Prime - February 2011

prime

The Extreme Issue

by the daily bruin

february 2011

ucla student media publication

prime by the daily bruin

6

inking out loud

8

looking to be seen

12

underground tour of UCLA

14

poets of darkness

18

the standouts

22

extreme dining

24

going vegan

27

urban escape

31

baring it on the slopes

34

extreme party space

36

boundary-breaking films

38

working with a new kind of canvas

40

face paint

42

mixing up the usual cocktail

45

cooking on the edge

contents

february 2011 Live on the edge as you flip through these pages – we’ll provide you with the jumping-off point for everything from tattoos to makeup to food.

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cover photo by isaac arjonilla

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letter from the editor Extremity has little place in my life.

If there is an antithesis to being an adrenaline junkie, I am it.

I have no desire to go skydiving or bungee jumping and would rather sit at the DMV for a full week straight than jump off a cliff into ocean water. I am too fickle to commit to a tattoo, and though I once had a nose piercing, even that was too crazy to remain on my face for long. The most extreme thing I’ve voluntarily done this quarter was sleep for only an hour and then roll in to work, but this isn’t the issue about extreme insomnia.

I don’t consider my life boring in any way – it’s not. I just don’t get a rush from facing physical danger, though it can be argued that what I put myself through to write the story about veganism in this issue fits that description.

Back to the whole cliff-jumping thing – I once spent at least half an hour trying to jump from a low platform in the middle of the Aegean Sea while my travel study friends alternated between laughing at me and diving from platforms three times the height of mine. Eventually I jumped, conquered my fear and had no desire to do it again. Then again, I am the only one I know who has such an aversion to physical adrenaline.

The “Extreme” issue is for my heroes – everyone who dreams of cliff-diving, snowboards down mountains halfnaked, prefers lye-soaked fish to salmon and pours hot sauce on everything they eat, whether it is tofu or bacon and shrimpwrapped jalapeno bombers. It is for all of those for whom too much is never enough.

The “Extreme” issue is also for those more like me – the moderates. We might not ski in our bikinis, but we could probably order a more extreme drink next Thursday night if we knew how to. If free-form tunneling under UCLA’s buildings sounds too dangerous, we might be happy to learn that there are monthly tours available too. UCLA has too many extreme opportunities and wild people to not take a closer look. Maybe it will even inspire a little risk-taking on our parts too.

So flip through the issue, whether your extreme self does so at the tattoo parlor getting an Ophiuchus horoscope sign tattooed on your foot or simply relaxing in the comfort of your living room.

Enjoy your read,

Maryia Krivoruchko

prime by the daily bruin

Maryia Krivoruchko [prime editor] Karolin Palmer Picard [prime art director] Alex Goodman, Lauren Roberts, Samantha Suchland [prime assistant editors] Stephanie Lin [prime assistant art director] Connie Phu, Scottie Bookman, Claire Byun, Hanan Kamal, Tess Liu [design senior staff] Morgan Glier [photo editor] Jen Lally [assistant photo editor] Carol Fan [copy chief] Angela Chen, Robert Goldberg, Lauren Jow, Kristine Kim, Eunice Leong, Ashley Luu, Kendall Lynes [slot editors] Jessica Savio [director of new media]

Farzad Mashhood [daily bruin editor in chief] Samantha Schaefer [daily bruin managing editor] Jacqueline Brabyn, Tiffany Thompson, Adrienne Nguyen, Samantha Feher, Varun Mehra, Jonathan Sauer, Chris Chang, Daniel Kurzrock, Vinnie Ciardi, Ryan Chapin, Justin Boogaard, Jennifer Kim, Karen Oliveros, Kana Mizuoka, Samantha Moore, Grace Haeri [account executives] Jeremy Wildman [business manager] Liz Magallanes-Layug [ad production manager] Katherine Camagong, Daniel Cusworth, Uyen Hoang, Andrew Hunyh, Charlotte Insull, Janice Kim, Melinda Seu, Joyce Wang [production] Michael O’Connor [general operations manager] Gabriela Cox, Charlotte Purcell, Arie Wong [staff] Amy Emmert [media adviser] Arvli Ward [media director]

The Daily Bruin (ISSN 1080-5060) is published and copyrighted by the ASUCLA Communications Board. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Communications Board is strictly prohibited. The ASUCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The ASUCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall. All inserts that are printed in the Daily Bruin are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the staff.

To request a reprint of any photo appearing in the Daily Bruin, contact the photo desk at 310-825-2828 or e-mail photo@media.ucla.edu.

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g n i k in

casey cooney photos by joe lipper

OUT LOUD

Tattooing is an art that has had a cultural presence for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians, Romans and indigenous groups all over the world have used tattoos for various cultural rites.

In the past, tattoos were generally associated with the identification of criminals, prisoners and other social “deviants.” In the past 50 years, however, tattoos have slowly begun to shed their negative connotations. Museum exhibits and art galleries have elevated the standing of the tattoo artist and brought about a renewed excitement for the art form. A 2008 Harris Poll Online study shows that approximately 14 percent of all U.S. adults have some form of body ink, a number that may rise with its popularity and changing acceptability.

Rocco, an artist and the owner of Tattoo Mania on Sunset Boulevard, has tattooed everyone from famous actors and musicians to UCLA students in 20 years at the shop.

“Tattoos are in a surge of popularity with athletes and

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rock stars. When you see it on your heroes, it becomes something you want to have on yourself,” Rocco said.

A recent wave of television shows, such as “L.A. Ink” and “Miami Ink,” has brought the world of the tattoo studio to the eyes of thousands of viewers. The programs follow the operations of the studios and offer an inside look at customers, many of whom are getting their first tattoo.

“Reality TV has been both good and bad. It’s good exposure to show people getting tattooed on TV. The negative is the unreal expectations the viewers get. A tattoo doesn’t come together in 10 minutes,” Rocco said. “There is very little reality in reality TV.” Many UCLA students are taking steps to begin modifying their bodies by getting inked. Vince Hannah, a UCLA alumnus, recently got his first tattoo – a three-quarter sleeve that was designed with help from his mother.

“I’m really artistic and I love the idea of using the body as a canvas,” Hannah said.

Bottom left: Rocco, tattoo artist and owner of Tattoo Mania on Sunset Boulevard, works on customer Jake Fluffy’s design. Rocco has been working at the shop for 20 years. Above: The final result of hours of sketching and filling the design with ink is a personal, permanent statement.

The decision to get a tattoo is a major time commitment.

Hannah’s experience took three separate appointments of five to six hours under the artist’s needle. Potential customers should be well informed about what they are involving themselves in.

According to Rocco, the first step is to know what you want; even if you only have a loose idea, a good artist will be able to help you draw something up.

The next step is to find an artist, shop around various studios and decide on where you feel most comfortable.

Do some research and find out if there are any artists that specialize in a particular style. Try to see some previous work from the artist’s portfolio. Pricing is a major issue that must be discussed with the artist, something that reality TV tends to gloss over.

Some artistic Bruins might find that they don’t just wish to get a tattoo, but may want to become an artist. The process of becoming an artist is not simply finding a tattoo

gun and a willing friend to be a guinea pig.

“A lot of people are going into tattooing that don’t have the proper education. Just like any other profession, there is required job training that goes with it,” Rocco said.

A prospective tattoo artist begins as a helper, essentially begging a studio owner just to clean up the shop. After at least a year, the artist can choose to make his or her helper an apprentice and begin teaching him or her how to tattoo.

Apprenticeships last a minimum of two years.

