Daily Cal - Thursday, May 26, 2011

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University Figures

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Company buys historic house By Anjuli Sastry | Staff asastry@dailycal.org After recent involvement in managing the Wesley House at UC Berkeley, the Education Realty Trust Inc. decided to purchase the Westminster House on Monday, taking control from the Presbytery of San Francisco, which originally owned the property. The historic Westminster House, which has units on both the south and north sides of campus, is the second housing complex at UC Berkeley that is owned by Education Reality Trust, which develops and manages college housing across the country — from the University of Virginia to Syracuse University. The company, which bought the housing complex for $16.3 million, plans to make upgrades by installing new carpets and televisions in all units but intends to keep the historical quality of the building alive. “We were made aware of the opportunity and saw that it was feasible and got to know the campus a bit more,” said Susan Jennings, vice president of corporate communications and marketing for EDR. “It’s a great distance from campus and has a rich history and was a good opportunity for us to enlarge our footprint at Berkeley.” Total renovation costs at the three separate housing complexes located closer to campus than university-sponsored housing — North House, South House and Heritage Apartments — come to about $800,000 and will take place just before students move in this fall. “We will change operations for the better by improving public spaces, bedrooms and corridors that will make it more attractive to the residents,” said Ryan Sullivan, the EDR regional director responsible for Westminster House. “We are adding carpet and paint in all of the units and will be adding televisions and comfortable soft seating areas to appeal to the technologically savvy Cal student.” Westminster House has already undergone changes in the past, including expansive renovations in 2003 that led to a larger housing

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Student nominated for regentdesignate By Katie Nelson | Senior Staff knelson@dailycal.org

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Education Realty Trust Inc. purchased Berkeley’s historic Westminster House and plans to make renovations. capacity of 128 beds with rooms fully furnished with microwaves and mini-refrigerators, according to Charles Oewel, director at the Student Center Associates, a company that specializes in development and management of Christian-based student housing. Company representatives said Westminster House’s rates are priced better and are competitively much lower, in comparison to university-sponsored housing. For example, the average monthly rate for a bed over a period of 10 months at the Westminster South House starts at $999. Residents also have a choice of whether they want a meal plan or want to use the community kitchen in the units.

“We think some of the cosmetic improvements will attract current residents to stay and new residents to Westminster House,” Jennings said. “There is something that makes living places special for people, and Westminster house has it in aces.” The property grounds at the Westminster House, whose buildings were designed by Bay Area architect Walter Ratcliff and Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan, were originally owned by the Berkeley chapter of the Presbytery of San Francisco, who held the property since 1910. The Presbytery of San Francisco could not be reached for comment. Wesley House, bought by EDR in November 2010, was the first

property the company invested in at UC Berkeley and offers student housing at slightly higher rates — around $1,200 for a double-occupant room. Because of the historical integrity of these housing complexes and their importance to the university and alumni, company officials said EDR’s ultimate goal is to preserve the legacy of the buildings. “What excites us most about this property is that it follows our plan and two of the things we look at when buying properties — one being the University of California, Berkeley, is one of those schools we wanted to own property at due to its prestige — and two, because it has a location you can’t beat,” Sullivan said.

Jonathan Stein already has one specific goal in mind should he assume the position of Student Regent-Designate starting in July — be accessible. Selected from a pool of 56 applicants from all 10 UC campuses in a process that took five months and three sets of interviews, Stein — a graduate student at both the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and the UC Berkeley School of Law — said he wants to be the strongest advocate possible for the UC system and for students not only in Sacramento but “frankly anywhere (he) is needed.” “I think it’s really important that students put pressure on every point — the (UC Board of ) Regents, Sacramento, the federal government and the campus administration,” he said. “They have to create a ruckus at every level in every way if they are going to succeed in defending their own interests. I plan on making myself totally accessible to students at every campus — both undergraduates and graduates. I want them to feel like they can find me via Facebook, Twitter, phone or email at any time. I want them to know I am a conduit of their feelings.” In addition to using the Internet to stay connected, Stein said that should he receive adequate funding, he plans to hold regular social media forums in different parts of the state so students can express their ideas or concerns regarding the state of the university system or to address specific concerns about their respective campuses. Stein, who graduated from Harvard University in 2005 before heading to Mother Jones to become a reporter and campaign correspondent in the 2008 presidential election, was nominated for the student regent-designate position May 16 by a subcommittee of the board that specifically focuses on interviewing and approving student regents. “His resume is really quite impressive,” said UC spokesperson Dianne

Stein: PAGE 4

faces of berkeley

Activist past gives campus chancellor unique worldview By Katie Nelson | Senior Staff knelson@dailycal.org It was the summer of 1965 — well before UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau was a professor, a world-renowned physicist or an administrator at top-notch universities in both the United States and in Canada. In fact, Birgeneau was just a graduate student studying physics at Yale University, wanting to do a little more than stay inside and conduct research in his lab all day. Fresh out of the University of Toronto, Birgeneau said he was “restless” and was looking for something

more socially relevant to incorporate into his life. Surveying New Haven, Conn., with a friend, Birgeneau found a community center six blocks from campus located next to a housing community built specifically for low-income families. The community center and the neighborhood were entirely African American, despite the fact that they was a stone’s throw away from the nearly all-white university community. That was where he said his activism and his desire for social change was sparked. However, it was not until he was introduced to a Freedom Rider while visiting Cape Cod, Mass., that Birgeneau was introduced to the Yale-run

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birgeneau: PAGE 2

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s career has been characterized by social activism as well as academic research.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011 – Monday, May 30, 2011

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Attempted robbery occurs in South Berkeley

The AC Transit District announced Tuesday that it has balanced its budget following a series of cost-cutting decisions made by the district’s board of directors over the past year. In the face of decreasing state funding and the state’s overall ailing economy, recent decisions made by the board include the scheduled closure of its Division 3 bus yard in Richmond and Paratransit Unit at Unit 8 in Oakland, elimination of 54 employee positions and a 10-year fare policy scheduled to begin with a 10-cent increase to the basic adult fare in August. The budget will be presented to the AC Transit Board of Directors at its June 8 meeting, at which time some changes may be implemented, according to district spokesperson Clarence Johnson. “We are constantly working with what we have and what our best estimate is of what will occur in the immediate future,” he said. “If the gas prices go up today to 7 dollars a gallon, that’s going to affect our budget analysis —

sweatshirts, the alert states. According to the alert, the victim believed he was going to be robbed and decided to run away when a fourth suspect rode toward him on a bicycle as the three initial suspects caught up to the victim and the suspect on the bicycle. ...

