01222015

VOLUME 48, ISSUE 26

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015

WWW.UCSDGUARDIAN.ORG

UC SYSTEM

WESTLY SNIPES

CA's Top 10 Universities by Salary Potential Early Career Salary

Mid-Career Salary

% Stem Degrees

Harvey Mudd College

$75,600

$133,800

86%

Stanford University

$62,900

$126,400

28%

CalTech

$74,800

$126,200

93%

UC Berkeley

$59,500

$114,200

31%

Santa Clara University

$56,600

$111,700

15%

UC San Diego

$50,600

$102,100

38%

Occidental College

$45,600

$101,900

18%

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

$56,200

$100,100

31%

UC Irvine

$49,300

$99,100

30%

University of the Pacific

$51,500

$98,300

31%

PHOTO BY BREITBART, USED WITH PERMISSION

School

Former “Sexiest Man Alive” Bradley Cooper stars in the latest film from director Clint Eastwood about the life, torment and exploits of an American sniper fighting overseas.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

OPINION, Page 4

TRITONS TAKE A TUMBLE Volleyball struggles continue SPORTS, Page 12

FORECAST

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SATURDAY H 75 L 50

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FRIDAY

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SUNDAY

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VERBATIM

The life and death of legislation seems to hinge upon the personality of the college council and their relation to whomever is presenting it — not the merits of the legislation.”

- Soren Nelson

POINT OF ORDER OPINION, PAGE 4

INSIDE AVERAGE CAT.................. 2 MEDICAL CENTER WOES.. 3 CAT CAFE......................... 8 SUDOKU........................ 10 FENCING........................ 12

By Teiko Yakobson Features

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ast week, UCSD researchers, led by Dr. Robert K. Naviaux, professor of genetics at the UCSD School of Medicine, published a study that made major advances toward a cure for autism spectrum disorders.

Using suramin, an antimicrobial drug first developed to treat sleeping sickness in 1916, Dr. Naviaux’s group observed substantial improvements in reversing ASD symptoms amongst mice.

Fragile X-genetics mice, which are commonly used to study autism, were administered a weekly injection of either suramin or a saline placebo. After one month, researchers found normal social behavior to be restored in the suramin-treated mice, as well as improved metabolism responses in their cells and brain synaptosomal structures.

This study, considered a test of genetic ASD-causing factors by Naviaux, follows in the wake of another study the group published in June of last year, which used maternal immune activation mice to study the environmental factors that lead to ASD. In both cases, mice who had developed an autism-like disorder shortly after birth were examined. A remarkable discovery was made in the 6-month-old mice — equivalent in age to a human adult of 30 years — showed clear signs of reverting back to normal social behavior within minutes of receiving a single dose of

suramin treatment.

Naviaux told the UCSD Guardian that he was led to the idea of using suramin to treat autism after first discovering an overabundance of extracellular ATP to be one of the leading causes of the disorder. Cells naturally generate ATP as a vital source of internal energy, but when this chemical is expressed outside the barrier of the cell, it can bind to certain neural receptors and cause inflammations that block regular early development. Suramin, because of its molecular structure, can compete with extracellular ATP for a place to bind to the neural receptors, thus eliminating any possibility for damage.

Because no one else had ever looked at suramin as a possible solution to autism, Naviaux said he had to develop new concepts.

“I surveyed the world’s pharmacopoeia,” Naviaux said.

“I looked specifically for drugs that would inhibit extracellular ATP function, and there were none available except suramin. That was the only one, and even then [suramin] had never been used before in this way.”

Naviaux discovered that the underlying threat of ASD is be one of the body’s naturally-occurring defense mechanisms, which he named cell danger response, or CDR. When cells sense incoming stress — either from envi-

CAMPUS

Researchers Develop Noninvasive Glucose Monitor The rub-on, tattoo-based sensor uses electrodes to measure glucose levels in diabetes patients.

BY Kriti Sarin

Nanoengineers at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering recently published a study describing a new, noninvasive method of monitoring glucose levels for patients living with Type 1 diabetes. The study was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry on Dec. 12 and Jacobs School of Engineering announced its success with test subjects on Jan. 14.

The team of researchers was part of a nanobioelectronics laboratory at the

Jacobs School led by Professor Joseph Wang, who is the Science Applications International Corporation-endowed department chair of nanoengineering as well as the director of the Center for Wearable Sensors.

Patients with diabetes typically have to poke a small hole in their fingers and withdraw a few drops of blood several times a day in order to measure if their glucose levels are too high.

Graduate student Amay Bandodkar, one of the principal engineers, told the UCSD Guardian that his colleagues wanted to develop a device that avoids puncturing the skin entirely.

Staff Writer

See EARNINGS, page 3

Editor

See AUTISM, page 3

Editorial Assistant

BY BRYNNA BOLT

See DIABETES, page 3

Sleeping Drug Found To Reverse Autism In Mice

ENERGY BOOST

PayScale.com rankings examined the possible earnings of alumni who only received a bachelor’s degree.

“Millions of people all over the globe suffer from diabetes and many of these [people] have to test their blood sugar levels several times a day.

This is very inconvenient and painful,” Bandodkar said. “This motivated us to develop a simple rub-on, tattoo-based sensor that can measure blood glucose levels without the need for the painful blood sampling.”

Instead of the traditional method of continuous finger-pricking for blood samples, the team of researchers developed an epidermal tattoo-based

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UCSD to go carbon neutral

UCSD Ranked Sixth For Income Potential

PayScale.com ranked UCSD as the sixth best four-year university in California and the 11th best public, four-year university in the U.S. based on salary potential for alumni who only received a bachelor’s degree. The rankings were released on Sept. 10, 2014 by the company’s headquarters in Seattle.

The data collected on UCSD for the rankings and featured on the site includes an average early-career salary, with five years or less of experience in their field, of $50,600 and an average mid-career salary, with at least 10 years of experience in their field, of $102,100. The site also records a high percent meaning — a percentage of people who answer “yes” or “very much so” to the question of whether or not their job “makes the world a better place” — of 52 percent and for science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees 38 percent for UCSD. Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla made a recent statement on the ranking of the university and the potential career opportunities offered to UCSD. “UC San Diego provides an academic experience that helps graduates prepare for successful careers and be engaged citizens of the 21st-century,” Khosla said in a UCSD press release on Jan. 14. “A UC San Diego education enables social mobility and enhances the lives of thousands of students and families.”

PayScale.com is a website that provides immediate data to employers and employees on current market salaries. According to its site, PayScale.com is the largest database of individual compensation information in the world and contains more than 40 million salary profiles.

