The Stanford Daily

An Independent Publication
THURSDAY July 21, 2011

SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

Volume 240A Issue 4

Opinions 6
The consequences of societys chemical dependence; defining an Asian revival

Sports 7
Behind the scenes of a ballgirls preparations for Bank of the West

Features 10

Entertainment 12

An enchanted era ends: a narrative Filling the Potter void: finding from the final Harry Potter premiere fantasy in manga, vampires and more

NEWS
UNIVERSITY

Summer income cuts student costs

!fficials say *+D- summer revenue subsidi6es room, board
By BILLY GALLAGHER
SENIOR STAFF WRITER KEVIN TSUKII/The Stanford Daily

EXCLUSIVES
ONLINE
WWW.STANFORDDAILY.COM

The Quake-Catcher Network offers small devices that connect to computers around the Hayward fault and together measure seismic activity, including earthquakes.

Every summer, Stanford Conferences hosts between 250 and 300 conferences on campus with a total of between 16,000 and 20,000 guests. These conferences cover a broad spectrum of subjects and audiences of nearly all ages. All Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) revenue generated from summer conferences hosted on campus is used to subsidize the cost of room and board for students during the rest of the year, according to University officials. The Stanford Conference Office was opened in the 1960s and has grown significantly in the decades since then. It is currently one of the largest collegiate conference operations in the world; in fact, Stanford represented the largest conference operation sample in a recent study by the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors, International (ACCED-I), which represents conference professionals in institutions of higher education. Every conference . . . is directly aligned with and tied in some way to teaching, learning and/or researching at Stanford, wrote executive director of Stanford Conferences Philip Gin in an email to The Daily. Typically, that means that faculty and/or students are involved with teaching the content of the conference, or they are attending the conference to learn more about the content. The largest of these conferences include the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY), an academic opportunity for middle and high school students that has run since 1991; All Sports Camp, a daytime sports activities camp for 7- to 12-year-old boys and girls that has existed for over 30 years; and High School Summer College, a program that allows 16- to 20-year-olds who have not yet attended college to take summer classes at Stanford for college credit. The University also allows non-Stanford undergraduates and graduate students to take Stanford courses during the summer for transfer credit to their university or college. Student Housing facilities are used by a variety of groups and organizations each summer, wrote executive director of Student Housing Rodger Whitney in an email to The Daily. This usage of our residences makes it possible for students to stay on campus in the summer for work, study or research; supports pro-

RESEARCH

Project offers free quake-tracking devices

By ELAINA KOROS
INTERN

Courtesy of FOX

A local collaborative initiative to which Stanford is a contributor is asking residents of homes and schools along the Hayward Fault to install earthquakesensing devices that will create the Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) to monitor seismic activity. Inspired by SeisMac, a program that effectively turns Macintosh computers into seismographs, and BOINC, opensource software that allows individuals to remotely donate their computers unused processing power to researchers, QCN attaches sensors to personal computers to create a low-cost yet dense seismic network. With 6,000 sensors, its amazing what one can do, said geophysics assistant professor and QCN project leader Jesse

Lawrence. People are used to talking about tens or hundreds even, but not thousands. QCN has already installed 2,000 sensors and plans to install at least 6,000 more worldwide in the next couple of years, with the potential to grow to 60,000 or more. Lawrence and USGS researcher Elizabeth Cochran lead the study. Last weekend, QCN volunteers traveled to areas along the Hayward fault to install the sensors in the floors of project participants and connect them to their computers with USB cables. Equipped with a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) chip, each sensor can measure acceleration in three directions, making it possible to ascertain the direction of the earths movement. When a MEMS chip detects a strong

ENTERTAINMENT
I

TV RECAP: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

|By Lauren Wilson

NEWS
I STEREOTYPES

UNDERMINE MINORITY TEST-TAKING, STUDY SAYS

|By Haelin Cho

I

Please see QUAKES, page 5

MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN TREATMENT PROGRAM BEGINS

|By Hiroko Sunamura

UNIVERSITY

Dept. of Education creates website publicizing college costs

By HENRY ZHU
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Please see SUMMER, page 3

In response to the U.S. Congresss 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) mandating that the cost of college attendance be publicly available information, the U.S. Department of Education recently launched a website that publishes a college transparency and affordability list for information on tuition and net prices at postsecondary institutions.

The HEOA attempts to enforce more transparency about tuition and net prices the total cost of attendance minus the average amount of financial aid given at universities across the nation, as well as the amount that states spend on post-secondary education and the amount of federal aid that institutions receive. According to the website, Stanford is ranked 62nd on the list of the 65 private fouryear colleges or universities with the highest tuition in the country. The

list also includes several Ivy League schools. As for Stanfords transparency about its tuition and financial aid information, not much has changed since the act passed. Stanford has already had a longstanding practice of being completely transparent about costs, said assistant vice president for University communications Lisa Lapin. We always have complete disclosure of all of our fees and tuition. The act is not going to

Please see COSTS, page 5 THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

2 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

the

BEHIND

SCENES

Summer at the Dish

UNIVERSITY

THE ST%NFOR* *%+,PUB,+SH+N1 CORPOR%T+ON

E"TABLI"(ED 1892 I I/CORPORATED 1973

Student initiative changes alumni email services

By KRISTIAN DAVIS BAILEY As a result of a recent student-led campaign to extend alumni access to Stanford email addresses, the classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011 will have access to their @stanford.edu accounts until May 31, 2012. After this date, email sent to those addresses will be forwarded to an @alumni.stanford.edu account for an additional year. Under the prior system, alumni were given email addresses at an @stanfordalumni.org domain. Their @stanford.edu accounts were terminated 120 days after graduation, with no subsequent email forwarding. The change in policy is the result of collaboration between members of the ASSU Senate and Executive, Information Technology Services, the Stanford Alumni Association, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman, Provost John Etchemendy and students. [The new system] will give them almost two years to let their contacts know about their new alumni address, Boardman wrote in an email to The Daily. The effort was spearheaded in late April by students including Varun Sivaram 11, who said he realized he could lose professional contacts, employment opportunities and correspondence with former classmates and professors. He approached ASSU Senator and new Appropriations Chair Brianna Pang 13, President Michael Cruz 12 and Vice President Stewart Macgregor-Dennis 13. Sivaram, a former member of The Dailys Editorial Board, expressed some initial trepidation about the proposal. Last year, the Provost said no to the proposal of forwarding email addresses, he said, referring to the reversal of a fall 2009 administrative decision to grant students indefinite email forwarding. We werent sure why the change would be made, but [Boardman] brought it to the Provost. Etchemendy offered his rationale in an email to The Daily. We considered and rejected a proposal last year for Stanford email for life, but the proposal made this year seemed to me much more feasible and reasonable, he said. After I was comfortable that it would not cre-

LORRY I. LO8EY "TA/FORD DAILY BLD:. 456 PA/AMA MALL "TA/FORD, CALIF. 94305 www.stanforddaily.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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EDITORIAL STAFF
34567889 C64;<=>?<@ Editor in Chief eic@stanforddaily.com T;78C BC=>9 "ummer Managing Editor tbbrown@stanford.edu E77=C4 +?C49@ K +E; NIB;89 /ews Editors ellora@stanford.edu iknguyen@stanford.edu N458 %G4D? "ports Editor nbadams@stanford.edu L=?8M6 B8;G4 Asst. "ports Editor jbeyda@stanford.edu C4C=7@98 C4?877@ Features Editor caselli@stanford.edu ,4BC89 W@7?=9 Entertainment Editor lhwilson@stanford.edu H86D85 +9=9B Photo Editor minonu@stanford.edu S8C89@5; NIB;89 :raphics Editor stnguyen@stanford.edu T;78C BC=>9 Opinions Editor (Acting) tbbrown@stanford.edu S58M649@8 W8F8C Copy Editor L498778 W=74< K H86D85 +9=9B Intern Coordinators Cover art by S8C89@5; NIB;89

The summer sun shines upon the top of the Stanford Dish, pleasing joggers and cows alike. The Dish is open for recreational use, but the University also uses the property for research endeavors and as a nature preserve.

