Once upon a time, I met a girl named Mary Jane. She was fun, smelled nice and had a certain addictive quality about her. At first, I’d see her on the occasional weekend, but this soon turned into every weekend, and then some weeknights, and then every night, and now she even visits me on some fine mornings.

Lay off this chick, some would say; she’s bad for you. And while I still fail to see the point, I will admit I can be prone to the occasional sore throat and delayed response time. But she never really did me any wrong, and I’ve found no reason to drop her. Still, the dissenters pressed on, and I began to wonder just how bad MJ was for me, and for society at large.

MJ has a criminal past and present. She’s played an instrumental role in Mexico’s war on drugs, with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy stating that 60 percent of Mexican drug cartels’ profits come from cannabis, along with 28,000 deaths in Mexico since 2006. By staying close friends with Mary Jane, I could very well be supporting a terrible cause, fattening the wallets of drug lords and their warring factions. However, legalization could mean an end to the hundreds of millions of dollars the United States spends in dealing with Mary Jane and her shady associates, as well as a major reduction of drug-related violence.

“But she’s one toxic chick,” says a concerned friend. “She’s like a bad mix of 400 different chemicals.” I considered this, and the way she makes my body feel. Well, there is the rapid heartbeat: heart patients could potentially have problems with cannabis, though in general, cannabis relieves stress, dilates the arteries, and lowers diastolic pressure. And while that pot smoke does contain cancer-causing chemicals (as does all smoke), a direct link to lung cancer has not been proven. Additionally, Dr. Donald Tashkin, a leading marijuana researcher on pulmonary functions, believes there is no way anyone can incur emphysema through the use of marijuana, unlike tobacco. Tashkin’s studies have shown that while cannabis smoke can cause pre-cancerous lesions just as tobacco does, these THC-related lesions contain no radioactivity. However, when your throat and lungs become noticeably irritated (i.e. a “bleeding” throat or a hacking cough), I’d say it’s your safest bet to give yourself a break.

She gets you high. Most naysayers to marijuana don’t deny the body of evidence that surrounds using the substance for medicinal purposes, but are more worried about the “high” effect. Short-term memory loss, a distorted sense of time, paranoia and “random” thinking are all psychological effects of weed.

There is enough social and scientific evidence out there to suggest that pot smokers can be perfectly productive members of our community, holding normal jobs and actively participating in everyday societal activities, such as school newspaper writing. UCLA’s Coptic study showed absolutely no brain differences between non-smokers and heavy smokers (and when I say heavy smoker, I mean 16 high potency spliffs a day). Furthermore, a series of studies on ganja-smoking Jamaicans by Marilyn Bowman found “no impairment of physiological, sensory and perceptual-motor performance, tests on concept formation, abstracting ability and cognitive style and tests of memory.”

She’ll lead you down a dark road… or will she? Does weed really lead you on to harder drugs? A recent University of New Hampshire study found that a number of other factors influenced the use of harder drugs more than whether or not users have tried marijuana, and as a 1999 Institute on Medicine Report states, “… it is the legal status of marijuana that makes it a gateway drug”.

Girlfriend is addictive, or perhaps I just need my pot like I need my coffee. The addictive qualities of weed are still debated, but a New York Times article on nicotine addiction analyzed the addictiveness of six drugs from the research of three prominent researchers in separate studies; all placed marijuana on the bottom of the list, right next to or underneath caffeine (heroin, and according to one doctor, nicotine, wins the first spot, followed by alcohol and cocaine, if any of you were wondering).

While I’m visibly pro-pot, I admit marijuana has its potential risks that vary greatly by individual, and that there’s still plenty to be researched and confirmed. The truth is, there’s been a lot of misinformation going around about our friend Mary Jane. I’ve provided just a smidgen of some common misconceptions about our green lady, and invite you to question the other half-truths your childhood D.A.R.E. officer and all of his friends may have told you. Enlighten yourselves, and may the green be with you.

