The whistle of a train pierces the quiet afternoon as the carriage rocks from side to side, grimy windows framing a slow-moving California coastline. This may sound like a scene from a docudrama about the California Gold Rush or westward expansion, but it’s actually a description of the antiquated and inconvenient commute many students make today on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, a train that runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. Read more...

Photo: Zipcar has a partnership with the University of California, through which students are offered discounted memberships and on-campus access to rentable cars. The UC should expand this partnership to allow students to pick up cars at one campus and drop them off at another. (Creative Commons photo by Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)

The scariest part of the Hill may not be its annual Haunted Hill, but rather its massive covert programming budget. It’s not cheap to live on the Hill. Read more...

Photo: Residential Life and the On-Campus Housing Council, two entities that host events on the Hill, command programming budgets of $11,000 and $50,00 respectively. However, they don’t disclose how exactly they spend this money, raising transparency concerns. (Daily Bruin file photo)

Being queer in California isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and people of all sexual orientations and genders still face discrimination and harassment in their daily lives. Read more...

Photo: California’s Instructional Quality Commission, an advisory group to the Board of Education, approved a new set of educational materials that are more inclusive of the history of LGBTQ people. The state needs to ensure these materials are actually utilized by the local districts. (Daily Bruin file photo)

Sex! OK, now that I have your attention, let’s talk about a serious problem affecting college students. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report saying the number of sexually transmitted infections in America reached a record high, with college-aged people composing half of the affected population. Read more...

Photo: UCLA installed a health vending machine in Ackerman Union earlier this week. The machine offers products such as condoms, pregnancy tests and miscellaneous school items. UCLA needs to diversify the products sold in these machines, though, to cater to all students. (Kathy Zhou/Daily Bruin)

The defining UCLA experience is trying to avoid organizations flyering on Bruin Walk. Clubs must accost students as they head to class or swarm Dickson Plaza each fall for the Enormous Activities Fair to ensure everyone knows they exist. Read more...