go see THING, or Thursday hear artists at Fowler sing; then it’s Friday’s cheap movie. All these things are activities that will be offered for students to experience in the following weeks at school. In my experience, one of the best things about UCLA is its huge […]