Thursday, November 11, 2010

Vol. 45 Issue No. 8

TRIBUTE TO VETERANS P. 8 DREAM: EDUCATION FOR ALL P. 21 OSCAR GRANT P. 22

 Thursday, November 11, 2010
STAFF
Editors-in-Chief
Public Discourse
Jenny Cain
Arianna Puopolo What does the large population of homeless veterans mean about our society?
Managing Editors Compiled by ROSA ARCE & ANDREW ALLIO
Rod Bastanmehr
Julia Reis

Copy
Melinda Széll, chief
Molly Kossoff
Mimi Stroud
Grace Watson

Production
Hilli Ciavarello, design director
Rachel Adams
Emily Chisholm
Tess Goodwin

Campus News
Julie Eng, editor
Ryan Mark-Griffin, editor “It says something about poverty in general. It’s “They kind of ignore them, rather than looking at
Rosa Arce one more example that the government isn’t doing them. I know I do. It’s kind of like the way people
James Austin enough and doesn’t give a shit about people who were before the civil rights movement. They would
Dana Burd don’t have the means or know-how to conform discriminate against black people by not even look-
Rosa Castañeda
Kara Foran with the system.” ing at them. You just look through them, and that’s
kind of what I see with the homeless people.”
City News AARON KINGON NICK ROSAS
Sarah Naugle, editor FOURTH-YEAR, KRESGE FOURTH-YEAR, OAKES
Rosie Spinks, editor
Nicole Pritchard UNDECLARED PSYCHOLOGY
Susan Sun
Mikaela Todd
Rosanna Van Straten

Sports
Joey Bien-Kahn, editor
Natalia Equihua
Asa Hess-Matsumoto

Arts and Entertainment

Alejandro Trejo, editor
Veronica Glover
Chelsea Hawkins

Politics and Culture

Blair Stenvick, editor
Stephanie Meade
Maja Vojnovic “Some veteran was saying that there needs to be a “We, as a society, support the war efforts but are
change to happen in our society, especially for how not ready to pay the full cost.”
Web we take care of our veterans. They gave their lives
Timothy Lindvall II, developer
or are giving their lives to help us. In return, we’re
Photo/Illustration kind of giving them the shaft, and not really helping
Rachel Edelstein, editor them out as much as we should be. The idea that
Morgan Grana, editor there are homeless veterans is kind of a sad thing
Isaac Miller, editor
Andrew Allio
considering what they put themselves through.” CLARE RIESMAN
Scott Haupenthal, videographer SUGEERA ECKLEY FOURTH-YEAR, MERRILL
Louise Leong THIRD-YEAR, COWELL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Bela Messex SOCIOLOGY
Nick Paris
Molly Solomon About Us
Rosanna Van Straten City on a Hill Press is produced by and for UCSC students.
Patrick Yeung
Prescott Watson Our primary goal is to report and analyze issues affecting the
student population and the Santa Cruz community.
Advertising We also serve to watchdog the politics of the UC administra-
Contact
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General Editorial
Alex Lattin
Prescott Watson realize our own outlooks influence the presentation of the news. (831) 459-2430 (831) 459-4350
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events, ideas, and voices. Our desks are devoted to certain topics: Send Letters To:
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Santa Cruz residents to present their views and interact with the advertising@cityonahillpress.com 1156 High St.
campus community. Ideally, CHP’s pages will serve as an arena for Santa Cruz, CA
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The opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect
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2 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Table of Contents
4 Students, Teachers Rally to Oppose Proposed Fee Increase
by KARA FORAN

5 KSZC Rides the Radio Waves to Success

by KARA FORAN

6 Friends of Thanksgiving Help Continue Annual Thanksgiving

Dinner Despite Veteran’s Hall Closure
by MIKAELA TODD AND SUSAN SUN

7 Event Calendar: What’s New in Santa Cruz

compiled by Tess GOODWIN

8 Recognizing Veterans at UCSC

by ROSA CASTAÑEDA

9 Women’s Rugby Throws Down to Move Up
by NATALIA EQUIHUA

10 UCSC Music Major Pair Prepare for Piano Duet

by ALEJANDRO TREJO

11 Student Play Calls for “Waves” of Discussion

by CHELSEA HAWKINS

Prescott Watson

Taking the Stigma Away from Depression 12

by MAJA VOJNOVIC

Disabled Students Detail Struggle for Acceptance 14

by CHELSEA HAWKINS

Bookshop Santa Cruz to Host NPR Personality17

by VERONICA GLOVER

Through Our Lens 18

by MORGAN GRANA

Students DREAM to Extend Rights to Immigrants 21

by STEPHANIE MEADE

Editorials: Judge Grants Too Light a Sentence for Mehserle

AND
Why Students Need to Attend the Regents Meeting 22

Who the Hell Asked You?!
AND
Slug Comics 23
Andrew Allio

Corrections:
In a Nov. 4 story entitled “Colleges Compete to Win ‘Greenest’ Title,” City on a Hill Press mistakenly called the Student Environmen-
tal Center the Student Environmental Association. 
In a Nov. 4 story entitled “Watsonville Community Opposes Registration of a new Pesticide,” Steve Gliessman was misquoted as
saying, “Growers have been selecting varieties based on the [quantity of ] fruit they produce, and not on their ability to resist disease,
because they didn’t need it.” The quote should have read “..based on the [quality] of fruit...” 
Cover illustration by Isaac Miller

