The age-old question of “paper or plastic?” is out of fashion in Los Angeles, replaced by the quandary of whether to shell out an extra 10 cents for paper bags at the register. Following the implementation of a long-debated ordinance, shoppers in the city of Los Angeles will no longer have access to plastic grocery […]
Category Archives: Opinion Columns
Katie Shepherd: New position’s efficacy depends on guidelines
Following a quarter marked by student protests and condemning reports, Chancellor Gene Block announced last month a new administrative position to address issues of equity and inclusion, ostensibly a step toward a more accepting and diverse UCLA community. But whether this step will improve the campus climate, as it sets out to do, depends on […]
Maia Ferdman: Boycott discounts progressivism of Israeli academia
In an act of political solidarity, the American Studies Association resolved last month to boycott Israeli academia. But instead of effectively protesting the Israeli government’s oppression of the Palestinian people, the boycott has provoked a sweeping debate that ultimately distracts from the Palestinian cause. Rather than promote exclusion of Israeli universities, supporters of Palestinian academic rights […]
Ryan Nelson: One-size-fits-all approach to colleges needs to be re-examined
In an effort to rein in exploding college costs, President Barack Obama’s administration is applying pressure to universities with the oldest trick in the textbook: grades. Using criteria such as tuition, graduation rates and the percentage of students receiving Pell grants, among other factors, the administration intends to make a scorecard for each university that […]
Eitan Arom: South African struggle inspired Bruins to fight for justice
At the time Kathleen Sheldon started graduate school at UCLA in 1975, it seemed Nelson Mandela would never get out of prison. As Sheldon and a group of campus activists sought to make the South African government an international pariah, Mandela toiled away in an island prison – a visionary moral leader reduced to breaking rocks […]
Chloe Lew: UC should use funds from surplus to solve current issues
After years of recession, the California government finally has some pocket change to stash away for potential future crises. But the state would get ahead of itself by stocking a rainy day fund when clouds still loom over the University of California. A recent report by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which provides nonpartisan fiscal and […]
Eitan Arom: Reliance on surplus unsustainable
I’ve been here before. Since my second year at UCLA, at about this time every year, I’ve sat down to write a column about the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s annual surplus. I’m a fourth-year now, and the makeup of the council has changed since I started this tradition. But the problem hasn’t. If anything can […]