kimberly.veklerov.mug

Off the beat: Under construction

This summer in Berkeley — like any summer in Berkeley — a slew of campus buildings will undergo renovation, retrofitting and construction. With fewer students on campus, these three months are an opportune time for Capital Projects, UC Berkeley’s construction management team, to complete many tasks that would otherwise impede Read More…

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On graffiti and Mario Savio

Murmurs from the Bathroom Wall

I like to imagine that the graffiti I see around campus is the product of an underground, grassroots movement — one that is striving to accomplish a mysterious yet vital goal. Each time I see a piece of bathroom wall graffiti, it evokes this picture in my mind of how Read More…

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Toxic lifestyles: Pick your poison

Months ago, on a bathroom wall in the Valley Life Sciences Building, I found faded red letters that posed the question, “Why do we allow our selves to live in a world of poisons that are not quite fatal?” For all the question’s profundity, restroom users were generally hesitant to Read More…

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Capitalism and weed

Murmurs from the Bathroom Wall

As 4/20 fast approaches, stoners everywhere are gathering together their beloved bongs, trusty lighters and favorite strains for an afternoon that will be unforgettable. Or, if smoking a particularly potent plant, forgettable. Set against the backdrop of recent ballot measure approvals in Washington and Colorado, this Saturday is the perfect Read More…

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Stalled identity crisis

Murmurs from the Bathroom Wall

If writing on a wall is artistic expression, then desecrating a sign is protest. Take the two bathroom signs next to the Free Speech Movement Cafe: The woman’s head has been replaced by the symbol for anarchy and the man’s head is blued-out completely. Or take the men’s restroom sign Read More…