STEPHANIE ENGLE/The Stanford Daily

SUMMER
Continued from page 2
grams across the campus and helps keep academic-year room rates down by providing income. Branner Hall, Crothers Hall, Mirrielees Apartments and Manzanita Park (Castano and Lantana), as well as parts of Escondido Village, Rains Apartments, Munger Graduate Residence and Lyman Graduate Residences are used for student housing in the summer. Murray, Yost and East in Governors Corner; Otero and Rinconada in Wilbur Hall and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are all off-line for renovation this summer. All remaining facilities are used for summer conferences. All Sports Camp uses a variety of the athletic facilities. EPGY residents live in 16 campus facilities: Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Narnia, Kappa Alpha, Jerry, Slavianskii Dom, Durand, Synergy, Phi Kappa Psi, Kairos, Bob, Xanadu, Terra, Zap, Pi Beta Phi, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta. The program also uses around 35 classrooms. The University registrar handles

classroom scheduling, and Stanford Summer Session has first priority on the rooms before conferences can use them. Because R&DE is a self-funded department at Stanford, R&DE must generate its own revenues required to provide services to Stanford students, Gin said. Without the contributions of revenues from Stanford Conferences, the cost for those services to Stanford students, primarily housing and meals, would be significantly higher, and Stanford students would then have to carry the burden of those costs. Because it is a private institution, Stanford University is not required to release financial figures for summer revenue. Several University and conference officials declined to provide an exact dollar amount for how much R&DE makes during the summer and how much this lowers the cost of student living during the year. The ancillary benefits of summer conferences, while harder to measure, are nonetheless valuable, Gin said. According to Gin, R&DE employs between 60 and 80 Stanford students each summer to support the business of Stanford Conferences. Many of the individual conferences employ Stanford students as support staff. For example, EPGY

employs close to 100 Stanford undergraduates each summer as well as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. High School Summer College hires several dozen undergraduates as residential mentors. Additionally, summer conferences use many campus services and facilities during a period when few Stanford students are on campus, helping to keep various Stanford employees from being laid off during the summer. Although EPGY makes money for the University, that is not its mission or motivation, Rick Sommer, managing director of EPGY, wrote in an email to The Daily. EPGY is a program that provides outstanding academic opportunities to talented pre-college students, and it serves the University in a variety of ways. Teaching and learning comprise a large part of Stanford Universitys academic mission, Gin said. And each summer, a great deal of teaching and learning occurs at Stanford through the conferences hosted on campus. In this way, Stanford Conferences is not only aligned with Stanfords mission, I believe it directly contributes to it. Contact Billy Gallagher at wmg2014@ stanford.edu.

Please see EMAIL, page 5

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 3

ACADEMICS

Medical School adopts Multi-Mini Interview

By ELLORA ISRANI
NEWS EDITOR

In a departure from the traditional admissions process for medical schools in the United States, the Stanford School of Medicine has just completed its first year using the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process a method that splits the traditional hour-long interview into several smaller ones to assess its candidates. The MMI framework, used by 13 medical schools in Canada and championed by McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, aims to innovatively rework the interview process. While our first commitment is to educate outstanding physicians, we have the unique mission of seeking individuals who also will be leaders and who will seek to transform medicine over the years and decades of the future, School of Medicine Dean Dr. Philip Pizzo wrote in an email to The Daily. We also want students who will combine excellence in science and critical thinking with compassion, sensitivity and hu-

manism. While, traditional, hour-long medical school interviews occur with a faculty member or current student and include a discussion of both the candidates qualifications and his or her questions about the institution, MMIs offer eight- to 10-minute conversations with several different interviewers. We felt, based upon the data from Canada and from other places, and based upon common sense, that if we had more individuals regarding our students, wed have a richer profile of what the students were like, at least from a personality standpoint and their ability to think on their feet, show empathy, reason and so forth, said associate dean for medical education Charles Prober. MMI interviewers assign each candidate a rating on a 10-point scale, based solely on their discussion. In an additional departure from traditional methods, the interviewers know absolutely nothing about candidates before meeting them. The raters do not know the candidates at all, they have not seen their files, they do not know which under-

graduate school they went to, they dont know anything other than their name, and thats because the candidates wearing a name tag, Prober said. We dont want any bias whatsoever to be introduced into the process. He added that this practice also eliminates dependence on the interpersonal compatibility of a single interviewer and interviewee, which is critical to the success or failure of a single, longer interview. Associate dean of medical school admissions Gabriel Garcia cited the MMIs predictive validity as critical to its relevance. The issue is to use a tool that has studies behind it that say, if you use this interview, you will choose folks who later on have better clinical skill and make better decisions as physicians, he said. In contrast to the traditional faculty or student interviewers, the MMI recruits from a broader pool. Raters have included former patients, nursing groups, faculty from various departments, representatives from Human Resources and Communications and community

members. We have a wide range of different kinds of people who will be rating the students, each of whom will have their own perceptions on what might make a good doctor in terms of the personality issue, Prober said. The content of the conversation differs as well. The MMI formula places a hypothetical situation on the door of each raters room, which the candidate reads before entering. The eight minutes inside are spent entirely playing out that situation, which, according to Prober, can provide an enriched personality profiling of the candidate. Hillary Lin 11, who will be attending the School of Medicine in the fall, compared the MMI to speed dating. Youre asked to discuss a given scenario with your interviewer, which I thought was a comparatively objective way to evaluate applicants, she wrote in an email to The Daily. Although the combined time is similar to that of the combined time of interviews at other schools, its a bit more draining since youre constantly being confronted with a new scenario and new interviewer. As Lin pointed out, there are certain personality types both favored and hindered by the MMI. The thinking-out-loud process during the MMI can reveal what kind of rationale an applicant has, she said. On the other hand, I felt like the MMI selected for smooth talkers, people I dont necessarily think

SERENITY NGUYEN/The Stanford Daily

the school is looking for but might admit because of their success in the MMI. The School of Medicine receives about 7,000 applications a year and accepts 86 of those candidates, according to Pizzo. About five percent of applicants, or 350 individuals, receive interviews. Although feedback regarding the MMI has been generally positive, the evaluative process is ongoing. We need to assess its impact over time and view it as a complementary tool to the others we use to determine who can be offered a spot at Stanford, Pizzo said. You cant ask the MMI to do everything, Garcia said. What it will do is select students who have better communication skills, better critical thinking skill and better ethical grounds. Contact Ellora Israni at ellora@stanford.edu.

NEWS BRIEFS

Palo Alto declines to mediate with firefighters

By THE DAILY NEWS STAFF The Palo Alto City Council has declined to mediate contract negotiations with the Palo Alto Fire Fighters, pushing the parties into binding arbitration as required by the citys charter. The firefighters have proposed a contract that would result in $3.1 million in givebacks to the city. This contract would theoretically have closed three-quarters of the $4.3-million gap in the budget passed by the City Council last month. The firefighters have shown good faith in this process by presenting a proposal, said Palo Alto Fire Fighters Union president Tony Spitaleri in a press release. The City Council, however, doesnt seem to be showing good faith in their end of the negotiations. The firefighters had proposed voluntary mediation to achieve resolution after the City Councils rejection of this contract.
Harini Jaganathan

4 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

EMAIL

Continued from page 3

ate any serious short- or long-term problems for the University, I approved the plan. Sivaram thinks both alumni and the University itself will benefit from the change. It gives alumni credibility because its at an @stanford.edu domain, he said. And Stanford has an easy path to email you if they want donations. They also have a great way to email you if they want you to participate in reunions or alumni events or be on a board or committee. I hope that over the next years, student representatives are going to continue to fight for email

forwarding. Macgregor-Dennis said that his ASSU Executive team has no position on lifelong forwarding. I know that its technically possible, he said. I can see why the University can be hesitant . . . when it doesnt know what its going into. Right now, I think that the administration has taken a huge step forward. Classes that graduated prior to 2009 will have the option to change their email address when the new domain becomes available. The entire alumni email service will move to Google in September. Future classes will have two years of email forwarding, but direct access to @stanford.edu email will terminate 120 days after graduation. Contact Kristian Davis Bailey at kbailey@stanford.edu.

COSTS

Continued from page 2

change the way we do business. On Stanfords financial aid website, one can find a financial aid calculator which provides an estimate of the aid that Stanford would offer for an individual given their financial situation as well as what the net price of Stanford would be. Stanford also lists its tuition and fees publicly online. Stanford is one of only about 40 universities in the country that are completely need-blind in the admissions process. Stanford University seeks to be accessible and affordable to all of the brightest and most promising students, Lapin said. To that end, Stanford offers significant financial aid to make a Stanford education possible, regardless of a students economic circumstances. We welcome the Department of Educations assistance in helping inform students and their families about the true costs of college, and in particular the costs of college after

BLOTTER
By JOSH HOYT This report covers a selection of incidents from July 11 to July 19 as recorded in the Stanford University Department of Public Safety bulletin. During this time period, several bike thefts were reported along with several other petty thefts. There were four accidents reported involving moving vehicles. Police also responded to medical events including a chemical injury, a seizure, dehydration, an alcohol transport and a bee sting. gency protection order.
I At 1:00 p.m., a suspicious individ-

ual left several messages with the office of a Hoover Fellow. Another individual, possibly the same person, made several unannounced visits to her office.

