Illustration by Rachel Edelstein.

“God will think we’re sinning!”

A voice yells out of the crowd, followed by loud booing and laughter at the first meeting of the quarter for Slugs in Fishnets, a student group providing UC Santa Cruz’s answer to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

A student-run organization formed in 1984, Slugs in Fishnets has taken a time-tested teenage ritual and made it more accessible for UCSC students.

“I’ve been going to ‘Rocky’ since I was 16 and living in Los Angeles,” said fourth-year Leigh Pfeffer, director of the show. “As soon as I realized there were shows I could participate in here I immediately got involved.”

For those who are not creatures of the night, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a 1975 musical horror flick, known as a cult classic among viewers at midnight showings. The plot centers on a night of horror for the conservative couple Brad and Janet, who are introduced to alien transvestites from the planet Transylvania, the manipulative plans of the evil Dr. Frank-N-Furter and, above all, uninhibited sexual freedom.

“Rocky Horror” showings are no ordinary trip to the movies, however. A cast of characters shadows the film onstage, acting out the parts of the movie while it plays behind them. Audience members shout along with the lines, adding call-backs and mocking the characters with glee and a bit of contempt.

This is where Slugs in Fishnets comes in. The group casts a set of “Rocky Horror” players to provide the onstage entertainment for the show, as well as a group of “trannies” to put on a preshow and engage the audience in the performance.

“Anyone can audition for Slugs in Fishnets, for any part, and as many parts as they want to,” Pfeffer said. “Really, they don’t have to have even seen the movie. We just want people with charisma and good attitudes about the parts.”

Slugs in Fishnets just finished casting their spring 2009 show. New cast members, such as Porter second-year Rosie Bashaw, are excited over the opportunity to get involved.

“I’m going to be playing the part of Rocky,” Bashaw said. “It’s my first stage part, as I was always a tranny before. I’m kind of getting excited about costuming right now. This should be interesting.”

While new cast members are routinely welcomed to Slugs in Fishnets, many returning cast members vary in the parts they play for different shows.

“I am playing Dr. Scott for this show, but previously I have also played Riff Raff, Eddie and Magenta. Before that, a tranny,” third-year Justin Carroll said. “It was very spur-of-the-moment to audition for Dr. Scott. It’s about doing something new.”

Carroll has been involved with Slugs in Fishnets for most of his time here at UCSC. The commitment of these members shows the dedication involved in the group.

“Way back when I was a first-year, I met a friend in my core class and we got to talking about ‘Rocky,’” Carroll said. “She told me about a group on campus that anyone could audition for. I immediately auditioned the next quarter and I’ve been here since.”

In preparation for the next Slugs in Fishnets show on May 23, Pfeffer and her gang must start getting ready to appease the hoards of Transylvanians.

“We’ve cast the show, so now that means rehearsals two to three times a week,” Pfeffer said. “We’ll watch the movie a lot to get the choreography down right, start working on tech a bit and then selling tickets and promoting the show.”

With prep work just starting, Slugs in Fishnets has substantial ground to cover before its next show. Catch it May 23 at 10:30 p.m. at the Merrill Cultural Center, slightly earlier than the usual midnight slot due to quiet hours.

“It’ll be an early-bird ‘Rocky Horror,’” Pfeffer said, laughing.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Slugs in Fishnets bring ‘Horror’ to Campus

Photo by Conner Ross.

The Santa Cruz City Council met Tuesday night to decide on the long-debated issue of the La Bahia Hotel Project. With a 5-1 vote, the council approved the proposal, with one member absent.

An enterprise in the works since 1994, the project will turn the historic La Bahia building, which is located opposite Main Beach near the Boardwalk, from low-cost housing into an upscale beachfront hotel.

The project plan will be revised once again before building commences, in an attempt to mitigate the drawn-out discussions about the facility and incorporate recommendations and concerns presented by local community members.

“I think that the critics of the current version of the project achieved some of their goals when they said they wanted a ‘Better La Bahia,’” said City Councilmember Don Lane. “I’m sure they feel that’s not the case themselves, but it really is a better project.”

The proposal will still have to be approved by the Coastal Commission in order for plans to proceed. If ratified, the project will begin forward motion and changes to La Bahia will become a matter of the present, rather than an image of the future.

Photo by Phil Carter.

The City Council initially approved a La Bahia Hotel Project proposal in 2003. However, after being looked over by the Coastal Commission and other local committees, the proposal was sent back for revision and alterations.

City Councilmember Tony Madrigal, who stood alone in his vote against the project, said that the proposal still lacks the representation of the values Santa Cruz holds as a city. Madrigal said that other committees will recognize this and deter the project for more changes.

“I don’t necessarily agree that these state regulatory agencies are going to abandon their policies and philosophies, especially about protecting the environment, just because our local economy is hurting and the city needs an income-generating project,” Madrigal said.

Several councilmembers said they view the project as an economic stimulant that will not only help our current economic crisis, but also facilitate a stronger tourism economy for the future of the city.

“From my perspective, this is not a short-term fix but part of a long-term strategy to make Santa Cruz economically sustainable,” said City Councilmember Ryan Coonerty. “That’s why I’ll be supporting it.” 

Councilmember Lynn Robinson emphasized the potential the project provides for the future of Santa Cruz.

“We have our chance to make history and take that forward into the next generation,” Robinson said.

Madrigal, however, said that it is not responsible to approve any lucrative project in tough economic times simply because income is needed for the city and local businesses.

One of the top points of concern presented by opponents to the project was the loss of the historic architectural landmark that La Bahia represents in the Santa Cruz community. 

While the project’s planners intend to rebuild La Bahia to reflect its original architecture, the bell tower and the courtyards will be the only preserved structures incorporated into future construction. 

“This project is going to impact the legacy we leave for future generations,” Madrigal said, “and we have to ask ourselves at what price we are exchanging the uniqueness of our community for the promise of future prosperity.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at City Council Approves Revised La Bahia Project

Illustration by Joe Lai

While Earth Day is officially celebrated every year on April 22, the city of Santa Cruz, Ecology Action and other nonprofit organizations will host several events this Saturday in the Benchlands at San Lorenzo Park on Dakota Street. 

