It’s been just three years since Wajahat Ali graduated from UC Davis School of Law. Already, the nation is beginning to take notice of the man hailed as one of today’s most influential Muslim American artists.

Ali has gained serious recognition as a journalist, essayist, humorist, attorney and playwright responsible for shedding light on the post-9/11 Muslim American community. He’ll also be the first to say he could have never predicted the path his career has taken.

“I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always wanted to write and do stuff with creativity but I didn’t know how to do it,” said Ali, who graduated with a degree in English at UC Berkeley. “I had a pretty varied, interesting career in college. I dabbled in everything.”

At Berkeley, Ali helped create the campus’s first sketch comedy troupe and served on the board of the Muslim Student Association, among other activities. It was there that he began writing a play called The Domestic Crusaders.

The play focuses on three generations of a modern, Muslim Pakistani American family as each generation struggles to assert its own voice and come together in the post-9/11 world. It premiered at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York on Sept. 11, 2009, breaking box-office records and being hailed by critics and authors as a landmark achievement in Muslim American literature.

“We’ve been overdosed with love,” Ali said of his play. “It’s just fascinating because, look, I’m a dude from Fremont. I’m not famous. My cast was not superstars. It was an independent production. A piece like this should not have gotten the response it did. But it’s a story about an untold perspective at a very topical, sensitive moment for America.”

Ali said people of all cultures embrace The Domestic Crusaders, and are often surprised to recognize their own families in the drama played out onstage.

“There was an amazing response from the Jewish community, African Americans, South Asians, Muslims and the Puerto Rican community, saying, ‘We didn’t know that Muslim Americans are like this.’ So many people are shocked. They’re like, ‘this is basically our family.'”

Law school professor Joel Dobris performed with Ali in Cardozorama, the school’s talent show, when Ali was a student. He said that Ali was always a natural performer.

“I’m a big fan of his. He’s very charismatic, funny and compelling,” Dobris said. “His play has done very well. I’m delighted he’s been as successful as he has.”

Ali has also recently garnered praise for his article “Wells Fargo, You Never Knew What Hit You,” published in the newsmagazine San Francisco Panorama. It candidly tells the story of how, while living at home after law school, Ali saved a family’s home from impending foreclosure. Having not studied foreclosure law, and eager for work, Ali turned to the Internet to learn the basics.

“Economic desperation does wonders for one’s stamina and risk-taking abilities,” he said. “The foreclosure sale date was literally three days from the time [the family] came and met me. They were desperate, I was desperate.”

“It is high-pressure, it is stressful. But that’s the American dream: the home. You feel compelled ethically to do the right thing and work extra-hard for them.”

Ali also edits Altmuslim.com, a site devoted to discussion of global Muslim politics and culture, and maintains a blog entitled Goatmilk, which addresses Muslim American issues. In addition, he has written op-ed pieces for the Guardian and Huffington Post.

Ali said Muslim Americans today, spurred on by the events of 9/11 and subsequent pressures, have the opportunity to define who they are through art.

“When minority groups or ethnic groups feel pain, or feel like they’ve been placed under a microscope, is when they produce some of the best art. Muslims came to that fork in the road at 9/11,” he said. “Art has been a great vehicle for people to express their viewpoints or their protests or their lifestyle.”

Ali encourages students, especially minorities, to not be afraid to take risks and express their own unique point of view.

“You will find an abundance of riches in your history, in your family, and in your identity. Don’t be ashamed of it,” he said.

Ali’s early successes are certainly a testament to this ideal, and his former law professor Carlton Larson, for one, has no doubt about Ali’s future.

“He’s phenomenally talented,” Larson said. “He’s definitely marked for stardom.”

“The last thing I want to be,” Ali said, “is that dude at 60 years old who looks back on his life and says, ‘Oh, if I had just done that in my 20s or 30s, if I had just taken that risk,’ and have that regret.”

ROBIN MIGDOL at can be reached arts@theaggie.org.

The San Francisco Jazz Collective will perform at the Mondavi Center today at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $12.50 for students.