Noah and the Whale to make big splash with Bay Area concerts However, though each song may have a fixed sound, the band itself is fairly difficult to pin-down in terms of consistency. Their upbeat folk style was the center of their first album with their break-out single “5 Years Time” with its infectious whistling and beach-time guitar progressions. Instead of shifting gears for their second album, the group decided a new route was needed, as The First Days of Spring took a darker, emotional route. The joyful melodies were

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replaced by more somber, orchestral tracks. Although some say the album was still in the realm of folk, the record showed that the band. ...

UC Berkeley expects surge in summer enrollment This summer, UC Berkeley is expecting more than 15,000 students to register for summer school classes, which could set a campus record, a statement released by the campus Monday states. According to the statement, language classes appear to be a driving factor in why students are enrolling for summer classes, with Session B — which starts June 6 and is almost exclusively made up of intensive language courses — see-

it’s an ongoing thing.” While some of the changes recently approved by the district are already under way and some have yet to be implemented — such as the Richmond bus yard closure — Johnson said the cumulative effect of each decision by the board has resulted in a balanced budget. However, Robert Scott, assistant business agent for transportation for AC Transit, said the fact that the district will be receiving state transit assistance funds calls into question the real amount of its budget deficit. In light of this additional funding from the state, Scott said he was skeptical about whether the closure of the Richmond yard is necessary, especially given the logistical problems he said the district would incur as a result. “Division 3 has always had many problems ... however, having said that, we are in the business of providing services to the communities we serve,” he stated. But AC Transit Director-at-Large

Chris Peeples said the district does not yet know when it will receive that state funding and that it was factored into the board’s decisions. Furthermore, according to Johnson, the amount of state transit assistance funds have been dramatically cut over the past few years. Johnson said the district is currently in a better financial state than it has been in the past but that its budget situation is still “tenuous” because it relies on many volatile variables such as fuel costs and tax revenue. “We’re in a better place than we were, say, last year,” Johnson said. “But we still need to make some tough decisions and be very vigilant in our operations.” Though the district has now balanced its budget, Peeples said it has been expensive in regards to service and the cost to employees who have had their positions eliminated. “If I ran the world, we’d have about a 4 dollars-a-gallon gas tax, which would go to pay for transportation, gas, fire and police ... but I don’t think we’re doing that this week,” he said. J.D. Morris is an assistant news editor.

ing an 80 percent increase in enrollment since last year. Additionally, the statement reads that because the demand for summer enrollment is so high, available living accommodations in Berkeley are becoming a possible issue. From campus residence halls to International House to the Downtown Berkeley YMCA, spaces are filling fast, with more than 3,500 enrollees this summer non-UC students, the statement reads. ...

On the blogs The Daily Clog Keep Babies From Burning: Only you can prevent forest fires, but what about the ones that might consume your infant at the drop of a hat? The only solution: to fill their veins with toxic flame retardants. Apparently.

The Sports Blog Juricova, Andersson set for final ncaa runs: Three Cal tennis players are participating in the Singles and Doubles Championships at Stanford this week. Seung Lee reflects on their prospects and the surprising omission of two other players.

Sex on Tuesday Blog Keep It In Your Pants: UC Berkeley professor Dan Mulhern has a few tips for men in power who can’t stop philandering — and they’re actually quite sincere. The tips, that is.

Corrections The illustrations accompanying the May 2 article, “I-House leadership is unfriendly to workers,” the May 5 article, “Slouching towards Sloane,” the May 9 article, “Bin Laden’s death no reason to celebrate,” and the May 23 article, “America needs more education” incorrectly credited illustrator Nikki Dance as a Daily Californian senior staff member. In fact, she is a Daily Californian staff member. The May 23 article, “Day of Judgment yields no clear verdict” incorrectly stated that Family Radio leader Harold Camping previously believed that the Day of Judgment would occur in 1992. In fact, he previously believed that the Day of Judgment would occur in 1994. The May 23 article, “Demolition of library branches OK’d” incorrectly stated that the Berkeley City Council has yet to finalize a construction contract for the North branch of the Berkeley Public Library. In fact, the council approved a construction contract with BHM Construction at the council’s April 26 meeting. The Daily Californian regrets the errors.

CLARIFICATION The May 23 article, “Day of Judgment yields no clear verdict” may have implied that the Centers for Disease Control took the threat of a zombie apocalypse seriously. The organization was making a reference to pop culture, using the idea of a zombie apocalypse to raise awareness of the importance of being prepared for natural disasters.

birgeneau: Chancellor also participated in Moscow protests From front outreach program called the Southern Teaching Program Incorporated. The program gave individuals from the university the opportunity to go south and teach in all-black colleges as well as conduct civil rights work. Packing up his bags, Birgeneau and his wife headed to Columbia, S.C., where he was selected to teach at Benedict College, a Baptist, all-black campus at the time. “It was not the same as standing out on Sproul Plaza,” he said. “It was very serious in those days. I learned the young people we interacted with literally never had a person-to-person conversation with a white person. Ever. In their lives.” The South proved to be a politically and racially charged experience for Birgeneau, who witnessed firsthand just how complicated race relations were — not only between AfricanAmericans and whites but within the black community itself. “It was such a psychological impact, knowing an emergency-room doctor had refused to care for one of the black students from the college because they

were American but had allowed the hospital to take care of a woman who was black when they realized she was from the Bahamas,” Birgeneau said. Following completion of his doctorate at Yale, Birgeneau continued his activism while working as a member of the technical staff at Bell Laboratories before joining the physics faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975. It was during that time that he met H. Eugene Stanley, a fellow physicist who was also interested in social change. Eventually they were invited to Moscow to meet with the Russian Academy of Sciences, though Birgeneau and others did not just meet with Russian scientists. Aware that Russia was keeping Refuseniks — members of the Soviet Jewish community who were denied permission to emigrate abroad by the authorities of the former Soviet Union and other countries that were formerly communist states — from leaving the country, Stanley encouraged his fellow colleagues, including Birgeneau, to conduct a freedom march on the Mos-

cow subway to protest the Refuseniks’ captivity. “There were literally soldiers with machine guns, and it got incredible attention there because there had not been a protest like this in Moscow before,” Birgeneau said. “It was a singular event in my life. This was something we started that led to liberating these sets of people.” Today, Birgeneau is the leader of one of the most politically active campuses in the country, and according to associate vice chancellor of public affairs and university communications Claire Holmes, Birgeneau’s background gives him the insight and perspective to address the issues the campus faces today. “UC Berkeley’s legacy of activism is an essential part of who we are,” she said in an email. “We are fortunate to have a Chancellor who brings personal experience and passion about important world issues.” Katie Nelson is an assistant news editor.