The data collected is based on a survey provided by the site, which includes questions about the specifics of the survey-taker’s job, focusing on the compensable factors that PayScale determines to affect salary. The survey can be found on the site and is available for anyone to participate in.

After the data is collected through the survey, PayScale verifies the information using a data-cleaning algorithm — a procedure used to solve a mathematical or computer process — of their creation. They then take this data and run it through another algorithm, the MarketMatch algorithm, to isolate which factors have the greatest influence on pay for specific jobs.

GRAPHIC DESIGN BY JOSELYNN ORDAZ

Weekend, PAGE 9

THURSDAY

CALIFORNIA

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NEWS

T H E U C S D G U A R D I A N | T H U R S D A Y, J A N U A R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 | W W W . U C S D G U A R D I A N . O R G

AVERAGE CAT By Christina Carlson Aleksandra Konstantinovic Editor in Chief Andrew E. Huang Managing Editors Taylor Sanderson Tina Butoiu News Editor Charu Mehra Opinion Editor Brandon Yu Sports Editor John Story Associate Sports Editor Teiko Yakobson Features Editor Jacqueline Kim A&E Editor Kyle Somers Associate A&E Editor Nilu Karimi Lifestyle Editor

Scientists Plan to Use Experimental Autism Drug in Clinical Trial in Greater San Diego Area ▶ AUTISM, from page 1

ronmental factors like viral infections or from unusual genes they possess that tell them to initiate a defensive response — they alter their basic functions in an attempt to block out the perceived threat.

“One of the first things that happens when cells go to war is what happens when nations go to war: They harden their borders,” Naviaux said.

“From a cell’s point of view … [they] stiffen their membrane, so now a virus has a harder time penetrating the defenses of the cell.”

CDR has a total of 30 metabolic functions that shift within cells when cells perceive danger. The message to engage in CDR is sent by high levels of extracellular ATP, and for children with ASDs who are found to exhibit such abnormal levels, their CDR can be left in an activated position indefinitely, as Naviaux explained.

“All of this is really important

because another thing that happens when nations go to war is that they don’t trust their neighbors across the border, and they don’t talk to or exchange resources with their neighbors,” Naviaux said. “And when cells don’t talk to each other, children stop talking.”

Naviaux illustrated the isolating effects caused by autism with the metaphor of a child who wants to go outside and play with others but is trapped behind a frosted window.

“A lot of parents will describe that there are certain times when it seems like the glass is broken and the child comes out and they can actually speak and interact,” Naviaux said. “But then they’ll fall back behind the veil for the majority of time, and they’ll be afraid to interact socially, and they won’t be able to talk and they’ll have many different behaviors that — from the point of view of the child — are defending them from an overstimulating and potentially hostile environment. They

don’t interpret it that way, but their cells do.”

In a metabolic analysis from Naviaux’s most recent study involving suramin, 17 of the biochemical pathways that represent CDR in both mice and in humans were identified, which strongly suggests an improvement in ASD symptoms. The other good news is that suramin has been found to provide benefits that last longer than the amount of time it remains within the body, as Naviaux explained. “[This] allows the possibility for children to amplify the effects of the drug treatment by being able to engage in natural play that, in their previous state, they never would have been able to do,” Naviaux said. “Those kinds of things, [such as] playing with a brother or sister or friend, are actually the most potent kind of neural development known to man.”

The next step in suramin-related ASD research will be a clinical trial: 20 boys, of ages ranging from 4 to 9

Chancellor Pradeep Khosla recently appointed Emilie Hafner-Burton and Sheldon Brown to be the first chairs from UCSD to receive the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation endowment. Each will receive $1 million to sustain their academic endeavors for the next five years. Hafner-Burton is a professor at the UCSD School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and renowned expert in human rights and international law. Brown is a UCSD visual arts professor and site director for the Center for Hybrid Multicore Productivity Research as well as the director of the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination.

Joselynn Ordaz Design Editor

with ASD in the San Diego area will be administered the drug through an IV infusion. Naviaux expects to see changes in the beginning stages of the experiment improvement in ASD symptoms, including speech and willingness to interact socially.

What was witnessed in animal models, however, is that after six weeks, the immediate benefits of suramin lose potency, and subjects eventually return to previous social patterns.

In addition, Naviaux stated that he is seeking to develop a treatment for ASD that does not rely heavily on medication.

“I’d like to start a new chapter in pharmacology,” Naviaux said. “One that is no longer restricted to benefits that are only happening when a drug interacts with its receptor, and whenever the drug is gone, there’s no more benefit.”

readers can contact Teiko Yakobson

syakobso@ucsd.edu

BRIEFS Chancellor Names Inaugural $1 Million McArthur Foundation Endowment Recipients

Siddharth Atre Photo Editor

Elyse Yang Art Editor Annie Liu Associate Art Editor Rosina Garcia Copy Editor Laura Chow Social Media Coordinator Vincent Pham Training and Development

Page Layout Sherman Aline, Allison Kubo, Sidney Gao, Charu Mehra Copy Readers Andrew Chao, Caroline Lee, Micaela Stone Editorial Assistants Shelby Newallis, Jennifer Grundman, Kriti Sarin, Karly Nisson, Sasha Pollock, Mario Attie, Marcus Thuillier Business Manager Jennifer Mancano Advertising Director Audrey Sechrest Advertising Design Alfredo H. Vilano, Jr. A.S. Graphic Studio The UCSD Guardian is published Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by UCSD students and for the UCSD community. Reproduction of this newspaper in any form, whether in whole or in part, without permission is strictly prohibited. © 2014, all rights reserved. The UCSD Guardian is not responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or art. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of the UCSD Guardian, the University of California or Associated Students. The UCSD Guardian is funded by advertising. Return of the Jew.

Campus’ Stuart Art Collection to Receive $30,000 Restoration Grant from National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts recently allocated a $30,000 grant to restore part of UCSD’s Stuart Collection of public art. The conservation project focuses on reinventing the video-art installation “Something Pacific” by the late artist Nam June Paik. This exhibit consists of various television sets scattered across campus and an indoor wall of 24 screens that used to be interactive when it was designed in 1986. With the help of UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering students and faculty, the Stuart Collection aims to restore some of the original visual effects on the indoor video wall and add new methods of interaction, including motion and sound sensors and a webcam.

— TINA BUTOIU News Editor

General Editorial:

editor@ucsdguardian.org News: news@ucsdguardian.org Opinion: opinion@ucsdguardian.org Sports: sports@ucsdguardian.org Features: features@ucsdguardian.org Lifestyle: lifestyle@ucsdguardian.org A&E: entertainment@ucsdguardian.org Photo: photo@ucsdguardian.org Design: design@ucsdguardian.org Art: art@ucsdguardian.org

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— KRITI SARIN Editorial Assistant

A.S. Safe Rides

Registration for WINTER Qtr is NOW open!