Hailed by the New York Times as a “serious new jazz band,” the SF Jazz Collective performs an entirely new show every year. Their performances intend to remain relevant, innovative and faithful to both jazz’s ancient roots and its more modern elements.

Celebrating the contributions of funky ’50s jazz musician Horace Silver, as well as original compositions from the eight members, the performance will include debuts from Collective members Mark Turner, Avishai Cohen and Edward Simon. Returning jazz artists include Stefon Harris, Miguel Zenón, Robin Eubanks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland.

“Going to see the Collective is like going to New York and hitting every great jazz club in one night,” said Rob Tocalino, director of marketing at the Mondavi Center and former associate director of Marketing and Communications for SFJAZZ, in an e-mail interview. “Each one of these musicians is an absolute monster on his instrument. They all lead their own bands, they’re all incredibly talented composers, and we’re incredibly lucky to get them all in one room on the same night.”

The ensemble was created to shed more light on modern jazz, as they had observed that much more emphasis is put on jazz’s ancient “golden age.”

“If the mention of jazz makes you think of finger-snapping beatniks, this show will rapidly erase that image from your mind,” Tocalino said.

Tocalino said that the group is truly diverse, hailing from Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Venezuela, Israel and America. They grew up listening to a wide range of music, including hip-hop, salsa, rock and other popular music

Founded in 1983, the Collective presents over 100 performances per year to audiences of over 100,000. In order to foster talent, practice and creativity in their members, they set aside a few weeks per year for intensive jazz workshops. During this time they also mentor young aspiring jazz musicians.

Tocalino commented that it was truly remarkable that the band steps back from their chaotic touring schedules to rehearse, calling them a rarity in the jazz world.

“I remember one rehearsal where drummer Eric Harland was pushing himself to wrap his head around a particularly challenging rhythm that alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón had written,” Tocalino said. “There was some good-humored complaining on his part about how impossible the part was. Of course, when I saw their show later that week he had it nailed. That’s how good these guys are.”

Public relations representative for the ensemble Marshall Lamm said this is the seventh incarnation of the SF Jazz Collective.

“It’s the perfect introduction to jazz for beginners,” Lamm said. “The group can be described as a modern jam band.”

Tom Slabaugh, faculty director of the Aggie marching Band-Uh and lecturer in the music department, said that Horace Silver – the musician whose work the performance will feature – is influential in adding gospel music and folk music into the jazz medium. He described Silver’s hallmark tune “Song of my Father” as a beautiful up-tempo track with a gospel feel to it.

“Silver had a really strong influence on heart-bop jazz when he started in the ’50s,” Slabaugh said. “I personally adore his work, so I’m really looking forward to this performance.”

Accompanying the performance will be a limited edition deluxe CD containing videos of all the live performances. In addition, the collective has a DVD released from their 2007 concert at the Jazz a Vienne Festival in France.

“It’s going to be fun to hear all these different musicians coming together,” Slabaugh said. “It’s an eclectic mix; you’ve got winds, traditional quartets and jazz vibes.”

Tocalino also emphasized the opportunities student ticket prices give to the community.

“You’d barely get past the door at one of the jazz clubs in New York for that amount of money,” he said. “But to see eight of the greatest jazz musicians working today together on stage? I’d call that a steal.”

ELENI STEPHANIDES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Granada Artist-in-Residence Katya Kamotskaia, with Mark Stevenson, will direct Anton Chekhov’s famous Russian play, The Seagull, opening Mar. 10 through Mar. 14. Performances begin at 8 p.m., except for Sunday’s, which begins at 2 p.m.

The Seagull, a Russian play written in 1894, was a revolutionary dramatic work. With elegant landscapes for backgrounds and love triangles, it may not seem like a comedy.

But it is. The plot works around two generations of people devoted to the stage, whether writing or acting for it. It embodies the cult obsession with drama at that time in Russia.

Kamotskaia, who was born and based in Russia, now works permanently at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasglow, Scotland as a director, acting teacher and lecturer. She brought her colleague, Mark Stevenson, from Scotland to help co-direct with her.

Bella Merlin, Kamotskaia’s former student in Russia, is currently a professor of acting at UC Davis. It was through their communication that Kamotskaia was invited to become a Granada artist. Knowing that The Seagull was a favorite of Kamotskaia’s, Merlin suggested the piece and Kamotskaia willingly complied.