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A strong-arm attempted robbery occurred in South Berkeley Monday night, according to a UCPD crime alert. At about 10:44 p.m. Monday night, a male victim was walking eastbound on Derby Street when he noticed three male suspects walking toward him and covering their heads with dark hooded

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Thursday, May 26, 2011 – Monday, May 30, 2011

OPINION & News

The Daily Californian

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OFF THE BEAT

Campus Figures

Better re(a)d than dead

Law student plans congressional run

E

ssays are a funny thing. As to why people enjoy writing them so much, I will never

know. Essays from my youth were the standard — 5 paragraphs. Just think of it as a hamburger, I was once told — bun, meat, lettuce, tomato, what have you. Deviation from that formula was pain of death or a low SAT score. It simply wasn’t done. You were bound and gagged to customary compositions — and you were going to like it. But upon entering UC Berkeley, it was clear that the written word became a whole new ballgame. My first English syllabus alone was a five page essay on the analysis of the breakdown of the class containing words I had never seen or heard before. Frantic, I highlighted every word and phrase and made such careful notations on what exactly the professor was talking about. And when I actually took time to review what I had written down later that day, nothing was legible. My first college essay was disastrous, to say the least. I saw my GSI every time he held office hours. I would walk in, thinking I had made remarkable improvements to my previous draft, and without fail that man would make my paper look as if it were weeping blood every time I walked out of the office. I hated him for it initially — in the end he was just trying to break me of a bad habit. I was uncharacteristically glued to the concept of the five paragraph essay. To be instructed by my professor that we were to be “creative” on our analytical essays was something so foreign to me I clearly remember hearing giggles in the room from fellow students who sympathized with my confusion. Creative analysis — that’s an oxymoron right? Was this woman serious? Yes, she was very serious. It took 10 professors and three years to break me of my horrible ways. I am fairly certain more red pens tragically succumbed to the improvement of my papers at Cal than any other work of substance written in the last four years. And yes, I am sure I am not the only one who can say I resented it for a time. I dare say I still do and I slightly cringe every time someone whips out a red pen to write, not necessarily to edit. ut then I realized that is what this school, these professors and your peers are here for — to make you something more, something better. And like it or not, you take it and you deal. And at the end of the day, you begrudgingly say thank you. Your mentality, your ideas, your ways of speaking, writing and reading will all inevitably be challenged and polished by a group of unprecedentedly astonishing frontrunners in areas of creative writing, literature

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Katie Nelson knelson@dailycal.org and theory. Those who have championed language and the written word before you have taken the time to foster you and those around you to be the next generation of supposed geniuses. Professors, mentors and even friends have questioned, commented, criticized and congratulated you when something that started as just another paper became something incredibly empowering. find it somewhat ironic that I list these revelations to you now from something I submitted at the last possible minute — a habit many of us have learned to master. But what is even more amusing is that I truly enjoyed writing this because not only is it no longer a five paragraph essay, it was a way for me to reflect on what I have been able to gauge from my brief but breathtaking time at Cal. Seriously, I have never had so many panic attacks in my life. I used to whimper when just one white blank page was placed in front of me and I was told that in three hours time, I had to produce something remarkable. I would tremble in fear and huddle in my chair in shame because I thought unless I was Thoreau or Plato, my words were meager attempts at something possibly profound. Now, writing — and essays in particular — is not just a simple way to flush out ideas. It is a ridiculous technique that has been mastered to expand on them to a point beyond all normal reason and then somehow bring the most tangential statements back into a glorious conclusion. It’s an art form, I tell ya. And while we scratch our heads in bewilderment at how we stuttered through attempted essays and synopses just a few years ago, such things flow from our fingers like wine from the chalice. We have become principals of our practice, champions of our creativity and allaround graphomaniacs until the day we die. And while we all bite our lips in submission and we enter another summer semester with inevitable essays to write, take it with pride because at the end of the day, you are one hell of a writer, essays and red pens be damned.

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Ricky Gill/Courtesy

Ricky Gill, right, who served on the California State Board of Education, plans to run for a congressional seat in the 11th District. By Allie Bidwell | Senior Staff abidwell@dailycal.org Ricky Gill started volunteer work at St. Mary’s Interfaith Community Services for the Homeless in Stockton, Calif., served as co-chairman of the Greater Lodi Area Youth Commission and was appointed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State Board of Education — all before he even started college. But now, the 24-year-old UC Berkeley School of Law student is seeking to add one more gem to his already expansive resume: United States congressman.