Many Santa Cruz city officials are involved with the Earth Day event, with both Supervisor John Leopold and Mayor Cynthia Mathews scheduled to give welcoming speeches. Mathews, who has been an active Earth Day participant in Santa Cruz since its inception in 1970, encourages citizens to participate in helping the earth more than just one day a year.

“Environmental protection and sustainable practices should be part of our consciousness on a daily basis,” Mathews said. “Annual observances and special events like Earth Day help focus public attention, generate support and provide recognition for the good work that’s already being done.”

Peter Weiss, also known as the “Singing Scientist,” will perform for the many children expected to attend the event. His original music teaches children about environmental issues and promotes action and awareness. In addition, a variety of workshops and contests with themes promoting sustainable lifestyle choices will be offered for adults.

Weiss, who is also a chemistry researcher at UC Santa Cruz, emphasized the importance of educating children in a way that’s fun and easy to help the future of the environment. Weiss believes that the largest environmental problem in Santa Cruz is beach contamination, and he seeks to teach kids that recycling and cleaning up local beaches can help solve this problem.

“I specialize in educating children because I have two of my own,” Weiss said, “and I decided that children today are the consumers of tomorrow.”

In today’s growing environmental crisis, Mathews expressed that Earth Day celebrations and festivities are effective approaches to helping the earth as a community.

“There’s no reason why we can’t have fun while conveying an important message,” Mathews said. “If the Earth Day celebration engages people with the issues, then the overall goal has been achieved.”

For those looking for a more proactive way to get involved on Earth Day, there will be a San Lorenzo River clean-up hosted by the local organization Save Our Shores. Participants will have the chance to join together as a community and clean up along the river between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will also be other similar clean-up events throughout the day, including one in the County Building parking lot.

The Santa Cruz Earth Day celebration is a convenient opportunity for students who are new to the area of Santa Cruz to get involved in the city and begin helping our local environment.

Alex Hohenhaus, a first-year and environmental studies major, looks forward to the upcoming 

celebration, which will be her first experience volunteering in Santa Cruz. 

“I have not seen many ways to help the environment and get involved in trash pick-ups,” Hohenhaus said. “I am excited to start meeting local people in Santa Cruz and getting rid of all that trash.”

With the help of more community-building that promotes helping the environment year-round, Santa Cruz can live up to its earth-friendly expectations, Weiss said.

“Most of the community is ‘enlightened’ when it comes to the environment,” he said. “Santa Cruz is a big contributor to the earth [movement], because there is excellent education and we live in a beautiful yet fragile environment.” 

For more info on Earth Day events in Santa Cruz, visit EcoCruz.org.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Santa Cruz Celebrates Earth Day

Illustration by Joe Lai

Fueled by the many recent occurrences of devastating gang crimes in Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) has created a new branch to tackle the heightened violence.

The launch of the new unit follows the creation of similar units devoted to gang activity in Watsonville and Salinas. The recent gang-related shootings in Oakland that made international headlines serve as just one illustration of the ongoing cycle of gang crime in the Bay Area. 

“We’ve been able to hire a number of new officers, which in turn has allowed us to dedicate resources specifically to gang activity,” said police spokesman Zach Friend.

The new task force will consist of three full-time gang experts, but the department expects it to grow within the next few weeks. The new staff will provide internal training, gang crime intelligence activities, and insightful strategies for dealing with gang activity.

Recent crimes have involved inhabitants of many regions of Santa Cruz County, including the city of Santa Cruz itself. Since January, all but one of the county’s gang-related crimes have involved people from the city of Santa Cruz. 

Friend explained that gang activity is on the rise this year in Santa Cruz, and is increasing in severity.

“Overall, most crime has been declining,” Friend said. “However, the prevalence of high-profile gang crime seems to be rising.”

Despite the apparent increase in Santa Cruz, City Councilmember Tony Madrigal stressed that the fight against gang crime must not be confined to within the county.

“We need to make sure any countywide efforts go beyond [county lines] and collaborate with efforts to address gangs in other counties,” Madrigal said.

This is not the first step the police agency has taken to decrease the occurrence of gang crime within Santa Cruz borders. Previously, the SCPD worked closely with police networks throughout the county. However, said Santa Cruz Police Chief Howard Skerry, the Joint Area Gang Operations program lacked full-time staffing capability. 

“This is a necessary and bold step toward breaking this cycle of violence countywide,” Skerry said in a recent press release.

With the newly allocated funds, the SCPD believes it will be able to address the problem more effectively. The expansion will allow the officers on the force to narrow their focus to the specific realm of gang activity in order to pay close attention and fight it more diligently.

Watsonville Police Chief Terry Medina stressed the importance of these efforts to maintain a safe society.

“By dedicating officers to this effort, the Santa Cruz Police Department is enhancing [its] ability … to provide a countywide and organized presence of law enforcement on our number one problem: gang crime,” Medina said in a recent press release.

In addition to law enforcement, nonprofit organizations are also stepping up to combat the problem of gang activity.

Nane Alejándrez, director of the grassroots organization Barrios Unidos, said that a gang-free city is possible, but it will require additional efforts beyond law enforcement.

“We need a collaboration, with more community involvement addressing the issue, not just one group,” Alejándrez said. 

He stressed the importance of investing in prevention of gang warfare.

“By educating and giving support to young people and those who need it, we can eradicate violence,” Alejándrez said.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Santa Cruz Police Department Launches New Gang Unit

Illustration by Justin Martinez.

When California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano first introduced Assembly Bill 390 — the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act — to legalize sale and personal use of cannabis in California, it was widely seen as a bombshell. However, AB 390’s promise to feed over $1 billion into California’s starving economy has gained surprising momentum, fueled by the recession and a need for more public revenue. 