Register online at as.ucsd.edu/saferides A.S. Safe Rides allows registered undergraduate students to get 3 FREE rides per quarter.

Students must register at least 24 hours prior to their first ride.

asucsd

asucsd

NEWS

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Looking for the New Business Column?

Now posted every Wednesday night, after the A.S. Council meeting, online.

UCSD is Second in University of California System in Payscale Ranking ▶ EARNINGS, from page 1

Their methods also make unique compensation predictions that each individual can be likely to receive at a job.

This year, PayScale has expanded the breadth of data available in their 2014–15 College Salary Report in order to help students better understand their future earning potential.

“The relationship between college tuition, what a student chooses to study while in school and becoming a wage earner after graduation has become clear,” Lead Economist and Analytics Manager at PayScale

Katie Bardaro said in a press release on Sept. 10, 2014. “The PayScale College Salary Report focuses on salary because, simply, it’s PayScale’s expertise, and data on post-graduate earnings is hard to come by elsewhere.”

UC Berkeley, which ranks as fourth in California and sixth in the nation, was the only University of California campus to surpass UCSD on both lists. On the list of schools within California, UC Irvine ranks as ninth, UC Davis as 13th, UC Santa Barbara as 14th and UCLA as 16th.

The number one school in California on the list is Harvey Mudd College, with an average early

career salary of $75,600.

Students can also compare the earnings of all alumni, including those who went on to obtain higher education degrees after receiving their bachelor’s degrees. The data collected for this list varies slightly, with UCSD dropping to seventh on the list of schools in California but maintaining its position nationally.

“We want to empower students with information and set them up for success in regards to their future careers and financial health,” Bardaro said.

readers can contact Brynna Bolt

bbolts@ucsd.edu

Researchers Working to Incorporate Bluetooth Technology into Diabetes Study ▶ DIABETES, from page 1

ucsdguardian.org

technique that measures glucose levels under the skin without perforating it.

According to the study, the device then uses the electrodes to attract sodium ions that carry glucose molecules and uses a reacting enzyme to measure the resulting strength of the electric charge produced. This calculates the patient’s overall glucose levels. The sensor only costs a few cents and currently lasts for an entire day, which eliminates the need to manually check blood sugar levels multiple times daily.

Bandodkar explained that the glucose sensor implanted inside the device is crucial when it comes to precisely measuring glucose levels.

“The concentration of glucose extracted by the noninvasive tattoo device is almost 100 times lower than the corresponding level in the human blood,” Bandodkar said in a Jan. 14 Jacobs School of Engineering press release. “Thus, we had to develop a highly sensitive glucose sensor that could detect such low levels of glucose with high selectivity.”

The team tested the tattoo on seven non-diabetic volunteers between the ages of 20 and 40. None of the subjects reported feeling any form of discomfort except for mild tingling within the first 10 seconds of application. This differentiates the device from its predecessor, a product called GlucoWatch, which was released in 2002 by Cygnus Inc. but discontinued due to reports of skin irritation. Wang’s team eliminated this issue by employing a lower amount of electricity during the extraction process.

Ceren Yardimci, a researcher and an associate professor from Hacettepe University in Turkey, told the Guardian that the team is currently working on implementing Bluetooth technology and added that the tattoo could potentially provide information about other conditions in the body.

“Our team is working toward developing wireless devices that would be able to send the information either to the patient’s doctor or to another device,” Yardimci said. “This kind of sensor would be able to detect

other chemicals which can give information about other disease[s] or health conditions of patients.”

According to the study, these tattoo-based sensors have already successfully monitored sweat electrolytes and a metabolite called lactate, which can be used to analyze fitness activity. Bandodkar explained that measurements from sweat can also be used to gauge the amount of alcohol present in the bloodstream.

“There is a good correlation between blood alcohol level and alcohol content in sweat,” Bandodkar said. “So by measuring alcohol in sweat, one can identify how much alcohol must be there in the blood.

This method is more reliable than the breath analyzers.”

He added that detailed analysis of amino acids in the skin’s interstitial fluid, which is the fluid used in the glucose sensor, can be used to detect illegal drugs in the blood.

readers can contact kriti sarin

Ksarin@ucsd.edu

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OPINION

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OPINION

CONTACT THE EDITOR

CHARU MEHRA opinion@ucsdguardian.org

EDITORIALS

Going, Going Green The University of California’s plan to go carbon neutral by 2025 is a step in the right direction, but students can still contribute more to sustainability efforts.

Amend the Constitution, Leave Out The Drama point of order

soren nelson

senelson@ucsd.edu

T

ILLUSTRATION BY IRENE LUU

T

he UC Office of the President announced last week that the university system will start supplying 100 percent of its own electric energy instead of relying on third-party suppliers.

The change is part of UCOP’s initiative to become the first research university system to achieve carbon neutrality within the next decade. This latest green initiative is a laudable addition to the numerous programs already in place on campus.

UCSD currently generates 85 percent of its electricity through various means and has bought the remaining power from a non-San Diego provider since 1998. Now that the UC system has taken it upon itself to sell its own energy, UCSD is now one step closer to becoming more selfsufficient. These benefits apply to every UC campus and medical center as well, meaning that the positive effects of this initiative are not limited to any one school. This move will decrease overhead costs and provide much-needed control over how we purchase our electricity.

The UC system is massive, and being able to enter its own energy contracts is a boon for sustainability efforts. Moving forward, it will be up to individual campuses to use this newfound energy in the most efficient manner possible.

There is a plethora of potential improvements that can still be implemented on our campus.

Replacing the low-pressure sodium streetlights with LEDs, a project now underway by Facilities Management, will save an estimated $45,000 annually and contribute to reducing our carbon footprint.

UCSD currently operates a 30-megawatt heat and power plant, and though natural gas is a significantly cleaner fossil fuel than coal or oil, the campus should focus on expanding its fledgling solar energy project. Additionally, 8 percent of the campus’ energy is generated by processing methane gas from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Identifying areas for improvement in

See ENERGY, page 5

EDITORIAL BOARD Aleksandra Konstantinovic EDITOR IN CHIEF

Andrew E. Huang MANAGING EDITOR

Taylor Sanderson

MANAGING EDITOR

Charu Mehra

OPINION EDITOR

Tina Butoiu NEWS EDITOR

Kyle Somers

ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR KRITI SARIN EDITORIAL ASSISTANT The UCSD Guardian is published twice weekly at the University of California at San Diego. Contents © 2014.

Views expressed herein represent the majority vote of the editorial board and are not necessarily those of the UC Board of Regents, the ASUCSD or the members of the Guardian staff.