After the first experience under the needle, tattooing can become an instant addiction. David Allen, a third-year sociology student, got his first tattoo a year ago and was hooked; he has four and is looking into getting another.

“They’re super addictive. You either have to get one big piece and be done or you’ll keep coming back for more,” Allen said. “Get something that’s meaningful to you. Even when I’m an old man, I’ll be able to look at my tattoos and remember how I felt about that time in my life.”

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looking to be seen lauren roberts photo by joel carlos

Every issue, we randomly approach the best-dressed Bruins on campus.

While the Southern California winter is a far cry from frigid, L.A. fashion doesn’t suffer come the coldest season. After being rejected by several worthy fashionistas, these students were kind enough to share a few words of fashion wisdom for the rest of us.

Chi Nguyen, fourth-year international development studies student “My style is changing to be a more mature look. Forever 21 is always good for cheap dresses and Vegas, while Banana Republic is more professional.”

Favorite stores: Forever 21, Banana Republic

Jan Victor Andasan, third-year Asian American studies student “I wear a lot of dress shirts and ties. I like leather jackets or coats, and I always wear dress shoes, never sneakers.”

Favorite stores: Aldo, H&M

Krista Olafsen, fourth-year costume design student “I’m a costume designer, so my style is a little all over the place. I do a lot of vintage shopping, so if I’m going to get something I hunt for it.”

Favorite store: National Council of Jewish Women Council Thrift Shop

Chase Raymond, second-year Spanish and Portuguese graduate student “I try not to be the same as everyone else. I’m a grad student and TA, so I have to wear something different every day because I teach with my students five days a week.”

Favorite stores: H&M, Club Monaco

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tour of UCLA

arit john photos by asya tabdili, samia zaidi

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Traveling around the steam tunnel system that runs under UCLA is no easy feat. The ceiling is low, and the corridors are narrow. Metal fixtures jutting out of pipes and exposed light bulbs create a sort of minefield for anyone more than 5 feet 7 inches. Some tunnels are circular instead of square, which creates an uneven walking surface, and you’ll probably have to climb a ladder at some point.

Then there’s the matter of getting in.

Some people sneak in through unlocked doors, while others open up large, padlocked brown metal grates in the ground around campus and jump down 8 to 10 feet. That seems a little drastic to me, but then, I was lucky enough to get a tour of the tunnel system with the director of facilities management, Leroy Sisneros.

We started our adventure in the sunken garden near Schoenberg and Murphy halls. That area of campus used to be a dry riverbed with a bridge, both of which are now underground. The first thing that struck me was how well-lit and dry the tunnels were.

I don’t know what I was expecting – probably pitch-black sewers with rabid rats the size of golden retrievers – but with the exception of one cockroach and the occasional trail of ants, the only people down there were Sisneros, two trigger-happy photographers from the

Daily Bruin and me. Sisneros assured me that because there was no food down in the tunnels, there was nothing to attract any furry critters down there. You’d be much more likely to run into a rat in a classroom or an office where food has been sitting in the trash can for a while.

Our tour led us through North Campus, through the electrical room and loading area of Royce Hall, to the storage basement of the Charles E. Young Research Library, then up two ladders and through small hallways with low ceilings that began to look the same. Sisneros claims that it’s unlikely a student would ever get lost, because there are several entrances into buildings within the tunnels, but every time he asked me to guess which building we were in, I was wrong.

Very few places in the tunnels are distinct. One of those places is the theater department’s props storage room. The area technically isn’t a part of the tunnels, but Sisneros had keys to open the door that leads into the room.

The theater department has an oldfashioned bathtub, a jukebox, an electric chair, a pay phone and rows and rows of chairs and tables in different styles from different eras. The storage room was, by far, the highlight of the trip.

Before I went underground, I talked with Anthony Stein, a UCLA alumnus

Director of facilities management Leroy Sisneros leads a Daily Bruin reporter and photographers through the tunnel system hidden deep beneath the UCLA campus. Tours of the underground system are given monthly to deter student adventurers from navigating the dangerous tunnels on their own. The tour began around Murphy Hall, but there are multiple entrances on campus, all of which are illegal to access alone.

who frequented the tunnels during his time as a student. According to Stein, he has made the trip through the tunnels 30 times.

Stein is familiar with many of the intricate details of the tunnels, such as which places are more likely to be damp after a heavy rain, or where someone is most likely to get hurt if they’re fooling around. For him, the dangers associated with the tunnels are secondary to the thrill.

Having spoken to him first, part of me wished my expedition underground would have occurred the way most do – at 3 a.m., after some skulking around for a way in – but since I had a legal way to go about it, I decided not to complain. And Sisneros says he gives monthly tours to groups of three to 10 people to deter adventurers.

Besides, the rumors are true. There are signs dispersed throughout the tunnels that make it very clear that you’re trespassing and the full force of the law will be used against you if you’re caught.

If a facilities employee or an officer from university police catches you, then discipline is handled on a case-by-case basis by the Student Advisory Council. I have a feeling that being intoxicated and underage would greatly increase your chances of being expelled.

Despite the law and the facilities staff’s best efforts to keep students out, I expect stolen chairs, graffiti and markers of the exploits of students long graduated to continue to make their way into the tunnels for years to come. As Stein said, we’re a bunch of 18-to-21-year-olds, and what’s better than adventure?

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f o ets

po

s s e n rk

da

alex goodman photos by jim summers

In a quiet residential neighborhood in Encino, there is a room where five young men convene to make deafening amounts of noise. This room is on the second story of Sean Sykes’ home, at the end of a wing, as if the architect knew that someday the rest of the family would need some peace and quiet in the rest of the house.

The air smells vaguely of dust and marijuana smoke, and a banner for a 1994 Thin Lizzy concert hangs on the wall. In this room, Sykes and the rest of the extreme metal band Statius gather for practices, joined sometimes by Sykes’ Irish wolfhound mix, Hayden. A few leftover pieces of carpet are tacked on the walls, which seem to be sufficient soundproofing; they haven’t received any complaints from the neighbors.

Statius formed in 2007, when Ronny Marks and Wyatt Bentley decided they wanted something more

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The extreme metal band Statius rehearses on an afternoon in late December. In 2009, Statius released a seven-song EP, titled “Arcane Fables.”

serious than the band they were playing in at the time. That band’s bass player joined them, along with Sykes, his high school classmate. They advertised on Craigslist and found Nick Vidmann, a guitarist from Culver City, and they went through one other bass player before Dusty McAdams joined last summer, completing the band’s current lineup.

Marks, the group’s lead singer and guitarist, took the name from “The Divine Comedy,” in which Dante meets the Roman poet Statius in purgatory.

Marks wasn’t sure how to pronounce the name – many of their fans still can’t. But Bentley, who became the band’s drummer, asked his English teacher, who was teaching Dante Alighieri’s poetry. It sounds like “staytee-us.”

Bentley is a lanky kid and an energetic and dexterous drummer. He’s the only member of the band with

short hair and the only one still in high school. He said his parents support his musical ambitions because they’ve seen how passionate he is about it.

“They like to see that I’m so focused on something, because school’s never been my gig,” Bentley said.

McAdams’ mother not only supports his lifestyle, but she also raised him on it.

“My mom was a thrasher in the day,” McAdams said. “Before I was even born, my mom when she was eight months pregnant went to a D.R.I. show. So I’ve been raised on thrash and death metal since I was born. I was raised on Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer and Death.”

