They Came from Below is the story of two teenage best friends Emily and Reese who focus their summer plans in Cape Cod on the beach, boys and the $2.99 pizza special on the boardwalk. However, all their plans go awry when a “fully armed nuclear missile/torpedo hybrid” is accidentally fired into the ocean and starts wreaking all kinds of havoc in the deepest crevices of the ocean.

At first, they, like most people, are unaware of the connotations of this environmental disaster, but Emily and Reese must face the conundrum head on when a mysterious and unknown marine organism washes up on the beach and incites the interest of everyone from the local police to the federal government. And then the friends meet Steve and Dave. Though human in appearance, there is very little else about these two guys that suggests that they’re normal people. They don’t eat, they can’t read and they seem to have mysterious healing powers. So, what are these guys are doing in Cape Cod, who they are, and what do they have to do with the strange creature on the beach?

Despite the stereotypical setting of the story and the seeming shallowness of Emily and Reese (boys definitely aren’t the only thing teenage girls think about) this novel is potentially interesting. It has witty, funny moments that suggest it’s aware of its own stereotypes, and it hints at environmental problems philosophically, especially in the developing mystery of Steve and Dave. Steve and Dave’s very inhuman and original take on all life, summed up by, “I am this way; what way are you?,” though kind of odd, presents a peaceful and unifying view on the world.

I found it an entertaining and easy read. My only real problem was with the ending which left many issues unresolved and was kind of abrupt. The novel felt like it was aiming for a meaningful and emotional closing, but I am at a loss as to what that closing is . Also, the writing quality isn’t exactly top notch, however it is simple and straightforward which lends itself to the voice of the girls pretty well.

This novel  is definitely worth its price tag  if you want a read that will take your mind off all the stress of finals. Take a break and stop by. The Dollar Store might be on the land above, but this story will take you all the way down below.

I actually bought into the idea that Islamic radicals were simply a bunch of violent nutcases.  I can hardly blame myself – I was in the 4th grade, and still saw the world in black and white.  “Some terrorists blew up the Twin Towers?  Those evil bastards!  They should be shot and dragged through the streets!”

Of course, I know better now. The context of radical Islamic militancy is a complex one, rooted in poverty, imperialism, desperation, and exploitation. Radical political Islam is far from being some remnant of the barbaric, ultra-religious past – it’s rise during the 20th century was simultaneously a tool of imperialism by Western powers, and a means to resist imperialism by local populations.

Saudi Arabia is an excellent example of the alliance between radical Islam and the West.  The original rise of the al-Saud family during the first half of the 20th century was due to the family’s connections to the British Empire, as well as local Wahhabi clerics (Wahhabism is particularly reactionary branch of Islam, that has strong parallels with the ideology of the Taliban, and the Salafism of Africa).  Multinational oil companies also played a crucial role – The Arabian-American Oil Company (Aramco) provided funds to the al-Saud-Wahhabi alliance, in order to ensure political stability for easy access to the vast quantities of oil in the peninsula.  Saudi elites and Aramco also worked hand-in-hand to repress internal dissent against the regime.  During a General Strike in Saudi Arabia in July 1956, oil executives and Saudi security forces worked together to identify and crush the leaders of the burgeoning labor movement.  As far as the Saudi working class was concerned, the theocracy of Saudi Arabia was a puppet of Western capitalism.

“We’re happy to accept a bigoted, racist, violent regime as our ally!”

Saudi Arabia is not the only example of political Islam being allied with, and supported by, the West.  Timothy Mitchell, author of Carbon Democracy, observes the following:

As a rule, the most secular regimes in the Middle East have been those most independent of the United States.  The more closely a government is allied with Washington, the more Islamic its politics.  Egypt under Nasser, republican Iraq, the Palestine national movement, post-independence Algeria, the Republic of South Yemen, Ba’thist Syria–all charted courses independent of the United States.  None of them declared themselves an Islamic state, and many of them repressed local Islamic movements.  In contrast, those governments dependent on the United States typically claimed an Islamic authority, whether ruled by a monarch who claimed descent from the Prophet, as in Jordan, North Yemen and Morocco, or asserting a special role as protector of the faith, as in the case of Saudi Arabia.

