We’re hoping there’s some overlap here between the aforementioned groups and “People Who Don’t Actually Open CalMail.” True? Great. Because we’ve got some boring news you should probably hear about:

If you haven’t gotten your Reading and Composition requirement knocked out yet, you should start thinking about it now, because in 2012 colleges will begin enforcing a rule that says students have to fulfill the requirement before the second semester of their sophomore year. According to Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer, starting next year, they’ll be allocating more funds for R and C courses, which means if you need to take one, there should be space for you.

And now back to your scheduled, hopefully more exciting Clog programming …

Image Source: Hey Christine under Creative Commons
New Changes to the Reading & Composition (R&C) Requirement [CalMail]

Remember those two fun guys who made a business out of used coffee ground-grown fungi last year? Well, according to former Daily Cal reporter and editor (Holla!) Rachel Gross over at the Bay Area blog, BTTR Ventures recently introduced a new product to their line, which, so far, includes mushrooms and, uh, mushrooms: DIY mushroom growing kits! Just what we’ve always wanted!

Because if there’s one thing East Bay folk love more than sustainable local agriculture, caffeine and compost, it’s homemade stuff. Right now, the kits are available at select Whole Foods stores, but starting on Earth Day (April 22) they’ll be available at  Peet’s Coffee and Tea. How apropos.

Badgers (Badger, badger, badger, badger. Mushroom mushroom [YouTube]
Coffee Grounds + Spores = a New East Bay Business [Bay Area]
Earlier: Two Fun Guys Go Green With Fungi

Y’know, there are just some days when you pick up the paper, scan the front page and say to yourself, “Damn, it feels good to be an ordinary citizen, generally unworthy of quotation.” Because then you could be stuck forever with a gem like this credited to your name:

“Through these and subsequent meetings (I) will develop a plan for how I might be useful,” he [Boalt Hall Dean Christopher Edley] said in a statement. “It depends on what people believe they need in light of what’s already been agreed, and we’ll take it from there.”

Ah yes, we’re familiar with the subsequent meetings that will come after the previous meetings, where some people will talk about the thing in the thing and some stuff with regards to that other thing. It’s not like we think Dean Edley has anything but the best of intentions in taking on an inevitably controversial job like this, but, uh, that quote is like a Mad Lib. Maybe there is a secret plan to vague statement us all into racial harmony. In which case, well-played, sir.

Next up, we’ve got a right beaut from none other than John Moghtader himself, on tense relations between longtime rivals, Students for Justice in Palestine and Tikvah:

“The record of each group speaks for itself,” Moghtader said.

But what do they say?! Don’t leave us hanging, here! Actually, now that we think about it, he’s right. We guess the sheer absurdity of this story does kind of stand on its own.

Image Source: Private Custard under Creative Commons, modified by Evante Garza-Licudine
Boalt Hall Dean Set to Advise UC Officials on Racial Issues [Daily Cal]
Tensions Highlighted by Student’s Arrest [Daily Cal]

We hadn’t seen Stoney Burke around for a while, but on Thursday he made what appeared to be some kind of comeback. At least, that’s what the unusual size of his crowd of onlookers (see above) seemed to indicate. Either that or there were suddenly a whole bunch of old-looking freshmen with a lot of time on their hands wandering past.

Whether or not he was actually absent or if we just hadn’t been walking past Dwinelle Plaza at the right time until Thursday, we’re not sure. But we are interested to see what he’ll have to say about this whole riot business this week, if he’s back again.

Image Source: Jill Cowan

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino got his inspiration for the bill from some probably self-righteous little whippersnapper from Pasadena who started a “No Cussing Club” at his junior high school, and the idea has really taken off among the considerably older folks in the Assembly.

But fear not! Unlike that one time the ASUC debated a “Go Bears” resolution for-freaking-ever, this ostensible total waste of time might actually have some (incredibly minor) tangible effects. Every legislative office in the capitol will have a swear jar of sorts, where legislators can self-censor with donations to the charity of their choice. More like “Cuss Expensively Week!” Are we right, guys? … Guys?

Image Source: Tuaussi under Creative Commons
California Assembly passes resolution for ‘Cuss Free Week’ [Mercury News]

So you can see why coach Mike Montgomery is asking for all the help he can get. We have it on good authority that while playing this so-called “basketball,” having many fans present making copious amounts of noise is can actually help the team whose home court upon which said game is being played emerge victorious. That, Cal fans, is where you come in.