There’s a new spirit of unity in the air, wafting through our hallowed halls, making its way out to the quad where discontented students mingle, meandering among us and through us, winding itself around the patterns of our thoughts as we collaborate to create new patterns and new causes.

What is the cause of the current age? We seek unity while recognizing the beauty of diversity, and also cultural affirmation while embracing a pluralistic social scheme.

Can there be unity in diversity? Columbus brought together two “worlds,” with all the dysfunction that came with that collision. What would things look like today had those two worlds coalesced instead of collided? Perhaps Columbus Day should be declared a day for philosophical reflection and renamed: “Seeking the Big Picture Day.”

Cultural geographers tell us that in ancient times warfare was the common method of obtaining and retaining living space and resources. Some neoliberals might say we’ve transitioned from physical warfare to a type of economic warfare that benefits all in the long run. But what are we “competing” for in a dog-eat-dog world where prosperity is measured solely in monetary units and social responsibility is thrown out in favor of “let the buyer beware?”

No one has all the answers, but one thing’s for sure. Our current political system is corrupt in its morals and dysfunctional in its effects. It cannot continue the way it is.

Something big is in the works. Students are protesting all over the world, and the status quo is slowly crumbling. The Internet is truly living up to its name, enabling the entire world to slowly come together in spirit – a burgeoning spirit of unity.

Call it perhaps a “New Pangaea,” but the new supercontinent will exist in the combined intellectual, moral and political realm of the intangible, even while we recognize the importance of actual physical space and the necessity of living in the here and now on the physical continents.

Sunday was “10/10/10” on the calendar and the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco declared it to be “Powers of Ten Day” in honor of Charles and Ray Eames, who produced the famous Powers of Ten film. The film starts by showing a man taking a nap on a picnic blanket, then zooms out according to scale factors of 10 to show our place in the universe.

If the filmmakers had been able to zoom out horizontally instead of vertically to show the interwoven complexity of life on earth in visual form, maybe it would be easier for the Earth’s people to appreciate the nature of the physical-mental space that we all inhabit together.

As de Tocqueville explained, we are all free within the “circles” we draw around ourselves, but outside the circle we are neither entirely independent nor entirely free. Everything we do in interaction with others or the environment has consequences for the world and everyone in it. When unintended consequences pile up and threaten to disrupt our evolving and changing forms of social homeostasis, then corrective adjustments can only be made by democratic consensus on the part of those who are at or near the scene.

And so it makes sense when protesting students in Europe call for “Basisdemokratie,” which means: democracy from the base on up. It’s a political framework within which social institutions of all types can become interpenetrated by varying degrees of internal democratic processes, with everything being embedded in an interconnected frame of justice and equity. In terms of its application to universities specifically, it’s a concept which goes above and beyond the concept of shared governance.

Shared governance is a unique concept that applies in the special case of higher education, which recognizes that professors should be allowed to govern themselves in terms of the academic nature of their work, since only they can judge such things properly and effectively. Regrettably, the question of how students should fit within the concept of the shared governance of the university as a whole has been more or less put on the back burner for the past few decades.

In a public university, students are not only constituents of the university, but we are also citizens of our encompassing democratic society, and so we are engaged in a dual capacity. And when we march in unity around the campus, it’s important to see that Big Picture. Such marches represent the erupting magma of the ongoing intellectual and political plate tectonic shifts of our times and cannot be ignored. Caveat administrator!

BRIAN RILEY wants to know: Are you surfing the seismic waves of today’s social tectonic paradigm shifts, or just sunbathing within the circle of your own intellectual backyard? Let him know at bkriley@ucdavis.edu.

Caleb Cheng has it all wrong – he really does.

Let’s set aside for a moment the depressing fact that he works for the department of land, air and water resources, which, for the record, means he’s probably the most biased person on campus to critique a positive column on marijuana.

That whole point about “it’s still illegal?” Bullshit. Gay marriage is still illegal, too, Mr. Cheng, but that doesn’t mean it’s immoral. Legality does not automatically equate to morality. That’s an elementary logical fallacy.