cityonahillpress.com 3
Campus
Graduate Students Rally Against Budget Negotiations
Protesters gather in Quarry Plaza, Kerr Hall to demand fair pay, childcare subsidies
By Kara Foran
Campus Reporter
Members of the Graduate
Student Organizing Commit-
tee (GSOC) and undergraduate
students gathered Tuesday at the
Quarry Plaza for a “teach-in”
about contract negotiations be-
tween the United Auto Workers
and the University of California,
as negotiations resumed that
day. The rally ended at Kerr
Hall, where protesters succeeded
in doubling the funding for
graduate student childcare to the
negotiation agenda.
UC president Mark Yudof ’s
proposal of an 8 percent fee
increase for the 2011–12 school
year was also criticized by pro-
testers.
If the UC regents approve the
proposal at the regents meet-
ing Nov. 16 through 18, Yudof ’s
proposal will increase the UC
system’s educational fee by $828
to $11,124.
In an e-mail to the campus
community on Nov. 9, UC
Santa Cruz Chancellor George
Blumenthal wrote, “In the end,
about 55 percent of UC under-
graduates will have the entire
proposed fee increase covered by
financial aid, Cal Grant awards,
or a combination.”
He also announced that, after
seven years of negotiation with
4 cityonahillpress.com
the UC Office of the President,
he expects that 100 percent
of future fee increases paid by
UCSC students will be distrib-
uted back to UCSC.
Erin Ellison, a TA in the psy-
chology department, spoke to the
group of protesters about how
the proposed budget will affect
graduate students.
“[I’m at] the University of
California because I thought it
was a high quality of education,”
Ellison said. “But we’re overload-
ed with work and responsibilities
and don’t get paid enough to
even make rent.”
Protesters performed a skit
criticizing large class sizes, where
students dressed as zombies fin-
ishing assignment after assign-
ment while a TA tried in vain to
keep up with grading.
Comparing the skit to last
year’s strikes, Ellison recognized
the importance of diversifying
methods of protest in order to
remain effective.
“Well, obviously talking,
negotiating, writing letters, and
petitioning hasn’t worked, so this
is what we’re left with,” Ellison
said. “I think that it’s important
to have lots of different tactics. I
don’t think you’ve seen the end of
strikes.”
LEFT: Students and faculty gather in Quarry Plaza to protest the proposed 8 to 20 percent tuition
increase.
RIGHT: Graduate students grade student essays and midterm exams in the lobby at Kerr Hall as
part of a “grade-in” in response to cuts to TAs’ salaries.
Madeline Lane, a literature
TA involved in last year’s strike
organization and supporter of
this year’s rallies, proposed that
discussion of problems affecting
the classroom be integrated into
the classroom.
“I think there are a lot of op-
portunities to contextualize the
content of our protests, of our
critique of the budget cuts, and
privatization into the classroom,”
she said.
The rally moved to Kerr Hall,
where 32 students staged an
hour-long sit-in in the building’s
lobby in an effort to reach out
to the budget negotiators. The
protesters had Kerr Hall staff
contact labor relations, and they
were eventually able to have their
message heard.
A protester kept in constant
contact with Kerr Hall faculty,
clarifying the group’s incentives.
“We’re just trying to get paid
fair,” she said to building staff.
“Our rent is more than half of
our monthly salary. It’s hard to
survive.”
Protesters were concerned
with potential decreases in TA
salaries resulting from the nego-
tiations. GSOC organizers argue
that the UC’s current offer of 2
percent raises over the next three
Thursday, November 11, 2010
years will result in a 1 percent
decrease in salaries, as the univer-
sity has projected inflation of
almost 3 percent.
Also on the agenda was
increased funding for graduate
student childcare. A UCSC TA
and graduate student organizing
committee member, who pre-
ferred to remain anonymous, said
that current funding does little to
cover the costs of childcare.
“Right now, grad students
with children get $300 a quarter
for childcare, and that’s nothing,”
the student said. “That takes care
of about a week of childcare.”
The Kerr Hall sit-in dispersed
after the protesters’ message
was relayed to the bargaining
committee. As the sit-in ended,
a GSOC organizer announced
that childcare subsidies had been
brought to the bargaining table.
Before the protest, childcare had
Photos by Molly Solomon
not even been part of negotia-
tions.
Jim Burns, UCSC direc-
tor of public information, said
that UCSC administrators are
sympathetic to the protester’s
concerns.
“At the campus level, we very
much appreciate the views ex-
pressed by the graduate students
in Kerr Hall yesterday,” he said in
an e-mail. “We not only under-
stand their concerns about wages,
workload and the state budget’s
overall impact on the quality of
education, we respect the manner
in which they called attention to
those views. Per the students’ re-
quest, we relayed those concerns
to the UC systemwide bargain-
ing team.”
As of press time, the UC has
walked away from the bargaining
table without yet agreeing on a
contract.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Campus Radio Earns National Ranking
KZSC tops the charts of college radio
By Kara Foran
Campus Reporter
The No. 1 most listened to
college radio station in the coun-
try is run by Banana Slugs.
UC Santa Cruz’s campus
station, KZSC, was recently
ranked fifth on Huffington
Post’s list of the top nine college
radio stations in the nation. This
notability may be due in part to
the station’s No. 1 ranking on
radio station search engine radio-
locator.com.
The Huffington Post cited as
its inspiration the recent College
Radio Awards at the CMJ Music
Marathon in New York City
last month, where KZSC music
director Tyler P. Wardwell was a
best newcomer award nominee.
Wardwell said that regardless
of the recent attention the radio
station has received, the accom-
plishment that matters most was
the continued financial support
of the campus community.
“The real recognition that I’m
most appreciative of and proud
of is that we managed to reach
our fundraising goal in one week
during our fall pledge drive,”
Wardwell said.
Supporters keep the station
going, since KZSC is not directly
funded by the university.
“People continue to pledge
out of their pockets,” Wardwell
said. “As much as a widely read
blog linking our website is great
recognition, what we really strive
for is the recognition of our
listeners.”
The student-run radio station
has been recognized by both the
media and its listeners in the
past, winning Metro Santa Cruz’s
Goldie award from 2003 through
2008 and the Democratic Media
Award from 2002 though 2005.
The Huffington Post listed these
awards in its reasons for includ-
ing the station in its top nine.
One reason why KZSC has
received so much recognition is
its unique broadcast content.
“KZSC works very hard to
not have a specific identity and
to bring progressive and chal-
lenging and eclectic and diverse
programming,” Wardwell said. “I
think that we really let our DJs
run with any idea that they come
up with.”
Wardwell recalls a Balkan
gypsy music show last sum-
Campus
mer and an Eastern European
exercise dance music show as
examples of the station’s unique
programming.
As one of the few non-
commercial radio stations in the
nation — a rarity among the
airwaves — KZSC DJs are un-
bound by advertisers, which adds
to the station’s unique voice.
“We don’t want them to
sound like DJs that are get-
ting paid,” Wardwell said of the
reasoning behind keeping KZSC
advertisement-free.
While creativity is the core
of the DJs’ success, an audience
of over 1 million listeners makes
this creativity extraordinarily
accessible. The station has come
a long way since its inception
in 1967 as KRUZ, when it
broadcasted from the basement
of Stevenson Dorm 2 and could
only be heard as far away as
Dorm 7.
To become a DJ, students
must volunteer at the radio sta-
tion for 20 hours a quarter, as
well as take a film and broad-
casting class while volunteering
and spending time with a KZSC
mentor.
Shira Bogin is the current
teaching assistant for the film
and broadcasting course. She
became involved with KZSC
as a first-year, like many of the
veteran broadcasters.
For Bogin, KZSC functions
as a speaker-lain haven.
“KZSC really serves as a
good getaway place from the rest Photos by Morgan Grana
of the world and a really good KZSC is the student-run radio station on campus. The non-commercial station features DJs hosting
place to just kind of deconstruct their own shows. A recent article by the Huffington Post ranked the station fifth in the country.
my mind and just de-stress and
relax a little bit,” she said. “It’s
something that’s kind of com-
pletely separate from the rest of appeal is “the experience of radio is where he indulges in his being reflective of the commu-
my life.” meeting so many diverse people passion. nity,” Wardwell said of the ties
Bogin’s position as class TA is who are interested in the same “For me, the answer’s pretty between the two groups.
one of the many opportunities to thing.” straightforward,” Wardwell said. The nationally-ranked campus
get involved at KZSC. Students The station’s staff is a collec- “It’s the reason I’m still here. radio station’s personality has
like Bogin have the option to tion of students from different I wouldn’t be a student at UC earned a massive listenership at
run for executive positions upon academic backgrounds. KZSC Santa Cruz if I hadn’t found the UCSC and beyond, in part due
the completion of the film and staff includes anyone from an- radio.” to the efforts of its dedicated
broadcasting class. thropology majors to economic Both students and commu- staff members.
Lauren Bell now holds the majors. nity members participate in the For Bogin, the KZSC experi-
position of volunteer coordinator “[KZSC] has nothing to do station. Twenty percent of KZSC ence is unparalleled.
at the station. with other interests except for programming is run by commu- “It would be kind of fruit-
“I had no idea I’d be inter- loving music and wanting to nity members. less to pursue something like
ested in radio when I first came voice that,” Bogin said. “I don’t know if it’s necessar- [KZSC] after college,” she said.
to college,” Bell said. Music director Wardwell is ily a product of the community “I don’t think there would be
For Bell, part of the station’s an American studies major, but adopting our style or our style something like it.”
cityonahillpress.com 5
City
Friends of Thanksgiving to Hold Annual
Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Volunteers host community Thanksgiving Dinner
in response to Veteran’s Hall closure
By Susan Sun
City Reporter
&
By Mikaela Todd
City Reporter
The Santa Cruz Veteran’s Hall will be
unable to continue its 24-year tradition
of hosting Santa Cruz’s Community
Thanksgiving Dinner this year. The
United Veteran’s Council announced
last month that due to the closure of the
Veteran’s Hall, it would be unable to host
the traditional dinner.
In response, a group of activists from
the Santa Cruz community formed
Friends of Thanksgiving, a broad-based
coalition of people who have taken
responsibility for carrying on the tradi-
tion of the annual Thanksgiving dinner,
served to the homeless of Santa Cruz.
Former city council candidate Steve
Pleich was the driving force behind the
group’s materialization.
“All these people have made time
especially to do this,” Pleich said. “This
group wouldn’t have been anything if
people hadn’t made the commitment to
really see this through.”
Friends of Thanksgiving came togeth-
er only three weeks ago, and in that time
they organized the alternative Thanks-
giving Day event, which will be held at
the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium from
12 to 3 p.m.
The Veteran’s Hall typically serves
over 1,000 meals each year for Thanks-
giving, and Friends of Thanksgiving is
prepared for a similar turnout this year.
Pleich said that it is ready to serve about
1,500 meals this year, maybe more.
“A lot of private individuals have been
donating food, and many different or-
ganizations were willing to contribute,”
said Rev. Dennis Adams, a Friends of
Thanksgiving leader. “When we mention
to people that this dinner is still going
to be going on, they are very happy and
willing to help out.”
Pleich said main donation sources
include the Farmers’ Market, Second
Harvest Food Bank and Beckmann’s
Old World Bakery. The Homeless
Services Center has helped as well, and
Costco offered special prices on turkey
for the event. Though many businesses
6 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
are pitching in, some food sources will
potentially be unavailable due to the
initial cancellation.
“Our problem is, because we started
so late, it took a while to work out,”
Pleich said. “Some of the folks that
normally donate saw the article in the
Sentinel that there would be no Thanks-
giving dinner, and they made commit-
ments of food that they normally would
have given to [the Veteran’s Hall]. We’re
trying to get a hold of those folks and
make sure they haven’t committed their
food to somebody else.”
Nevertheless, volunteers have been Illustration by Rachel Edelstein
stepping up to the plate, and phones
have been ringing off the hook with peo- “I don’t have any doubt that the community will come
ple interested in donating their time or
food to the event, said Megan Carlson, together and be a part of this event. We’re really excited
volunteer coordinator for the Homeless about it. It’s an event that we all can participate in. It’s for the
Services Center. whole community.”
“I don’t have any doubt that the com-
munity will come together and be a part
— Megan Carlson,
of this event,” Carlson said. “We’re really Homeless Services Center volunteer coordinator
excited about it. It’s an event that we
all can participate in. It’s for the whole
community.”
Former city council candidate Pleich
said Santa Cruz has a reputation for be-
ing generous and helping those less for-
tunate, and that Friends of Thanksgiving
has been counting on that aspect of the
community to get this event together.
“This is the Santa Cruz tradition,
and we’re going to keep it going in any
way we can,” he said. “There are a lot
of people doing really great work. This
is going to help us turn a time of want
and need into a time of celebration and
generosity.”
Rev. Adams emphasized the impor-
tance of the meal for the homeless in
Santa Cruz.
“We are very thankful to give our-
selves up to the city of Santa Cruz so
that people can have a great Thanksgiv-
ing this year,” Adams said. “Whether
people are living inside or outside, we
want to make to sure they have a nice
toasty dinner on Thanksgiving Day.”
Illustration by Bela Messex
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Event Calendar
CITY
THURSDAY, Nov. 11
• Sports: Veteran’s Day Freedom Run.
Beach Street Cafe. 8 a.m. Free.
• Educational: Bones, An Inside Look at
Nature. Museum of Natural History. 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. $0-2.50.
• Concert: Pamela Rose presents the
Wild Women of Song. Kuumbwa Jazz
Center. 7 p.m. $12 advance, $15 door.
• Concert: Alkaline Trio. The Catalyst. 8
p.m. $18 in advance, $20 at door.
• Film: Being John Malkovich. Regal
Cinema 9. 8 p.m. $5.
• Concert: David Dondero, The Moaners,
Nick Jaina. The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m. $8.
FRIDAY, Nov. 12
• Performance: Wallace Baine. Kuumbwa
Jazz Center. 7:30 p.m. $22 in advance, $26
at door.
• Concert: Zion I, The Holdup, Bayliens,
Bang Data. The Catalyst. 9 p.m. $15 in
advance, $19 at door.
• Concert: Erin McKeown, Jean Marie.
The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m. $10 in advance,
$12 at door.
• Film: Edward Scissorhands. Del Mar
Theatre. 11:59 p.m. $6.50. Event repeats
on Nov. 13.
SATURDAY, Nov. 13
• Concert: Banana Slug String Band.
Kuumbwa Jazz Center. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
$8 to 13.
• Performance: Katie Garibaldi. Street-
light Records. 4 p.m. Free.
• Concert: Lavay Smith and her Red Hot
Skillet Lickers. The Catalyst. 9 p.m. $14 in
advance, $19 at door. Ages 21 and up.
• Concert: The Mantles, The Groggs, plus
a special guest. The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m. $8.
SUNDAY, Nov. 14
• Education: Wild Cat Adventure. Rio
Theatre. 3 p.m. $5 to 10.
• Concert: Oh No Oh My, Pomegranates.
The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m. $8.
MONDAY, Nov. 15
• Education: Robert Pyle Book Signing.
Natural Bridges State Beach. 7 p.m. Free.
• Concert: Nnenna Freelon. Kuumbwa
Jazz Center. 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. $23 in ad-
vance, $26 at door.
• Film: “Being John Malkovich.” The
Crêpe Place. 8 p.m.
• Concert: Midnight. The Catalyst. 8 p.m.
$20 in advance, $25 at door.
TUESDAY, Nov. 16
• Concert: Chris Pureka, Or the Whale,
The Silent Comedy. The Catalyst. 9 p.m.
$10. Ages 21 and up.
• Concert: High Places, Soft Circle, The
Event Calendar
Broads. The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m. $8 in
advance, $10 at door.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 17
• Downtown Weekly Farmer’s Market.
Between Cedar St. & Lincoln St. 2:30 to
6:30 p.m.
• Film: Bag It. Del Mar Theatre. 7 p.m.
$5 in advance, $7 at door.
• Lecture: “Halliday Lecture in Astrono-
my.” Rio Theatre. 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. Free.
• Concert: Luisa Maita. Kuumbwa Jazz
Center. 7 p.m. $20 in advance, $23 at door.
• Concert: Steve Aoki, Mustard Pimp.
The Catalyst. 8 p.m. $29.
• Concert: Nico Vega, Saint Motel,
Imagine Dragons. The Crêpe Place. 9 p.m.
$10.
CAMPUS
THURSDAY, Nov. 11
• Performance: “In the Waves.” Theater
Arts Second Stage. 7 to 9 p.m. Event con-
tinues through Nov. 14. See arts.ucsc.edu
for showtimes and ticket information.
FRIDAY, Nov. 12
• Performance: Holy Ghosts. Theater
Arts Experimental Theater. 7 to 9 p.m. $11
to 12. Event continues through Nov. 21.
See arts.ucsc.edu for showtimes and ticket
information.
• Performance: UCSC Orchestra. Music
Center Recital Hall. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. $6
to 10. Event repeats on Nov. 13.
SATURDAY, Nov. 13
• Sports: Cardiac Pacer 5 Mile Run. Alan
Chadwick Garden. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $5
entry fee.
• Benefit: KZSC Music Sale. Crown/
Merrill Cultural Center. 10 a.m.to 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, Nov. 14
• Class: Thai Cooking. Village Kitchen at
418 Front Street. 4 to 7 p.m. $25.
TUESDAY, Nov. 16
• Informational: Business, Engineering,
Science, and Technology Career Fair. Ste-
venson Event Center. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 17
• Celebration: Fall Harvest Festival. Bay
Tree Bookstore. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Lecture: “The Role of El Paso, TX in
the Mexican Revolution.” Stevenson Col-
lege Fireside Lounge. 4 p.m.
• Discussion: The Three Poisons and the
Renewable Energy Alternative. Social Sci-
ences 2, Room 179. 5 to 6:45 p.m.
• Performance: Open Mic Night. Porter
College Dining Hall. 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Compiled by Tess Goodwin
cityonahillpress.com 7
 Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veterans on Campus and in the