Gill, who was born and raised in Lodi, Calif., said he is running as a Republican to represent San Joaquin County in the 11th Congressional District — an area he said has not had a congressional representative and a “seat at the table and a voice in American politics.” Currently, Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, represents the district, which comprises cities in the San Joaquin Valley as well as several East Bay cities such as Pleasanton, San Ramon and Dublin. “Ricky’s got roots, and he likes those roots,” said Patrick Hanlon, a lecturer at the law school who had Gill in his medical malpractice course. “He’s open to that community, and he’s re-

ally proud of it.” Among Gill’s goals for office are creating more jobs for the area, bringing down the cost of health care, making structural changes to Congress — such as advocating for a presidential lineitem veto and a single subject rule for legislation — and defending and reforming public education. “The state government has rules in place to sort of stay on point that the federal government doesn’t have,” he said. “You should not have one mammoth piece of legislation that touches on 10 different subjects.” Gill said that though he has always been interested in public education,

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Thursday, May 26, 2011 – Monday, May 30, 2011

stein: Student regent-designate nominee has already begun working with his predecessor Mireles From Front Klein. “He’s doing like 85,000 things at once, and this process is very akin to a job interview. With this selection, the regents looks for the person who is the best fit and has the most to offer.” Among those on the selection committee was Alfredo Mireles Jr., the new student regent who recently replaced Jesse Cheng following Cheng’s controversial and early exit from the position. Mireles, who went through the process of being selected as the student re-

gent-designate last year, said Stein handled the interviews well, as more than 50 people ultimately have a say in who they feel is the best candidate for the job. “I think people were impressed by how particular he was and how passionate and thoughtful he is,” he said. “He is very knowledgeable and was well-prepared throughout the process. He was even quoting Regents from previous meetings. He clearly has done his homework.” Stein will work closely with Mireles

in the coming year, should his nomination for the position be confirmed at the July board meeting. Mireles said he and Stein have already gotten a jump start on working together, having met a few times to discuss Stein’s ideas for the position. According to Mireles, Stein has “some really interesting ideas,” and “he has the intellectual capacity to really understand the challenges of the position and the breadth of the issues that will be discussed.”

For Stein, the nomination is another step to being able to fight for his passions — financial aid and affordable higher education. Stein, whose mother came to the United States from India on a scholarship his uncle won while at university, said one financial aid opportunity can make the difference for a student who wishes to pursue a higher education degree and a better life, as it did for his family. “I exist because of educational opportunity,” he said. “I want to make it clear to

the regents that raising fees again is only acceptable after we’ve used every costsaving option and we’ve explored every possible new out-of-the-box revenue source. “The most amazing thing about the UC is that we educate more lowincome students and more Pell Grant students, and we are at a make-or-break point to be able to continue to give educational opportunities to people.” Katie Nelson is an assistant news editor.

Campus Figures

University Medalist takes an educational path less traveled By Damian Ortellado | Staff dortellado@dailycal.org For UC Berkeley University Medalist Aaron Benavidez, who graduated this month with a 3.98 GPA and 11 A-pluses, part of being successful at UC Berkeley came as a result of years behind a cello. Benavidez, a 31-year-old sociology and rhetoric double major who grew up in Stockton, began an unusual educational path to UC Berkeley as the principal cellist at the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, where he traveled the world to perform. Benavidez said his years of training allowed him to flourish in school. “When I began my educational journey, I began to see words like scales and arguments like etudes,” he said. “They were the tools I would grind to produce good academic work.” But at UC Berkeley, Benavidez produced more than good academic work. As an active leader in the department of sociology, he founded “Eleven,” a sociology journal to which undergraduates can submit their research papers. Benavidez, a transfer student from Sacramento City College, had plans to start a journal even before attending UC Berkeley, according to William Pe, a UC Berkeley alumnus and current senior editor of the journal. “Aaron ... was heavily involved in creating a journal before he came to

(UC) Berkeley,” he said in an email. “He worked tirelessly to ensure each step leading up to the journal’s publication ran smoothly and flawlessly, and is unquestionably one of the most amazing and inspirational individuals that I have had the privilege to work with.” As the president of the Berkeley Undergraduate Sociology Association, Benavidez also initiated the Sociological Research Symposium, a student-run symposium that attracts students from other departments as well as from other universities. “Aaron has the knack of generating enthusiasm among his fellow students,” said Michael Burawoy, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley, in an email. “It’s a joy to witness their enthusiasm.” Burawoy added that Benavidez raised the intellectual level of not only his classes but also of the entire sociology major. He said Benavidez continually asked difficult questions he had to face in his own teaching. It was in Burawoy’s class that Benavidez was inspired by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Erik Olin Wright’s interest in “real utopias.” His research, along with French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s essay titled “Choreographies” — which examines anarchist Emma Goldman’s famous quotation, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution” — motivated him to speak at UC Berkeley’s 2011 Commencement about a better world where everyone could have the opportunity to “dance.”

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Aaron Benavidez speaks to his fellow graduates at UC Berkeley’s 2011 Commencement. “Dancing is a metaphor for human flourishing,” he said. “Rather than seeing this better world as a no-place, the etymological definition of utopia, I sought to describe this world as an actual place where people dance and where dancing is a demonstration of human flourishing.” Benavidez did his part in helping to create such a world in his time volunteering for TRANS: THRIVE, a drop-in center for transgender people located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. Benavidez said socializing with people at the center motivated him academically. “I have made wonderful friendships among people with so much courage and resilience,” he said. “Seeing the face of social mistreatment fueled my passionate to do academic work that

addressed the concerns of the transgender community.” Over the summer, Benavidez said he plans to continue pursuing his vast academic goals. Along with doing research work in Philadelphia and preparing to enter graduate school in the fall of 2012, he is planning to work for Ramona Naddaff, an associate professor in the Rhetoric Department at UC Berkeley. Nadaff said she knew Benavidez was an exceptional scholar even before meeting him by reading his work. “Aaron is one of the most disciplined, hard-working, generous and caring students I have known,” she said in an email. “He embraces work with his hands and brains, his body and soul.”

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Study gives district low ranking By Jessica Rossoni | Staff jrossoni@dailycal.org The Berkeley Unified School District was ranked among the worst in California for serving African American, Hispanic and low-income students, according to a recent study by Education Trust-West, an advocacy group based in Oakland. The study, released April 27, gathered Academic Performance Index scores of students from 146 California school districts across the state. The districts were then ranked based on a combination of college-readiness, improvement of scores over time and gaps in achievement between white and minority students. The school district was given a “D” overall, along with several other East Bay districts, and received an “F” for a wide achievement gap — coming in at 125 out of 126 schools measured in that category. However, district Superintendent Bill Huyett said the findings of the study may be misleading. “One of the things that is problematic about the report is that it’s very generic and general, and it doesn’t re-

