Opinion

Two weeks ago, the Muslim Student Union (MSU) held its annual anti-Israel week, an event notorious for its controversial presentation and inflammatory rhetoric.

A faith that is established on the foundations of unity and a universal truth among all religions is staring persecution dead between the eyes. A faith that fosters the equality of men and women and peacefully promotes the elimination of all forms of prejudice has been condemned by a government that views its teachings as a threat to the Islamic Republic. A faith that has remained steadfast when faced with adversity and has continued to promote the oneness of mankind, despite all the afflictions and vexations suffered, is tiptoeing around the policies of a country that fails to recognize its existence.

When you think of gizmos, gadgets and Microsoft Windows, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a white male geek. It’s a common stereotype that a white male geek or some male technologically-savvy Asian will have far superior knowledge and involvement in technological fields than others. However, that may not be the case, as studies by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press show that women actually outnumber men when it comes to use of the Internet.

During the heat of his campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama stated in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign in the fall of 2007 that “America is ready to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office. America is ready to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. All that is required is leadership.”

In an attempt to blur the lines between church and state, 33 churches participated in a nationwide event called “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” in September 2008, prior to the historic November election. The goal of this event was to trigger a legal fight and ultimately overturn regulations that prevent places of worship from supporting or opposing candidates for office.

One of the interesting things about America, or maybe society in general, is that pop culture can often spark meaningful debate about serious issues. Sometimes it’s a folk-rock star singing about the disillusionment of endless wars and at other times it’s Miss California USA saying, “…you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage,” but “in her country” it should just be opposite marriage.

UC Irvine’s web page for the Office of the Chancellor extolls the virtues of our campus. It calls on the UCI community to uphold, in words and actions, the core values of our university: respect, integrity, commitment, empathy and appreciation. Yet, Chancellor Michael Drake and UCI administration have failed to lead by example.

Although the 2009 Kentucky Derby ended with a thrilling win when the horse Mine That Bird achieved a 50-1 long shot victory, horse racing continues to be marred by the events of last year’s derby when second-place competitor Eight Belles was euthanized after suffering two broken ankles. Unfortunately, not all horses in this year’s derby went unscathed, as shown by various injury reports from ESPN.

The rape kit’s importance cannot be underestimated. However, it often is. According to an investigative piece for KPRC Local 2 News in Houston, many women in Texas who are victims of rape end up paying for their own rape kits and in other states, including California, these completed kits gather dust while waiting to be examined.

“Controversy is good … Controversy is exactly what we want.”

It’s more bad news for University of California students, as UC officials have agreed to a 9.3 percent hike in student fees for the 2009-10 academic year. According to The Los Angeles Times, this would amount to a $662 increase per student and will bring the average basic cost for an undergraduate UC education to $8,720 a year for California residents, not including room, board and books. This increase has been enacted in order to help cope with the $450 million UC budget shortfall that is projected for the next two years.

It’s no secret that our current economic downturn has created worry among students at UC Irvine and other campuses across the nation who are seeking to enter the job market with limited opportunities. But just when you thought that having to compete with other college students was hard enough, there is another caveat that will make your job hunt a tad more difficult and strenuous: older and overqualified laid-off workers.