Opinion

As we approach the University of California, Irvine’s 50th anniversary, our institution is already acknowledged worldwide as equal to, or better than, many universities three or four times our age. But like a young person crossing the threshold into adulthood, this milestone marks a point in history where UC Irvine can confidently say we know who we are and what we are about.

This is the age of Citizen’s United. Every major Republican candidate for president left in the race has a not-so-secret billionaire backing him (Romney of course has several), and the usual wave of disgusting, negative ads has grown to tsunami-like proportions thanks to the prevalence of super PACs, which, and it cannot be repeated enough, do not coordinate with the candidates. Considering the state of campaign finance, it is no surprise that President Obama has authorized super PACs to act on his behalf.

We don’t know if you know this or not, but our school was essentially a hippie commune at one point. Yeah, UC Irvine (the land of bro tanks, $2 boba and dance crews) was full of hippies. As in there used to be a parking lot where you could park your trailer or RV and live there on the cheap. Try doing that now, and enjoy explaining yourself to the impound lot.

Introductions: In this corner! Wearing a red Michael Jordan No. 23 jersey, standing approximately 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and weighing in at 175 pounds, he is the Sultan of Strut, the epitome of swagger. He walks at a pace of 5.5 miles per hour, never sacrificing style; yet somehow he has yet to be inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame for speed walking. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Charles Jock’s hero, the Pacer of Peltason himself — Swag Maaaaaaaaaaan!

America was still in Vietnam when UC Irvine opened in 1965. Jobs sprung from the dirt along with new housing complexes and turfgrass and thousands were attracted to the palm-treed paradise. War vets, Asian immigrants, Latino immigrants, African-Americans —pretty much everyone flocked to California. Meanwhile, UCI was just a few buildings situated in dry isolation surrounded by miles of dirt and blue sky.

On a beautiful, sunny day in mid-1959, the University of California purchased 1,000 acres – what would eventually become the beautiful University of California, Irvine – from the monopolizing Irvine Company for a hefty price of $1. And it’s all been downhill since then. OK. I joke, but seriously: with this year’s freshman class, the 50th graduating class, I think it may be safe to say that this campus peaked in its mid-20s.

Throughout the last 50 years, the UC Irvine campus has exhibited vast changes. What started out as 1,589 students is now 28,000 students and has a reputation as one of the most distinguished universities in the world. So, what kind of changes has UCI made in the last 50 years?

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.

With news of LGBT victories such as the recent overturning of California Proposition 8 and the nearly ratified gay marriage bill in the state of Washington, it is easy to forget that there are still strides to be made and issues to address on behalf of the gay community nationwide. For several years, the focus of gay rights has been primarily centered on adults; whether it is pushing for marriage laws, healthcare protections or adoption rules. Though these legal decrees in regards to the LGBT community are of the utmost importance on a political scale — as they should be — the protection of the younger gay population deserves national attention.

When one thinks of McDonald’s, quality and health are not exactly the first terms that come to mind. However, we knowingly consume their food on a level at which even the likes of Jabba the Hutt would be incapable of surpassing. We are all guilty. We choose to eat McDonald’s despite our understanding of the consequences.

If employment is supposed to be free of all discrimination (against race, color, gender and so on), then how is it fair that people can be fired from their jobs just because they are pregnant? If a woman is in the final months of her pregnancy, she can be fired or forced to go on leave solely because of the fact that, in a matter of weeks, she will be giving birth.