Almost a year after forming, Statius played its first show at the Cobalt Cafe, a small venue in Canoga Park that hosted AFI, Jimmy Eat World and

Avenged Sevenfold before they hit it big. Soon they began opening for bands in Hollywood, and in the spring of 2009 they recorded a seven-song EP, “Arcane Fables,” during five days at Love Juice Labs, a recording studio in Riverside popular with up-andcoming rock and metal bands.

The songs are dark and intricate.

Sykes’ keyboard-playing lends them an ominous, gothic atmosphere, while Marks’ vocals run somewhere between a bark and a growl. One of the songs, “Deep Into That Darkness,” was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” but Bentley said the band’s gothic tendencies do not extend beyond the lyrics.

“There are people who are going to take things too seriously, there’s probably a kid that’s sacrificed a goat or two, but it all depends,” Bentley said.

“There are people who are really into it and take it seriously, and there are

A lot of people have this idea that ... we have really intricate equipment. But the shit is broken. sean sykes | statius band member

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Sean Sykes, the keyboard player for Statius, hosts band practices at his home in Encino.

people who can just appreciate it as another art form.”

Many fans, in fact, appreciate metal for its difficulty. The genre is known for its impressive musicians who push the boundaries of speed and dexterity for their instruments.

“I think once you play metal, because it’s so technically demanding, maybe other things are a little bit easier,” Bentley said. “Although I’m sure if I took on jazz it would be totally different.”

Sykes said he believes the songs Statius plays challenge each of them as musicians, and their fans seem to think so too.

“A lot of people have this idea that because we have really intricate songs ... we have really intricate equipment,” Sykes said. “But the shit is broken.”

Bentley’s drum set is still intact, but he did acquire it, he said, by trading a broken paintball gun to a friend. Though the band does occasionally make a profit from one of its shows, that money ends up being used for equipment or merchandise.

The members’ plan for the next year, they all agreed, was to record a follow-up to “Arcane Fables” and secure a deal with a record label.

But Sykes said that the band’s journey has already had its share of high points, the highest for him coming at the band’s headlining performance at the Cobalt Cafe in September, and not even because their fans filled the room.

“We had played another show at that same venue, and ... there were a couple of kids who were blind, and they came with their family,” Sykes said.

Sykes said he guessed the kids were around 16 or 17 years old.

“They came to see us. They came really early, they waited the whole time, and then we started playing, and any time any keyboard stuff would kick in they’d start bouncing.

It was so touching,” Sykes said.

“And then, the more touching thing, more touching than that, was when they came again.”

the standouts

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henry szeto jenna belhumeur photo by ken huang

The whole week prior to the race had been raining and windy. On race morning, the UC Davis Sprint Triathlon was still on.

When Henry Szeto arrived, he wrapped his gear in a garbage bag to keep it dry. Before he started, his two friends who had started the race in earlier waves had already quit.

Another competitor had to be taken away in an ambulance for hypothermia. Though it was only Szeto’s second triathlon, he still decided at least to do the swim, the first leg of the race, which was in a heated pool.

When he moved on to the biking leg, the freezing winds blew him sideways, and he almost lost control. According to Szeto, he got through the race by keeping his mind on warm places and the all-you-can-eat sushi waiting for him at the end of the race.

“I finished the race and felt more accomplished than ever,” he said. “From this point on, I knew that I wanted to compete in triathlons after high school.”

These days, the third-year physiological science student is president of the UCLA Triathlon Team and competes in collegiatelevel triathlons as well as in outside races.

Having recently taken part in the Half Vineman Triathlon in Sonoma County – a race involving a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run – Szeto said that participating in triathlons is no spontaneous decision.

“It takes a lot of planning ahead. ... You have to sign up like six months before and really think about the training that goes into it. You can’t just wing it,” he said.

While collegiate-level triathlons are termed “sprint distance” races and are hence typically shorter (the UCLA Triathlon consists of a 400-meter swim, 13.5-mile bike and 5-kilometer run), the typical workout schedule followed in preparation for such races is anything but relaxed. “(To train) I do three practices of swim, three practices of bike and three practices of run per week. So nine things over the course of six days and then rest on the seventh day,” Szeto said.

In order to prepare for the transition that takes place when exercising different muscles for extended periods of time, triathletes cross-train between sports in practices called “bricks.” These fast-paced bike-to-run practices help one get used to the feeling of running straight after biking. While pre-event workouts are an obvious component of the triathlon process, even simple things such as timing one’s eating can affect performance the day of the race.

“It’s more than just competing. You have to think about the strategy as well, even in terms of things like nutrition,” Szeto said.

Szeto admitted that the last leg of the race can pose the biggest challenge.

“The races can get pretty spread out. If you’re out there by yourself, you can’t really see how far the guy in front of you is,” Szeto said.

“Or if you see someone behind you, then it’s basically like he’s chasing you. So it’s mentally tiring and physically difficult because it’s the last thing,” he added.

Szeto said he might consider eventually trying the Ironman Triathlon, for many triathletes the ultimate test of endurance. The race involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a marathon (26.2 miles) run.

“For now I want to focus on school, but when I’m not in college, I for sure want to try it,” Szeto said.

brennan mcnally vy-vy dang-tran photo by lexy atmore

When third-year English student Brennan McNally arrived at UCLA, he was dead set on becoming a screenwriter. Little did he know that one day his life would include regular interactions with famous musicians and getting his guitar signed by the legendary Slash.

This is just one of the many perks that come with working as a music intern at “Conan,” Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show that premiered on TBS in November. McNally landed the internship at “Conan” after working as a research intern for NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” “(When meeting famous musicians) I obviously have to act professional on the outside – but inside, I’m constantly grateful and giggling 24-7,” McNally said.

McNally works three days a week in between classes. “(Brennan) is really mature for his age,” said Joseph Escobar, a third-year biochemistry student and McNally’s roommate since their first year. “I don’t think he’s missing out on (a college experience) – he’s doing what he likes.”

For McNally, it all started during the summer of his first year, months after halfheart-

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edly sending in his application to NBC Universal, not expecting a reply and forgetting about the entire ordeal.

Before he knew it, McNally was working in Burbank, getting coffee for NBC employees and going on runs all over Los Angeles – basically doing anything he was asked to do.

“One time (on “The Tonight Show”) I was asked to hold the cue cards for Conan O’Brien,” McNally said. “I was super nervous. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Don’t drop it. Don’t drop it.’”

McNally’s main duties at “The Tonight Show” included researching viral videos and potential guest stars for the show.

His most memorable find brought two extremes to the show: the world’s largest pumpkin, which weighed in at 1,700 pounds, and a 5-ton monster truck dubbed the Grave Digger.

“I couldn’t believe it. I had a semiprofessional job, and here I was standing in the middle of a parking lot, watching a monster truck smash a giant pumpkin on television,” McNally said.

When “The Tonight Show” was canceled after seven months, McNally worried briefly about not being able to find work.

At the time, he also had a radio music show on UCLARadio.com. Looking to score tickets to a John Butler Trio concert, McNally tried to e-mail Ryan Kingsbury, the band’s manager, offering to review the performance on UCLARadio.com in exchange for free access to the show.

Unfortunately, Kingsbury’s guest list was full, but his consolation prize turned out to be a much better deal.

Kingsbury granted McNally an hourlong phone conversation, during which he enlightened the young Bruin with an insider’s perspective on managing bands and set McNally up with an internship at Red Light Management, one of the biggest artist management groups in the music industry.

“I went to Bonnaroo (a four-day music festival held in Tennessee), and anything I wanted was mine, just because I said I was with Red Light Management,” McNally said.

