05.03.12 | UCSD Guardian by UCSD Guardian

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012

VOLUME 45, ISSUE 50

WWW.UCSDGUARDIAN.ORG

I had to do what I had to do to survive.”

Student left in Drug Enforcement Administration cell for five days without food, water. By Zev Hurwitz • Associate News Editor

UCSD student who was left in a Drug Enforcement Administration cell for five days without food, water or human contact is planning to file suit against the agency. Engineering student Daniel Chong, along with eight others, was taken to the DEA OPINION Kearny Mesa headThis is only the quarters on April beginning of Chong’s ordeal. 21, following a raid on a house where he PAGE 4 and the others were allegedly smoking marijuana. Chong resorted to drinking urine during his stay in the 5-foot by

10-foot cell. “I had to recycle my own urine,” Chong said in an interview with the U-T San Diego. “I had to do what I had to do to survive.” D aniel C hong While at headquarters, DEA agents made seven arrests, but officers purportedly told Chong that he would not be charged. Chong was then left in his cell for five days until two DEA agents

CAMPUS LIFE

UC SYSTEM

found him on April 25. The DEA paid for Chong’s hospital stay, where he was treated for kidney failure, cramps, dehydration and a perforated esophagus. While in solitary confinement, Chong attempted to take his own life by breaking his eyeglasses and attempting to cut his wrists. He also tried unsuccessfully to carve the words “Sorry Mom” into his arm. “I hallucinated by the third day,” Chong said during a press conference on May 1. “I was completely insane.” Chong had also ingested a white powdery substance that he found in the cell. The substance was later iden-

tified as methamphetamine. Chong also said that he could hear agents walking in the hallways and in adjacent cells but no one responded to his screaming or cries for help. On Wednesday, DEA spokesman William R. Sherman apologized to Chong for the entrapment. “I am deeply troubled by the incident that occurred here last week,” Sherman said in the statement. “I have personally ordered an extensive review of our policies and procedures.” California Senator Barbara Boxer echoed the call for investigation in

a letter she wrote to United States Attorney General Eric Holder asking for a thorough review of the incident. At UCSD, A.S. Council passed a resolution on May 2 denouncing the DEA for Chong’s detention and urging Chancellor Fox to take a stance on the issue. Chong’s attorney Eugene Iredale said that they intend to file a claim against the federal government. If the claim is denied, they will file a federal lawsuit. Readers can contact Zev Hurwitz at zhurwitz@ucsd.edu.

a.s. council

Concerns Student Fees May Fund Office of Over New President as Result of New UC Tax forced UC Santa Conduct Tax Barbara to freeze student org funding; Code Merced and Riverside

Council Senator Project Updates

New code is vague when defining “disruptions” that could lead students, or student orgs, to be sanctioned and punished.

By Kashi Khorasani Staff Writer

By Emily Pham Contributing Writer The new Student Conduct Code, which standardizes the disciplinary process for all colleges, will be implemented beginning Fall 2012. Members of A.S. Council, after working with UCSD administration to write the code, are concerned with vague wording in the revision that may restrict students’ rights if left unchecked. “I am, and A.S. as a whole is, very concerned about a number of things in the newest draft [of the code],” Associate Vice President of Student Advocacy Bryce Farrington said in an email. “The vagueness [allows] the See CONDUCT, page 3

sSPOKEN

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condemned initiative.

By Daniel Song Staff Writer A tax passed by the UC Board of Regents may cause student fees to go toward funding the UC Office of the President. The Regents passed the tax, known as the Funding Stream Initiative, in July 2011 with the goal of increasing financial transparency. Before, revenue generated by each campus went through UCOP, which took a 6-percent share and redistributed the funds back to the campuses. This revenue came from Core Funds, which includes sources such as medical centers and grants and contracts, but did not include campus-based fees, such as sports fees and college activity fees. Now, revenues will remain on the campuses they originate from, and UCOP will gain funds through a 1.69-percent flat tax of all campuses. The chancellors and vice chancellors of the universities can choose when to implement the tax and how

FORECAST

We had solid defense, great pitching, clutch hitting and an energy in the dugout that was undeniable.”

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much to draw from each funding source to meet the total 1.69 percent. Student fees may be included as a funding source. “The impact on campuses will vary from one to another because they don’t have exactly the same revenue sources,” UCOP spokesperson Shelly Meron wrote in an email. “For example, some UCs have medical centers, some have less research, some have more professional schools, etc. All of that affects campuslevel revenues, and by extension affects what funds will be assessed and what impact this will have.” The chancellors of UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara have already instituted the tax, with Riverside paying 2 percent of its overall revenue. UC Santa Barbara Student Affairs now owes $700,000 to UCOP, leading UCSB Student Affairs to ask the student council to pay anywhere from $99,000 to $180,000. UCSB’s council has frozen student org funds until further notice. The Davis A.S. council faces an estimated $250,000 reduction to its annual budget. The A.S. Councils of UC Riverside and UC Merced have passed resolutions criticizing the inclusion of student-initiated fees in the Funding Streams Initiative. Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Sammy Chang

NIGHT WATCH

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brought up the new tax at council’s April 25 meeting. “Action must be taken or there will be fiscal disaster,” Chang said during his April 25 presentation to council. According to Chang, the tax will go into effect at UCSD starting Fall 2012. The tax did not affect UCSD this year because the university’s annual budget was set by the time the UC Regents passed the tax. Chang added that council plans to inform students about the tax and petition Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Penny Rue to ask her not to include student fee funds in the tax. Chancellor Marye Anne Fox has voiced support for the tax, but has also proposed some alterations — such as a reduction in the 1.69-percent total taxation rate. UCOP hopes that this will eventually reduce fees for students, even if they have an increased financial burden in the present. “I believe the outcome of the Financial Streams Initiative will enhance transparency and will help set the 10 campuses on a path towards continued excellence in the coming years,” UC President Mark Yudof said in a Sept. 12 memo addressed to UC chancellors and budgeting staff. Readers can contact Daniel Song at d9song@ucsd.edu.

Each A.S. senator is required to do two projects per academic year as part of his or her duties. A.S. senators are elected officials, except in cases when they are appointed to fill a vacancy. In order to write an update on these projects, the Guardian repeatedly contacted the following campuswide senators: Karen Liang, Carlos Molina, Amanda Malamud, Kirk Freeman, Ashton Cohen, Brad Segal, Matt Bradbury and Clinton Rodriguez. Of these, Brad Segal, Matt Bradbury and Clinton Rodriguez responded regarding their projects. Brad Segal stepped into his role as campuswide senator on March 14, after the resignation of former senator Annie Yu. Segal said that he received funding for his senator project the same night he was appointed into his position.

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See SENATORS, page 3

INSIDE Quite Frankly..........................2 New Business.........................3 Spin Cycle..............................4 Letters to the Editor................5 Beer and Loathing..................6 Sudoku...................................9 Left, Center, Tackle...............12

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

quite frankly By Lior Schenk Angela Chen

Editor in Chief

Arielle Sallai Margaret Yau

Managing Editors

Angela Chen

News Editor

Nicole Chan Zev Hurwitz

Associate News Editors

Madeline Mann Hilary Lee Rachel Uda Nicholas Howe

Super Soldiers By Kayla Batom

Opinion Editor Associate Opinion Editor Sports Editor Associate Sports Editor

Mina Nilchian

Focus Editor

Arielle Sallai

Leisure Editor

Ren Ebel Andrew Whitworth

Hiatus Editor Associate Hiatus Editor

Monica Haider Emily Pham

Copy Editors

Andrew Oh

Photo Editor

Nolan Thomas

Associate Photo Editor

Nathan Toung

Associate Design Editor

Jeffrey Lau

Art Editor

Rebekah Hwang

Associate Art Editor

Hayley Bisceglia-Martin

Development Editor

Page Layout Leo Bui,, Margaret Yau, Rebecca Horwitz, Arielle Sallai, Nathan Toung Copy Readers Nadine Blanco, Cindy Bui, Robert Pond

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Business Manager Emily Ku

Texting While Driving Increases Crash Rate by Up to 32 Times By Ayan Kusari Staff Writer Nearly 80 percent of San Diego County students drive while distracted, researchers at UCSD’s Trauma Epidemiology and Injury Prevention Research center announced last Tuesday at a UCSD Medical Center press conference. According to the CDC, distracted driving has three main components: visual, manual and cognitive. Visual distraction consists of a driver taking his eyes off the road, manual distraction occurs when a driver takes his hands off the wheel and cognitive distraction consists of a driver taking his mind off the task of driving. Distracted driving can take many forms: talking on the phone is a wellknown example of dangerous driving behavior, but the UCSD study found that texting is far more risky. While talking on the phone while driving increased the crash rate around four times, texting while driving increased the crash rate 16 to 32 times.