Although she has never directed The Seagull before, Kamotskaia said she has “worked with the text a lot, analytically.”

She said her favorite part of directing The Seagull is “seeing when [the actors] are working together, breathing together and feeling the characters.”

Kamotskaia said the process of creating the play is “about going through this immediate experience. It’s difficult – a huge effort, emotionally.”

Six of the 12 actors are Master of Fine Arts students. Five are undergraduate students of various majors, and Merlin herself acts in the play.

“The most challenging part of directing is that most of the cast are already trained as professionals, and have their own ways,” she said. “They tell me my ways are different, and I have to make sure they don’t fall into their habits.”

Cast member and senior history major Hannah Glass said, “I liked getting to work with everyone. It’s an intimate cast and gives you the chance to explore the characters.”

Brett Duggan, an MFA student who plays Shamrayev, said, “[The best part] is to work with Katya, it’s a very playful rehearsal process.”

MFA student Michael Davison, who plays the male lead Trigorin said, “Working with a Russian director on a Russian-written play is great. I love the dynamic of playing with a faculty member and an undergraduate student, it’s really fun.”

Because the cast had the whole quarter to prepare for the production, every aspect of the play is at a very high level of quality – including the sets.

MFA student of scenic design Jamie Kumpf said the set design process was a long one.

“We have to talk with the director to figure out an overlying concept, abstract or real,” Kumpf said. “Or, if the director has any idea of what the scenery should look like, we have to get that information right away.”

For this play, Kumpf and her team of eight or nine scenic crewmembers drew ideas from the play’s original setting.

“We took inspiration from Russian paintings,” Kumpf said. “It’s very realistic, in this case.”

The design process took an entire month and a half. Building to the set took another month.

“It’s a lot of work, definitely a process,” Kumpf said. “But collaborative art is always an adventure.”

BRITTANY PEARLMAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Monday marked the 200th birthday of Frédéric Chopin, Poland’s renowned Romantic composer. Happy birthday, old man.

Poland held a lavish celebration for the composer’s bicentennial, who even today is nothing short of a national hero to the country. Chopin’s patriotic themes are iconic of both the Romantic period and Poland’s struggle for independence – even German Nazi forces worked hard to banish his work during World War II, for fear of its effect on Polish citizens. Chopin’s heart – removed and preserved in alcohol – rests in an urn in Poland. The biggest international airport in Warsaw is named after him.

We’re celebrating Poland’s hero here in the States, too. One such celebration is happening in the most unlikely of venues – the World Finance Center in New York. Until Friday, the Center is holding multiple performances of Chopin’s works by esteemed pianists. They’re also leaving five pianos throughout the New York complex for amateur pianists to perform Chopin’s works.

Sounds fun. The Center might be an unlikely venue for such homage, but many Wall Street day traders and brokers probably had to take piano lessons once, too.

But why let amateurs celebrate the birthday of such an esteemed composer? Isn’t this a little inappropriate? What if they break the pianos?

It’s true that there have been some pretty poor (and really, amateur) tributes to the composer recently. For example, a search for “Chopin” on Twitter revealed some pretty pretentious words of remembrance. “Learning to live life through Chopin’s hands,” one guy posted. “Ahh, time for some nice Chopin. What better way to start the evening?” Puke.

Even Muse’s recent “United States of Eurasia” features a dramatized “arrangement” of Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat Major op. 9 No. 2 at the end of the song. The song is complete with a string section, unnecessary trills and a fighter jet flyover. Get over yourselves, Muse – you’re a boy band and you know it.

Nonetheless, Chopin’s music truly appeals to the masses. Almost everyone I know that used to play the piano loved his work. I’m no different – I loved playing Chopin’s Nocturnes up until I left high school. They’re some of the few pieces I can still play. I brought four piano books up with me when I came to college, and three of them were Chopin anthologies. The other one was a Dream Theater book, which is only slightly embarrassing.

That’s why Chopin’s music, as classically mainstream as it is, should be shared with everyone. It’s perfect for amateurs.