By applying a tax of $50 to every ounce of cannabis sold, Ammiano said, AB 390 would boost state funds and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts and resources toward more serious crimes. The bill seeks to strip away penalties for cultivation, distribution and possession of cannabis for adults 21 and over. 

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a California-based group, is co-sponsoring AB 390 and the medical marijuana initiative.

“Amianno is really the first person to propose a legalization bill since marijuana was made illegal in California in 1913,” said Dale Gieringer, vice chair of NORML. “This has generated a tremendous amount of publicity and the reaction has brought a lot of people out of the closet.”

While opponents of the legislation are concerned that making marijuana legal will compound substance abuse problems and send the wrong message to children about marijuana use, liberals and conservatives alike are fed up with the war on drugs. 

The sudden thrust of marijuana into the political spotlight has sparked a national debate that many feel is long overdue. Even mainstream pundits like CNN’s Jack Cafferty and Fox News’s Glen Beck have publicly questioned the billions spent each year on the drug war and have suggested that it makes economic and social sense to begin taxing and regulating marijuana.

Bruce Mirken, who as spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) has monitored the wavering political tide of the issue, said in the San Francisco Chronicle this week, “For the first time in my adult life, it looks possible.”

The Booming Marijuana Market

Marijuana is California’s top cash crop, according to federal government statistics. Valued at about $14 billion in 2006, marijuana annually garners nearly twice the combined value of vegetables ($5.7 billion) and grapes ($2.6 billion) — the state’s No. 2 and 3 crops. 

According to Board of Equalization estimates, marijuana could bring in about $1.3 billion a year in taxes and fees if AB 390 is passed. 

“It is simply nonsensical that California’s largest agricultural industry is completely unregulated and untaxed,” said Aaron Smith, policy director for the California division of the MPP, in a statement accompanying Ammiano’s announcement of the bill on Feb. 21. “With our state in an ongoing fiscal crisis — and no one believes the new budget is the end of California’s financial woes — it’s time to bring this major piece of our economy into the light of day.”

Studies have ranked the state as the national leader in both outdoor and indoor marijuana production, with the estimate of indoor plants currently in California at about 4.2 million. 

College students across the state are pushing for marijuana legalization as well. The international grassroots organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has been lobbying state congress in Sacramento for the passage of AB 390.

“We’re not talking about whether marijuana is good or bad. We’re talking about whether marijuana prohibition has been successful or not,” said Jonathan Perri, outreach director of SSDP in the western region. “We feel that there’s overwhelming evidence that it has been not just unsuccessful, but counterproductive.”

Everybody Does It?

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a yearly study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, suggests the Golden State might be producing 38 percent of the marijuana grown in the United States. The study also suggests that there are an estimated 3.3 million cannabis users in California, about 13 percent of the total usership in the nation. 

Additionally, government surveys show that 100 million Americans have smoked pot or its resin in their lifetimes, while 25 million have partaken in the past year. A recent World Health Organization study found that 42.4 percent of Americans have tried marijuana — the highest percentage of any country surveyed. In the Netherlands, where the drug is legal, that rate is only 20 percent. 

Nonetheless, polls have generally shown that the national public is wary when it comes to legalization. The findings of a February Rasmussen poll showed that 40 percent of Americans support legalization, with 46 percent opposed and 14 percent unsure. 

A California-specific poll performed in March 2009 by Oakland’s EMC Research specifically tracked the state voters’ attitudes on cannabis use, taxation and legalization and found that for the first time, a clear majority at 54 percent of state voters are in favor of legalization. 

“The consensus is that marijuana is relatively benign when you talk about all these other drugs,” said fourth-year Brian Wallace, president of SSDP’s UC Santa Cruz chapter. “It’s kind of ridiculous that we’re spending all this money on it … on jailing people, and putting people through the legal system. We have this budget crisis on top of all that. With those two things together I think we stand a good chance about the passing eventually.”

Imprisoned For Pot

National statistics show that there were 872,000 marijuana-related arrests last year. 775,000 of them were for possession, not sale or manufacturing. In 2007 there were almost 75,000 marijuana-related arrests in California alone, with the numbers steadily increasing. Incarceration in California costs $43,000 per inmate yearly.

“If we can reduce the amount of money we’re spending on state prisons and invest it in education,” said State Assemblyman Bill Monning, who represents Santa Cruz County, “we would reduce the need for people to go through criminal activity.” 

Long prison sentences for drug involvement have contributed to an overcrowded prison population, which is overwhelming the state budget. Drug penalties for possession with intent to distribute rival penalties for crimes that involve more risk to personal safety — and unlike alcohol use, marijuana use has not been associated with violent crime.

“There’s a growing movement in this country to start exploring decriminalization, which doesn’t necessarily condone use as legalization would, but you take it out of the black market, you take it out of the hands of criminals, you regulate it, and you tax it — there’s models for that in the United Kingdom,” Monning said. 

Gieringer said that these penalties have done nothing to suppress users, and only perpetuate incidences of criminal acitivity.  

“It’s a crime creation, and we don’t think it makes sense for taxpayers to have to pay for crime creation,” Gieringer said. 

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

Critics of the bill argue that marijuana is a gateway drug that can lead to more potent drugs like heroin. Even nonsmokers would be affected, they say, since widespread use would increase the dangers of second-hand smoke. 

“We see no social good coming from this bill,” said John Lovell, of the California Peace Officers Association, an organization representing more than 3,000 members from municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that lobbies against AB 390. “The penalty for selling marijuana to children drops from a felony to a $200 fine. The penalty for illegally growing marijuana drops from a felony to a $200 fine. All that’s going to do is encourage the illegal market.”

“Right now two-thirds of violent crime is what we call alcohol-involved,” Lovell continued. “Do we really want to add yet another mind-altering substance to that legal array? Where you’ve got people high on marijuana engaged in high-risk activity, where’s the social good there?”

Lovell is also weary that the actual revenue from legalization would be much lower than expected. 