ally look in depth at schools, so places like Palo Alto and Berkeley get penalized for having very high achievements in certain parts of the population,” Huyett said. “Part of that gap is because of the very high achievement of kids like professors’ children who are doing far better than average.” Huyett also countered the study to say that the district has made large gains in achievement over the past five years, especially for African American students, who Huyett said have significantly improved their API scores in the last three years. Huyett credited this improvement to the recent Universal Learning Support System — a districtwide program that connects literacy coaches, teachers and other school faculty to struggling students in an attempt to intervene early on in situations of low achievement to craft a plan of success tailored to each individual pupil. However, despite improvements made in Berkeley schools, Lindsey Stuart, data and policy analyst for the group, who co-authored the study with Director of Research and Policy Carrie Hahnel, said the achievement gap in the Berkeley district was “unacceptable.” Eric Wagner, external relations asso-

ciate for the group, said in an email that although the organization has done a number of research studies to expose achievement gaps, this study is the first it has undertaken to create an online data tool that California school districts may use to measure their success. “Our hope is that this study is used by district leaders and community members to start asking questions about their schools,” Stuart said. “If students of color are scoring so much lower than their white peers, what is happening in the district?” Overall, Stuart and Hahnel said they hope that the findings of the study will spur action among educational leaders and community members to improve achievement levels in their districts and hope that their continued efforts to update scores will allow districts to use this study as a benchmark to measure future success. “The profiles include specific strategies, but it’s really so much about the culture of the district and the expectations that are set at the district levels,” Stuart said. “We maintain hope that Berkeley and other districts in this study will continue to move up and improve their district grades.”

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Thursday, May 26, 2011 – Monday, May 30, 2011

The Daily Californian news & arts & entertainment

obituary

News in Brief

Internationally acclaimed local sculptor dies at 78

Campus law professor bows out of nomination process

Lisa Chadwick/courtesy

Stephen De Staebler was best known for his unique bronze and clay sculptures. By True Shields | Staff tshields@dailycal.org Internationally acclaimed Bay Area artist Stephen De Staebler, who was celebrated for his bronze and clay sculptures that evoked landscapes and organic ruin, died in his Berkeley home from complications of cancer. He was 78. De Staebler was perhaps best known for his fragmented representations of the human body, which broke from the “vessel tradition” of previous ceramicists, instead emphasizing a strict “no rules, no tools” mantra. Born in 1933, De Staebler showed a keen interest in archaeological forms such as column-like “stele” — funerary pillars which would later influence his art — early on during family trips to Chichen Itza, Mexico and the pueblos of the American Southwest. “He said in another lifetime he might have been an archaeologist,” said Timothy Anglin Burgard, curator-in-charge of American Art for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, who is currently drafting an 80-page essay about De Staebler. “He’s concerned with flesh, immortality and time. I think he’s an artist who really wanted to operate in the interstices between these extremes.” This interest followed De Staebler throughout his career at Princeton University — where he studied religion as an undergraduate — and Black Mountain College in North Carolina, where he worked under social realist and artist Ben Shahn. Shortly after De Staebler arrived in Berkeley in 1958 to study on campus, he began working as a student of famed ceramicist Peter Voulkos. While working at the Berkeley “pot

shop” with Voulkos, De Staebler would often accumulate broken fragments of pieces that exploded in the kiln or collapsed, according to Burgard. Rather than discard the fragments, Burgard said De Staebler buried them in a hillside plot known affectionately as “the boneyard.” The themes of cycles and entropy infiltrated his work as he employed the buried fragments to create new sculptures evoking a rugged spirituality. De Staebler’s prolific career garnered him many accolades from various institutions, including a Guggenheim fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and the Zellerbach Memorial Prize. Despite these distinctions, De Staebler remained a private and humble figure, according to Lisa Chadwick, director of Dolby Chadwick Gallery and host of De Staebler’s last exhibition in January 2010 before his death. “He was the epitome of brilliance and grace,” she said. “He was not an ego-driven person, and the sculptures and focus of his life have been to translate something that is universal.” Up until two months before his death, De Staebler was deeply involved in the planning of a retrospective project titled “Matter + Spirit: Stephen De Staebler” at San Francisco’s M.H. de Young Memorial Museum that will open in January. A memorial service is to take place in late July at Berkeley’s Newman Hall, Holy Spirit Parish, where several of De Staebler’s works are installed as part of a commission. In interviews, De Staebler had voiced a desire to be at peace with his art. “When I am ready to go, if someone should ask me whether I have made my peace with clay, I hope I will be able to say we have never quarreled,” he said.

gill: Ultimate objective is to provide community a voice in government From Page 3 the time he spent serving as the only student member of the state’s Board of Education exposed him to larger issues facing K-12 education and prepared him for seeking public office. After Schwarzenegger appointed Gill to the board in 2004, Gill said he faced “very consequential decisions,” such as the fate of the California High School Exit Exam. “My constituency was every single K-12 public school student — 10 times the size of this congressional district,” he said. “I was proud to serve in that role appointed by the governor.” The following year, Gill served as an advisor to the California Secretary for Education, where he facilitated Schwarzenegger’s Initiative to Turn Around Failing Schools. Not only has Gill been interested in reforming public education, but according to former Lodi mayor Susan Hitchcock — who has known Gill since he was a child — Gill is a “lifelong learner” with many different interests and passions ranging from public education to farming to immigration and health care. “He’s really an exceptional being,” Hitchcock said. “If you spend any time talking with him at all, you would never think he’s 24 — you

would think he’s 44 or older. He’s a wise soul.” According to Hitchcock, it is Gill’s remarkable intellect, character and past leadership experience that would make him fit for office. “When you have any kind of conversation with him, Ricky has great analytical and synthesis skills that you just don’t see in young people,” she said. “You don’t see the interest generally in young people that he has in the political process.” Hanlon said Gill has the skills to fulfill both the legislative and political sides of holding public office. “He’s very articulate, he’s very respectful of what other people say,” Hanlon said. “He has a knack for thinking about a pragmatic, small fix that you could actually build a coalition on, rather than big projects that take years and years and years or possibly decades to build a coalition around.” Ultimately, Gill said he wants to give the community of his hometown more of a bargaining position and representation in American politics. “I’ve always had a high regard for this community, and I wanted to be an asset here,” he said. “I wanted to roll up my sleeves and make a difference.” Allie Bidwell is the news editor.

UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu said in a letter to President Barack Obama Wednesday that he is bowing out of the nomination process to an appeals court position, as he felt there was not much chance the Senate would confirm his nomination, according to major media outlets. Liu, who has been nominated for the position three consecutive times by Obama, was selected to be appointed to a vacant seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last year. However, Democrats failed to come up with the 60 votes last week needed to end a Republican filibuster that included several senators who had previously pledged not to filibuster judicial nominees except under extraordinary circumstances, reports stated. In the letter to Obama, Liu said the Ninth Circuit, including California and several other Western states, has a “desperate need for judges” and that “it is now clear that continuing (his) nomination will not address that need any time soon,” according to a copy obtained by the Associated Press. Liu has been a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law since 2003 and specializes in constitutional law. When first nominated last year, Liu testified before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, after which Republican senators confronted him with supplemental questions via email. Republicans voted along party lines in favor of bringing it to the full Senate but never voted to confirm the nomination. Since Liu’s hearing, Republicans have continually questioned his qualifications for the position, stating that he lacks experience, and reiterated concerns about him promoting a liberal interpretation of the Constitution. — Katie Nelson

Man allegedly stabbed in lot beneath Lower Sproul An alleged assault with a deadly weapon occurred Tuesday afternoon in the garage beneath Lower Sproul Plaza, sending one person to the hospital, according to a UCPD crime alert. At about 2:57 p.m., a male was collecting recyclables in the garage and talking to a male suspect. The suspect allegedly disagreed with the victim over the use of the recycle proceeds and proceeded to allegedly stab the victim with a knife, which cut the victim’s hand and right armpit area. UCPD arrived on the scene and administered first aid until the Berkeley Fire Department arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital, according to the alert. Berkeley and BART police officers searched for the suspect, but were unable to locate him, according to the alert. The suspect is described as a male, approximately 40 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall, brown uncombed hair, skinny to muscular build, unshaven and wearing silver-framed eye glasses, a shortsleeved shirt and pants. According to the alert, the suspect also had a road bike with him and speaks with a speech impairment. — Allie Bidwell

5

cd reviews

Foster the People TORCHES [Columbia]

Lady Gaga BORN THIS WAY [Interscope]

ake a pinch of bouncy guitar riffs. Add a dash of uplifting falsettos. Mix it all together with frenzied beats and you’ll get Torches, the debut album from L.A.-based band, Foster the People. The group first caught the attention of musiclovers with their self-titled EP, released earlier this year. Short and sweet, their EP struck a chord with boisterous feel-good tracks such as the single, “Pumped Up Kicks.” In Torches, the band takes a similar route. The album begs to be danced and sung along to, brimming with catchy hooks and smooth electropop. The influences in Foster the People are blatant and undeniable. Labeled by zealous fans as the next MGMT or Phoenix, the group certainly hints at familiar techniques. But though their sound is admittedly derivative, their fresh take on traditional inspirations turns Torches into an album that is anything but tired. Foster the People never fails to surprise, whether it’s the odd yet fitting combination of tribal rhythms with soul-ladden piano chords in “Hustling (Life on the Nickel)” or the jazz and swing of “Miss You.” Their unexpected blend of styles and ingenious use of instruments keep each track distinct, both from their musical predecessors and each other. But rarely can a band have it all. While Foster the People excels in their innovative execution, they are sadly lacking when it comes to poetic lyrics. Dropping lines such as “Ooh la la, I’m falling in love/and it’s better this time than ever before,” Foster the People doesn’t exactly captivate you with their stunning lyric-penning skills. However, easy rhymes mixed with fast-paced beats make Torches the ideal summer album. So, go ahead and bust out those moves. Your secret is safe with us. — Cynthia Kang

ady Gaga’s claims of classic rock and art school roots have been criticized as “all talk.” Many still see her as another pop star who has lost her marbles. In response, her sophomore LP has traded double entendres and bubble gum club beats for Madonna-inspired anthems and a venture into new genres. She covers everything from metal to country and still maintains a club beat twist. At times, this survey of her influences is too abrasive, but it still blows The Fame out of the water. Born This Way is exactly what fans should expect from their meat dress-wearing, alien baby-rearing Mother Monster: a quirky, creepy and slightly pretentious collection of good pop music. Departing from the disjointed track layout of The Fame, Gaga has actually put together an album that remains entertaining and edgy from start to finish. The only trade-off is that there aren’t any hit singles in the bunch. Neither “Born This Way” nor “Judas” are impressive on their own — in fact they are rather nauseating with their infectious yet over-the-top choruses. However, when played along with the rest of the album, they achieve new life as attributes of Gaga’s message of individualism and her homage to her influences. While inherently conflicting motifs, together they reflect her personal style and her inspiration. Some may be perturbed by the revivalist feel of Born This Way, but the album is by no means a knock-off. Much as the title suggests, this album represents Gaga at her deepest core. It honors her idols, and it also updates their brand of pop with elements of house music and other contemporary production trends. Though the end product is not perfect, it will leave reigning pop divas like Britney and Rihanna shaking in their boots. ­— Erin Donaldson

T

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paris: Woody Allen’s latest foray into cinema brings fantasy and romance From Page 6

It's Career Day, every day. sony classics/courtesy

The couple shares a romantic moment as the wonders of Paris work their magic.

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especially, makes a surprising turn as this year’s Woody Allen surrogate. He is more heart than head, which is unusual for Allen considering his recurring gallery of characters with tightly wound knots of nebbishness and neuroses. Still, Allen could’ve acted the hell out of Gil. Every reasonably sane cinephile lies awake at night, dreading the day that

Woody Allen dies. The man may be 75 years old, but he has not lost his exuberant cinematic spirit. Occasionally, he will dip a little (“You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger”) but we have to forgive him. Allen is hard enough on himself — he believes most of his great films to be minor efforts — so why not let up? Especially when his movies are as irresistibly delightful as this one.

6

arts & entertainment & legals

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - Monday, May 30, 2011

The Daily Californian

film

Go online at dailycal.org

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Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) are an engaged couple in search of a new spark in the City of Lights.