Veterans Day Special

Community Share Their Stories By Rosa Castañeda

Campus Reporter

Photos by Prescott Watson

Vietnam veteran Bob Stanton,
60, was drafted into the army at
the age of 19.
Stanton did basic training
in California, before advanced
training took him to Colorado.
He was deployed in 1970 and
served in the Proud Americans
32nd artillery. He served in
Vietnam and Cambodia for 14
months.
After coming back from
Vietnam, Stanton said, he was
met with hostility. He said that
people threw rocks at the bus
transporting other soldiers and
him home after arriving back in
the United States.
“It was like returning out of
prison trying to forget every-
thing,” Stanton said. “I came
home and hid for 30 years.”
His wife finally encouraged
him to join a veterans’ counseling
group that helps those with post-
war trauma.
“It’s like seeing your close
family all over again,” he said.
“That’s what’s kept me sane.”
Stanton said Veterans Day is
the day when he remembers his
experiences and is proud to be a
veteran.
Erica Ronquillo, a fourth-year
student at UCSC, is the first and
only member of her family to
enlist. In Oct. 2005 she joined
the Marine Corps as a reservist
where she went through physical,
combat and trifle training.
After a year of training, she
enrolled at UCSC and reports
to her unit in San José monthly.
Every summer she undergoes rig-
orous training meant to prepare
her for a last-minute draft.
Although her contract ends in
October 2011, Ronquillo said she
has a future with the Marines.
Ronquillo decided to enlist
when she was enrolled at a com-
munity college.
“I was looking for something
new, an adventure,” she said. “I
didn’t want to stay at home [and
the military] always sounded re-
ally enticing.”
Ronquillo hopes the media
will present veterans in a more
positive light this Veterans Day.
“These negative sentiments
about the war have transcended
to veterans and they are not hon-
ored as they should,” Ronquillo
said. “We are the warriors, not
the war.”
Charlton “Charlie” Scar-
borough, 90, is a World War II
veteran who joined the military
when she was 22. She served in
the Army WAAC (Women’s
Army Auxiliary Corp) from
1942 to 1943 and was part of the
WAC (Women’s Army Corp)
from 1943 to 1945 in Algiers,
North Africa. She was among
the first women to go overseas in
WWII.
Of her motivation for enlist-
ing in the army, Scarborough
said, “I had two brothers. They
were in Alaska in the National
Guard and I wasn’t about to stay
home.”
Scarborough recorded her
experiences in the army through
scrapbooks with pictures she
took during her service. She
did this in secret because taking
pictures was not allowed.
Scarborough said of Veterans
Day: “It doesn’t excite me very
much. I’d rather it slide by.”
She was one of the veter-
ans to go to Washington, D.C.
through Honor Flight Network,
a nonprofit organization that flies
veterans out to the state to visit
the World War 11 Memorial.
UC Santa Cruz second-year
Katherine Alvord enlisted in
the Marine Corps two years ago
at the age of 17. She is an army
reservist enlisted for a mandatory
six years and is on the regular
deployment schedule.
Alvord recalls her initial drive
to enlist in the army.
“I had signed up for a scholar-
ship program,” Alvord said. “But
the recruiter called me and asked
me if I was interested in the
reserve. I said, ‘If I can [enlist]
while attending school concur-
rently, sign me up.’”
Alvord hopes to go to Officer
Candidate School. If not, she will
seek a doctorate in chemistry.
For Alvord, Veterans Day is
important not only to remember
veterans, but also to bring aware-
ness to those who don’t know
much about them.
“There are veterans of all
races, ages and colors, from the
past and the present,” Alvord
said. “It is a great way to open up
a line of communication between
[veterans] and those who are
unaware.”

Special Event Enlists Support for Servicemen

UC Santa Cruz hosted a special event in
honor of America’s veterans for their sacrific-
es. On Wednesday night before Veterans Day,
UCSC’s Services for Transfer and Re-Entry
Students (STARS) along with the Student
Veterans of America will be sponsoring this
evening to commemorate and remember all
the veterans who have dedicated themselves
to serving this country.
“[The event] is a way to honor all veterans
with specific attention to women who have
served in the military,” said student veteran
Erica Ronquillo.
The evening will feature World War II
veteran Charlton “Charlie” Scarborough
and her daughter, Judy. Both will share their
experience from their recent Honor Flight
journey to Washington, D.C.
The Honor Flight Network is a Non-
Profit Organization that commemorates U.S.
veterans for their service to their country. It
provides trips for veterans to Washington,
D.C., where the veterans are able to visit and
reflect at the memorials of their respective
wars.
Student veteran Daniel Wilson shared his
view on the importance of the Honor Flight
Network.
“We have an outlet for veterans in our
community, to get their stories into the Li-
brary of Congress,” Wilson said. “[If ] you’re a
World War II veteran, you’re part of history.”
The “Honoring Veterans” event, which
took place from 5 to 7 p.m., at Humanities
Building 1, Room 202 provided refreshments
for attendees from 5 to 5:30 Wednesday
evening.
A collaborative event between Cabrillo
College and the Veterans Resource Center
will take place tomorrow at Cabrillo College
at noon.

8 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010

WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM LEAPS TO DIVISION I

Sports
School’s only Division I team successful despite struggles with lack of funding

Prescott Watson
THE WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM’S weekly practices involve drills and fast-paced scrimmages. After four successful years, women’s rugby is making
the transition to being a Division I team in the Northern California Rugby Football Union. Having advanced in league ranking, the team now faces
the challenge of operating a Division I team on a limited budget.