As common and expected as it was for a piano student, it was liberating to play Chopin back in high school. I’ve never been more than an amateur pianist, but the years of practicing and performing made me really love the instrument.

It also made me realize that I’d never be a successful pianist. When another piano student impeccably performed three of Chopin’s Nocturnes after I did at a recital, the dream died. He eventually went on to Juilliard to study, and I went to UC Davis.

Chopin, like any great composer, died young. He only composed 15 hours of music before his death in 1849 at 39. That’s roughly the same amount of Radiohead I have in my iTunes library. There’s not that much work to perform, so why not offer it to anyone?

JUSTIN T. HO finds it odd that almost everyone else has birthdays in March, too. Send thoughts about what this might say about your parents to arts@theaggie.org.

Album: Almost Alice

Artist: Various Artists

Label: Disney

Rating: 2

What do Avril Lavigne, Owl City, Franz Ferdinand and 13 other artists have in common? Not much, but according to director Tim Burton they all complement his newest movie, Alice in Wonderland. In this hodgepodge compilation, 3OH!3’s “Follow Me Down” appears alongside Kerli’s “Tea Party,” Plain White T’s “Welcome to Mystery” and other fittingly-titled tracks. Clever, right?

Sort of. While the lyrics of each song clearly tie in the Alice in Wonderland story, the album feels like a desperate attempt to make Burton’s bizarre aesthetic more accessible to a teen audience wary about stepping into his weird universe. But the music doesn’t sound like Burton at all. This isn’t music for a Tim Burton movie – it’s music for the kids he hopes will see the movie, and it doesn’t do him justice.

Listen: “The Technicolor Phase,” “Alice’s Theme,” “Tea Party”

For fans of: Avril Lavigne, All-American Rejects, Metro Station

– Robin Migdol

Artist: Rogue Wave

Album: Permalight

Record Label Brush Fire Records

Rating: 3

The well-established Oakland-based indie rock band tries entirely too hard on newly released Permalight. The ill-fated record proves how easy it is to lose yourself in the need to find a perfect hook.

For an album that seems to be all about rebirth and new beginnings, Rogue Wave cannot carry over the power of their last two records. And for a band that has been from the pivotal start of the indie movement that may be the saddest thing. The introverted melodies and the psychedelic note-bends are all still present but introduced is a shitty pulsing synth hook that not only seems out of place but also makes the album seems generally insincere. Their new sound maybe what frontman Zach Rogue always wanted, but it seems mindless and unfocused. The two-year wait was not worth it for this mediocre record that only has a few catchy tunes.

Give these tracks a listen: “Per Anger,” “Fear Itself”

For fans of: Owl City

– Anastasia Zhuravleva

Artist: Sambassadeur

Album: European

Label: Labrador

Rating: 4

Following their 2007 release of Migration, Sambassadeur swiftly and carefully developed the skill to adopt sounds from US and UK pop and polish them into their own catchy arrangement. In fact, the Gothenburg-based pop quartet’s third studio album, European, seems to be an auricular summarization of all things pleasant in life.

Throughout European, tracks are seamlessly interwoven and flow smoothly from one to the next. It also helps that Anna Persson’s heartwarming voice makes lyrics about desolation and loneliness feel almost cheerful.

Despite the nice daydream that European fabricates for its listeners, it is difficult at times to identify moments when the album ascends beyond pleasant or comfortable overtones to something a bit more momentous. Nonetheless, European is Sambassadeur’s most consistent and sincere release to date.

Give these tracks a listen: “Albatross,” “Days”

For fans of: Lacrosse, Club 8

– Simone Wahng

Artist: Dave Smallen

Album: Everything Changes and Nothing Changes

Label: Self-released

Rating: 4

The day that Street to Nowhere broke up was devastating for many in the Bay Area local music scene. Luckily, front man Dave Smallen has emerged as a brilliant solo artist with a debut that feels like a soundtrack of his life.

The highly personal and emotional album was released one song at a time online for months – culminating into a full-length, physical LP accompanied by the musician’s other artwork: individual woodcuts corresponding to each song.