ID Microchips are Unnecessary UC Medical Center on the Rocks ASUCSD MOVES plans to replace our quarterly bus stickers with microchips in student ID cards by the end of February. Despite eliminating the need for students to get new bus stickers every quarter and providing some other long-term conveniences for students, this apparent innovation seems like a waste of time and money.

Although the university loves to seem as technologically advanced as possible, replacing the entire student population’s ID cards with more expensive versions seems like an inefficient use of already stretched resources. Because the university requires every student to pay a $50 transportation fee for a Triton U-Pass, it would be much simpler and cost-efficient to revert to a yearly sticker distribution rather than to implement another major change that would be nothing but an immediate inconvenience.

The university could even take this a step further and dispense with bus stickers entirely. Simply having valid UCSD ID cards could serve the purpose of bus stickers without the waste of additional resources.

Although this might not keep a few straggling alumni from cashing in on free bus rides after they stop paying fees, it would eliminate the issue of quarterly sticker distribution. The cost of moochers seems like a smaller price than the cost of replacing every student’s cards with microchipped versions. In fact, implementing this plan could cause a bigger issue if some students decided to let their friends use their old IDs at on-campus events. There would definitely be an overlap when students transition to the new IDs, and having old and new student IDs in circulation at the same time would be simply chaotic.

The cost of adding microchips has not been publicly released, but there’s little doubt that it would be more expensive than a sticker. With so few good reasons to switch and a dangerously thin Transportation budget, the important question here is “Why bother?”

Last week, UCSD’s School of Medicine was named one of the top residency programs in the country. However, this past December, UCSD Medical Center was fined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for receiving a poor Hospital-Acquired Condition score, demonstrating that higher rankings for hospitals do not necessarily translate to quality care.

And this is hardly a small issue. In 2010, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services said that 180,000 patient deaths per year are caused by preventable medical mistakes in the U.S. For comparison, in the same year, only 33,000 Americans died in the same year in car accidents.

For the UCSD School of Medicine to be scored among the bottom seventh of U.S. hospitals is frightening.

Obviously, getting rid of teaching hospitals isn’t a possible solution, so the change needs to be made in policy. One of the U.S. Department of Human Health and Service’s current policies is a 1-percent decrease in Medicare payments to hospitals, such as UCSD’s School of Medicine, that received poor HAC scores for hospital safety. While the decrease in payment acts as an incentive for hospitals to increase safety, the deduction will hurt these hospitals by making safety procedures more difficult to implement.

Rather than cut funding for hospitals which may need it to improve the quality of their care, better solutions might include focusing more on supervision and an increasing staff to limit medical mistakes made by students.

It’s hard to say what an improved system for student health care will look like precisely, but the American Medical Association is handing out $10 million in grants between 2013 and 2018 to medical schools that have valid ideas for improvement. These changes are being tested in more individualized learning plans and programs that focus on patient safety.

Hopefully, the most successful strategies found will be put into effect at the UCSD Medical School and other medical schools that pose safety issues to their patients. Students shouldn’t be wary to visit their own high-ranking teaching hospital if they need to, but until changes are made, they have every right to be.

is the season for A.S. Council drama, fa-la-la-la-la, la-lala-la. Don we now our slate apparel, fa-la-la … OK, maybe it sounded better in my head. Finally, we’ve reached the point in this council’s term when everyone has decided who they like and who they don’t — and more importantly, who they’re running with this spring. With elections rapidly approaching, council members are scrambling to create a record on which to run — and that means constitutional amendments.

Like clockwork, A.S. Council has started to churn out amendments to the A.S. Constitution. The amendments themselves are largely meaningless. They’re typically adjustments to the internal workings of the council and its offices — things that are unlikely to affect the average student. These amendments do, however, serve as an important litmus test for the political state of A.S. Council, and occasionally, they even have an impact on people other than A.S. members.

As a veteran of last year’s council, whose leadership so comically botched its attempt at restructuring, let me give this council some advice.

First, realize that updating and maintaining a constitution in an organization like A.S. Council should not dominate discussion. It is a normal part of any organization to change governing documents, and an inability to do so in an orderly and efficient way is indicative of much greater underlying issues. For those of you who are trying to make a point: Stop.

Fewer people care than perhaps you realize. If an amendment is so controversial that you have to devote three hours of a meeting to discuss it, it’s probably just not a good amendment.

Don’t waste people’s time.

Second, don’t rush it. I know I just said not to waste time, but there’s a difference. The previous council’s attempt at ramming constitutional amendments through was unsuccessful for a number of reasons.

Chief among those reasons was that it failed to take enough time to gain support, particularly from the college councils, two-thirds of whom have to ratify amendments in addition to A.S. Council. Do not be so smug as to assume the college councils will “rubber stamp” whatever you send their way.

My final piece of advice is directed at the college councils. The ratification process for A.S. constitutional amendments could generously be called arcane. The life and death of legislation seems to hinge upon the personality of the college council and their relation to whomever is presenting it — not the merits of the legislation. The way A.S. Council operates has little to nothing to do with how college councils operate, making the argument for college council ratification of A.S. amendments thin at best.

The scrutiny college councils direct at A.S. constitutional amendments is unwarranted, so back off, y’all.

A.S. Council, your predecessors royally screwed up the process you are now embarking on. Learn from their mistakes. A council composed of just one slate is the perfect opportunity to create lasting and positive changes without the arduous political maneuvering that typically accompanies the process. So don’t mess it up.

OPINION

CONFUSED MUSE

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By Elyse Yang

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SEND YOUR LETTERS TO OPINION@UCSDGUARDIAN.ORG

Carbon neutrality projects are a good cost-saving measure for the campus ▶ ENERGY, from page 4

outdated lecture halls and residences will also make sure we waste as little electricity as possible.

Going green isn’t restricted to our university administration. For students, sustainability is as easy as turning off unneeded lights and appliances. Our new Triton U-passes provide accessibility to San Diego Metropolitan Transit System buses and campus shuttles, many of which are switching to renewable fuel and maintenance practices, making it easier to cut down on harmful emissions from personal vehicles. That being said, while the U-passes are certainly useful to a number

of ends (the greatest of which is improving transit opportunities for students), we can certainly be hopeful that students paying into higher fees isn’t always the answer to addressing eco-based concerns.

Students can independently take action to supplement institutional changes to energy issues. For example, ensuring to separate our recycling from garbage will go a long way to establishing good, sustainable habits and won’t require a large financial contribution.

