Opinion

Do not underestimate the power, the glory and the majesty of the Mean Friend. There is this kid in my Christian theology class named Kang, a walking skeleton who wears T-shirts with sleeves that go down to his elbows. This kid is so skinny he looks like a character from a Tim Burton movie (specifically, the Halloween-themed one where eight out of its 10 characters have presumably died from malnutrition).

Davis residents will be asked to weigh in on only one question this Election Day: Should the Wildhorse Ranch housing development be approved?

Originally, I wanted to use this week's column to better clarify my personal politics. As a feminist who discovered herself on the Internet, I don't think the mainstream media (read: print media) represents feminist issues accurately, or as often as they should. My plan was to cap off last week's column with something a little closer to home, to give a better idea of how I see the world.

The current debate over net neutrality and further governmental regulations over Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is about as vague as it is broad, and certain groups and members of Congress are taking it too far.

In her convocation speech, Chancellor Katehi - once an international student herself - alluded to the important role international students and scholars play on our campus, saying of UC Davis: "We are leading in diversity and internationalization." However, if we want to "offer a culturally richer and more vibrant learning environment than most other universities," as Katehi suggests, we must ensure we are cultivating a supportive environment in which these voices can grow.

Dear Editor,

I had it all worked out. I'd be sitting around in class earning some knowledge and I'd spot a beautiful girl reading my column, laughing out loud despite herself. She can't help it; I'm funny.

Halloween '07: the night of the drunken bumblebee fight. No, there was no bitch-slapping and we didn't end up making out. I just didn't think she was qualified to tell me to shut up. On Halloween '08, my friend - the Greek goddess - prevented me from macking on a freshman dressed as Santa Claus who probably had DC swipes. She then danced with Obama, resulting in brown body paint on her white dress. Only Halloween allows you to use sentences like that.

For some, this may have happened last night; for most of you, though, it's as foreign as a foreign language. It's not just something you do, but it's also something that happens. Most of the time it takes place in a bed that is, well, lofted. There have been those rare instances, however, in which the "loft effect" was successful with a few furniture rearrangements. And if utilized correctly, the "loftee" will find it hard to resist the "lofter."

So I read an article not too long ago that equated overprotective parents to aircrafts. Apparently, these mothers and fathers that hover over their grown children have been appropriately dubbed "helicopter parents."

The "Stealthy Insect Sensor Project" is the kind of research that makes America look either brilliant or insane.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California marks a significant moment for our little City of Davis.

As California faces unprecedented budget shortfalls, the state's higher education system is suffering like never before. What began as a promise of free education for all residents a generation ago now languishes under budget cuts and fee increases.

ACHOOOOOOOO! A sneeze booms from the mouth of someone sitting behind me in lecture, so loud that I can barely regain my composure (if you consider thinking about Narwhals composure).

"Survival of the fittest" was an evolutionary idea when Charles Darwin wrote the Origin of Species in the mid 1800s. More commonly referred to as "natural selection," the idea is nature favored those who were most fit to survive the conditions of their environment. The strong would survive; the weak would die.