In a recent press release, Linda Hill said that the study found that “distracted driving has become an accepted behavior” in spite of the known risks. For the study, researchers distributed questions to randomly selected students in the form of an anonymous Internet survey. Five thousand students were chosen for the study from nine colleges throughout San Diego County. The mean age of study participants was 21. Two-thirds of the students selected were female, and most were undergraduates. Of the 78 percent who admitted to engaging in some kind of distracted behavior while driving, half said they texted while driving on the freeway, and 87 percent said they had sent texts while idling at red lights. Hill said that distracted driving has become extremely prevalent. “The people who observed others driving distracted were more likely to drive distracted themselves,” Hill said. She stated in a press release that college students have “misplaced con-

fidence in their own driving skills and their ability to multitask.” In an interview with the San Diego radio station KPBS, Hill said distracted driving at full speed on a freeway is a dangerous because there are long distances traveled in short periods of time. Taking your eyes off the road to text, a process which takes 3 to 5 seconds, is enough time to travel “the length of a football field.” In that time period, Hill said, “it’s as if you’re driving with your eyes shut.” The survey asked students what it would take for them to drive more safely. Students named several punishments that, if implemented, would deter them from driving distracted. These include: removing insurance coverage for crashes caused by distracted driving, giving drivers a point on their driving record for their first distracted driving citation, and creating a $350 fine for first-time distracted driving.

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THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

Council Condemns DEA, Discuss Financial Transparency

his week, A.S. Council unanimously passed a resolution (proposed by a member of the public) denouncing the Drug Enforcement Administration for its treatment of egineering student Daniel Chong. The DEA left Chong in a drug holding cell for five days without Daniel Song food or water. d9song@ucsd.edu A.S. Advocate General Courtney Hill brought legislation to impeach senators Ashton Cohen, Amanda Malamud, Kevin Fish, Clinton Rodriguez and Cyrus Kiani. But after further review, council decided that five senators would not be impeached because their outstanding absences were the result of clerical error. General Store Co-operative member Tauri St. Claire said that the General Store has made big strides in paying back the debts it accrued during a down period from 2007-09. Since 2009, the General Store has paid back $20,000 in debt, back taxes and penalties, she said. “Consider the General Store as being under new management,” St. Claire said. Council cheered ERC Senator Jackie Clavin when she announced that safety whistles engraved with the UCSD logo and walk number had arrived. Associate Vice President of Student Advocacy Bryce Farrington told the council that the Know Your Rights Campaign will be held Week Seven. The campaign will go into detail about how to handle encounters with the police, among other things. Associate Vice President of Student Services Leigh Mason reported that A.S. Safe rides signed up 131 students

New

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at last week’s Bear Garden. She also told the council that Safe Rides is currently exploring the feasibility of single sign-ons for Safe Rides. A.S. President Alyssa Wing announced that the re-filming of the AS UCSD Lip Dub will be held on Sunday and would be open to all who showed up. “This is a project that is honestly larger than ourselves, larger than our committee,” Wing said. “People that were there the first time around can attest that there was a community building through this project.” Sixth College Senator Cody Marshall told the council that the Chocolate Festival is this Friday, May 4. Two members of the council — Campuswide Senators Karen Liang and Matt Bradbury — were honored as Councilmembers of the Week. Interim Associate Vice President of Academics Samuel Chang and Marshall Senator Bryan Cassella gave a presentation on behalf of the Office of Finance. They called to attention the lack of financial transparency at UCSD, citing that 21 percent of the expenditures are labeled other with no further clarification. “We need to know where everything in the budget goes, if we don’t know, we’re going to be stuck footing the bill, because people will say ‘oh the students can pay for this,’” Chang said. Revelle Senator Caeser Feng and Chang created a presentation about changes that could streamline the selection process of associate vice presidents and make the selection more accountable. Later, council passed the resolution.

New Conduct Code Makes it Easier to Suspend Student Orgs ▶ conduct, from page 1

ability [for administration] to suspend someone in the interim, without trial or due process, for simply ‘disruptive activity with the orderly operation of the campus.’” According to Farrington, the newest draft of the code allows student organizations to be suspended by administration without going through the lengthy process that the current code requires. It leaves the interpretation of “disorderly or lewd conduct” open, which would allow administration to generalize anything it considered disorderly as a violation under that jurisdiction. The existing code has the advantage of being specific and concise compared to the new code, Farrington said. The existing code defines disorderly conduct as “unauthorized gambling, loud and unreasonable noise that serves no legitimate purpose... or conduct that creates a hazardous condition.” “[The new code] is meant to be easier to read, but there are a lot of advantages with the specificity and

complication of the current code,” Farrington said. “It might be more legalese, but that can actually protect students more. Student organizations can be suspended by administration without going through the whole process.” Parts of the code breach student organizations’ right to the First Amendment, Public Education Coalition member Sean Estelle claimed. “I think [the code has] extremely vague, problematic language.” Estelle said in a Facebook message. “It basically gives the administration carte blanche to arrest folks, especially those engaged in civil disobedience.” Under the existing disciplinary process, students who receive a violation report first meet with their college dean to discuss the charges. During this meeting, they can either accept or challenge the charges. Those who choose to challenge the charge will attend a formal hearing in front of their college’s judicial board or an administrator not involved in the case, who will then decide if they are responsible for the violation.

The new code, however, will create a campuswide community standards board and peer review boards for each of the six colleges. Thse boards will decide whether a student is guilty of misconduct. The community standards board will consist of undergraduates, graduate students and staff, while the peer board will consist of members from its respective college. “This is a huge process that took years,” Farrington said. “It’s a completely new code.” Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Penny Rue first began the three-year process to change the code in 2009. Farrington said that administrators and staff will release a third draft of the code next week that will clarify the definition of a ‘disruption’ sometime next week. Afterwards, the draft will be sent to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox for approval. Director of Student Conduct Ben White could not be reached for comment as of press time. Readers can contact Emily Pham at e4pham@ucsd.edu.

Projects Include Film Initiative, Voter Org, Freshmen Outreach ▶ SENATORS, from page 1

His event, a film screening of “Haiti: Where did the Money Go?” in conjunction with the UC Haiti Initiative, intended to highlight the misuse of funds donated to postearthquake Haiti. Segal was recently re-elected as a campuswide senator for the 2012-13 academic year. For his senator project, Matt Bradbury focused on the formation and growth of voter registration org Student Voter Access Committee, which was started last year by SOVAC Executive Director Arshya

Sharifian. Bradbury has integrated SOVAC into the Associated Students, enabling the organization to work during freshmen movein weekend and register 1,700 new voters. Bradbury said that he is currently working on the internal reformation of A.S. Council, specifically by adding more committees to increase council’s division of labor and specialization. Bradbury also played a large role in A.S. Council’s election code revisions, which were completed and implemented during Fall Quarter 2011. Clinton Rodriguez worked on

freshmen senator recruitment by attending Marshall, Muir and Revelle College orientations and staying active on the official 2015 page for incoming students to advertise for the three open council positions. Rodriguez also partnered with the Inter-Fraternity Council to create a tailgate for Greeks, with the assistance of Associate Vice President of Enterprise and Operations Brian McEuen and Associate Vice President of Athletic Relations Aurora Lopez. Readers can contact Kashi Khorasani at kkhorasa@ucsd.edu.