“The bill will not raise the money that the sponsors say it will. The street price will always be cheaper than the so-called legal price, so people will buy the street price,” Lovell said. “And there’s no reason not to, because there’s no penalty for possession of marijuana, so it doesn’t matter if I’m in possession of lawful marijuana or street marijuana — there’s no penalties.”

Health officials are worried that legalization might cause the public to overlook its harmful side effects. Paul Willis, an alcohol and drug educator at Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP), sees students self-medicating with marijuana all the time and hopes that there will be more effort on making policies clearer. 

“The whole movement around medical marijuana has gotten caught up in the legalization battle. I’ve probably seen three students in the last six months who claimed a need for medical marijuana, but then admitted to me that they sought it out not based on medical conditions, but for access to marijuana,” Willis said. “There are still people in the legalization movement that say this is a harmless herb, but it’s not. It has definite physiological effects.” 

High Times They Are A-Changing

California currently collects $18 million in sales taxes from medical marijuana dispensaries. 

Thirteen states have legalized medical marijuana — a trend advocates credit partly to more openness around alternative healing. Though classified as a Schedule 1 drug under the 1970 Narcotics Act, doctors have found marijuana effective in reducing nausea, easing glaucoma and improving appetite in AIDS and cancer patients. 

Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Use Act, was passed in 1996 and allows patients with certain medical conditions to use marijuana. Senate Bill 420, added in 2004 to complement Proposition 215, provides guidelines for medical marijuana use. Namely, it allows marijuana to be dispensed for “any illness for which marijuana provides relief.” 

Currently, California has more than 200,000 physician-sanctioned users and hundreds of dispensaries. 

Leona Powell has been a member of The Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) since 1998. A nonprofit organization based in Santa Cruz that offers medical marijuana on a donation basis, Powell got involved in WAMM after becoming sick and has been advocating for marijuana ever since.  

“It’s more than just smoking a joint,” Powell said. “Seeing people get relief on their deathbed makes me feel good. I’m really glad we have marijuana for the people who are sick and need it. It’s not a dangerous drug.”

Travis*, another WAMM member, agreed and believes that the potential passage of AB 390 looks promising. 

“I don’t think there should be any limitations on the drug, as long as you’re an adult,” Travis said. “Decriminalizing it will give relief to prisons. It would save a lot of money and save a lot of problems.” 

*Denotes name change. 

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Cash Crop

The Acts 2 Christian Fellowship — simply known as A2 — has come to adopt and follow this idea since their conception over five years ago.

Originally known as “Asian Baptist Student Koinonia” or “ABSK,” A2 was created to appeal to all backgrounds, regardless of race or religion. The first two A2 groups started at Stanford University and San Jose State University in 1997. A2 was extended to UC Santa Cruz in 2001, and though the Santa Cruz branch hasn’t seen much student growth since its beginning, the fellowship remains strong and productive.

Steve Kim, a third-year business management economics major, has been involved with A2 since his freshman year.

“Since Santa Cruz is not really a religious institution, I look at A2 as a place to bring myself back to my Christianity,” Kim said. “Coming to A2 really helps me keep in touch with my peers and refocus my life.”

Every Thursday at 7:30 p.m., A2 students meet in the Redwood Lounge to not only study the messages of the Bible, but also to eat, sing, play games, discuss life questions and build close friendships. Albert Lee, the staff adviser of A2 Santa Cruz, emphasized the importance of reaching out to others who are interested in the messages of Christianity.

“In addition to studying the Bible, we foster the building of lasting friendships,” Lee said. “We also encourage our students to invite friends who are interested in learning about the Bible and about Christianity.”

A2’s plans for this quarter include studying the book of John, one chapter a week. The meetings are largely interactive — students are divided into groups to discuss the selected chapter of the week and share their insights and conclusions with the other groups. Lee said these meetings aim to foster an understanding of the text in a historical context as well as the author’s intent.

Though Lee said that the group is largely Christian, he recognized the importance of appealing to the less religious demographic of UCSC.

“We want to encourage people with no church background to visit to find out what the Bible and Christianity are all about,” Lee said. “We do look to the Bible as ‘truth,’ but we recognize that everyone needs to make their own choices and come to their own conclusions about their own faith and beliefs.”

Accompanying Albert Lee to every meeting is his wife Janice Lee, who has been with the fellowship as long as Albert. Though she noted that being with A2 has been challenging as a result of living in San Jose, Janice clarified that the experience has been well worth the effort. 

“We feel blessed,” she said. “We gain so much from doing this. What encourages us is the students, and the fact that they are coming every week. 

It gives us joy.”

Janice also emphasized the importance of having a religious perspective less common on campus.

“We are open to any religious background. We just want more people to be exposed to Christianity,” she said. “[Reaching out to Santa Cruz students] would be [A2’s] next goal. We want to focus on our [A2] students, but we’ll eventually want to spread out.”

Steve Kim reflected upon Acts 2:42 as he talked about what he thinks is the purpose of A2.

“I look at the passage as a way to reach out to a lot of freshmen,” he said. “Some kids may not want to party on Fridays or Thursdays, they want to get out of those kinds of activities, so I see A2 as a way for kids to get out of that and … have a place to relax. A2 is a place of fellowship.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Fostering Friendship and Faith at UCSC

Photo by Melissa Abel

Toiling away under the harsh sun, with bandanna and welding gun in hand, Dana Ashton has spent most of her recent weekends in UC Santa Cruz’s metal shop. Tucked away at the Elena Baskin Arts Center, Ashton is welding together the mounting for her latest project, entitled “Unclothed.” 

Of late, budget cuts have seriously put Ashton’s workspace, and many other unique campus facilities frequently used by students but largely hidden from the rest of the student population, in danger.

A fourth-year Cowell student and art major focusing on sculpture, Ashton said that this quarter in particular, the space is at risk of “closing shop.” 

“We were able to keep the metal shop open last quarter when we thought it was going to be closed,” Ashton explained. 