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upine on a hotel bed, Inez asks Gil, “Do you really want to give it all up just to struggle?� Yes, he does. And if people like Gil didn’t give it all up, we wouldn’t have movies like Woody Allen’s 41st feature film “Midnight in Paris.� Skeptics like Inez are for the birds. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a screenwriter who wants to drop out of Hollywood to be a novelist. Like Isaac in Allen’s 1979 film “Manhattan,� Gil is sick of being a hack and sick of all the perks, however lucrative, it has afforded him. He and his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) travel the city of lights, where he is a hopeful romantic and she is a pushy tourist, nothing more than a dilly-dallying dilettante. “Paris� is a far cry from the simmering worlds of “Match Point� and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,� his two most satisfying recent efforts. Allen takes the beating heart at the center of his New York films and transplants it into Paris. For Allen,

both cities are dreamscapes chockfull of chatty intellectuals and head-cases. This might be Allen’s most surreal effort since Jeff Daniels walked out of the screen and into the real world in “The Purple Rose of Cairo� (1985). As Gil walks the dizzying streets of Paris at night, an antique car delivers him to the moveable feast of Paris in the ’20s. People are smoking and drinking — heavily. They have those long cigarette holders attributed to Holly Golightly. They even have those little flapper dresses. Suddenly, Gil is among expatriate writers like Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston). Hemingway reads Gil’s novel, about the owner of a nostalgia shop, and passes it onto Gertrude Stein, played by a typically raunchy Kathy Bates. If this all sounds absurd, it’s because it is. The fantasy moments of “Paris� might be something only an English nerd can appreciate or even understand, like why Djuna Barnes takes the lead when dancing with Gil at one of those bacchanal artists’ parties. Gil drifts further into this weird world. He saves Zelda Fitzgerald (a ?7>=4)

By Ryan Lattanzio | Senior Staff rlattanzio@dailycal.org

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After a series of recent flops, Woody Allen returns with the whimsical ‘Midnight in Paris.’

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‘Paris’ delights and enchants winsome Alison Pill) from suicide; he chews the cud with Bunuel and poses for Dali (Adrien Brody). This clown car pile-up of references is quintessential Allen. Watching him have this much fun is like watching a stand-up comic laugh at his own jokes and finally let loose. Soon, Gil finds a companion for his late night promenades. Sweet-faced Adriana (Marion Cotillard) may be Hemingway’s mistress — and Picasso’s, too, and maybe Braque’s — but she is enchanted by the sheepish, tousle-haired Gil, and she is beautiful enough to make him want to rewrite his entire fate. And Gil knows a thing or two about fate. Through the course of the movie, he finds that whatever time period he’s in, the past is always the past. Living in the moment, which sometimes means suffering the moment, sure beats the singe of nostalgia. Despite these weighty chestnuts, this is Allen’s giddiest return to form in years. “Midnight in Paris� has the pluck and optimism of ’90s gems like “Mighty Aphrodite�. Like that film, “Paris� is really only about the interactions of two people, and the life — however fleeting — they might be able to make together. Gil and Adriana are aptly realized by Wilson and Cotillard. Wilson,

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paris: PAGE 5

E>@:E GHMB<>L Ihlm rhnk :eZf^]Z <hngmr E^`Zel pbma nl' FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 450669 The name of the business: CafĂŠ Platano Partnership, street address 2042 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704, mailing address 2042 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 is hereby registered by the following owners: Nicolas A. Sanchez, 1460 Jones Ln., Tracy, CA 95377 and Juan F. Sanchez, 1390 Jones Ln., Tracy, CA 95377. This business is conducted by a General Partnership. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda County on April 19, 2011. CafĂŠ Platano Partnership Publish: 5/5, 5/12, 5/19, 5/26/11 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 450548 The name of the business: Pranic Connection, street address 6114 La Salle Ave #297, Oakland, CA 94611, mailing address 6114 La Salle Ave #297, Oakland, CA 94611 is hereby registered by the following owners: Kelly Ann Coxe, 6114 La Salle Ave #297, Oakland, CA 94611. This business is conducted by an

Individual. The registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above on 8/30/2010. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda County on April 15, 2011. Pranic Connection Publish: 5/5, 5/12, 5/19, 5/26/11 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 450533-34 The name of the businesses: (1) Sugar Mama Bakery and (2) Sugarmama Bakery, street address 4847 Hopyard Rd. Suite 4-109, Pleasanton, CA 94588, mailing address 4847 Hopyard Rd. Suite 4-109, Pleasanton, CA 94588 is hereby registered by the following owners: Thomason Investments, LLC, 4847 Hopyard Rd., Suite 4-109, Pleasanton, CA 94588. This business is conducted by a Limited liability company. The registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 4/14/2011. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda County on

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April 14, 2011. Sugar Mama Bakery Sugarmama Bakery Publish: 5/26, 6/2, 6/9, 6/16/11 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE To Whom It May Concern: The Name(s) of the Applicant(s) is/ are: Sustainable Dining LLC The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell alcoholic beverages at: 2826 Telegraph Ave Berkeley, CA 94705-1163 Type of license(s) applied for: 47 – On-Sale General Eating Place Date of Filing Application: May 11, 2011 Publish: 5/26/11 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE TSG No.: 09 8 433952 TS No.: 20099077400542 FHA/VA/PMI No.: APN:056 1968 007 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 06/07/07. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE

SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On June 16, 2011 at 12:00 PM, First American Trustee Servicing Solutions, LLC, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 06/13/07, as Instrument No. 2007220312, in book , page , of Official Records in the Office of the County Recorder of ALAMEDA County, State of California. Executed by: TARANEH NOURIAN,. WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER'S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form of payment authorized by 2924h(b), (Payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States) At the Fallon Street emergency exit to the Alameda County Courthouse, 1225 Fallon St., Oakland, CA. All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State described as: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEED OF TRUST APN# 056 1968 007. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real prop-

erty described above is purported to be: 2112 8TH STREET, BERKELEY, CA 94710. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), adÂŹvances, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $532,535.78. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the County where the real property is located. If

the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee's Trustee. The beneficiary or servicing agent declares that it has obtained from the Commissioner of Corporations a final or temporary order of exemption pursuant to California Civil Code Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date the Notice of Sale is filed and/or The timeframe for giving Notice of Sale specified in subdivision(s) of California Civil Code Section 2923.52 applies and has been provided or the loan is exempt from the requirements. Date: 05/19/11, First American Trustee Servicing Solutions, LLC 6 Campus Circle, 2nd Floor Westlake, TX 76262 Original document signed by Authorized Agent, Chet Sconyers -FOR TRUSTEE'S SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL (916) 939-0772. First American Trustee Servicing Solutions, LLC May be Acting as a Debt Collector Attempting to Collect a Debt. Any Information obtained may be used for that purpose. NPP0181723 05/26/11, 06/02/11, 06/9/11

