Features

Sara Farsakh frantically scribbles notes on the sides of her paper, adding names and places as they come to mind. Behind her, a friend massages her shoulders like she would a boxer about to enter the ring with her toughest yet most anticipated opponent. Farsakh just spent most of the previous day and half the night debating whether she will be able to share this story in public and dreading the path her emotions might take should she choose to do so. Her decision made, all she can do now is stare at the floor and focus intently on keeping her intentions and emotions in check as she waits for the introduction to her first public speech in years. With a few deep breaths and a couple mutters of "bismillahi rahmani rahim" (I begin in the name of Allah, most beneficent, most merciful) under her breath, she begins...

In his youth, Professor Lindon Barrett loved fuzzy wool sweaters. His friend Jackie Popplestone remembers that he bought nearly every sweater in Dapper Dan's, the clothing store where she and Barrett worked. Popplestone recalls that one night, while she and Barrett were working together, Barrett said he wanted to expose her to a new kind of music and blared the song "Fuck You Symphony" by Millie Jackson over the store's PA system. Barrett believed that brilliance wasn't limited to the university community, and often told his students that bright people could be found anywhere, from a college campus to the streets of Long Beach to a 24-hour donut shop. He regaled his students with stories of his conversations with the homeless people he befriended at Dunkin' Donuts.

THE SOCIAList: After the reaction I got from my "Gossip Guy" article in the features section last week, the New University features staff, for some odd reason, awarded me a column in their section with the free rein to speak about whatever I want.

An Assessment of Barack Obama's Cabinet Nominations and Selections

An Assessment of Barack Obama's Cabinet Nominations and Selections

Looking to "go green" without actually making the strenuous effort to carpool or ride a bike? If you haven't made a New Year's resolution yet, going green can be as easy as driving to a car wash. Here are 10 easy ways to help out the environment that should only take a few minutes of your day.

Irvine Planeteers: Over winter break, I went on a full moon hike in Bommer Canyon. Bommer Canyon is a remnant of the Irvine Company's property, originally obtained by James Irvine in 1867. Sold to the city of Irvine in the 80s, it has been set aside to remain open space. The area is only a few minutes from UC Irvine's campus, located next to gorgeous Shady Canyon.

Members of the jazz sextet performing at Anthill Pub's "Interactions," held the first Thursday of every month, take a break from performing to catch a glimpse of a football game.

A student represents the pro-Gaza half of Thursday's rallies regarding Israel's bombing and military invasion of the region. UCIPD officers casually surveyed the spirited, but peaceful demonstrations.

Elizabeth Loftus, psychologist and distinguished professor of Social Ecology, is interviewed for the news program 60 minutes. Loftus is ranked among the top 100 psychologists of the 20th century.

SUBURBAN OUTFITTER: Last night, I had a nightmare about Chictopia.com. I was clicking through page after page of girls in oversized white t-shirts, black leggings and black boots. Every single ChicBlog was exactly the same. My legs began to hurt as if the sight of so many bland outfits was physically painful and I suddenly woke up in actual pain. Lying in bed, I began to wonder if I go on Chictopia too much.

In impoverished parts of the world, such as Africa, India and Bangladesh, people struggle to find a source of clean water to drink as they fall victim to waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. However, for most of us in the developed world, water is taken for granted, the entity that covers over 70 percent of the Earth or the molecule that contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. In fact, we in the United States have so much wealth that we have an endless number of different types of water, all suited for unique purposes to enhance the hydration experience. Considering how lucky we are that we not only have access to clean water, but various brands of clean water, it only makes sense to draw the line between good water and bad water in order to find the perfect one.