The metal shop was saved this quarter thanks to a grant funded by sponsors of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California that paid for UCSC students to create a metal sculpture for the bike race. This piece was presented at the art department’s winter quarter Open Studios. 

Ashton estimates that the same shop won’t be accessible five years from now, however. 

This quarter, the university has supplied the art department with necessary safety equipment, but since it cannot afford to supply students with materials, art majors usually pay a materials fee to cover those costs and the cost of accessing the studios.

Since the budget crunch has been hitting students and their families as much as it has been hitting the university, many students have had to find alternative means of obtaining supplies.  Ashton said that metal can cost hundreds of dollars for several bars, a sum she just can’t afford, so she finds most of her materials in junkyards and then transforms them into suitable conditions for creating her artwork. 

Whatever she cannot find at the junkyards, Ashton pays for with money from three jobs she holds in between classes. She delivers pizzas on weekends, sometimes until 4 a.m., and works as a monitor in the metal shop and digital imaging lab, which earns her materials reimbursements. 

In addition to scarce supplies, professors may soon become rare jewels in the art department as well. 

Julie Harper, a second-year Merrill student and art major focusing on painting and drawing, was told by her professor, Tim Craighead, that all part-time teachers will likely be laid off this July due to the department’s inability to pay part-time salaries in addition to full-time salaries with benefits. 

“In the past, my professor mentioned, he would have had to worry about the school checking in on him. But now he doesn’t have to necessarily worry about that and has free range,” Harper said. “But I know we’ll still have to work for our grade.” 

Since earning his graduate degree, Craighead has been a part-time lecturer at UCSC and said that while he understands the university’s decision to make cuts based on seniority rather than merit, he is impressed with the skill of all professors at UCSC. 

“The department is staffed by top-notch teachers,” Craighead said. “[The department] tries to do everything it can and not make it hard on everyone.”

Craighead said that he is saddened to see the budget getting in the way of the university providing students with the education they deserve. Students’ primary complaints echo many of Craighead’s own sentiments, he said, many of them expressing disappointment with the overall unavailability of art classes. 

“The department just can’t accommodate all the students in the major and others who are interested in taking some of these classes,” Craighead said. “There’s plenty of stuff to be disappointed [about] in education. The costs for students are high and that’s what’s not working.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Budget Clamps Down on Education

Photo by Morgan Grana

German politician Helmut Kohl once said, “I have been underestimated for decades. I have done very well that way.” 

The same could be said about the UC Santa Cruz men’s baseball team, which is starting to get some of the recognition its success warrants. The team has spent numerous years unnoticed due to its status as a club sport and not an NCAA Division team.

“A lot of it is notoriety,” said senior George Williams III, a third baseman and the club’s co-captain. “Being taken seriously is hard. Once we heard these dads from a Little League team saying that because we were chalking our own field we weren’t a real team.” 

As if the notoriety issue weren’t enough, the men’s baseball team also has to deal with the financial drawbacks of being a club sport. As a non-NCAA team, it does not receive any funding from UCSC and has to depend on private individuals and businesses for sponsorship. This money, however, does not cover all necessities.

“We each have to pay out of pocket $300 at the start of every year,” sophomore left fielder Kris Williams said. “This goes toward umpires, uniforms, lights, etc.”

Team members agree that the biggest drawback of all is the absence of a home field. This means the team must rent Harvey West Field in Santa Cruz for $300 a game and coordinate with the city and other teams who want to use the field.

Sophomore center fielder Chip Hayashi said these financial issues are the reason why the team is often looked down upon.

“I think the natural tendency is to look at a club team and just because the word ‘club’ is in it assume we’re not as good as a Division I, II or III team,” Hayashi said. “But I think it’s partially because our school can’t fund us. That’s where we can put the blame if we’re overlooked.”

Senior starting pitcher and co-captain Colin Murphy said that more funding would increase the team’s success.

“[There’s] the fact that we can’t pay for a good coach to come in, pay for a field and have games scheduled around our classes like NCAA teams do,” Murphy said. “We’d be real competitive with all that.” 

Despite these obstacles, the team is starting to garner recognition, thanks to a 10-2 overall record (including a 9-0 start) and a ranking as 24th among the top 25 club baseball teams in the country.

“Now people are starting to take notice of us,” Williams said. “It’s nice to be seen as a legitimate team.”

Being a club sport also has its upside.

“One plus is that because we’re a club team, we’re able to control how we play,” Hayashi said. “We affect ourselves and how we play.”

Hayashi points to the fact that the team doesn’t have a traditional head coach as a positive.

“You feel more connected because you see your captain on the field and batting,” Hayashi said.

Williams said that having player-coaches allows the team to relate more to them.

“It gives more respect to them because we [the players] know they’re trying to manage and do schoolwork … they’re in the same situation as [the players],” Williams said. 

He added that coaching “has brought the team together this year” and is one of the reasons for the team’s success.

The co-captains also cite the team’s ability to outscore opponents, the pitching rotation and their depth at each position as keys to their accomplishments. 

“It wouldn’t be fair to single people out [as standout players] because there’s so much depth at every position,” Murphy said. “The most valuable player is the guy who comes in late in the game with a pinch hit after sitting on the bench.” 

Considering its success, the team has high expectations for the rest of the season. 

“Florida or bust,” said Williams III, referring to the site of this year’s National Club Baseball Association World Series. “I’d be disappointed if we didn’t make it.” 

To get to Florida, however, UCSC will have to win the regional tournament in Riverside. The game this Friday night at Harvey West Field will be important in determining whether the team makes it this far. The team takes on UC Davis in the first of a three-game series.

“If there was ever a Santa Cruz bowl game, this is it,” Murphy said.

To make it to the playoffs, UCSC will have to sweep UCD this weekend and Humboldt State next weekend. 

