Now, we’re not saying you should engage in such shenanigans. If eating isn’t allowed in Main Stacks, imagine what the walkie talkie food police would say to … other activities? Would they try to break up the party or run in the other direction? We bet on the latter.

But apparently Jericho! members had ample opportunity and uninterrupted time to show us just how cozy studying can get in the hallowed halls of the Stacks. Think those moving shelves are only being used to hold books? Clearly you aren’t thinking as innovatively as other Berkeley students. And think those copiers only take paper? You might want to get a sanitary wipe before you plan on using ones in this library any time soon.

We figure there are two extreme reactions to the scenes presented: traumatized horror or incredulity at having your methods exposed. In any case, try to take this tidbit of entertainment as inspiration for new activities. Namely … music videos, of course! Try your hand at filmmaking. Or acting. Or singing! After all, that’s the real message of this piece. Thanks for the motivation, Jericho!

Don’t take this as inspiration to ask the circulation desk if they have any boy toys left to check out, though. They may not understand the creative influence behind the question. Or they might be out.

Image source: s. bennet under Creative Commons 

Contact Erum Khan at ekhan@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter @erumjkhan.

The post What Jericho! does in Main Stacks appeared first on The Daily Californian.

But what was Steve Wozniak’s Cal experience really like? We at the Daily Clog sat down with the Wizard of Wozillia himself to find out.

The Daily Californian: Can you tell us a little bit about how you arrived at UC Berkeley? Why did you choose to transfer here for your junior year?

Steve Wozniak: My parents had me apply to the University of California because it was an awful lot less expensive. So I applied. Berkeley really was the school I would have wanted to go to, because it had a reputation for intellectual free-thinking. Civil liberties and the politics and economics of war were being challenged. Freedom of speech was being brought up as a subject. So I really admired Berkeley in that sense. I just wanted to be among great thinkers. So in my third year of college, I transferred into Berkeley.

DC: After your first year at UC Berkeley, you left and founded Apple with Steve Jobs. But you made sure to return to UC Berkeley to finish your degree. Why? Why does a college degree matter to you?

SW: I had done a lot outside of Cal that would have been equivalent to Master’s and PhD projects, but having a symbol to represent these accomplishments is very important. Also, just being able to tell your kids what college you went to is going to encourage them to go to college. And college is just the most fun four years of your life.

DC: Where, in your experience, is the best place for experiencing what it means to be a Golden Bear?

SW: Oh my gosh. The first place that comes to mind is the rallies before the Big Game. As part of Berkeley itself, Sather Gate stands out in my mind as the most prominent feature of the university.

DC: Sproul Plaza has always been a center of campus activity. Any memories, strange encounters or lessons that you learned there?

SW: I often saw musicians sitting down and playing the guitar. I was into that kind of folkish approach. Sometimes, I’d sit down and listen to them — and even skip class for it.

DC: Do you still like the same kind of music? What’s playing on your iTunes right now?

SW: [laughs] Usually something a little bit country. A little bit folk. Ariana Gillis is one of my favorites. Let’s see, I like The Airborne Toxic Event, Train, Counting Crows — oh my gosh — Counting Crows. Right out of Berkeley! I love them so much. We got to meet the guitarist and we go out with him and his girlfriend all the time.

DC: Do you have a favorite song from Counting Crows?

SW: “Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” … actually, all their songs. They are just so incredible. I actually take most songs I like and go online, read the lyrics and think about them. This kind of thinking is what college is about and it means a lot to me. Music was a big part of my life in learning how to live.

DC: Cool. Other than music, Sproul is known for its demonstrations. Was this true when you were at Cal?

SW: We had sit-downs in those days. But there was one protest where marchers went to Bancroft and Shattuck and smashed every window. We had large demonstrations; the police would show up and start firing tear gas and everyone would run. The cops would be shooting rubber bullets, so the kids in the dorms would love to go looking for them. I kept hoping … to get a picture taken next to a tear gas canister spewing out smoke. But I never achieved that. I never found a rubber bullet either — but thank God I never got a hit by one. Although, one time I was at a payphone on Bancroft and Telegraph and all of a sudden cops pulled up in “blue minis.” They started shooting their guns; the crowd started running but I was trapped in the phone booth, waiting for an operator to get back to me. I was ducking down. The windows were already broken on that pay phone. I was so scared I was going to get hit. But I didn’t. They left me alone. [laughs]

DC: While living in Norton Hall, Unit 3, you describe phone phreaking. Can you tell us a bit more? What experience stands out?

