There are times I think people over 40 miss college more than I enjoy being in it. Almost every conversation I’ve had with a family member about school goes like this: They get really excited that I’m at UCLA, tell me an anecdote about their undergraduate experience and then give me some general piece of advice like “work hard and it’ll make your life a hell of a lot easier after graduation.” These conversations tend to feature empty cliches about what you can expect out of a university like, “College is the time of your life” or “College is where you find yourself.” Beneath the cliche, though, lies an assumption about what you should be looking for when you arrive at a university. Read more...

  Working for a political campaign this summer was equal parts humorous, challenging and incredibly rewarding. Think “Parks and Recreation,” combined with “The Office” and “The West Wing.” That’s how I found myself at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors debate earlier this month. Read more...