In April, when O’Brien announced his TBS talk show “Conan,” McNally was called to rejoin the team as a music intern, which has been keeping him busy for the last three months, greeting the bands scheduled to perform and

hunter b

ird

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keeping them happy.

If there’s one thing that McNally’s experiences have taught him, it’s that he has to just let things happen. “(I didn’t plan it, but) hitting ‘send’ on that one e-mail changed everything,” he said.

elia rogers photo by ken huang

It is hard to imagine that at some point Hunter Bird, a third-year directing and musical theater student, considered the stage to be one of the last places anyone would find him. Fast forward seven years, and it’s nearly impossible to find him away from the spotlight.

“My grandma had once asked me if I would ever do theater, and I said, ‘Grandma, you could not pay me to stand on that stage,’” Bird said, laughing.

Eventually his heart softened for the craft, and Bird’s love of theater began following the summer he saw “Cabaret,” a comedic musical about Nazi Germany.

From there his theater career took off, and he performed in a total of 15 shows both at school and at the local community theater by the time he got to his senior year of high school.

It was not until his summer at the Carnegie

Mellon University Pre-College conservatory, a program intended to help with the college admissions process, that Bird chose to pursue a career as more than just a performer, but as a producer and director as well.

“I suddenly took a look at all the other people and what they wanted to do, which was solely acting, and thought, ‘I don’t know if a program like that is right for me,’” Bird said.

In the spring of the following year, Bird accepted his admission to UCLA, but soon after he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of

cancer that affects the connective tissues. UCLA gave Bird the opportunity to attend college while receiving intensive treatment.

Following his diagnosis, Bird said he refused to let cancer interfere with his life.

“My doctor had said that I could go to school, but I needed to do as little as possible, and so what did I do? I did the most as possible,” Bird said.

During Bird’s first year, he started Act III theater group with musical theater alumna Rachel Lee. He is currently the group’s artistic director and has produced and directed numerous shows throughout his time there. In his second year on campus, he was accepted into the theater program’s directing continuum, making him the first student at UCLA to double major in musical theater and directing. According to Bird, this is unheard of because of the rigor and amount of time

that goes into each specialization.

As if this was not enough, Bird chose to pick up a minor in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies as well, which required him to take at least 20 units every quarter.

“I’m such a bibliophile, and I love learning,” Bird said.

This quarter, Bird will direct three shows: “24-Hour Musical,” “Happy End” and “The College Cycle.” He is also planning a breast cancer benefit that he hopes will take place in the spring. Outside of UCLA, Bird serves as a board member for the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program and Los Angeles Festival of New American Musicals.

According to Bird, his cancer diagnosis was one of the many reasons he spent so much of his time on his work, but now that his cancer has been in remission for a year and a half, he said he needs to take some time building a life separate from his work. He has already started working on his New Year’s resolution: He plans to backpack through Europe this summer with his younger brother.

“My work fulfills me, but I want my life to fulfill me,” Bird said.

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extreme dining elisa mosler

photos by jim summers, tiffany cheng photo courtesy of opaque

For the fraction of Angelenos who don’t consider getting their fries “animal style” the most cutting edge culinary experience they’ll ever get, Los Angeles does not disappoint.

Though ordering from a secret menu may seem exciting, Los Angeles offers much more by way of interesting dining, from pitch-black dinners to eating on a spaceship.

You probably wouldn’t meet for a first date at The Stinking Rose. Or, for that matter, any date. When the Italian restaurant’s menu states “We season our garlic with food,” it does not exaggerate. Everything the restaurant serves contains garlic, save, thankfully, a few desserts. From whole roasted garlic cloves and garlic fish and chips to garlic ice cream, the fragrant vegetable is impossible to escape.

Founded by two Italian-Americans

in San Francisco 20 years ago, The Stinking Rose opened a branch in Beverly Hills in 1995. Three tons of garlic are used every month by both branches.

“Garlic is one thing that is embraced by a lot of cultures. Everybody loves garlic – people from all kind of walks and all kinds of races love garlic,” said Massimo Marmelino, manager of The Stinking Rose.

The walls of the eatery are filled with representations of famous classic paintings, all, however, altered to include garlic. Michelangelo’s fresco “Creation of Adam,” which usually depicts God passing the spark of life to Adam with his finger, now shows God handing Adam a bulb of garlic.

“Garlic has a lot of properties. It has minerals, vitamins and proteins.

It’s a complete nutrient for the body – it’s good for everything. Garlic

expels the toxins from your body and it cleanses the body, that’s why you stink. It’s a healthy stink,” Marmelino said.

For those who prefer their food less fragrant, there is Opaque, where the menu remains fairly simple.

After all, it could probably get a bit tricky trying to shovel mouthloads of risotto in the dark without leaving the restaurant looking like a toddler.

Opaque is the first California restaurant where diners eat in complete darkness.

Diners choose their food from a menu in a lit lounge before being escorted into the pitch-black dining room, where they spend the rest of their evening. Blind and visually impaired waiters lead guests to their seats and leave them quite literally in the dark as to what will happen next.

“It’s the way you perceive things

TheThe Stinking Stinking Rose Rose

Encounter at LAX

all of a sudden – you are forced to use your other senses,” said Opaque owner Benjamin Uphues. “This means you smell what is in front of you. You listen to how many people are in the room with you. You appreciate the different textures and flavors more.”

Without sight, the human body’s other senses become sharper, including the sense of smell. Opaque plays on this, serving simple yet strongly flavored dishes such as filet mignon and Ahi tuna steak. Chefs could not include foods that were too difficult to eat, meaning rice was off the menu.

“All other restaurants try to sell us different types of food, while we’re changing the setting rather than the food. That’s what makes it unique – you’re experiencing something

completely different,” Uphues said.

Only a few miles south of Opaque, diners can expect a much more supernatural experience at Encounter, an intergalactic-themed restaurant in a spaceship-shaped building in Los Angeles International Airport.

Diners are treated to alien sounds in the elevator before stepping out into the futuristic restaurant with its moonstone walls, giant lava lamps and crater-filled ceiling. Laser lights and space sounds are released from bar guns when waiters make drinks at the crater-shaped bar.

The owners decided against real dehydrated astronaut space food, instead opting for a classic menu featuring pasta dishes and seafood.

The cocktails, however, follow the theme – guests can choose to sip on “Black Hole” and “Jet Set” margari-

Encounter at LAX

tas as well as cosmos.

“It’s a unique restaurant, it’s one of a kind,” said manager Kenneth Merritt. “We have the best view in the city of Los Angeles. And at nighttime, when it gets dark, it really comes alive with all the lava lamps and the interior.”

Encounter’s interior was designed

by Walt Disney Imagineering, which perhaps explains its wackiness; the futuristic building was awarded the title of “City Cultural and Historical Monument” by the Los Angeles City Council.

In a city as diverse as Los Angeles, it’s only natural that there are so many out-there restaurants. Think twice next time you head to In-N-Out – there could be a much more exciting dining experience waiting for you around the corner.

