EDITORIAL: Students have right to more say in commencement speaker

Share: It looks like the Board has, once again, put its foot in its mouth. At last Wednesday night’s Board meeting, Student Trustee Marshall Lewis emphasized the need for more student input in the selection of a speaker this time around. But former Board President Anthony Fellow was quick to say that he thought there had been too much student input in the process as it was, blaming last year’s commencement debacle on the students.                     …

Fifty Shades of Grey: The Epitome of a Feminist Movie

Share: Whether you like it or hate it, you have to admit that America’s popular culture and sexual fantasy have been recently revolving around “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The three-part book series published by Random House has sold 100 million copies internationally, as of 2012. The book has become so popular, in fact, that is has recently been turned into a major motion picture directed by Sam-Taylor Johnson and set to debut this Valentine’s Day. The movie’s trailer has over 50 million views on YouTube, …

Throwing shade at ‘Grey’

Share: There’s nothing more romantic than sexually charged torture, right? At least that seems to be the message behind “Fifty Shades of Grey,” with its copious amount of BDSM-related scenes. The movie, based on the first installment of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy of the same name, hopes to pique the interest of women around the globe this upcoming Valentine’s Day with its steamy depiction of intimate moments. However popular the series is with its target audience, the main sequence of events is rather frightening and …

Editorial: Students have the right to know, even if it jeopardizes a career

Two weeks ago, Coleman Griffith was the latest in a long line of faculty members exiled to paid administrative leave. Senior Vice President Robert Bell, who told the Courier about Griffith’s leave, retracted his statement, saying that it was a violation of Griffith’s confidentiality. The truth of the matter is that students deserve to be told when and why a faculty member is put on leave, even at the cost of the professor’s reputation.

The Homeless Count

Share: Day in and day out, thousands of homeless men, women, and children, from a variety of backgrounds, drift through the streets of Los Angeles County, panhandling for money to buy their next meal and searching for somewhere safe to spend the night. Busy onlookers pass them on their way to and from work or school, yet few stop to offer them help, no matter how little that may be. To the rest of the world, these people are misunderstood and labeled with denigrating and …