Political horoscope

Aries

Liberals: The Occupy Wall Street movement will make you feel like you’re accomplishing something until you go back to occupying mom’s basement.
Conservatives: The Occupy Wall Street movement will make you embrace revolutionary traditions of the sixties…like pretending you have values just long enough to get into some hippie chic’s hairy, hairy lady cave.

Taurus

Liberals: Steve Jobs’ passing will mean you can listen to your iPod while threatening CEOs without being a hypocrite. Your mock turtleneck makes you look like a douche, though
Conservatives: Steve Job’s passing won’t phase you in any way. At least, not when you realize that your Apple stock is doing just fine without the ol’ bag.

Gemini

Liberals: “The new improvements to the YRL are exactly the kind of investments we need to improve education,” you will say to your bowl of cheerios during a Spongebob commercial break
Conservatives: “The new improvements to the YRL are exactly the kind of expenditures that are destroying higher ed,” you will say while complaining to the librarian about threatened cuts to Night Powell.

Cancer

Liberals: You can tweet about Ashton Kutcher lying bastard ways as much as you like but Demi Moore will never notice you.
Conservatives: You will be disappointed to learn that the Two and Half Men video you spent three hours torrenting isn’t a sex tape from Ashton Kutcher’s alleged affair after all.

Leo

Liberals: Your attempts to distract voters from the “Fast and Furious” scandal will have the opposite effect because they didn’t give a crap in the first place
Conservatives: Between  thinking about the Waco massacre and the “fast and furious” scandal, you’ll stop making  hackneyed jokes about an ATF convenience store and start filling out your job application

Virgo

Liberals: You will pray that Herman Cain loses the Republican Primary. You can’t have the son of Madelyn Dunham getting out-blacked by a Republican.
Conservatives: You will pray that Herman Cain loses the Republican Primary. That 9-9-9 thing will make your dreams of becoming a shady tax attorney roughly obsolete.

Libra

Liberals: Even the leaked nude pictures of Scarlet Johansen won’t be enough to make you “grow” out of your Iron Man Underoos though the stains she’s causing may warrant picking up a new pair.
Conservatives: You will continue to hold out for dirty Chris Evans candids. The only thing that gets you hotter than the thought of Captain America in his tighty-whities is Patriot Act-ing your way into his phone to get those pics.

Scorpio

Liberals: The President’s call for “Jobs Now” won’t be enough to overcome your Ethnomusicology degree.
Conservatives: The President’s call for “Jobs Now” won’t be enough to overcome your sense of entitlement. You’ll make minimum wage because you’re worth minimum wage.

Sagittarius

Liberals: You will never wash off the orange paint from your Ooompa Loompa costume. At least you’re all set to be John Boehner for next year.
Conservatives: You will never be able to explain your Halloween decorations. No one else thinks gay marriage is scary.

Capricorn

Liberals: Your parents won’t lend you the money you’ll beg for over Thanksgiving
Conservatives: You won’t lend your brother the rent he needs over Thanksgiving

Aquarius

Liberals: Putting a subscription to OutWrite magazine on your Christmas wishlist will make your mom cry
Conservatives: Putting a subscription to GQ magazine on your Christmas wishlist will make your dad think you’re gay.

Pisces

Liberals: Your bragging about Obama’s recent foreign policy wins will be tarnished by the fact that those policies were started by George W. Bush.

Conservatives: Your criticism about Obama’s ongoing economic woes will be tarnished by the fact that those policies were started by George W. Bush.

-------------------------

Why can’t we be friends?
Liberals, you guys are panty-waisted losers with three different flavors of whining and twice as many body odors. Conservatives, you all are egomanical sociopaths with various sizes of stick up your ass. Now, with that settled, don’t you think it’s time we moved on and focused on what we all have in common? There’s a lot we can agree on.