By Natalia Equihua
Sports Reporter
The women’s rugby team has done what no team
on campus has done before. Despite the lack of both
financial support and a varsity title, the team has reached
the very top of the sport. Though it is not yet a part of
NCAA, the team is now Division I in the Northern Cali-
fornia Rugby Football Union, making it UC Santa Cruz’s
only Division I team.
After winning two USA Rugby (USAR) Division II
National Championships in the last four years, the UCSC
women’s rugby team is finally making the big jump into
Division I of the Northern California Rugby Football
Union (NCRFU).
“We had been expecting it,” Coach Alex McKenzie
said. “We had won some titles in the last couple of years,
so we figured this would be the next step, although it is a
tough step to take.”
This season, the team will be competing in the best
division in the country and against some of the strongest
sports schools in the state, including Stanford, UC Berke-
ley, Chico State and UC Davis.
“We’ll be facing schools that are successful and that
have more financial support for sports,” said sophomore
team captain Maeci Brown. “Those are teams that have
recruited their players from high schools.”
While the women’s team will face its biggest challenge
yet with its first Division I games in January, the men’s
team will be vying for the NCRFU Division II title this
year.
Philip Brody, junior president of the rugby club, said
that even though the men’s team hasn’t won any champi-
onships yet, it can learn from the women’s team’s recent
achievement.
“As a team, it’s good to see what it’s like to have a win-
ning tradition,” Brody said. “Having the girls out there
working so hard is an example for us. It makes us want to
win, too, and that’s our goal this year.”
For both teams, the 40 years of rugby tradition at
UCSC has helped them build a sense of school pride to-
ward the university. After all, the rugby club was the first
one to call itself the Slugs — but even that hasn’t been
enough to gain the distinction of UCSC varsity teams.
As sports clubs, each team receives $3,000 from the
university per year.
This money is “pretty much gone by the end of the fall
quarter, because of all the trips we have to make [outside
of Santa Cruz] to play,” Brown said. “The only bad thing
[about not being a varsity team] is that the lack of fund-
ing really hurts our growth.”
Because of monetary concerns, the advancement to
Division I has not been as cheery as the team would
have hoped. Being more competitive calls for a bigger
budget that can pay for the preparation a Division I team
requires from its players, money that the women’s rugby
team does not have.
The men’s rugby team is aware of this necessity, and for
that reason, it feels that Division II is the right place for
its team at the moment.
“It doesn’t matter whether we’re Division II or Divi-
sion I, as far as we have a good level of competition,”
rugby club junior president Brody said. “And right now,
we’re very comfortable being in Division II, because we’re
not receiving funding anyway.”
As both teams face a new season next January, the
women’s team will continue to work to get good results
— both on and off the field.
“This season, we have to be much more committed,
which means attending every practice and helping with
the fundraising events,” women’s team captain Brown
said. “We need to be there for the team, only this time, it
has to be 100 percent.”
Although it is still struggling with budget issues and
a lack of support, the women’s rugby team is another
example of the abilities that exist within UCSC’s sport
community. But too often, this success goes unnoticed.
“It would be cool if we could get more people to watch
our teams play,” Brody said. “We need to keep emphasiz-
ing the importance of college sports. This is our way to
celebrate being Slugs.”
cityonahillpress.com 9
 Thursday, November 11, 2010

Student Pianist Duo Teams Up

Arts & Entertainment

School orchestra performance to feature concerto competition winners

By Alejandro Trejo
Arts & Entertainment Editor

It’s normal to see orchestral pieces that contain one

piano. The UCSC orchestra decided to do something
more unique.
Both tomorrow and Saturday, the orchestra will
feature two music majors — fourth-year Diana Chau and
third-year Lucia Del Guerzo — in a one-of-a-kind piano
duet. The orchestra will play three pieces: Sergei Proko-
fiev’s “Classical Symphony,” Francis Poulenc’s “Concerto
for Two Pianos” featuring Chau and Del Guerzo, and
“Night Blooming” by Noah Gideon Meites, a composer
and musician in the UCSC Doctorate of Musical Arts
Composition program.
Del Guerzo and Chau brought Poulenc’s “Concerto
for Two Pianos” to the attention of the music department
for consideration as a performance piece after their piano
teacher, Mary Jane Cope, introduced it to Del Guerzo. Isaac Miller
“Mary Jane suggested that we check out some Poulenc, STUDENT PIANISTS third-year Lucia Del Guerzo (left) and fourth-year Diana Chau (right) will perform
who wrote the two-piano piece, and I figured, ‘OK,’” together in the orchestra concert tomorrow and Saturday. The program includes pieces by Sergei Prokofiev,
Del Guerzo said. “It was the first link on YouTube, so I Francis Poulenc and graduate student Noah Gideon Meites.
clicked it, fell in love, and said, ‘I just have to do this.’”
But Del Guerzo needed another pianist — which is campus since 1977 and has had both Chau and Del “It would be very different,” she said. “I mean, we’ve
where Chau came into the picture. Guerzo as her piano students since their first year. been under the instruction of the same teacher, and went
This is not the first time the two pianists’ paths have “I think [Diana and Lucia] play well together; they to the same high school, so we just have that built-in
crossed. In fact, Chau and Del Guerzo attended the San both came from the same School of the Arts in San Fran- connection.”
Francisco School of the Arts together. cisco, so they are a good match and have played together Del Guerzo said it would be a wholly new experience
“We’re both from San Francisco, so it’s been really before,” Cope said. “I suggested this concerto to them to play the piece with another person.
easy for us to get in touch and get together and practice last year because it isn’t heard a lot, and it seemed to be a “I could see myself playing with another person, but
during the summer,” Chau said. piece that suits them both, and it did. I mean, they really the piece just takes skills, and there are certain passages
It’s been a year since then, and the two have drilling love the piece and have committed to it.” where I would be hesitant if someone else could do it or
the keys the entire time. During the spring quarter, Chau The piece is “a brilliant, charming, and witty three- not,” she said. “It’s also the same feel and the same touch
and Del Guerzo won the orchestra’s concerto competi- movement pastiche with nods to Mozart, Balinese on the keys.”
tion. gamelan and Parisian nightlife in the ’30s,” Cope said in As the production’s opening night looms closer, the
The pianists work to stay in sync with one another as an e-mail. two musicians’ anticipation is heightening.
performers, using nonverbal communication and timing. “It’s a concerto for two pianos, and that’s a difficult “We’re so ready,” Del Guerzo said. “This is not just
“Sometimes it gets frustrating to get exactly what you ensemble, because you have to have two good pianists boring classical music. This is an extravagant piece, and
want out of the other person, but we work it out,” Del who play together a lot,” she said. we are just so excited and honored to be playing it with
Guerzo said. Chau said she couldn’t imagine playing the piece with the UCSC orchestra.”
Piano instructor Mary Jane Cope has taught at the anyone else.

10 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

Play Highlights Issues Surrounding
Teen Pregnancy and Abortion
Student-produced ‘In the Waves’ portrays story of pregnant teenager
By Chelsea Hawkins
Arts & Entertainment Reporter
In the midst of the current political dialogue and the
rise of Palin-esque “feminists,” the question of women’s
rights and the right to choose lingers on the tongues of
many. “In the Waves,” a play written and directed by UC
Santa Cruz students, addresses these questions through
the story of Evie Tomasso, a 17-year-old girl who must
decide what course to take after unexpectedly becoming
pregnant.
At one point early on in the play, the character, Evie,
played by third-year theater arts major Veronica Tjioe,
proclaims, “I’m glad the world is crooked.”
And that is how the world the Tomassos live in is:
crooked, imperfect. There is no right answer, but there are
many answers and even more questions, something the
play attempts to tackle.
“What’s right for someone is not always right for
others,” said Alexandrea Bezdeka, a graduate student in
theater arts and director of the play. “We want to open
people’s eyes, letting people know there is a right [to
choose] … and why abortions are important.”
The play does not attempt to lecture the audience
on the politics of women’s rights but aims to open up a
discussion.
“It’s about the right to choose and whose choice is
that — should we involve parents? Should we involve the
man? Whose choice is it, and is it right or wrong?” Bez-
deka said. “The great thing that [the playwright] Kathryn
Walhberg did [is] she focuses on a lot of the sides of the
story. It’s not just the woman’s side.”
The play deals extensively with the strain that is placed
on the relationship between Evie and her father, Osmond,
played by fourth-year Porter student Grey Skold, as they
deal with Evie’s decisions. The dynamic of the father-
daughter relationship highlights the way in which the
conversation on abortion rights includes not only women
but varying voices with opposing ideas and perspectives.
“It’s a pretty well-rounded play,” Tjioe said. “It’s not
saying abortion is an easy thing, or that pro-choice is an
entirely positive thing. It’s dealing with how difficult the
issue is to deal with.”
“In the Waves” does not provide a universal answer,
instead focusing on the answer that is best for the indi-
vidual in question.
Alex Caan, a second-year theater arts major from
Kresge who plays Alex Bellman, Evie’s boyfriend, said the
actors were also affected by the heavy nature of the play.
“The first time we read it through, everyone had an
emotional breakdown,” Caan said. “It’s a difficult thing to
deal with, coming to work every day and playing someone
who is going through so much.”
The play itself is complex in structure, a multi-layered
story centered on Evie’s rights and her choices. The play
opens in a flash-forward, and then rewinds to explain why
Osmond is looking for his daughter at a clinic. On anoth-
er level, the play depicts Evie’s growth through lectures
that Osmond, a professor of art, gives to the audience.
Tjioe notes that the play is “structured into trimesters,
much like a pregnancy,” and, in this way — through the
events of her pregnancy and decisions — Evie is reborn
into the adult world.
Throughout the play, there is a line of continuity from
the play’s beginning to its end. For example, Evie’s physi-
cal stance as she contemplates a painting at the close of
the play echoes her stance at the beginning. As in the
title, water and liquid are clear motifs in the play.
Although the play is simple at first glance — the stage
is decorated with only a few pieces of furniture — it is
aware of itself, the conversation it is putting forward, the
reality of the situations of characters and its relevance to
the current political and social atmosphere.
Director Bezdeka, who left information on the play in
a family clinic, was drawn to the show because it “is not
necessarily a show that can be put on in any particular
place.”
“Sex is such a taboo in our society unless we’re talking
quietly in our dorm rooms,” Bezdeka said. “We want to
open it up…It’s just such a topic that not anyone talks
about.”
At the close of the play, the audience is left not with
a definitive or clear answer, but with a tone of neutral-
ity. No character has fully come to terms with what has
happened, but each is taking the steps to move towards a
resolution. Osmond ends his final lecture and closes the
play by explaining how the woman in the painting is just
trying to “keep herself afloat,” much like Evie.
“It’s just a piece of people’s lives, for this amount of
time, and this is how it happened — there doesn’t neces-
sarily need to be an ending,” said fourth-year Kat Brown,
who plays Molly Nadzia, a women’s rights advocate.
Cast member Caan said the lack of a resolution is
“beautiful.”
He said: “It’s like life, isn’t it?”