Reaching carbon neutrality by 2025 will require a team effort — particularly from UC campuses that lack the already well-established resources that the La Jolla campus has. But the system’s commitment

to making this clean energy project come to life is a welcome change from the typically bad news we’re used to hearing from the UCOP headquarters in Oakland. As this issue goes to print, the UC Board of Regents is meeting in San Francisco, in part to discuss how to respond to the governor’s funding plan for this year. As Gov. Jerry Brown and UC President Janet Napolitano have preliminarily agreed to a tag-team analysis task force to better manage UC finances, a carbon neutrality plan of this caliber is a positive first step not only toward green accountability but toward making sure the UC system can cut needless spending whenever possible.

BE HEARD

BY YOUR PEERS!

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WEEKEND

WEEKEND

ARTS | FOOD & DRINK | LIVING FILM & TV | MUSIC | THINGS TO DO

A&E Editor: Jacqueline Kim• entertainment@ucsdguardian.org | Lifestyle Editor: Nilu Karimi • lifestyle@ucsdguardian.org

SAN DIEGO BUCKETLIST

2015 W

e all made new year’s resolutions to see more of San Diego County and take advantage of the beautiful place we live in, right? That resolution was probably sandwiched right between going to the gym more often and getting better grades. Well, if you somehow forgot to add this to your list of resolutions, you definitely need to pencil it in. If you haven’t noticed, San Diego is an area worth exploring and at the end of your four (or five) years, you don’t want to look back and realize that all you saw during your time at UCSD was the inside of Geisel library. To make achieving this resolution easy for you, here is a list of some of the things you can do and see this year in San Diego.

Experience Belmont Park-

This beachfront amusement park, located in Mission Beach, is open year-round and offers a variety of different attractions, including roller coasters, laser tag and miniature golf.

Eat dinner in all of downtown San Diego’s neighborhoodsFrom Gaslamp to Hillcrest to North Park, San Diego has a variety of interesting districts that each has unique histories, different cultural attractions and a variety of restaurants. There is no better way to experience each area than eating dinner there and seeing the neighborhood for yourself.

Tour the USS MidwayThe Midway is one of San Diego’s premier tourist attractions, so hop aboard the longest-serving U.S. aircraft carrier. Afterward, you can visit the “Unconditional Surrender” statue — a 25-foot statue that depicts the famous kiss of World War II — and walk around Seaport Village, both of which are within walking distance of the USS Midway.

Go to Farmer’s Markets-

Visit Balboa Park-

Given the beautiful weather, farmers’ markets in San Diego are open year-round. Some noteworthy ones are the Hillcrest farmers’ market, open Sunday morning, and the North Park farmers’ market open Thursday afternoons. If these locations are too far for you, the La Jolla open aire market is set up every Sunday on the upper playground of La Jolla Elementary School.

Each Tuesday, different museums at the park are free for San Diego residents. If museums aren’t your thing, there are other attractions in and around Balboa Park including gardens, the San Diego Zoo and Performances. Additionally, the California Tower, which has not been open since 1935, is reopening for tours this year.

See Coronado IslandDrive across the famous bridge, tour the Hotel del Coronado, window shop, bike around the Island or visit one of the many parks, all in a day’s visit.

Find the best California burrito in San DiegoCalifornia burritos are a quintessential part of living in the Golden State. They are delicious and can be found in most Mexican restaurants. Many taco shops claim they have the best one, but the only real way to find out is to try them all for yourself. Lolita’s Taco Shop, Don Carlos Taco Shop and Lucha Libra Taco Shop are all great places to start this journey.

Hike the countryWhether it be Torrey Pines or Mount Woodson (more commonly known as Potato Chip Rock), hiking gives you an opportunity to see stunning views of the county. There are many different hikes available, so grab a trail guide and find one that will suit your ability level.

Take a picture at the Carlsbad flower fields-

From early March to early May, you can visit the Carlsbad Ranch and see 50 acres of giant tecolote ranunculus (a member of the buttercup family) in bloom. The fields are open every day for the season, and you can walk through the field, bring a picnic, take tons of pretty photos and buy fresh flowers.

Go to the beachWith school, work and various other commitments, many people forget to go to the beach despite the fact that our school is so close to it. So whether you’re going to go swim, tan, surf, have a bonfire or just walk along the sand, go to the beach this year!

Tour a brewerySan Diego has been titled the “craft beer capital,” which means that there are excellent breweries everywhere. You can tour some of them or go taste testing to experience the variety of beers available in this county.

WEEKEND

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r e t n i W ion h s Fa

en writt

by

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Uta o h d Ri

riter W f f // Sta

S N E M JOGGERS

Gym wear has recently gone into the fashion mainstream. Joggers are a must-have item in your closet. They are very versatile and flexible when it comes to how you wear them. The joggers will always be a perfect choice whether you’re out running by the beach or going on a movie date. Who says you can’t mix comfort and style? The joggers prove that wrong!

S N E M O W

Faux fur vest

Winter in San Diego is no winter in D.C., so ditch that coat and jacket because you won’t need them here. What you need instead is one piece of faux fur vest. One great thing about it is its versatility. Wear it casually with a tank top and skinny jeans for class or dressy with your tunic and stilettos for a night out. It’s your choice and you can do absolutely no wrong.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAEGAN TINTARI PHOTO COURTESY OF PLAIN ME SELECT SHOP

Print Leggings

Prints and colors will dominate the fashion scene in 2015. Join the crowd and get yourself a pair of two-print leggings. The designs include animal style, tribal, stripes, floral, military and national flags. Your options are endless. Wear them with a colorful print tee and throw in some accessories or layer colors on top of colors because you can never have too many colors.

These leggings will make you fab and strikingly fierce.

SLIM VARSITY JACKETS

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARETH WILLIAMS

Expect to see lots of classic comeback this year, but be prepared for some modern alterations. Welcome the new, much thinner version of this American classic — the (slim) varsity jacket. It is great looking and versatile. Wear it casual with your skinny jeans and combat boots or get a little dressy with chinos and oxfords. One thing for sure is that it will keep you looking sharp and dapper all day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IDEAS FASHION

Tribal ankle boots

The tribals are coming back this year and they are coming in strong, so expect to see lots of exotic and exquisite designs.

The tribal ankle boots are a perfect choice for San Diego’s warm winter. They will keep you moderately warm while also keeping you in style. Whether it is Baja Bohemian or Medieval Cherokee, find your tribe and wear it loud and proud!

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHERE TO GET IT

WHITE SOLE BOOTS

We have all faced that difficult question: Should I wear boots or sneakers today? Don’t get confused anymore. White sole boots are the answer to your dilemma. These boots combine both sneakers and boots into a pair of fine, stylish-looking shoes that fit perfectly into your shoe rack. They’re perfect for the not-sohot, not-so-cold winter in America’s finest city.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NINA HALE

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coffee break: The cat cafe Despite its good intentions as a adoption center for felines, the Cat Cafe fails expectations with subpar food and overwhelmed cats.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM FISHER

B

efore you visit The Cat Cafe, you should ask yourself: “Do I really like cats?”