1. Tripping acid before a test is never a good idea -- especially in the botanical garden.
2. Almost anything Nancy Pelosi spends is a waste except whatever she’s paying Dennis Kucinich’s babysitter is not enough.
3. Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel good to bitch about it sometimes.
4. A room with both Kasey Anthony and OJ Simpson sipping cocktails is not where you want to be.
5. There are indeed places called Hawaii and Kenya and they are different.
6. If jet fuel can’t cause steel-metling combustion, chemtrail components probably can.
7. Soylet Green is a fictional product but no matter what your pastor says, that gay couple down the street is people.
8. Meghan McCain is less intelligent than the dumbest Bruin and about half of all Trojans.
9. Some housewives are desperate but not as much as some politicians.

The Academian Nut: Thomas Harrison

Thomas Harrison

Fiefdom: Wherever socialism promotes output and progress. So maybe his own little world inside his own little mind?
Soapbox: Italian 46
Offense: Intellectually raping his captive audience
Question: If you’re not going to stick to Italian Cinema, can we at least discuss something useful?

     “A positive view of human nature is shared by the likes of Wilhelm Reich and Rousseau, while the Republican Party possesses a negative view of human nature.”  Professor Thomas Harrison of the Italian department was speaking matter-of-factly with a straight face, as if he had merely stated a simple historical fact.  His assertion went unchallenged in the Italian Cinema and Culture (Italian 46) lecture, despite the lack of any supporting reason or logical argument. 
     Aside from statements without factual or logical support, demonization is Harrison’s other tactic.  In a different lecture, taking a deliberate and gratuitous detour from the course material, Harrison quipped, “The Tea Party calls Obama a ‘Socialist.’  They use the term as if it meant ‘Satan.’”  At this point, he has a slight smirk on his lips.  One may wonder how he arrived at this point out of a discussion of an Italian film—I myself have forgotten.  Harrison continues with, “Obama’s no Socialist.  But ask people who live in Socialist regions—they love the way things are!”  Obama isn’t a Socialist?  You have to be looking from the perspective of a fervent Communist to not call Obama a Socialist! If Obama’s ObamaCare and his demonization of corporations and wealthy individuals is not characteristic of Socialism or even Marxism, then what is?  If Harrison wants America to shed its founding values and become Socialist, so be it.  But he ought to be honest about such motivations and use terminology correctly.  As for the latter part of Harrison’s statement—a government that is enjoyed is not an ideal one, and the maximization of pleasure is not a foundation of any respectable system of ethics.  Of course people love Socialism—after all, who doesn’t, through vestiges of infantile desires, take great pleasure in benefitting from other people’s money?  However, individual rights of ownership and Capitalism form the ethical and American system, which is unique in this world.  You want the opposite kind of government?  You can find it… anywhere else.  Harrison and Obama should have moved to God-forsaken Cuba if they wanted to be Communists, rather than stay here and afflict us—in America, the country that was founded on the ideal of limited government and suspicion of taxation.
Thus Harrison implicitly says that whatever feels right or gives you the most satisfaction must be the ethical and proper thing to do.  Very dangerous.  When Harrison, poked fun of Ronald Reagan for calling the former Soviet Union just what is was, an “Evil Empire,” he further demonstrated his disrespect for American values.  Live and let live, he must be thinking.  But live and let live is a naïve slogan that allows unrecognized evil to run unabated.  When Harrison sings the praises of moral relativism, he makes it seem as if there is no objective standard.  How can Stalin’s literal murder millions of his own people be acknowledged nonchalantly?  Anyone morally straight who has a half-decent knowledge of history knows of the sheer evils inflicted under the Soviet regime.
     Harrison’s further disrespect for the traditional moral establishment is shown by his treatment of religion.  He considers it worthless.  When discussing The Night Porter, he readily related that the film was an accurate portrayal of concentration camps, what with the Stockholm Syndrome and moral depravity depicted in the film.  He defends Cavani’s (the director) claim of, “I did my research and you didn’t.”  He is utterly dismissive of Elie Wiesel’s critique and treats such a serious subject with disturbing levity.  Elsewhere, in a particular story within the film adaptation of The Decameron, Harrison points out the man who, after his death, is recognized as a saint based solely on a self-report of his deeds.  Harrison then protracts the message and says that the people we appoint as saints may not necessarily be good people.  Well, Harrison doesn’t have any criteria for evaluating morality. For Harrison to espouse such views of his own accord is one thing.  But consider their impact on his students.  Many students – particularly those in the engineering field – had chosen Harrison’s Italian Cinema course because of its reputation as an easy GE, which indeed it was.  But undergraduates in the engineering school are required to take (at maximum) six north campus courses over their entire degree program and during that student’s experience in GEs, he receives little more than leftist indoctrination.  And since most college folks never encounter a single conservative argument on campus, the effect of leftist professors’ teaching is all the greater.  If this were happening only in private universities  it may be improper to interfere or even speak out, out of respect for the liberty of private businesses.  But in our case, Californian taxpayers are funding the public universities’ practice of bashing American values.

