Opinion

July 17, 2013

Letter from the Editor: Practicing the Art of Peaceful Protests

By Allyson Campion, Emile Nelson

In the past six weeks, the Supreme Court struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, Texas passed a law which will severely restrict a woman’s right to an abortion, George Zimmerman walked free after a highly contr...

June 26, 2013

The Hurdles to Jump Before You Hump

By Haley K.

The standards that girls and guys hold each other to are very different when it comes to evaluating the attractiveness of a potential partner. Traditionally, women are expected to be groomed, cleaned, styled, primped and...

June 6, 2013

Farewell from Opinion: L & T Sign Off

By Tiare Hoegerman, Liv Cvitanic

  When I first took my graduation gown out of its packaging, I nearly cried. I am not wearing that. No way. No. Never. ‘If you put that thing on,’ my inner voice-over warned, ‘the bubble will finally burst. Co...

May 31, 2013

Letter to the Editor: The Cocaine Problem

By Janet Ornelas

I graduated in 2011 from this wonderful school of ours with four years’ worth of great memories and friends. I can honestly say that my time at UCSB was the happiest four years of my life. About a month after graduatio...

May 31, 2013

Study Tips from Highway Nirvana

By Ben Moss

The last weekend before dead week is an academically serious one, though not an Adderall-fueled study binge like the two weeks to follow. This year, Memorial Day weekend was a gentle, deliberate windup in preparation for...

May 31, 2013

Letter to the Editor: Response to 5/29/13 Wednesday Hump

By Dylan D.

As a man in Isla Vista, I ask “what is wrong with a little experience?” Am I the only one turned off by virgins? Am I the only one who wants satisfaction without having to give a seminar on oral pleasure? While I thi...

May 30, 2013

Politically Incorrect: Time for a Change

By Mark Strong

You’re going to die. I know that’s not the most chipper salutation. It’s not exactly a “Good morning!” or a “Happy Thursday!”, but as the school year (and this column) winds down to a close, I’ve been con...

May 29, 2013

Ask an Atheist: Why Don’t You Just Call Yourself an Agnostic?

By Jay Grafft, Travis Vail

When I engage in a philosophical or religious conversation with some of my peers, a common phrase reiterated is, “Oh, I’m not an atheist; I’m an agnostic.” Though it may appear insignificant, this statement actua...

May 29, 2013

Humpin’ for the First Time: The Ins and Outs of Virginity

By Hayley E.

In an age where pornography is just a few clicks away, shampoo commercials are practically orgasmic and private areas can be bejeweled, one might consider the concept of “chastity” to be a thing of the past. Yet in o...

May 28, 2013

Luhrmann’s Gatsby: Give It a Chance, Old Sport

By Nika Burnett

I’m not sure if one can be addicted to literature, or to the abstract theories and opinions of said works, but if so, I’m in need of a support group and a 12-step plan. I could give you a full rundown of Caryl Church...

May 28, 2013

Right-Side Columnist Bids UCSB Farewell

By Jeffrey Robin

I’ll be perfectly honest — UCSB wasn’t my first choice, by far. I came out of high school the preppy, sarcastic valedictorian of a sleepy suburb no one’s heard of. Despite receiving the Regents Scholarship here, ...

May 24, 2013

Alum Gets Fired Up Over IV Couch Burnings

By Britta Gustafson

Every time I walk down Sueno, no matter what I was thinking about before, I start viciously fantasizing about yelling at kids to get off my lawn … I mean streets. You might not have noticed this, but look down next tim...

May 23, 2013

When Becoming the Issue Becomes the Issue

By Mark Strong

I was digging into a new novel on the patio outside Nicoletti’s a few weeks back when a single word in a nearby conversation caught my attention: divestment. The pair — a guy and girl, both college-aged and bespectac...

May 22, 2013

Anatomy of an Overdose

By Edwin Feliciano

I am dead. I was not a UCSB student; I actually went to college on the East Coast for almost two years. I died of what people call an “unintentional overdose.” I was 19. I was in a good school, received good grades a...

May 22, 2013

In the Eyes of Your Campus Psychologists

By Gladys Koscak

“Mental health” — what does that even mean? Although most commonly used in conjunction with the word “issue,” the reality is that everyone sits somewhere on the mental health continuum, just like the physical h...

May 22, 2013

If You Like It … Put a Label On It

By Hayley E.

In college, particularly in Isla Vista, we are encouraged to despise labels. You may be lying blissfully in bed when your partner of x-months asks you timidly, “So, are we exclusive?” Don’t panic. Don’t push them...