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THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

Mann CONTACT THE EDITOR Madeline opinion@ucsdguardian.org

OPINION Writing Wrongs In light of the controversy regarding a campus-wide senator’s photo and the Guardian’s poor reporting, we wish to issue an apology and encourage more dialogue between our staff and the student body. By Angela Chen • Editor in Chief illustration by jeffrey lau /G uardian

or years, the Opinion section of the Thursday issue has been reserved for editorials, where the Guardian Editorial Board chimes in on everything from high-speed rail to administrative policies and “sensitive topics.” We routinely advocate outreach and transparency, suggesting that open access to information and a willingness to cooperate go a long way. But we’ve rarely done outreach of our own. And now, as the Guardian is re-structuring and institutionalizing many of its formerly non-existent guidelines, it’s time to solicit opinion about our responsibilities and what we should do when reporting on issues — politics, campus climate — that people are afraid to touch. Last Thursday, April 27, the Guardian published an article titled “Photo of A.S. Senator Draws Controversy,” regarding the reaction to a photo of current Campus-wide Senator Ashton Cohen dressed in Arab garb. The article, which has

since been taken offline for the reasons outlined below, included quotes calling Cohen a racist and an Islamophobe. First, corrections: The clothing was not traditional Muslim clothing (as suggested by the subhead), but Arab clothing; the two terms are not interchangeable. This is a failure of reporting on our part, an example of our need to be more informed and a problem that I take responsibility for because it is always the duty of the reporter and editor to have the proper background knowledge. To that end, I’ve spoken with the reporter, and met with members of the Student Affirmative Action Committee to learn more about this culturally sensitive issue so we can better report in the future. Another problem was the tone of the article. When citing Arab Student Union member Noor El-Annan, reporter Nicole Chan politicized the issue by associating El-Annan’s statements with Students for Justice

in Palestine and implying that this situation was SJP versus Cohen — a stance that has been adopted by others (see this issue’s Letter to the Editor). Cohen, who is Jewish, voted against the resolution to divest from companies involved in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict; this undoubtedly plays into this issue, as he says that several people have linked the photo to his background and divestment. But regardless of the pro-divestment members who contacted Cohen, it is incorrect to assume that El-Annan was speaking on behalf of the political movement of divestment when she was speaking, more specifically, about an cultural issue. Cohen had serious concerns as well. The article paints him in a negative light, and words like “Islamophobe” and “racist” are words that no one wants to be associated with in SEO searches. These are the words of a source, and not the See Corrections, page 5

GUEST COMMENTARY

Students Should Work Toward Fostering Climate of Mutual Respect BY ASHTON SHAHYAD COHEN A.S. Campuswide Senator In high school I started a JewishMuslim United club and engaged in numerous activities to create an environment of mutual respect for both cultures. Based on recent disturbing incidents on our campus, I see a great need for similar efforts to engage these ethnic and religious groups in sensitivity and civility training and require its leaders to participate in respectful dialogue. Last week, the Guardian reported on an insidious and libelous claim regarding a picture involving me wearing a traditional Middle Eastern outfit purchased during my travels in Dubai. The picture was taken and posted on Facebook by a Muslim female friend who was stunned that I received verbal attacks, even accusations of racism, as a result of the photo. As someone of Middle Eastern descent and committed to interfaith relations, I apologize if the photo caused offense. Though I understand the photo could be misinterpreted, I feel the attacks were politically motivated

since I am Jewish, serve on A.S. Council and voted against the recent resolution to divest from companies which provide war technology used by the Israeli Defense Forces. The individuals who verbally attacked me referenced my “actions,” or vote during divestment, in their accusations and appear to be motivated to tarnish my reputation and silence my voice. This attack echoes last month’s intimidation tactics and false accusations by the Student Affirmative Action Committee, who sent a letter to the administration accusing Professor Shlomo Dubnov, who spoke publically against divestment, of racist rhetoric and verbally attacking a pro-divestment student. Last week, the UCSD Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination completed an investigation clearing Dubnov of the allegations, but did not ask the student who accused him, or the Faculty Association which attacked him on their website, to apologize. Why not? When will these methods of intimidation end and when will our Principles of Community be embraced?

Personally, I find disturbing the events of two weeks ago, when Students for Justice in Palestine held a “Mock Israeli Checkpoint,” where students dressed up as Israeli soldiers frisked other participating students, culminating their theatrics by shouting “Intifada,” (the violent Palestinian uprisings against Israel). As a Jew, as someone who has family in Israel and knows people who have died in suicide bombings in which these check points were created to stop, I find this to be deeply offensive. Like Amal Dalmar said, “If we as a student body don’t react to events like this, anybody’s culture can be mocked and ridiculed.” On March 8, UC President Mark Yudof issued a statement proclaiming “the moral imperative for all UC students, faculty and staff to foster a climate of tolerance, civility and open-mindedness.” He said attacks that are meant to silence or intimidate those who would express differing opinions is not acceptable. I agree with President Yudof and am worried about degradation of civil discourse and the increasing harassment and intimidation of pro-Israel and Jewish

students and faculty. Last week, UCSD reached an agreement with Department of Justice and Education to address issues of harassment and discrimination. Our administration should note the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights declared in 2010 that Jewish students are now also protected from harassment and discrimination under Title VI. Now is the time for our administration to take action to foster an environment of acceptance and create programs of civility, diversity and dialogue training that student leaders are required to attend. I am optimistic that UCSD students can engage with one another and create a climate where people can express their viewpoints without being insulted, harassed or threatened. Last Friday, I met with fellow student senator Ruba Akel. Although she and I initially had different perspectives, we came to understand each other’s viewpoints and had a very engaging and productive conversation. We must all maintain a firm commitment to engage in respectful dialogue and put our cultural differences aside.

Tragic Student Lockdown a Wake-Up Call for San Diego

curious case has recently come out of our very own San Diego county in the past week. Daniel Chong, a 24-year-old engineering student from UCSD has stepped forward, alleging that he was

Spin

Cycle

Margaret yau m1yau@ucsd.edu

locked in cramped Drug Enforcement Agency cell after a drug bust. For five straight days, Chong was given no food or water, and was forced to, in his own words to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “recycle his own urine.” After reaching a hallucinatory state by day three, Chong ingested a white powder that he found in his cramped, windowless cell, which turned out to be a methamphetamine. And in an act of desperation, he smashed his eyeglasses, using some shards to carve an apology to his mother on his left arm. The rest of the shards, according to the medical personnel who retrieved him five days later, he swallowed. If the federal court system is at all just, Chong will receive a fat amount of cash from the DEA for his ordeal. According to Chong and his lawyer, they are planning on filing a claim with the federal court system this week. Because though the circumstances of his arrest were legal, Chong’s subsequent detention and Abu Ghraib-like situation are certainly not. Chong was one of nine people detained on college’s favorite day, 420. The DEA drug bust revealed 18,000 ecstasy pills, weed, shrooms and weapons. And according to Chong, it wasn’t his house, and those drugs weren’t his property. All the same, the nine were rounded up and taken to the DEA center in Kearny Mesa for questioning. After Chong was interrogated, the DEA agents told him he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, didn’t press criminal charges and offered to drive him home. Instead, they placed him in a 5-by-10 windowless holding cell. The other eight were questioned, and released, while Chong reached a neardeath state, screaming for help and kicking the door in a fruitless attempt to rouse the attention of the agents who were working on the other side of the door. This case has roused the rage of all decent citizens in San Diego proper and across the country. The case especially hits close to home for UCSD students. An unlucky student, caught in the worst place at the worst time, is suddenly and inexplicably tossed in a near-death experience. Five days ago, Chong was preparing for an onslaught of midterms. A week later, he was in the hospital with kidney failure and a punctured lung. There are many unanswered questions that will likely spout up in the coming weeks when people begin to demand answers. The DEA will have to either answer the questions of how the hell they managed to forget an innocent person in a holding cell for five days, or face the public.