average financial aid is considered, she added. It will be important for families to consider the average net price of any college and to inform themselves of financial aid options. Stanfords total first-year tuition as listed by the Department of Education includes some one-time orientation fees as well as fees for student activities and health services that may not be required by other institutions. For the year reported, Stanfords tuition was $37,380, the mandatory freshman orientation fee $438, the health service fee $501 and the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) fee was $357. Stanford provides financial aid that encompasses the full cost of tuition for families with annual household incomes under $100,000 and adjusted aid for families with incomes between $100,000 and $200,000. The net price of attendance, which considers average financial aid packages, is $19,697 in the Department of Education report. Although these numbers are readily available, some are still skeptical that the numbers will allow prospective students and their families to reach any definiyear to maintain, QCNs highestquality smaller sensors each cost only $150. An individual small sensor cannot measure ground motion as accurately as a larger sensor, but the sum of the small sensors creates a network, which can be better for monitoring strong motion. Were not going to be observing earthquakes across the planet, but well be able to detect them really rapidly and very well up close, and this project is really aimed at looking at how the earthquakes look up close, Lawrence said. QCN experimented with a similar program in New Zealand and plans to expand beyond the Hayward fault, covering the entire Bay Area and parts of Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Anchorage, Salt Lake City and Memphis. Expanding internationally to Mexico, Taiwan, Peru and Chile is also a possibility, the researchers said. QCN is funded by a National Science Foundation grant and small sums of money from agencies like the Southern California Earthquake Center, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology and the United Parcel Service (UPS). This funding allows QCN to provide sensors to participants in certain regions for free. However, all individuals can

tive conclusions. At private universities, you dont know what it really costs you unless you are extremely wealthy or you dont apply for financial aid, said professor emeritus of education Michael Kirst, There are really no tell-all figures or numbers given to the consumer public. There is a sticker price given, but not many people pay it, so its not that useful. Nearly everyone is expecting a discount, in the form of a scholarship or federal/state-given aid, from the listed price, but we dont know what that discount is ahead of time, he continued. And so, everyone gets their own bargain price; its like a negotiation with a Russian drug merchant. According to Kirst, Congress has indeed been trying to address this notorious business of private colleges or universities discounting the large majority of students who arent extremely wealthy. HEOA requires publication of calculated estimates of how much less than the full price one can expect to pay depending on his or her income bracket. Contact Henry Zhu at hz2014@stanford.edu buy sensors on QCNs website for $49, and teachers in all regions can request up to three sensors at a subsidized rate of five dollars. I love that it gets the community involved, because I am very passionate about helping people, and I think this is a great way to educate people about earthquakes, because were installing seismometers in their homes and getting people involved in awareness, said third-year geophysics graduate student Angela Chung. QCNs applied scientific objective is to determine whether or not the network can detect an earthquakes magnitude and location rapidly enough to alert the affected community before the waves actually reach them, creating an earthquake early-warning system. Additionally, QCN sensors can detect earthquake magnitude, so they could help emergency services find those who were hit the hardest by an earthquake. [The goal of the project] from my perspective is to learn more about the Earth, Lawrence said. From the practical side, its to help us better understand earthquake hazards and how to better prepare and better respond to earthquake hazards. Contact Elaina Koros at ekoros@ stanford.edu.

THURSDAY, JULY 14
I Between

QUAKES
Continued from page 2
new motion, it uploads small bits of data to QCNs server to report a potential new event. If the motion proves isolated to one computer, it will appear as a blip and will not disrupt QCNs system. However, if the server receives data from many chips, it detects a regional event, such as an earthquake. Its a little bit like the nervous system, Lawrence said. If one nerve were to fire on your fingertip, you wouldnt notice, but when a bunch of them fire all at once, you notice that maybe theres an event there. The sensor doesnt interfere at all with your computer, so you dont see it actually working, but you know its there and that its sending data to this big network, said QCN administrator Claudia Baroni, who organizes volunteers and finances. Its a huge amount of people working toward the same goal. The low cost of each sensor makes building a dense seismic network possible. Although larger sensors can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 dollars and may cost an additional $10,000 a

8:30 p.m. on July 13 and 6:00 a.m. this day, an unknown suspect set a bridge on fire at Piers Lane and Alpine Road. There was minor damage. 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect stole the catalytic converter from a parked vehicle in the Stock Farm parking lot.

MONDAY, JULY 11
I Between

I Between

4:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., an unknown suspect stole the victims wallet from Kairos.

TUESDAY, JULY 12
I At

SUNDAY, JULY 17
I Between

2:47 p.m., a graduate student slapped his wife during an argument over the use of an iPad. He was arrested for domestic violence and booked at the San Jose Main Jail. His wife bailed him out. police for help. Her husband arrived home and took care of the situation.

1:34 p.m. on July 16 and 5:25 a.m. this day, an unknown suspect entered a computer cluster and stole nine computers, keyboards and mice. 12:34 a.m., three people were cited for trespassing in Avery Aquatic Center.

I At 10:50 p.m., a woman called the

I At

TUESDAY, JULY 19
I At 6:20 p.m., an unauthorized fire

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
I Between

June 16 and July 13, the reporting party and other parties engaged in verbal dispute over the care of their son. The reporting party was granted an emer-

pit was discovered behind Kappa Alpha . An order was put in to remove it.

Contact Josh Hoyt at jwghoyt@stanford.edu.

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 5

OPINIONS
S EEING G REEN L ETTERS
Holly Moeller
Some new technologies have been developed to reduce this spillover (and, of course, make immense profits for their patent holders). In 1996, Monsanto began marketing its Roundup Ready line crop varieties resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup). Glyphosate is believed to break down quickly on fields, theoretically providing a localized, targeted attack on weeds. But beyond campaigns against genetically modified crops (nicknamed Frankenfoods by protestors), there are real fears that glyphosate resistance could escape (through genetic reshuffling by cross-pollination) and take off in the wild weeds. Repeated application of glyphosate on acre after rolling acre creates strong selection pressure in favor of any plant that evolves to tolerate the chemical. Like antibiotic resistance, pesticide resistance can spread rapidly through populations, devastating food supplies and livelihoods. To minimize such risks, Roundup Readys sister seed, Bt-corn, comes with a mandate that other corn strains be planted alongside it. Bt-corn has been genetically modified to produce a toxin normally manufactured by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This Bt toxin is noxious to insects that would normally attack the corn in fact, farmers sometimes spray the bacterium itself on crops. Of course, any bug that developed a tolerance for Bt toxin would have exclusive rights to a field full of juicy, fat ears of corn. Its reproductive fitness would skyrocket, and that field, and its neighbors, would be demolished by the lucky arthropods offspring. In theory, though, any toxin-free corn nearby would harbor an abundance of the same species, but without resistant traits. Hopefully, that first resistant bug would choose a mate from among the susceptible population, and the resistance trait would be lost in the genetic shuffle. (Note: this only works if resistance arises from a recessive mutation, i.e. one in which two copies of the gene are needed one from each parent.) But who wants to plant an offering for the enemy when Bt-corn is so profitable and successful? At least one in four farmers was willing to dodge the law back in 2008, when the EPA surveyed U.S. corn plantings. With reports of resistance spreading in China and India, our time bomb could explode at any moment.

FROM THE

D RAGONLANDS

Say, Dont Spray

he news finally broke last week, months after the first anxious reports of browning and dying trees near lawns and golf courses across America: unlike their wild cousins in the Rockies and British Columbia, these conifers arent dying of pest outbreaks - theyre suffering from pesticides. It seems that Imprelis, a recently released DuPont herbicide marketed for environmental friendliness, is poisoning ornamentals like Norway spruce and eastern white pine. Now, DuPont is promising new labeling for Imprelis; the Environmental Protection Agency is reevaluating its approval, and New York and California are congratulating themselves for never approving it in the first place. Add Imprelis to the list of pesticides whose ultimate toxicity took us by surprise. At least this time we noticed the signs within six months, not 25 years, as was the case with DDT. The herbicides, fungicides and insecticides applied to lawns each year may seem the most gratuitous at least to those of us who dont mind a dandelion or clover here and there. But its actually agriculture that applies 80 percent of the 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides used in the U.S. each year, quelling insect outbreaks, smothering weeds and ensuring un-nibbled produce. Of course, when we nibble that produce or eat animals whove nibbled it any residues and leftover toxins transfer to us. How did we become so chemically dependent? Most of the story should be familiar: its the tale of the Green Revolution, which tripled our agricultural yields. By growing hybrid crops with shallow root systems and short stalks, farmers ensure that their plants dedicate the majority of their energy to producing big yields. But these varieties also need babying: lots of water to keep shallow roots moist, fertilizer to support increased fruiting and pesticide applications to knock out wilder, tougher neighbors and natural enemies. Of course, pesticide application is not without consequences. In sufficiently high doses, some pesticides are acutely toxic to humans as well as their intended victims. Low-level, long-term exposures can cause cancer, reduce fertility and disrupt endocrine signaling. And many of the compounds dont break down right away, so theyre washed into waterways and may accumulate downstream persistent pollutants acting in unintended ways on unintended targets.

Peranakan and the Asian Revival

Aysha Kureishi
Church of St. Francis Xavier. The white houses line up perfectly next to the citys lazy river in an enthusiastic nod to Lisbon, and the Jambatan Old Bus Station Bridge could have been plucked straight from the southernmost tip of Moorish Spain. But what tells us immediately that were not in Portugal is the unmistakable Asian buzz. There is excitement in the air - you can smell it in the fruit stand on the corner, hear it in the din from the market next door, taste it in the dust on your tongue. Its evident everywhere: something is happening. Like a secret that no one is supposed to know, the phrase Asia is rising is spreading all around the world in a whispered wildfire. But there are few who realize that this isnt the whole truth. Asia is rising implies a dormant continent slowly stirring and shaking the slumber out of its oriental eyes and getting ready to open the window for a whole new era of economic prosperity and cultural pride. But if you travelled back in time a few hundred years to just before the European colonists arrived in Asia, youd see a shockingly different picture. Europe, a predominantly agrarian society that was slowly recovering from the plague, was poor compared to Asia, which was then a complex network of merchant trading routes stretching from the Middle East up along the Silk Road to Imperial China and down through the flourishing peninsulas and archipelagos of Southeast Asia and Indonesia. The Atlantic Ocean seemed unconquerable by those explorers in Europe, but South Indian merchants dominated the Indian Ocean in a furious trade of spices, silks and gold. So what happened? Why are we now all awed at Asias stunning rise? Economist Angus Maddison has a simple answer: the Europeans came and, in a determined effort to gain capital, prosper and rise as the leaders of the world, took advantage of Asia in a mixture of exploitation, corruption and gunboat diplomacy. At the fall of the Roman Empire, Asia held almost 80 percent of the worlds collective GDP. By Marco Polos trips to Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries and the European rediscovery of the Americas soon after, Asias portion of the