On the other hand, is Iran – a country where anti-Western Shia clerics came to power after a mass movement toppled the US-backed dictator (who, in turn, had come to power after a Western-backed coup against Iran’s democracy in 1953).  In this case, radical Islam functioned as a force against Western capitalism.  Small wonder, then, that Saudi Arabia and Iran are fierce geopolitical rivals.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are the two major examples of institutionalized political Islam – but of course, there are numerous regions where Islamic militants are engaged in insurgency.  The Philippines, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Chechnya, and most recently, Syria, are all countries where Islamic militants pose a threat to the normal order of things.  And in most of these places, the turn of local populations to radical Islam is a consequence of historic oppression and imperialism – as well as the lack of an alternative ideology with which to resist the status quo.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (also known as “the most poorly thought-out acronym for a religious group in history”)

Nigeria, for instance is dealing with the radical Islamic militant group Boko Haram.  And a cursory examination of Nigerian history should reveal why their existence shouldn’t be surprising.  Historically, oil companies in Nigeria have been violently reckless in their extraction methods, and consequently ravaging the ability of local populations to continue their dependence on traditional means of subsistence, like farming and fishing.  As UC Berkeley Professor of Geography Michael Watts points out:

Over the period 1965-2004, the per capital income fell from $250 to $212; income distribution deteriorated markedly over the same period. Between 1970 and 2000 in Nigeria, the number of people subsisting on less than one dollar a day grew from 36 percent to more than 70 percent, from 19 million to a staggering 90 million.

With such a catastrophic collapse in the social order, it’s a small wonder that groups like Boko Haram gain popularity.  With the absence of secular-leftist alternatives, people who desperately wish to build a new social order readily turn to an alternative that does exist.

This idea of “the absence of other alternatives” is crucial to understand.  From our standpoint here in the West, we can easily imagine secular-left alternatives to global capitalism and the ravages of neoliberalism on Africa, Asian, and Middle-Eastern nations (anarchism, Marxism, etc).  But such theoretical alternatives mean very little for the people on the ground, if such alternatives lack any actual power to resist violence and create a new social reality.  As such, the marginalization of the secular left means that the only potent force that claims to be against imperialism is radical political Islam.  We can see this dynamic in Nigeria.  Boko Haram is actually a very recent force; throughout the late 90s and 2000s, the major anti-systemic force was MEND, a secular, pseudo-anarchist insurgency whose primary goal was the destruction of the power of multinational oil companies in Nigeria.  But with the recent decline of the group back in 2009 – and the lack of any improvement in people’s lives – it makes sense that Boko Haram has risen to the forefront of Nigerian militancy.

Palestine also underwent this dynamic.  From 1967 onwards, the leading force for Palestinian nationalism was the revolutionary socialist group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).  Funded by the Soviet Union, their ideology advanced a secular nationalist goal for their purported constituency.  But with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 80s, their funding dried up, and Islamic groups like Hamas - supported by Shia powers like Iran – began to take the lead for the cause of Palestinian liberation.

Leila Khaled, a popular figure of the PFLP

Like the idea of “no alternative,” its crucial to understand the importance of funding.  Any movement – whether its a secular political party vying for parliamentary seats, or a ultra-reactionary religious militancy seeking to create an authoritarian theocracy – requires an economic base.  And as we can see in the case of Palestine, this economic base often takes the form of a geopolitical patron, which funnels money, arms, etc. to the supported cause.  During the Cold War, socialist nations like the Soviet Union and Cuba was instrumental in delivering goods, technical expertise, and weapons to Marxist guerrilla movements and insurgencies.

But by the 80s, the USSR was in decline, while the rents that Saudi Arabian elites were gleaning from their massive oil reserves was getting steadily higher. As such, reactionary Saudi clerics were able to spread their ideology via donations, schools, and so forth – an effort that reached fruition in the form of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.  And since 9/11, the power of Saudi reactionaries has only grown – the price of oil has increased by some 500% over the last decade, resulting in a huge influx of wealth into Saudi coffers.  Small wonder, then, that Islamic radicalism has only spread since the beginning of the War on Terror.  In a fascinatingly contradictory way, the power of militant political Islam is a direct consequence of the global markets’ thirst for oil while simultaneously functioning as a means of resistance to these markets, and their expansion.

But is Islam necessarily incompatible with leftist, progressive ideology?  History would say no.  After all, the Muslim Brotherhood – the reactionary Islamic organization currently in power in Egypt – actually had its origins in not just resisting British imperialism in Egypt back in the 1910s, but also as an organization which supported workers rights.  And despite having very regressive standpoints on social issues, the Brotherhood did support a populist agenda – a trait that has survived up until today, and explains the current support of the Egyptian masses for its politicians.