Perhaps the growing recognition the men’s baseball team is attracting with their success means its days of being underestimated are numbered. But for those who remain naysayers, co-captain Murphy has one message:

“For those that talk down to us, sit on your couch and keep eating your potato chips.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Discounted Club Team Proves Naysayers Wrong

Illustration by Justin Martinez

The versatile Ari Shine, along with his wife and co-record company owner Adrienne Pierce, will return to his alma mater April 21 to play for the second time at the annual Earth Day College Night event hosted by Stevenson College.

Shine now lights up stages all across the globe and co-owns a boutique record company in Los Angeles. His work has been featured on the TV series “Kyle XY,” “American Idol: Rewind,” “Next,” “L.A. Ink,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” among many others. Shine’s roots, however, lie with the theater department of UC Santa Cruz.

“I love being back on the UCSC campus whenever I can,” Shine said. “I just get a good vibe. It feels good to reconnect.”

In recent years, Shine has played two shows at UCSC. However, his first shows in Santa Cruz took place between 1994 and 1999 when he was still a Porter student.

“When I was at UCSC I was already playing in a band,” Shine said. “We were called Granite Path. We played LA, SF, all over. We were one of those Queens of the Stone Age kind of bands. It was a Black Crowes sound — a heavy soul, stoner rock kind of band.”

The upcoming Earth Day event at Stevenson is the second consecutive event of its kind, and will focus on raising awareness about eco-friendly living. Students will tie-dye T-shirts reading “A Path to a Greener Stevenson,” the name of the Stevenson-based campus organization that focuses on raising awareness about environmental living at UCSC. Students will also have the opportunity to plant seeds for personal potted plants, which they may take home.

Outside of the event, before the performance by Ari Shine and Adrienne Pierce, volunteers will hand out pamphlets with information about sustainable foods and alternative transportation. The show will not charge admission. A College Night event co-hosted by Stevenson and Cowell, it will only be open to residents of the two colleges. A crowd of roughly 500 to 600 people is anticipated for the show.

Rene Tanaka is the assistant programs director at Stevenson College. She met Shine and Pierce at last year’s Earth Day performance.

“I like [Ari Shine and Adrienne Pierce]. In terms of other groups we’ve had, I think they are some of the best performers we’ve had here at Stevenson,” Tanaka said. “They’re really nice — they’ll remember you if they’ve met you before. They’re really down-to-earth.”

Shine, who writes all of his own music and lyrics, has released four albums — two of which feature digital sound, and two of which are physical. Shine’s music is also available on iTunes and on Amazon.com, he said. At the show, Shine and Pierce will perform songs from four different releases. They will also feature one or two new songs.

“I’m working on a new record and trying out some of the new songs,” Shine said.

His last release was a compilation of covers, so Shine said the selection at the show features a few cover songs as well.

Shine described his influences as “all over the place,” naming Billy Joel, the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello as influences from his childhood. He called Rush his “guilty pleasure.” Other influences include Metallica, Slayer, Run DMC and Bryan Adams, he said.

Shine spoke on behalf of preserving art programs endangered because of the budget crisis.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m lucky enough to make a career as a self-employed artist,” Shine said. “UC Santa Cruz, and the theater arts department especially, set me on the road for that. The thought of some up-and-coming actor or painter or musician not being able to get what they need is terrible. Mankind needs the arts.”

Shine is looking forward to performing at the school that got him started on his path towards a career in music, he said.

“My experience [as a UCSC student] was really amazing,” Shine said. “It’s really interesting — many members of my class went on to do really great things. You never really know what everyone’s going to do. My advice [to student artists] is start now. Tour during the summers. Tour during breaks. Let people know what you are doing — just go for it. Get involved in the music scene in Santa Cruz — there are a bunch of really great venues.”

The Earth Day event will begin at 5:45 p.m. and run until about 7:45 p.m.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Musical Alumnus Set to Shine for Earth Day

Photo by Catie Havstad

For the UC Santa Cruz women’s tennis team, this has been a season that will truly make them or break them. After their tough 8-1 home loss to San Jose State last Tuesday, the team is 1-15 heading into two difficult games against Notre Dame de Namur and Cal State Stanislaus this weekend. However, all seven members of the team and head coach Erin Ness look at this season not as a failure, but as a valuable learning experience.

“It’s been a rough season on paper, but we’ve been getting better,” said third-year coach Ness, who played for UCSC women’s tennis before graduating in June 2006.

Take the most recent game versus San Jose State. On a windy Tuesday afternoon at the East Field tennis courts, junior Kyla Kessler Rowe and sophomore Taylor Mannix stepped up in doubles competition to take on two of the best that San Jose State had to offer. Amid cheers of “Let’s go Slugs!” from the modest crowd and the occasional “Whoo! Good try!” San Jose overpowered UCSC to take an early 3-0 lead. 

Kessler Rowe and Mannix would not be discouraged, battling back with the help of strong serves and excellent defense to make the score 3-2, San Jose. 

“They did really well,” said junior Chrissy Nichol, a fellow women’s tennis player. “It’s hard playing against the wind and San Jose State had a stronger doubles team than the last time we played them.”

Ultimately, San Jose State’s power and hustle allowed them to take the game 8-2. However, assistant coach Jessica Ruth credits her players for battling back and almost gaining enough momentum to take the win.

“Our goal is winning and competing,” Ruth said. “Leaving everything out on the court.”

This season has proven to be one of the toughest the team has ever faced. Out of the 16 teams that the Lady Slugs have played or will play this season, four are Division I (UC Davis, San Jose State twice and Santa Clara), five are Division II (Sonoma State University twice, CSU Bakersfield, Notre Dame de Namur and Cal State Stanislaus) and nine have winning records.

On top of that, the Lady Slugs started the season off inexperienced, with no seniors on the roster. 

“We have two juniors, one sophomore and four freshman on the team,” Ruth said.

Coach Ness doesn’t see playing such elite teams as an obstacle. Rather, she sees it as a great chance to learn from these superior teams. 

“We’ve played a lot of higher-division schools this season and it gives us a good chance to see how good we can be and raise our game,” Ness said. “It helps us improve a lot faster.” 

