Opinion

The gender politics identified by Nathan Tumazi in "The Problem with Gender Identity" [published on July 14] would be less prominent if the media did its homework on domestic violence and rape instead of using sexist, men-are-bad/women-are-good language that "anti-sexists" like Jackson Katz use, which stigmatizes male victims and leaves half of the violence invisible.

California state lawmakers are putting our conversations on hold—well, sort of. If you're one of the unlucky ones stuck in Irvine for summer school or in California, then you've probably heard of the new cell phone policy officially enacted on July 1. According to the new law, drivers must use a hands-free device while on the road (now you have an excuse to use those highly-fashionable star-trek ear pieces). However, if you happen to be under the age of 18, the law states you cannot be on the phone at all.

While Sweden's national television channels stream an unusual amount of terrorism-themed films and series this summer, the Swedish parliament passed a controversial anti-terrorism law—strikingly similar in character to America's Patriot Act. The law legalizes government wire-tapping of international calls, faxes and emails without a court order. In the post-9/11 era, it is increasingly difficult to overlook the exportation of American laws, the modified concept of "democracy" and even the sanctions on civil liberties.

Largely due to a considerable discrepancy between the number of estimated soldiers needed to sustain the battles currently being fought in the Middle East and the actual number of new soldiers being recruited, the United States army has bulked up its number of soldiers "stop-lossed" in recent years.

On May 19, a campus assault alert was issued because someone was sexually battered on the UC Irvine campus. I started thinking about the "Take Back the Night" rally held a while ago to raise consciousness about sexual assault and rape, both of which are an epidemic in American society. I wondered if the event helped to raise consciousness about violence based upon the construction of gender. What does it mean to attend a rally to stop rape and violence while simultaneously 28,000 children, teens and adults view pornography based on scenarios involving rape?

I spent 14 years of my life in a neckerchief and short-shorts. Yes, approximately once a week, beginning at the age of four, I put on a Cub Scout uniform and went to meetings.

Liberalism and conservatism are two terms that are often heard during political discourse. However, while presidential candidates talk about all kinds of policy initiatives and philosophical viewpoints, it is rare to hear them refer to themselves, their proposals or their ideas as conservative or liberal.

Last month, Viacom amended a lawsuit that it filed against Google-owned YouTube one year ago, citing the Web site's "inability to keep copyrighted material off its site."

Maybe this is overly optimistic, but in the midst of a war, an economic recession and the dollar's declining value, America still seems vital and the future auspicious. Despite price increases in everything from tuition to gas, Americans were once able to hold their heads high in at least one category, but not anymore. It was news from Australia that shattered the country's confidence...

I hope oil hits $400 per barrel. I say that without a drop of sarcasm. The only thing that can burrow through the myriad of government-erected barriers to high supply and low prices is the market.

I've been working at the New University since my freshman year—a writer my first year, associate editor my second, copy editor my third and managing editor my fourth. Four years of reading, writing and editing. Three years with one less day in the week for myself—my Sunday instead dedicated to the production of the New U newspaper. Exhausting? Definitely.

Older students have always told me that your college years are the best years of your life—so live it up! Looking back, I can say one thing: So far, so good.