Last week, as news stories of skyrocketing student fees once again littered the pages of California newspapers, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi sat down with The California Aggie and informed UC students that they must be the ones responsible for stopping their own financial fleecing. Garamendi was quoted as saying, “The students need to rise up and raise hell. If that doesn’t happen, then this fee increase will continue.“

Forgive me for being blunt, but in my opinion, Garamendi’s statement is the equivalent of telling a man on the way to the gallows to inform the hangman if the noose fits too tight around his neck. I understand that Garamendi has been leading the charge for affordable education in California, but when did it become the responsibility of the persecuted individual to rise up and speak out against injustice?

Last year, I devoted the majority of my columns to highlighting the wide variety of mistreatment that UC students receive from our elected officials and administration – specifically the UC Board of Regents and their ever-increasing student fees. Those of you who were fortunate enough to have followed my column last year know that, for the most part, our elected officials could care less about the opinion of students, and generally see the institution of public education as a financial burden rather than a sound investment. Now, after a year of raising my voice and chronicling the administration’s disregard for student interests, I’m being informed that the reason we have not received financial relief is that students aren’t pissed off enough yet.

And so, I return, for yet another year of ranting in order to help our state government officials see just how pissed off the UC student body really is. However, both John Garamendi and I know that students simply raising their voices will never be enough. I’m sure that Lieutenant Governor Garamendi, as well as the other members of the board of regents, have witnessed the droves of student demonstrators that usually congregate outside their meetings. Perhaps they have even shared my experience of seeing the occasional group of students escorted out of their meetings by armed police officers, usually as a result of rising up and raising just a little more hell than the regents could handle.

It seems a tad inconsistent that, in one moment, a member of the board of regents sits down with students and charges them with the responsibility of becoming overly vocal hell raisers, and in the next stands aside as their voices are silenced and ignored by the administration.

At this point in the article, some of you are probably scratching your heads, utterly dumbfounded by the existence of such contradictions in our government’s behavior, and asking, “So what’s the answer?”

Unfortunately, to properly answer that question would require far more space than the remaining inches of this column, but what I will say is this: Lieutenant Governor Garamendi was wrong when he told students that raising hell was the way to initiate change. I, along with the UC Board of Regents, have seen far too many mindless hell-raisers adopt the students‘ cause. These students have raised their voices in ignorance, recklessly condemning the administration without knowing who or what it is they’re fighting, and their irresponsible actions have caused our elected officials in Sacramento to greatly discredit our cause. I write this column because I believe the best weapon against the injustices being done to students is not a raised voice, but an informed mind. I urge all of you who are new to this struggle to follow along with me each week and educate yourselves on the matters at hand, so that one day you may be knowledgeable enough to stand before the opposition and speak in a calm and controlled voice, confident in the fact that you are right.

JAMES NOONAN is hoping he can count on the UC Board of Regents to supply him with another year’s worth of material. Something tells him they won’t let him down. Show him your support at jjnoonan@ucdavis.edu.

After reading your article “Report finds Shields Library under-financed,” there are a couple of facts that I would like to point out.

First let me say that this, like most college campuses‘ main focus, is the professors. We want to make them happy. Heck, just look at the money that they make. What makes them happy? Besides making money? Happy students. One thing that makes happy students is having the books that they need in the library. How do those books get on the shelves? The people behind the doors. I am one of those people.

I am one of those doing more work due to the 71 fewer staff that [Helen] Henry speaks of. Not a problem, you say.

Well here is one problem:We do NOT get cost of living raises here at the library. We do NOT get merit raises. We, at times, have to work out of our job description because there is no one else to do the job because of the 71 fewer staff, and for what … more books?

Well, I for one am not seeing more books. The cost of books is going up so we are getting fewer and fewer books in the library, so does that mean less and less people to process them? We are losing people left and right and not replacing them. It’s sad. How are we going to keep the professors happy if no one is here to process the books for the students?

One note of irony: I got my B.A. from this campus. I was a student employee here in the library and when I graduated I got a full time job here. I was a single mom as a student and I still am. I do not make enough money working here to pay back the student loans that I had to take out to get my degree from here. I do not go to dinner, I do not travel and I shop at Wal-Mart.

Michelle Brackett

Bindery Assistant/Lead Book Processor

Shields Library

530-752-1207

Well, friends and neighbors, it looks like another school year has officially begun and once again, I tricked those poor bastards down at The California Aggie to give me another opportunity to spew my words of love all over the face of Tuesday.

Honestly, I am just bubbling with excitement for the new school year. These past three months have felt like the longest summer ever and a lot of shenanigans went down. Some were good, some bad, and most of them humiliating, which is actually different from bad. (Don’t worry; when your life gets to be really lame, you’ll be able to identify all the different levels and nuances of complete suck-dom).