Opaque

going vegan maryia krivoruchko illustration by olivia anthony

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Jan. 1 came as a shock this year when I couldn’t Foods and Rosalind’s Ethiopian Restaurant were rays reach for a piece of toast the morning after New of sunshine in a dark week, parts of which I frankly Year’s Eve. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, not even can’t quite remember – it became a sort of blur. I can’t honey in my tea – I began my week as a vegan. afford to eat out every day, however, and am no chef – I Vegans cut out all animal products (some go as write a weekly food column in the Daily Bruin about not far as lip balm, which is often made being able to cook, and vegan culinary arts presented from beeswax). Second-year biology many challenges for me. The best thing I made was student and co-president of Bruins a tofu and brown rice tortilla breakfast burrito, but I for Animals Laurel Brewer went vegan also failed at making vegan lasagna, which fell apart for animal rights reasons after being because it was cheese-free. vegetarian since age 13. Third-year Drinking my five cups of tea a day without honey linguistics and English student was different, too. According to Brewer, honey is like Miranda Freeman went vegan for bee vomit, and eating honey is stealing food from bee health reasons but mostly just colonies – one reason why vegans may choose to to prove that she could do opt out. Another challenge was accidental mistakes. it. Third-year physiological I had a portobello burger on the second day, whose sciences student Dhithya buns are, of course baked using eggs, though I never Ramaswamy was raised thought about it in that way. Soy was suddenly my best vegetarian and has never friend, albeit high in estrogen. By effectively combining tasted cheese because she different plant proteins, the missing amino acids can be is allergic to dairy and eggs. replenished, simulating the nutrition of animal proteins.

Their stories I just didn’t have time to constantly think are different, about correctly combining proteins with The first but the result was the two part-time jobs and four classes – I same – a lifestyle that wanted to eat something healthy and two days I brought me to my quick, and this was never an option. felt OK, but breaking point after The whole veganism thing seemed to just one week. go against nature – humans evolved as eventually I All three vegans said meat eaters, after all. Roberts disagreed. was just too that not eating animal “Ten thousand to 50,000 years ago, tired to care proteins increased their the animals were completely different health and helped skythan they are now. They ate plants off anymore. rocket their energy levels. the ground that would have a lot of fiber, I, on the other hand, dragged vitamins, minerals, omega-3, so the tissue myself around sluggishly for of the animals would be full of those,” seven days, slouching in office chairs and wantRoberts said. “Now we feed animals corn ... and raise ing to sleep until Jan. 8. My body was in shock them in very unhealthy environments ... so we’re talking after going from a winter break diet of a meat-abun- about apples and oranges. Eating an animal 50,000 dant eastern European household to eating leaves, soy years ago is different than eating an animal today.” and tofu.

Considering that some fish farms now raise salmon The first two days I actually felt OK, but then I beby genetically modifying them to feed off of corn, and came increasingly irritable and eventually was just too cows are artificially inseminated and pumped full of tired to care anymore. I heard I was pale and spacey hormones, of course the carnivore lifestyle sounds from those around me and remember not having much terrible. But in my opinion, free-range eggs and wildof an appetite. I did reportedly stare at my co-workers’ caught salmon are viable non-vegan options, too. food, however, which made them feel uncomfortable.

Roberts agreed that one does not need to be vegan Maybe if I continued my diet for more than a week my to derive the benefits of being healthy – meat is fine in tired body would have recovered, but I also caught a moderation, although a plant-based diet is best. cold, which hasn’t happened in about a year.

Both Freeman and Brewster seemed upbeat and According to Christian Roberts, physiological scihealthy and said they wanted to be vegan for their ences professor and diet researcher, vegans tend to whole lives, if possible. Ramaswamy does not have a cut out unnecessary carbohydrates and sugars, which choice in being vegan or not because of her allergy, but can mean feeling less sluggish, but there is no research she was full of energy and had no negative side effects that proves that cutting out animal products automatifrom her diet. I am happy for all of them and respect cally increases or decreases energy. Maybe my health the movement in trying to change the course of animal issue was all mental, but I felt like death. abuse in the food industry. My time as a vegan, howI did have some great food along the way: Native ever, is up.

urban escape ruiling erica zhang photo by jim summers graphics by maxwell henderson

In Los Angeles, you barely have to make a choice between the wilderness and the city. Nestled within city limits, Runyon Canyon, Mt. Hollywood and Temescal Canyon lets you have the best of both worlds with mountain trails that offer expansive views overlooking all of Los Angeles.

Runyon Canyon Loop, Runyon Canyon Difficulty: easy Duration: 1.5-2 hours (Street parking on N. Fuller Avenue or nearby streets.)

What makes Runyon Canyon special is its location in the heart of the city, literally two blocks up from Hollywood Boulevard just before reaching Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The spot is popular with locals who live or work in the area.

Wide and well-worn fire roads make for a dog-friendly off-leash trail. At times the number of canine hikers seems to equal the number of their human counterparts.

The best time to arrive is in the afternoon around 4 p.m. This lets you get the most out of the fairly short trail with both a day and night hike experience. You’ll also be able to catch a stunning sunset.

Enter from the park entrance on Fuller Avenue and follow the main

road on the right. As you walk, take behind Westwood in the distance a minute to appreciate the everand turn the sky a pink-red over the greens and palm trees that climb to entire city. impressive heights overhead.

Rest your feet here and sit on the Stay on the main road as it turns comfortable high bench front-andright, and you’ll soon approach a center that will give you the feeling sign that points to an “observatoof being on top of the world (the ry.” This point marks the beginning L.A. basin is massive enough for of a steep climb that effect). Watch that constitutes the city lights begin the most strenuto turn on. It won’t ous part of the take long for night hike. Fear not, to fall, and when it you will hardly does, the giant sea of • hiking shoes or sneakers notice the incline • water bottle tiny lights flickering when you’re in and out of focus is • sunglasses busy ooh-ing truly mesmerizing.

• flashlight (night hikes) and ahh-ing Savor the view for over an already as long as you please • granola bar or fruit majestic view. and continue on the • camera By the time easy downhill main you reach the path that loops back observation to the entrance. A Compiled by Ruiling Erica Zhang. point, you should flashlight isn’t be just in time necessary but helpfor a spectacular show of nature’s ful. Many will still be out on the trail own. You can watch the sun set at this time.

what to bring:

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Mt. Hollywood, Griffith Park Difficulty: easy to moderate Duration: 2 hours or more (Street parking all along side of the road leading up to the observatory.)

Mt. Hollywood is not to be confused with the Hollywood sign, which resides on Mt. Lee. The highest point in the city’s cherished Griffith Park, one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the U.S., Mt. Hollywood is the central peak north of the Griffith Observatory.

Begin the hike from the roadside following Charlie Turner Trail. For a more demanding hike, park lower down on the road and begin your hike at the base of the mountain ranges. This almost doubles the mileage traveled.

Wide and well-worn fire roads make for an easy trail surface.

However, steep elevation gain in several passages make the hike

more difficult.

As you make your way through Charlie Turner Trail to reach the central Mt. Hollywood, don’t forget to look around and take in the aweinspiring expanse of Griffith Park.

Sparse evergreen vegetation dominates the landscape. You’ll see the observatory to the south and the Hollywood sign to the west.

The trail ascends by veering left then right, until it reaches a trail intersection. Turn left at the crossroads to continue up to the summit.

On your way up, don’t miss tourist-photo opportunities. There’s a spot where you can take a photograph of the Hollywood sign with some conspicuous palm trees in front of it. Whip out some shades

and say “cheese.”

There’s a clearing at the summit and a green pole to signify you’ve made it.

Triumphant hikers put a hand on the pole or walk around it to congratulate themselves.

In addition to a complete view of the city, you’ll see Burbank to the north and the lush green patch of Rancho Palos Verdes to the south.

To return, you’ll have to take the same way down. Be sure to stop at the observatory on your way back and learn all about the planets and the universe.

Like Runyon Canyon, Mt. Hollywood is accessible after dark.

