Opinion

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?

Much like Venus rising out of the sea foam in a half shell, miss Lana Del Rey arrived on the music scene in a flurry of hype and over-eager buzz, the creation of music industry gods and magicians.

Things seem to be sailing quite smoothly on our fair campus and sometimes the state of the world is a little too heavy for such an unseasonably warm January. So instead of editorializing something hard-hitting, we’ve chosen to throw our hats in to the whiny college student competition.

Only 10 days ago Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary by a sizable 12.6 points, and seemed to be riding a wave of momentum that would have given him the GOP nomination — or at least would have made the race with Mitt Romney close down the stretch.

With every move President Obama makes there are always members of his White House team standing close behind, calling shots and assisting toward a goal. In the sidelines of this never-ending political game stands one player eager to jump in: Michelle.

A resounding cry (or in some cases, just caps-locked text) spread like wildfire over the Internet this past month: “FUCK SOPA!”

The 21st century so far is the age of the Internet, and with the dominance of the Internet come certain basic expectations. Generally speaking, we expect free and easily accessible content, and the ability to easily contribute to that content or distribute it to our friends and family.

I don’t smoke. I’m just going to put that out there right now. So what did I say when I found out that the UC system plans to ban all tobacco on school campuses?

Thank you fashion scene for making “going green” trendy! What started as youth’s interest in organic cotton and locally grown foods has grown into a full-scale obsession with the eco-friendly lifestyle. Recycling and environmental conservation has become popular, and water conservation has been added to the list. High school campuses have made recycling a sole part of many service clubs, and we are seeing more stainless steel canteens in college-students’ organic hemp backpacks.

I’m going to be honest. When I started writing this, I really wanted to put Obama on blast. I wanted to tear him down. I wanted to channel the discontent and undeniable frustration that my generation (where less than 1 percent of us disagree with the 99 percent) has been voicing. Unfortunately, after watching the State of the Union, I was forced to recognize the better points that Limbaugh and Beck’s arch-nemesis had to offer.

Nation … it is with a heavy heart that I come bearing unfortunate news. As of last Monday, Stephen Colbert, one of the most trusted names in fake news and the last real glimmer of hope for the Republican Party, has announced that he is no longer in the race for the presidency.