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Wesley Fink: Exploring Democratic Innovations Through Ranked Choice Voting and Government Internships
Interviewer: Mandy Tang Editor: Selena Perez In this article, Mandy Tang interviews Wesley Fink. Wesley is a senior majoring in Political Science, with a keen interest in examining democratic processes and representation through a comparative and analytical lens. The interview covers Wesley’s research on the impact of ranked choice voting on candidate diversity in San Francisco Supervisor Elections, as well as his experiences with the University of California Washington Program (UCDC) and the University of California Center Sacramento Program (UCCS). Mandy: Could you briefly describe your research project and share what sparked your interest in this area? What were some key findings in your research project? Wesley: Absolutely, I’d be…
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Dr. Panagia: Research in Politics and Aesthetic Theory
Interviewer: Alyssa Schmidt Editor: Selena Perez In this article, Alyssa Schmidt interviews Professor Davide Panagia from the UCLA Political Science Department. Professor Panagia teaches Political Theory, with a focus on courses in contemporary political theory, aesthetics and politics, affect theory, political theory and cinema, political theory and algorithmic cultures, and theories of textual interpretation. This interview features Professor Panagia’s research in aesthetics and politics and how his research process informed his recent publications. Alyssa: “aesthetics and politics” is a very broad topic; how do you narrow down your research to ensure effective contributions to this area of study? Dr. Panagia: The topic almost didn’t exist when I was doing…
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Michelle Morschagin: Art & Improvisation at The Bruin Review
Interviewer: Anton Stover Editor: Selena Perez In this spotlight, Anton Stover interviews Michelle Morshchagin, the current Art Director of the Bruin Review, an independent UCLA newspaper focused on opinion and satire articles that go against the mainstream. This article discusses Morshchagin’s role in the Bruin Review in terms of art creation for the final prints, and her outlook on art in general. Anton: My first question is about the painting on the cover of the Winter 2024 issue. How did you come across or come up with this design? Michelle: So this was the first issue that I have been the Art Director for on the Bruin Review, and…
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A Day (or Two or Twenty) at the Fowler Museum
Writers: Mugita Kurosaki, Erin KwakEditors: Selena Perez, Samvit Garg, Katherine King, Julia Torres Cultural enrichment is important in a community to understand and appreciate the diverse peoples, cultures, and religions of the world. UCLA is honored to have the Fowler Museum, which demonstrates these values with dynamic exhibitions, publications, and public programs. The museum, open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PM, is located in the northern part of UCLA, adjacent to Royce Hall and Glorya Kaufman Hall. Admission is always free to the public! In addition, the Fowler provides a quiet place to study. Students are welcome to study in the Elizabeth and W. Thomas Davis Courtyard,…
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Augustine Udukumbura: The Visibility of Asexuality and Asexual Education
Interviewer: Mandy Tang Editor: Selena Perez In this article, Mandy Tang interviews Augustine Udukumbura. Augustine is a third-year double majoring in Sociology and Gender Studies, while minoring in LGBTQ Studies. Their research interest lies in asexuality, with a focus on its social implications. This article highlights Augutine’s research experience in asexual education and their perspective on the intersection of LGBTQ studies and education. Mandy: Can you share your research experience, and the motivation behind studying asexual education? Augustine: Certainly! In the initial phase of my research journey, the main focus was examining the representation of asexuality within gender and sexuality alliance clubs. I aimed to evaluate if/how these clubs incorporate…
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“What Makes Your HeART Beat?”: Art Gallery Review
Writer and Editor: Selena Perez This Spring, I fatefully stumbled upon an organization with similar values as this blog section. Medicine and Art @ UCLA is devoted to showcasing the importance of integrating creativity and the arts into STEM methods. In addition to hosting galleries and events that illustrate the efficacy of this intersection, the organization works with the Creative Arts department at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Hospital to craft an environment in support of holistic health. Through their music therapy and art therapy committees, the organization fosters interdisciplinary healing, nurturing an inventive approach to medicine. From May 30 to June 2nd, the student organization held an art exhibition at Kerckhoff…
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Justin C.M. Brown: A Creator’s Philosophy of Arts and Nature
Interviewer: Mandy Tang Editor: Selena Perez In this artist spotlight, Mandy Tang interviews Justin C.M. Brown. Justin is a third-year transfer student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Digital Humanities. He is also one of the Chief Layout Editors for Aleph Journal. As an artist, musician, and writer, Justin is dedicated to exploring his research interests within multimedia content. This article features his most recent creative project, “Signs of Spring”, a series of augmented photographs that showcase some of the many flowers on UCLA’s campus. Mandy: Could you tell me about your creative project, and what the motivation behind it was? Justin: So what really set it off for me…
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Undergraduate Research Week 2023: Aleph Round Table
Aleph will be hosting a panel with our authors this year to discuss their research and their undergraduate research experience at UCLA! The event is open to all undergraduate students and will be held via Zoom on Friday, May 26th from 11am to 12 pm, however please feel free to register for our event here. Check back for the zoom link closer to the date! We will be featuring Vacuum of Social Mobility by Hector de Leon and Stories of (S)kin by Sean Sugai, and both authors will have the opportunity to talk more about their research and answer your questions. If you are interested in joining or publishing with…
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Introducing… Imaginative Inquiries!
Dear Aleph Readers, I’m absolutely elated to be introducing a new blog section, Imaginative Inquiries. I have been the Chief Blog Editor for two years, at the start of which I was told that the blog was yet unrefined and, as such, was an open canvas. The vision for this expansion did not dawn upon me until Fall 2022, when I unveiled a hidden cabinet of possibility that had eluded me the previous year. As an English (Creative Writing: Poetry) and Psychology double major, I noticed a vast difference in the stigmas surrounding field work of both my majors. Laboratory classes were met with consuling looks of “that sucks, sounds…
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Kayleigh Morrissey: Research in Pop Culture Topics
Interviewer and Editor: Selena Perez In this article, Selena Perez interviews Kayleigh Morrissey. Morrissey is a fourth-year English student at UCLA currently conducting a senior thesis. In this interview, she delves into the unique topic of Morrissey’s research, covering everything from the research process to the social implication of producing an analysis of parasocial relationships. Selena: Could you tell me about the subject of your senior thesis, and what initially drew you to this topic? Kayleigh: Yes! I’m writing about the complexity and the neutrality of Taylor Swift’s star image. Normally, complexity and neutrality wouldn’t be seen as interrelated, but I’m arguing that they are, in the case of Taylor…