However, be sure to bring a flashlight and a map if you plan on tackling any part of Griffith Park at night, as there are numerous trail splits in the park.

Mt. Hollywood

Temescal Canyon Loop, Temescal Canyon Difficulty: moderate to challenging Duration: 2.5 hours (Street parking on Temescal Canyon Road left off Sunset / $7 to park inside) It’s no surprise that Temescal Canyon is a favorite among locals. Situated in beautiful Pacific Palisades near the coast, Temescal Canyon offers a view of the ocean that’s spectacular on clear days.

After entering the park, keep to the right on the paved road until you reach the narrow dirt path of Temescal Canyon Trail. This eventually connects with Temescal Ridge Trail to make a loop.

(For a more strenuous hike, reverse directions and enter on Temescal Ridge Trail to the left, marked by a few wooden steps.

This direction makes a steep 1000feet elevation gain in the first mile.)

The canyon is densely wooded

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with diverse veg405 etation. A small creek Runyon Canyon 5 runs alongside the Hollywood 101 trail. As you climb your UCLA way up and deeper Beverly into the canyon, you’ll Hills begin to hear the small Temescal Canyon waterfall at its source.

10 You will reach the Santa Monica waterfall and a little bridge about a mile Temescal Ridge Trail to complete into the trail. Depending on the the loop is quite steep. You’ll find season, you can even climb on the yourself unwittingly running down rocks below the waterfall. some stretches of it. The trail From the bridge, another mile surface is well-worn and smoother or so up the rugged trail will bring than the uphill trail, so good footyou to the highest points along the wear is a must. ridge. Here the vegetation consists As you make your descent, take mostly of shrubs and other shorter advantage of your elevation and plants that open up the trail for be sure to spot the trailhead and views of wealthy neighborhoods Temescal Canyon Road where you to the west and the ocean to the parked. Don’t despair, it’s not as far south. The furthermost point on the as it looks! The exceptional scenery ridge offers a complete view of the and quiet seclusion in the canyon coastline, as well as the rest of the make this a hike you’ll want to city. Chances are you’ll catch sight revisit again. of sailing boats on the horizon.

Temescal Canyon Loop is accesThe remaining two miles down sible from sunrise to sundown.

baring it

on the slopes

andrew bain photos courtesy of ucla ski and snowboard team

Imagine it’s spring, the end of the skiing and snowboarding season. You came up to Mammoth Mountain to get in one more weekend of skiing and snowboarding. You have time for two more runs down the mountain. Decked out in your best gear, your first run goes well. You cut through the snow like a hot knife through cold butter. You’re ready for your final run. You shed all your winter gear and put on a bathing suit. Next, you head on up the lift and proceed with your final run of the season. This might sound crazy, but it’s just a part of being on the UCLA Ski and Snowboard Team.

Though the club team competes in the Southern California Collegiate Snowsport Conference, compe-

tition is not the only thing that brings the 89 members together.

“We’re basically a family of individuals who love nothing more than going to Mammoth and getting away to the snow,” said Jon Diamond, a fourth-year economics student who snowboards on the team.

The skill levels of team members also vary significantly, according to Diamond.

The team has several traditions that it observes, some more unusual than others. One of the goofier events is the Bikini Run. For one run during the last trip up to Mammoth Mountain, everyone on the team skis or snowboards down the mountain in nothing but a bathing suit.

prime | february 2011 | 31

This tradition has caught on.

“It started out as just a UCLA Snow Team thing, but in recent years we’ve gotten a bunch of other teams involved,” said Sarah Van Cleve, a fourth-year economics student who skis and snowboards, as well as serving as president of the team.

Van Cleve said that, depending on the weather, between 100 to 150 skiiers and snowboarders take part in the Bikini Run. The team also takes part in a tradition that operates on a much larger scale: a fundraising effort for Boarding for Breast Cancer, a nonprofit organization focused on breast cancer awareness among young women. The organization also emphasizes the importance of catching cancer early and living an active and healthy lifestyle.

According to Nicole Gormley, a fourth-year marine biology student who snowboards and serves as vice president of the team, the team sells raffle tickets, with all proceeds going to the organization. The team also receives a lot of donated gear from companies, encouraging them to fundraise.

Gormley said the event is a great

experience for both parties involved.

Among these different traditions, a love of skiing or snowboarding and of being in the mountains binds all these young men and women together.

About six times every winter, the team takes a trip to Mammoth to ski and snowboard.

“I just love the feel (of being) in a mountain town,” Van Cleve said of going to Mammoth.

Mammoth also represents an escape from the chaos of city life.

“It turns into a way to get out of L.A. and go see the mountains ...

You see every single star ... which is something you definitely don’t get in (an) apartment,” Gormley said.

To be sure, being on the team is a commitment. However, somewhere between the clear mountain air, the greens and whites that contrast in the landscape and the simple joy of flying down the mountain, the team becomes a defining part the members’ experience at UCLA. “Whenever I get up there, I always thank myself for going,” Diamond said.

Top: Two Ski and Snowboard Team members ride the chair lift to the top of June Mountain.

Above: Nicole Gormley and Sarah Van Cleave pose at the top of Mammoth Mountain this December.

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extreme party space alex goodman

photos by lexy atmore

For this and each upcoming issue, we will feature a space in Westwood – a noteworthy apartment, a cool dorm room or extreme fraternity house, highlighting the varied decor found around town.

The inhabitants of this room, in the Theta Xi fraternity house, sleep in a loft that takes up about half of the ceiling space, which leaves the floor free for parties. The space is furnished with couches and a high-definition TV. A giant Monster energy drink poster hangs from the wall, along with several signed Playboy magazine covers and a displayed blow-up doll. Outside is a spacious balcony, featuring a campfire pit, tables and a rotating light system. There is a study cave below the loft, with a desk, books and other school supplies – after all, these are students who live and party here.

prime | february 2011 | 35

boundary-breaking films

corinne cunard photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com, themoviedb.org

“Gone with the Wind” (1939) “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) “it Happened One Night” (1934)

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Frank Capra’s romantic screwball comedy film was an unexpected success and the first picture ever to win the five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay.

“Gone with the Wind” is an epic film famous for many things: its memorable quotes, characters, sets and its extensive publicity and marketing, which made it an expensive blockbuster hit.

WARNER BROS.

Humphrey Bogart paved the way for the film noir genre with his role as Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon,” which introduced characters such as the anti-hero and the femme fatale into filmmaking, setting the standard for the detective films that followed.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) “The Jazz Singer” (1927) AR W NE R BR O S.

WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS

“The Jazz Singer” was a Warner Brothers venture into new territory, as their film implemented sound technology in an era of silent films. Other film studios were hesitant to use sound, so they waited to see what happened with the new Warner Brothers film. “However, after ‘The Jazz Singer,’ the industry decides (sound) is going to be the new standard and that they can’t afford to go back to anything else,” said Jan-Christopher Horak, director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “The Jazz Singer” was the first film to use synchronized sound and dialogue with huge commercial success. Because of the success of “The Jazz Singer,” the film industry transitioned to using sound technology, according to UCLA film Professor Jonathan Kuntz.

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Walt Disney had already created the first cartoon with synchronized sound in 1928 with “Steamboat Willie” but then decided to push boundaries in animation further by creating the first feature-length animated film. Before “Snow White,” animation was only found in cartoon shorts that lasted a few minutes. At the time, it was uncertain that people would pay to see a feature film done entirely in animation. Yet “Snow White” did succeed and is still considered on the lists of the top-grossing films of all time, according to UCLA animation director Chuck Sheetz.

