For the past four days, I have been scouring the Internet and calling several people in UCLA administration and Media Relations, asking a simple policy question: Are students ever forcibly withdrawn from school here because of mental health issues? In February, Newsweek magazine published a widely read and discussed story on the way colleges deal […]
Category Archives: Opinion Columns
Julia McCarthy: Students responsible for changing consent culture
The number of times I’ve read a column about sexual assault that starts with the line “I was sexually assaulted last (insert date)” exceeds the number of fingers I have on both hands. And I’m going to add to that number by inserting my own personal experience into the mix. I was sexually assaulted last […]
Students should push Gov. Brown to prioritize funding UC maintenance
Gov. Jerry Brown has repeatedly refused the University of California state funds throughout this year, despite a surplus and a declining financial situation at all ten campuses across the state. But students have remained strangely silent about Brown’s minimal support for higher education. Generally, students push for better financial aid and lower tuition. But when […]
Aram Ghoogasian: Organizations should address root problems of homelessness
Many homeless people have problems that can’t be solved with a new home; it’s just more complicated than that. And oftentimes, these complexities don’t get the attention they deserve. Over the next 15 years, Los Angeles homeless organizations will receive $214 million in funding from public and private backers, much of which will be used […]
Aram Ghoogasian: Hostility in USAC fall election may hinder future progress
The beginning of the academic year is a honeymoon period for UCLA’s student government: Councilmembers aren’t at each other’s throats yet, they’re excited to put their platforms into action and students are open and optimistic about the work that could get done. But this year the Undergraduate Students Association Council might be deprived of even […]
Samah Pirzada: Positive dialogue about mental health necessary to erase stigma
Last year, the demand for student mental health services at UCLA increased by 23 percent. But even as demand increases and college students continue to struggle mentally and emotionally, a stigma still exists around mental health issues that prevents students from being proactive in seeking help. This year, the Undergraduate Students Association Council, through its […]
Zoey Freedman: Common books with contemporary themes could help students connect
UCLA’s incoming students are bombarded with traditions from they moment arrive on campus: among them, the legendary campus tours and the historic crosstown rivalry that serve to bond students together and give them something in common to share. Another of these traditions is introducing and distributing the Common Book, the book picked by UCLA for […]