Letter to the Editor: Steven Salaita’s words not incitement, should not be censored

In a submission titled “University irresponsible for inviting controversial speaker to campus,” published on Nov. 5, Natalie Charney condemns several academic departments at UCLA for inviting Steven Salaita to speak on campus. She argues that his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict constitute a “hate-filled incitement to violence.” But Salaita’s speech is not incitement and must […]

Submission: Both sides of Israeli-Palestinian conflict must engage in dialogue

I believe each and every one of us has a story, a story worth sharing and a story worth being heard. So here is mine. I am an American Jew of Iranian descent. My parents fled from Iran in the 1970s following the Islamic Revolution. Many members of my family sought refuge here in the […]

Submission: Gene Block’s support of animal research ignores just criticism

On Nov. 3, Chancellor Gene Block sent UCLA students an email in which he voiced his support of animal researchers at UCLA. The email was prompted by professor David Jentsch’s Oct. 28 submission to the Daily Bruin, in which Jentsch expressed support for young animal researchers whose identities are being sought by the animal rights […]

Submission: University irresponsible for inviting controversial speaker to campus

Editor’s Note: The following submission contains strong language. We feel its inclusion is necessary to provide full context about the controversy surrounding Steven Salaita’s appearance at UCLA. Steven Salaita, the recently disgraced professor who was denied tenure at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in part due to his racist and inflammatory public statements, will […]

Submission: Diversity course can now serve as tool in holding university accountable

After nearly three decades, the proposed diversity requirement for UCLA’s College of Letters and Science has passed by a historic faculty vote. Out of the ten campuses in the University of California system, UCLA is both the second oldest as well as the second-to-last to adopt a diversity-related requirement for a majority of its undergraduate […]

Submission: Divestment promotes peace, justice in Palestine

I have always been very positive about the future of a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. It is one of the reasons I believe in the work I do with Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA. But this past summer caused me to question whether I should remain so positive. This summer, […]

Submission: Prop. 47 can rectify the American penal system

If you were to pay a visit to the Californians Against Prop. 47 Web page, you’d immediately be presented with a banner that rotates between two very alarming claims. The first, displayed on a picture of a young woman crying, asserts, “Prop. 47 weakens the penalty for possession of date-rape drugs” and reminds you that […]