Lessons and lunches of an outdoorswoman

The Bruin Standard writer shares her outdoor experiences and explains why they convinced her to become a vegetarian  Just kidding. She eats bunny rabbits.

By: Jenny Nguyen -- Staff Writer

     I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors, mostly camping, hiking and backpacking. I also enjoy horseback riding, and have also had the opportunity to go kayaking in Alaska for an entire week, paddling to different islands along the Kenai Fjords when I was 17. I’ve been lucky enough see and stand in places most people my age have never touched. As an adventure seeker, I’m always looking for the next opportunity to expand my world, to widen my experience and understanding of nature. A year ago, I decided to take up hunting.
I have always been curious about hunting. The problem was, I was raised in a culture that viewed hunters negatively. I remember watching Bambi, of course. I remember reading a book about the extinction of dodos in kindergarten. In school, U.S. History books never failed to mention the near extinction of the colonial beaver and the extermination of the American bison that roamed the prairies in the millions. I even remember PETA literature being handed out in class when I was in junior high.
     And on college campuses like UCLA, organizations like Bruins for Animals and the UCLA Animal Law Program wholeheartedly agree that hunters are “immoral” people— per my emails with both organizations, while national organizations like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) make fantastic claims about their service to animals, targeting college students through emotional means. It’s hard to escape. People in our part of the country are taught early on to see hunters as bad people. However, we are only getting a one sided view, and a disastrous one. Think back to 2008, when the liberal and mainstream media completely tore Sarah Palin apart because of her hunting, without even trying to understand her world. And it wasn’t just vegans and vegetarians talking; it was from people like Rosie O’Donnell… who I’m pretty sure isn’t a vegetarian.
     In Southern California, the hunter is a rare breed. His world is foreign to many. You rarely hear from him, unless if you know where to look. It was by mere chance that I bumped into one a couple years ago, and it has been an eye-opening learning process since then. After hearing from many hunters about their experiences in the field, I can now wholeheartedly conclude: the hunter most people think they know is a myth. Today’s North American hunter knows a whole lot more about animals than most other animal-loving groups do. His or her service to America’s wildlife is unmatched. 
     The most important myth to debunk is that the modern-day hunter is not the hunter of ancient times. He doesn’t sit on a train and pick off buffalo one by one, leaving the carcasses to rot and waste in the sun. He doesn’t go out and hunt animals willy-nilly, without concern for taking the animal as humanely as possible. An important point to emphasize is that hunting is not the same as poaching. Modern-day hunting in the United States has never led to the extinction of any species. It is also unlawful to hunt for commercial purposes. If you ever had venison or duck in a restaurant, it was not a wild but domesticated animal you were eating.
Sitting in a nine hour Hunter Education class last summer, which is required of all new hunters, I was blown away at how much the instructors knew about wildlife and about environmental responsibility. Course instructors reiterated time and time again that the Department of Fish and Game cracks down hard on those who break the law, and they stood by it 110%. Good hunters understand and respect the law. They understand to respect other people and their property. There were many kids in the class, and I was glad that they were learning this at an early age.
     And who else better would know the difference between a mourning dove and a Eurasian dove? A mallard and a teal? Or the sound of a cow in estrus between a breeding bellow? In reality, hunters spend a lot more time around animals than any animal rights activists I’ve ever known, and a good hunter knows that he has a responsibility to preserve and protect America’s wildlife so that future generations can enjoy.
Anything you read in the newspaper or see on TV about hunting is blown out of proportion. Accidents happen, like in anything. The truth is, hunters do a lot more good than our mainstream media gives them credit for.
