Slideshow of the graduating class of 2013 set to Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Steve Wozniak’s speech and interview with Gerald Stanley Weissberg.

Check out the article about the general commencement.

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After a tough first semester at UC Berkeley, returning for a second term can bring the fear on. Instruction is starting, and I’m still at a crossroads — afraid to add classes to my Tele-BEARS.

Last semester was not one that I finished unscathed. There had to be a casualty, so I suffered a fail in one class to pass the others. I didn’t do well because I took on too much — I didn’t manage my time well. Failing negated the strength I gained in passing my other classes, so when the semester ended, my original excitement at returning to campus after more than 10 years had turned to shame.

Accordingly, I spent winter break in dismay. The damage was done. I had lost my inner sexy.

Then, earlier this month, I went on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas Fusion Exchange, a dance event that brought together dancers of all genres, including blues, swing, tango and hip hop, and blended them together into one great dance movement.

It was a go-go dancing workshop that helped me get my groove back. My instructor introduced us to the dance with a warm-up. Steps in place. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Then she added some styling. Step, hip, flick. Step, hip, flick. We rotated legs as each eight-count syncopated to Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know — Tiesto Remix” and then to Ke$ha’s “Die Young.”

The warm-up did wonders for my confidence — I felt like a superstar. Then reality hit. The students had to walk across the floor, projecting our “inner sexy” — Suck in that gut, stand up straight, accentuate that butt, tousle that hair, pump those arms and connect your eyes with the audience on the runway, we were told.

Many of us promptly staggered to the back of the line, urging peers to go first as we huddled in the shadows trying to calm our nerves. Finally, we managed our way in small teams to the other side.

Like a go-go dance runway, the UC Berkeley campus can be intimidating, especially when you lose your footing like I did after my trying fall semester. The dance exchange taught me that, to make it through this semester, all I need to do is remind myself of the reason that I came here in the first place. I need to project confidence and my inner sexy.

Being a re-entry student, I’ve had to constantly remind myself of my original goal: to earn a college degree from UC Berkeley and become the journalist I always wanted to be. After not being in school for so long, it takes even more effort to return following a difficult first semester back on campus.

Attending UC Berkeley has been my dream since seventh grade, when I asked a campus tour guide what I needed to do to get in and was told that I needed to work hard and get good grades. Now that I’m here, I realized I also need to remember to not give up when the going gets tough. Balancing academics, work and everything else burned me out once. I can’t let that happen again.

Aside from building confidence through go-go dancing, I was inspired to keep going after rereading a speech from former UC president Benjamin Ide Wheeler. In the 1899 address, Wheeler told students that what they gain from university life is “not what is pumped into the pail, but what goes over into life. And it comes not only from the lecture room, but from association with the best minds … in the faculty, alumni, and student body — association with the whole life and character of the University.”

I’ve come to acknowledge that part of exploring that “life and character” is asking for help from friends and “guides” on my college journey. My guides are my professors, graduate student instructors and fellow students who help when my confidence is low. In tough times, they still say, “You’re OK. Keep going forward.” In the future, I need to find a way to better cultivate these relationships instead of trying to figure it out all on my own.

So this semester, if ever I feel overwhelmed with school work, I’ll remember my go-go dancing lesson, Wheeler’s speech and my guides. Through all those lessons, I will find my inner sexy — and the strength to dance through college to graduation.

Contact Amabelle Ocampo at aocampo@dailycal.org.

The post Off the beat: Go-go dancing and confidence at Cal appeared first on The Daily Californian.

On Wednesday, Cal officially hired Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes, known for his high-octane spread offenses, to lead the football team. As the 33rd coach in Cal program history, Dykes will take over for Jeff Tedford, who was fired Nov. 20 after a 3-9 campaign this season. Read more here: http://www.dailycal.org/2012/12/05/dykes-to-be-next-cal-football-head-coach-multiple-news-sources-report/

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Rae Zhuang/Staff

A walk past Sproul Hall can trigger stress. During finals week, every last-minute chore can come up, from booking flights home for the holidays to an extra credit assignment for your GSI.

