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INDEX 2004

October 26, 2004 (Vol. 25, No. 4)

NEWS

BUREAU BRIEFS
THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION:Seven student films that explore the politically charged issues of terrorism and the nature of war will be shown by Showtime Networks on the eve of the presidential election.... SCHOOL OF LAW: As part of its Campaign Disclosure Project, the School of Law recently released a pioneering database that will make it easy to compare and contrast the campaign finance disclosure statutes and regulations of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government.... MATTEL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Actor/director Mel Gibson has donated $10 million to be split evenly between Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

EMPLOYEES GET OUT THE VOTE
Lots of UCLA employees feel passionately about their candidate in this year’s presidential race. But few are are doing something about it with the vigor and enthusiasm of Richard E. Jones, who works in the College Library.

CAMPUS HEALTH CENTERS COPE WITH FLU SHOT SHORTAGE
Halloween’s around the corner, ushering in the holiday season. But this festive period is also when the flu season kicks in, and this time it will be complicated by the national shortage of flu vaccine that is unlikely to be resolved by the end of the year.

NEWS 2

CAMPUS BRIEFS
ANDERSON RISES IN KEY RANKINGS: Anderson School of Management’s MBA program is ranked 14th in BusinessWeek’s biennial report of top U.S. and international MBA programs — up two spots from 2002....GOBLINS ON THE HILL: More than 2,500 children from economically disadvantaged areas in Los Angeles will be treated to a Halloween they soon won’t forget by more than 300 UCLA student volunteers on Oct. 27.... DEFYING POPULAR BELIEF: UCLA researchers have demonstrated the first silicon laser, which could lead to more effective biochemical detection, secure communications and defense against heat-seeking missiles....THE POWER OF TIDES: Earthquakes can be triggered by the Earth’s tides, UCLA scientists confirmed Oct. 21 in Science Express, the online journal of Science

NEW LOGO TO STRENGTHEN UCLA'S VISUAL IDENTITY
As part of its broader identity program, UCLA has introduced a new logo that is appearing around campus on signs, Web sites and in publications (including this newspaper).

BRAIN-IMAGING LAB TO STORE DATA FOR $60M STUDY
UCLA will play a major role in the most comprehensive study of its kind to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

DID YOU KNOW?
If you want a faster response to a campus emergency, program the UCPD dispatch number - (310) 825-1491 - into your cell phone. Then tell the dispatcher you're calling from a cell phone. If you call 911 on a cell phone, the call goes to a CHP dispatcher who will then have to transfer your call to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW
HOMECOMING AND PARENTS' WEEKEND: A three-day weekend of exciting activities is planned Oct. 29-31, offering parents and students a unique way to learn about campus life together, explore what UCLA offers and connect with its leaders and faculty through lively panel discussions, presentations and social events.... CHI-TOWN: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the City Council recently honored Janice L. Reiff, associate professor of history at UCLA, and her co-editors James Grossman and Ann Durkin Keating, following the release of their long-awaited Encyclopedia of Chicago.... STRAIGHT TALK FROM COPPOLA: Students packed a soundstage at the School of Theater, Film and Television Oct. 20 for a candid, two-hour conversation with UCLA alumnus and master filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who serves on the school’s Executive Board.

PEOPLE

SENATE CHAIR TAKES COMPARATIVE VIEW OF ISSUES
Kathleen Komar was an undergraduate English major when she became captivated with the anxiety-ridden prose of Franz Kafka and decided to learn German so she could read his works in the original.

PERSISTENCE PAYS
When she turned 12, Elma Gonzalez began spending summers picking crops alongside her parents and siblings, migrant farmworkers who moved from state to state following the harvest of cotton, cucumbers, tomatoes and cherries.

15 SECONDS
Daniel Solorzano: Professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and César Chávez Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

NAMES AND FACES
Congrats: Alan DeCherney.... Alberto Barboza.... Joel Juarez.... Carlton Green.... Ben Wu.... Vijay K. Dhir.
Three Cheers: Robert Rosen.... Peter Kovaric.... Sharon Mack.... Burton R. Clark..

CAMPUS

LUNCH 'N' LEARN PROVE TO BE A POPULAR COMBO
In a meeting room in Ackerman Union during the lunch hour on a recent Tuesday, the art historian and UCLA Professor Albert Boime discussed the scientific realism in Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” His audience listened attentively while biting into gourmet chicken sandwiches.

KEY MESSAGES TO BUILD LASTING BONDS
UCLA enjoys a strong reputation as one of the nation’s preeminent educational institutions. The university gets high marks for academic excellence, conducts leading-edge research and performs valuable service in the community.

FOWLER HOSTS EXHIBITION RICH IN SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Winnie the Pooh sits on a shelf next to the smiling Buddha, overlooking a colorful poster depicting the Hindu elephant god, Ganesha. Across the room is an assortment of bottled liquids labeled variously as “Peaceful Home Bath and Floor Wash,” “Adam and Eve Lovers’ Attraction” and “Powerful Indian Court Case.” These are just a few of the eye-catching artifacts featured in a rare exhibition, “Botánica Los Angeles: Latino Popular Religious Art in the City of Angels,” under way at the Fowler Museum through Feb. 27, 2005.

'ROUND AND ABOUT
FOR YOUR BENEFIT: Next month, Open Enrollment begins with some good news. The amount most UC employees will pay for their medical plan participation will not increase next year. While health-care costs continue to rise some, UC has been able to increase its contribution toward employees’ medical plans for 2005....HEROES OF "SPARTACUS": Kirk Douglas and Edward Lewis, producers of the movie “Spartacus,” will be presented with the Freedom of Expression Medal at the James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall Nov. 8 for having broken the “Hollywood Blacklist” by using screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s name in the film’s credits.... LEARN AS YOU SHOP: In addition to the Professor in the Union lunch-and-lectures, ASUCLA is hosting Thursday@Noon, featuring lectures by faculty and staff, book signings and other free events open to the public.... GORILLAS OF THE 'NET: Eric Schmidt, Google Inc.’s chairman of the executive committee and chief executive officer, will be the keynote speaker at UCLA’s celebration of the 35th anniversary of the first Internet message, an Oct. 29 symposium packed with thought-provoking sessions and presentations.

VOICES

WILL YOUNG NETIZENS SWING THE ELECTION?
Personally, I had thought the third and final U.S. presidential debate was an honest draw. And that also seemed to be the general consensus of most of the instant polls and punditry. But, for one audience at least, the debate wasn’t even close: It was John Kerry by a knockout.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN': LATINOS IN 2040
What will be the nature of the collective identity of Americans when half the population of trend-setting California becomes Latino? Will 2040 mark the final crumbling of a once-productive society into a dysfunctional, Blade Runner-type world rent by cultural separatists? Or will the year usher in a world-class state economy and society, supported by a population that is not only healthier and more hard-working but also has stronger family and community ties?

SOUND BITES:
Q: As the Nov. 2 presidential election approaches, what’s the most important issue that will decide your vote?

OUR WORLD by CAROLE CABLE