SW: Wow. I discovered, the day before coming to school at Berkeley, this whole idea that you could put little tones into a phone and dial calls anywhere in the world. It was  a bug in the phone system. I was talented enough to build tone makers — I did this with Steve Jobs — and I was excited that we would be able to make a device that would make calls all over the world. We were honest enough to tell our parents what we were doing. They just said not to make any of the calls from their phones. So we would mostly do it from the dorm rooms.

I had read about phone phreaks that were great engineers. They would hook into payphone cables in Arizona and set up worldwide networks. They were smarter than phone company engineers and drove around with vans full of equipment. And oh my gosh, they were just like science fiction heroes — except they were real.

DC: Tell us about the Blue Box. We know it’s a device that you used to make international calls for free, but what did you do with it?

SW: It was never my idea to sell a Blue Box — just to make one to show off. But Steve Jobs said, “Why don’t we sell these to students?” He was always short on money. So we would set up demonstrations in dorms around campus. We would knock on doors until we found someone that looked cool … so, you know, they wouldn’t turn us in. Then we would set up an appointment to come back that night. Usually a group of about 12-20 people would be in the room. I would be the master of ceremonies. I’d tell stories about what phone phreaks have done and what they could do. I’d make a demonstration Blue Box call and we would wind up calling around the world. At every single demo, we sold a Blue Box.

DC: Wow, it sounds like you could do some crazy stuff with the Blue Box. Did you pull any pranks with it?

SW: We called the Pope. I pretended to be Henry Kissinger with Richard Nixon at a summit meeting in Moscow. I said that I wanted to talk to the Pope. I reached the Bishop, who going to be the translator, an hour later — but he had called the real Henry Kissinger. So, I was busted. We didn’t have caller ID in those days.

DC: That’s awesome. Are there any other wild experiences you had because of your phone phreaking hobby?

SW: One day, we had a Blue Box to sell to somebody in the dorms. We stopped at a pizza parlor and demonstrated it to some people there. Then they came up to our car and robbed us of it at gun point. But they left their phone number so that we could call and tell them how to use it. They wanted to pay for it but just didn’t have the money.

DC: Wow, that’s intense.

SW: [laughs] We did a lot of incredible interesting things that people couldn’t believe.

DC: Looking back, what advice would you give graduating seniors?

SW: Don’t expect that right away — even though you’re smarter than someone else — you’re going to stand out and have better ideas and approaches. It takes a while to learn that.

Contact Alex Mabanta at amabanta@dailycal.org.

The post The Clog interviews Steve Wozniak appeared first on The Daily Californian.

This new curve is good news for all students — especially freshmen still calling themselves ‘pre-Haas’ — but it’s only going to be applied to classes starting this spring. Previous courses taken at Haas still fall under the old curves of 3.2 and 3.4. Being Berkeley kids, though, this simply isn’t enough. Revolution must be called for! Take action against The Man! Haas kids were so outraged at the fact that this policy is not being applied to previous semesters that they went so far as to create a Facebook event in protest.  We can picture the dean now, calling in all the troops and barring his doors now that the online world is in on the fight for curve equality.

The event was created as a forum to spread awareness of the change and get people to take action through means like letter-writing. They call for everything taken from fall 2011 — the last three semesters — to get that GPA boost, because that’s when a majority of those affected started at Haas. After all, with the competitive open business market ahead of them after graduation, we can imagine they’d want the highest GPA possible to up their job odds and not have to face the “Less than exemplary from one of the best business schools in the country?! For shame, we can’t hire you.” At least, that’s what we think business execs would say.

Do you empathize with the business kids? Wish your mean curve was higher? Or are you one of those English majors who don’t even know what it means for a class to have a curve? Whichever the case, keep an ear out for Haas friends complaining or rejoicing over the change! Thanks to the Clog, you can now chime in and sound extra smart about business-y current events. Not a bad way to spend a few study break minutes, if you ask us.