But the Muslim Brotherhood can hardly be called a progressive force.  A far better example – but one that never left the first half of the 20th century – was the idea of Islamic national communism.  It was an idea originally supported by the Bolsheviks and the communist revolutionaries of Central Asia; it synthesized around the connections between communist philosophy and the Islamic culture that dominated Central Asia.  It was the application of Marxism into the specific historical and cultural contingencies of the region in question.  Prominent theorists, like Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, envisioned a pan-Islamic, communist, anti-Imperialist movement, which would combine the progressive politics of Marxism with the culture and spirituality of Islam.

Unfortunately, this pan-Islamic communism never left the drawing board.  The rise of Stalin in the Soviet Union and his paranoid purges lead to the arrest and execution of many prominent Islamic communist revolutionaries, and the forced subservience of Central Asia to Moscow.  The Islamic world thus lost what could have been a progressive alternative to the reactionary Islam that we see today.

But nonetheless, one should not despair for the future of the Muslim world.  Resistance is growing to the hegemony of ultra-conservative Islam – take, for instance, the growing rebellion against the Taliban in Afghanistan.  Another example is the growing power of Marxism in Pakistan; Malala Yousafzai, the young girl who was gunned down by the Pakistani Taliban for advocating womens’ education rights, was also an ally of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT), a revolutionary socialist organization that operates in Pakistan.

Ms. Yousafzai–not quite the pro-Western liberal.

Thus, despite the current power of radical Islam, it is clear that the masses are growing weary of its inability to actually improve the material conditions of the people it claims to represent.  It thus now falls on the left in the poor nations of the Middle East and Africa, to articulate a vision of alter-globalization that can effectively resist oppression, without deflecting this oppression onto religious minorities, women, and a progressive way of life.

Consult Your Community, a new nonprofit organization, has set out to help these exact small businesses that make the Berkeley experience so unique. Founded just three months ago by Michael Bloch, a Berkeley senior studying Business Administration, CYC is driven by one tagline: “inspiring students across America to strengthen the 6 million small businesses that drive the success of our nation.”  This initiative, which started out as an on-campus club, has since grown into a full-blown national nonprofit, dedicated to providing pro bono consulting services to low-income, small business owners across America.

Beginning this Fall, the organization will launch over 15 new chapters at many of America’s most prestigious universities: Harvard, Columbia, Notre Dame, and Stanford, to name a few. The amazingly rapid growth does not seem to have any foreseeable end, either. Bloch hopes to have at least 50 chapters, one for every single state, up-and-running by the end of 2014. When asked if CYC has any ambitions to go international, Bloch even seemed to have that base covered: “One of our founding members here at Cal is a study-abroad student from Japan. She expressed interest in starting a chapter on her campus next semester, so we’ll see!” Beyond chapter expansion, the organization has already enlisted the cooperation and support of some of the top consulting firms, and hopes to have official partnerships established soon.

When asked about what makes the organization so unique and so appealing across the nation, Bloch responded that “Consult Your Community is a simple yet powerful idea, in which everyone who invests in its success will get something more out of it later,” a truly crucial shift away from the usual nonprofit paradigm. Students win by gaining hands-on consulting experience, businesses receive free help from some of America’s brightest students (who often tend to also be their best customers), universities ensure that their students are equipped to take on the challenges of the real world, cities develop economically through job creation and increasing economic prosperity, and lastly, consulting firms can better identify, access, and recruit the next generation of top-tier consultants. It’s a win-win for everyone.

But don’t just look far out across the nation for Consult Your Community’s impact; CYC has already made a splash on our very own community. Our founding chapter has already consulted multiple clients this semester, including Cal favorites such as Sam’s Market and Sweetheart Cafe. They will also soon be implementing long-lasting changes to benefit the businesses; another distinguishing factor from other university consulting clubs. Apart from the sheer ambition and scope that drives its idea, the club not only analyzes and recommends changes, but works with clients to implement the changes they recommend. In fact, the organization is in the process of fundraising $500,000 in start-up capital by the end of summer, much of which will be used to fund those capital improvements. I myself am looking forward to seeing the changes that will be made!

To ensure the highest-quality consulting services, students who are selected to join CYC will be trained by graduate student mentors, faculty advisors, and experienced professionals from the top firms. So, if you’re looking to gain some great consulting experience while making a real impact on your community, look for CYC on Sproul in the fall. For more information, feel free to visit CYC’s website at www.consultyourcommunity.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/consultyourcommunity, or email Michael Bloch himself at Michael@ConsultYourCommunity.org.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

1. It’s pronounced “Leviohsa” not “Levio-sah”.
2. It is worse to get killed than to get expelled.
3. One can be nearly headless.
4. One can never have enough socks.
5. You don’t want to know what’s under the turban. Really, you don’t.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1. When in doubt, go to the library.
2. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn’t a good sign.
3. Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.
4. You should send an owl before you decide fly a car to Hogwarts.
5. Don’t follow the spiders. Just don’t.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