Smallen’s style is not easily categorized. Leonard Cohen is an obvious influence. Classic alternative rock elements are present and then a moog synthesizer is thrown in. But the focal point of every song is always the beautiful lyricism, which evokes surprisingly wise pensiveness and nostalgia without sounding sentimental.

Words sprinkled in like “torrential” show why Smallen attended UCLA, and Everything Changes and Nothing Changes shows why he was right to drop out.

Give these tracks a listen: “America,” “Carolann,” “I Think It’s Getting Better”

For fans of: Bright Eyes, Street to Nowhere

– Janelle Bitker

For over 20 years, the members of Caroliner have dedicated themselves to uniting the dissonance of static and noise with the allure of day-glow, tribal-influenced art. Caroliner is by no means new to the experimental-noise scene. Since their formation in 1982, they’ve released roughly 15 full-length albums and a dozen or so seven-inch singles. They are occasionally namedropped by music critic bigwigs – namely Alex Ross, the Pulitzer-prize winning music critic in residence at The New Yorker, but for the most part, Caroliner remains virtually ignored by mainstream America.

Supported by fellow experimental-noise groups Mama Buries, Mucky the Ducky and Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet, Caroliner graced the John Natsoulas Gallery on Friday night and attracted a crowd of over a hundred people to the show.

Mama Buries, the local duo of Sharmi Basu and Julia Litman-Cleper, performed behind a white curtain in the corner of the gallery. Their dissonant collage sound resonated behind their silhouettes as a majority of the seated crowd watched quietly, transfixed on the performers.

Mucky the Ducky followed, fronted by local musician Sean Johansson. Seated on the gallery floor, the group played a 40-minute long set without interruption. Mucky the Ducky produced a beat-less drone that was creatively executed, swapping traditional cymbals for cooking lids. They incorporated a throwback to the free jazz foundation of experimental noise by adding the atonal wail of a lone saxophone. Though the drone of their set was eerily atonal yet melodic, there was something decidedly missing from Mucky’s performance. Their set seemed drawn out and seated on the floor in the dark, lacking in elan vital.

If Mama Buries and Mucky the Ducky represent the element of minimalism in experimental rock, Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet and Caroliner certainly represent the extravagance and unification of dissonance ands striking visual elements central to noise rock.

Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet consists of two musicians, rumored to be members of Caroliner – though it was hard to tell for sure. Dressed in neon-patterned costumes that obscured their identities, the duo played for roughly ten minutes in the dark, before disappearing from the gallery floor as quickly as they came. In those fleeting minutes, they generated a harsh and frantic barrage of sound and feedback that seemed to serve as supporting music to the elaborate backdrop of neon hand-painted signs, patterned with the same tribal-influenced artwork.

Headliner Caroliner finally took center stage following Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet, and they too dressed in equally theatrical costumes. Their drummer, in particular, wore a hand-made and intricately hand-painted plush lion head helmet. The trio was equipped with heavily modified equipment – the drum kit was nothing more than a tambourine suspended over a snare drum and the guitar looked more like an elongated ukulele, both adorned with brightly colored banners. They played in darkness and opted to use black lights in place of traditional lighting. The effect was spectacular: their costumes glowed so the trio melted into a fluorescent blur as they thrashed about on the gallery floor.

There was music too, in addition to theater. Caroliner’s do-it-yourself-experimental performance matched the cacophony of distortion and feedback exactly. The lead singer’s voice drifts between a harsh garble and a steady bark, indiscernible from the throbbing disharmony of their music.

For the most part, Caroliner’s set was without a beat. Several audience members tried to nod their heads, but it was difficult to know exactly to what. The moment Caroliner’s set formed some kind of groove that a head could be nodded to, they would dissolve into an erratic and ferocious onslaught of noise the crowd endured with ease.

Before ending their set after 40 minutes or so, Caroliner looped their sound through a pedal and let it play out, before leaving the gallery and the audience wordlessly. If there was any harmony to Caroliner’s set at all, it occurred at that moment, where the illuminated visuals mirrored the atonality and dissonance of their music.