“Snow White” continues to have success today because it is a film that can still be played for a modern audience the same way it was shown in 1937.

“Toy Story” (1995)

“Psycho” (1960) “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977)

PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Alfred Hitchcock pioneered the thriller genre with his film “Psycho.” “There had never been horror films like (“Psycho”) before – usually there was always a character that you could rely on to take you through to the end. Now that didn’t exist anymore, and horror films would not be the same,” Horak said.

In addition to the bone-chilling music and a prolonged murder scene, “Psycho” shocked audiences by killing off one of the seemingly main characters within the first half hour of the film – this left audiences in a very vulnerable position psychologically as they struggled to find someone to identify with, Horak said.

Hitchcock’s film is essentially the first “slasher” film, and horror films adopted the genre in later decades such as the 1980s.

20TH CENTURY FOX

George Lucas’ “Star Wars” film not only led the way in its use of special effects, but it also brought the genre of science fiction into the foreground of films.

Lucas pioneered various specialeffects techniques, including the ability to put live action characters alongside special effects animation seamlessly.

“Toy Story” is not only the first Disney-Pixar film released but also the first feature film to be made entirely with CGI effects. Pushing boundaries in animation, “Toy Story” made CGI a viable new form of animation that other film studios, such as DreamWorks, soon adopted.

“Beauty and the Beast” (1991) “Avatar” (2009)

“The Godfather” (1972)

WALT DISNEY PICTURES

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Francis Ford Coppola’s film “The Godfather” offered a new way to understand traditional stereotypes by defying the simplistic portrayal of gangsters. Instead, the film shows that gangsters are not just criminals but also family men with personal lives.

“Beauty and the Beast” ushered in a Disney renaissance and was the first animated film nominated for Best Picture. For the film’s famous ballroom scene, Disney combined traditional two-dimensional animation with computer animation, which allowed for increased camera movement.

20TH CENTURY FOX

James Cameron’s film “Avatar” certainly broke boundaries in filmmaking as it set a new standard for special effects and 3-D technology. Instead of using 3-D technology as a gimmick, Cameron tried to legitimize it as an art form with the world of Pandora.

prime | february 2011 | 37

working working with with aa new new kind kind lauren roberts photos courtesy of aaron koblin

Aaron Koblin

Aaron Koblin never intended to be an artist.

But at just 28 years old, alumnus Koblin has carved a profession out of his creative talents – one that earned him a Grammy nomination this year and his position as head of the Data Arts Team at Google’s Creative Lab. “I was never really interested in figuring out what my career would be,” Koblin said. “I was more interested in having fun and making cool things.”

While Koblin initially began his undergraduate studies in computer science at UC Santa Cruz, he ultimately sought the creativity of fine art with an electronic art emphasis. The switch eventually drew Koblin to UCLA for graduate school, where he earned his master’s degree in Design | Media Arts in 2006.

“He was one of those students that delivered more than he promised,” said statistics Professor Mark Hansen, with whom Koblin worked while pursuing his master’s. “He always seemed to do more than I expected, and I think that

shows up in the completeness of his work. It’s probably what distinguishes a great artist from someone who is dabbling.”

After completing graduate school, Koblin’s work earned the National Science Foundation’s first place award for science visualization. His projects have been shown internationally, including installations at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and work featured among the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Among his most recent collaborations, Koblin worked as a creative and technology director alongside director Chris Milk for “The Johnny Cash Project,” a tribute choreographed to the Cash song “Ain’t No Grave” and composed of thousands of fan-drawn submissions fused into a single video.

The work earned a Grammy nomination for this year’s Best Short Form Music Video, which will be determined Feb. 13.

Koblin also collaborated with Milk this year to create

Aaron Koblin served as a technical and creative director for “The Johnny Cash Project,” which is composed of fan drawings.

“The Johnny Cash Project” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Short Form Music Video to the song “Ain’t No Grave.”

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d of of canvas canvas “The Wilderness Downtown,” an interactive music video coded in HTML5 and choreographed to the music of Arcade Fire’s single “We Used to Wait.” The piece – which was named Spin Magazine’s No. 1 music video of 2010 – allows viewers to enter their childhood address and uses Google map technology to produce individualized street view images from one’s hometown.

Koblin is reluctant to define his art. Rather, he attributes his data-driven, multidisciplinary creations to a culmination of ideas, treating each project as an individual story.

“Sometimes it starts as a data set that’s particularly interesting, or a question or a tool, and other times it’s more about wanting to express an idea,” Koblin said. “I think there’s a unifying principle in each one of the projects – they’re not entirely guided by myself.”

Koblin infuses the work of others within much of his own work – enlisting the help of other collaborators and sometimes even anonymous participation via the use of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, an online distributed labor tool.

“It’s an interesting and valuable process to have a dialogue with other people and an ongoing discussion – not just the storytelling, but relating things that are relevant to people and on people’s minds,” Koblin said.

According to Koblin, his work is inspired by intersections – intertwining data and ideas not typically placed within the same dialogue and applying technology as a medium of creative expression.

“I feel that, to some extent, computer programming is one

“Flight Patterns” earned the National Science Foundation’s first place award for science visualization in 2007.

Koblin helped create the project “New York Talk Exchange” with the SENSEable City Lab at MIT for the Museum of Modern Art. The work illustrates the AT&T long-distance telephone and Internet protocol data exchange between New York City and international cities in real time.

of the more pure ways of expressing ideas because we can use software architectures to express what’s actually going on in our heads,” Koblin said.

According to Design | Media Arts Professor Casey Reas, whose processing programming language Koblin cites as instrumental to his work, Koblin’s talent comes from his artistry of ideas.

“It’s not his technical skills that make him special, it’s his ability to find ideas that have residence in a larger public sphere and to be able to follow them through as well,” Reas said. “For a lot of his projects, he collaborates with many other people, but he seems to ... find the right collaborators to make things work.”

Koblin said he is interested in the opportunities technology presents for artists to engage with a larger audience.

“I’m interested in the way technology can give us insights into systems we wouldn’t otherwise have any understanding of or any ability to talk about,” Koblin said. “I think that’s the powerful future of technology, the ability to organize quickly and communicate broadly and also deeply. It’s a unique place that we’re at in history (and) a fun time for experimentation.”

prime | february 2011 | 39

t n i a p face

s

lauren robert

nilla arnijolla cjo s s isaa iscaaar ndnd tre by by t tre enten otos otos phph stud dud anst nd shnioan fa faio la lash uc uc m m fro fro s s el el mod mod gs gs billin erikeraikbiallin p by euby akp mak meu

Makeup comes naturally for third-year Design | Media Arts student Erika Billings.

The self-taught lead makeup artist for Susie Chhuor Professional Hair and Makeup Team has performed her makeup artistry for events ranging from weddings to runway fashion and music video shoots. Billings spent an evening creating four extreme makeup looks with a few tips to add to your everyday makeup routine.

40 | february 2011 | prime

NE LLY SZ E

L U CY L AW R E N C

E

ent until ay need to experim Billings said you m in tone. sk e that flatters your you find a lip shad by d pink are complemente Lighter skin tones and coral while brown reds and beige colors, Plums and t olive skin tones. tones complemen nes. ell for dark skin to deep reds work w

Billings advises not to b lip colo r, such as a cla e afraid to use ssic red bold .