Contact Erum Khan at ekhan@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter @erumjkhan.

The post Haas kids want more A’s appeared first on The Daily Californian.

1. Be sure to watch out for food patrol in Moffitt. You know those people with the white plastic bags and walkie talkies? They’re out for your cookies and Red Bull! They’re usually pretty loud getting off the elevator to start their sweep for goodies, so stash ‘em before they have to confiscate. If you catch them in a good mood they may let you finish off your drink before tossing it, but to be on the safe side just keep everything gulpable and/or munchable out of sight.

2. Be strategic when ‘studying’ with friends. If you can all manage to sit around the same table without splitting into peals of giggles about that latest Facebook hack, by all means congregate to work. If you lack the willpower (as most of us do), finding a cubicle or some other secluded area to hunker down in for a couple of hours is probably a better strategy. Once you’ve gotten some solid work done, then you can take a social media break. Trust us, they’ll be much more satisfying. And you’ll get a lot less glares from people who don’t have headphones to tune you out with.

3. Pack provisions. If you’re planning on camping out for a while, bring a sweater if you’re sensitive to the cold (Moffitt and Main Stacks are freezing at night!) and money and food so that you don’t have to trek back and forth between the library and your dorm room or apartment.

We lied, there’s one more thing:

4. STAY SANE. The library does crazy things to your brain if you stay there for too long. You’ll start to forget what sleeping in a bed feels like and that when the sun goes down the day is supposed to end. We know we told you to pack stuff with you, but be sure to get some fresh air between hitting the books and acing those finals! It’ll all be worth it when summer rolls around … in less than a week!

Good luck everybody!

Contact Erum Khan at ekhan@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter @erumjkhan.

The post How to: behave in the library during finals week appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Meet Cal’s Goalball. Having only finished its first semester, the sport is already making national news.

“UC Berkeley is the first university in America to offer Goalball as an academic class for credit,” Matt Grigorieff, the architect behind the project, proudly tells us. “And that is fantastic.”

The class is a two-unit supplement to “American Sport, Culture and Education,” a class that fulfills the campuswide AC requirement. Each session is split into half theory and half playtime. After students discuss their readings, they engage in a rousing game at the RSF’s Blue Gym, a massive indoor court on the third floor. The game pits two teams of three against each other, and players score by throwing  balls into the opposing team’s goal.

The catch?

All players wear blindfolds.

Playing on a different team

For junior Alec Sundly, D-1 center midfielder for Cal’s men’s soccer team, maintaining leadership on his side of the court is paramount for victory. He nods at his two teammates, completely confident in their game. But this is the first time either player has ever been to the RSF (to say nothing of the fact that neither teammate has never played a sport before in his life). Sundly grins. He whispers a quick strategy, stretches his legs and then leaps into position. He can already feel the win.

The two teams wait for the command from the referee: “Eyeshades down. Quiet, please! Center! Play!”

In a rapid exchange, the bell-containing ball is tossed from one end of the court. Players duck, jump and dive into each other in an effort to protect the goal. Special tape on the floor helps the crawling players to “feel” where they are in the absence of their eyesight. If the team succeeds in blocking a score, possession changes.

Sweat glistens. Lungs expand. In the final score, Sundly’s team edges a narrow triumph of seven points to six. For a varsity Golden Bear, Sundly has a particularly even game. He scores two points! His two teammates, self-described as “athletically challenged,” divide the five. On this court, the playing field is equal.

Fitness for all

Ann Kwong is the internal president for the Disabled Students Union. Unlike Sundly, Kwong is visually impaired and travels around with a cane. Before Berkeley, athletics were the last thing on her mind.

“When I was a child, I never really understood the fascination my sighted peers had with sports,” she admits. “I didn’t feel like I was able to connect with them.”

All of this changed in the past year. Members in the Disabled Student’s Union expressed discontent with being unable to participate in sports teams. From able-bodied basketball to football, disabled students readily acknowledged the lack of athletic opportunities available to them. Then came the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program’s support in establishing Goalball — Berkeley style.