Please see MOELLER, page 16

ometimes you dont have to get voted off the island to get away from the chaos and stress. In Singapore, jumping into the car and driving up to Malaysia for the weekend is often the perfect mini-vacation to rejuvenate, spend some quality time with family and feel like youve gotten a million miles away from all the kiasu hustle-bustle. Especially when little pockets of magic and adventure are a mere three hours away from your writing desk . . . I discovered the word peranakan while searching for a good restaurant where I could experience some unusual cuisine. Since then, I have learned that it is so much more than just unusual cuisine: when I try to pin down exactly what peranakan is, teal porcelain, wooden birdcages and rose jelly spring to mind. I find exotic spices on the tip of my tongue, delicate silks spun by my hand motions and an unusual language burning in my throat. My fingers touch wooden boxes carved with the finest detail; the aromas of fruity tea swirl up my nose; my eyes are inundated with colors and patterns from a different time and world. But all this still fails to capture the peranakan essence. Perhaps thats because peranakan is something intangible to us in the modern era; the very name suggests something out of reach and lost long ago. Peranakan is a word used by both Malayans and Indonesians to mean descendant. It generally refers to the Chinese ancestors who migrated south to Malaysia and then across the sea to Indonesia and represents a culture and a spirit that survived through hundreds of years of European domination, provincial wars and a brief spell of Japanese conquest. Now, when something is peranakan, it is quaint, exotic, antique and very precious to the Asian soul. So last weekend, my family and I drove up in our car, pondering the treasures that lay ahead. My fathers mind wandered to ancient manuscripts written in Baba Malay (the language of the peranakans), my mothers mind teemed with the thought of spices and exotic recipes and my sisters musical imagination buzzed with the thought of discovering a whole new musical history. My own peranakan vision was one of batik silks, tea trays painted soft pink and teal, and little sparkling chests inlaid with golden filigree. But when we finally arrived in Malacca, we all glanced at one another with the same thought circling: how in heaven did we manage, in three hours, to drive to Portugal? The European influence from the 15th and 16th centuries is still very evident in Malacca. Looming over the city like a distant cousin of the Parisian Notre Dame is the neo-gothic

Please see KUREISHI, page 16 THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

6 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

SPORTS
Jack Blanchat
ack in February 2008, high school football players all across the nation signed on the dotted line and swore their allegiances to the best college football programs in the country. After all the hats were firmly atop the heads of the recruits, Rivals.com ranked the top 50 recruiting classes in the nation. Nick Sabans Alabama Crimson Tide sat atop the rankings as it brought in a class that boasted three five-star recruits and 19 four-stars. Ohio State nabbed the nations top recruit Pennsylvania quarterback Terrelle Pryor and earned the fourth-best recruiting class in the country. And way down at the bottom of the list was Stanford, where head coach Jim Harbaugh had brought in zero five-star recruits and just two four-star athletes. But today, that 2008 Stanford recruiting class has vaulted the Cardinal to an Orange Bowl victory and possibly a top-five preseason ranking for 2011. All of a sudden, three years later, this class of seniors and redshirt juniors looks like it might be the best Stanford football recruiting class in recent memory. Not bad for a class that was ranked lower than Minnesota, Rutgers and Kansas. Almost every member of the recruiting class of 2008 has stepped up to be a major contributor to the Stanford team since the groups arrival on campus and the ones who havent yet seen their names in the starting lineup will undoubtedly be integral players this season. First, consider the two four-star athletes: wide receiver Chris Owusu and quarterback Andrew Luck. Owusu missed quite a bit of time last season due to injury, but he is the teams top returning receiver heading into 2011, a dynamic kickoff returner and the Cardinals consistent deep threat. Luck, of course, will go down on the short list of the great-

RECRUIT RATINGS NEW ZEALAND WINS COLLEGIATE RUGBY MATCH FLAWED

By RACHEL WOLFARD
INTERN

KIWIS ON THE FARM

and-coming young players with hopes of either playing in the Rugby World Cup that will be held this September or being recruited to the newly reinstated Olympic rugby team. After losing the first two games to drop the series, the Kiwis prevailed 23-20 after trailing the U.S. 10-0 in the final game. The series began on July 9 in San Diego, where the Kiwis suffered their only defeat. [Our] team came out ready to play and stunned them, said All-American and Cal player Blaine Scully, reflecting on the first game. The second game of the tournament between the New Zealand and American collegiate teams was held in Santa Barbara on July 13. Stanford rugby coach Matt Sherman said that the Kiwis had improved and were clearly working hard as a team. However, the All-

If you dont know where to look, you might think that summers at Stanford are totally free of sports. But even in the dog days of July and August, the Farm is host to an eclectic bunch of sporting events that you would never find during the school year. The latest unlikely matchup came last Saturday, when Stanfords own Steuber Field hosted a rugby contest between all-stars from the New Zealand Universities team and USA Rugbys Collegiate All-Americans. It was the final matchup of the California Summer Tour, a three-game series played along the California coast featuring top collegiate players from the United States and New Zealand. The current California tour was intended to showcase up-

Americans came out ready to play and won the second game. Although the All-Americans had already achieved their victory in the California tour, the final match was still held at Stanfords Steuber Field. The game began with the American rugby team on the offensive front. After three minutes and two scrums, the All-Americans scored the first seven points of the game. Soon after, the All-Americans built on their lead, pulling ahead with three more points to make the score 10-0. The intensity picked up after 20 minutes of play, and the Kiwis eventually received a penalty for aggressively reaching into a ruck. A few more mistakes from the New Zealanders

Please see RUGBY, page 8

BEHIND THE BALLGIRL

By ANGEL WANG
INTERN

Please see JACK, page 8 THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

Alright, Ill admit it. As cheesy as it sounds, Maria Sharapova has been my hero ever since I was a kid. Shes fearlessly aggressive on the court, her serves are killer and her mental strength is remarkable. Did I mention shed won 23 WTA titles, including three Grand Slams and Wimbledon by the age of 17? No big deal. At just 25 years old, Sharapovas done it all. But if you ever watch her play, theres one thing that youll never see her do: pick up the tennis balls after a point. The fact is, she cant afford to waste energy on trivial matters like picking up balls. Professionals like Sharapova are playing for the tournament win, points for their WTA ranking and, most importantly, a paycheck. With the stakes so high, chasing after runaway balls might break their focus. Its a risk they just cant take. So if the players dont pick up the balls, who does? Its a simple question with a simple answer: ballpersons. Ballpersons are really the behind-the-scenes magicians who ensure a fast-paced, high-inten-

sity tennis match. Without them, a match would be like the first day of high school all over again: painful, frustrating and seemingly never-ending. Thankfully, viewers and players alike can concentrate on the sport itself because of the hard work of the ballpersons. Woah, hold up. Did I just say hard work? How hard can it be to be a ballperson? All you have to do is pick up a tennis ball. Yeah, thats what I thought too. This year, I have the immense pleasure of being a ballgirl in the Bank of the West Classic (BotW). In its 41st year, the BotW is the worlds longest-running female-only tennis tournament and is the first womens stop in the Olympus U.S. Open Series. This year, the BotW features four players ranked top-10 in the world and 11 ranked in the top 30. So for a helplessly tennis-crazed fanatic like me, getting to be a ballgirl in this environment made me the happiest teenager alive. I was too happy. There was so much exuberance that I had no room for any other emotion. At my first ballperson training session two weeks ago, the word nervous wasnt even in

Please see TENNIS, page 9

SIMON WARBY/ The Stanford Daily

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 7

Tom Taylor

SPORTS BRIEFS
By THE DAILY SPORTS STAFF

NETWORK BUBBLES BURSTING

he phone hacking scandal that did away with one of Rupert Murdochs most successful newspapers in the U.K., the News of the World, officially crossed the pond a week ago with the announcement of a preliminary investigation by the FBI and calls for further scrutiny elsewhere. Not only does the storm facing News Corporation perhaps best known through its Fox brand shows no sign of relenting, but its effects may be widespread and long lasting throughout the news industry. Although the wrongdoing at the News of the World was pretty serious stuff, including hacking into and deleting messages from the cell phone of a child who was abducted and murdered, it has been a little surprising how far and how quickly this wildfire has spread. Not even Murdoch or his closest advisors seem safe anymore, and if even they cant be protected, could the impact of the scandal spread to apparently unconnected divisions of the company such as Fox Sports? Within the U.S., Fox has a very important share of the sports broadcasting market. While ESPN is probably the market leader and the network most identifiably associated with sports, the same could have been said about CNN and news just a few short years ago. Fox has worked hard to carve out a big slice of athletic territory, showing this years Super Bowl, holding the exclusive broadcast rights to the World Series and recently taking joint share, with ESPN, of the new Pac-12 football TV contract. But the corporate world is a fickle place. If other companies begin to fear that the Fox brand has been damaged by its association with this scandal, they may wish to withdraw their ads from Foxs programming, creating a funding shortfall that could lead to a much more serious problem than News Corporations current drop in share value. In 2001, the U.K. channel ITV Digital bought the rights to show games from the Football League the three English professional football divisions below the Premier League for 315 million (over $500 million) but spectacularly failed to meet these costs and imploded in 2002. The Football League,