1. They don’t send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts.
2. Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time.
3. Don’t trust anyone whose animagus is a rat. Should really speak for itself.
4. Eating chocolate will make you feel better.
5. Insulting a hippogriff may be the last thing you ever do.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

1. House Elves are people too. Ish.
2. Anyone can speak Troll. All you have to do is point and grunt.
3. Reporters like to twist a tale. Better to not engage them.
4. The Prefect’s bathroom is a good place to take a bath.
5. Bone of the father, flesh of the servant, and blood of the enemy makes for one damn ugly baby.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

1. The Government can be kind of stupid. And douchey.
2. One must not tell lies.
3. Centaurs don’t like being referred to as “filthy half- breeds.”
4. Crazy cat lady – it isn’t just a stereotype.
5. It pays to discipline your mind.

Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince

1. You shouldn’t worry about You-Know-Who. Worry about U-NO-POO.
2. Don’t eat anything Romilda Vane gives you.
3. You cannot break an Unbreakable Vow.
4. Sending birds to peck the crap out of the guy you like is a perfectly sane thing to do.
5. Ghosts are transparent.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

1. Never trust a goblin when there is treasure involved.
2. You don’t want to make Molly Weasley angry.
3. There is no point in being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken.
4. Death is a sneaky bastard .
5. Voldemort can’t laugh.

But seriously…

Harry Potter I- HUMILITY
Harry Potter II- TOLERANCE
Harry Potter III- JUSTICE
Harry Potter IV- EQUALITY
Harry Potter V- TRUTH 
Harry Potter VI- TRUST
Harry Potter VII- FAITH

Collegeboxes

This is the go-to service for lazy college students. Collegeboxes picks up your packed boxes during finals week and stores them over the summer until they redeliver your items to your new housing location in the fall. Additionally, if you wish to ship your belongings home they will pick them up and arrange shipping as well. Prices are reasonable for the service, and with discount code ‘2013SUMMER’ you will receive 10% off. Hurry – there’s an extra charge for orders placed less than a week before pickup!

UC Storage

Located in Downtown Berkeley, UC Storage is your typical summer storage location. Units start at $39 for a 4’ x 4’ space able to fit all dorm room belongings besides furniture, or you can opt to split an 8’ x 20’ unit with a friend or two for a combined price of $199. There are multiple other sizes to choose from that are reasonably priced per month and will offer an easy way to pick up your belongings come September. They also have shipping services and truck rentals available if you wish to transport your belongings home for the summer.

Student Storage Center

Similar to Collegeboxes, Student Storage Center offers the ability to have your items picked up during move-out, stored over the summer, and redelivered in the fall. Although slightly pricier than Collegeboxes, Student Storage Center is more flexible with delivering to off-campus housing locations. Traditional self-storage is also available to customers who do not wish for on-campus pickup and drop-off.

A-1 Self Storage

Albeit much less convenient than the other options (because it’s located in Oakland), A-1 Self Storage is offering deals too sweet to pass up. Along with one free month of summer storage, A-1 is also offering three free boxes for UC Berkeley students. To capitalize on their deals, rent a Zip Car to drive your belongings over to the storage center and then again in the fall for pickup. If you’ve got your own car you can even store it at A-1 Storage over the summer, perfect if you weren’t planning on taking it home with you!

Good luck with finals, move-out, and potentially even graduation dear readers!

If Dead Week hasn’t already killed you, then you’re likely on track for finals next week. I use the phrase “on track” rather loosely, as some of us seem to be riding a smooth-sailing Monorail, while others are clinging to the roof of a derailing steam train. If you more easily imagined your journey as the latter description, finals might be the end of the tunnel – an end closed by bricks and no hope for survival. However, just because it seems like there is no way to salvage your grade at this point does not mean you should sit around waiting for the crash to hit. Instead, hop on board the F train and head down the failroad with these 50 fun ways to fail your finals.

