Omar Said: Bird’s efforts to respect laws and enhance user safety are not enough

Step aside, Bruin Bear. UCLA has a new contestant for school mascot – the Bird scooter. One night, the community went to sleep peacefully. The next morning, the Birds had appeared in large packs around the neighborhood – a silent mechanical invasion. They’re black, branded and can be found parked in front of campus buildings […]

William Bleveans: State legislature should focus on funding UC, not criticizing it

Pay no attention to the funding crisis behind the curtain. That’s the message California lawmakers are trying to send by relentlessly criticizing the University of California Office of the President for allegedly mishandling funds. In the wake of a report released earlier this month by the Huron Consulting Group, UCOP may cut its budget in […]

Scott Bays: UCLA Extension’s costly failures demand greater university oversight

What do iPads affixed to Segways, declining revenue and a boss that seemingly takes after “The Office’s” Michael Scott have in common? Apparently, it’s UCLA Extension. Several Extension employees spoke anonymously with the Daily Bruin last month, detailing extensive mismanagement in the university’s prestigious extension program, which offers certificates and transferable undergraduate degree credits to […]

Ani Gasparyan: UCLA Safe Ride suffers from both technical, advertising issues

You would expect administration at the university that created the internet to offer only the best digital services to its students. But the mobile app for UCLA’s evening transportation service glitches often and can’t even provide users with an accurate estimated time of arrival for their rides. UCLA Safe Ride is the rebranding of the […]

Tabatha Lewis: UCLA employees should be able to use recreational marijuana

Marijuana may be legal in California, but depending on your luck, UCLA could fire you for using or even just possessing it. Earlier this year, California made it legal for adults age 21 or over to use and possess marijuana in the state, following the passage of Proposition 64 in 2016. Under the proposition, adults […]

Mariah Furtek: BPool would be safe alternative to ride sharing

You’ve just packed an overnight bag and you’re standing in your dorm at 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night, about to walk to Westwood and get into a stranger’s car. Your phone buzzes ominously, a text from an unknown number jolting you out of a daydream. … “Let’s meet behind the Chevron, I’ll be in […]

Cade Mallett: Mainstream political student groups ignore third-party perspectives

Barely a third of Americans think that two political parties are enough to represent the American people. But if the Bruin Republicans and Bruin Democrats say they’re enough, well, that’s good enough for UCLA. The 2016 Presidential election saw 8 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 vote for third-party or independent candidates, even though […]