Cardinal athletes on four more watch lists

As watch-list nominations wrapped up this week, three Stanford football players who had been named to earlier lists were recognized again for four awards. Heisman Trophy runner-up Andrew Luck was nominated for both the Walter Camp and Davey OBrien Awards for the player of the year and the nations top quarterback, respectively. He was one of three finalists for both awards last year as a redshirt sophomore before losing out to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton in each. Rising junior linebacker Shayne Skov was named to his fourth watch list, the highest tally for any Stanford football player this offseason. After posting double-digit tackles in a bowl game for his second straight season, hes in the running for the Butkus Award for the best linebacker in the country. Stanford also has an outside shot at winning the Doak Walker Award for the second time in three seasons, with rising junior Stepfan Taylor on this years list of the nations top running

Womens water polo team boasts Coach, Player of the Year

Stanfords womens water polo team swept both major awards given out by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC), while six athletes were named AllAmericans. Five-time MPSF Coach of the Year John Tanner added a National Coach of the Year recognition to his repertoire on Tuesday. He guided the Cardinal to a 28-1 (7-0 MPSF) mark en route to the national championship, and now holds a 351-56 (.862) record on the Farm. Meanwhile, sophomore two-meter Annika Dries was named National Player of the Year after leading Stanford with 65 goals this season. She scored five goals against Cal as part of Stanfords 9-5 national championship game victory. Seniors Amber Oland and Kim Krueger, juniors Alyssa Lo and Melissa Seidemann and freshman Kaley Dodson all earned All-America honors alongside Dries. Seidemann, Oland and Drees were all first-team selections.
Joseph Beyda

SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily

Linebacker Shayne Skov, center, had a dominant Orange Bowl performance with 12 tackles. He has been nominated for four watch lists.
backs and hoping to live up to the legacy of 2008 winner Toby Gerhart. Part of a by-committee running core for the Cardinal, Taylor emerged as Stanfords top back with over 200 yards per game in 2010.
Joseph Beyda

Please see BRIEFS, page 9

JACK

Continued from page 7

est quarterbacks in Stanford (and possibly college football) history. But the other, less-starred members of the 17-man class evidence just how talented and deep the 2008 Cardinal recruits really are. Studs like Moose Martin, David DeCastro, Delano Howell, Chase Thomas and Michael Thomas, contributors like Johnson Bademosi and Daniel Zychlinski, and possible 2011 starters like Alex Debniak and Sam Schwartztein all came to the Farm with three or fewer stars next to their name. So what does this tell us? It certainly tells us that recruiting rankings are imperfect. While Rivals did not miss by calling Alabama the best recruiting class in the country the Crimson Tide has already produced three first-round picks: Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcel Dareus someone obviously overlooked the talent pool that was assembled in Palo Alto, especially compared to the rest of the Pac-10. Perhaps the most interesting part of the 2008 recruiting rankings is not just that Stanford and Harbaugh dug up some drastically underrated high school football players, but also that the Cardinal had to consistently de-

Please see TAYLOR, page 9

feat a Pac-10 conference that turned in several other strong recruiting classes. USC had the eighth-best class. UCLA had the 13th best. National title contender Oregon had the 19th best. Arizona State, Washington, Cal and Arizona were all ranked in the top 40. Somehow, Stanford had the worst of all these classes, and yet it still cruised to last years near-perfect season. Additionally, this (formerly) overlooked class has brought nothing but positive vibes to the Farm on and off the field. They bust heads and rack up points on the grid, then give polite, well-spoken interviews and represent the school well. In the college football world, this is a tremendous achievement. Consider Pryor, 08s number-one recruit, who was last spotted on ESPN sitting slackjawed while watching Jon Gruden make uncomfortable noises and talk about how much he hates bubble screens. So as you watch members of the recruiting class of 2008 take their last snaps in cardinal and white this season, consider this: someday, many years from now, they might make a 30 for 30 film about how Stanford became a football powerhouse overnight. I can hear it in my head already What if I told you . . . that a school known for world class students . . . suddenly made the traditional football powerhouses look foolish? When you hear the opening mono-

logue to that movie, youll already know exactly just how it happened. One underrated, overlooked, supremely talented recruiting class turned a loser into a winner, a winner into an Orange Bowl champion and an Orange Bowl champion into

maybe a national champion. Jack Blanchat has already started filling out an application to narrate Stanfords future 30 for 30 film. Help him hone his dulcet tones at blanchat@stanford.edu. with a 20-20 scoreboard behind him. His kick fell directly between the posts, putting the score to its final tally of 20-23. The teams became more aggressive in the last minute, as did the spectators. The All-Americans charged down the field in hopes of scoring to recover the lead. Making it tauntingly close to a touchdown, the All-Americans were stopped as the buzzer rang and the game ended at 20-23, giving the Kiwis their first win. [New Zealand] definitely got better as a team, and you can see that in the way they played in the last two games and the way they came out ready to play today, Scully said. They improved dramatically, and by the end, they were a very good rugby team. Even though the Kiwis came out victorious last Saturday, Sherman will remember the game fondly. It was a beautiful day, beautiful atmosphere and a lot of fun, he said. Contact Rachel Wolfard at wolfard @stanford.edu.

RUGBY

Continued from page 7

allowed the All-Americans to gain some yards and keep up the offense. The Kiwis pushed through the defensive line of the All-Americans with five minutes to go in the first half and scored their first five points of the game. A direct kick through the goal posts added another two points to the Kiwis score, leaving the score 10-7 at halftime. At the beginning of the second half, both teams stepped up the intensity. The All-Americans quickly put 10 more points on the board, while the Kiwis added 13 to their first-half tally to tie up the game at 20-20 with 20 minutes to go. The All-Americans received a penalty with just seven minutes left in the game, which presented the Kiwis with an opportunity to score and take the lead. The Kiwi kicker was feeling the pressure as he stepped up to take the penalty kick

8 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

TENNIS
Continued from page 7
my vocabulary. True, Id never had any experience as a ballgirl, but I thought that surely a tennis fanatic like me would have no trouble picking up tennis balls. I was wrong. I confess that I had my fair share of embarrassing moments throughout practice that day, but through them I was able to appreciate the difficulties that come with being a ballperson. There are six ballpersons on a court during the match: one in each of the four corners and two at the net (one at each post). A ballperson must always be alert both mentally and physically. Since there are six balls available for the tennis players, ballpersons must be mentally aware of who holds balls during the point. Physically, ballpersons must be agile when sprinting to the ball and must be accurate when rolling the balls to the correct location. Also, ballpersons must have a good stage presence; they must stand tall and attentively when waiting for the point and must enter and exit the court in the proper fashion. At the end of the training session, I was a bit overwhelmed. So much information had been thrown at me, and I was struggling to digest it all. Over time, with the help of the incredibly generous ballperson coordinators and the additional training sessions, I was able to develop my skills as a ballperson and fully appreciate the undercover operations of running a smooth match. Alright, Ill admit it. I was completely wrong in my original opinion of ballpersons. But, as cheesy as it sounds, Im happy that I was wrong. Being wrong taught me the danger of forming preconceived notions without truly understanding the situation. Being wrong helped me realize the importance of having an open mind and allowed me to appreciate all the intricacies of being a ballperson. And so I encourage you, too, to shake off your ballperson prejudices and come to the BotW this Saturday. Come watch the players work hard on the court and the ballpersons work hard off the court. Who knows what revelations await us? Oh, and did I mention that my hero Maria Sharapova will be present at Stanford for the BotW? No big deal. Contact Angel Wang at angelwang94 @gmail.com.

TAYLOR
Continued from page 8
and especially smaller clubs who had committed to large budgets in anticipation of the money from this contract, was left with severe financial problems, eventually receiving just a paltry 4 yes, just $6.50! in legal compensation. Though the sports industry generates a phenomenal amount of money, both teams and TV companies often push themselves to the financial limit in pursuit of glory. Its a dangerous game of Russian roulette that has a lot in common with the risks taken by bankers and economists in the run-up to our recent financial crisis. The biggest teams have managed to convince themselves that they can spend more and more each year on players and other expenses, disregarding the huge debts they are accruing and the effects of ticket price hikes on fans. And it is not just the phone-tapping crisis that could put this painfully into perspective. Elsewhere, a Portsmouth

landlady named Karen Murphy is fighting both BSkyB (in which Murdoch holds a significant share and which, until recently, he planned to buy outright) and ESPN over the right to show Premier League soccer matches in her pub. Instead of screening games through the satellite or cable systems offered in the U.K., she subscribed to a Greek satellite provider that offered games for around one tenth of the cost. Technically, this was in breach of U.K. copyright law, but by arguing that the rules break the European Unions agreements on free trade, she has taken the case all the way to the European Court of Justice. A final ruling is still pending, but earlier this year, an advocate at the court came out in support of her stance. If her case is upheld, it would be a major blow for BSkyB, ESPN and the English Premier League. BSkyB alone paid 1.6 billion ($2.6 billion) for TV rights for the 2010-13 period, and a significant slice of this money filters down to the teams, funding big-money player transfers and new stadiums while allowing clubs with huge debts to somehow survive. Without the exclusive right to screen these games in the U.K., the

number of subscriptions and amount of advertising revenue would plummet. Even assuming BSkyB had the spare cash to still pay off this fee, it likely wouldnt want to, leaving an inconceivable hole in budgets across the board. Most people probably assume that, as always, Murdoch will win out in the end, but suddenly he doesnt quite seem so invincible. The economic crisis was

triggered by some seemingly (at the time) insignificant events that quickly spiraled out of control. Could illegal phone tapping and a pub landlady be the pins that burst the sports bubble? Tom Taylor hopes to sue ESPN for monopolizing his television screen. Refer your top lawyers to him at tom. taylor@stanford.edu. Grand Slam in June, and the two were runners-up at the FIVB World Championship late last month. Walsh was the all-around star of Stanfords volleyball team in the late 90s before making the transition to the beach. She was only the second player in NCAA history to be named a first-team All-American for all four years when she achieved the feat in 1999, also being recognized as the AVCA Co-Player of the Year her senior season. The FIVB Tour will make its next stop this coming week in Canada for the Quebec Open.
Joseph Beyda

