Dear UCLA students, Growing up white and Jewish in mostly black South Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s, I remember understanding at a very early age how differently we experience this very same world based on our respective family influences and personal histories. Today, I am again reminded of that difference in perception, as […]
Category Archives: Opinion
Selby Kia: Undeclared students could use more guidance when choosing a major
“What’s your major?” Incoming students, beware. This is one of the most-asked questions of college students, and, for undecided students, the most dread inducing. Each year, many freshman applicants apply as undeclared students to test the waters before declaring a specific major. Corey Hollis, director of academic advising, estimated in 2016, about 1,000 freshmen entered […]
Mariah Furtek: UCLA undergrads can benefit from database of service-based positions
Fall quarter is fast approaching, and students will find themselves flooded with back-to-school sale emails from Bed, Bath & Beyond and the familiar sense of dread that they didn’t make the most of their summer breaks. Many students approach summer with high hopes of returning to their hometowns and maintaining the level of community engagement […]
Gael Adrien Mbama: HIV laws must be modernized to prevent further stigmatization
More than 119,589 people diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus live in California. That diagnosis alone has allowed these people to be stigmatized and receive unfair treatment under the law. Under the California Code, Health and Safety section 120291, HIV-positive individuals who knowingly expose their partners to the disease risk up to eight years in […]
Emily Merz: Community leaders should value student interests when planning
UCLA is known for its school spirit and energetic student body. But the vacant storefronts and struggling businesses in Westwood Village say otherwise about the surrounding community. We needn’t look far for the main reason for this. The Westwood Village Specific Plan, designed in 1989 and most recently amended in 2004, defines zoning rules and […]
Jacqueline Alvarez: ASUCLA Bookstore needs improved textbook rental system
The United States textbook industry is worth a whopping $14 billion. And Bruins can count on UCLA’s textbook store to contribute to that amount. On average, UCLA students spend more than $1,000 each school year for textbooks and other course materials. This amount may seem like a drop in the bucket of total student expenses, […]
Letter to the Editor: Latino Medical Students Association stands with undocumented immigrants
This article was updated Sept. 21 at 1:20 p.m. The Latino Medical Student Association at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science wholeheartedly denounces President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It is unethical and openly targets a vulnerable […]