Opinion

Don't worry about our tanking economy and towering unemployment rate, as child beauty pageants are what threaten our nation the most, and so they must be regulated.

Four months after President Barack Obama signaled his intention to close down the military camp at Guantanamo Bay, a confidential Red Cross report was published that described in gruesome detail the horrors that took place there and at other black sites abroad. Water boarding, forced standing, beatings with collars, confinement in a box, prolonged nudity and food deprivation are just some of the egregious crimes that took place at these sites. These are the unfathomed events that Red Cross doctors helped administer. These are the measures that former Vice President Dick Cheney justified and deemed necessary to protect the country. However, these actions are downright unacceptable.

While searching for a birthday gift for my (now 9-year-old) sister two months ago, I went straight to the clothing store Limited Too's Web site because I loved shopping there when I was younger and thought it would be a great location to find cute Capri pants, witty graphic tees and trendy cut denim. To my surprise, the store has changed quite drastically from when I used to shop there in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Over my college career I have gotten involved in many facets of the university life. I am currently serving as the treasurer of my fraternity for a second consecutive term. As treasurer, I have been successful in raising our chapter out of a considerable amount of debt. I was the vice president of Students with Entrepreneurial Talent Ambitions (SWETA) and am currently starting an organization on campus called the Students for Educational Equity, with the purpose of helping to bridge the educational achievement gap in America. Over the past three years, I have worked as an intern for Western Asset Management Company, the world's third largest trader of fixed assets.

When I was younger, I saw the world out of very confused eyes. I think I remember seeing so much happiness in it. But of course to compliment the pleasure, there always used to be a thing or two that was wrong (or at least just imperfect). I mean, when you're 6, how do you explain that some kids do not have the kind of clothes you do? How do you explain people living in huts? How do you forget the feeling that you experienced when you had a good meal only to walk out into the street to see children not quite having the luxury of an afternoon lunch? When you are 6, how do you rationalize all this in your mind? Well, I guess then I always figured that some things needed to be changed and that someone was going to come around and fix it. The world could be better.

In this month's issue of Pediatrics, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed medical panel that sets guidelines on a number of health issues, advised doctors to regularly screen teens for depression. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendation for doctors to make screenings more consistent, therefore, is an acknowledgement that depression has evolved into a nationwide and pressing concern.

Students Should not Vote for ASUCI's Stimulus Package

How do you feel about the campus life at UC Irvine? If you are like most Anteaters, you will say that we need more school spirit and more major activities like big concerts, impressive speakers and fairs on Ring Mall. ASUCI heard you, we agree with you and we want to make a change. We propose the UCI Stimulus Package Referendum to make UCI, well, fun. This fee of $25 per quarter would provide additional funding to ASUCI, cultural events, club support, volunteer events, civic engagement activities, Greek life and student media. All of this money would go to student activities and services and provide a shot of adrenaline to campus life at UCI. Essentially, for the cost of dinner and a movie you can fill your social calendar with things to do.

Last year the UC Irvine community celebrated the first annual Peter's Parade—or at least attempted to. With only 15 student groups participating out of over 400 and garnering less than 100 onlookers on a campus of over 27,000, Peter's Parade was hardly a celebration of anything. So what does this tell us? UCI student life could use a hand, and as students, we must rely on ourselves rather than wait on outside aid that may never arrive.

While our president has been studying abroad over the last couple of weeks, there has not been a shortage of attacks from Republicans and conservatives. Their attacks have ranged from the dumb, such as Barack Obama no longer wanting America to be a superpower, to the hilarious, with Rush Limbaugh saying that the only reason the stock market is up is because Obama is overseas and can't "run" the economy from over there. Now I understand conservative angst and desperation. The Democrats were out of power for awhile in Congress and the executive branch, and they probably said and did some outrageous things while being in the minority. But throwing Boston Tea-Party-like tea parties? Come on.

It's a well-known fact that teachers are grossly underpaid for the crucial work they perform: teaching and imparting information to us so as to better prepare students for the world after school and college. So it comes as no surprise that the rotten economy's adverse effects on teachers has created a large amount of controversy in school districts, households and classrooms across America. Orange County and its surrounding areas are no exception.

I am the most qualified individual for ASUCI president because I have the dedication and experience to serve the students with the greatest impact. Acting as student body president may seem glamorous, but being a successful student leader is more about hard work and sacrifice. Before I was elected, I played water polo for UC Irvine, but it soon became clear that I could not be a successful athlete and president at the same time. So I decided to give up my career in intercollegiate athletics and work 40-60 hours a week in ASUCI because I am passionate about UCI. I am running for re-election because I know that ASUCI has the resources to create a brighter future for Anteaters, and I possess the leadership to make these visions a reality.