For one thing, I got bangs. I know what you’re thinking, girlfriend: “Oh man, this lady is cer-azy!” I don’t really like it on me, but it’s good that I finally got it out of my system. Unfortunately, someone should have told me you should only get bangs if you have large doe eyes and an affinity for indie music. Not small eyes and a big round face because that officially makes you look like a 12-year-old. I can’t tell you how many disappointed faces I’ve seen on pedophiles after I tell them I’m actually in college.

Every girl has a hair thing they always want to do like getting a perm or dyeing their hair. They talk about it for three months, then stop talking about it, and then one day they pass someone with it and then talk about it some more. For me, it was bangs and only when I got them did I finally understand the enigmatic message my friends all said when I told them what I was planning: “No. Don’t get them. You’ll look really fug.” Before that though, it was like they were speaking another language.

Oh, and then there’s the fact that I turned 21, which means a whole new world has opened up for me and, because I care, I shall share. Most of these nights don’t really end up with me getting “lucky” or anything. In fact, a lot of those nights have me dancing in front of a guy who then immediately raises his hands in the air, head shaking and screaming, “Not this one again, damnit! I just showered before I got here!”

Or the bouncer not so quietly whispering to his buddies after he stamped my hand, “Those have got to be the hairiest arms I have ever seen.” I mean, come on! I already feel insecure enough inside the facility; I don’t really need a prelude at the door, people. Just stamp my Sasquatch hand in silence.

I also got fired from my job that I was “excited” about last year. That’s not supposed to be a joke or anything, so don’t laugh. Actually, it’s more like I got “laid off,” but saying I got fired sounds that much cooler. (Although I’m just realizing now that it also compromises my character by suggesting I’m incompetent in the workforce. Huh, damn). Plus, saying I got laid off sounds like I’m a 40-something who just got let go from a startup company in the Silicon Valley (aka: every Asian person’s uncle or aunt from the Bay).

But never fear my minions, I’m sure a lot of good things will happen too. Like the fact that I get to be here again, nice and cozy on page two. A girl can get used to this – even though it’s my last year in Davis, poop. In any case, I’ll try not to disappoint you guys.

As for the n00bs and/or the people who don’t read me, I’m Lynn Loo La. This is my third year writing this column, even though each column feels like the first time because I’m always scared sh*tless no one will like it and I would have officially moved to the Dude-you’re-so-lame-now zone. I’m an English and political science major hailing from San Jose (hollar!) and I suck at pretty much everything in life.

Some things I don’t suck at, however, include: table tennis, disappointing my parents, paying the rent on time, showering often, and hopefully, entertaining you for at least 10 minutes every Tuesday. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

LYNN LA is glad to be officially done with the summer of her discontent. Now she’s just worried that no one will like her shtuff anymore. E-mail her at ldla@ucdavis.edu to tell her how much you can haz cheezburger.

As this is my first column, I suppose it would be best to introduce myself to you, my readers. I am a senior political science and history double major. I work at the ASUCD Coffee House as a Cashier Supervisor and I am a brother of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. This summer I worked as a Congressional intern in Washington, D.C. I love dogs, chocolate, and the History Channel. The Nintendo Wii sent me to the emergency room once. I am a quarter Nicaraguan and three-quarters random European and my favorite color used to be green, changed to blue, and is now somewhere in the blue-green range. Great. Now that we are acquainted, we can move forward.

I have two goals for this column. First, to entertain; perhaps to give you some quality reading material for when you are enjoying one of those delicious chocolate chip scones at the Coho, or to help you endure some of your less riveting lectures. Secondly, to inform; together, we will navigate the maelstrom of uncertainty shrouding the present using the past as a sterling compass to enlightenment. Now, what exactly do I mean by this?

Engraved on a Romanesque marble statue near the National Archives building in Washington, D.C. are the words “The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future.“ Besides giving me the ultimate retort to the often-asked question of what exactly I plan to do with my history degree, these words struck a meaningful chord within that inspired me to write this column. The world we know today is inherited from the past and determines all of our wants, our dreams, and our prospects for tomorrow. Every action, every thought; every accomplishment and every failure we have made, continue to make, and will make in the future are part of a dynamic human saga; whether this epic story continues or comes to a tragic end rests in our ability to respond to current challenges.

Our generation came of age at a tumultuous time for the world. Our first cognizant presidential election was soiled by a controversy that foreshadowed the presidency it produced. We witnessed an unprecedented attack at home that sparked two costly wars abroad, watched the rich get richer while the poor got poorer and most recently saw our economic system‘s foundation crumble. We endured a regime that seemed to care little about scientific fact or what the common person felt; thus, we turned our backs to the world. With the advent of the Information Age we should have been the most well-informed generation in history, but we found apathy more attractive. Who could blame us? The man who was supposed to represent the best our nation had to offer turned out to be the most divisive political character in the history of the presidency.