Consider this, not because they’re inescapable — the two kitties present lay curled in their cubbies with typical catlike indifference — but because there’s otherwise not much of a reason to go.

The Cat Cafe doubles as an adoption clinic, giving patrons the chance to meet and play with potential pets. The building is split in two, consisting of a narrow cafe section and the larger playpen, which holds tables, chairs and, of course, cats.

In the cafe, you can pick your favorite combination of coffee, chocolate, caramel and milk and grab one of the prepackaged pastries before heading to the playpen. Kitty containment is taken very seriously — double doors between areas avert any sort of culinary catastrophe.

Drink prices range from $2 to $5, depending on complexity and size. The small hot chocolate fulfilled its warm, chocolatey promise but did nothing to stand out. The sweets cost $2 to $3, which would

Hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location 472 Third Ave. San Diego, CA 92010

Why This Generation’s Music is Just the Worst Off the Record

be acceptable had they been made on-site. Despite their sugary efforts, neither the blueberry muffin nor the apple strudel inspired particu-

The Cat Cafe’s titular inhabitants are well cared after. The floor is littered with toys, and the pet doors in the back ensure that the cats are never overwhelmed by human interaction —although while I was there, the two kitties were either unimpressed with my efforts or too tired to play.

A poster board proudly displays past successes — though if you’re thinking of adopting, the owner recommends that you call ahead.

Cat cafes originated in Taiwan but were popularized in Japan.

The Cat Cafe is one of many cat cafes that have now begun to pop up in America.

If you need your IMAGE COURTESY OF ADAM FISHER morning fix or a quick snack, The Cat Cafe lar appetite. Both tasted more like falls short. But if you’re planning something bought in bulk from a to adopt, The Cat Cafe is an excelsupermarket than sold at a cafe. lent place to wet your whiskers while I lost my will to continue after a looking for your new best friend. couple bites.

Of course, while there are doz— Adam fisher ens of places to grab a cup of joe and a donut, only one comes with contributing writer cats.

KYLE SOMERS A&E Associate Editor

ksomers@ucsd.edu

I

remember pulling up to red lights alongside another car blasting hip-hop out of its subwoofers when I was little, and my mom would just roll her eyes and tell me how stupid that kind of music is. And like everything else my parents ever told me, she was unconditionally correct. But it’s not just the entire rap/hip-hop genre that’s tainting music (I mean, if you can call that music. It’s really just words with fake drum beats).

Nearly all of the most popular artists, from One Direction and Justin Bieber to Skrillex, show how this generation’s taste in music is on track to be the worst in recorded history.

For anyone not familiar with the deteriorating state of modern music, just turn on the radio. It’s all a bunch of trendy pop hits that no one is even going to remember a few decades from now. We’re all left pining for the good old days, like 1977 when hits like “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone and “Evergreen” by Barbra Streisand dominated the airwaves for 10 and three straight weeks, respectively.

WEEKEND Instant and permanent classics!

I’m tired of hearing songs about misogyny and glorified drug use.

Give me the good old days when “Brown Sugar” and “Whole Lotta Love” objectified women in a cool way or when the Beatles “got high with a little help from their friends.” And sure “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” sounds pretty rapey when you listen to the lyrics, but, hey, it’s a classic.

The problem is that popular, post-2010 music is shallow and meaningless. And it’s all the same shtick: Nicki Minaj shakes her butt, Justin Bieber whines about girls nonstop and Kendrick Lamar gives a non-linear narrative of his life, promoting self-belief while damning the gang mentality he grew up in. And he uses the n-word a lot.

What modern music really needs now is some rock like they had back in the golden days. And, no, I mean besides the Arctic Monkeys, Jack White, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, Streetlight Manifesto, Wolfmother, Arcade Fire, the Foo Fighters and Muse.

And I mean besides smaller garage rock/indie-rock acts like Ought, FIDLAR, Mikal Cronin, Ex Hex, The Frights, The Vaccines and many others like them. Besides those, today’s rock scene is dead.

Let’s face it, we’re not going to wake up tomorrow and have some asshat like Kanye West boldly changing the soundscapes of music the way the Beatles did, and Adele isn’t going to suddenly become the kind of talented and respectable singer that Ella Fitzgerald once was. If there’s any beacon of hope and reason for this generation, it’s in the place that knows this best: the Youtube music video comment sections.

N E D R A G R A BE d n a l r e d n o w r e wint

FREE FOR ALL UCSD UNDERGRADS JANUARY 23, 3-6PM, MATTHEWS QUAD Little Caesars

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WEEKEND

FILM REVIEW

PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHINGTON POST

American SNiper

Bradley Cooper delivers a layered performance in tribute to the deadly Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.

Directed by Clint Eastwood Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Max Charles, Marc Lee Rated R Release Date Jan. 15

“A

merican Sniper” is destined to recreate the endless controversy raised by Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” The same people who claimed “Zero” justified the use of torture by the U.S. military will take Clint Eastwood’s film to be a celebration of brute patriotism. A tagline of “American Sniper” reads, “The most lethal sniper in U.S history,” and another asserts, “One hundred sixty kills made history.”

Is it decent to honor a man for the number of people he’s killed? What does a society that glorifies snipers say about itself? Although these questions are fair and important, the film is by no means mere pro-war propaganda. “American Sniper” is upsettingly honest and, similarly to Bigelow’s “Zero,” is better understood when interpreted as an uncompromising portrayal of the Iraq War. Both films expose the (in) humanity of the people involved

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and let the audience draw their conclusions.

The film, an adaptation of Chris Kyle’s memoir of the same name, follows his journey from reckless cowboy to top Navy SEAL. Kyle (Bradley Cooper), known as “The Legend” for his 160 reported kills, is the paradigmatic patriot — for him, the land of the free ought to be defended at any cost and sacrifice, no questions asked. He decides to enlist after seeing a report of the 1998 attacks on U.S embassies in southeast Africa. But it is 9/11 that fundamentally changes him; the world gets simplified into “Us” vs.

“Them,” good vs. evil. Indeed, in the mind of the man who calls every Arab male between 16 and 65 a “savage,” the war takes an almost spiritual tone — he fights, as Bob Dylan would have it, with God on his side. That’s not to say that Cooper’s Kyle is one-dimensional; rather, the film’s greatest virtue lies in its

exploration of Kyle’s psychological burdens. Eastwood reminds us once again that a soldier’s pain does not stay in Iraq but is at its highest in the return home. At times, “American Sniper” seems to suggest that there is no coming back from war, no home left for the hero, no woman waving her arms at an airport, no child hugging her daddy. Chris Kyle is always in Iraq, even when at a barbecue in Erath County, Texas.

