Submission: Multistall all-gender restrooms would address nonbinary students’ needs

The University of California Student-Workers Union UAW 2865 won an important victory in 2014 on behalf of all students, faculty and staff: The UC agreed to guarantee academic student employees reasonable access to all-gender restrooms upon request. After the signing of this historic agreement, there was a flurry of construction activity in a number of […]

Submission: Student body should engage with USAC, campus politics

If people were angels, James Madison wrote, we would need no government. Instead, we have UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association Council, and the undergraduate students who run for student government office have the USAC Election Board. While running for office in May, I called for more transparency from our campus’ elected officials about where – and […]

Submission: Westwood Forward is a misinformed threat to experienced leadership

In early November, a student-led group called Westwood Forward announced it was attempting to create a new neighborhood council in Westwood. Some of the group’s claims against the Westwood Neighborhood Council – Westwood’s existing neighborhood council – are patently false or greatly exaggerated. The opinions expressed here are my own. Our council has not had […]

Submission: Undergraduate students must engage with student government at town hall

I thought student government was just about titles and bragging rights when I was in high school. So, when I entered UCLA I thought that would be the case, too. I thought the Undergraduate Students Association Council would be filled with students who had their own agendas and personal goals, and so I steered clear […]

Submission: Requiring digital access codes is a financially unfair practice

As more and more course materials and textbooks transition into the digital world, students hope to find some financial relief from having to purchase expensive physical copies. On average, undergraduate students spend about $1,200 a year on textbooks and course materials. This affordability crisis is worsening as textbook prices increase annually, and students have few […]

Submission: GOP tax bill will make higher education, graduate research inaccessible

Graduate school is not lucrative. The starving graduate student archetype is so prevalent it has given rise to its own form of self-deprecating comedy; one need look no further than the popular online comics “Lego Grad Student” and “Piled Higher and Deeper” to see the trope played out. Despite the risk of destitution, many opt […]

Submission: Fellowships, funding resources important for graduate school

As juniors and seniors, you may be considering graduate school in the near future. While students prioritize personal statements, standardized tests and reference letters when preparing their graduate school applications, they often don’t pursue funding sources such as fellowships, scholarships and grants, which can sometimes supply between $5,000 and $30,000 a year. In graduate school, […]