Arts & Culture

From an outsider's perspective, campus events like poker tournaments and open mic night seem to effortlessly take place each quarter. But in reality, Campus Unions program coordinator Lexer Chou is the woman behind the scenes, planning and orchestrating each event brought to the UC Davis campus.

Rating: 5

Slumdog Millionaire doesn't just "have heart," as some people say; this movie runs on heart. Heart is all it knows, its entire raison d'être, its focus and emphasis at the same time.

It's a classic story with enough creativity to avoid feeling stale. The plot follows Jamal Malik through his childhood in the abject poverty of Bombay slums, eventually leading to his fateful appearance on India's version of the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" and his attempts to reconnect with the girl he loves.

Entertainment Council

The Entertainment Council has a number of events planned for the quarter. The first music event of the year will bring pop-punk bands Limbeck and Push Push Pull to the ASUCD Coffee House next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Other events such as Singles Awareness Night and the Coexist Comedy Tour are planned for February. The EC is also sponsoring the annual International Film Week in March, and is presenting a screening of Choke next Monday at 8 p.m. in 123 Science Lecture Hall.

ur Davis apartments and dorm rooms are not immune to invasions of various non-human creatures. So why do we hate them so much?

Artist Catherine Chalmers will explore humans' hatred of such creatures with the lecture "Sex, Food Chains and Cockroaches" tonight at 6:30 in Wyatt Pavilion Theater.

Fans of "The Simpsons" and Shakespeare alike will have an opportunity to rejoice next week as the theatrical mash-up MacHomer makes a stop in the Mondavi Center on Dec. 11. The one-man show, which was created by Rick Miller in the summer of 2004, replaces the original characters of Shakespeare's Macbeth with characters from the popular cartoon "The Simpsons."

Miller, who has performed the show for over 500,000 people in the last 13 years, said the idea came to him as a result of too much idle time backstage during a touring production of Macbeth.

Being that the scheduling gods just aren't on my side (two finals and two papers all on Tuesday are just the beginning of my suffering) combined with the fact that stuffy noses and horrible headaches have recently become my new best friends, I can confidently say that I'm very ready for the upcoming break.

It's Dec. 12 - finals are done, fall quarter's notes are either filed or trashed and you've probably forgotten most of the quarter already. But if you're not going home, you're in for a long winter of Davis cheer (i.e. you're probably stuck alone in an empty apartment). For all of those staying in Davis over the break, here's an exciting and provocative list of local winter activities to keep you busy throughout the break.

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

Christmas movies tend to grab the attention of almost every media outlet during the holiday season, so it's always nice to see some diversity on the regular cable channels. If you haven't seen this 2003 holiday classic on Comedy Central already, it's bound to be on eventually. Starring Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer and Andy Dick, the film follows a former Israel Defense Forces captain as he becomes a pimped out Orthodox Jewish badass on a mission to save Hannukah. With frequent mentions of circumcision and character names like Esther Bloomenbergensteinenthal, stereotypes obviously run rampant.

"Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis" by Tom Waits

So there aren't a lot of hookers in Davis. But that's okay, I can still identify with this song; it's not like Tom Waits actually gets Christmas cards from hookers either - on second thought, maybe he does. With the song's sleazy piano and Waits' distinctive smokers' croon, this might be just the kind of slow burning love song even someone as potentially jaded as a hooker can fall in love with. Besides, when you're strutting your stuff up and down the cold streets of Davis this weekend - in fishnet stockings and high heels - you just might feel a little like a lady of the night. In that case, Tom Waits and I have you covered. You can thank me later. I recommend a card.

For improv artists performing in front of an audience, their every word and move is open to scrutiny. But despite the public nature of their art, the innards of improv subculture are largely hidden. Until now.

On one end of the spectrum of improv actors is Mike Lane, a senior international relations and history major and director of Birdstrike Theatre. The acting troupe has grown every year since its inception in 2005, though Lane has grander plans that may cause friction with anti-establishmentarian fans.

"When people stand up, things change."

In six words, Sean Penn managed to sum up the entire movie of Milk. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still see it.

Believe it or not, in about a week's time you'll be free of classes, tests and term papers. To help you pass your winter days, The California Aggie has compiled a list of non-required reading based on recommendations from UC Davis professors.

Next time you head out to the bars or to the clubs, give second thought to the person checking your ID.

With an insider's view from the outside, they're an integral part of the bar scene - working as bouncers at various bars in downtown Davis, fifth year senior English major Matthew Nickerson and junior biochemistry and molecular biology major Andrew Del Real witness another side of Davis nightlife.