But what makes Kyle such a fascinating and disturbing individual is his lack of remorse over the hundreds of persons he’s killed.

When his therapist asks him if there’s something he wished he hadn’t done, he replies calmly, “Oh, that’s not me.

No. I’m willing to meet my Creator and answer for every shot that I took.” His torments are obsessive ruminations about the fellows he didn’t save. Kyle’s post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by a severe feeling of guilt — every day he’s not in Iraq is a day an American is dying because he’s not there. But what about the country he’s invading?

What about the thousands of Iraqi widows? What about the Arab sniper who is at the other side of the battlefield? Oh, but that’s not him.

If interpreted as a celebration of Kyle’s life, the film does in fact raise alarming questions about our war culture and national character.

However, such an interpretation may fail to see the distinction between Kyle’s worldview and that of the film.

It is easy to dismiss the movie as an ode to American exceptionalism; it is truer, however, to see it as an open portrait of a real man. “American Sniper”, perhaps despite itself, gives us a distressing look at the people who fight our wars.

— Mario Attie

Editorial Assistant

ALBUM REVIEW

Strange bird

by Natalie Walker Release Date Jan. 27

Natalie Walker’s newest Electronica album Strange Bird is both emotional and danceable.

W

ho would have thought that Katy Perry and Sofia Coppola have similar tastes in music? No one, probably, unless you’re Natalie Walker, whose blend of electronica and alternative has received tweeted praise from Perry and made its way onto the big screen in Coppola’s quirky period drama “Marie Antoinette.” Walker’s recognition in both the film and music industries came after the singer-songwriter split from the trip-hop group Daughter Darling and embarked on a solo career. Since then, she’s crafted a mix of indie-pop and electronica that is both haunting and ethereal. Her latest album “Strange Bird” is no exception, yet her fourth full-length brings a mature edge to Walker’s discography.

Electronica tends to be a relatively “cold” genre, distancing itself from listeners with its technologically engineered rhythms and melodies and rendering the only human side of its music — namely, the vocalist — as just another instrument in the background. Walker, on the other hand, puts her rich mezzo-soprano vocals and gentle songwriting at the forefront of every track, effectively humanizing electronica. The lead single “Trust” does just this, opening the album with a catchy ‘80s-inspired beat that is laced with the comforting plucking of an electric guitar and Walker’s warm lyrics: “Climb the wall,/ Brick by brick/ We’ll jump off/ From the top/ To the edge/ Hold my hand/ You can trust me.”

This track and several others on

“Strange Bird” hint at Walker exploring a slightly different sound compared to some of her past electro-pop lullabies (take the hypnotic titular track off of 2008’s “With You”), showcasing synthesizers as much as instruments more typical of more mundane pop. “Guns Down,” for example, begins and is interlaced with a painfully melancholic piano playing minor key chords that may very well have been lifted from the somber work of Vince Guaraldi. The smoothly produced track is full of dream-pop sensibility, giving a glimpse of Walker’s potential to succeed in that genre.

Other songs still retain Walker’s roots in trip-hop, such as the track “Lightning.” The song gives Walker the opportunity to show off her powerhouse vocals that stand out in a melody influenced by ‘90s alternative rock. Likewise, the hip beats of “Skywalker” manage to create a tune that is both danceable and emotional.

Here, Walker sings with a determined attitude, “I am here and I am free from captivity/ I’m breaking in my wings/ … I’m opening the door/ It’s time to make a move.” More than anything, these lines are an anthem to the musician’s growth over her 13-year-old career, during which she has refined her sound into an uncategorizable one. Her new album is simply a testament to this strange bird starting to really take flight.

— Jacqueline Kim

a&e editor

ucsdguardian. org

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Tritons Will Next Compete in San Diego Open this Sunday Home Opener Set for Saturday, Feb. 7 ▶ FENCING , from page 12

despite traveling to the tournament without one of their best foilists, sophomore Mitchell Shulman, due to injury.

“On the men’s side, this year, we probably have the best foil team we’ve ever put together,” Runyan said.

“They’re really talented.”

Freshman foilist David Hadler finished with a strong 11–3 record on the day, showing superior play in spite of his age.

“He had an excellent performance against all the teams there and fenced

really well,” Runyan said. “He’s a freshman, but he has a lot of experience.

In his final year in high school and at the beginning of orientation weekend, he was fencing at World Cups, so he’s gone off against some of the top fencers in the world.”

Senior sabrist Peter Meckling and junior epeeist Art Arutjunancs also had an incredible tournament, each finishing with an 11–4 record.

While the well-rounded performances of the weekend show strong promise for the rest of UCSD’s season, the Tritons still have a tough road ahead.

“It adds a lot of confidence, but I do need to say that the challenge is even bigger coming up in a week and a half when we go to Northwestern,” Runyan said. “There, we’ll see the teams that generally finish at the top of the NCAA nationals.”

Both men’s and women’s teams will compete at the San Diego Open on Sunday, Jan. 25, located at Cathedral Catholic High School before competing in the Northwestern Duals the following week on Jan. 31.

▶ W. TENNIS, from page 12

UCSD has officially begun its season, these opening matchups against Division-I schools serve as little real indication of what is to come throughout the season’s primarily Division-II play.

“We have been working on being more aggressive and going in for our shots more, which is what [UC] Irvine was able to do against us,” LaPlante said. “[Cal State] Fullerton will be almost as tough as the [UC]

Irvine match. Again, [it’s] more of an exhibition against a Division-I program, so we’re hoping to get some really good practice out of it.”

Th e Tritons travel to Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in another opportunity to challenge and prepare themselves before they return home for their Division-II opener against Azusa Pacific University on Saturday, Feb. 7.

readers can contact liam leahy

lleahy@ucsd.edu

readers can contact john story

jstory@ucsd.edu

Search for Wins Only Harder as UCSD Faces Tougher Teams ▶ M. VOLLEYBALL, from page 12

coach Kevin Ring told the UCSD Athletics Department. “They have two really good middles who are very physical that they will set from along the net and off the net. Their pin hitters are very physical. They hit high, hard and deep.”

In the first two sets, UCSD largely trailed from behind, though the second proved the worst performance as the Tritons could only manage three kills en route to the Matadors’ resounding 25–13 victory.

However, the blue and gold let

the third set slip through their own fingers, as they held a permanent lead up until their 17th point. Cal State Northridge broke free on two huge runs to swing the set in its favor and ultimately seal the match sweep.