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reasons to Protest the Ron Paul Rally Dear Editor, A coalition of students and workers are protesting Ron Paul at 6 p.m. on Friday at Warren Mall. Why? 1. He’s racist. Among the many things Paul has written (and later lied about) in over 50 documents: “I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of black males in [D.C.] are semi-criminal or entirely criminal” and “Our country is being destroyed by a group of actual and potential terrorists — and they can be identified by the color of their skin.” 2. He’s sexist. He thinks that the federal government should not recognise same-sex unions. On sexual harassment at work: “Why don’t they quit once the so-called harassment starts?” The government can’t “tell an airline it must hire unattractive women if it does not want to.” 3. He’s anti-gay. He’s for banning gay marriage and reinstating “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” On the AIDS Crisis: “The individual suffering from AIDS certainly is a victim — frequently, a victim of his own lifestyle — but this same individual victimizes innocent citizens by forcing them to pay for his care.” 4. He’s xenophobic. Another Libertarian contradiction: He voted for a bill that included plans to build a government fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and is in favor of ending birthright citizenship and all social services to undocumented immigrants, who “discourage American citizens from taking lowwage jobs.” Yay, slave wages! 5. He’s ableist. He’s for repealing the Americans With Disabilities Act, which makes it illegal to

discriminate against someone because of a disability. 6. He’s anti-worker. He’s for ending unemployment insurance, the minimum wage, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the right to a safe workplace) and replacing U.S. tax structure with one even more slanted toward the wealthy (if that’s possible.) 7. He is against the Civil Rights Act, the 1964 law that made segregation illegal and outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. If a hotel wants to ban African-Americans, he believes they should be allowed to. 8. He’s for dissolving the federal Department of Education. So why are UCSD students inviting him here? 9. He’s for banning the right to choose abortion. Another Libertarian contradiction: He’s for the government intervening in a woman’s uterus. 10. He’s for ending Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and thinks the poor and elderly should rely on charity or be allowed to die. 11. He’s against federal safety standards. No federal testing to make sure the products or pharmaceuticals you’re sold won’t kill you, no federal mandates for seat belts or air traffic controllers. 12. He thinks global warming is a hoax. He wants to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency and environmental regulation, including all restrictions on drilling for oil, even in National Parks. 13. He doesn’t “accept” evolution. 14. He’s for ending all foreign aid and not sending funds to the developing world to help combat AIDS, famines, natural disasters or anything else. 15. He’d pull out of the United Nations, which he called a

conspiracy. 16. He’s against interstate highways. 17. He is against an assault weapons ban and background checks for buying new guns. 18. He believes there’s a war on Christmas. 19. He wants to U.S. to seize control of the Panama Canal. Paul’s isolationism doesn’t seem to apply to the Panama Canal. The United States signed a treaty back in the 1970s gradually ceding control of the canal to the government of Panama. But Paul wants to overturn that. Because if the U.S doesn’t seize control of it, he claims some hostile regime might seize control of it instead. 20. He thinks interstate highways are unconstitutional. You’re probably getting the impression by now that Ron Paul thinks that pretty much everything the federal government does is unconstitutional. That’s because Ron Paul thinks that pretty much everything the federal government does is unconstitutional. He has even argued against interstate highways, saying Eisenhower knew he was bending the law when he built them. Paul figures they’re a violation of states’ rights. Let him know that his racist, sexist, anti-worker policies won’t be tolerated. There is a better alternative under a political ideology that will settle for no racism, no xenophobia, no sexism & homophobia, and no silly “patriotism” just because for once the patriot in question happens to be (sort-of) anti-war. —Nikolai Smith Ph.D student, Department of Philosophy

Ashton Cohen is Victim of False Statements Dear Editor, The article “Controversy Over Photo of A.S. Senator” claims that Ashton Cohen “dressed in Muslim garb” — what is “Muslim garb”? The keffiyeh and jalabiyah are two articles of non-religiously affiliated dress from the Middle East. These two articles of clothing are also not specific to a single ethnicity of the Middle East either, multiple peoples of the Middle East and North Africa have worn or continue to wear such clothing, not just Arabs. Berbers in North Africa and Jews and Kurds in the Middle East wear this traditional garb. I would know because both sides of my family are Middle Eastern Jews from the countries of Iraq, Syria and (where similar national costume existed), Iran. Cohen’s family is Middle Eastern, Jewish and Muslim, why does he not have a right to wear this? We Middle Eastern Jews refer to the “keffiyeh” as the “sudra” and we have worn it from ancient until modern times — if I were to wear my ancestor’s clothing out to a costume party as Cohen did, would I also be a victim of slander? Perhaps it is because Cohen is a Jew that this issue has been brought up. It is known that he is a Jewish student who ended up voting against the divestment resolution, and he contributed to the failure of Students for Justice in Palestine to achieve a passing of the resolution for the third year running. This case of the outright libeling of Cohen, in fact, raises some questions. SJP students themselves repeatedly claim that the Palestine issue has nothing to do with race, religion or color, so while it may be understandable to some people that the Muslim Student Association and Arab Student Union got

involved here (although my previous paragraph should explain that this should not be the case either), we must ask: Why does SJP jump in to attack Cohen as well? Is this just an attempt to strike at those campuswide leaders who hold pro-Israel views? If there was someone who voted for divestment, and appeared in a similar photo as Cohen did, would he or she also be pursued? The individuals who rally against Cohen here are frankly in no position to make claims about him. Noor El-Annan and Josue Castellon have been involved in several controversial actions and statements that have severely distressed the Jewish and wider student community at UCSD. El- Annan mentioned she would “not feel comfortable being in the same room as (Cohen),” the same may be said about her and Josue, from many students of the pro-Israel and Jewish community. And Amal Dalmar’s comparison to the Compton Cookout was unnecessary and out of line; she makes light of a distressing series of incidents that all UCSD students, regardless of race, experienced and suffered from. Ashton Cohen is an honorable A.S. member and an upstanding UCSD student. His reputation should not be tarnished by this heavily biased Guardian piece, this despicable piece of mockery. —Jonathan Shaoulian Senior, Sixth College ▶ The Guardian welcomes letters from its readers.

All letters must be addressed, and written, to the editor of the Guardian. Letters are limited to 500 words, and all letters must include the writer’s name, college and year (undergraduates), department (graduate students or professors) or city of residence (local residents). A maximum of three signatories per letter is permitted. The Guardian Editorial Board reserves the right to edit for length, accuracy, clarity and civility. The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject letters for publication. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we do not confirm receipt or publication of a letter.

Student Input Will Help Improve the Accuracy of Future Guardian Reporting ▶ Corrections, from page 4

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Guardian or the reporter, but in the age of Google searches, it’s imperative to provide proper context and avoid scapegoating. Both are more important than ever when stories are posted online and quickly become fodder for non-affiliates on both sides to read and attack; the article provided neither. Cohen and El-Annan have been attacked over the article, and for that, and the mistakes in the article, I sincerely apologize to both. In light of the poorly worded article, I offered both parties involved a chance to submit a guest commentary on any aspect of the issue; Cohen accepted, and his commentary provides background that we did not. He discusses his past outreach and efforts to rectify the situation. It is not our role to cast judgment on either side of the issue, but by not soliciting and including this information, the article became seriously skewed. This is not the first time the Guardian has slipped when covering sensitive issues. In the past, inconsistent editorial guidelines have forced our hand in printing guest commentaries and advertisements that we did not endorse. So, as we’re creating these guidelines, we’d like feedback from those we cover and those we write for: How can we best cover highly controversial issues in a neutral way? How can we avoid scapegoating individuals without avoiding names? When we make mistakes that contribute to a misunderstanding, how should we rectify the situation? And, perhaps most relevant: What is the role, if any, of the Guardian in “protecting” students? Two years ago, when reporting on the Compton Cookout, we chose to publish on the front page the name of the student (and his affiliation with Pi Kappa Alpha) who hosted the party. I wrote the article, and I will never forget the call from said student telling my then-18year-old freshman self that I had ruined his life and caused him to leave San Diego for Los Angeles. I am not comparing Cohen’s actions or their implications to the Cookout, only the

