The youngest members to join the growing group of reality stars (the Gosselin kids of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" excluded) are the girls of MTV's "16 and Pregnant" and its counterpart "Teen Mom." Just as Snooki gained fame for her gift of drunken belligerence, so too have these young girls achieved stardom from their teenage pregnancies and subsequent struggles.

As we near a new election season, potential candidates have started not with the policy debate, but with the mudslinging. And Donald Trump led the pack.

No, the ‘War on Terror'…or ‘Overseas Contingency Operation' is no "Star Wars," and it won't end with an explosion of the Death Star and a strange Ewok party. But we did just hurl the Emperor into the void, and even in this world of shadows and ambiguity, it reminds us that there are some things we can rely on.

The Arab Spring of 2011 has been marked by popular movements ranging from protests to revolutions, and has shown us a possible new horizon for the Middle East. What separates this year's historical events frompast conflicts in the Middle East is that Arabs—not to mention

Persians—are turning not against Americans, Israelis, and other Westerners, but against institutions that have defined Middle Eastern politics for decades.

The lack of participation or interest doesn't stop at ASG. Santa Clara's four media CSO's – The Santa Clara, The Redwood, KSCU and The Review – had a combined six applicants for the four editor/general manager positions. In other words, many of the most prestigious on campus student jobs, including those in ASG, were literally handed out to those dedicated enough just to submit the application.

Junior Armand Domalewski and junior Gabe Taylor present two sides on the contraceptive debate: whether or not SCU should provide contraceptives on-campus.

"As I was being propelled toward an ambiguous future, I found the pull of nostalgia comforting."

I have grown up my whole life witnessing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I have never known it to be anything else but a conflict and the so called ‘peace process' that many people  have looked to for help has proven to be only a process and nothing else.

SCU is concerned about its reputation, so our administration finds itself in the unique position of calling graduates ‘adults,' but at the same time giving us the liberty of circus animals. What bothers me most, however, is that the newspaper and administration are celebrating this colossal sham. 

I constantly hear all kinds of stories about roommates. One friend got along fine with her roommate until said roommate had seven people over to their room to smoke marijuana, saturating her bed and clothing with the smell. Another friend liked her roommate as long as the roommate remembered to take her medication. When she forgot, her manic-depressive disorder made her nearly impossible to tolerate.

Art is a crucial part of the balance needed in a child's education. Without proper funding, many children — especially low-income children — are missing out on the development of their creativity and the intrinsic value of art, music and theatre.

Since freshman year, we've believed in the dichotomy of the Santa Clara Bubble and the surrounding Real World. This year, we must come to terms with the notion of stepping outside the bubble permanently. Right now, we're all waiting for the answers that will determine our first few steps.

In the real world if someone was drunk before 5 p.m. for most of the week, they would be considered an alcoholic.  Their family and friends might hold an intervention for them, and they would be encouraged by professionals and nonprofessionals alike to seek help in rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous or some sort of medical program.  In college, however, this behavior is completely acceptable. 

"That test was so gay!" or "Class was retarded today" are commonly heard phrases. Though for the most part it is true that people do not use those words to offend people who are gay or suffer from learning disabilities, the fact of the matter is that these words were originally used in this slang manner to be just that — offensive.

Immersion trips are an amazing opportunity and I would recommend that everyone participate in one during their time at Santa Clara. But they are not just a week where you deign to help the less fortunate. They are life changing learning experiences that teach you solidarity, respect, and tolerance. I will be forever grateful for my time in East Los Angeles and the friends and knowledge I gained there.