     After going through websites of beloved organizations like PETA and the Humane Society, this is what I found: lots of emotional rhetoric and pictures of beautiful celebrities posing awkwardly with their Pomeranians. What I did not find were any clear cut numbers that would convince me that these organizations are more committed to saving animals than just making lots of expensive noise. Why do we not often hear from pro-hunting conservation groups? Because making noise is not their objective.
     Ducks Unlimited, a pro-hunting organization and a leader in waterfowl conservation, shows a clear-cut pie chart of where their money goes, on top of being an accredited Better Business Bureau charity organization on their website. Ducks Unlimited directs a whopping 81% of its money towards “Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation and Education,” meaning restoring grasslands, replanting forests, restoring watersheds, and working with partners and private landowners to make their land more wildlife friendly. The organization will also on occasion buy land, restore it and sell it or donate it back to government agencies that will manage it for wildlife.  In 1901, few ducks remained. Today, there are over 44 million ducks populating the United States and Canada, thanks to state wildlife agencies and groups like Ducks Unlimited.
     Another pro-hunting organization, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s (RMEF) 2010 Annual Report clearly indicates that 86% of its donations goes towards its programs, including elk restoration, land conservation, conservation education and stewardship projects. In 1907, only about 41,000 elk could be counted in the United States. Today, populations in 23 states total approximately 1 million thanks to conservations efforts of organizations like the RMEF.
     Furthermore, sportsmen contribute $7.5 million every day, adding to more than $2.7 billion every year for conservation through the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. This tax is only levied against those who buy hunting gear, such as guns and ammunition.  This is probably one of the only, if not the only group of citizens, who have asked to be taxed by the federal government just to restore our wildlife populations.
And these are only a few examples I am mentioning here. For hunters, hunting and conservation goes hand in hand. Hunters are the ones with the real stake when it comes to the outdoors, because it is where they spend so much of their time. I dare you to go to the websites of PETA and HSUS. I did, and what I found was infuriating, incomprehensible and dishonest. Take a look at their financial reports. Good luck trying to find them and read them.
     Next time you marvel at wildlife, go thank a hunter. The next time you stand in that voting booth, think twice about whom you are voting against regarding issues of gun rights and animal rights.
I chose to hunt because I wanted to better understand where my food comes from. All my life, I have been getting my meat from the grocery store, neatly packed in plastic wrap. Sometimes, I forget that an animal had to die to sustain me, and I take it for granted. I went hunting for the first time early September. I sat in 115-degree weather in Arizona, scanning the horizon for dove for two whole days, and got ONE dove. Hunting isn’t “easy.” Effective hunting takes years of practice. If I were a cavewoman, I’d starve to death.
Another thing I never had to deal with was processing my own meat. The one dove I had, I learned to pluck it chest feathers off and peel away the breastbone. I also learned to skin a rabbit on that trip. Having gone through all that, I learned to better appreciate what animals provide. I look forward to hunting for whitetail deer this November in Nebraska, my very first big game hunt. Yes, I currently eat venison almost every single week, and even keep a cooking blog called Wild Game In the Kitchen (shameless plug).
      I don’t think it’s fair to say that hunters are immoral. It’s about sustenance, not morality. Hunters confront their food. They know and appreciate the sacrifices. Every hunter knows how much work it takes to get food on the table. Despite what any vegan or vegetarian wants to say, human beings are omnivores. It’s basic human biology. If vegans and vegetarians were so happy with eating rabbit food, they wouldn’t be eating things like hotdog shaped tofu, “Soy Chicken,” and “VBQ Beef” sandwiches at Bruin Café.  Admit it. Your body craves tasty animals. And to those of you who do eat meat, don’t let others push you around.

Jenny Nguyen is a fourth year American literature and culture major. She can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com. Visit her blog at foodforhunters.blogspot.com

The Bruin Standard eats up this new trend

Farmer's markets offer multiple benefits to the college-aged grocery shopper and lucky for us, there are options all around Los Angeles.

