On Nov. 4, Mason Sumnicht celebrated his 21st birthday with the Sigma Pi brothers of CSU Chico. After attempting 21 shots, Sumnicht died of alcohol poisoning.

10 days later, CSU Chico suspended their entire Greek life system from all recruitment and social activities until Spring semester. UC Davis and other universities have begun to reevaluate safety management for their respective Greek systems.

Although we recognize that our campus holds no notoriety as a “party school,” we still extend a word of caution to the Greek system of UC Davis.

With the recent suspension of Sigma Alpha Epsilon due to repeated alcohol violations this year, the administration has already demonstrated its willingness to punish for the sake of safety. It comes as no stretch of the imagination to see our entire Greek system suffer a similar fate if more chapters behave irresponsibly.

We should uphold our history as a safe and responsible student body. With rush events to commence next quarter, fraternities and sororities should keep safety in mind.

At Thursday night’s ASUCD Senate meeting, it was announced that all senators-elect would be seated.

The meeting room was overflowing with attendees, many of whom were supporters of Alyson Sagala, the only candidate who was denied her seat at the start of the day by the Elections Committee. The committee originally ruled in favor of an observation reported involving Sagala, alleging illegal campaigning within 100 feet of a polling location. However, they ultimately ruled that the complaints were invalid because they were filed against the slate, not the individual candidate.

Other complaints filed seemed more politically motivated. This included a complaint against the SMART slate for failing to list the purchase of alcohol for a party on an expenditure report, a complaint against NOW for inappropriate location of fliers and a complaint against the SMART slate by a NOW candidate, alleging being called a racist by SMART supporters.

Fortunately, all of these complaints have been resolved and the table can get on with their jobs and we can stop feeling like sleazy tabloid reporters.

What is a bit disheartening is that the term did not even begin yet when these trivial complaints were filed. It is much too early to get caught up in the drama that often plagues the Association every year. As elected officials, senators should try to push past the finger-pointing and hair-pulling and work on those platforms that had them elected.

On Thursday six senators also gave their farewells. Not surprisingly, senators-elect were advised more than once to a draw clear line between personal lives and the Senate floor. It’s golden advice, as this often happens within the Association and prevents real things from getting done.

New senators, take the advice of your predecessors. We’re glad we’ve moved passed these issues and look forward to seeing what you have in store for our campus.

Am I an artist?

This is a question that goes through the mind of everyone who digs a little bit into a hobby that is considered an art form, and I’m sure it constantly goes through the minds of people who already consider themselves to be artists. When can I consider myself an artist? And for what reason would I wish to?

For that matter, why are people so eager to join the ranks of a community that is famous for not making money and whose worth seems to be determined by the whim of the audience? Is “artist” a title? Is “artist” a job? Is it a hobby to be pursued by anyone with a trace of talent or ambition? It’s definitely an umbrella term — when someone claims to be an artist, a listener might have a multitude of pictures in their head to detail what the artist does, any of which might be a proper description.

Art is broad beyond compare and the relationship between the creator, the work, the audience and the onlookers is complicated. An argument can be made for its importance and effect on society, and an argument just as compelling can be made for its arbitrariness. Conflicting viewpoints of what art is and what an artist does put the arguments in a gridlock, and these largely philosophical questions remain unanswered.
But there’s no question that art has an impact.

Certainly, if you want to be taken seriously, claiming to be an artist (which comes with all the contradictory definitions and questions of necessity) is a bad start. But is this a reflection of the respect shown toward the arts or just the people who think themselves the creators?

Art garners a lot of respect, whether that be the display of talent and the ability to do something that few others have the talent or the time and patience to complete, or the impact it makes on the audience throughout history. Sure, some art is more respected than others, but it’s safe to say that artists fight for that same level of respect given to great film directors, composers and the occasional da Vinci.

Artists are studied — they are critically considered, written about and read about and put into museums or vaults to be shown to the world and/or protected from it. So how can you not take the modern artist seriously?

You doubt them, of course. This person claims he is a creator in the same vein as the greats. He compares himself to great painters, great performers and great thinkers, all in the utterance of “I am an artist.” Of course you’re not an artist — you are not them, you are you.

Give thanks this hostile reaction isn’t usually vocalized.

But this reaction makes sense, if they really feel the claim is a signal of comparison. The artist lives and dies by the critics. Money is rarely the system by which an artist’s success is determined. Recognition is the key, and though few may admit it, recognition is what the modern artist wants.

Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter what an “artist” is because the absolute last thing it is is set in stone. There are many different paths to becoming an artist, and the mistake many people make is choosing to call themselves artists before they’ve done something worthwhile.

Despite wanting to be part of the community, the absolute last thing an artist wants is to fill someone else’s space in that community. They want to carve out their own niche and create on their own terms, whether that be defying convention or even following it, creating or teaching others to express themselves creatively, putting what is unique to them to.

There are plenty of people that use the word “artist” to describe themselves simply because they want to seem more interesting and so others will think that there is a purpose behind everything they do. These people want to be compared, they want to be better than or at least as great as others. I’d encourage those people to give up the title so people who actually make an effort can fill the gaps in the community of artists.

I’d also encourage those who are serious to keep at it, because deep down we all want to be artists, only so many of us are afraid to take on such a daunting title and prove ourselves right.

NICK FREDERICI wants to hear from you. Send your complaints to nrfred@ucdavis.edu.

People say maintaining a happy relationship is one the hardest things to do in life. I say maintaining happiness as a single is even harder.

As we go about our lives, we’re constantly surrounded by twos. A table for one is secretly a table for two — you plus the lack of a relationship staring back at you in the form of an empty chair. Nowadays, large meals can’t even be ordered alone without a waiter condescendingly advising us that our meal is meant to be split with another person. Even condiments are paired to remind us once again that one doesn’t make a whole.

Let’s face it, the world was built for two.

As progressive as our society claims to be, there remain a few milestones we’re all supposed to reach by the ends of our lifetimes. Marriage, children, a stable home — but what if we don’t fit into this mold? Are we doomed to a life of constant scrutiny for choosing to be single? Or are we able to break this mold and fight for the right to remain unattached?

The struggle between couples and singles isn’t an entirely new concept. This idea dates as far back as the biblical age when Noah gave priority to all coupled animals and left singles to fend for themselves.

Apparently, somebody forgot to tell Noah that what he did was both rude and incredibly singlist — a term coined by the members of the recently burgeoning single rights movement formed out of built-up angst in response to the criticism received for being single. It’s ironic to think that even back in biblical times your choice was either to form a couple or die — needless to say, painfully and alone.

In modern society, however, singlism takes place in an entirely different medium. There comes a time in daters’ lives when they look forward to the moment they’re able to utter the words “I met someone” in casual conversation with their closest friends. In a world of romance-hungry individuals, these three words equate to the news of a dire emergency in the way that people will drop whatever topic they’re currently discussing to hear about your romantic escapades.

Whether these conversational topics are news of lifelong achievements, or tales of family personal problems, it seems that no matter what, a scandalous story about flirting will always be the ultimate trump card that steals your thunder.

In a society built upon the idea that there’s power in numbers, it’s no wonder why single voices are slowly becoming silenced beneath the bellowing of relationships.

The wedding industry currently stands at approximately 40 billion dollars — couples being responsible for 99 percent of that (the other percent belonging to Kim Kardashian). Not to mention the extra expenses spent by single friends in the form of gifts and expensive plane tickets to celebrate this momentous achievement.

Why is it that we only celebrate occasions involving someone else?

Engagements. Marriages. Babies. Two of which are celebrations for the same achievement, but where’s the Hallmark card to congratulate us on being single?

After graduation and our birthdays, events celebrating single accomplishments are scarce. Even the muffin baskets of work-related achievements pale in comparison to the multi-tiered cakes of wedding ceremonies.

The more I think of it, the more I have to agree with this newly found single movement.

With the rapid increase in dating and relationships, singles are steadily becoming the minority. And like any minority, don’t we all just want to be treated equally?

Maybe single doesn’t have to be this embarrassing term we shy away from. We should take pride in being single and the active choice of being selective, instead of conforming to societal lifestyle expectations.

Single no longer translates into being pathetic and undesirable. It could just mean we’re having fun and taking our time figuring out who we are and what we want.

I say we raise our glass to the life of being single.

Who needs to get married when you’ve been in a lifelong relationship with yourself for a good 20-something years? This is something most of us need to concentrate more on.

And this is one relationship that’s truly ‘til death do us part.

JASON PHAM would like to thank every single person that reads his column. If anyone’s wondering, he’s registered at jpham@ucdavis.edu