People who criticize May’s column usually have two beefs: 1) marijuana is illegal, and 2) one should not advocate drug use. I just eviscerated the first point, so I’ll move on to numero dos.

Without getting too hoity-toity up in this beezy, I’m about to call it like I see it: the U.S. is probably the only country in the world that would allow Big Pharma to legitimately classify not-getting-a-boner as a disease – erectile dysfunction – and subsequently allow them to market drugs for it (viva Viagra, brah). This results in ads being run day-in and day-out that pound insane subliminal messages in our heads (in effect, skullfucking us with cheesy pictorial puns like a dude literally pitching a tent with his wife or a studly 50-something with a flattop throwing a football through a tire swing) demanding that we run to our doctors for prescriptions of Levitra®, Cialis® or Viagra®.

Promoting drugs, Mr. Cheng, is America’s favorite pastime. And I’d venture to say that ganja is safer than 1-[4-ethoxy-3-(6,7-dihydro-1-methyl-7-oxo-3-propyl-1H-pyrazolo[4,3d]pyrimidin-5-yl) phenylsulfonyl]-4-methylpiperazine.

DAVE KARIMI

Senior, Philosophy

“I gotta job for ya.”

“What are the specs?” I ask.

“It’s in CD-11, down in the East Bay and Central Valley,” he says. “Incumbent’s considered the most vulnerable Dem in the state, which means a crowded Rep primary. The field isn’t settled yet, but it won’t be easy. The reg is almost perfectly even. With the national mood, this should be a big pickup for the Reps.”

“Who’s my candidate?”

“Long time resident of the district, married, three children, beautiful home,” he says. “She’s never run for office before but she knows Congress very well – been a lobbyist in D.C. for years.”

I arch my eyebrows.

“Relax,” he says. “It’s for a non-profit disability rights organization, for an issue that affects her son, so there’s plenty of room for a good image. And her newness to the political scene is a strength this year.”

It doesn’t take long thinking about the realities of first-time candidates before I come up with my next question.

“Money?”

“Yep. She’s dropped in 200 grand of her own to start, which will cover you and the campaign through the primary. She’s promising a lot more from big donor connections in D.C. and L.A. After that, the NRCC and the cavalry will come in. Compensation is not a problem.”

I look into the rear-view mirror and watch a soft-looking bureaucrat walk to her car behind us. The garage just across from the Capitol is nearing empty, the perfect place for a quick conversation. She slowly fumbles for her keys with an armload of files.

“That’s quite a drive from Davis,” I say, eyeing the bureaucrat. “And the last campaign I was on was so stressful I vowed I’d never do it again.”

“Gimme a break, Rob. The Obama administration is spending this country into the ground. Whether the people like it or not Congress is insisting on their version of health care reform. Cap and trade, a pathetically apologetic foreign policy, and government takeovers of the auto industry, finance industry and private industry in general, bit by bit. None of it’s working. And you’re going to sit this one out? Is this ya New Year’s resolution?”

For most, politics is an incurable disease. Left and right, once infected, you never stop paying attention, never stop caring. Ideology and competitiveness take hold. Paid or not, you’ve got to do something. He senses my hesitation and slides a manila envelope across the dash.

“The first installment,” he smiled.

I take my time and consider how it came to this rendezvous. When I entered this world a few years back, I had no idea how hard it would be to get out. The work is far too important. Some days I enjoy it. Most days I do not. The envelope is too thin for all the misery that comes with it. But so many of my friends do it. My wife does it. Old habits die hard, too.

“I don’t know. I was thinking of just becoming a teacher now instead of later. You know how much I love to work with kids.”

“Oh, that’s right, the kids. That’s wonderful, you’ll really enjoy that.” He nods his head slowly. “And of course they’ll need great teachers, when every one of them is born owing more than $40,000 to the federal government before they can even crawl.”

His final jab speaks to the heart of a properly-motivated involvement in politics: to make the country better. I close my eyes and sigh.

It’s just so easy to fall back into the life.

“All right. But this is the last one. After this, I’m out. I’m retired. I’m done with it. Do you hear me?” I look him straight in the eyes.