By: Alex Wood -- Staff Writer

     Fresh peaches, decadent brownies, assorted trail mixes, and even Greek and Indian Food describe the hodge-podge that was the De Neve Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.
     After first appearing on campus back in April with a huge turnout, UCLA decided to give the market another try this year, with five more possible markets on the line up for the rest of the school year. The big draw for students is the availability of fresh, local and organic produce that they can snack on en route to class or keep in their backpacks or fridges to complement their on-the-go lifestyle.
     The farmers market is a great opportunity to reap unique benefits in shopping. For one, it is a way for students to incorporate healthy choices into their always busy schedules, making it a little easier to avoid the “freshman 15.”
     Also, shoppers can sample the produce before they buy it, easing some concern about wasting money if they don’t like the food.  This allows students to expand their horizons and try new foods that they might not normally try (after all, isn’t college when everyone goes wild?).
The market is a win-win situation all around; It provides an advantage to local businesses because they are attracting new customers, or at least making a small profit, as well as to students because it is an opportunity to explore healthier options and break from the monotony of eating the same foods offered on campus every day.
     If UCLA continued with the farmers markets on campus, we would be a healthier campus altogether and we could even make a difference in our economy. Sure it’s not much, but even a little spending spurs growth and will improve our community…Or at least that’s what economics majors say!
     If you enjoyed the farmers market and literally can’t wait until the next one-don’t wait! The Los Angeles area hosts a plethora of farmers market in various locations and on different days of the weeks year round, so one is bound to match up with your schedule. Head down to Westwood where many of the vendors present at the De Neve market camp out every Wednesday from 2-7pm. Or venture out a little farther and experience the Santa Monica Farmer’s market every Wednesday and Sunday mornings. Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood all have farmers’ markets and thanks to the internet, all information is online. But if any of them outshines the others, it has got to be Santa Monica’s.
     It’s nothing new; Santa Monica has been hosting its weekly farmers market for over twenty years now, filling Arizona Avenue in downtown with locally grown produce, flowers, and the like every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, attracting everyone from renowned chefs, local foodies, flocks of tourists, surfers and beach-goers, and the occasional UCLA student (ok, maybe that was just me). Bright red tomatoes, shiny apples, and a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds speckle the avenue between second and third streets, with produce changing according to the season. But for a freshman new to the Los Angeles area like me (and an aspiring chef, too) the outdoor market was enrapturing. Sure, I’ve been to farmer’s markets before. But in most cities across the nation, they take place in concrete parking lots, not exactly the sort of ambiance that screams “fresh” or “organic.” There is no cool ocean breeze to tickle your nose and instead of hearing the rhythmic beat of the ocean’s waves hitting the shore, you hear the start up of an engine or cars whizzing by. But in this beachfront town, all the factors add up to create a recipe for success, especially for the UCLA student: the sunny weather, mix of people, nearby activities (such as surfing, jogging, shopping, and going to the beach or pier), and close proximity to campus, with easy access via the Big Blue Bus, lines 1,2, or 3. So maybe you’re not a gourmand, and the giant heap of artichokes and the entire tent dedicated to different fresh herbs just doesn’t appeal to you as it does me (not to mention the idea of a ripe, juicy peach just after you’ve finished running along the beach). Anyway, maybe you are the kind of person who says “I bought this meal plan and darn it I’m going to use these swipes!” If that’s the case, then I would like you to see the market in a different light, viewing it as an outdoor bazaar for exotic gifts. Yes, you heard me right-EXOTIC! I’m talking fresh honey still on the comb, perfectly safe, not to mention delicious, for eating (I asked), as well as flower stands, reminiscent of the stalls along the banks of the Seine in Paris, to brighten up your cramped dorm room, surprise that special someone, or kiss up to your TA. Lilacs, sunflowers, roses, they have them all. And who wouldn’t want a dragon fruit-a dragon fruit!!! Have you ever eaten one? Yeah, me neither. Still not convinced? (sigh) Well, at least be a tightwad and go solely for the free samples-pink lady apples, flavored pistachios, and sweet honey from the bees, and then beg with the local homeless for your bus fare to get back to campus.