Guardian’s treatment of the issue. It was not factually inaccurate to print that the student hosted the party, just as it was not inaccurate to name Cohen. But, just as we left out context in this case, we did the same two years ago. Pi Kappa Alpha had not sanctioned the event, said student was not the only person who attended and he was not obviously single-handedly responsible for the events of the Compton Cookout or racism at UCSD. Yet, as the only one explicitly named, he still received multiple threats and now, when you Google his name, autofill still suggests “Compton Cookout” as a related search. Most student leaders whom we quote — including both Cohen and El-Annan — are public figures that have accepted a role that openly makes them targets for criticism. But the reality — one confirmed by the emails we get each month from long-ago students asking us to take down 1994 articles about them — is that these are still student leaders, not seasoned politicans. And when student journalists report on student leaders, there’s room for bad articles, even if there’s no bad intentions. The Guardian will not cease reporting on issues of campus climate or dance around the subject of who and why. It is not our job to ensure that students don’t say things that they will regret in a decade, and many other students our age (ahem, Alexandra Wallace) have been dragged through the mud. But it is our job to avoid polarization, ensure that the reporting is accurate and students are fairly represented. To that end, we’d like your input on how we can improve our coverage and achieve our goal of providing balanced, informed news to the campus. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send a Letter to the Editor or just email editor@ucsdguardian.org. I’d like to thank both Cohen and El-Annan for contacting me, and encourage everyone to contact us with corrections, problems and inquiries. It’s how we stay relevant and useful. And it keeps us honest. Thank you. Readers can contact Angela Chen at shchen@ ucsd.edu

THE UCSD GUARDIAN |THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012

www.Ucsdguardian.org

EBEL CONTACT THE EDITOR REN hiatus@ucsdguardian.org

hiatus MOVIE REVIEW

The

Iron Man I

arts&entertainment

Avengers

ron Man is everything an aspiring nerd should, well, aspire towards. Genius, playboy, millionaire Tony Stark was born a normal human with an incredible mental and financial capacity to do good. The 2008 and 2010 films “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2,” respectively provide needed exposition for a once relatively obscure character. After a piece of shrapnel embeds itself in Stark’s chest, a powerful electric generator called the arc reactor keeps him alive. Thankfully for the plotline, the generator lazer powers his super suit as well, which is not only an aesthetically pleasing color, but allows him to fly and shoot missiles out of his body. He is clearly the most Batman-like of the group, but lacks Bruce Wayne’s perpetually solemn personality and thankfully, a sidekick like Robin. Instead, while Stark saves the world, he combines Gambit’s charm with Deadpool’s wit into a personality that can only be described as killer. Basically, Iron Man is perfect.

Captain America C

The hulk

aptain America is a superhuman, but not in the shiny, supernatural way Superman is. No, Captain America was born Steve Rogers, a puny weakling with a heart of gold. In the 2011 blockbuster “Captain America: The First Avenger,” Rogers is injected with the Super Soldier Serum (points for alliteration) and saves the world, but more specifically, America. A quick flash forward later, and Rogers is thawed from being cryogenically frozen and lands in Time Square, circa 2012. There, he is greeted by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, who approaches him about joining a brand-new superhero team. Evidently, Cap agrees.

Black

widow W

ssentially, the Hulk is the angry green thing. Believe me, you can’t miss him. He’s right there. His normal state is Bruce Banner, a mild mannered scientist who worked on making humans immune to gamma radiation. Like the Fantastic 4, science completely backfired and turned Banner into the aforementioned angry green thing. Like all superheroes, Banner saves the world, gets the girl and gets to transform back into Edward Norton/ Mark Ruffalo when he can calm his shit. That’s more than can be said for the Thing. In the 2008 reboot of “The Hulk” (in which he’s played by Edward Norton), Banner saves the world and manages to control his Hulk-transformations. At the end of the film, General Ross is approached by Tony Stark to create a team of superhumans. I don’t want to give anything away, but the team — it’s the Avengers.

Thor

of blue bloods that emulated the put together finesse of the Ivy Leagues. Meanwhile, Marvel threw together six of its most popular, dysfunctional characters into what became the Avengers. Basically, the Avengers is the angry, loud, awesome dysfunctional family that you both fear and love. Basically, the Avengers are better.

n the 1960s, comic books took a turn for the team. In an effort to boost sales, comic book artists like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee combined favorite superheroes into teams, creating interesting dynamics and, of course, bigger battles. DC Comics came up with the Justice League, a crime fighting unit

e first met SHIELD agent Natasha Romanova — codename Black Widow — as Tony Stark’s frighteningly competent assistant. Now she’s applying her super-assasin skills to the Avenger’s Intiative, along with longtime SHIELD partner Hawkeye. Though she hasn’t yet had her own movie and has no superpowers to speak of, Romanova — played by Scarlett Johansson — holds her own with icy professionalism in “The Avengers.”

od of thunder, son of Odin, Thor is basically an alien beamed down from outer space. The 2011 adaptation of his life, appropriately called “Thor,” is essentially a coming of age story — as a punishment for being an entitled jackass, Odin sends his son to the best place to grow up — Earth. There, he has to reclaim his hammer and, you guessed it, save the world. The film concludes with S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury asking Thor to identify a mysterious, powerful object. Undoubtedly, it will play a part in the coming movie.

Hawkeye

f the Avengers, Hawkeye is one of only two to not get a separate movie. In addition to this sad lot, he is truly just an average guy, with the unerring but ultimately not exciting ability to shoot arrows really really straight. He’s basically Katniss Everdeen. In another series of unfortunate events, his real name is Clint Barton.

Beer and

Loathing

Ren ebel rebel@ucsd.edu

(Tom Hiddleston). He slaughters the cube’s guards, uses his magical boom stick to brainwash a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent or two — including future Avengers member and archer extraordinaire Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) — then nabs the cube and flees. This is Fury’s cue to kick-start the Avenger’s Initiative. As he rallies the troops — bringing in fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), getting Captain America (Chris Evans) out of semi-retirement, retrieving the Hulk See AVENGERS, page 9

See Column, page 7

The Avengers hit the big screen. Hayley Bisceglia-Martin • Senior Staff Writer ing each of the larger-than-life heroes a little more depth, but superhero comic books have always been driven by personality, not nuance. It suits his medium. The flick opens in a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility where the Tesseract — the magical, all-powerful glowing cube of death from Captain America — is acting up, much to the alarm of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Before you can say “deus ex machina” the cube’s twitching turns into a full-blown interdimensional portal, spitting out the unhinged Trickster god Loki

oonrise Kingdom,” the latest from beloved cult director Wes Anderson, is set for release on the 25th, and for fans who’ve attended midnight screenings,

thrown Anderson-themed character costume parties and even curated an entire exhibition of fan art (as did San Francisco’s Spoke Art Gallery last November), it’s something to celebrate. For many others, it’s apparently torment. Since his modest crook-comedy debut “Bottle Rocket” in 1996, Anderson has quickly found his place under the “hipster” rug of shame beside such other arbitrary mythological indicators as veganism, shopping at thrift stores, drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and enjoying independent music. But Wes Anderson’s films are not just scoffed at, they’re vehemently despised. And I’ve never really understood why. Aside from enjoying Anderson’s dry humor, endearing characters and brilliantly indulgent sets, I’ve always thought his movies were mostly unassuming, heartwarming fun. Yet, now, the mention of Wes Anderson is met with a hatred typically reserved for snuff, or, say, Michael Moore. So why do these quiet, nostalgic movies attract such unadulterated hate? My first inclination would be that, stylistically, Anderson’s borrowed heavily from classics past: everything from Orson Welles and Hal Ashby to Godard and the French New Wave. But given film’s brief history, the line between homage and

It’s Ass-Kicking Time (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) trihank god, it’s finally here. umphs where so many others run We have been waiting into trouble. His movie’s prifor this movie mary conflict isn’t the arbitrary since 2006, The Avengers good-versus-evil blowout that when Samuel L. Jackson Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet characterizes these kinds of waltzed into the last Johansson, Mark productions (fortunately for thirty seconds of Iron Ruffalo 142 min. him, because his “evil” is pretty Man like an eyepatchRated PG-13 forgettable). Instead, Whedon’s wearing portent and B+ main point is that the Avengers first uttered the word aren’t yet a team: they’re a “time “Avengers.” bomb.” It has all the pyrotechnics of a The personality clashes are epic blockbuster comic-book movie, but and provide the driving force of the explosions alone do not a compelmovie. Whedon clearly sacrificed an ling storyline make, and that is where engaging plot line for the sake of givwriter and director Joss Whedon