The upcoming presidential election represents the first time many of our voices will be heard. But being 18 and watching SNL parodies of Sarah Palin is not enough; you need to register to vote by Monday, Oct. 20 in order to participate. In proper Joe Biden fashion, I will repeat that. Oct. 20. Less than a week from today, if you fail to register, your voice will be effectively silenced for the next four years. The stakes are too high for anyone to pass up this opportunity; our democracy’s survival depends on your participation.

As children we were told that we would one day assume the reins of power and whether we like it or not, this time has arrived. The franchise is our inheritance and allows us to engage in constructive debate, to hold our elected leaders accountable, and to create a medium for positive change. Will we accept this responsibility and rejuvenate our democracy? Or will we turn up the volume on our iPods and drown it out? Take a moment to ask yourself what matters most; your afflictions, your hopes, your dreams. Ultimately, it is the sum of all our wants, our needs, and our ideas engaged in a constant state of debate and compromise that makes our democracy great. Never forget that.

Michael Hower really thinks you should register to vote by Oct. 20 unless you are a freshman with a late birthday, in which case he is sorry for building you up only to tear you down. If you have any comments or questions on how to register please contact him at mahower@ucdavis.edu.

By 2009, major restaurants in California will be required to serve up nutritional information in addition to their food.

Senate Bill 1420, signed last week by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, requires restaurant chains with 20 or more locations in California to post nutrition information on menus and indoor menu boards by Jan. 1, 2011. By July 1, 2009, restaurants must provide brochures with either caloric content information or other nutritional information, such as grams of saturated fat, grams of carbohydrates and milligrams of sodium at the point of sale, including drive-thrus.

SB 1420 is a step in the right direction. Rather than having a jumble of local ordinances, it creates a uniform state standard for displaying nutritional information. Additionally, for larger chain restaurants affected by the bill such as Starbucks and McDonald‘s, a single regulation shouldn‘t sink business, and the bill could also prompt them to reconsider their more unhealthy, calorie-laden menu items. The 20 restaurant minimum is ideal because smaller business owners may not be able to afford to have their ingredients and recipes evaluated for nutritional content.

An increasing number of people are being diagnosed with serious health issues associated with fatty foods – cancer, obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes among others. These medical conditions have put an enormous burden on California’s healthcare system. SB 1420, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), was designed to combat these trends.

The goal behind SB 1420 is to create an informed dining public. A change to wiser eating habits could reduce the risk of these symptoms and also reduce the costs of health care needed to treat them.

According to a study from the Department of Public Health, 10 percent of diners ordered reduced-calorie meals in restaurants with nutritional postings. With the nutritional information easily on-hand, diners will be able to make healthier eating choices.

The UC Davis Marching Band-uh! made national headlines last week when the San Francisco Chronicle reported that faculty band director Tom Slabaugh filed a sexual harassment complaint with the university chronicling a series of “ridiculous, disturbing and offensive“ incidents he witnessed during his year as director.

The Chronicle, which focused more on the juicy details of Slabaugh‘s memo than balanced reporting, details the incidents of public urination, removal of clothing and “sexualized“ comments that led the director to call the band a “hostile work environment.“

It should come as no surprise to anyone that off the field, the student-run organization is on the raunchy side. This is a common trait in university marching bands nationwide and something that was well known about the Band-uh! before Mr. Slabaugh took the band director position.

Slabaugh‘s lawyer, Chad Carlock, told The California Aggie the university expressed “concerns“ about the group‘s behavior upon offering Slabaugh the job. He interpreted this as a green light to “minimize incidents and deal with them as they arose,“ Carlock said.

Historically the band director position has been strictly advisory and does not have jurisdiction over dismissing members – something of which Slabaugh would have been well aware when accepting the job.

Student-run organizations like Band-uh! should be just that: student-run. It‘s that autonomy, responsibility and ultimate accountability that separates college student organizations from high school clubs. If student groups are forced to obey a faculty advisor, they cease to be student groups. Faculty advisers should work with students, not against them.

The offenses outlined in the Chronicle article must also be taken in context. While they would be inappropriate in an office setting, they are permissible in the context of the free-natured, informal Band-uh! culture.

What is inappropriate, however, is bringing that culture to the home of the band director. While the Christmas card with Santa Claus saying “I saw you masturbating“ was sent to all band members and not directly targeted at Slabaugh, it should not have been mailed to his home where his children could read it. That kind of joke is fine on the practice field and in the rehearsal room, but out of basic decency and common courtesy it should be kept away from children.

A great deal of the Band-uh!‘s charm stems from its free-spirited individuality. Introduced at every home game as “fast, furious and foaming at the mouth … bold, blue and bitchin‘,“ the group fires up a streak of school spirit and Aggie pride in students, which the university should think twice about dampening by reining in the band.

Members of The California Aggie editorial board directly involved with Band-uh! recused themselves from this editorial.