Opinion

UC Irvine is a pretty good school, right? Hell, scratch that. We’re great. We’ve got high-ranking programs all around, from biology to engineering to social science, but our greatest strengths lie within our humanities departments. In fact, our graduate program for literary criticism is number 1! All over the board, when it comes to theories on gender studies, literary theory, minority issues, we can generally be said to kick some serious ass.

George Bush hates black people, Congress hates vegetables (but loves pizza!), and Mitt Romney hates poor people. True story. After his recent Florida primary victory over his opponent, Newt “The Angry Pillsbury Doughboy” Gingrich, Romney made a true-to-heart Republican comment, “I’m not concerned about the very poor …” When asked to clarify, he went on to say, “They have a safety net for them.” Brilliant, Romney. Just brilliant. My favorite part is when he says that, in our country, the very poor are doing just as well as the very rich. You know, since the poor have government safety nets, and the rich have … swimming pools filled with gold bullion. I think it’s fair to say that those two groups are evenly matched.

There was a poster, quite some time ago, that circulated around the Internet in support of marriage equality that depicted exactly how this issue should be treated. In a nutshell, it asserted that gay marriage shouldn’t be referred to as “gay” marriage — it’s just marriage. Because, you know, you park your car. You don’t gay park it.

There’s a part of me that sometimes feels some sympathy toward our regents. I mean, they’re not necessarily in the best position to get things done if there’s no money coming from the state, right? But there’s also a part of me that gets really pissed off when I hear the rhetoric thrown around by protestors who say that the regents are greedy individuals only interested in privatizing the University of California system.

I love the beach: Running, biking, swimming, sitting, sleeping there, is Metta (beyond) Therapeutic (shout out to my boy Metta World Peace). The soft sand when it falls between your toes, the sound of the waves, the caress of the ocean, the colors of the sunset, are all purely amazing.

Imagine that you are an 18-year-old boy, and have decided to start dating the 16-year-old girl you really like. As your relationship gets serious you both decide to take your relationship to the next level and become sexually active.

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, cheated on his wives. The romance began with his high school teacher; they married, she got cancer, then he ran to his mistress. His mistress developed multiple sclerosis while he begged for an open marriage, but she was the wiser, so he fled to wife number three.

If you have something to say about bonfires on Corona Del Mar beach, it’s best if you say it now because soon, people might not have a single idea about what you’re talking about. The Newport Beach Parks, Beaches and Recreation Committee will be discussing possible options for the future of the fire rings that we all know and emote about this Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.

Starbucks announced recently that they will be begin selling beer and wine in select stores in Southern California by the end of this year. Is this a little surprising? Yes. A little strange? Not really. But this move does have a lot of people turning their heads.

There is nothing more visually striking and expressionistic than art in its many forms, including performance art, which was sprawled before the eyes of UC Irvine students and staff last Wednesday afternoon when a group of students put on a performance on Ring Road in protest against what is being seen as a crime against the public education system in the state of California. On Ring Road, just outside Langson Library, a throng of spectators gazed in amusement and curiosity at a lone student lying facedown on the path who was clad ominously in all black and donning a UCI sweatshirt.

As with any large group of people, the students and faculty of UC Irvine have a wide range of interests, with some people paying great attention to issues that are of little importance to others. One common interest across campus, however, is the increasing budget cuts and subsequent reduction in class size and quality of education.

When I saw the trailer for Liam Neeson’s latest film, “The Grey,” I was immediately enraged by what I saw. Wolves in the wild, tearing people limb from limb in the snow? Are you kidding me? Do filmmakers not have an ounce of compassion in their bodies these days?