BRIEFS

Continued from page 8

Alumna Walsh wins gold in Moscow

Former Stanford womens volleyball standout Kerri Walsh won gold at the FIVB Swatch Moscow Grand Slam in Russia this week, playing alongside partner Misty May-Treanor. The two-time Olympic gold medalists in beach volleyball have now won 37 of the 67 FIVB tournaments that they have played in. Their last title came at the Bejing

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 9

FEATURES
Inside a midnight premiere of the final Harry Potter film
By KATY STORCH
omewhere between pulling open the tinted glass door of Century Redwood City 20 theaters and taking my first step inside, I crossed a powerful wormhole reminiscent of Platform 9 3/4, the magical connection between the ordinary world and the wizarding world in J.K. Rowlings internationally renowned Harry Potter series. With a bewildered glance around the room and one foot in the door already, I took my second step into the cinema complex to face dark wizards, dragons, goblins and worst of all, a farewell to a beloved fantasy world, on the night of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 premiere. On that night and that night only, it seemed that being a Harry Potter enthusiast almost to the point of madness was acceptable. More than acceptable, even, it was encouraged. A flash of electric pink caught my eye, and I looked to my left at a friend dressed in Hufflepuff robes, a chain-link choker necklace and a bright pink, mohawkstyle wig, playing the role of Nymphadora Tonks for the night. Her cedar wand, once a chopstick, poked out of the pocket in her robes, and she grinned just like the imaginary, playful character she was portraying might. And to my right, I spotted dark, ratty hair and hollowed-out eyes surely anyone at this theater on the night of the midnight premiere could tell that this is the dark witch Bellatrix Lestrange. A torrent of spells surged out of her mouth: Crucio! Imperio! Avada Kedavra! And I gasped along with the others those spells are unforgivable curses, after all. After entering the complex, we made our way toward our theater and waited in line until we could enter. At 8:00 p.m., an employee approached the momentarily dormant line of people and unclipped the red, velvet-covered chain that held us at bay. I waited patiently with the rest of the people in line to move through the red velvet gateway another wormhole and have my ticket checked. But upon my approach to the ticket examiner, a rush of blood spurred my

!"e en& o( an en*"ante& e,a

feet to move. As I was given the okay to pass, I ran through the portal and into a throng of ravenous fans, all sprinting to the doorway of the theater in pursuit of one thing: the best seats. In the last stretch of the race, we hurtled toward the door, shoving and elbowing one another aside as we fought for the perfect seats not too far back, but not too far forward. The heaving and gasping after the competition was worth it, for this was the last time we would have the opportunity to race for seating at a Harry Potter movie premiere. After the dash into the theater, we saved our seats with extra blankets and clothes and walked around the complex to take in the sights. It seemed that every character was cast in our premiere audience the half-giant, the house-elf, the Gryffindor Quidditch team and even the beautiful new bride in the movie (although this particular portrayal of a sparkly faced, fakeeyelashed, leotard-

wearing Fleur by a teenage girl roused more talk of a Lady Gaga imitation than a Harry Potter character). But beyond this enthusiasm for roleplaying, what was most flummoxing was the interactions between strangers at the theater. At around 11:00 p.m., one woman wearing a red wig and dumpy clothes ran up to a young girl who was obviously playing the characters daughter. Ginny! she gasped. Ive been looking for you everywhere! Another teenage girl, wearing a white swim cap, flaunting penciled-on slits for nostrils, and her face encrusted with thick, white paint threatened and challenged all those playing Harry Potter throughout the night. The actress, obviously playing Harrys nemesis Lord Voldemort, held up a sign that says Down with Potter! A sort of ethereal spirit of community hung in the air. Every interaction between strangers was a testament to the power of creativity both Rowlings creativity and that of her costumed

CHANEL ZHAN/The Stanford Daily

-E/RE! GARDE4
Exploring history, art and legend in the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden
EMMA PAYNE
INTERN

Please see POTTER, page 16

o a casual passerby, the corner of Santa Teresa and Lomita Drive may appear to be an overgrown blight amid an otherwise perfectly manicured campus. However, a few steps down a rocky, dirt bike path reveal what is actually a culturally rich array of wooden and stone sculptures underneath a serene canopy of trees. On the third Sunday of each month at 2 p.m., two docents from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts give a free tour of this often-overlooked street corner, home of the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden. In a recent tour, guides Marion Smith and Joan Inglis lead students, community members and other visitors around the various stone and wooden sculptures while simultaneously detailing the history of the garden and telling ancient legends that relate to each piece of art. The Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden was the brainchild of James Mason 91 M.A. 93, an anthropology grad student at the time of the projects conception. After completing his undergraduate degree at Stanford, Mason spent a significant amount of time performing research in Papua New Guinea, a small country off the coast of Australia. He first traveled there in 1987 and returned in 1989.

ERIC KOFMAN/The Stanford Daily

Please see GARDEN, page 11 THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

10 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

GARDEN
Continued from page 10
He formed close bonds with the people of the Middle Sepik River region that he studied, and at the suggestion of two artists that he met, Mason resolved to bring some Papua New Guinean artists back with him to Stanford to create a sculpture garden. He returned to Palo Alto and spent five years raising funds for the project reportedly raising in excess of $1.5 million and then in May of 1994, 11 carvers came to Stanford from Papua New Guinea. Additionally, Mason formed a joint team of American and New Guinean landscape architects, and together, the group began construction of the sculpture garden. The building materials were similarly cross cultural, with wood imported from Papua New Guinea and lava stone shipped from the Mono Lake region of California for the sculptures. The artists came from the Kwoma and the Iatmul societies, both of which are located in the Middle Sepik River region. As the guides carefully pointed out, each group has a unique artistic style with notable characteristics visible in the sculptures here at Stanford. For example, where Iatmul art tends to feature more curves and small indentations called wind waves, Kwoma art is rougher and utilizes a zigzag pattern called chevron. Shared by both societies, however, is a great emphasis on legends that they preserve through their sculptures. As Smith and Inglis snaked the group through the various pieces of art, they stopped to tell a complex tale at each one. The stories ranged from how the Sepik River was formed by crocodile tears to the discovery of the Sago tree and yams by the great warrior, Sussep. The guides described how the crocodile was responsible for creating the world and helping to make it round and pointed out towering sculptures with wagging tongues apparently used to instill fear. The world was flat, like a sandwich with no filling, said Inglis to the attentive tour group. Then the crocodile came, and with the help of the wind, they separated the Earth. Walking through the display of painted pillars, wooden figures and rock sculptures, it is easy to forget that one is in the middle of a large and bustling university campus. This sense of intertwined communities is hardly accidental, giving the

Papua New Guineans an opportunity to share their culture with the Stanford community while dispelling the Western stereotypes of primitive. While their artwork had previously been displayed as artifacts, the completion of the garden allows it to be appreciated as what it is intended to be art. The things that we made here . . . are our most sacred things things from the souls of our ancestors, wrote Papua New Guinean artist Navi Saunambui for a plaque in the garden. We brought them here, and now we leave them for you. Despite cultural differences, the visiting Papua New Guineans began to bond with the greater Stanford community. During their fourmonth stay, the artists participated in weekly Friday barbeques, at which they played music and demonstrated art techniques to their Bay Area counterparts. You saw us, and you thought we were from a wild area the jungle, said a translator for one of the artists, Kwospi Marek, before returning home to Papua New Guinea in 1994, his words also on a plaque. You didnt know us, and we didnt know you. But now we know each other, and we are brothers. Now we are friends. As the project was a blending of two cultures, the Papua New Guinean artists stayed true to the basics of their native art forms, but did not try to re-create their homeland. Instead, some of the pieces are reinterpretations of what they found at the Rodin sculpture garden, including The Thinker and The Gates of Hell (though the artists couldnt get over the seemingly useless nature of the Rodin garden as their native sculpture gardens serve as important meetinghouses). As further proof of the cultural mixing, the artists used plants native to California in the garden and American carving tools and acrylic paints. In recent weeks, there has been discussion among the Cantor staff about ending the monthly tours due to sparse attendance. However, official tours or not, Smith and Inglis plan to continue sharing their knowledge of the Papua New Guinea legends and art and hope that the garden can be enjoyed by the Stanford community for years to come. Yeah, wood doesnt last forever, Smith said in the tours closing moments. But we hope it will last a long time. Contact Emma Payne at erpayne@ stanford.edu.