The Agony and Ecstasy of Wes Anderson

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

Wes Anderson is Taken Far Too Seriously ▶ Column, from page 6

theft has always been sort of vague. And if this were the case, Quentin Tarantino would be equally derided for his generous sampling from the classic Spaghetti Westerns and Seijun Suzuki’s absurd and stylish yakuza B-movies. No, the hatred stems from a deeper source: a point of no-return that plagues modern culture like some oozing, venomous, blog-savvy fungus. It is a dark nether-place known only as “cynicism,” and it is plainly outlined in the Cinephiliac’s economically-titled “Why I Hate Wes Anderson.” The first major gripe in the article, and one that I’ve most often encountered, is that Anderson’s characters are generally apathetic, unenthusiastic and unrealistic. This, in itself, seems like a blatant contradiction. I have trouble calling to mind a modern character more real than Bill Murray’s emotionally vacant, washed-up oceanographer/stoner Steve Zissou of the “The Life Aquatic” — easily Anderson’s most hated film. And maybe you didn’t have an unsettlingly articulate overachiever in the vein of “Rushmore”’s iconic rebel scholar Max Fischer at your high school, but I certainly did. Other cop-out arguments include that Anderson’s plots “never really go anywhere,” that his characters are never developed, and that his movies aren’t funny. For one, the characters are developed — albeit through subtle, often non-conventional means rather than sweeping character arcs and explosive melodrama. As for Anderson’s scripts, I suppose everyone has expectations upon walking into a theater. In my experience, it’s more enjoyable to have as few as possible. I think Anderson’s films are hilarious, though my track record for gauging humor has never been great;

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I’m still honestly trying to understand why everyone thought “the Hangover” was so damn funny. The unnamed author ends his or her article: “If stuck in a room with either a Tyler Perry movie or a Wes Anderson film, I’d break both DVDs and slit my wrists to escape the slow torture I would have to endure by watching either.” Like I said: oozing fungus. The simple truth is that these films should be neither worshiped nor abhorred. Wes Anderson is nothing more than a gifted filmmaker with a knack for clever writing and immaculate detail, not to mention, the lost art of the movie soundtrack. Also, “Moonrise Kingdom” just looks fantastic. Expanding on “Fantastic Mr. Fox”’s extremely successful attempt at family comedy (which even managed to turn the heads of Anderson’s ardent critical naysayers), the film is a runaway love

story starring mostly children that looks as vibrant and perfectly-cast as any film he’s done. And whether Anderson’s style is in your own personal taste (and, like anything, it’s certainly not for everyone), it’s impossible to deny that films this adventurous and visually engaging are few and far between in modern film. It’s perplexing why these cynics seem to target genuine attempts at innovation, rather than the increasingly homogenized mainstream. Anderson’s most vocal opponents will likely always be those who haven’t any interest in watching his films in the first place. It’s reassuring, after all, to picture some affluent, white cotton suit-wearing film school grad taking his work far too seriously and earning shallow accolades from a pompous, self-denying fanbase. However this is simply not the case with Wes Anderson and his gorgeous, subtly hilarious brand of cinema.

Husband-and-wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore famously left their hometown of Denver to sail around the North Atlantic coast for eight months, using their experience to write Cape Dory, a charming album of nautically themed pop songs that evoked sixties girl groups and classic chanteuses like Françoise Hardy. That was a few years ago, though, and Tennis have since proven to be excellent songwriters, even without the cutesy aquatic love story. This Thursday, Tennis play San Diego’s Casbah, along with Vacationer and DJ Velvet Touch. (AW)

Allo Darlin’

The Casbah/ May 6, 8:30 P.M. / $8 London twee-revivalists Allo Darlin’ recently released their critically-acclaimed second album Europe on Slumberland Records, home to bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Frankie Rose. With their brand of charming, sloppily sincere poprock, Allo Darlin’ are certainly at home on the label. They play The Casbah this Sunday, joined by London indie-pop trio The Wave Pictures.(AW)

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

Sharp Script, Hulk Make ‘Avengers’ a Success

ALBUM REVIEW

▶ AVENGERS, from page 6

(Mark Ruffalo) from his hideout in India and bullying Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) into leaving Stark Tower — Thor (Chris Hemswoth) reappears from Asgard to deal with the black sheep of the family. Now is the time for the Avengers to assemble. Unfortunately for Fury, it’s not that simple — Evans’ straightedge Captain clashes with Stark’s braggadocio and daddy issues, which mesh nicely with Thor’s man pain over his genocidal baby brother. Hulk’s problems are all personal, but explosive enough to be a collective concern. Whedon’s trademark snark reigns throughout their interactions, keeping the dialogue fast-paced and genuinely funny through a lot of exposition. I shudder to think how he will up the one-liner ante of Spiderman (the undisputed comic-book king of quips) if he joins the team in the next movie. Downey Jr. brings the same wry wit to his character that made Iron Man so fun to watch six years ago. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Widow, Hawkeye and Phil Coulson (Gregg Clark) have some of the most interesting teases of the movie in terms of their shared past (Please, Marvel, say that a super-assassin backstory movie is in the works?) and their give-and-take support system provides a nice foil to the isolated insecurities of the rest of the team. But the true sleeper favorite is Ruffalo’s Hulk, much in the way that Downey Jr.’s Stark was in the first “Iron Man.” He’s perfect and a surprise standout because you didn’t expect him to be. His sheepish selfawareness contrasts beautifully with the Hulk’s sheer destructive rage — after years of bad movies and worse CGI treatment, Whedon and Ruffalo have finally found a sweet spot and brought the un-jolly green giant to life.

Thought Rock Baltimore’s Lower Dens return with confi-

7 10 Lower Dens Nootropics

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The aliens themselves are generically, and unremarkably, evil. Whedon makes a good call, then, by personalizing the movie’s “evil” with Hiddleston’s Loki. The conflict of the movie is driven by his megalomaniacal one-man circus of insecurities. Hiddleston displays his character’s psychoses brilliantly, and even manages to garner some sympathy for Loki’s daddy issues despite the fact that you watched him pluck a man’s eye out the frame before. His big ol’ ball of crazy makes his doomed campaign interesting enough to keep watching once the Avengers get their act together. The comic-book influence bleeds through into the cinematography from time to time in the kind of heroic, backlit lingering shots that wouldn’t look out of place in paper

and ink. One sequence in particular pans through the ruins of downtown Manhattan to each of the scattered Avengers in turn, as they struggle from their different vantage points to hold off the alien invasion. It’s a slow shot, lovingly done, and the kind of staging that comes straight out of a comic book. Overall, it’s a paragon of its genre — genuinely funny, with characters that have honest-to-god layers, and enough explosions to keep the most diehard of Michael Bay fans happy. It’s an excellent payoff after years of waiting. But then again, if you’re a diehard comic book fan (especially of the Infinity Gauntlet) who’s not satisfied, stick around after the credits; looks like the Avengers franchise will have one more chance to get it right.