“We knew what we needed to do to attack them and get them out of system,” Ring said. “Unfortunately, we were not as strong as we needed to be from the service line.”

Starting the season below 0.500 has no doubt been disappointing for the program, especially considering the everlasting struggle to produce a winning season since the team’s

inception. The 2014 season ended with a 4–23 overall record with only two victories in the MPSF, and though the season is still young, matches thus far have prompted little hope for better results in 2015.

UCSD will attempt to turn things around as the team opens at home against an even tougher No. 5 USC squad this Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. before traveling to Riverside to play California Baptist University at 7 p.m. the following day.

readers can contact john story

jstory@ucsd.edu

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SPORTS

UPCOMING

CONTACT THE EDITOR

BRANDON YU

sports@ucsdguardian.org

follow us @UCSD_sports

UCSD

GAMES

M. Volleyball M. Basketball W. Basketball M. Basketball W. Basketball

1/22 1/23 1/23 1/24 1/24

VS USC VS Cal State San Bernardino VS Cal State San Bernardino VS Humboldt State VS Humboldt State

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

UCSD Swept Against Division I Foes

The Tritons fail to win a single set against No. 11 CSU Long Beach and No. 15 CSU Northridge.

BY JOHN STORY ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR // PHOTO BY SIDDHARTH ATRE

T

he UCSD men’s volleyball team will look toward its season home opener this evening against University of Southern California as the Tritons lick their wounds from a season-low hitting performance at No. 15 Cal State Northridge last Friday and a sweep the Wednesday prior at No. 11 Cal State Long Beach. Both losses came at the end of a season-opening four-game road stretch that puts UCSD at 1–3 overall to start its 2015 campaign and 0–2 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.

In last Wednesday’s sweep, the Tritons managed to produce leads in all three sets, only to lose to the 49ers by scores of 25–21,

25–20 and 25–15 in Long Beach. The first two sets were disputed and shared a similar pattern. UCSD fought their way to ties and leads before Cal State Long Beach runs put the sets away. In the third set, despite holding a lead at 9–7 and coming back to a tie at 12–12, UCSD could only muster three points for the rest of the set as the 49ers secured the sweep.

Cal State Long Beach improved its undefeated record to 4–0 and recorded its sixth straight victory over UCSD, with the four last ones coming in straight sets. The Tritons dropped their hit percentage under 0.300 for the first time in the new season, managing only 0.229 — a decline that would continue on Friday. Cal State Long Beach hit 0.396 and also

FENCING

won the defensive battle at the block, 8.5–2.0.

UCSD was swept yet again by No. 15 MPSF opponent Cal State Northridge on Friday in Northridge to drop the second conference match of the season. The Matadors’ win improved their season standing to 3–2 overall and 1–0 in MPSF action.

The outing proved unfortunate for the Tritons in terms of their hitting performance — posting a dismal 0.027 (20–18–73) average on the night and losing each set 25–20, 25–13 and 25–21, respectively.

“Heading into [Friday’s] match, we felt like we had a pretty good game plan,” UCSD head See M. VOLLEYBALL, page 11

WOMEN'S TENNIS

Tritons Win Western Conference Title Tennis Winless in Irvine Women defeat Division-I Stanford, Air Force, while men take second at invite. UCSD goes 0–7 against UC Irvine in season opener.

BY liam leahy

BY john story

associate sports editor

staff writer

Despite facing tough Division-I competition, the UCSD fencing team found dramatic success in Colorado Springs last weekend at the Western Invitational hosted by the Air Force Academy.

The women’s team took first place, winning the tournament’s Western Fencing Conference title after defeating Stanford University 17–10, Air Force 15–12 and California Institute of Technology 25–2 for the championship. The men’s squad also performed strongly, finishing in second place after defeating Air Force by a narrow 14–13 margin but falling to Stanford 16–11.

“It was just a great team performance, and they particularly brought up the level when they were fencing against people within the conference,” UCSD assistant coach Josh Runyan told the UCSD Guardian. “Stanford’s the team that always gives us problems every year, and usually we’re finishing behind them, also with Air Force … so [we] are really doing well.”

Junior sabrist Megan Gesner produced the strongest Triton record on

Failing to keep up with DivisionI opponents, the UCSD women’s tennis team was defeated 7–0 last Saturday in its first match of the regular season against UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium. The Tritons lost all six singles matches and two out of three of their doubles matches to open up their 2015 campaign with a 0–1 record.

Not having seen action since an exhibition tournament last October, the Tritons appeared overwhelmed by their higher-ranked foes. The highlight of the tough day came for UCSD’s pair of sophomores Nava Nowamooz and Shannon Theisen, who managed to earn an impressive 6–4 win against UC Irvine’s junior Sarah Gong and freshman Arisha Ladhani in the No. 2 slot.

Sophomore Britta Mosser and junior Kyra Scott fell together in the No. 1 doubles slot by a 6–3 score. The freshman duo of Jasmine Hosseini and Nousha Nowamooz struggled in a 6–1 defeat in the No. 3 doubles slot.

In the singles, there were some very strong performances against

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM UCSD ATHLETICS

Saturday, finishing at 12–4, while fellow junior epeeist Nicole Chiang also did well, winning 11 of 17 matches.

“Our best performer for the weekend was a veteran: Megan Gesner,” Runyan said. “She’s very talented. She fenced very solid against everyone and was really the rock behind the women’s team.”

Freshmen foilist Sophia Holmqvist and freshman sabrist Charlotte Stender went 10–6 and 9–4, respec-

tively. Stender impressively went undefeated in all of her Stanford matchups.

The Triton women also competed in out-of-conference matches, winning 18–9 against Brandeis University but losing 20–7 to Duke University and 19–8 to Northwestern University.

On the men’s side, the Tritons had strong performances all around, See FENCING, page 11

formidable challengers. Mosser managed to push her opponent senior Kat Facey to three sets in the No. 3 singles slot, showing determination to take the second set 6–3 after losing the opening one 6–0. Mosser ultimately fell in the final set, narrowly losing 6–4.

In the No. 1 singles slot, Scott also played some great tennis, managing to take a 5–2 lead in the second set after losing the first 6–3 but eventually let the advantage slip away, losing the set 7–5 in the final moments.

Despite the sweep in their season opener, UCSD head coach Liz LaPlante expressed satisfaction and optimism in the Tritons’ effort against a superior opponent.

“I was actually really pleased with the way the girls competed,” LaPlante told the UCSD Guardian. “We were pleased to win the No. 2 doubles, and then Kyra had a very close singles match and Britta went three sets.

Overall, I was very pleased.”

The team will be looking to build upon its performance for the next match against another Division-I opponent in Cal State Fullerton. While See W. TENNIS, page 11