Opinion

While the New University's recent article entitled "PETA Accusations Fall Flat" by David Lumb [Sept. 29] provided graphic details about how rats and frogs were mutilated and killed for experiments in Neurobiology courses at UC Irvine, the article's title mistakenly suggested that PETA's accusations about this were somehow debunked.

As most university students know, participation in some community service project or community service group during high school looks favorable on a college application. Even though community service is auspicious on a college transcript, it's not a requisite for graduation at most public high schools and most students are unenthusiastic about it. In spite of the lack of enthusiasm many high school students have for helping their communities, universities are continuing to encourage it. In fact, they are encouraging it to such a degree that it has become mandatory at some institutions.

If you have a tech-savvy friend, a pudgy, pimply little brother or know anyone else who fits the nerd mold, you might have heard them say this recently: "Dude, dude, the corporate machine is taking over, bro! They are limiting and controlling what we download, dude! It's suppression by the Man!"

The financial foundations of our nation are crumbling under the weight of mismanagement and the global fiscal crisis. Thank goodness for that college degree, right? Not so fast.

Imagine you're a healthy, actively dating woman in college. You've been dating this guy for a couple of weeks, and wouldn't you know it, it's going great. The two of you are beginning to get intimate, so like any rational, college-level woman actively dating, you go to your doctor for birth control pills. He says, "No, I won't give you any."

Steven Choi; Sarah Palin; Barack Obama; ...Sarah Palin again. (Sorry, we couldn't resist. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. With an elephant gun—)

John LaBruzzo; Alan Keyes; Campbell Brown is awesome.

ASUCI, along with UC Irvine in general, has undergone significant changes to meet the demands of our young and growing campus. One week into the 2008-2009 academic year, ASUCI has already established that it is nothing like past student governments.

Books in libraries and texts for writing courses can seem like fairly benign objects since they're just pages filled with words, bound in hard or soft covers, with occasional illustrations. They're just words, right? Who would think that words on a page could incite strong reactions or push people to keep some books out of others' hands?

The first presidential debate was tepid, which is worse for John McCain than Barack Obama. Compared to the fascinating forum at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, this opening official battle was child's play.

Since November is just a few weeks away, the two opposing forces that will define the month are gathering their arsenals for the final onslaught. Republicans have begun to arm their TIE fighters and power up their Death Star. For them, it is the final stand to maintain a stranglehold on their waning powers. On the other side, Democrats train their youthful Orc hordes in an effort to overwhelm those in control. In the middle of it all stands a man with all of the grace and wisdom of a knight from "Monty Python." His name is Ralph Nader.

For nearly a year, representatives from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 have attempted to negotiate with UC officials for a fair contract for UC service workers—an attempt that has been unsuccessful thus far. However, it is not Local 3299's lack of effort that has made their endeavors fruitless but rather the misguided priorities of UC administrators.