Jonah Lalas  Lalas is a third-year
international development studies and political science major. He
is the Viewpoint editor for the 2000-2001 year. E-mail him at
[email protected]
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Here for more articles by Jonah Lalas Â
Welcome to the Viewpoint section. In this section, almost
anything goes. You will read everything from serious political
debates and social topics, to satire, comedy and insights on
dating. The diversity of issues and ideas discussed within this
section is what makes Viewpoint so interesting and for many, simply
irresistible. More importantly, our goal is to develop a section
that reflects the diversity of the campus community.
You may open the section one day, read a column, and crumple up
the paper in anger at what was said. Another day, your eyes may be
scrolling down the page in complete awe at of what the writer is
saying. Other times, an article may compel you to submit your own
piece to Viewpoint because you have something to offer or your
fingers are itching to type up a response. Clearly, the
possibilities are endless.
It is important to understand that unlike other sections in the
Daily Bruin, Viewpoint does not belong to a group of staffed
writers with assignments; rather, it belongs to you, the reader.
There are three main aspects to the Viewpoint section: editorials,
submissions and columnists.
Every week in Viewpoint, you will find the Daily Bruin
editorials. This is the opinion of the editorial board that will
focus on important current issues. Notably, this quarter we will be
covering the elections. Look for a series of debates and editorials
regarding the candidates, propositions, and other political
issues.
 JENNY YURSHANSKY/Daily Bruin
During the spring quarter, we will be covering student
government elections. This is especially important for you as a
UCLA student because the young individuals elected will definitely
impact you.
The second main part of Viewpoint are the submissions. The
section acts as a forum where students can debate issues and
respond to columns, editorials, or other submissions. It is also a
place where students can talk about pop culture and their social
life. We are open to submissions that seek to get the reader to
laugh, or simply smile. Comedy is an important part of the section
that also adds to the diversity of viewpoints we strive to
present.
The third major feature of the section are the columnists. For
those of you who are really serious about speaking out to a
readership of 50,000, you can apply for a position every quarter.
Applications for winter quarter columnists will be available during
the final weeks of the fall. I was columnist last year and can
testify to the uniqueness of the experience. You are given the
opportunity to write every two weeks on virtually almost any topic
you desire. Your picture will also appear with every column you
publish and pretty soon, people will start recognizing you on
campus.
Finally, we must realize that as students at a top ranked public
university, we are in a position of power. Many of us will go on to
become the future journalists, doctors, scientists, engineers,
lawyers, social workers, teachers, senators and possibly world
leaders. Being in such an esteemed position, we have an obligation
to make ourselves more aware of the problems that continue to run
amok in our local communities and society as a whole.
By exposing ourselves to a variety of different backgrounds and
listening and reading people’s viewpoints and personal
experiences, we can truly contribute more to our own education. It
is not enough to simply read about issues and think about them. You
have to express your ideas and challenge other people’s
beliefs and assumptions.
Every single one of you has opinions and I’m willing to
bet that every person on this campus has at least one topic or
issue that makes their hearts and minds burn up in flames. No one
on this campus lives as a hermit; all of you encounter students,
professors and ideas every day. Now it is time to express your
thoughts in section that thrives on it.
So remember, any time you have something to say, all you have to
do is e-mail us your submission or letter at [email protected]. We hope to
hear from you soon.