CHR ISTI NA SAVAN

STEPHANIE WOODS

erica billings’ makeup essentials • translucent powde r • nude lipstick • mascara – Maybelli ne Great Lash or Revlon DoubleTwist • concealer – Smashb ox or Make Up For Ever (full coverage) SOURCE: Erika Billings Compiled by Lauren Rob

When wearing bold eye makeup, Billings suggests wearing a more subtle nude lipstick with lip gloss for a fresh look.

erts.

prime | february 2011 | 41

mixing up the usual cocktail

karolin palmer picard photos by joe lipper graphics by belinda sumali

It’s another Thursday night. You head out to the usual local bar, with the usual group of friends and order the usual. Sound familiar? I mean, why mess with a recipe for success?

Wrong. Let’s step out of our comfort zones and be a little less predictable. Everyone has a favorite drink, but changing things up keeps life interesting. One option to expand your drink repertoire is The Glendon. Open since last April, The Glendon Bar & Kitchen in Westwood has some extreme concoctions. It’s not your typical college bar.

Cosmos. Scotch on the rocks. Sex on the beach. Everyone has signature drinks and preferences, but why not break out of the routine by ordering an outrageous cocktail with an unusual name?

“I approach the drink flavor profiles by closing my eyes when I take a drink, and I imagine who I’d want to drink it with,” said Nick Jacobs, co-owner of The Glendon.

That’s how one of their most popular drinks was named the “Jane Fonda.” Jacobs said he imagined drinking this refreshing cucumberinfused cocktail with the actress in the 1950s.

The bar embraces a swanky and modern decor with warm colors, offset by the industrial feel of the original 1929 high ceilings of pine-exposed beams.

Instead of heading to that house party or some of the other bars and grills nearby, this bar is local for UCLA students.

Take a look at some of these creations and order something new the next time you’re out with friends. These drinks are sure to give your “usual” some stiff competition.

From From left: left: Whip-it, Whip-it, Rumrise, Rumrise, Jane Jane Fonda, Fonda, Slendorita Slendorita Black Black

slendorita black

mix it up:

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2 oz Cazadores Blanco tequila 3/4 oz agave nectar

twisted bitch top off with Twisted Cabernet (~1/2 oz) 2 oz Bacardi rum 3/4 oz Simple Syrup

3/4 oz lime juice

muddled mint

2 oz muddled blackberries

1 muddled lemon wedge

slendorita black

A part of its special Skinny menu, this drink is one of the Glendon’s most popular cocktails. All the drinks on this menu hover around the 100 calorie mark, using diet sodas, muddled fruits and agave instead of purées and natural sweetener in lieu of traditional syrups.

“With skinny drinks, you can be healthconscious as much as you can be with alcohol,” Wolf said. The agave nectar with the muddled blackberries is sweet, contrasting nicely with the lime juice and tequila.

rumrise

The martinis at the Glendon boast the highest rank of alcohol content among all the beverages it offers. At five dollars, they’re a deal for college students. The balance of orange and pineapple juice with grenadine create the illusion of a sunset. The kick of Bacardi reminds you of the late hour.

whip-it

This drink earns the title of most extreme shot, and it’s worth every penny of its six-dollar price tag. Two shots of Pinnacle, a whipped cream-infused vodka served chilled; melting icy shards float on the surface of this sweet liquor that packs a punch without the bite.

jane fonda

This drink is bliss in a glass, refreshing with cucumber and lime juices. Extremely light in calories and flavors, this drink is as radiant as the actress after whom it is named.

twisted bitch

Of all the drinks on the menu, this drink has the most extreme name, according to Jacobs.

The cocktail gets it name from the Californian cabernet called Twisted that tops off the clean mint and lemon cocktail. Originally called “Evil Bitch,” the Australian Evil cabernet previously added was discontinued. The colors of the deep wine and lemon fuse for a bonus extreme visual experience.

whip-it

rumrise 2 oz Pinnacle whip-cream infused vodka

jane fonda

dash of grenadine (~1/4 oz)

2 oz Pinnacle vodka

3/4 oz orange juice

3/4 oz agave nectar

3/4 oz pineapple juice

3/4 oz lime Juice

2 oz Bacardi Rum

3/4 oz fresh sliced cucumbers

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cooking on the edge alex goodman photos by alex goodman graphics by brittany ko

Extreme food is a little more dangerous than other kinds of extreme things because, you know, you have to eat it. Everyone’s favorite example is fugu, the Japanese word for puffer fish, which is lethal if its toxins aren’t removed properly – point being, you have to be careful. So, I stuck with some small stuff.

Jalapeno bombers are quick and easy to make, perfect for spicing up a Super Bowl viewing party. And lutefisk is ... well, lutefisk isn’t really perfect for anything. The suggestion is definitely not that these two dishes should be served together, and really, lutefisk shouldn’t be served at all.

lutefisk Imagine that, for some unfathomable reason, you tried to make codfish jello, but it didn’t come out quite right. That’s lutefisk. The good news – the only good news here – is that your job is easy: Just buy it from a fish market, stick in the oven and, well, enjoy isn’t really the right word.

What makes lutefisk interesting, what makes it extreme, is the process that makes it lutefisk. You start with dried whitefish, generally cod, and soak it for five to six days in cold water. Then, for the next two days, you soak it in lye, which raises the fish’s pH to 11-12, making it caustic. You have to soak it in cold water for another five to six days just to make it edible again – of course, we’re using the term “edible” loosely here. Lutefisk used to be a popular meal in Norway, Finland and Sweden, until the invention of refrigeration provided a more palatable alternative for keeping food fresh. These days, most Norwegians don’t even eat it during the holidays, although there is a town in Minnesota that calls itself the lutefisk capital of the world. There is no reason to eat lutefisk, unless you are, say, writing a magazine piece about extreme food – it tastes awful, but it looks not nearly outrageous enough to impress your friends.

LUTEFISK Ingredients: dried whitefish

Directions: To make lutefisk: 1.) Soak dried whitefish in cold water for five to six days, changing water daily.

2.) Soak saturated whitefish in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for two days.

3.) Soak whitefish in cold water for another four to six days, changing water daily.

To cook lutefisk: 1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.) Place lutefisk in a casserole dish and cover with foil.

3.) Bake for about 30 minutes, or until fish flakes.

4.) Remove fish from pan and serve immediately.

Directions

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Preparation

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jalapeno bombers

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Maybe the simplest way to make a snack extreme is to stuff it into a jalapeno pepper. Experimentation is welcome, but one tasty combination comes from filling half a pepper with cream cheese, laying a shrimp on top and wrapping it in a strip of bacon. Stick a toothpick through the whole thing, making sure that the bacon is adequately secured, and fry with oil until the bacon is crispy and sizzling. Be careful when you turn it over in the pan – the cream cheese has a tendency to seep out when it melts. Call it whatever you want – jalapeno poppers, spicy bombers – just be sure to make enough for your friends. They can look intimidating, especially if the jalapenos are bright red, but the end result is not so spicy as to be painful. Once fried, the peppers give off a biting, smoky heat, tempered by the cool cream cheese and emboldened by the shrimp and the bacon.

There’s enough flavor here to make you forget you ever suffered through a bite of lutefisk.

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JALAPENO BOMBERS Ingredients:

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6 jalapeno peppers 8 oz. container of soft cream cheese 12 strips of bacon 12 shrimp, peeled 12 wood toothpicks

Directions: 1.) Cut the peppers in half.

2.) Scoop out the inside of each half and fill it with cream cheese.

3.) Place a shrimp on top and wrap the whole thing in a strip of bacon.

4.) Pierce through with a toothpick, making sure to secure the bacon.

5.) Grill, turning regularly, until the bacon has been cooked thoroughly.

Directions

Preparation

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