Goalball player makes a pass. Notice the eyeshades.

Grigorieff and Jessica Adams, both sighted Cal seniors, paired up to organize the discussion part of the class. Teaming with two BORP Goalball coaches, Brandon Young (nonsighted) and Jonathan Newman (sighted), the four have worked to create the most inclusive athletics class in the university’s history. With the guidance of Professor Derek Van Rheenen, the class has attracted students of all abilities.

Kwong beams, “Now, I realize sports are fun. It’s something you have to experience firsthand to understand — the feeling of belonging when you are part of the team or the sense of achievement when you are able to score a goal.” Her voice softening, she adds, “That’s something that rarely happens in reality.”

Fighting stereotypes

Grigorieff incorporates scholarly texts regarding issues within the disabled community in regular discussion. Textbook problems, he has come to realize, are alive in society today.

“A lot of times people, with visual disabilities are sort of seen by the sighted world as a totally helpless person, but that’s not true,” he argues.

Adams adds, “We learned that society tends to polarize nonsightedness. They think it’s black and white. They don’t realize that blindness is a spectrum.”

According to Professor Rod Michalko of the University of Toronto, 97 percent of people with visual impairment can still see. A person is defined as legally blind if he or she cannot recognize the biggest E on an eye chart from 20 feet away.  In this manner, not passing the test really can change a person’s life, as nonsighted individuals undergo such marginalization. One function of Goalball is to address this social stigma head-on. By including input from the entire sight spectrum, participants in the class gain thought-provoking perspectives.

“I feel like it’s the nonsighted students who are teaching the class,” Adams says. “They teach the class by the way they relate to the text.”

Sundly agrees. Input from his nonsighted classmates has challenged his preconceptions and inspired him.

“You build more respect of what (nonsighted people) have to go through on a daily basis, (and) what society is doing is being too judgmental. You learn in playing Goalball that we are all human beings and that we are always equal.”

The feeling of equality is echoed by almost everyone. Kwong says, “I feel like the No. 1 thing I appreciate is everyone is on an equal playing field. I can participate in the same activity with the same ability. Instead focusing on “the strongest” or “the fastest,” goal ball (emphasizes) skills, practice and teamwork – which is a new way to think about sports.”

Sundly’s team blocking a shot

This is not to say that Goalball is not physically demanding. Nonsighted senior Erik Elveback warns against the misconception that Goalball is “easy.” Teammates must coordinate movements through foot-tapping to prevent players from going out of bounds or wandering off the court.

“This sport is very difficult for everybody that plays because for most students, they have never used hearing as the main method of playing a sport,” Adams explains.

Winning off and on the court

Sundly translates skills from Goalball into new techniques to improve his soccer performance. As a midfielder, he lists blocking farther and throwing harder as valuable interdisciplinary lessons Goalball has taught him. Because the ball used in Goalball is heavier than a soccer ball, Sundly has benefited from weight training in a completely unexpected manner. As for foot-tapping, Sundly points out that Goalball has taught him to position himself better on the soccer field as well as give clearer communication to teammates.

Soccer skills were not the only gifts players gained from Goalball. For Young, it is the scale of bonding that has been “mind-altering.” On the last day of practice, Goalball players celebrated with cheers and heartwarming hugs.

Newman points out that the camaraderie is a sign of the game’s success.

He explains, “What I really enjoyed about this class is how much they all liked Goalball. Every single one of them.”

“It creates new friendships that students hadn’t imagined before,” Adams expresses. “I think its true for everybody in the class.”

The future

For Grigorieff, Goalball is set to thrive. His far-reaching plans aim to help everybody involved.

Matt Grigorieff, the architect behind Goalball, with a player

“Some people are not included in sports, and that’s something we at UC Berkeley want to change,” he says. “I think Berkeley can lead the way to promote inclusion. Goalball is not only a class but could be a club team for the campus. One day, (it could) turn into a varsity sport with scholarships. We want inclusion at the highest level in varsity sports.”

In the fall semester, Goalball will be available for everyone to play. Many players this semester were so touched that they have indicated they are returning to grow a community.

“I love Goalball and I want to continue assisting it — I believe in the cause,” Adams says, firmly. Then, with a laugh, she admits: “Goalball is pretty tight.”

