“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust As a graduate embarking on a ‘year off’ before law school, I find myself curious to see the world while the shackles of adulthood are still quite loose. My personal wanderlust is fueled both by an innate curiosity for the unknown...

Cartography by Simone Dvoskin _________________A new paradigm has been gradually emerging at UCLA. Iranian students, Armenian students, students from Arab countries and others are coming together to create a new, broader identity. SWANA, which stands for Southwest Asia and North Africa, encompasses a broad range of ethnic and national groups from the region, uniting them based on shared historical and...

Judaism is an ancient faith that remains strong even to this day, with over 12 million "members of the Tribe" and its own Jewish-majority state. Atheism, on the other hand, is the lack of belief in the existence of G-d or gods — a creed that is sometimes so strong, that it is sometimes considered to be a religion itself....

Illustration by Angelina Ellyason ________________With its many laws and customs, Judaism has always valued the sacredness of marriage. Consequently, marrying Jewish has prominently been seen as non-negotiable for many in the Jewish community. The apprehension of assimilation and having the miniscule Jewish population dwindle down even further haunt our already-worried Jewish mothers, giving them something else to kvetch (“complain”) about....

Illustration by Rivka Cohen _______________The end of the year marks an unexpected beginning for our Jewish community: a new pro-Israel group. Students Supporting Israel has been growing internationally since 2012, recently embarking on a chapter here at UCLA. The chapter’s co-founders Akiva Nemetsky and Liat Menna, along with scribe Liat Bainvoll, shared their opinions and plans for a new kind...

Illustration by Allison Hernandez _________________In recent years, widespread public campaigns and vocal issue advocacy have helped mental health organizations better apprise the public on the ins and outs of mental illness. But while these organizations have made inroads in clarifying what constitutes mental illness, there remains frequent misunderstanding in popular American culture about it and those who suffer from it....

Illustration by Allison Hernandez __________________ It's the first day of the quarter and your professor has just handed out copies of her syllabus and course schedule. Scanning down the list of assignments, quizzes and exams, you pencil them into your calendar as the professor reads the course description aloud. Suddenly, you realize that an exam has been scheduled for a...

Photo courtesy of David Bocarsly ________________David Bocarsly is a former Undergraduate Student Association Council member who served as General Representative from 2011-2012 and USAC’s 100th president during 2012-2013. He is currently in New York finishing a 9-month Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs that focuses on advanced leadership development. I was able to catch up with him recently to ask him...

There are certain moments in our lives that are particularly suited to self-reflection. As graduation is steadily approaching, I’ve found myself more enveloped in these moments, thinking about how I’ve changed — and noticing the changes in others. Thinking about what I’ve learned, the people I’ve met, the experiences most impactful — regardless of their seeming insignificant at the time....

Photo courtesy of Rabbi Wolpe ______________Entering Rabbi David Wolpe’s office in Sinai Temple was a surreal experience for me. The last time I came to his office, I was 13 years old and with my parents; we all discussed the significance of my first Jewish milestone — my bat mitzvah. We spoke about my interests, my passions, and my future,...