The New University staff photographers' coverage of the Martin Luther King, Jr. symposium and more!

There’s a broad strain of American political discourse that considers race a myth, an illusion that, if we work diligently to expose as false, will wither away into the dustbin of history. A greater and more pernicious one is the old myth of social progress; that racism is a musty old problem that, as time passes, becomes less and less of a vital issue.

When the United States Constitution was first amended to include the right to free speech and assembly, I do not think the authors of the document expected these freedoms to be used by oppressors. Unfortunately, in our society today, they have been.

The Tucson shootings in Arizona unleashed a media firestorm over the putative political motivations of the shooter, Jared Loughner. Progressives labeled him a far-right, anti-government Tea Partier, blaming Sarah Palin’s “crosshair maps” and invocations of the Second Amendment during the 2010 campaign season. Without missing a beat, conservatives accused liberals of intellectual dishonesty and mudslinging, unearthing the history of far-left political violence from the Weathermen to the Black Panthers as counter-examples to the stereotype that conservative rhetoric — and more importantly, conservatism — breeds violence.

Jerry Brown announced his 2011 budget plan for California last Tuesday, with an assertive message asking for more sacrifices from Californians. As usual, those that are expected to deal with the heaviest burden are students.

For the first time ever, the biggest surprise revealed during CES this year wasn’t showcased there.

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg’s twisted alternate reality – also known as Facebook – poked its way into our daily lives a few years ago, the golden question for potential investors, shady Wall Street types and Zuckerberg himself has been this: How can I use the Zuckerverse to make as much money as possible?

HIATUS: Cake proves the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is true when it comes to their music.

BUZZ: The best new electronic artists are finding their place in the world, outside of raves and nightclubs.

ROMANCE: A portrait of a dying relationship, “Blue Valentine” is beautiful, if sometimes hard to watch.

SUPERHERO: This remake of the classic action series is disorganized, but still a fun watch.

RAPTURE: Arthur Miller’s classic is brilliantly brought to life by talented UCI thespians.

Piano-driven electronic rock band Suddyn played a noontime concert at the Student Center Jan. 12, showcasing their rock anthems to the UCI population. Suddyn is comprised of two brothers from Montauk, N.Y. and an Irishman, and this trio has already had hit singles in Ireland and toured around Europe. Now they’ve come to America and are ready to conquer the West Coast. Lead singer and keyboardist Alan Steil, guitarist and backup vocalist Jarrett Steil, and drummer Brendan Connolly sat down with the New University to talk about their aspirations for Suddyn in the U.S.

Complied by Suzanne Casazza.