He flashes a toothy grin. “Sure,” he says as he raises his palms for emphasis. “Sure, you’ll never have anything to do with politics ever again, never work in it again, never write about it again. I promise.”

ROB OLSON wishes old conversations with himself were actually this cool. For your own meeting with him come to the proverbial parking garage at rwolson@ucdavis.edu.

I condemn the graffiti of the Third World Mural, but I want to highlight the stark differences in the responses to this “assault” compared to 2007, when a Jewish Sukkah on the Quad was vandalized with the words “Free Palestine.”

Did campus officials speak out as vehemently? No. Did student groups rally to support Jewish students? No. Did Muslim students denounce the crime? Not publicly.

Then how should the campus respond? First, the community needs to understand, despite what Rick Sanchez says, Jews are an oppressed minority. They have been for millennia. Just as not all Muslims are terrorists, not all Jews are rich. Jews endure the same discrimination, racism, etc. that other minorities also face. About 13 million Jews comprise 0.3 percent of the world’s population. It’s estimated that less than 10 percent of UC Davis is Jewish. That makes Jewish students, by the truest definition of the word, a minority.

Why aren’t Jews represented on this mural “which represents various minorities on campus?” If they aren’t because this is a Third World Mural, then why are other American minority groups represented? To begin to heal we need to realize we are not that different from one another. A good first step would be to offer Jewish students a space on the mural.

MICHAEL AMERIKANER

International Relations, ’04

I am writing in response to Tuesday’s editorial, “General Education: GE reform must be sensitive to students.”

In principle, I agree that revamping the general education framework is a good idea. However, speaking practically from my own experience, it’s a good intention starting from the wrong location. No question the American public school education system sucks (and that is an understatement). But if changes need to be made, they need to be made way below our grade level, beginning at middle school if not earlier.

I found it appalling that the statewide high school exit exam everyone was required to take could easily have passed for a middle school graduation exam. That’s how bad it was. I find still more shocking the surprising lack of coordination between the AP testing system and the process by which both AP scores and transferable courses are recognized by both community colleges and the UC system and course credit given. This is coming from someone who has been told numerous times by bureaucratic red tape that such and such a course is not exactly the same as the version offered by the school and who, as a result, spent a lot of time “relearning” material I already knew.

Here’s a concrete example: You take a psychology class in high school. Then you go to community college and find out that because the AP class isn’t recognized, you get to do general psychology all over again. You need to take a statistics class, also something you passed with flying colors in high school, only to be informed that statistics for “psychology” is different from statistics for “math.” I felt the mean value of my IQ going down even as I heard this. Then when you finally transfer to UC Davis, you don’t even get to take interesting, major-specific classes that would teach you new material in the discipline. Instead, it’s PSC 100 and PSC 101. As a junior transfer student, I find that unacceptable. It’s ludicrous how many times you get to relearn the same generic material just to satisfy a stupid undergraduate requirement.

By stupid, I mean an unintelligent, uncoordinated, unbalanced reflection of what an average student’s knowledge should be at this stage in academic life. Maybe I’m part of a select few who actually pay attention in their classes and whose memory retention is a little bit better than that of a desiccated sea sponge. Somehow, I doubt that. So I offer my genuine condolences to the incoming round of students who will “have to take 12 to 20 units in each of three topical breadth areas: arts and humanities, science and engineering, and social sciences, regardless of their major … [and] 35 units within four core literacies.” It’s preposterous to try to fix now (literacy?!) what should have been fixed a long while back, and it’s outrageous to subject students to what is essentially high school all over again. If high school wasn’t good enough, that’s where repairs ought to start. Not by creating all-new undergraduate requirements that try to hastily patch over the reading skills that somehow fell through the cracks. Even with possibilities of double-dipping, it will be an arduous, unnecessary and torturous repetition for many.

There are probably people out there who slept through their high school years and are now trying to make up for it in college. That’s great. But the rest of us, the much larger part of us, are here because we have been working our asses off. We pay for our education. Don’t waste our time.