Photos by Nick Paris

ABOVE: “In the Waves,” directed and written by UCSC students, examines the subject of abortion from
many points of view. Perspectives favoring abstinence and women’s right to choose are both represented,
as are the effects an abortion can have on family and partners.
RIGHT: Evie Tomasso and Alex Bellman, played by third-year Veronica Tjioe and second-year Alex Caan,
share a passionate moment.
cityonahillpress.com 11
Feature
Deadly Disorder Afflicts
College Students
Caught in the crosshairs of depression, young adults too often
resort to suicide, one of the gravest symptoms of the disease
Words & Photos by Maja Vojnovic
Jen Markam* sits across from me sipping her latte and
chatting up a storm as if we are best friends who haven’t seen
each other in years. Her auburn hair matches the color of her
coffee. She is all smiles, but under that happy exterior lies a
dark past.
Markam, like many other college students, suffers from depression.
“I had no history of depression in my family, but four years ago I was diagnosed
with it,” Markam said. “I did not even know what was going on with me. I felt alone
and sad all the time. I would feel like a switch would go off and I would just feel re-
ally down for no reason.”
Depression is a mental state of low mood and aversion to regular day-to-day
activities, which can be affected by biological and psychological factors. Symptoms
range from isolation to loss of interest and appetite. Depression can also lead to more
violent behavior such as cutting, eating disorders or even suicide attempts.
Markam’s demeanor automatically changes when she talks about how her depres-
sion led to thoughts of suicide. She begins to choose her words carefully, sometimes
saying nothing at all.
“I just felt like I wanted out of my pain and suffering,” she said. “[Suicide] seemed
like an option.”
Even though Markam never attempted suicide, she had frequent suicidal thoughts
from a period between her senior year of high school and first year at UCSC. Her
world began to change when she sought help. Markam’s “support team,” a combina-
tion of medication, her therapist and support from family and friends, were all key
parts of the remedy.
However, not all students receive the help they need. Five thousand out of the
33,000 people who commit suicide each year in the United States are between the
* Names were changed
12 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
ages of 15 and 24, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
(AFSP). And there are cases, unlike Markam’s, where depression results in suicide,
making it one of the major causes of death among students, second only to car acci-
dents. In fact, 95 percent of suicidal college students suffer from depression, according
to the AFSP.
Various factors contribute to an increased risk for suicide in depressed individuals,
including anxiety, agitation or generally enraged behavior, as well as the increased use
of alcohol and drugs. Hopelessness, mood changes and expressions of guilt or shame
are also signs that someone suffering from depression may also be suicidal.
“We want to get the message out there about suicide,” said Diane Brice, program
director for the Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast. “We want people
to stop feeling shame and guilt about suicide or other problems caused by mental
illnesses.”
The Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast has a 24-hour suicide crisis
hotline and an outreach program in Santa Cruz County. Both of these services are
staffed by volunteers who work on bringing about suicide awareness and providing
help for those who are in need.
Brice added that Santa Cruz County was the location of 200 attempts at suicide
this year alone, with all of them falling within the 18-to-25 age group.
Individuals in this age group often find that their external stresses are triggered by
a major change in environment, namely the college bubble.
Being in a new environment and having to make new friends serve as substantial
influences on feelings of isolation in college students. In addition, change in academic
pace and an ever-evolving economic climate can further anxiety, and in turn, depres-
sion. These social and academic pressures can make some students more prone to
depression and suicide than others.
MaryJan Murphy, interim director at Counseling and Psychological Services
(CAPS) said that suicidal tendencies can result from feelings of hopelessness and
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Feature
isolation.
“Suicidal thoughts are brought about because people cannot possibly see a way out of
their depression,” Murphy added.
Brice, program director of The Suicide Prevention Service, explains that there is a strong
correlation between suicide attempts and actually committing suicide.
“Once a person has attempted suicide, they are 32 times more likely to [kill themselves]
than people who don’t attempt it at all,” Brice said.
Women attempt suicide at a rate three times that of men, according to the AFSP, while
men are statistically more likely to actually complete suicide. The AFSP states that this is
because men are more likely to be in possession of harmful weapons such as firearms.
Self-poisoning through drug overdose is one of the most common ways women
attempt suicide. Suicide among young men has tripled, while that of young
women has only doubled since the late 1970s.
Students can come in contact with such issues such as depression and
suicide through acquaintances who are suffering from symptoms associ-
ated with these conditions. Third-year Eric Smith* just finished all of his
schoolwork for the day. He sits cross-legged as he explains how having
lived with a depressive and suicidal roommate put a strain on him.
“I had to learn how to deal with the situation at hand,” he recalls. “I
still don’t know how to deal with it perfectly, but I’m more aware of the
signs [of depression] now.”
Smith, a psychology major, said none of his classes prepared him
for what his roommate was dealing with.
Smith remembers one of the most visible signs of his roommate’s
battle with depression and suicide as a lack of awareness to things
going on in the immediate surroundings.
“[Talking to my roommate] was like talking to a computer,” he
recalled. “It was really generic. You could see that [my roommate]
wasn’t fully there.”
Whenever Smith would ask his roommate what was wrong, his room-
mate’s answer hinted to possible thoughts of suicide, with comments
like, “I just don’t want to be here anymore.”
Smith recalls a couple of instances in which he received Counseling and Psychological Services:
text messages from his roommate that contained goodbye
messages implying suicide. After receiving such messages, (831) 459-2628
he would rush back to find his roommate in serious con-
dition after overdosing on pain relievers. These attempts
happened over a span of three years, with the most recent
attempt resulting in a trip to the hospital. Student Health Center:
Smith himself goes on to reveal that he has been suffer-
ing from anxiety since his first year of college. He mentions
(831) 459-2211
how both moving away from home and the academic pres-
sures of college led to his problem with anxiety.
“I went to counseling, and they said anxiety and depression Student Health Center website:
are very prominent in college students,” Smith said.
Even though Smith himself was one of many in his age group www2.ucsc.edu/healthcenter
to suffer from serious mental illness, he was reluctant to seek help as
well.
“[Since] I was in a new environment and I didn’t know anyone, it
took me a long time to get the guts to call [the Health Center] for my
24-Hour Suicide Crisis Hotline:
problem,” Smith said. (831) 458-5300
If the Health Center had made students more aware of its
psychological services, Smith would have sought help for himself
earlier, he said.
Making services more apparent to students is one of the
Health Center’s goals. Even though a big percentage of the stu-
dent population is unaware of the benefits they have at UCSC.
“The Student Health Center has a staff of board-certified physi-
cians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants that are all experienced
and competent in assessing and treating adults with depression,” said
Drew Malloy, medical director of the Student Health Center.
Malloy said that feeling stressed, anxious, sad, hopeless, irritable or
unfocused, may be possible symptoms of depression. Malloy encourages
anyone who has these symptoms or is feeling persistently down to come
to the Health Center for help.
Lead psychiatrist of CAPS Mark Kutcher said both depression and
the risk of suicide are preventable.
“[Depression is] a very treatable problem, and there are many steps
that students and those who care about them can take to help prevent
them from getting worse,” Kutcher said.
Murphy, interim director at CAPS, encourages students suffering
from these issues to visit the CAPS central office at the Student Health
Center.
Continued on p. 20
cityonahillpress.com 13

