BUZZURRO

In UCLA different groups graduate at different times.

The university (UCLA) now has so many separate identity-group graduations that scheduling them not to conflict with one another is a challenge.
The women’s studies graduation and the Chicana/Chicano studies graduation are both set for 10 AM Saturday.
The broader Hispanic graduation, “Raza,” is in near-conflict with the black graduation, which starts just an hour later.

Planning was easier before a new crop of ethnic groups pushed for inclusion.
Students of Asian heritage were once content with the Asian–Pacific Islanders ceremony.
But now there are separate Filipino and Vietnamese commencements, and some talk of a Cambodian one in the future.
Years ago, UCLA sponsored an Iranian graduation, but the school’s commencement office couldn’t tell me if the event was still around.
The entire Middle East may yet be a fertile source for UCLA commencements.

In the words of the 1990s LA Riot Victim Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along?” (or at least graduate together.)

When I was in college there was one commencement ceremony.
Just one. It worked very well.
Hispanics sat next to Asians and Blacks and Whites.
Nobody felt intimidated to be graduating with another ethnic group.
We all listened intently for our names and once called went on stage excitedly to get our diplomas.
Some fraternity groups taped the letters of their fraternities to their caps, but other than that everyone wore the same graduation gown, except for magna cum laude and other people graduating with honors (based on educational merits-not race) No purple sashes for Vietnamese members or pink triangles for Lesbian and Gay people as Adolph Hitler would have them do.

Now, graduates (at UCLA) usually wear identity-group markers—a Filipino stole or a Vietnamese sash, for instance, or a rainbow tassel at the Lavender event.
Promoters of ethnic and racial graduations often talk about the strong sense of community that they favor.
But it is a sense of community based on blood, a dubious and historically dangerous organizing principle.

Now how are we supposed to exist in a country if everyone runs to their own groups to graduate from college of all things ?
College educated people should be able to live with diversity-no run from it.
One can identify strongly with a racial or ethnic group and still graduate in the mainstream graduation.
When I graduated with the mainstream population at my college my ethnicity didn’t change.
Neither did that of any Black, Asian, or Hispanic.
Gays did not become straight, Heterosexuals did not become homosexual, everyone was just happy to graduate.

I think this segregated graduation is a bad idea, something that would make all the civil rights leaders from the 1960s turn in their graves, but unfortunately many don’t think so.
If you read the article, the tragedy according to UCLA officials is not that separate graduations exist, but that they cant schedule them all.

The whole Paris Hilton getting released from jail for some phantom medical reasons which nobody knows about, including the judge, and then her going back to jail has re-ignited the debate on
whether her sentence was fair in the first place.
Those people who argue that her sentence was too harsh say it was given only because she is famous and the law wants to make an example out of her.
Those who argue that it is too lenient argue that she was caught drunk driving while on a suspended license and was only given special treatment because she was famous.
Well, since this is my blog, I will give my opinion.
The sentence was fair.
Paris got what she deserved. Her penalty was not so much for the crime of driving on a suspended license or her driving drunk, but for her contempt for court.
That is it. If she went to court when she was supposed to, and not show up 30 minutes late, or if she even looked into joining a class which the court ordered, her sentence of 45 days in jail probably would never have happened.
Why do I say this ? From experience.
Some time ago I was involved in an auto accident.
I received a moving violations ticket for making an illegal left turn.
I went to my arraignment in court as I was supposed to.
I was informed then by the judge that I could serve up to 90 days in jail if the court chooses to sentence me to jail.
I went to a lawyer in fear.
He informed me that the 90 days jail sentence was the maximum sentence the court could give me by law but that they only do that in cases involving felons or those who have extreme disrespect for the law, such as Paris Hilton demonstrated by not looking for a driving class or checking into a rehab program or showing up for court late, or even violating the suspended license sentence.
The lawyer advised me to go to court as I was supposed to.
I did, and ended up with only a warning about getting another moving violation during the next 90 days.
Why ?
Piss off the judge my lawyer told me, and suffer the consequences.
Paris Hilton definitely didn’t take the law seriously and that pissed off the judge. In my opinion, Paris ought to be jumping for joy that the judge only sentenced her to half the mandatory sentence allowed to by law, instead of complaining about how unfair it is.
It was a lenient decision, be it was fair.

Some free advice Paris, next time don’t act like the law is a joke.
You might get the maximum sentence.
In my opinion Paris should be happy that the judge sentenced her to only 45 days instead of the maximum of 90.
Some free advice Paris, next time don’t act like the law is a joke. You might get the maximum sentence.