Alex Wood is a first-year English and political science major. She can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com

As DREAM Act passes, protesters eagerly await next protest

DREAMers make a good point but they don't make it well. A look at how overly aggressive activists can alienate constituents on the fence.

By: Matthew Murray -- Managing Editor

     While the California Senate recently witnessed the signing into law of the DREAM Act, UCLA’s emotionally charged protesters ironically did more to alienate potential supporters of the act than make a positive impact. The “support” offered by UCLA’s resident DREAMers was, to no surprise unconstructive. Ask financial analysts about the act and they can tell you about the billions that it can generate. Ask ethicists, sociologists, and psychologists and they can tell you about the positive impact education can make for marginalized students and their families. Even ask Chancellor Block and he will laud the act as a huge step forward in the world of education. Just don’t ask students picketing on campus. Instead of just raising awareness of the merits of the DREAM Act or producing a carefully reasoned argument in a public forum, these DREAMers brought to the table hackneyed slogans and plenty of non-sequiturs. It’s as if UCLA has a team of minutemen protestors ready to drop everything, grab a poster board and markers, and run to campus for a day of hysterical shouting and protesting for the sake of protest.
     For some reason, the protestors would rather vilify the opposition to their cause than simply promote their own. The DREAMers spent ample time attacking straw men as they chanted the truism, “dreams aren’t illegal” - which was also printed on their t-shirts. We all know that dreams aren’t illegal and we would tell anyone that disagreed that they are gravely mistaken - dreams, ambitions, and desires can’t possibly be illegal. What might be illegal is what it takes to realize a dream. If I dream of having a sports car, taking one from someone’s garage is still illegal. So, instead of producing a meaningful slogan that might have piqued students’ interest in the cause, they just made students like me scratch their heads in puzzlement as they hustled through the Bruinwalk gauntlet to class. However, the chanters kept chanting and I wondered just who hates the DREAMers dreams so much?
     When in doubt, it’s usually safe to turn to a learned scholar teaching at UCLA.  Professor and head of the UCLA Labor Institute Kent Wong had the answer to my question. As the person beating his chest for the protest du jour, he’s the go to guy.  I learned from Mr. Wong that the culprit is the state and the people who run it. In other words, The Man is responsible for all this dream hating. While I thought that heads of state generally cared about other human beings (or at least the ones who vote for them), Wong’s enlightening discourse begs to differ. According to Mr. Wong, politicians are more interested in “big business research and development and training corporate leaders” and the federal government has a “deplorable track record of supporting repressive regimes.” Regarding undocumented immigrants, Mr. Wong explained that there is a “handful of people who are trying to block their dreams and aspirations.” I though this was a silly proposition. Who would want to block dreams? Does the state have a secret Department of Inception? The professor clarified, “let us be very clear what is behind the anti-immigrant hysteria in Congress today, and especially among certain Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate; it is racism pure and simple.”
     I’d really like to land a good job after college so I tried looking for a state subsidized Corporate Leader Training Program, but I had no luck. I also wanted to find out who these racist politicians might be, but I couldn’t identify them. It started to feel as if I’d been sent on a goose chase by the questions that Mr. Wong was begging. Fortunately, he was able to explain. Apparently, you can become a successful corporate leader by being a beneficiary of the DREAM Act and the dream hating racists in the senate aren’t just any old politicians - they are old, white, and male. At a rally last year he told everyone, “the young people of the DREAM Act movement, will go on to accomplish and do great things with your lives....You will go on to become lawyers, teachers, doctors and members of the U.S. Congress to replace those old white men.” So there you have it. The Man and the greedy fat cats in the state legislature have just been keeping all the good UC bachelors degrees to themselves. With the passage of the DREAM act, corporations can hire new degree holding immigrants and we can finally out the “old white men” running the state - except for old white men like Jerry Brown of course. He did sign the DREAM act after all.

Matthew Murray is a third-year philosophy major. He can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com

DREAM Act proponents miss the point

We look at the bill recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown and discuss the financial ramifications that would burden an already overwhelmed state.