Students Call for Awareness of
Feature
Disabilities in Higher Education
Although small in numbers, the disabled community on campus makes its voice heard
By Chelsea Hawkins, Arts & Entertainment Reporter
Illustrations by Bela Messex
Brooke Harmssen knows all too well
the everyday struggles of disabled students
at UC Santa Cruz, both as a student who
deals with disabilities and as an individual
who has witnessed their effects on mem-
bers of the community.
“It’s a different world when you have
limitations,” Harmssen said.
As Harmssen describes a scene she
witnessed last spring, her voice rises
slightly, and her hands move emphati-
cally. She said that while walking near the
Cowell bus stop, she observed students
ignoring and mistreating a blind man
walking across the street.
“Students were pushing past him,” she
said. “So he wasn’t, you know, easily doing
his taps [with his cane] or anything and
he almost got hit by a bike and a car, and
people were rushing by him … No one
talked to him.”
Harmssen, a fifth-year health sciences
major from College Nine, took the situ-
ation into her own hands and chose to
miss her bus in order to assist the stranger.
But it is incidents like these that make
Harmssen so adamant about bringing
disability awareness to the community at
UCSC.
Among the roughly 16,000 students at
UCSC, about 600 students are currently
registered with the Disability Resource
14 cityonahillpress.com
Center. Although the percentage is small,
the disabled population on campus is still
moving to make their voices heard about
the need for disability awareness and
greater accessibility on campus.
The Disability Alliance (DA), which
Harmssen is the president of, is a student
organization that aims to educate the
campus community about disabilities and
their relevance on campus.
The DA has existed on the campus in
some form or another, but it has yet to
fully establish itself. It has been at UCSC
for three years, but its meetings are spo-
radic and its membership low. However,
the DA aims to unify students — disabled
and non-disabled — in order to better
educate the campus, and help disabled
students gain confidence in who they are.
“It’s still in its infancy,” Harmssen said.
“The mission [of
the Disabil-
ity Alliance]
is to raise
awareness
and reduce
the stigma
associated with
having a
disability
as a
student on campus. There’s a broad range
of people. There are people who don’t
believe there are disabled students on
campus and then there are other people
who think that [disabled students] don’t
take the same amount of classes, or [that
they] get special treatment.”
One facet of awareness is recognition
that not all disabilities are immediately
apparent. Many of the students on campus
have what are known as “invisible disabili-
ties,” disabilities that aren’t apparent from
an individual’s physical appearance.
“There is a misconception about that,
just because you can’t see a person’s dis-
ability doesn’t mean they don’t need extra
[help],” said Peggy Church, director of the
Disability Resource Center. The role of
the DRC is to ensure that the university
follows the laws required under the Amer-
icans with Disabilities Act which requires
equal access in education.
Church said many students are
unaware that they even have a disability,
while others avoid going to the DRC out
of fear of the stigma.
“A lot of them don’t want to come in
because they’re ashamed or they don’t
know they’re eligible,” Church said.
“They don’t know that their particular
functional limitation would be a dis-
ability.”
Harmssen is one such student, and has
been diagnosed with multiple “hidden dis-
Thursday, November 11, 2010
abilities” — attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), along with a
learning disability — but going to the
DRC for help was not easy.
“I myself had trouble going to the
DRC for the first time. I figured, I made it
this far, I can do it on my own,” Harmssen
said. “I didn’t realize that I’m studying way
harder than I have to and stressing way
more than I need to, and when I went to
the DRC, it became different.”
Church has encountered many students
like Harmssen, and hopes that if they
knew “they weren’t alone,” they’d be more
willing to seek help.
“I have seen many students struggle
and they didn’t want to come in, they
wanted to do it on their own, and then
their grades were negatively impacted,”
Church said. “Then they come and get ac-
commodations [from the DRC] and then
they are able to perform at the academic
level where they belong.”
For both Church and Harmssen, it’s
important that students understand that
the DRC does not exist to make things
“easier” on a student but rather to make
things fair. The DRC offers not only
advising and support, but it also rents out
adaptive technology, sets students up with
scribes and typists, and employs note-
takers, among other services.
“There’s not a lessening of the require-
ments [for a course] ever,”
Church said. “It’s all
about helping the
student do what ev-
eryone else is [able]
to do.”
The DRC does offer
Thursday, November 11, 2010
help to students on campus to allow them
to have a “level playing field” and not feel
“marginalized,” but its primary job is to
ensure that the university is meeting the
standards required by the Americans with
Disabilities Act. It is through the efforts
of students that awareness is being spear-
headed, and it is through such efforts the
voice of the disabled student population is
heard.
Caitlin Hernandez, a third-year litera-
ture major from Cowell College who is
completely blind, served on a student-led
discussion panel in October. The panel
gave disabled students a chance to discuss
their disabilities and address students
directly, opening up a dialogue on disabili-
ties and awareness. Hernandez is recep-
tive to student curiosity and said “there is
always room to learn and ask questions.”
“[During the panel presentations] it
was a really small audience, and I was
thinking, ‘It would be so great if it could
be on a bigger scale,’” Hernandez said.
For Hernandez, education is imperative
to making UCSC a more aware and more
accessible campus.
“I’d much rather have people ask me
questions than just automatically treat
me differently or not talk to me at all,”
Hernandez said. “It would be good to have
more outreach activities for students to go
and have a forum and ask questions.”
Owain Roberts, a third-year history
major from Stevenson, has Asperger’s
syndrome (a disability on the autism spec-
trum), and also participated on the recent
panels. Roberts finds that public speaking
allows him to battle the stereotypes that
he is “retarded.”
“How I’ve dealt with the stereotypes
is by making people more aware … it’s
just a matter of bringing awareness and
just making people see there’s more to the
book than its cover,” Roberts said.
For Roberts, campus events like the
panels have not only allowed him to edu-
cate people about his disability, but also
allow him to gain confidence in himself.
“It definitely does empower [the panel
speakers],” Roberts said. “I actually felt
that effect. I felt like I could take on the
world … I always eagerly await the op-
portunity [to educate people] when it rises
again.”
While the campus takes measures to
ensure the academic accessibility of the
university, the terrain of the campus is far
from accessible for students with physical
limitations.
Sophie Palmer*, a fourth-year transfer
“This is a campus that boasts diversity. We keep talking about
diversity — well, diversity is not just gender, race, language,
culture. Diversity includes diversity in abilities. In that sense,
we are tremendously not diverse.”
— Roberto Manduchi, computer engineering associate professor
literature major, is in a wheelchair as a
result of spinal swelling. Palmer recalls an
instance a year ago when she was unable
to access the library comfortably.
“McHenry doors are very heavy,”
Palmer said. “I’ve never had a public
library where I’ve never had a push but-
ton [to open the door], so that was pretty
surprising.”
Palmer addressed the library staff about
her concerns, but she has not returned to
the library since.
As of now, handicap accessibility at
McHenry is limited.
It is unknown whether an automatic
entrance will be installed anytime soon,
said a library staffer who wished to remain
anonymous. Currently there is only one
accessible entry for physically disabled
students: the receiving dock, the delivery
location of any library package.
Palmer has found it difficult to access
the places on campus that are supposed
to be wheelchair-accessible, such as the
specialized bathroom stall at Oakes.
“I feel really alienated — most of the
students are very helpful, but I don’t see a
lot of other disabled students on cam-
pus,” Palmer said. “I don’t see very much
awareness on campus, [and] I feel like
the school doesn’t really want [physically]
disabled students on their campus because
of the transportation issues and things.”
Like Palmer, Lizzie Crosthwaite, a
fourth-year literature major from Cowell,
has expressed concerns about the acces-
sibility of some areas of campus. Crosth-
waite has cerebral palsy, in particular a
disorder called spastic triplesia that affects
how tense her muscles are and her ability
to relax those muscles. The affected areas
are her lower legs and right arm, which
make mobility at times challenging. If not
for the services offered by the Disability
Van Service, Crosthwaite would not be
able to navigate the campus as well, she
said.
“I was almost not going to come here,”
Crosthwaite said. “[My mom and I] were
both thinking, ‘Oh no, am I going to be
able to get around campus?’ because it is
very physically challenging.”
Crosthwaite said that although she
loves the DRC, “They don’t deal with
physical disabilities as much.”
Currently among the approximately
600 registered disabled students on cam-
pus, less than 100 of those students have a
physical limitation.
While the campus remains difficult to
traverse, the physical limitations of the
campus are recognized by the administra-
tion, and currently a survey of the campus
and the entire UC system is underway.
Feature
Americans with Disabilities Act com-
pliance officer Susan Willats, said that
they are doing a “snapshot” of all the UC
campuses, attempting to determine how
accessible or inaccessible things are, and
“realize the range and say, ‘Here’s the best
practices, here’s what we can do.’”
Willats said that the biggest problem
the campus is currently facing is with
accessibility and technology, ensuring
that students can access all the materi-
als put online for their classes. As of now,
university-related sites like the student
portal and eCommons are accessible, but
PDF documents uploaded to the site may
not be.
“That’s our biggest struggle right now
— we are a small campus, we have very
little money, and there are these big tech-
nological challenges,” Willats said.
Willats and DRC director Church
both expressed a desire to see centers for
adaptive technology on the campus, much
like other UC campuses like Davis and
Berkeley.
As an advocate of disability awareness
on campus, computer engineering associ-
ate professor Roberto Manduchi, along
with two associated faculty members, is
in the process of planning and starting a
center on assistive technology. Manduchi
strongly believes that “it is unfortunate”
that the UCSC community lacks academ-
ic interest in disabilities, but he hopes that
in time this will change.
“At least from the technology side,
we’re trying to create something, to create
more interest [in disability research] in our
students,” Manduchi said.
Manduchi, who is currently teaching
a course on universal access and works on
technology to aid the visually impaired,
also said that the campus has not lent
itself to being accessible when it comes to
students with physical disabilities.
“One thing that strikes me about this
Continued on p. 16
cityonahillpress.com 15