1. Go fly a kite
   
2. Explore a Bart stop you have never gotten off at before
3. Go to a concert
4. Learn to play a new instrument
5. Gather flower bouquets for all of your friends
6. Watch your favorite movie
7. See a new movie
8. Roller skate at the Berkeley Marina
9. Take a knitting class
10. See how long you can sleep
11. Find every hidden staircase in the Berkeley Hills
12. Have a Lord of the Rings Marathon
13. Start a new board on Pinterest
14. Memorize every plant at the Botanical Gardens
15. Redecorate your house/bedroom
16. Make your own Kombucha
17. Learn to windsurf
18. Read any religious text
19. Pick up a new language
20. Teach yourself how to write with your opposite hand
21. Call that certain someone
22. Swim at the Strawberry Canyon pool
23. Check out all of the local farmers markets/swap meets
24. Bike through Napa Valley
25. Take apart your computer
26. Reassemble your computer
27. Find a new park
28. Visit a friend at another school
29. Go Geocaching
30. Read through your notes in Pig Latin
31. Road trip down Highway 1
32. Make a story out of the etchings on your exam desk
33. Call a relative
34. Take a ceramics class
35. Partake in karaoke night
36. Hike a new trail
37. Look up sex offenders from your hometown
38. Complete your final exam using your non-dominant hand
39. Create your own blog
40. Watch “LOST” and try to understand it
41. Get to know people on Telegraph
42. Train for a marathon
43. Play Monopoly
44. Make birthday cards for all the birthdays you’ve missed this year
45. Tie-dye your sheets
46. Buy a pet
47. Make vegan brownies
48. Go to a concert
49. Watch every “Trapped in the Closet” episode
50. Write your own manifesto

So there you have it. If failure is inevitable, might as well make the best of it by doing one, two, or even all of these options. Happy Dead Week everyone!

A resident New Yorker for eighteen years, I have been to my fair share of art museums. The Guggenheim, the Met, the MoMa, even the Frick… you name it, I’ve perused their galleries and soaked up the sun (or frigid winter snow) in their outdoor gardens. However, upon coming to Berkeley last semester, I lost my sense of adventure for museum seeking; perhaps I was lazy, or perhaps the subpar quality of the recent exhibits at the Berkeley Art Museum got me down. Either way, I did not take full advantage of the artistic scene the Bay Area had to offer.

This all changed recently, after a class required me to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, whose extensive collection of renowned works situated in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District refueled my passion for museum-going. Sadly, the museum will be closing for renovations beginning June 2^nd and will not reopen until 2016. Take advantage of the museum’s final few months (as well as the extensive free time allotted to you via dead week) by hopping on a Montgomery-bound BART and arriving in the artistic throes of the SFMoMa.

One of architect Lebbeus Woods’ most famous drawings from the exhibit, “Berlin Free Zone.”

The museum’s newest exhibits have proven they are going out with a bang, with showcases ranging from Christian Marclay’s The Clock video installation to photography by Garry Winogrand. My personal favorite was the Lebbeus Woods exhibit, a showcase spotlighting the late architect. Only a museum like the SFMOMA would be able to incorporate the rawness of architectural drawings into a high-end art scene and make the pieces seem warranted. Even if you are not interested in architectural design (like myself), Woods’ work is attention-drawing and easy for anyone to appreciate. The museum was able to procure hundreds of the architect’s plans and even a few three-dimensional sculptures, which are innovative and unlike anything else I have ever seen. The curator’s foreword informs viewers that Woods tended to view buildings as systems instead of places, leading to a series of drawings that resemble narrative stories more than mechanical plans. For example, the “Einstein’s Tomb” series of drawings depict the architect’s design of Cosmic vessels intended to carry Einstein’s cremated ashes across outer space. Many of the other works contain political undertones pertaining to Berlin and the Cold War, with the architect utilizing design as a way to reorganize the current economic and political structure of the world.

After spending an inordinate amount of time in the Lebbeus Woods exhibit I wandered into the Elise S. Haas Bequest modern art collection, featuring over thirty pieces by notable artists like Matisse, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and more. It is sufficient to say this exhibit blew my mind; never had I seen works of such magnitude before my very eyes.  I was dumbfounded by the actuality of Duchamp’s Fountain, which is literally a urinal placed in the middle of an art gallery. The opportunities afforded by this showcase are endless, and seeing that this will probably be the only time in your life you will be able to stand in between a Picasso sculpture and a Matisse painting, I suggest you take advantage while you still can.

Yes, Duchamp actually put a urinal on display.

Thanks to the “Don’t Be Shy, Don’t Hold Back” exhibit, celebrating the 15^th anniversary of a gift of contemporary art from collectors Vicki and Kent Logan, I found myself drooling over a larger-than-life canvas covered with the strokes of Chuck Close, which was impressively situated next to a bonafide Andy Warhol print. This collection is for the modern art aficionado; the late-20^th-century works derive from New York, England, China and Japan, and feature both well-known pieces and lesser-known works of equal quality. British artist Tracey Emin steals the show with her “Psyco Slut” collage, a purposefully misspelled titular piece that pays homage to her focus on sex, drugs, and life.

