Category Archives: Opinion

Editorials

The divestment dilemma

CAMPUS ISSUES: The controversial divestment bill passed by the ASUC Senate this week should have been crafted in a more inclusive manner.

On Wednesday night, members of the UC Berkeley community continued a proud campus tradition of speaking out against injustice. People with diverse opinions about an ASUC Senate bill that calls for divestment from companies tied to human rights violations in Israel agreed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs resolution. Yet, in Read More…

Op-Eds

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Is the South more racist than the North?

Parts of the Voting Rights Act need to go

The Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in Shelby v. Holder regarding the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The VRA is a historic piece of legislation designed to enforce the 15th Amendment. Among its provisions, it outlaws the use of any “voting qualification or Read More…

Editorial Cartoons

To be blunt

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Gregory Arena/Staff

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Columns

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People’s Park problems

Council Watch

It’s simple: People’s Park, in its current form, needs to go. Who would have guessed that a square patch of university land would turn into the biggest headache for the city and the school, a third rail in city politics that leads to shouting, screaming and the inexorable retreat? For Read More…

Op-Eds

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Divestment debate: Echoes of Apartheid

Perspectives on Israel-related divestment as the ASUC Senate considers bills connected to the topic

Last Monday, after much dialogue and debate, the Organization of African Students unanimously decided to support the ASUC bill that calls for divestment from companies profiting from, or investing in, the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The decision to support divestment is a result Read More…

Op-Eds

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Divestment debate: Support peace instead

Perspectives on Israel-related divestment as the ASUC Senate considers bills connected to the topic

On Wednesday, the ASUC Senate will likely consider either to divest from companies that do business with Israel or to instead invest peacemaking initiatives that bring Israelis and Palestinians together. As a freshman, I experienced the divestment effort of spring 2010. From dusk to dawn on three Wednesday nights through Read More…

Editorials

Aquatic promise and conflict

CAMPUS ISSUES: The new aquatic facility planned for Bancroft Way is a good idea, but it needs to first resolve issues of land use and parking.

Plans to construct a new aquatic facility at UC Berkeley are welcome, but the project needs to solve conflicts with city planning before breaking ground. The $15 million facility is set to be constructed adjacent to the Tang Center on Bancroft Way in order to take some pressure off the Read More…

Columns

Elisabeth-Bahadori_online

Bedside manners

Sex on Tuesday

There are unspoken rules about having sex with someone. Whether it’s a one-night stand or the second year of a relationship, they’re pretty much the same: Don’t be selfish in bed. Make your partner feel good. Respect their boundaries. These are all pretty self-explanatory. When it comes to orgasms, however, Read More…

Op-Eds

Divestment debate: Our university is complicit in human rights violations

Perspectives on Israel-related divestment as the ASUC considers bills connected to the topic

Jim Crow was wrong for the United States, and it’s wrong for Israel. Last month, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders gathered at the U.S. Capitol to unveil a full-size bronze statue in honor of Rosa Parks. The legendary civil rights icon was honored for sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Read More…