To see Goalball in action, check out the video here.

Image sources: Eric Craypo, courtesy.

Contact Alex Mabanta at amabanta@dailycal.org.

The post Introducing Goalball, Cal’s most inclusive sport appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Use it to start a conversation about the politics of petroleum. The television runs a video montage about how these new hydrogen-fueled buses help the environment. One scene on the rolling video depicts oil rigs. If you’re in the mood for an environment and transportation debate, strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you.

Enjoy the scenery. Instead of looking out the bus window at Shattuck or Durant, which you’ve seen a million times, try looking at the AC Transit television, which features some cool scenery from faraway places you’ve probably never visited. We noticed that the Port of San Francisco and Pixar Studios made it into the AC Transit video.

Have a “meta” experience. The video shows some flashy footage of the shiny new buses rolling along pristine roads. Watch a bus driving on the screen of a bus driving. Ooh … It gives you chills, right?

We do love the new hydrogen fuel cell buses. They’re a huge step forward for public transportation’s environmental impact. And we understand that the buses’ televisions are a part of advertising that impact. But if you were hoping for HBO on those screens, sorry — you’ll just have to log onto your smartphone.

Contact Jessica Rogness at jrogness@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @jessarogness.

The post How to: entertain yourself with the new AC Transit televisions appeared first on The Daily Californian.

It is a widely accepted notion that live music is better than putting in headphones or listening to the stereo. But why? If the point of music is to leave the world, don’t headphones accomplish that task better by blocking off the external completely? You’re right, they do — but they also isolate us. Listening to music by yourself is wonderful at times, but it can also be lonely. Listening to music with people lets you bring friends with you as you teleport to a brand new dimension. And while the dance room stereo lets you bring your friends along for the ride, it excludes a special group from the adventure: the musicians. The understanding between the artist and the patron is a unique mixture of respect, admiration and communication and is almost entirely lost without the presence of the artist. Unfortunately, Beethoven is long dead, so the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra will have to represent the ideas he stood for.

There are a million good reasons for seeing the orchestra, and the sheer amount of class that radiates from listening to classical music is enough to impress anyone. You don’t have to be an old person to enjoy classical selections, and spoiler alert: The cello solo near the end is some damn good music.

Image Source: Quincena Musical, under Creative Commons

Contact Kamin Kahrizi at kkahrizi@dailycal.org.

The post A weekend with Ludwig appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Was it cold?

We all know that Berkeley at night can be a pretty chilly place. And if we get cold even without our jackets, you’d think that running stark naked anywhere on campus would leave you absolutely frigid. Well, something about Main Stacks during the Naked Run defies this logic. Not a single runner was shivering, and even spectators were taking off their coats! Because a massive swarm of hot bodies obviously produces more warmth than Doe’s heating system does, we suggest that the engineering department incorporate this finding into a more “green” Berkeley thermostat.

Were you drunk?

Unveiling your naked body to a hoard of strangers can be pretty stressful, so the Clog wondered whether any runners took a shot or two before the big event to calm their nerves. While some participants may have slipped under our radar, we found that the vast majority did not drink at all before disrobing. One runner, a seven-time veteran of the Naked Run, explained that the “high” he gets from dashing completely nude through a library is all-consuming, and he would hate to taint the liberating experience with the fog of alcohol.

What’d you do with your clothes?

Completely unburdened during their journey, most of the runners showed no traces of having arrived to Main Stacks fully clothed. Naturally, we wondered where they stashed their garments. The Clog discovered three main strategies. The most prepared runners temporarily trusted their clothes to supportive friends in the spectator crowd. Slightly less confident in their friends, others donned backpacks containing their valuables during the run. Finally, the most spontaneous participants stowed their clothes randomly in corners of Main Stacks — we even spotted a pile of pants on the spiral staircase!

Were you afraid?

Most runners, attracted to the sense of community and exhilaration, did not seem to fear revealing their bodies to strangers. However, a number expressed concern about the pictures and videos taken by spectators during the event. Donning pirate masks, face paint and even paper bags, many runners dodged this risk and showcased their creativity at the Naked Run this year.