If the mind-blowing collection of artwork isn’t enough to drag you into the city, let the promise of

Chuck Close’s larger-than-life “Robert” painting, which is proudly displayed in the “Don’t Be Shy, Don’t Hold Back” showcase.

a day well spent in the Mission District do the rest of the talking. The museum is located only a few blocks away from the Montgomery station BART, and is nestled between multiple other art locations like the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Art Institute of San Francisco. With the impending 80 degree-plus temperatures for the week, relax by the Keith Haring sculpture across the street from the museum or stroll through the Yerba Buena Gardens.

Beginning June 2^nd the museum will assume its position “on-the-go,” presented as a travelling exhibit of its finest works. If you aren’t able to escape finals long enough to make it into the city, catch the works over the next three years (hopefully before graduation) at another location in the Bay Area, although it won’t be the same as entering the grandiose doors of the museum with the luxurious option of dining in the outdoor café after an afternoon of art rejuvenation. It’s your call.

Keith Haring’s sculpture just feet away from the museum.

Backstage! Fancy!

Last Sunday night, UC Berkeley made it work.

In the Chevron Auditorium at International House, Fashion and Student Trends (FAST), UC Berkeley’s student-run organization that aims to connect Cal students with the fashion industry, ran its semi-annual fashion show. The show featured pieces from 16 student designers, worn by over fifty student models. I had a front-row seat reserved with my name on it, which, in case you were curious, does indeed make me a Big Deal.

But moving on.

FAST president Lyka Sethi said that Sunday night’s fashion show was a half year in the making.

“We work all semester to make the event happen, from securing the venue, lighting company, staging and DJ to coordinating with hair and makeup artists to establishing sponsorships and acquiring nonprofit partners to getting funding to recruiting and assisting designers to publicity and beyond… there is so much to do all semester and even after the show we are left with a lot of loose ends to tie up, so it never really calms down,” she said.

Now, as someone who once watched an entire season of Project Runway in one sitting (I can’t remember if Heidi was pregnant or not… probably due to the fact that my brain has melted as a result of watching an entire season of Project Runway in one sitting), I was tempted to view the pieces presented with a critical eye worthy of Michael or Nina. I even wore a black turtleneck and sunglasses in preparation.

Werk it.

Expectedly, there was a limited range in quality of production value; some designs were better executed than others, and not every piece was exactly my cup of tea, style-wise. However, on the whole I was absolutely amazed at the designs on the runway, not in the least because of all the time they must have taken to create. There is no fashion major at Cal; the designers who work through FAST have a variety of other academic and extracurricular obligations, but they pursue their passion for fashion (I hope I don’t get sued by the Bratz corporation) nonetheless.

Case in point: sophomore Wesley Yu is a math major, and he initially was hesitant to get involved with FAST because he thought people would think it was odd. He had no fashion experience but was interested in the field, and after three semesters he finally worked up the courage to throw himself into designing. Fast forward six months, and his metallic gold and silver designs are making their way down the runway.

“FAST is great because it lets anybody become a designer- with or without experience,” he said. “When I first joined, I had no experience at all and  had no idea what different fabrics were called, or how to sew with a sewing machine or even by hand. The people in FAST were really supportive and helped me get through these challenges. One of the members even lent me her sewing machine. I’m really thankful that I had this opportunity.”

And FAST gives opportunities to more than just aspiring designers. Sophomore Teresa Jiang decided to audition to be a model for the show on a whim, and ended up walking for two designers. She said that being a part of the process was incredibly inspiring.

“It was really quite a treat to be involved in the show,” she said. “I was exposed to something that I had never seen before. I didn’t really realize how much effort goes into making a skirt or a dress. But seeing the whole process from this side was an awe-inspiring experience.”

Designer Ming Cong.

Some of my personal favorites from the show included a line by Caliber’s own Ming Cong, which was inspired by pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, and featured spiky shoulders that would feel at home on any Lady Gaga wardrobe item, meat-based or otherwise. Other lines drew inspiration from the carnival, Alice in Wonderland and Frida Kahlo. Popular trends included flowy summer dresses, cutouts and bold prints.

For her collection, designer Adrienne Chiu channeled 18^th century court life, combining structured, traditional styles with more modern silhouettes. She said that seeing her work on display was unforgettable.

History lives!

“It was exhilarating,” she said. “I was nervous and relieved right before they walked on the runway because I was glad that I had managed to finish in time, but I was still making adjustments and making sure everything fit properly. But the moment the first dress was on the runway, all the nervousness went away and I was giddy with excitement. I watched from behind the door and couldn’t stop smiling.”