By: Barbara Efraim -- Staff Writer

     California makes the news, yet again, for joining Texas and New Mexico in rewarding illegal behavior. Last weekend, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California DREAM Act, or AB 131.
The new law gives illegal immigrant students “on the path to citizenship” access to the state’s public financial aid and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013.
     Proponents of the DREAM Act are rejoicing because Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown signed their long-awaited legislation; opponents are in disbelief. Upon the passage of the first half of the DREAM Act in July of this year, Republican Assemblyman Jeff Miller expressed his disappointment with Governor Brown, “This legislation, in no uncertain terms, subsidizes higher education for illegal immigrants.”
Illegal students are already subsidized under AB 540, a law that makes them eligible for in-state tuition, thus paying about two and a half times less than what an out-of-state student would otherwise pay. (The University of California website shows tuition for residents is $13,200 and out-of-state students pay $36,078, that’s an additional $22,878). AB 131 would give students already sheltered by AB 540 the opportunity to apply for and receive financial aid from the state of California. Illegal students will now be granted access to Cal Grants, among other state aid programs, in order to pay their tuition costs.
     The reported cost of AB 131 is at least $13 million. Although, judging from the economic dire straits of the Golden State, these numbers seem to reflect the bottom of the projected estimates.
     In my phone interview with Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly Twin Peaks, he assumed the real cost will be triple that, as most state expenditures end up costing three times as much as originally predicted. For the record, Assemblyman Donnelly, whose firm stance on immigration has alienated him from a number of state legislators, won’t back down: he intends to file a referendum against the DREAM Act.
The fiery debate over AB 131 has reached UCLA, where the school newspaper published a number of articles dealing with the DREAM Act in the past couple of weeks.  To their credit, a few pieces were against this costly legislation, but they seem to lack an understanding of the facts.
     A common misconception is that illegal students would have access to financial aid only after the aid has been dispersed to California residents, thus not taking any money from legal residents. Assemblyman Donnelly’s explanation is simple: “There’s no way this could happen.”
     When applying for financial aid, the student need not display his legal status. This makes it impossible for the California Student Aid Commission, the administrator of financial aid, to distinguish illegal from legal students. The concept of putting illegal students second in line is therefore very unlikely.
     The school paper is also making an effort to avoid using the word “illegal,” which doesn’t appear even once. The reason for the reluctance of using the term that’s used in every court of law, Donnelly says, is that “they don’t like to call things what they are because then they’re going to have to do something about it.”
No one is disputing that these students’ statuses are complex and multi-faceted, but by facilitating their way through higher education, the problem is not getting any easier. Just what are illegal students supposed to do once they graduate from college? College diplomas don’t magically turn into Green cards or Social Security Numbers, so these students are going to continue being illegal.
     The argument in favor of the California DREAM Act, and even the national DREAM Act, is that these students will be assets to society and as such, they’re a great investment.  Supporters are forgetting to analyze where the payoff of such investment will be. These students will remain illegal and unable to work. Their solution is to wait for a Federal DREAM Act or some kind of amnesty to pass for there to be gains from this risky and short-sided investment.
     I’m absolutely not suggesting that the children of illegal aliens can’t get an education because they’re illegal. But when the state is drowning in a debt of close to $375 billion, rewarding illegal immigrants by subsidizing their tuition (which is rising for everyone) does not seem to be the best idea.
     Not only is the bill financially irresponsible, but it worsens the problem of illegal immigration: what’s to motivate people to immigrate legally if it’s much easier to reap the benefits of illegally?

Barbara Efraim is a fourth-year political science major. She can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com

Discovering the cultural side of Israel

Despite vilification attempts by everyone from USAC representatives to people who actually matter, Israel has much to offer as a cultural and historical hub.

