To date, the Geffen Academy at UCLA continues to defy my expectations. But not in a good way. The Geffen Academy is a secondary school being developed by UCLA for middle and high school students of the UCLA staff and the LA community. It is being funded by a $100 million donation from businessman David […]
Category Archives: Opinion Columns
Abhishek Shetty: GSA president hiring a lawyer shows unwillingness to cooperate
When you’ve been accused of restricting free speech, there’s a list of actions you can take. Hiring lawyers in an attempt to further restrict free speech should rank very low on that list. And yet, that’s exactly what Milan Chatterjee, president of the Graduate Students Association, did. In October, Chatterjee told organizers of the Diversity […]
Shani Shahmoon: UC Student Association must put mind to finding new data
According to the UC Student Association, the University of California does not provide proper mental health services to its students. Tell me something I don’t know. UCSA’s #HowAreYou campaign just released the results of mental health evaluations given to students and professional staff members at every UC’s mental health facility. The intention behind the survey […]
Abhishek Shetty: EVP Zach Helder needs to align efforts with UC Student Association
Zach Helder thinks he can single-handedly revolutionize America’s college system in the vein of Bernie Sanders. Unfortunately, he lacks that kind of ability. Helder’s job, as Undergraduate Students Association Council external vice president, is to advocate for measures that benefit the UCLA undergraduate body and meet with legislators to discuss such measures. The EVP office […]
Anastasia Lukianchikov: Implicit bias training necessary to support diversity requirement
This column is the second in a series on the diversity requirement at UCLA. This week, columnist Anastasia Lukianchikov argues that implicit bias training for faculty members can further support the goals of the diversity requirement. The first part can be read here. We are all racist. And sexist. And ableist. And elitist. Every person […]
Aram Ghoogasian: GSA investigation of president needs transparency to earn back trust
The ongoing graduate student government drama is the gift that keeps on giving. The controversy whirling around Graduate Student Association President Milan Chatterjee gained its second wind last week as the GSA Forum, the governing assembly of the GSA, launched an investigation into his actions. This comes after Chatterjee’s emails in October revealed he tried […]
Shani Shahmoon: Students should run for Westwood Neighborhood Council positions
With cracked sidewalks, dull lighting and an uneventful calendar, Westwood needs to be revamped. Before Third Street Promenade and The Grove arrived, Westwood Village was the place to be. When my father lived in West Los Angeles and spent his weekends with his cousins in the Village, they’d walk down Broxton Avenue where local high […]