Bekzhod Aliev: Expanding metro needs more funds to sustain services

The new Expo Line reminds us all that very soon, Los Angeles must decide between more trains and more spending. The LA Metro has already undertaken steps to address this issue. Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase to help cover the expenses of a growing metro system, was initially introduced in 2009. Without it, […]

Chris Campbell: LA needs reliable public transportation, not emphasis on rail lines

There’s going to be one heck of a birthday party this Friday. After years of bated breath, the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will finally open its 6.6 mile, $1.5 billion Expo line light-rail extension, which will stretch westward from its previous Culver City terminus all the way to Santa Monica. Adding to the hype, […]

Blake Deal: Trivializing genocide, insinuating intent leads to inaccuracy

It’s hard to know how to react to someone who equates being amused over communist protesters with being amused over black people getting lynched. But this is the exact comparison Tala Deloria draws in submission to the Daily Bruin in response to my article, where I argued UCLA’s Revolution Club engaged in protests against the […]

Submission: Two sides to Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both merit reflection

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a polarizing issue that many UCLA students are familiar with, whether they hold a direct stake in it or not. Certain communities and groups on campus have cut ties as a result of hostile rhetoric, with each side speaking in terms that reflect their inherent biases and failing to acknowledge the […]

Keshav Tadimeti: Hurtful, discriminatory comments should not be defended as free speech

I was sitting at Union Station at 6:30 in the morning, waiting for my train to arrive at the platform. Although I was busy reading on my phone, I noticed a man take a seat beside me. Suddenly, he turned and asked: “Are you building a bomb? Are you going to blow this place up?” […]

Arman Sharif: Transphobic speech highlights need for education on gender issues

The now-infamous photo depicting three members of Bruin Republicans’ leadership smiling and clutching unapologetically transphobic­­ signs has made viral rounds on the internet. These students’ words are reprehensible hate speech: “Get your agenda out of my restroom,” “There are only two genders” and “Transgenderism is a mental disorder.” They did damage that affects an already […]

Improving mental health services for medical students is imperative

The University of California medical system is falling short when it comes to mental health resources for medical students; it’s not taking care of its own caretakers. To deal with the overwhelming amount of stress their jobs require, medical students often first turn to family for comfort. However, family can only help so much, leaving […]