And improve they have. After starting the season being shut out by Santa Clara University, UC Davis and San Jose State, the women’s tennis team was able to score at least once in eight of their next 13 matches, including their decisive 6-3 defeat of University of La Verne on March 24. 

Ness considers this type of improvement extremely valuable for the young team. 

As she put it, “That’s what it’s all about — getting better.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Slugs Challenge the Best to Become Even Better

Illustration by Rachel Edelstein

We all saw this coming: the freefall after things come too easy. 

For so long, we have been a nation built on the “all-or-nothing” credo, with half of us hoping for the fortune that comes with being plucked from obscurity and thrust into fame and fortune, and the other half putting in the work ethic required, but simply spending more than we have. 

As the 1980s roared on, Wall Street suddenly became America’s game of choice, spending the bucks on whatever goes and passing the buck for who to blame. According to a recent TIME Magazine article, back then the average household saved 11 percent of its income in savings. By 2007, that number was less than 1 percent.

But we kept going, because the post-9/11 ideal was to support our country with what lined our wallets, to remind “the enemy” that life as we know it would carry on, and that we were not afraid. 

Turns out we should have been. But the enemies were a lot closer to home than we initially realized. 

It seems like such a simple idea: spend what you have. But we didn’t, and now finally, we are feeling the effects. Our economy has reached a low that has some analysts dubbing it “Depression 2.0,” a Black Tuesday that lasts year-round.

But maybe this is just what we need. Maybe we need to hit rock bottom before we can start fresh, which would essentially mean that our current fiscal deterioration — the one on everyone’s lips, everyone’s mind and everyone’s magazine covers — may be the best thing that’s happened to us in a long time. 

Welcome to the end of the wings, with both the right and the left losing any semblance of bargaining power as both fall into categories of equal parts aggressor and victim.

The Republican degenerates are the easy scapegoats for any post-2000 ennui. But in the weeks leading up to the dawn of the new millennium, mere days before Christmas of 1999, former President Bill Clinton, the man so often praised for his staunch economic leadership, negotiated the deregulation of the U.S. financial system. 

Turns out that Democrats can get things wrong too.

And all the while, Americans stocked up on water jugs and blankets, certain of a global catastrophe that would never come. But neither party is guiltier than the other as the whimper of economic collapse has seeped into cultural pertinence, turning even the most humble of American hands a guilty shade of blood-red. 

With American International Group (AIG) requesting more money, America has officially reached the pinnacle of its desolate ideology. The new millennial motto reads and reeks of “Guitar Hero” mentality: everyone wants to be a rock star but nobody wants to learn the chords. This is a world where the Parises and Nicoles are media messiahs who embody the new American doctrine that it’s possible to have it all by doing nothing.

If a film like “Slumdog Millionaire,” a present-day rags-to-riches fairy tale about a boy made into a millionaire overnight, sounds familiar, it’s because it has been a part of the American mentality for the past 80 years. 

But what has really caused this bubble to burst is our nation’s inability to think outside of extremes. We hysterically spend what we don’t have in hopes of one-upping one another. And at the first sign of fiscal concern, we pinch our pennies until our fingers are sore.

But the key is to decide what is deserving of whatever pennies we have left. Laying low, crossing our fingers and blaming the bankers isn’t going to bring us back to our usual routine. 

And even if through some miracle our laziest of aspirations do manage to bring about a financial rebound, business as usual is no longer the answer. Self-declared Republican icon Rush Limbaugh recently bellowed his concern over not just the deterioration of our current economy, but the possible political upheaval that could come from its radical rebuild, calling the emphasis on education and possible universal health care “the end of America as we know it.”

And it’s true: This is the end of America as we know it. But in its place will be an infrastructure founded on the three ideals that drove the 2008 election into history: hope, progress and change. 

For once, maybe Limbaugh’s got it right.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of a Paycheck

But before we all gear up for some good old-fashioned — albeit unsanctioned — fun, let it be known that the Man is trying to cut the rotation off. On April 7, many UCSC students and even some parents of students might have noticed an e-mail sent out by Felicia McGinty, vice chancellor of student affairs, with regard to our beloved unofficial holiday. 

McGinty explained in the e-mail to students that the upcoming smokefest is “a non-university sanctioned event often referred to as ‘Four-Twenty’ or ‘4/20.’ This unsanctioned, unwelcome and illegal activity,” she wrote, “diminishes UC Santa Cruz’s reputation and draws negative attention to the campus.”

The e-mail went on   to outline the measures being taken by the administration in an attempt to stop us, or at least curb us, from partaking come Monday. These measures include rerouting the Metro buses and cutting off the West Entrance to all incoming traffic, as well as making the already nightmarish campus parking restrictions even harsher.  In addition, McGinty pointed out, UCSC will be implementing a weekend-long “no guest” policy for students who live on campus.

The reasoning behind sending the e-mail to students is fairly transparent. Without issuing this type of public disapproval, UCSC risks looking like it condones the illegal activities associated with 4/20. 

The reasoning behind sending e-mails to parents of students, however, lacks that same transparency. If there were some intended benefits to sharing 4/20 details with some UCSC parents, we haven’t seen them. 

But if there’s one thing a few years at UCSC teaches you, it’s that events like this make the university one of the most unique campuses around. Every year students find an excuse to run naked during the first rain, hold drum circles to honor every full moon, and descend upon Porter Meadow in an annual weed-burning extravaganza.  These quirky eccentricities are a part of our campus culture and moreover, a part of the Santa Cruz experience.

Ultimately, the counteractive measures planned by the administration for 4/20 will probably inconvenience more people than they will help. Students with Monday afternoon classes on the west side of campus will find themselves inconveniently dropped off on the east side of campus.

For those committed to smoking, however, these measures will likely achieve nothing. They did nothing last year or the year before, and the likelihood that they will actually impede the efforts of anyone this year are slim to none. 