Continued from p. 15
Students Call for Awareness of
Disabilities in Higher Education
campus is that we have very
few students with physical dis-
abilities,” Manduchi said. “The
campus is not considered to be
accessible ... We should not ac-
cept ... that we are inaccessible.”
Manduchi said that the lack of
disability education, of disability
awareness and of an established
community of disabled students
is a disservice to the community.
“This is a campus that boasts
diversity,” Manduchi said. “We
keep talking about diversity —
well, diversity is not just gender,
race, language, culture. Diversity
includes diversity in abilities. In
that sense, we are tremendously
not diverse. I think that it is bad,
because we are not serving the
community as we should. We are
serving some part of the commu-
nity and neglecting others.”
While individuals like Church
and Willats aim to improve the
life of students with disabilities
on campus, there is only so much
they can do with the limited
resources given, they said. Wil-
lats said that although the DRC
provides accommodations, it is a
small office and “barely has the
bandwidth to get out there.”
The DRC, which is overall
a small office, has, with stu-
dent involvement, attempted to
overcome financial limitations.
Church said the Peer Men-
tors program came about after
students approached her and ad-
dressed the need for networking
among students with disabilities.
Church then sought out grants
in order to fund the program,
working with students to bring
about change in the disabled
community.
Issues of awareness are left in
the hands of students because,
Willats said, “Who else better to
tell the story than the students
themselves?”
16 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Harmssen, who advocates for
sensitivity training on campus,
believes it would help students
not only learn how to interact
with people with disabilities but
that it would help students learn
how to address people respect-
fully.
“[Hearing people] talking
about disabilities jokingly … it
doesn’t bother me personally, but
I do know, I have worked with
students, I know students who
[say] it does hurt their feelings,
and suddenly they’re afraid to tell
people what they have,” Harms-
sen said. “That’s a problem. It’s
scary. You shouldn’t have to hide
who you are.”
Associate professor Manduchi,
who is currently teaching a gen-
eral education course on universal
access and technology, hopes that
his students will gain “a more
educated view on what disability
Illustration by Bela Messex
is, how life with a disability is,
and how technology can help”
and ultimately, “break the taboo
of talking about disabilities.”
“I want the students to learn
how life is with a disability,”
Manduchi said. “This creates
respect and awareness of these
parts of society that we never re-
ally talk about.”
While students and faculty are
attempting to bring awareness
through education, ADA compli-
ance officer Willats is aiming to
reach administration. Willats is
currently serving as a representa-
tive for the disabled community
on the Advisory Council on
Campus Climate, Culture, and
Inclusion (ACCCI).
As Willats said, “The voice of
people with disabilities is now at
the table.”
*Names have been changed.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
NPR Host Sparks
Discussion about Race
Michele Norris visits Bookshop Santa Cruz for
reading of ‘Grace of Silence’
By Veronica Glover
Arts & Entertainment Reporter
America’s social landscape has un-
dergone a severe transformation in the
45 years since the civil rights movement.
While institutionalized race discrimina-
tion and anti-miscegenation have been
repudiated in American society, the legacy
of the Jim Crow era and racism linger
on in the American psyche, and race as a
topic remains taboo to many people.
“People try to ignore race because it
makes them uncomfortable,” said Cabrillo
College student Alex Moreno, who plans
on attending Bookshop Santa Cruz’s up-
coming book reading. “As children we’re
taught not to focus on it.”
Bookshop Santa Cruz seeks to exam-
ine why race remains a taboo by hosting a
reading and Q&A session with National
Public Radio host Michele Norris about
her book, “The Grace of Silence.”
In writing the book, Norris, the host of
NPR’s “All Things Considered,” sought to
shed light on the perceptions of race and
its evolution in America, particularly in
light of Barack Obama’s presidency. Her
approach changed after several interview
participants responded hesitantly to ques-
tions about race. After she gleaned that
reluctance is common in those asked to
speak about their perceptions of race, she
asked her family for help. She thought
that by making it more personal, she
would figure out where that apprehen-
sion came from. The project subsequently
turned into a memoir.
Norris’ project, which began in the
months prior to the 2008 presidential
election, was intended to provoke con-
versation about race in America and
the public’s personal opinions about the
possibility of America having its first non-
white president. Norris came to find that
when confronted with questions about
race, many people chose to remain silent.
“A lot of people would rather keep
their mouths shut than talk about some-
thing sensitive like race,” Moreno said,
reflecting on why Norris was met with
silence with regards to her questions about
the topic of race. “[Norris] is questioning
why people get silent,” he said.
In the introduction of her book,
Norris said that her interest in the topic
was piqued when she realized that
the unwillingness to discuss race was
something that her family shared with
many of the people she was interviewing.
When she questioned the silence, she
uncovered a painful secret in her father’s
past: He had been shot by a police officer.
Norris changed the approach of her
sociopolitical study to reflect her personal
and familial experiences with avoid-
ing race as a topic of conversation. This
endeavor encouraged Norris to write her
study of American racial perceptions as
a memoir in-
stead, one that
included her
personal story
and how it
was a result of
the unwilling-
ness of many
people to
discuss race.
Despite the many reasons for silence
with regards to race, some people believe
that this suppression of discussion can be
overcome.
Susan McCloskey, Bookshop Santa
Cruz’s events coordinator said Santa Cruz
is an open community that “embraces
silence in order to be politically correct.”
“In ‘The Grace of Silence,’ Norris men-
tions how older generations of people are
less willing to discuss race,” McCloskey
said. “I think students and young people
are willing to start dialogues about tough
topics to improve and educate society.”
Local NPR affiliate radio station
KUSP is also playing a part in the discus-
sion on race in America. Rick Kleffel,
KUSP station personality, will attend the
book reading and Q&A session to take
part in the dialogue about race.
“This event and ‘The Grace of Silence’
are all about getting people out of their
own heads,” Kleffel said. “Reading Norris’
Politics & Culture
Illustration by Patrick Yeung
book and many other books will expose
people to other experiences and give them
things to consider. Learning about the
situations and opinions of others can aid
the learning process and contribute to
conversations about the event, and society
as a whole.”
Kleffel further expounded on how
Norris’ book contributes to the overall
discussion of race in the country.
“If a person combines knowledge of
their own experiences with the things that
they can learn from Norris’ book or other
books they can form new opinions based
on what they’ve learned,” Kleffel said.
“Events like this one can really engage a
community.”
The book reading and dialogue session will be
held this Sunday at Bookshop Santa Cruz, at
1520 Pacific Ave., from 7 to 9 p.m.
cityonahillpress.com 17
Photography Thursday, November 11, 2010

THROUGH
OUR LENS
Photography & Words by
Morgan Grana

State parks are filled with natural beauty

and history that keep people traveling
all over to see what nature has to offer.
A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon
Wilder State Ranch Park, the old home
of some of the Central Coast’s early
ranchers, but I didn’t have time to truly
explore. In mid-November, I finally went
on another morning walk and discovered
one of the park’s many trails and historic
buildings. The coastal view from the trail
was more than I could ask for. It was the
perfect place to be and simply walk in
silence.

To view more photographs from this week’s

Through Our Lens, visit cityonahillpress.com.