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 11

ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC REVIEW

Desplats Potter track a fitting finale

he soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, arguably the most anticipated movie of our generation, has been as important as the film itself. Fans expected the best of the final movie, and fortunately, composer Alexandre Desplat rose valiantly to the occasion, creating a nearly perfect soundtrack for an equally magnificent visual extravaganza. Joining the Potter crew as a successor to the legendary John Williams who also composed the iconic themes for Jaws, Star Wars and Indiana Jones Desplat was something of an underdog facing the scrutiny of millions of fans. His first composition for the series, the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 soundtrack, was certainly beautiful, but lacking. Desplats greatest failure is his propensity to compose generic pieces, rich in mood but lacking in discernible style. His inadequacies were most evident in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, where the music was just there, but uninspired. The pieces would have fit nicely into even a Twilight soundtrack something

Nintendos focus on core fans continues to fade

hen Nintendo unveiled the Wii U to the world at E3 last month, the company tapped Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime to make the announcement. It was probably a wise choice, as the imposing front man might be the only member of Nintendos inner circle who could keep a straight face as he read the teleprompter in that moment of truth. Its a system that we will all enjoy together, but also one thats tailor made for you, Fils-Aime said. Its far too early to call that mediafriendly quip a bold-faced lie, as the Wii U and its unique touch-screen controller wont be available for at least another year. But even with the benefit of the doubt, Im impressed that Nintendo and Fils-Aime so confidently touted a fan base that, frankly, theyve shunned for a good chunk of the last decade and completely neglected in the past year. I understand that Nintendo isnt just a

ind ames

Courtesy WaterTower Music that, for many Potter fans, screams blasphemy. It seems for Part 2, Desplat did his research, understanding both what the fans wanted and what the film begged for. Familiar components make a reappearance; the beloved Hedwigs Theme, for instance, which encapsulates the wizarding world in its innocence, can be found in Dragon Flight. Most notably, Desplat nicely struck the balance between majestic and despondent, moods between which the final movie quickly flickers. One of the best pieces is the short but | DESPLAT continued on page 14 |

rainbow-powered fun factory: its a business. Its goal is to make a profit, and fostering fan loyalty is a means to that end. In that jaded, 20-something paradigm, my problems with Nintendos Wii U announcement arent personal. Its just bad business: Nintendo isnt in touch with its core fan base. Fils-Aimes promise was a simple one, but it makes a false assumption that only increases my belief that todays Nintendo is operating in a fantasy world where its loyal fans will love whatever it does because, well, its Nintendo. Nintendo took a significant turn in 2004 when it embarked on a blue ocean strategy and expanded its market share to casual gamers with the DS and Wii. That move gave the company two of the best-selling consoles of all time, but it also shifted its business model from impressive innovations to gimmicky iterations. We havent seen sig| GAMES continued on page 13 |

TV RECAP

Ash introduces the world to Taiwan

fter taking a week off for some reason or another, The Bachelorette is back, and by god, it only took a week for me to forget how annoying her voice is. Honestly, 10 minutes in and I was ready to eat a stick of lit dynamite, but I stuck through it for you, my loyal readers. Ash started out by informing us about the existence of Taiwan. Its known as the hidden jewel of Asia because, fun fact, not a lot of people know about it! It also happens to be one of the best places to fall in love, along with China, Japan, Vietnam, Taipei, North Korea and my basement.

Cue Ashley saying that shes ready for a fresh start, again, and off we go! First thing I noticed is that Constantine and Ben, the least-attractive and most-monotonous members of the gang, are both still here. I theorize that shes really only interested in one of them, but she cant tell them apart so shes afraid to send one of them home just in case she sends the wrong one by mistake. Also remaining: Lucas, the Southern gent; JP, the ridiculously hot New Yorker who is | ASHLEY continued on page 14 | Courtesy ABC THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

12 N THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION

COMMENTARY

Moving on: how to fill the Harry Potter void

W
Courtesy Syfy

ith the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the Harry Potter series has officially come to an end (with the exception of the upcoming release of Pottermore, a new, interactive online world to accompany the books). So with no more midnight premieres to look forward to, whats a die-hard Potter fan to do about the gaping hole the series left in his or her life? Luckily, Intermissions here with some suggestions to fill the void. The Hunger Games Heir-apparent to the Harry Potter craze, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins has already sold millions, and hype continues to build for the first movie adaptation, due in March of next year. The series stars Katniss Everdeen, a scrappy and indepenCourtesy Scholastic dent teenager who faces off against fellow children from across Panem (the remains of the United States after environmental disaster ruins the nation) in a brutal event called the Hunger Games. The books are a lightening-fast read, and the movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Woody

Harrelson, looks promising. The Hunger Games has the same fiery action as Harry Potter, though it is considerably bleaker. If you run through the books too fast, check out Suzanne Collins other fantastic series, The Underland Chronicles. A Song of Ice and Fire With a rich fantasy world and huge cast of characters, the Song of Ice and Fire series by G. R. R. Martin has many of the elements that Potter fans crave. The book series, with five books out so far and two to come, has something else in common with Harry Potter sheer length. The first book alone is over 800 pages, so it is sure to keep fans busy for a while. Or if you dont feel like reading, HBO is adapting the series for TV. The first season aired last spring, winning accolades (including 13 Emmy nominations) and hordes of new fans. Also with some similarities to The Lord of the Rings and The Once and Future King, this series has all the drama of Harry Potter with more family and political drama and not to mention more brutal death scenes (A Golden Crown, anyone?). Monster And now for something completely different: Monster is an 18-volume manga (comic book) series by Naoki Urasawa, a renowned Japanese author. It stars Dr. Tenma, an idealistic brain surgeon who sacrifices his career to save the life of a young boy, Johann, rather than an important politician. His career in ruins, | VOID continued on page 14 |

TV REVIEW

Alphas shows potential

ts almost too easy to overlook Syfys new series Alphas. After all, it wasnt that long ago that NBCs Heroes tried the realistic superheroes conceit, and despite a strong start, it eventually was crushed by its overcomplicated designs. Last years No Ordinary Family barely made it to the end of its first, and now final, season. But even though the concept might not be original, last weeks Alphas premiere delivered a show that managed a twist and backed it up with a great group dynamic. Though comparisons to Heroes are inevitable, Alphas is, on the surface at least, a much less ambitious show. A typical episode from the NBC program would generally involve at least two different countries and half a dozen characters. Alphas is much smaller in scope: rather than fighting crimes, the titular Alphas (led by the stereotypical friendly professor character) use their powers to solve unusual crimes, like this episodes lockedroom mystery. Ostensibly, the team has been together for some time before the show starts, and despite a bit of awkward dialogue thats clearly for the audiences benefit, their interactions hold up. The characters have a good, albeit burgeoning chemistry, and thats in part due to how well defined their roles are. Not only are their powers distinct ranging from enhanced senses to whats essentially a Jedi mind trick but they all have a more mundane use on the team as well. Bill Harken, for example, not only has short bursts of super-strength, but his history in the FBI gives him training and contacts that help get the team information. The group dynamic as it stands is probably one of the strongest features of the show. There is a misfit, however: the autistic Gary Bell is really only a source of comic relief when hes not using his power to visualize wireless signals and watch YouTube videos in thin air. While his character was one of my favorites in the pilot, its unlikely hell be able to maintain a credible and interesting role unless he gets a bit more fleshed out in later episodes. | ALPHAS continued on page 15 | THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

CONTINUED FROM GAMES PAGE 12 nificant new intellectual property from Nintendo since Pikmin in 2001. Their gimmick-driven business model continues to quietly strain relationships with third-party partners. The 3DS was released earlier this year with a cool feature set and a hefty price tag, but the once-astonishing list of development partnerships has grown embarrassingly short with cancellations and delays. I cant claim to know exactly why developers are gun shy to put games on the handheld, but its likely a combination of a small install base, unusual hardware and, most damningly, a lack of publishing zeal from Nintendo itself. Looking to Nintendos future, things continue to have that business first, fans second kind of flavor. The Wii is all but dead, with nothing significant coming but a new Kirby game and the long-delayed Zelda: Skyward Sword, which may be ported ahead to Wii U. For the 3DS, the 2011 release calendar looks pretty dismal, and the most interesting titles are nothing but more remakes. Theres promise in the 3DSs future with new Mario games and inevitable Zelda or Metroid titles, but even then were looking at nothing but first-party games that are coming too late. If Nintendo wants to make good on Fils-Aimes line and show that it still cares about gamers biggest needs (the games, of course), it has a lot of promises to keep. It needs to be transparent and responsive to its fan base, create original content that takes advantage of its hardware, seriously overhaul of its online presence and, most importantly, attract game makers from around the world with good hardware, fair publishing agreements and simple development kits. It sounds like a tall order, but its the honest details of what Fils-Aime mentioned. Nintendo fans will stick around for Zelda, Mario and Metroid until the end of time, but the downtime between those releases could be a whole lot prettier. Itd be nice to see Nintendo take advantage of its market penetration and actually attract new intellectual properties for people to fall in love with, and I suppose making a promise is the first step in that direction. Nintendo has surprised me more than I can count, but heres hoping that this time it puts its money exactly where its mouth is.
nate ADAMS contact nate: nbadams@stanford.edu

