January 2011

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Get to know the GA: President Miguel Daal explains his job

January 27, 2011 in Graduate Assembly by TBG | Comments closed

GA President, Miguel Daal, at Anthony Hall

“Grad students don’t hear about us unless we’re not doing our job,” says Miguel Daal, doctoral candidate in Physics and three-term Graduate Assembly (GA) President. Thus many of the GA chief executive’s activities, like helping to set RSF hours or advocating to keep the Tang Center open during spring break, go unnoticed.

So what does the GA President’s job entail? Most of Daal’s time goes to orchestrating, preparing for, and attending meetings. In addition to the monthly GA delegate meetings, Daal has separate monthly meetings with the Chancellor, Academic Senate Chair, and Graduate Division Dean. The GA President, not the University administrators, sets the agenda, ensuring it reflects the desires of the Graduate Assembly. These meetings provide a forum for addressing issues that impact graduate students and they help to maintain relationships between the graduate student government, the campus administration, and the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). Read the rest of this entry »

Winter vegetables

January 26, 2011 in Photos by TBG | Comments closed

Image by little blue hen

These pretty watermelon radishes, an unusually peppy root vegetable with their hot pink core, are in farmer’s markets now. Bring one home to add a splash of color to your next salad.

Get your clicks: toy camera photography in the digital age

January 20, 2011 in DIY, Things to do by TBG | Comments closed

West Berkeley trailer taken with a vintage Diana camera

Editor’s note: Last semester, a reader requested information on graduate student hobbies. So this semester we are occasionally featuring the activities different graduate students have taken up in their free time. Please let us know if you have a hobby you’d like to share.

Enjoy using your smartphone apps to create photos with a vintage feel? Ever wonder what it would take to create those shots with real film? It’s actually a lot easier, and a lot more fun, than you might think. Lee Otis, a recent Anthropology Ph.D., along with several friends from his department developed a keen interest in photography using vintage or “toy” cameras to create images with a nostalgic feel. The basic idea is to use a camera or film that is so old, or poorly made, that the resulting images reflect a certain low-fidelity aesthetic.

“It was just something that we started doing to take a break from school. We’re all archaeologists, so we’re naturally drawn to old stuff, like these cameras,” Lee Otis explains. Part of the thrill of toy camera photography is that you never know what you are going to get. “With digital, you get crystal clear shots that you can see immediately. With a toy camera, you won’t see your photos for a few days at best, and even then you may have light leaks, lens distortion, or who knows what other defects—but for me, that’s the best part.” The vagaries of using a cheap plastic camera or expired film may produce some headaches, but when everything goes right (or wrong, as the case may be), it’s not hard to see why smartphone applications try to mimic the effects.

Getting started… Read the rest of this entry »

Easy, tasty, and cheap: Mark Bittman’s lentils and rice

January 18, 2011 in DIY by TBG | Comments closed

Just two weeks in and 2011 already promises to be a year of serious belt tightening. Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his budget last week proposing to cut $12.5 billion in state spending, including $500 million from the UC system. Because I’m trying to save money at home by spending less on groceries, I’ve been on the prowl for inexpensive, good meals. Bonus points if they’re easy to make.

Sensing there must be many people with similar goals, Mark Bittman of the New York Times recently shared three recipes that fit the bill.  I tried and highly recommend “Lentils and Rice With or Without Pork.” (Follow the link for the recipe and several ideas for variations on this theme: next up at my house, smoky red beans and rice.) I included the optional bacon and would encourage other omnivores to do the same since it adds a nice smoky flavor, but the dish will still be good as well as less expensive if you exclude the pork. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome back!

January 15, 2011 in Uncategorized by TBG | Comments closed

By phoosh

Welcome back to campus and classes. Here at the Berkeley Graduate, we hope your vacation was refreshing and the new semester is productive.

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