So next week, lovely Cal Bears, when you are sitting in that physics final, take a look around you. Your neighbor may be the next Marc, Coco or Louis, and that may not be an equation they’re drawing out, but a dress pattern. Hey! Eyes on your own paper!

Auf wiedersehen!

Although the 2012-2013 season had been marred by injuries and problems, the Celtics fought on. After losing Ray Allen, the team fought on. When Rajon Rondo was sidelined with an ACL tear, the team still fought on. With a sense of stubbornness and valiance, one could not help but admire this team’s efforts to prove that they were not through.

The Celtics seemed lifeless as they dropped the first three games of the series, remaining stagnant on offense and struggling to defend the talented Knicks. But, it was only natural having endured the whole regular season that the Celtics would not go out without some resistance.

Having been elbowed by J.R. Smith in a blowout Game 3, Jason Terry made sure that the Celtics would not get swept by the Knicks. Terry finished Game 4 with 18 points and 4 assists as the team won 97-90 and staved off elimination. This was not simply a wake-up call for the Celtics, but a message to the Knicks that they were going to make this series a challenge.

Boastful and arrogant, Kenyon Martin prompted teammates to dress in black for Game 5 – funeral colors to signal that they would eliminate the Celtics for good. Martin’s words were well-supported by the Knicks’ actions early in the contest as the team gained an 11-0 lead. However, the Celtics hounded them with their defense, keeping Smith on 3-14 shooting and rallying a 45-28 comeback before leading by 4 points at halftime. Boston eventually went on to win 92-86 and took the series back to the T.D. Garden for Game 6.

In Game 6, it seemed as if the wear and tear the Celtics have endured all season in hopes of overcoming the odds proved to be too much. Early in the fourth quarter, the team trailed by 26 points In a last effort attempt to stage yet another huge comeback, the Celtics rallied behind Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce en route a 20-0 run to cut the deficit to 4. With Jeff Green and Avery Bradley hounding the opposing team and attacking the basket, it seemed as though Boston would be able to hold up for Game 7.

In the end, the Celtics fell not because of a sudden collapse, but because of Father Time. These Celtics commanded respect as they never gave up, no matter how arduous the task. Most importantly, they played with heart all the way until the end. As the final seconds of Game 6 wound down, Garnett shook Coach Doc Rivers hands, knowing that this was goodbye. It was a sign for the ages as the Big Three era that had finally come to a stop as the door slowly closed. Nonetheless  the way the team fought back against this team was admirable even in defeat. As fans look up at the 17^th championship banner, they will know that it was these Celtics that raised their flag. 

 

The official Outside Lands 2013 lineup was released just over two weeks ago, and, I will admit, I found myself feeling a bit underwhelmed at first. The big name bands I had hoped for  - The xx, Alt-J, The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, The Postal Service, etc. – were noticeably absent; essentially, I had hoped the lineup would more closely resemble those of Coachella and Sasquatch. However, after spending some time acquainting myself with some of the bands I wasn’t familiar with, I was eventually quite pleasantly surprised. Here, I’ve compiled a list (in alphabetical order) of lesser known bands that are must-sees this upcoming August.

Who? Daughter

Why? Disappointed that The xx won’t be making an appearance at this year’s installment of Outside Lands? Never fear, because Daughter’s brooding brand of folk will fill the void. The English trio’s hushed melodies combined with lead singer Elena Tonra’s delicate voice are also reminiscent of Cat Power, The Neighborhood, and Laura Marling. Communion Records – one of the founders of which is Mumford and Son’s Ben Lovett – released Daughter’s second EP, The Wild Youth. The band also happened to have just produced a killer cover of Daft Punk’s funk-inspired new single, “Get Lucky.”

What songs should I check out? “Landfill,” “Smother,” “Youth”

Who? Dawes

Why? If you enjoyed Dr. Dog’s performance at Outside Lands last summer – or even on campus for Cal Day 2012 – then LA based folk rock band, Dawes, is right up your alley. If the name of the band sounds vaguely familiar, perhaps you recognize them from when they performed at the Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011. Dawes is said to be influenced by the Laurel Canyon sound, a style of music most often attributed to the likes of Neil Young and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Their album Nothing is Wrong is filled with soulful, angst-ridden songs with rousing percussion.