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 13

CONTINUED FROM VOID PAGE 13 he discovers that the boy he saved is a psychotic killer, and the doctor embarks on a bizarre quest to stop the monster he created. Set in Eastern Europe, Monster has the suspense of Harry Potter, an eclectic cast of characters and a Voldemort-like villain, though its setting is realistic and the tone much darker. If comic books arent your style, check out the animated adaptation, which faithfully follows the series in 74 episodes. The Vampire Diaries Yes, this is a television series on the CW. And yes, it shares the networks penchant for soapy drama, improbably beautiful characters and self-seriousness. However, this under-appreciated show also features a fast-moving plot full of addicting twists and a world of vampires, werewolves and witches that exists right under the nose of regular people, much like in Harry Potter. The series stars Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), an ordinary high school girl who falls for vampire Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) while recovering from her parents untimely deaths. She soon finds herself caught between Stefan and his mischievous brother Damon (played with panache by Ian Somerhalder of Lost fame) as she discovers her identity as a kind of vampire chosen one a la Harry Potter (Its way better than Twilight, we promise). Two seasons have aired so far, and the third season premieres Sept. 15.
halle EDWARDS contact halle: halle@stanford.edu

CONTINUED FROM ASHLEY PAGE 12 the obvious winner; upbeat Ryan and harmless little Ames. Her first one-on-one date is with Constanturd, and literally nothing interesting happens. Honestly. I take really extensive notes as I watch so that I can write these articles, and my only notes for this date were pretty sure this is Constantine and not Ben, but could be mistaken. Moving on. The second one-on-one is with Ben, who I still cant really figure out. This totally goes along with my initial theory about her not being able to tell them apart shes taking one and then the other out so that she can figure out which one she wants! Anyway, the two of them ride a moped around Taiwan as Ben flirts like a pedophile (stick with me, kiddo). As someone who has both driven a moped and ridden on the back of someone elses (I know, my life is cooler than yours), let me just establish that they are seriously not romantic. Theyre mostly goofy. Fortunately, so is Ben. The two of them have some kind of super-long, monotonous sharing of feelings, and Ash decided that shes falling in love. She let him stay the night, though they didnt sleep together (Im pretty sure theyre not allowed to yet). Back at the bachelor pad, JP was getting jealous, and it is so, so, so sexy, mostly because everything JP does is sexy. The group date with Lucas, Ames and JP is the most awkward thing Ive ever seen in my life, and I watched The Office for four seasons. Theyre taking fake wedding photos and everyone is kissing Ashley for the camera in front of everyone else, and JP (gorgeous in his tux) is losing it. You can see his Adams apple bobbing as he swallows his rage, and again, he manages to make surly and sullen sexy. Honestly, if that man doesnt win this thing, Im calling dibs. Winning moments from the group date: Ames informs Ashley that I was really unpopular until I was 16. Really, Ames? I am shocked. Incidentally, he delivered that one while wearing pink pants. At the end of the day, Ash ended up sending home Ryan, which made me really sad but made sense. Ryan has all the wonder of a little kid; he finds joy in literally everything, and hes positive about everything, which is charming in the shortterm but wears on you, and the two never really had good chemistry. She also sent home Lucas, which was a good deal more surprising the Southern gent had finally started to grow on me. The episode ended with Ashley crying, and absolutely no one was surprised.
eliana CARMONA contact eliana: carmona@stanford.edu

Courtesy CW CONTINUED FROM DESPLAT PAGE 12 majestic Statues. It plays in the film during one of the most moving segments the initial stages of the Battle of Hogwarts, where the dark forces seem to be overwhelmingly defeating the defenders and Harry, Ron and Hermione realize, perhaps for the first time, the magnitude of what they are trying to accomplish. The surprising emotion revealed in the travels through Snapes memories are reflected in the compositions as well. For instance, the first piece, Lilys Theme, features a haunting, deep melody that both the powerfully tragic denouement of Snapes Demise and the beautiful Resurrection Stone echo both shrewd compositional moves by Desplat. The longest, and by far the most perfect, part of the soundtrack is Severus and Lily, a gentle

piece evoking their beautifully innocent friendship. In short, Desplat took a cue from his predecessors, composing noticeable and memorable themes for Part 2. Fans will sit up and notice the anxious violins signaling trouble, the triumphant blasts of victory and the quiet, peaceful melody in the very last scene at Hogwarts. Desplat has finally managed to

enhance the visual effects and emotional thrills of Harry Potter, just in time for the most important movie of the series. Undoubtedly, the soundtrack is a perfect fit to the grand end of a long, satisfying era.
andrea HINTON contact andrea: anhinton@stanford.edu

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THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

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CONTINUED FROM ALPHAS PAGE 13 One other character doesnt quite fit in with the rest, either: the obligatory new guy Cameron Hicks. As the subject of the investigation for the first half of the episode, he didnt have any time to carve himself a niche within the group. His powers arent as clear-cut as the rest; he can, on rare occasions, pull off unlikely physical feats like tossing coins in a vending machine from a few meters away. The other team members roles were, in contrast, so carefully outlined that its hard to see exactly where Hicks will fit in. Its too early to tell whether Alphas will take an episodic or a serialized approach, but hopefully it will strike a balance that avoids the overwrought twists that damned Heroes. The writers have also managed to sow a few seeds for character development and toyed with the idea that, although the powers may give the Alphas huge advantages, they can also be limitations both physically and in the cases of Hicks, Bell and the episodes villain psychologically. Alphas doesnt do a whole lot thats new. Crime procedurals have been around for ages, and superheroes for even longer. And it certainly has flaws: a lot of the dialogue feels stilted and fake, and while the characters work well as a group, individually they cling to stereotypes. However, this unorthodox approach to superheroes fighting crime seems to be more sustainable than the concepts behind Heroes and No Ordinary Family. It may never reach the highs that the other shows did in their best moments, but it might just be a realistic superhero show that lasts. Watch Alphas on Syfy Mondays at 10 p.m.
aaron BRODER contact aaron: abroder@stanford.edu

FRI AND SAT 7/22 7/23 THE TREE OF LIFE 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 10:15 BUCK 2:00, 4:45, 7:20, 9:45 SUN THRU TUES 7/24 7/26 THE TREE OF LIFE 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 BUCK 2:00, 4:45, 7:20

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THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

THE STANFORD DAILY N SUMMER WEEKLY EDITION N 15

KUREISHI
Continued from page 6
worlds GDP had decreased to approximately 65 percent. A few hundred years later, during Europes industrial revolution and the peak of colonization, this figure plummeted to 30 percent. Aggression, brute force and duplicity conquered Asia. The raw exploitation that followed resulted in the rapid impoverishment of Asia and the rise of Europe. But Asia fought back. Countless revolutions and countless lives later, Asian independence rang clear in the turmoil of economic gain. And now, slowly recovering, Asia is standing up. This is not Asias rise. It is her resurrection. The triumph of Asia comes bursting through the wooden boxes and birdcages. The sheer magnificence of culture and history is inundating the rest of the world in an awesome display of art and color. The world is responding by eagerly reaching for something intangible, inexplicable and yet downright beautiful. It is a miracle

that under the boots of colonization, the Asian spirit has remained unbroken. This is one of the many things that make Malacca remarkable. Though one cannot deny the pronounced Portuguese influence, the combined Southeast Asian cultures that created what is known as peranakan glimmers through. The simple yet complex perfumes of spices and oils speak so much deeper than the unavoidable Iberian murals on the river. The trinkets and antique cupboards lining the streets glow brighter than the Portuguese-style houses behind them. Everywhere you look, you see pieces of peranakan joining together to block out the European influence. Like ivy slowly creeping around, across and through a brick wall, the culture of Asia is slowly but surely coming through. In Malacca, we found the restful holiday we were looking for. But we also discovered the peranakan a culture and a history so vivid and so intricately woven it seems to belong in the storybook of the gods. Have a different take on Asias resurrection? Fill Aysha in at ayshak@ stanford.edu.
Courtesy of Aysha Kureishi

Houses line the Malacca River, which flows through the center of Malacca, Malaysia. Their style is a nod to the houses found in Lisbon, Portugal, a result of heavy European influence in the 15th and 16th centuries.

MOELLER
Continued from page 6
And so we find ourselves locked into another arms race with evolution, pitting our chemical engineering against the random luck of millions of mutating, adapting plants, insects and fungi. To fail is to surrender a huge and critical segment of our food supply. But to prevail is to release more and more toxins deliberately into our environment, some of which will have side effects far

deadlier than DuPonts Imprelis. Some people are bowing gracefully out of the dance, turning to the traditional methods of Integrated Pest Management. They rotate crops, use mechanical pest traps, breed pest predators and plant a range of plant varieties. These are the tools organic farmers use with the delicious success you can witness at weekend farmers markets or in your own backyard garden. Join me for a bite. Holly welcomes offers of organic food samples, comments and criticism at hollyvm@stanford.edu.

POTTER
Continued from page 10
admirers in attendance that night and how one series has brought so many together. Once the movie commenced, the role-playing ceased, and the theater was remarkably silent aside from the cries of many audience members. Though the tears might have been due to the portrayal of death, the battles and Professor McGona-

galls classic, heart-wrenching lines, there seems to be more to it than that: the crowd is lamenting the end of an era. Faced with the joy and excitement of the final films release paired with the imminent end of the series that has transfixed the world since the first novels release in 1997, perhaps one Harry Potter fan sums it up best. I guess I dont know how to feel, he said. Contact Katy Storch at kstorch8@ stanford.edu.

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THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011