LOST -REWARD-

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ower Dens’ Nootropics is named after the class of cognitive enhancers known commonly as “smart drugs.” It’s a surprisingly apt name — the Baltimore band’s anticipated sophomore release is decidedly cerebral music. Lead singer/songwriter Jana Hunter’s vocals are sleekly subdued and contemplative to the point that she sounds like a reassuring voice in your head. “Brains,” a circular journey that starts with a repetitive motorik rhythm pattern that sounds eerily like a train, eventually builds into a frantic jumble of sounds. The song gradually ends with that same solitary train slinking into the next

track, as Hunter coos “Don’t be afraid.” Her voice is so calming that you don’t worry when she whispers, “Everything will change while you’re asleep.” Hunter’s vocals are paired with hazy guitar and synthesizer textures that infuse the entire album with an excellent sense of brooding, electronic-tinged atmosphere. In the chorus of “Propagation,” Hunter matches the vacillations of her voice to the rising guitar licks, intertwining the two into one haunting sound. Again on “Lamb,” Hunter’s spacious wails atop a building bass line morph into a sound that is only kept from soaring off into the stratosphere by the sparse punctuation of a drum kit. Nootropics ends with a fittingly reflective track. “In the End is the Beginning” is an expansive 12-minute odyssey that never rises above a whisper. “I feel different now than I did before,” Hunter murmurs. After hearing Nootropics, chances are you will too. (7/10) — Sebastian Brady Contributing Writer

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

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THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org UCSD Softball 1, Dominguez Hills 0 4/27/12 Player LESOVSKY, Kris cf WILLMON, Kirsten lf BROWN, Caitlin c SWANBERG, Charly dp SPANGLER, Nicole 1b ROMERO, Mya ss MANUEL, Jennifer dp PORTUGAL, Monique 2b MCQUAID, Emily 3b Totals GAITO, Camille W p

ab 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 26 ip 7.0

r 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 h 3

h 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 6 r 0

rbi bb 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 bb so 1 3

UCSD Softball 3, Chico State 2 4/28/12 Player LESOVSKY, Kris cf WILLMON, Kirsten lf BROWN, Caitlin 1b SWANBERG, Charly c SPANGLER, Nicole 1b ROMERO, Mya ss SYKES, Maria dp PORTUGAL, Monique 2b MCQUAID, Emily 3b Totals GAITO, Camille W p

ab 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 26 ip 7.0

r 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 h 9

h 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 8 r 2

rbi bb 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 bb so 1 3

UCSD Softball 5, Monterey Bay 9 4/29/12

Player LESOVSKY, Kris cf WILLMON, Kirsten lf BROWN, Caitlin rf SWANBERG, Charly c SPANGLER, Nicole 1b ROMERO, Mya ss SYKES, Maria dp PORTUGAL, Monique 2b MCQUAID, Emily 3b Totals

ESCAMILLA, Michelle L p MANUEL, Jennifer p

ab 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 31 ip 2.1 2.0

r 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 h 6 4

h 1 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 7 r 4 5

rbi bb 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 3 5 bb so 2 2 4 1

UCSD Softball 4, Monterey Bay 1 4/29/12

Player LESOVSKY, Kris cf WILLMON, Kirsten lf BROWN, Caitlin 1b SWANBERG, Charly c SPANGLER, Nicole 1b ROMERO, Mya ss SYKES, Maria dp PORTUGAL, Monique 2b MCQUAID, Emily 3b Totals GAITO, Camille W p

ab 2 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 23 ip 7.0

r 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 4 h 5

h 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 5 r 1

rbi bb 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 3 bb so 1 6

UCSD Baseball 3, Cal State L.A. 0 4/26/12 Player SUSDORF, Danny cf SIEGEL, Richard 1b TUCK, Garrett ss LA FACE, Nick dh LISKE, Scott rf LEVY, Brett c RINGOLD, Gregg lf MICHAELS, Sam 3b FRAZIER, Spencer 2b Totals

ab 2 3 2 3 3 4 2 2 3 24 ip GOODBRAND, Ryan W p 7.0

r 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 h 7

h 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 r 0

rbi bb 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 9 bb so 1 6

UCSD Baseball 12, Cal State L.A. 3 4/27/12

Player SUSDORF, Danny cf SIEGEL, Richard 1b TUCK, Garrett ss LA FACE, Nick c RAHN, Justin dh LEVY, Brett c LISKE, Scott rf MICHAELS, Sam 3b FRAZIER, Spencer 2b Totals RAUH, Jeff L p

ab r 3 4 3 2 5 1 4 2 5 1 3 1 2 0 4 0 3 1 34 12 ip h 6.0 5

h 2 1 1 1 4 0 0 2 1 12 r 2

rbi bb 0 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 10 3 bb so 1 3

UCSD Baseball 2, San Bernardino 5 4/28/12 Player SUSDORF, Danny cf SIEGEL, Richard 1b TUCK, Garrett ss LA FACE, Nick c RAHN, Justin dh LISKE, Scott rf LEVY, Brett c MICHAELS, Sam 3b FRAZIER, Spencer 2b Totals SELARZ, Greg L p KILBURY, Richard p

ab r 5 0 3 1 4 0 4 0 4 1 3 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 34 2 ip h 6.1 10 1.2 1

h 1 2 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 9 r 5 0

rbi bb 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 bb so 1 6 1 3

UCSD Baseball 3, San Bernardino 0 4/28/12 Player SUSDORF, Danny cf SIEGEL, Richard 1b TUCK, Garrett ss LA FACE, Nick dh RAHN, Justin dh LISKE, Scott rf RINGOLD, Gregg lf MICHAELS, Sam 3b FRAZIER, Spencer 2b Totals SCOTT, Trevor L p YORK, Tony p

ab 3 2 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 21 ip 4.0 1.0

r 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 h 5 1

h 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 r 3 0

rbi bb 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 bb so 3 2 0 0

Softball Advances to NCAA West Regionals ▶ SOFTBALL from page 12

against the Tritons at the campus of CSU Monterey Bay, this week, Friday, May 4.

game 1

Last-seeded UCSD came up against No. 9 nationally ranked CSU Dominguez Hills in the first round of the tournament. Senior righthander CamilleGaitowentthedistance,allowing just three hits and one walk, keeping the Toros scoreless throughout. UCSD’s one run came in the top of the sixth inning. With senior Kris Lesovsky — leading the team in batting average and slugging percentage — on third base with one out, UCSD head coach Patti Gerckens called for the squeeze. Batting in the three-hole, sophomore catcher Caitlin Brown dropped a bunt to bring Lesovsky in to score. “Once [Lesovsky] got on base and [Willmon] moved her to third, I knew that [Gerckens] was probably going to give me a bunt so when she did I prepared for it, and I knew [Lesovsky] would score,” Brown said in an email interview.

game 2

The Tritons came from behind in the conference semifinal to take the win from third-seed Chico State. The Wildcats went up 2–0 in the second inning. With two outs and men on second and third, designated hitter Emily McEnaney singled through the right side for one RBI. McEnaney made her wayroundthebases,andwasbrought in to score off a single by Chico’s Kelly Keefe. UCSD would not respond until the bottom of the sixth inning. Back at the top of the order, Lesovsky,sophomoreKirstenWillmon and Brown loaded the bases. Batting cleanup,sophomoreCharlySwanberg — CCAAfirst team selection — came up in the clutch, singling to right center toscoretworuns.Fromthere,Gaito— pitching in her second straight game — kept theToros scoreless in their last at-bat. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Brown singled with men on first and third to score the winning run.

game 3

Neither squad was in want of offense in the opening match of the

title bout. TheTritonsrecordedtwounearned runs off a fielding error in the first inning to go up 3–0 early. The Otters tied the score in the bottom of the third inning, hitting up freshman pitcher Michelle Escamilla for five hits before she was relieved by junior Jennifer Manuel. UCSD took back the lead in the fourth inning off a big double by junior Nicole Spangler, going up 4–3. The Tritons were unable to stay on top as Monterey Bay recorded three runs on three hits in the fourth inning to cement the win.

game 4

Pitching her third game in three days, Gaito allowed just one run while recording seven strikeouts in the last game of the tournament. TheTritonswouldnotrecoverfrom a one run deficit until the bottom of the fifth inning, when a costly Otter error allowedUCSDtotiethescore.Nextup, Lesovsky singled to right field to score sophomoreEmilyMcQuaid,givingthe Tritons a 4–1 lead. Readers can contact Rachel Uda at ruda@ucsd.edu

Tritons Clinch CCAA Berth Law School Can Wait, Olympics Won’t ▶ BASEBALL from page 12

in the hole off a homerun by designated hitter Nick Rodarte. The Golden Eagles went yard again in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo homerun off third baseman Daniel Duran. UCSD took one back off a double by Liske in the sixth inning, and in the eighth inning socred another run off a Rahn single down the middle, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.

series finale as Golden State pitcher Gabriel Asakura went the distance, allowing UCSD just two hits while recording eight strikeouts. Cal State Los Angeles went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases, setting up rightfielder Cliff Quick to record two RBIs. Cal State Los Angeles picked up one more run in the fifth inning. UCSD had no response.