What songs should I check out? “When My Times Comes,” “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” “From a Window Seat”

Who? Emeli Sandé

Why? The first time I heard Sandé’s music was on a Top 40 radio station and I was caught off guard because I was hearing something with actual emotion and depth (and musicianship). The Scottish 26 year old is suppling R&B with mass appeal that doesn’t necessarily have that mass produced, cookie cutter sound. She hasn’t revolutionized the genre, but her work is a bit more challenging, and for that it thrives. Although she has yet to become a big name in the U.S., Sandé already nabbed a place on the soundtrack of the new Baz Luhrman directed adaptation of The Great Gatsby; she supplies a big band style cover of fellow R&B powerhouse Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love.”

What songs should I check out? “Next To Me,” “Wonder (Original Mix),” “Heaven”

Who? The Growlers

Why? Perhaps I’m biased since The Growlers hail from my hometown, but I have fallen head over heels for their garbage psychedelic rock. If it wasn’t for their use of voice effects and reverb, I would have thought The Growlers were a 60s rock and roll. Although they are certainly not my favorite band listed here, I have included them in this roundup because the band – who have toured with the likes of The Black Keys, Dr. Dog, and Julian Casablancas – apparently puts on an insane live show that includes a multitude of props and cross-dressing. Their set at Outside Lands is sure to be a good time.

What songs should I check out? “Graveyard’s Full,” “One Million Lovers”

Who? Jessie Ware

Why? Truth be told, I knew nothing of Jessie Ware until just recently when I was told that her performance at Coachella was something really special. Notoriously critical music blog, Pitchfork, gave the singer an absurdly high score – an 8.5 – and named her a “Best New Music” pick. Ware’s songs are a blend of airy R&B-esque vocals (not horribly unlike Emeli Sandé), synth-beats, and wailing guitar. How Ware knew to combine all of these sounds into something mesmerizing is beyond me, but I’m certainly impressed with the results. There has been speculation that because Ware has collaborated with the likes of SBTRKT and A$AP Rocky there is a chance that her Outside Lands set may feature a surprise guest.

What songs should I check out? “Wildest Moments,” “Running”

Who? Kopecky Family Band

Why? This Nashville band’s genre is hard to nail down. Their songs feature country, pop, and rock influences. The six piece band manages to cram unrelenting amounts of energy into its 3 minutes tracks; what should, on paper at least, be chaotic and overwhelming manifests itself almost effortlessly.

What songs should I check out? “Heartbeat,” “Angry Eyes,” “Wandering Eyes”

Who? Little Green Cars

Why? Little Green Cars are a personal favorite of mine. Having stumbled across them by chance, I was pleased to discover their name amongst the list of performers set to appear at Outside Lands. The songs churned out by this Dublin band feature pleasant vocals which rise and fall in a way that builds anticipation. Their particular version of indie folk rock can best be described as where The Lumineers or Mumford and Sons meet Woody Guthrie, resulting in a unique sound that doesn’t get boring – this is aided by the fact that half of the songs feature a male vocal lead, while the other half feature a female vocal lead. Their new album, Absolute Zero, is entertaining, to say the least.

What songs should I check out? “Harper Lee,” “The John Wayne,” “My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me”

Who? Midi Matilda

Why? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to speculate that the members of Bay Area band, Midi Matilda, are undoubtedly excited to be performing at Outside Lands and that their excitement will translate into a high energy set. The indie pop Logan Grime and Skylar Kilborn have created is vaguely reminiscent of the music put out by Passion Pit. The duo uses synth skillfully – it’s clear these guys have a sense of musicianship, which isn’t necessarily apparent in other electronic acts. Midi Matilda’s music stirs up feelings of summer nights and an overpowering desire to just dance without fear of judgment.

What songs should I check out? “Day Dreams,” “Ottawa,” “Stranger”

Who? Rudimental

Why? Whenever I watch videos of this band performing live I can’t help but smile. They exude a level of energy that is absolutely infectious. Yet another band from the UK, Rudimental describes their style of music as “liquid funk.” What exactly is liquid funk? From what I’ve gathered, it’s electronic music that is threatened to be overshadowed by heavy instrumentation, which includes horn instruments and drums. Much like Midi Matilda, Rudimental is the kind of band that just makes you want to rock out – their music is joyful and fun. I had fallen into the trap of believing that all electronic music was just some boring variation of the same three Swedish House Mafia songs, but Rudimental clearly proves me wrong.

What songs should I check out? “Feel the Love” (feat. John Newman), “Not Giving In” (feat. John Newman and Alex Clare), “Waiting All Night” (feat. Ella Eyre)

For those of you who saw the Outside Lands lineup and decided it wasn’t exciting enough to warrant buying tickets, think again. I highly recommend that you check out at least a few of these bands. It seems likely that most, if not all, of these artists are going to make it big; what better time to see them than before they blow up?