Still, it doesn’t have to work that way. Stress can be redirected toward a positive mental attitude. Here are sure-fire ways to calm your inner chakra whether you have 10 minutes or an hour to spare.

Do nothing.
The “Do Nothing Meditation” is a way of experiencing countless awarenesses taught by Shinzen Young. It can be summed in two sentences. Let whatever happens happen: Anytime you notice yourself doing anything intentionally, stop. There’s no set posture or length to breathe in your present moment.

Laughter is the best medicine.
Make funny faces in front of the mirror with peers, and share your pictures on Instagram. If you are pressed for time and just need a good laugh, watch Judson Laipply’s “Evolution of Dance,” the funniest cat video or classic America’s funniest videos.

Listen to music.
Music is an instant attitude adjustment, especially when it’s free through Pandora, Listal or Spotify. Aqua, Louis Armstrong and the Beatles are classic finds, but dubstep is also popular for massaging tension out of the body. Dance. If that’s too difficult, just shake it out. There is an event on Dec. 4 at the RSF promising to give away massages and comfort food for energy.

Take  a walk with your friends.
The great outdoors will wake up your senses. At Berkeley, there’s a great view waiting at the running trail above the Clark Kerr campus. Notice the trees, the air, the smell and the sound of your every step. What does it feel like to wiggle your toes? Savor the moment feeling grounded to the Earth’s natural powers.

Drink water.
“Hydration 101: The Case for Drinking Enough Water” by Barbara Levine claims that the reason for headaches is dehydration. The body is a machine that needs fluids to operate efficiently. More than 60 percent of our bodies is water, and light exercise can deplete reserves. When stress is at peak, the possibility of forgetting to hydrate is high. There’s a test to find out if you lack water. With your palm facing down, pinch the knuckles. If the skin turns white and stays in one place, then you are likely dehydrated. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives, like coconut water, Vitamin Water and Gatorade, but there is certainly no excuse to not fill up on the real thing.

Eat healthily.
Have your share of fruits and vegetables from a local farmers market. It also doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of chocolate. Find the kind that is at least 70 percent cocoa. Stir up “no-bake cookies” with two cups of sugar, four tablespoons of cocoa, a stick of butter, half a cup of milk, peanut butter, one tablespoon of vanilla and oatmeal in a bowl. You can even stir in acai or your favorite berries.

“Mixing no-bake cookies is one way I forget about my stress,” said Margaret Byron, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. “I can make them in 20 minutes when I have time between school work. They are made to share — my friends love it.”

Contact Amabelle Ocampo at aocampo@dailycal.org.

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Footage of negotiations made on Tuesday, November 27 between university officials and the occupants of Eshleman Hall’s sixth floor was acquired by ASUC President Connor Landgraf. Read more here: http://www.dailycal.org/2012/11/27/protesters-occupy-eshleman-hall-to-press-for-multiculturalism-on-campus/

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Watch an interview with Carsabi founder and UC Berkeley alumnus Christopher Berner.

Carsabi is a search engine for used car listings. Berner and co-founder Dwight Crow, another UC Berkeley alumnus, envisioned a website that would aggregate all of the different listings from across the Internet and provide specific results for cars being sold near a user’s physical location. Carsabi was the result.

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On Friday, November 9, a tribute to veterans was held beside California Hall.

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Protestors staged a walkout on Sproul on November 8th, 2012.

The post Walkout for Higher Education appeared first on The Daily Californian.

With retirement looming, Chief Mitchell Celaya reflects on his past 30 years of service in UCPD.

The post Faces of Berkeley: Mitch Celaya, UCPD Chief appeared first on The Daily Californian.

A noon rally was held at UC Berkeley in support of underrepresented minority students in California. Attendees included students from UC Berkeley, community colleges, high schools and middle schools.

The post Day of Action to Defend the Right to Public Education for All appeared first on The Daily Californian.