Friday, August 30, 2002 :::
Update/Correction: My Kafka professor wasn't out protesting with everyone, it just turns out that the classrooms were switched and nobody bothered to tell the class. Whoops!
Two outstanding publications are floating around campus this week- the new Squelch, and the new Patriot. Squelch, with its usual gang of idiots, serves up the proper amount of funny this month with articles like "FEAR: Are you scared enough?" and "Minor Hells". As always, great stuff.
I have to say, I'm certainly not a right-leaning individual, but I got myself to pick up this month's Cal Patriot and I have to say, I was impressed. The cover art is far funnier than the Smart Ass, and there's some genuinely solid content. Articles like "The Year After", which critically examines events at Berkeley in the year following 9/11 and the glossary of Berkeley terms ("Evans: Before you get any ideas, jumping off Evans is SO last year") are well written and interesting. Also, I liked the article called "UnAmerican History", which talks about what happens when U.S. History courses are taught by people who, well, don't like America. As to the reality of how this applies to Berkeley, the article doesn't say.
I was far less impressed, however, with the Patriot article on the Cal Greek system ("Go Greeks!"), which makes uncomfortable statements such as "most fraternities and sororities have a study file with old midterms and finals from many classes". Besides being poorly written and dull, the article does little to shed any true light on the Greek system. This is probably why the writer doesn't get a byline. I also have word that the article on Greeks was heavily edited, and still wasn't satisfactory when compared to the rest of the magazine.
And, in a final raspberry to the pacifists on campus, the back cover of the Patriot has a glorious photoshopped sendup of a WWII era propoganda posted, which proclaims "You shut the hell up, we'll protect America. Stay out of our way, liberal wussies". I also hear that there were some slight modifications made to that poster to make it a PG cover instead of an R. Even Republicans are sensitive about things like that, I guess.
::: posted by Andrewski at 10:35 PM
Tuesday, August 27, 2002 :::
Sex on Tuesday is back, with a vengeance, and the new SoT girl isn't half bad. She manages to cram two topics into today's hot, tight little column: food and condoms. I eagerly await Teresa's inevitable assplay column.
Well, the strike, while it may not be "gripping" the University, sure has given me something to grip about. Gripe about. Whatever. My Kafka and Modernism professor failed to show up today, without any previous warning. This after a 20 minute walk across campus to Etcheverry, uphill both ways. Cave, Berdahl! Cave! They have a giant effigy of you! Who knows what they're capable of?
Attention freshmen: It gets weirder the longer you stay.
::: posted by Andrewski at 5:00 PM
Sunday, August 25, 2002 :::
If you've checked your labmail recently, you'll find a letter from Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Paul Gray explaining the strike situation. He tells students not to fear crossing the picket lines, and that it is still their right to attend classes. In addition, there's this site that has a strike FAQ.
"Benefits, benefits, we want benefits!"
::: posted by Andrewski at 4:06 PM