There are two games this weekend at Haas Pavilion. Montgomery wants you to get tickets if you can go and find somebody to go in your stead if you can’t. The guy wants the place filled to bursting … with Cal spirit! And stuff. Plus, if you go to the game that’s on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Arizona State, you might be on TV! It’s being nationally broadcast by ESPN. Wooo, GO BEARS!

Image Source: AJC1 under Creative Commons
Fans Encouraged to Fill Haas Pavilion This Weekend [Cal Athletics]

Those of you who are new to the campus may not be familiar with the endless parade of pointlessness associated with Berkeley’s student government elections campaigning, so be forewarned: After spring break, you will be ambushed and it will be unpleasant and confusing. But that’s all we’ll say about that for now.

And back to the matter at hand. Here are the lucky(-ish) winners of whatever mysterious game is in charge of deciding these things:

-Eunice Kwon will run for president.
-Lean Deleon will run for executive vice president.
-Viola Tang will run for academic affairs vice president.
-Ricardo “Bearcardo” Gomez will run for external affairs vice president. (Why didn’t you tell us, Bearcardo?!)

Let the vicious online flame-throwing between parties with practically indistinguishable platforms begin!

CalSERVE Announces Executive Slate [Daily Cal]

Fortunately, AC Transit is holding a “Class Pass Student Forum” on February 23 from 12-2 p.m. in the Tan Oak Room of the MLK Student Union (fourth floor.) There, you can learn about the scheduled service changes, pick up some FREE SNACKS AND DRINKS (ahem) and, presumably, bitch about what you don’t like. Your comments will then be “taken into account” before the changes take effect on March 28 … whether you like it or not.

Alas, we’ll just chalk it up to budget suckage for everyone and hope we don’t get too lost trying to take the new 51A somewhere only the 51B goes. Yes, there are going to be two 51 lines to wait on, though it doesn’t look like it’ll be all that different for most students, since we don’t think too many go past the Rockridge BART station, anyhow. At least we don’t have to deal with Muni on a daily basis. Shudder.

AC Transit Service Changes [Site]

Everyone’s favorite Chancellor Birgie gave the world a little piece of his mind in the Opinion section of today’s Sacramento Bee. (So he does do stuff besides preside over giant sushi-rolling and wave genially, after all!) In this article, he claims that the rainbows-and-sunshine “free education” ideal from whence many a-protest chant has sprung might not be so ideal.

Birgeneau spends most of the piece arguing that a ‘zero fees’ model would actually put low-income students at more of a disadvantage because the cost of going to college is more than just student fees and the financial aid generated from other students’ fees would no longer be available. This, in turn, would hugely decrease diversity.

We’re not arguing with this particular line of logic, but we’ve gotta say the whole thing seems a little moot because there is NO WAY zero fees could happen without the university coming to like a screeching halt or imploding or exploding or something, especially with the level of state funding it gets right now. To be fair, he does acknowledge later on that the zero fees thing is so not gonna happen for the aforementioned reasons and more. But still.

Anyway, it’s kind of an interesting read if you’re into that sort of thing. (And by that we mean the future of your education … )

Side note: We totally saw Bobby B. striding in the sunshine yesterday toward California Hall, smiling and looking dapper. It’s amazing how, no matter what you think about the guy, his weirdly consistent joviality is kind of infectious.

Image Source: Anna Hiatt, Daily Cal
Viewpoints: ‘Zero fees’ could hurt neediest students [Sac Bee]

“Great!” you say, “Now I don’t have to wade through the mire of all those other Bay Area eco-experiential events, mucking up my path to eco-enlightenment. But what is it?”

Well, from the looks of things, PLAYgreen is basically a green-themed version of Caltopia. There will be cooking and other demonstrations (like one by BARE on how to “re-purpose” old T-shirts into something more, like, fabulous), along with booths will probably be lobbing shit-tons of cheap tchotchkes and/or brochures at passers-by. Also, there will be food booths.

So if a little strategic scrapping for free goodies is your thing, it’s all going down Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Pauley Ballroom. Oh, and PLAYgreen is open to everyone, not just students.

Image Source: urbanwoodswalker under Creative Commons
PLAYgreen Festival [Site]