AMBER YAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

THIS WEEK IN DAVIS:

Screening of Oldboy

Today at 8 p.m., free

Chem 194

Elephant Micah; Oh Foot

Friday, 7 p.m., free

1430 Alice St.

American Splendor

Monday, 6 p.m., $5

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

The Seagull

Opens Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., $11 advance, $13 at door

Main Theater

MUSIC

MARCH FORTH

Today, 11 a.m., free

M.U. patio

Stand in SOLIDARITY today at 11 a.m. on the MU patio for a rally against corruption and fee hikes, and in celebration of the best placed pun of the year. SickSpits and KDVS DJs are scheduled to perform in support of the movement against the privatization of the UC.

South American Vocal Music

Today, 12:05 p.m., free

Music Building, Room 115

Hey mezzo-soprano and piano fans! Come to the Music Building for a free Shinkoskey Noon Concert, featuring talented acts Zoila Muñoz and Michael Goodwin.

Master Class: Michael Goodwin

Today, 3:10 p.m., free

Music Building, Room 203

If the free noon concert wasn’t enough, go back to the Music Building at 3:10 p.m. for a fusion of singers and pianists. Michael Goodwin is an opera conductor of the Auburn Symphony, a Northern California-based ensemble of musicians.

Elephant Micah; Oh Foot

Friday, 7 p.m., free

1430 Alice St.

Wanna go to a house show this week? Sure you do. Come early and bring food for a vegetarian potluck. Check out the KDVS Events Facebook page for more information about the bands.

Record/CD/Music SwapSaturday, 10 a.m., free

207 F St.

Sure, you can always do some illegal downloading, but the real tangible thing is so much better. Bring your old records/ CDs to swap, and make some new friends! I’ll probably bring my dad’s old Cheap Trick vinyl records.

UC Davis Early Music and Baroque Ensembles

Saturday, 7 p.m., $6 student and $12 adult

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 640 Hawthorne Ln., Davis

If you’re into dramatic and expressive Baroque music, come to this event; featuring ensemble directors David Nutter, Phebe Craig and Michael Sand. Visit mondaviarts.org for tickets and for more information.

Student Chamber Ensembles

Tuesday, 12:05 p.m., free

Music Building, Room 115

Head on over to the music building this Tuesday for another noon concert. Student Chamber Ensembles will perform. For more information, visit music.ucdavis.edu/events.

UC Davis Concert Band: Festivity of Bands

Wednesday at 7 p.m., $4 student and $8 adult

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center

Come out for some “Festival Music,” including works by Rachmaninov and Clifton Williams, to name a few. Or just come to support the Sacramento State and Davis High School bands. Visit mondaviarts.org for tickets.

ART / GALLERY

Nameless Magazine’s Expression Redefined

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., free

Memorial Union, Griffin Lounge

The quarterly Nameless Magazine – the English department’s official literary magazine – is putting on their quarterly showcase of gallery art, poetry readings, fiction and music. Expression Redefined will also include an open mic night session. For more information, visit namelessmagazine.com or the Facebook event page.

AT THE MOVIES

Screening of Oldboy

Today at 8 p.m., free

Chem 194

The Entertainment Council is celebrating International Film Week with a free screening of Oldboy – a crude yet compelling film about a man seeking revenge. Visit the Entertainment Council’s Facebook event page for more information.

American Splendor

Monday, 6 p.m., $5

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

This graphic novel-themed film starring Paul Giamatti will be presented at the Vanderhoef Studio Theater on Monday. For more information, visit mondaviarts.org.

THEATER / MONDAVI

SFJAZZ Collective

Today, 8 p.m., $12.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Miguel Zenón will return to the Mondavi Center as a part of the SFJAZZ Collective. For more information, read our article in Muse or visit mondaviarts.org.

JAMMIES: An Evening of Classical Music

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., $17

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

It’s not an award show; don’t be fooled. High school musicians are pouring in to perform classical, jazz, choral and other performances to the Mondavi. I’m unbelievably excited.

The Seagull

Opens Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., $11 advance, $13 at door

Main Theater

Granada artist-in-residence Katya Kamotskaia is directing The Seagull. For more information, read our article in Muse or visit theatredance.ucdavis.edu.

JUSTIN T. HO, VANNA LE and LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.