Last Wednesday, Nov. 9 , after a peaceful march to Bank of America and a noontime rally on Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley protesters voted to set up an encampment in front of Sproul Hall, the UC Berkeley administrative building, to begin the Occupy Cal movement. After ignoring a dispersal order by the campus police department, the peacefully-organized protesters were immediately confronted by police using brutal violence, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals. Such an aggressive response by police toward non-violent protesters is extremely deplorable and not justified under any circumstances.

Widely circulated videos and photographs depict the police striking students with batons and using excessive force in making arrests. It is abundantly evident that the severe tactics used were completely unwarranted by the nature of the non-violent protest. While those participating, by ignoring the order to disperse, were all legally subject to arrest, it is expected that the police make the arrests in a non-violent manner. Instead, educated individuals passionate about drawing awareness to the troubles facing higher education were confronted with unprovoked brutality by the very group of people charged with the task of protecting them.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau said that police were “forced to use their batons” to enforce a UC Berkeley policy that states that the encampment presented “safety, space and conflict issues.” Campus Police Chief Margo Bennett further justified the use of violence, saying “linking arms in a human chain when ordered to step aside is not a nonviolent protest.”

Through these comments, police and administration are blurring the line between what constitutes as violence in an attempt to frame the situation in a manner that casts blame on the protesters.

Under no circumstances do non-violent actions warrant a violent response. Furthermore, even if the ambiguous definition of violent protest is accepted, police are still seen in videos brutally responding to protesters who were neither linking arms nor refusing arrest.

The purpose of the Occupy Cal movement is not to generate tension between police and protesters, but rather to draw attention to the state’s decreased investment in higher education. We stand in solidarity with the students of UC Berkeley who should continue to exercise their right of expression to question the current course of the public university system.

We call out to UC Davis students to voice their own opinions about the pressing issues facing our university, state and country.

Editor’s note: The first paragraph of this editorial has been updated to more accurately reflect the views of the Editorial Board. The print edition inaccurately states that nine protesters were responsible for the vote to camp at Sproul Hall. The Aggie regrets this error.

In my column last week I opened with a remark about how college can be scary. Truth be told, it is not. Graduating from college is scary.

I have no doubt the adjustment between college and the real world will be more difficult than the one between high school and college. After all, the only difference between high school monotony and college life is not living with your parents, shorter school days and the privilege to spend Tuesday nights playing beer pong on a broken-off closet door in the dorms. How did I ever get used to that?

The change so many of us are faced with now is much more daunting. Breaking away from my cookie cutter routine of picking a class schedule and arranging a 16-hour work week around it will be difficult. So I’m just supposed to pick a city to move to, pick a profession to pursue and then get a job? At least that will be easy.

This is the pre-life crisis I am trying to explain. A 40 year-old male can reassure himself of his masculinity during his mid-life crisis by buying a sports car when he starts balding. That 43 year-old woman can respond to her own mid-life crisis by starting to get her coug’ on. What options do we have? Everyone is expecting us to come out of college with a smile on our face, full of youth and vigor, and ready to take on the world. I think the more realistic expectation would involve me on my parents’ couch filling out an application to the Starbucks my Mom’s friend manages.

Even with the economy down and jobs few and far between, my fate to become a slightly over-qualified barista is not yet sealed. Many people choose to go to grad school, but enduring two more years of classes with only half the time to adjust to the local college culture just doesn’t sound appealing. Nor does the option of staying in Davis for grad classes, a life where the majority of the social interactions you experience would involve people asking if you still go here when they see you on campus.

With the plan B of an extended education out the window, I could always consider the option of travel. When pondering the idea of going to the London Olympics this summer, I thought fondly of watching the U.S. basketball team in action. Then I realized this would land me back in America two weeks later, sans whatever money I had saved up to leave college with. I also could make plans for a long stay in Thailand or somewhere exotic in South America on the cheap, but I’m pretty sure I can think of about 15 inspirational movies reminding me that I can’t just run away from my problems.

Having pointed out the flaws surrounding these alternatives to becoming an adult, I have started my preparations to face the music. Perhaps it really is time to throw in the towel on no-shave November and the other college shenanigans. In reality, I should be suiting up to look for a job in an attempt to keep up with my roommate who has been pulling in five-part interviews every other week. That would at least be a change in my current routine of feeling guilty for not attending career fairs and peaking-out my average daily productivity at doing laundry.

It remains undetermined whether I am more likely to find myself in a suit and tie heading into the challenging environment of the workplace, or throwing on sweatpants to spend an afternoon playing Windows XP Pinball in my parents’ garage. For the mean time, I will do all that is in my power to not only ensure my future, but as I have said before, enjoy the time I have left.

This means that I will be scouring Craigslist for potential job opportunities, but also using it to look for a free couch to put in my backyard. I will still take in the local party scene, but with a greater focus on improving my ability to chat people up.

A pre-life crisis can be disheartening but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your college persona completely. Keep having fun, but consider focusing on your future a bit beyond what classes to take next quarter.

If you have any tips on how to fail more classes, you can reach AARON WEISS at atweiss@ucdavis.edu.

Students should be aware and careful with their financial bills because the university has a slick way of making money. This is a warning for students to pay special attention of a hidden fee. Students do not understand that they are allowing the university to take their money without authorization.

This issue is critical in relation to health insurance. Rather than requesting insurance, the university puts the onus on the student to opt out of having health insurance specifically provided by the university. This burden and confusion can cause unnecessary debt of hundreds of dollars for the student.

In all fairness, the university policy should be that students opt in to the insurance, not the current policy of requiring students to opt out. This is especially crucial for freshmen and transfer students who have stacks of paperwork to fill out and could easily miss the requirement that they sign a waiver in order to relieve the pain of paying unnecessary health insurance for another plan when they are already covered by their parents’.

This mandatory health insurance fee may be just another way for the university to take an unnecessary amount of money away from the students who are already overburdened by the tuition increase. Even in the event of a human or technological error, no help is provided to give the student his or her money back once the University has taken it.

Ivor F. Benci-Woodward, Jr.
Senior film & media studies major, education minor

In addition to the great resources of where to get groceries around Davis in the article “Grocery roundup: Where to buy food … and what to do when you run out of swipes” on Sept. 22,  we at Health Education and Promotion (HEP) would like to add two additional resources.

First, there is a brand new Wellness Garden located on the South side of the new Student Health and Wellness Center on La Rue Road. Although the Wellness Garden is relatively small, we appreciate it when students walk by and pick a tomato or two right off the vine, or cut a few leaves of basil for their dinner that night. It is an amazing spot on campus for free produce and we encourage people to come harvest what they need. We just recently planted our fall/winter garden! So come by in a few weeks for some free fresh produce!

A second resource we would like to call attention to is the Fruit and Vegetable Map, which is posted on Davis Wiki, developed by HEP. The map is an excellent resource for students to find fresh produce around their neighborhood.

Diana Grandi
Wellness Garden and Nutrition Student Assistant
Health Education and Promotion
(707)547-7617