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - Monday, May 30, 2011

The Daily Californian

arts & entertainment & marketplace

7

film

‘Hangover’ sequel, a hollow imitation of the original

14

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ros, rejoice as the wolf pack is back and ready to wreak havoc in the hustling and bustling streets of...Bangkok? Sure, the slums of Thailand are a far cry from the glamour of Vegas but it’s a surprisingly fitting location for this zany sequel. The antics are crazier and the characters are shadier, making Todd Phillips’ “The Hangover: Part II� a much darker copy of its predecessor. But “copy� is the operative word here. Almost a frame-byframe parallel of the original, the film simply uproots the infamous debauchery of the gang’s Sin City adventures and places them in a new setting. A familiar tale in this modern age of Apatow-esque comedies, we all know the story by heart: A bachelor party has gone berserk and now the participants must rummage through their hazy memories to piece together the night. But wait, you may ask, didn’t Doug (Justin Bartha) already tie the knot the last time we saw him? Not to be left out of the matrimonial loop, the dull Stu (Ed Helms) surprises us all with his engagement to the stunning Lauren (Jamie Chung). Add Phil (Bradley Cooper), newcomer Teddy (Mason Lee) and crowd-pleaser Alan (Zach Galifianakis) to the mix and you have a wolf pack reunion, venturing to Thailand in honor of Stu’s upcoming nuptial. # 14 A wise man for wanting to steer clear of what happened in Vegas, the initially calm and collected Stu brushes away the thought of a bachelor’s party. He

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From left to right: Phil (Bradley Cooper), Chow (Ken Jeong), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) attempt to remember what happened to them in Bangkok.

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A&E

“

There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of Grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow. —Mrs. O’Brien, “The Tree of Life”

Thursday, May 26, 2011 - Monday, May 30, 2011

film

Twisted

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Branches

By Max Siegel | Staff msiegel@dailycal.org

T

he Tree of Life,” philosopher and filmmaker Terrence Malick’s first film in over half a decade, opens with the news of a young boy’s death that is never mentioned again. Framed by this veil of mortality, the rest of the film contains an emotional intimacy that has not been on display in Malick’s work since his 1998 war film “The Thin Red Line.” That the director is able to successfully pack this much intimacy into a film with galaxies exploding and dinosaurs roaming the earth is impressive. The all-encompassing views of the universe makes the smaller story of a troubled family feel richer. This unsettled, topsy-turvy quality of jumping between vignettes of the cosmic and its inhabitants takes some getting used to. There are many voice-overs in the beginning, but as in Malick’s other films, they can prove more distracting than useful, particularly when they’re paired with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s dynamic and imaginative camerawork. There is a choice between

Winner of Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, ‘The Tree of Life’ is a visually stunning and philosophical film.

“the way of nature and the way of grace,” whispers the dead boy’s mother in a monotone voice-over. This line is unclear, since, even by the film’s end, there doesn’t seem to be a distinction between grace and nature. But however off-putting it may be, Malick’s grandiose vision contrasts nicely with the more intimate setting of a family’s household. After settling down and returning to the narrative of the dead boy’s family, the film sticks with the audience long after they’ve left the theater. Despite the stunning visuals of outer space, this is the part of the film that sticks with viewers. The mourning parents are Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien, played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. They live in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in Waco, Texas and raise three boys. Their oldest child, Jack (Hunter McCracken) — he is not the one who dies — initially grows up in the equivalent of the Garden of Eden, where the sun is always shining and mothers happily spin their children around in the air. However, Jack begins to learn that the world is not so idyllic, thanks to his father, who plays God in the household. “If you want to get far in life, you can’t be good,” Mr. O’Brien warns his children, after berating

them for not referring to him as “sir” at the dinner table. The troubled and at times abusive relationship between father and son grounds the film. Jack, a shy and quiet kid, gradually abandons his earlier state of innocence by engaging in destructive behavior: breaking windows and teaming up with some neighborhood boys to attach a frog — and thus nature — to a rocket. And who can blame the kids, considering their less-than-perfect parents’ unrealistic expectations? The result of this fall from grace becomes apparent when the film jumps to an older Jack (Sean Penn), now a middle-aged businessman. Wearing a ubiquitous dress suit, Jack works in a sterile skyscraper and comments during a business meeting that “the world’s gone to the dogs. The world’s greedy.” As in Malick’s other films, there is an artificiality at play that fans have grown accustomed to. It stems from the combination of blunt voice-overs and actors behaving in a staged and idyllic manner. Malick’s 2005 film “The New World” had a tendency of treating Indians in a simplistic and somewhat paternalist manner. Pocahontas even does

cartwheels on the shore of an English pond. Jessica Chastain, as Jack’s mother, defaults to an idealized perfect mother role, but her over-the-top acting is appropriate, considering that “The Tree of Life” is about Jack’s transformation from a wide-eyed child to a disillusioned man. There is eventually a reconciliation of sorts between Mr. O’Brien and his son in “The Tree of Life.” Older Jack, still donning business attire, wanders around an isolated salt flat, with dozens of other people meandering around him. It is unclear whether he is trapped in some vision of heaven or hell. But Jack soon rediscovers his father and embraces him “The only way to be happy is to love,” Jack’s mother intones in voice-over. The line, however, does not feel cliched. The scene is an unrealistic, completely visual way of depicting mortality, yet it works because of its very simplicity. While humans may not be able to match the overwhelming beauty and destruction of nature, as envisioned by Malick, there is hope yet for redemption. Perhaps Jack and the rest of his family are instead wandering around purgatory, waiting for the chance to return to an earlier state of naivete — together.

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