Rather than attempting to uphold a tidy, perfect image via a string of e-mails and regulations, the university should come to terms with what UCSC is and has always been. We boast a campus community and energy like no other and despite our pot-smoking ways, we still manage to emerge from the university as some of the smartest, brightest, most powerful individuals in the country.

The administration may not like it, but smoking in Porter Meadow on April 20 is a part of UCSC culture, and the beloved 4/20 tradition won’t be burning out any time soon. 

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Not the Last Dance with Mary Jane

When U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-Carmel) called UC Santa Cruz “the greatest university in the world,” he was only half-joking. 

Last Monday, Farr presented Chancellor George Blumenthal an award in recognition of the campus’s ongoing contributions to the Peace Corps. This year, 52 UCSC students joined the Peace Corps as volunteers. The campus made the second-largest volunteer contribution out of any medium-sized college in the country, and 18th out of all colleges nationwide.

“Maybe at other schools people are more selfish, and would not want to join the Peace Corps,” fourth-year Jason Robins said. “Maybe it does say something about the type of people we have on this campus.”

Historically, UCSC has been an important contributor to the Peace Corps, with a total of 665 volunteers over the years. 

In 2002, Farr introduced a Congressional bill to double the size of the Peace Corps. 

“The bill is there. What we need is [Obama’s] help on making sure the money is there,” Farr said. 

At the moment, the Peace Corps recieves $330 million a year from the federal government. Farr wants to raise their funds to $400 million by the end of 2009 and to $600 million in two years’ time. 

Fortunately for Farr, Obama’s plan for universal voluntary public service pledges to double the ranks of the Peace Corps — from 7,800 to 16,000 volunteers — by its 50th anniversary in 2011. 

Advocates hope increasing funding will make the Peace Corps available for more Americans. The running joke, Farr said, is that the Peace Corps is more selective than Harvard. As for Obama’s promise to support his bill, Farr asserted that he is “going to hold him on his word, for that.” 

Vice chancellor of student affairs Felicia McGinty understands both the importance of the Peace Corps in today’s world and the dedication required to spend two years in service, she said. 

“It’s easier to talk about these things than it is to actually do them,” McGinty said. “The folks who [volunteer] are not just scholars, and they’re not just thinkers. They’re people who are committed to making a difference.”

Jim Hagan, who volunteered in the Peace Corps in India from 1966 to 1968, attended the awards ceremony on Monday. 

“Those two years had the greatest impact on my life,” he said. “It was phenomenal.”

As a Peace Corps pioneer, Hagan remarked on the character change between Peace Corps volunteers of the past and the present. 

“People are much more qualified to go out there [now],” he said. “It was fairly experimental at the time. I went over as a healthcare worker and ended up a chicken farmer.”

In the same vein, Farr said that “the passion has not shifted, and neither has the goal.” And one of the main goals of the Peace Corps is to increase American interest and understanding in foreign affairs. Foreign aid, including the Peace Corps, is only 1 percent of the nation’s budget, Farr said. 

In 1961, John F. Kennedy envisioned 100,000 Peace Corps volunteers around the world at all times. If this were the reality, Farr said, “Do you think we would be in Iraq and Afghanistan right now?”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Peace Corps Thanks UCSC, Asks for More

It would be equally difficult to find a college student who doesn’t know someone who has driven drunk. 

Nick Adenhart’s tragic death last week should serve as a political and personal call to action when it comes to counteracting drunk driving — not because Adenhart was a major-league baseball player, but because he was someone’s son, someone’s boyfriend and one of the nearly 18,000 Americans who will die in drunk-driving-related incidents this year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Safety.

Adenhart was killed April 9 in Fullerton, Calif. after being hit by a drunk driver who had a suspended license and a blood alcohol content that was three times the legal limit. The rookie pitcher for the Anaheim Angels had just played his fourth major-league game and was on his way to celebrate when he and two of his friends were hit by another car. 

According to the California Highway Patrol, nearly 1,500 people in California alone died from automobile accidents involving alcohol in 2007. Additionally, the AAA Auto Club reports that that about one in every 11 drivers admits to having operated a motor vehicle even when they believed their blood alcohol level to be over the legal limit.  

There are a myriad of ways to approach this massive problem: stricter law enforcement and sobriety checkpoints; broader discussion on the causes of alcoholism; intensified alcohol education programs; adjustments to current driving ages and drinking ages. 

In California, Assemblyman Mike Feur (D-West Hollywood) recently proposed legislation that would create a pilot project in four counties requiring ignition interlock devices on any vehicle owned or operated by a person convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). The device, meant to curb the problem of repeat alcohol-related vehicular offenses, would require drivers to blow into a breathalyzer and register under the legal blood alcohol level before allowing the car to start. 

Ultimately, some combination of these methods will likely be the solution to the outrageous rates of alcohol-related vehicular deaths in the U.S. But until actual changes are enacted at the federal or state levels, each of us as college students — perhaps especially — must take responsibility for our own actions and help our friends and loved ones in making good decisions as well. 

This might mean letting someone sleep on your couch. It might mean picking up a friend who shouldn’t drive him or herself. It might mean holding back laughter when someone tells a story about how they were so hammered and drove home. This might mean letting go of frustrations aimed at law enforcement officials and agencies and accepting that while sobriety checkpoints may be a hassle and getting pulled over might be a drag, police play a key role when it comes to reducing DUI fatalities. 

As a generation raised with messages from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on D.A.R.E campaigns and “drink responsibly” catchphrases, it can be easy to find ourselves jaded and neglectful of our power to transform cultural norms.  But we are at the forefront of this fight. As individuals, and even more as a community, we have the ability to not only spawn a culture hostile to the long-accepted practice of drinking and driving, but also to replace that with a culture that embraces alternative means of transportation and practices sensible drinking habits.

Adenhart’s death was a tragedy and unfortunately won’t be the last of its kind. But with consistent vigilance and political encouragement we can — and absolutely must — build a society where drunk-driving fatalities are anomalies, not norms. 

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Lessons from the Death of an Angel