Would you do it again?

Whether a seven-time veteran or a senior crossing the Naked Run off her bucket list, everybody we talked to expressed a desire to do it again. The juxtaposition of intense, stoic studiers and carefree, jubilant naked bodies is something we’ll probably only experience during our years at Cal.

Regardless of whether you ever decide to participate in the Naked Run, the Clog encourages you to do something fun this week. We know you won’t study for the entire 216 hours of dead week. Try a new running route. Go see “The Great Gatsby.” Get lunch with a friend. As proven by the continuing tradition of the Naked Run, a little excitement can definitely enhance our studying and the quality of our dead week memories.

Contact Katherine Velicki at kvelicki@dailycal.org.

The post Disrobing the mysteries of the Naked Run appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Platform(s): Android

Price: Free

Mission: Social-media integrated caller ID on your phone

Disenchanted with boring old caller ID? It’s the 21st century, and you’d expect more than a name and number nowadays. If this sounds like you, the Clog’s here with a solution: Current Caller ID.

When someone calls you, Current Caller ID pulls information about the person based on White Pages, your address book, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and displays it on your screen. Between all these sources, you usually get the person’s name and sometimes a photo as well. Creepy? Sure. Awesome? You bet! In addition to a name and photo, Current Caller ID will show you where the caller’s area code is from and the weather forecast of that area. It will also show you the person’s most recent social media updates.

Current Caller ID also includes some awesome features that show you statistics about your calling and texting habits. You can see a pie chart of the last three months depicting your number of incoming and outgoing texts and calls, as well as the number of your missed calls. The app also generates a bar graph of when you call and text, which it uses to determine the best time to call or text you. Lastly, it displays the three people you contact most and what form of contact you prefer.

Current Caller ID is everything you would expect from Caller ID in the 21st century. It’s free and gives you the perfect context for your conversation.

Contact Daniel Radding at dradding@dailycal.org or follow him on Twitter at @Dradd510.

The post Thursday app of the week: Current Caller ID appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Hamstrings: With all the walking you do in Berkeley, you’ve probably noticed that your legs are starting to look kind of … toned. Unfortunately, all that walking also means your legs will probably be aching by the day’s end. What’s your stretching solution? Sit down on the floor. Stretch one leg straight out in front of you. Bend your other leg to your knee. Slowly bend forward over your knee, keeping your back straight. You’ll be feeling better in no time.

Neck: You can only hunch over a VLSB auditorium desk for so long without it becoming painful. Avoid a tense neck by sitting cross-legged and relaxing. Then, slowly look to the left, return to center and slowly look to the right (emphasis on “slowly.” You’re not trying to give yourself whiplash). Look straight down in front of you. Look down with your head turned diagonally to the left and to the right. Slowly.

Shoulders: In addition to your neck, your shoulders are also probably aching from all your time in class. Circle your shoulders forward about five times. Then repeat the circling in a backward motion.

Back: The easiest way to stretch your back is the traditional touch-your-toes routine. But we want to emphasize that you should never round your back when you do this. If you can’t touch your toes, that’s fine; some of us can’t either. Reach as far as you can without rounding your lower back.

Feet: You walk. A lot. Give yourself a much-deserved foot massage. Start with your toes and work into where those toes connect to your feet. Work up your entire foot and into your ankle. Then, move back down your foot. You could also demand that your roommate rub your feet, depending on what kind of relationship you’ve built up with him or her over the semester.

We’re not kinesthetic experts. These work for us, but there are lots of other stretches that you can do to relieve stress and increase flexibility. These are just some incredibly basic stretches that you can use as a study break to help you get through this last week of the semester.

Also, there are so many books about the topic (one we found helpful was “Stretching,” the 20th anniversary edition by Bob Anderson because it’s straightforward, and you get a cool cover illustration of a guy stretching in really short shorts). And, of course, the RSF offers courses in yoga and Pilates if you really want to stretch and strengthen.

What do you do to relieve stress? Share your methods in the comments below!

Image source: Tambako the Jaguar, under Creative Commons

Contact Jessica Rogness at jrogness@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @jessarogness.

The post How to: stretch out the stress appeared first on The Daily Californian.