By: Lydia Mazuryk -- Publisher

     At UCLA, students take up causes and are surrounded by efforts to spread diversity, increase dialogue between campus groups, effect change through awareness, make the world a better place.  In short, we all work towards empathy.  If only one group could hear and understand the other, we could at least be civil and all get along.  Whether or not these efforts actually bring about real moral action, or DOING what is right, is not the scope of my article.  But I will attempt to reach all groups touched by one topic: Israel.  In true Bruin spirit, consider this my effort to jump on the Empathy Train and share a few personal experiences.      
    This summer I had the opportunity to participate in the Anti-Defamation League’s Campus Leaders Study Mission to Israel.  My time in Israel, I imagine, is similar to that of many others who travel to the land of milk and honey.  It is an incredible experience that opens your mind to a culture and country that is often talked about with assumed authority by many who have never stepped foot on its shores. 
     Israel is a modern nation like any other Western civilization.  Simultaneously, Israel has an ancient and unique history that has influenced its exceptionally tumultuous path to nationhood and still influences its foreign policy today.  Israel is a nation of Jews, both culturally and religiously, as stated in its constitution.  And even today where over 65% of the nation considers itself secular, one of the central issues precluding peace between Israel and the Palestinians is determining how to govern Jerusalem, the Holy City for multiple faiths.
I never dreamed I would see the Holy City first hand and will always be humbled by the experience.  Seeing pictures of the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount cannot be compared to actually standing in the vicinity of these historic locations.  And standing next to the Wailing Wall cannot be compared to actually touching it.  The Wall seemed to come alive with all the prayers and emotions that it has absorbed into its cracks over the centuries.  Similarly, walking down the Mt. of Olives in Christ’s footsteps and through the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa reminds you of an omnipresent God whose existence is broader than any religious definition and sets this city apart from any other.
     With even the most “touristy” of attractions, camel riding, our tour guide was able to show us the merging of history and modernity.  We were taught about the ancient and small, but significant, Bedouin culture residing outside the Old City.  Camel rides are a form of livelihood for this ancient Israeli people.  And like the United States, Israelis for the most part have struck a balance of tolerance and coexistence among its many different cultures.  It is no wonder that the United States and Israel have such strong ties and remain close allies. 
During this trip, as has happened to me in the past, I expected to be questioned by foreigners I met abroad about American life and culture.  In Israel, however, having meals with Israelis from various walks of life, I found them to be open and excited to share about their lives and culture.  Whether discussing their military service or their opinions about recent social or political events taking place in Israel, there was a profound pride and eagerness to share their success as a nation with others.  To listen to Israeli soldiers, some of them barely 21 years old, who have already experienced combat talk about their future plans puts into perspective how much an Israeli youth is expected to accomplish at  a young age versus Americans of the same age.  Without the need to prove anything, Israelis are simply proud to share their own stories of overcoming adversity and the constant external threat that exists from their regional neighbors, while maintaining and improving their democracy.
     Having Shabbat dinner with host families also illuminated daily life in Israel for me.  This geographically small nation is built on intimate and closely knit families and neighborhoods. Throughout the service with the Yaar Ramot congregation, it was clear how close the congregants were and that their shared religious beliefs and culture sealed their connection.  Not only did my fellow mission participants and I receive a gracious invitation to dinner after Temple, but we were immediately welcomed as part of their families.  Coupled with the homey atmosphere that characterizes families in Israel is their eagerness to talk politics.  The father of the host family I visited with, a scientist working in dentistry technology, relayed his observations of Israeli tolerance and their willingness to share innovations with neighboring Arab nations.  But to his lament, non-Israelis who benefit from this generosity go to great lengths to erase connections to Israel.  Countries like Egypt will buy Israeli medical goods and technology and release it for Egyptian public use or export it only after repackaging and stripping any references to the Israeli origin of the product. The obvious goal is to deny recognition of the top-quality of Israel’s technology and manufacturing industry, as well as to negate Israel’s very existence.
     Another more serious effect this trip had on me is my understanding of anti-Semitism.  With leaders like Iranian President Ahmadinejad openly calling for the death of Jews and destruction of Israel it is clear that anti-Semitism is not a relic of Hitler’s Germany.  Anti-Semitism has morphed and manifested itself in new ways.  Whether it is Wall Street Protestors, politicians, or comedians reinforcing age-old stereotypes, like that Jews are rich and tight with their money, or students making light of the Holocaust with Anne Frank jokes, I aim to counter such derogatory comments with a more respectful approach to Judaism, the Jewish people and Israel. 


Lydia Mazuryk is a fourth-year history major. She can be reached at thebruinstandard@gmail.com