The UC Irvine men's swim team won the UCI/Ayres Invitional this past weekend at the Anteater pool.

RECOGNITION: More UCI professors were inducted this year than any other American institution.

The Year in Review: Kaba Modern; financial collapse; Erwin Chemerinsky; Heath Ledger; UCI Men's Soccer; Blago, Spitzer, Edwards, Stevens and Company

Alberto Gonzales; Christmas miracle for gay rights; how much alcohol is too much?

While the poor state of our current economy is obvious, the extent to which it has further exacerbated California's budget crisis is becoming all the more apparent. Last month, the California Pooled Money Investment Board, a committee that manages state spending, voted to stop spending on the construction of public works. This will delay projects authorized by voters and supported by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006.

I was first consciously aware of our newfound dependence on computers in middle school, when a teacher of mine yammered, "What's wrong with you kids? Does no one teach you how to spell anymore? Why can't you spell?" I retorted with, "Spell check."

Since when did innocent civilians, fuel storages, mosques, police and universities become military targets? And how do incessant attacks make any room for compromise and negotiations? The numbers continue to rise as 507 people have been killed and 2,400 injured since the Israeli bombardment over the tiny 360 square-kilometers of the Gaza strip that started on Dec. 27 in Palestine. In the same period of time, Palestinian rockets killed four Israelis.

Claiborne Pell, the former senator who helped create government loans for students to go to college, died on Thursday at age 90. His vision of affordable education for all, however, didn't last quite as long. Private loans with hidden fees, little disclosure of total cost and packages designed to look just like government-subsidized direct loans have turned education loans from a social good into a banking bonanza and our educational institutions into profit centers for predatory lenders.

Since taking the helm of the UC Irvine School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky, the school's founding dean, has worked to provide full three-year scholarships for the school's 2009 inaugural class. While this goal may appear idealistic on the surface, by looking underneath this exterior, one can see that Chemerinsky has successfully made this feat both understandable and practical.

Earlier this year, Christine Lindstrom, director of United States Public Interest Research Group's Higher Education Debt Project, told members of the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit that "our research has documented that students are targeted, indeed, bombarded by credit card company solicitations, in the mail, on the phone and while they are walking across campus."

MARTIAL ARTS: The New University takes an in-depth look at the UFC craze, and into what lies ahead for the sport.

The divers put up big points at their meets and this one looks like a smooth one. Swimming and diving will compete in several meets in the next few months all in preperation for the Conference Championships in March.

PREVIEWS: Volleyball, basketball, baseball and swimming and diving are bringing some new looks and old dominance to 2008.

THE FRESHNESS: Being fresh. What does that mean to you? For me, it immediately brings one thing to mind: The Fresh Prince. Considering that that was one of best shows ever made, I love my new column name. When our good friend over to the left came up with the new name for his column ("The Swagger"), I wanted something equally as smooth. "The Freshness" is just that.