The Tritons were shut out in the

Readers can contact Rachel Uda at ruda@ucsd.edu

game 4

▶ HOwe from page 12 safe, or go out and do what others tell me I can’t. Theodore Roosevelt, in his “Man in the Arena” speech, gives credit to the man who goes out and strives for greatness, who succeeds at the highest level in the best case, or, in the worst case, fails in a great cause knowing that he, “at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

You can live life safely, but how fulfilling is a life lived pristinely yet sterile behind a desk or a set of diplomas? Living life this way just seems to be a waste of the few moments we all come across where we can be more than we imagined, more than we can allow ourselves to hope for. My dad tried out for the Warriors and made it to the last round of cuts, but was cut in favor of a player who was not as good at the time, but who the coaches thought had more potential. He

did not make an NBA team, but played post-collegiate ball in the Pro-Am league and led his team to two National Titles. My dad laid it all out on the line, and I respect him more than I can say on this page for doing that. I have found my moment in the javelin, and even if I fail, I will fail knowing that I gave it everything I had and then some. And when it’s all over, I will be a better person for it because I will be able to look back and know that I spent my life fully pursuing greatness.

Financial Aid Office 2012–2013

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE 1, 2010 MAY 21, 2012 GET YOURS. If you have been selected for verification,

complete and submit your verification worksheet, use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and/or provide other information by the MAY 21 deadline.

To be considered for the best financial aid package, you must have submitted your FAFSA by March 2 and submit all missing documents and/or clear all processing holds listed on your TritonLink Financial Aid checklist by the May 21 deadline. Applications completed after the FAFSA deadline WILL NOT be considered for University Grants, SEOG, Work Study, University or Perkins Loans.

MAY 21, 2012

If you haven’t completed the 2012–2013 FAFSA yet, you should do so as soon as possible. You may use the online application at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You should also meet the May 21 deadline for missing documents and/or clear all FAFSA processing holds in the event funds become available for late FAFSA filers.

www.fafsa.ed.gov

THE UCSD GUARDIAN | THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 | www.Ucsdguardian.org

SPORTS UDA CONTACT THE EDITOR RACHEL sports@ucsdguardian.org

UPCOMING

UCSD

GAMES

TRACK & FIELD 5/03 5/04 SOFTBALL 5/04 BASEBALL 5/04 5/05

AT CCAA Championships AT NCAA West Regionals VS Grand Canyon

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS Nationally unranked Tritons bounce back from being swept in four games in their last conference series to take the program’s first-ever CCAA title.

nolan thomas /G uardian file

By Rachel Uda Sports Editor

fter being swept in their last series of the regular season, the Tritons rallied in the CCAA conference tournament last weekend, April 27 to April 29 to take the program’s first-ever tournament title and a NCAA Regional berth. “At the CCAA [tournament] our team played with heart,” UCSD assistant coach Jessica Millsap said in an emailinterview.“Wehadsoliddefense, great pitching, clutch hitting and an energy in the dugout that was undeniable.”

The conference tournament was held in Stockton, Calif. and featured thetopfourfinishingteams:No.1CSU MontereyBay,No.2CSUDominguez Hills, No. 3 Chico State and No. 4 UCSD. “I thought the team competed the best they have all year,” UCSD head coach Patti Gerckens said in an email interview. “There was a lot of energy throughout the entire weekend and whether we were winning or behind, the team was completely focused on thegame.Theyreallyhadeachother’s back and picked each other up during the entire tournament.” The Tritons went 3–1 in the dou-

ble elimination tournament, upsetting nationally ranked CSU Dominguez Hills in their tournament opener and splitting with No. 7 CSU Monterey Bay in the tournament final. The Tritons concededatough9–5losstotheOtters — the only team to sweep UCSD in program history — in the first game of thechampionshipmatchup.Inthesecondgameofthedoubleheader,UCSD senior pitcher Camille Gaito led the Tritons to the tournament title. The CCAA title grants UCSD — the defending NCAA Division II National Champions — the automatic bid with sixth-seed in the West Region finals, where the Tritons will face No. 3

Dixie State. “IbelievetheteamisreadyandpreparedfortheRegionaltournamentand excited for it to begin,” Gerckens said. “Playing [Dixie State] will be different because we haven’t played them this yearyet.Wearegoingtotakeonegame at a time and compete in every game.” Third-seedDixieStateclinchedthe automaticqualifier,winningthePacific WestAthleticConferencetournament with two blowouts against Grand Canyon University last week,April 27. The Red Storm will be making their fourthstraighttournamentappearance

BASEBALL — The Tritons finished CCAAregular season play last weekend, April 26 to 28 with a homeand-awayseriesagainstCalStateLos Angeles. The Tritons split the four-game series with the Golden Eagles, taking the first two games at home and dropping the last two on the road. “On Saturday’s games we just seemed to be trying a little too hard at the plate to create offense,” senior righthander Elias Tuma said. The Tritons are the only team to have clinched a CCAA tournament berth in the conference. With a 26-14 CCAA record, the Tritons sit in first place for now, but will await the results of second place Chico State and third place Cal State San Bernardino, who both have one conference series to play.

game 1

Junior starter Ryan Goodbrand went seven innings, recording six strikeouts and allowing just one walk, to record his eighth win of the season in the series opener. Junior Danny Susdorf — named

game 2

The top of the Triton batting order remained hot into the second game of the series, as UCSD took three runs in the bottom of the first. Susdorf, arguably the fastest man on the roster, made his way round the bases, scoring on a throwing error

Tackle

Nick Howe nshowe@ucsd.edu

See Baseball, page 11

See Howe, page 11

nolan thomas /G uardian

the CCAA player of the week — doubled to right field, stole third base and was brought home on a ground out by first baseman Richard Siegel. The Tritons doubled the lead in the fourth inning, off a big single from Gregg Ringold that scored rightfielder Scott Liske. UCSD cemented the win in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Siegel picked up his second RBI with a single to right field.

Left,Center

The Golden Eagles took the early lead, scoring one run in the second inning off an infield error. Cal State LosAngeles put the Tritons two more

See Softball, page 11

26-14 Tritons clinches a spot in the CCAA tournament, to be held at UCSD. “We’re waiting to see how everyone finishes conference to figure out our ranking,” lefthanded pitcher Richard Kilbury said. “This week at practice we’re going to try and work on getting back to the basics and getting the fundamentals down, going forward.” UCSD has one more series in the regular season before postseason play. The Tritons will host a two-game series with Grand Canyon University this Friday and Saturday, May 4 to 5. UCSD will then have one week to prepare for the conference tournament, to be held the following weekend at Triton Ballpark.

our last year in college is always a weird place to find yourself. You have accomplished something great in getting through the past four years of school, but the future, the next year, is paralyzingly scary.

Senior year in college is especially worrying. It’s this moment in your life that your parents have planned to get you to. Now they will be cutting off the lead rope of your life. Now you have to kick it on your own. For myself, the past four years have been highlighted, bolded and double underlined by two things: being on the track team and getting into law school. Now, though, real life looms and the “right way” is not so clearly defined. I was accepted to law school, but I’m not going. I’m staying right here, as many of our Triton athletes have, in order to try to get to that elusive next level. This has been the scariest decision of my life. The easy way, going to law school, ensures me a good salary, a safe retirement and all the trappings of being a lawyer. Being a professional javelin thrower, although sounding glamorous, is not. I will not be making any money unless I am one of the top five in the world, and even then I would be making less than the lowest paid fourth-stringer in the NFL. You probably could also name some fourth string lineman, but not even the very best American javelin thrower. Why would I do this then? I do it because there are only so many moments in life, and each one should be used to its fullest. I will only be 22 once. I will only be here, with the physical gifts I have, for a very short amount of time. I can either be

Baseball Splits With CSULA By Rachel Uda Sports Editor

Now or Never: Why I’m Going Pro

by the Cal State Los Angeles shortstop. Cleanup hitter Nick La Face was walked to bring on sophomore Justin Rahn, who singled to left field for two RBI. The Tritons continued to get on base, recording five runs on six hits in their next four innings — generating offense from around the lineup. La Face finished with three RBI on four hits, while sophomore Garrett Tuck, junior Sam Michaels and Rahn all finished with two RBI.

game 3