18 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Photography

cityonahillpress.com 19

Depression
Continued from p. 13
“Students can come into our office to
request services, and will be scheduled for
an appointment or seen the same day if
they are in crisis,” Murphy said. “There is a
phone number and a website. When they
get their initial appointment, a psycholo-
gist will talk to them about options of
counseling and perhaps medications.”
Murphy encourages friends and parents
to call the center to get consultation about
how to help their friend or child.
“You can get better, and you’re not
alone,” Kutcher said.
Jen Markam found that after getting
help from a therapist and being on medi-
cations, her situation drastically improved.
“When I got treatment and found out
that there were ways to get better, suicide
wasn’t even an option anymore,” Markam
said. “Every time I felt like I was having a
bad day I would reassure myself because I
had to be strong for the friends and family
that love me.”
Markam recalls how she felt more
comfortable with her depression after real-
izing that there are others who suffer from
similar issues.
“Whenever I’d go to my therapist, I’d
see other young people in the office who
are waiting for appointments or just had
one,” Markam said. “Seeing other people
there that were my age made me feel more
comfortable [being] there and reassured
20 cityonahillpress.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
me that I was not alone in this battle.”
CAPS interim director Murphy said
that suicide prevention awareness is es-
sential to promote on campus considering
that the issues of depression and suicide
affect college students strongly.
“It’s really significant to do awareness
on campus around these issues,” Murphy
said. “[There might be] embarrassment,
there may be ‘I can handle it on my own.’
There may be feelings of stigma and not
wanting to acknowledge that people have
these individual problems. We can help
students normalize that this happens with
some college students so that they can
reach out to get more help.”
There are support groups on campus
that meet weekly. Murphy said these
meetings can profoundly impact students
suffering from depression. Students who
go to these meetings have a chance to
meet other young people dealing with
similar issues.
There are more forms of treatment for
depression, now more than ever.
“After going to therapy, taking medica-
tions, and having a strong support system,
I feel as though I am on the brink of con-
quering my depression,” Markam said.
Treatments, therapy, support groups
and medications all act as a ray of hope
for those suffering with depression. These
mechanisms can make their struggles with
depression into victories.
Markam said: “Winning my battle with
depression would be one of the greatest
accomplishments of my life.”
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Trying to Turn the DREAM into a Reality
DREAM Act could support veterans
as well as undocumented students
By Stephanie Meade
Politics and Culture Reporter
Now that Jerry Brown has taken the gubernatorial
seat, the California Development, Relief and Education
of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act will once again be up
for passage. Likewise, the federal DREAM Act, a path-
way for high-achieving, undocumented students to gain
citizenship, will soon face a new Republican majority
Congress. The results could affect students and veterans
alike at UCSC and elsewhere.
Currently, many undocumented high school students
are denied the opportunity to attend college due to lack
of financial support. The only form of financial aid they
are afforded falls under AB 540, a bill that states un-
documented high school graduates who have attended
a California high school for three or more years can pay
in-state tuition — thousands of dollars lower than out-
of-state tuition. In addition, without citizenship, gradu-
ates exit college with very limited choices, their only job
options being those that do not require social security
numbers. This essentially renders their degrees useless.
The California DREAM Act, if passed, would give
undocumented AB 540 students equal opportunity to
receive the same financial aid a citizen receives for any
state college or university from the state of California.
Claudia Magaña, external vice chair of the Student
Union Assembly at UC Santa Cruz, offered some
insight on why the University of California Student
Association (UCSA) has made passing the California
DREAM Act its primary campaign this year.
“For every student that is enrolled in a UC, 32
percent of what we pay in fees goes into this pot for
financial aid, and the financial aid is distributed based
on merit to all students,” Magaña said. “Undocumented
students pay into this, but they have no access to that
money. So that’s a big issue.”
Magaña said that in September, when Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger vetoed the act, it was the state’s large
deficit that prevented the act’s passage. The act would
add an estimated $40 million to the already increas-
ing California deficit, according to an article posted in
September on examiner.com.
“The main argument against it was a fiscal issue,”
Magaña said. “The state is in a big deficit, and the gover-
nor said we couldn’t afford it.”
Still, Magaña has hope for the future of the DREAM
Act not only for California, but on the federal level.
“We just contacted Jerry Brown’s office, and he said
he’d sign it,” Magaña said. “What I really want to see
pass is the Federal DREAM Act to give students access
to citizenship. Because in the end, what are they going
to do with their degrees once they graduate?”
Prospective applicants of the federal DREAM Act
must have come to the United States before the age of
16 and hold a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
Applicants must have lived in the United States for at
least five years. Once accepted, the student will be set
Politics & Culture
Illustration by Rachel Edelstein
on a six-year track to citizenship, unlike the Califor- ultimately alleviating the stresses of college life for AB
nia DREAM Act, which only offers greater access to 540 students.”
financial aid. In Wilson’s opinion, both the federal and state
Another main benefit offered by the federal DREAM Acts, though different, provide a chance to
DREAM Act is that it expands aid and gives temporary harness the potential of all the people who live in the
residency status to people who plan to serve in the mili- United States, no matter where they hail from.
tary, regardless of whether they have a green card. “Intelligence is evenly distributed across the planet.
Support for the act has come from an unexpected It doesn’t care where your parents are from or your heri-
place since its first proposal in 2001, said Daniel Wilson, tage,” Wilson said. “There are a lot of smart people out
Veterans Student Support Coordinator for the Veterans there without support because of the decisions that their
Education Team Support (VETS) program on campus. parents made.”
“In 2005, the Department of Defense listed the
DREAM Act as a No. 1 priority, which is
really odd,” Wilson said. “Because we were in
two heavy wars at the time, we had recruit-
ment issues. This act would increase recruit-
ment.”
Although the DREAM Act potentially
poses financial problems for students who are
citizens of the United States, Wilson said,
he believes the benefits for high-achieving
undocumented people outweigh these costs.
“The argument against it would be that
these people without citizenship are tak-
ing money away from the financial aid fund
that could go to American citizen students,”
Wilson said. “[But] my experience with the
veteran community is that it is highly expected
that people who serve in the military should
receive citizenship.”
UCSC students have been fighting on
behalf of these issues for a while. Third-year
Chris Cuadrado, a Latin American and Latino
studies major, took part in a protest at Sen.
Dianne Feinstein’s office earlier this year,
and is passionate about passing the federal
DREAM Act.
“It will contribute to the decriminalization
of undocumented persons,” Cuadrado said
in an e-mail. “It will make state funding, like
FAFSA, available to undocumented youth,
cityonahillpress.com 21
Editorial
2-year Sentence in Grant
Killing Is Itself a Crime
Case exemplifies that in current system,
liberty and justice are only for some
A
few hours after the ball dropped
on New Year’s Day 2009, Bay Area
Rapid Transit (BART) officer Jo-
hannes Mehserle kneeled over an unarmed
handcuffed man and fatally shot him in the
back.
The harrowing video of the incident in
a BART station shocked many, prompting
calls for murder charges. Instead, Mehserle
was tried and convicted of involuntary
manslaughter, relying on his assertion that
he reached for his taser but mistakenly
drew and discharged his pistol.
Mistakes happen — no one would
argue that fact. Yet, the two-year sentence,
less than the maximum penalty for posses-
sion of a controlled substance, sends the
message that either cops are above the law
or black people are unprotected by it.
“I believe that, one day, as a nation of
people, that you guys will not look at us
according to the color or content of our
skin, but that we will be treated right as
a people,” Grant’s mother, Wanda John-
son, said on ABC News, after Mehserle
received the minimum sentence for his
involuntary manslaughter conviction on
Nov. 6. “My son was murdered ... and the
law has not held the officer accountable the
way he should have been held accountable.”
After being convicted of involuntary
manslaughter — making him eligible for
a sentence of four years, maximum — for
which the jury found him guilty, Judge
Robert Perry ruled that Mehserle should
serve only the minimum two-year sentence.
Additionally, Mehserle received credit
toward his sentence for every day he spent
behind bars during the trial, meaning he
could be out of prison in seven months.
Seven months from now, Tatiana Grant,
the victim’s daughter, will be six years old.
The history of tension between the
Illustration by Patrick Yeung
22 cityonahillpress.com
Oakland Police Department and the black
community made the Mehserle trial al-
legorical.
It could have been an example of how
far our country has come, proof that
“justice for all” includes 22-year-old black
people with criminal records. Instead, the
verdict exemplified a double standard af-
forded to law enforcement and proliferated
a lack of faith in the justice system.
Our country is built on a promise of
justice that rarely is delivered. Yet, in mod-
ern, post-civil rights movement America,
there is at least an assumption of equality
— but a case like Mehserle’s chips away at
the faith on which this country stands.
In 1992, after the four officers convicted
of beating Rodney King were acquitted,
Los Angeles erupted in violent riots, lead-
ing to 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries and more
than 7,000 fires over a five-day period.
Many different politicians and com-
mentators have offered reasons for the size
and force of the uprising — from inner-
city difficulties to intense poverty — but
the spark that ignited the kindling was the
lack of justice in the court system.
The police department is meant to
“protect and serve.” For that reason, police
officers are afforded the right to use force
and, in certain circumstances, deadly force.
However, when beatings, or even mur-
der, are excused as part of the job, justice
becomes absent within the justice system.
When the segment of state committed to
law and order need not adhere to the law,
keeping order will become impossible.
Without citizens’ faith in the state, the
job of law enforcement becomes more
difficult. As evidenced by the O.J. Simpson
trial verdict, which was four years after the
Rodney King beating took place, a lack of
faith in law enforcement will make convic-
tions more difficult.
Oscar Grant Sr., the victim’s grand-
father, warned of the message the ver-
dict sends to the Oakland community.
“They’re telling the public, though
he went to trial, a policeman can shoot
someone and go free,” he told the Los
Angeles Times. “These guys have a
license to kill.”
Judge Perry had an opportunity to
assert that every American really does
receive equal protection under the law.
Instead, he reiterated a message that
has been sent over and over again to
black people: America is one nation,
under God, indivisible, with liberty
and justice for some.
8 percent increase,
8 percent too much
Student presence is crucial in fee hike decision
A
fter all the rallying and de-
manding that the state reinvest
in higher education, yet another
proposed fee increase is on the table to
be voted on at the regents meeting next
Thursday.
The proposal, an 8 percent fee
increase for the 2011–2012 fiscal year,
which equates to an $822 raise in yearly
payment, is disconcerting on many
levels. It reduces what little faith we as
students have in the UC governing sys-
tem even further. It makes an education
that is supposed to be public even less
accessible and depicts a obscenely clear
image of the bleak future structure of
the UC system.
After voting for the 32 percent fee
increase last November, UC president
Mark Yudof and the regents told us to
go to the state legislatures, not to Yudof
and the regents, and to demand that the
state reinvest in higher education. They
said, “March on the capitol: Rally, and
we will rally with you.”
We did. Thousands of us did. We did
just as they suggested, and came from all
10 UCs and demanded on the steps of
the capitol for the state to reinvest in us.
The state did. And yet, our fees are still
going up.
The state reinvested 12 percent more
in higher education than in the previous
year, granting $2.9 billion to the UC
system in this year’s budget — nearly
half of the UC’s budgeted educational
expenditures. The other half is paid for
almost entirely by student fees. Around
$371 million of the $2.9 billion was
granted to cushion the cuts that the UC
has sustained in the past three years.
Our rallying and demands worked
— at the state level. And it’s still not
enough.
Yudof and the regents told us that
they were not the problem. They said
it was out of their control, their hands
were tied. So we rallied. Our demands
of the state were acknowledged, and yet
we saw the same end result — another
fee increase. The deflection has come
full circle.
Already, students pay roughly 40
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Illustration by Rachel Edelstein
percent of their education, and it must
stop there. We, as a state, are embarking
on a repudiation of the system that has
set California apart for over a century:
a public secondary education system.
The increases are indicative of a trend:
privatization.
We must demand that Yudof and
the regents stop deflecting. Yes, the state
should give more to higher education,
but the regents are not powerless. It
is time for them to take responsibility
— they must vote “no” on yet another
fee increase. They must come up with
alternatives that are not in violation of
the intrinsic ideals of the University of
California system.
Education for the public, by the
public is something to be cherished.
We are losing out on the beauty of that
philosophy because no one wants to
pay for it. We are rapidly approaching
an ideal more attuned to “education for
some of the public, by the public who
can afford it.”
If this fee increase passes — and let’s
be real, the chances that regents will not
vote in favor of yet another fee increase
are about as good as Yudof offering
to make less than the president of the
United States — our fees will have gone
up 40 percent in one year.
This number is nothing short of ab-
solutely ridiculous. Though our outrage
was heard in Sacramento last year, it is
imperative that we keep our presence
at the forefront of state legislation and
also make our outrage heard in San
Francisco.
As students in this system, we must
be informed about the proposals on the
table and be present at these meetings.
At these gatherings, decisions are made
about our education and, when the stu-
dent presence is dismal, it reflects poorly
on the student body and gives us less
clout in the decision-making process —
and when proposals such as this are on
the table, student presence is even more
necessary.
We must put faces behind the dollar
bills. Otherwise, we are just figures on a
failing business model.
Thursday, November 11, 2010

WHO

Who the Hell?!

THE
HELL
“You smell like a marshmallow.” “‘You have a nice name ... It’s not the most
flattering, but definitely the most common
MONTANA HORCHLER compliment.”
FOURTH-YEAR, CROWN MAX FOX
EARTH SCIENCE & ANTHROPOLOGY FOURTH-YEAR, COWELL
LINGUISTICS

ASKED
YOU?!
What’s the most flattering thing “You have nice legs.” “That I am super honest ... I don’t know, I don’t
get too many compliments.”
anyone has ever told you?
JAZ ZUNIGA MAX WEINBERG
FOURTH-YEAR, PORTER FOURTH-YEAR, PORTER
Compiled by Bela Messex & Rosanna Van Straten ART & HISTORY OF ART AND ART & COMPUTER GAME DESIGN
VISUAL CULTURE

Letter to the Editors

I would just like to say that your article about vanishing

SLUG
manliness entitled “In Defense of Unabashed Testosterone”
(Oct. 28), was very well written and brings up many valid
points. But I have a few thing to say to sports editor Joey
Bien-Kahn. He speaks of the dying breed of the man’s man at
UCSC. There you are very wrong, sir. We honorable, deter-
mined, and devoted men of the UCSC men’s rugby team are
actually growing in number. In your article you wrote about

COMICS
unabashed testosterone. We pick up a ball and run with it at
full speed into our fellow men. We gather in scrums of eight
men to ram each other. We tackle and maul and ruck and
dip and toss and kick and stiff-arm relentlessly in 80-minute
games. You drew the picture of a manly guy wearing shorts in
the rain. We play in the rain and hail and mud in short-shorts.
You speak of shotgunning beers as being manly... Well, we
won’t get into that. If you have ever seen your fellow man vomit
By Louise Leong
after sprints on a crisp Monday morning with the sun barely
rising over the hills across the bay, you know what it takes to
play rugby. If you want to see what men look like, come to a
rugby game. If you think you are a man, come to a practice.

Dan O’Leary
UCSC vice president of men’s rugby

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