The Agrinautica

   Last Week Monday I was at G Street Pub, and I ran into my former roommate Adrian.
   Later on I'd walked halfway back to my car (which was parked a few blocks away in front of the Foyerhouse) When Allan called me to report that he'd found Adrian looking none too lively on a parkbench. I hastily returned to G Street to retrieve him. As I walked back with him to the Foyerhouse again and we were passing Aggie Liquor, we saw Taylor & Matty (who had been lollygagging in front of G St when we left there) pull up and run in for more alcohol. Silly. Anyway, I reinstalled Adrian on the couch he always used to pass out on in our apartment.


   Last Wednesday I dropped my car off at the mechanic and then stopped by the police station to see what the status of the case was. The bad news is that they couldn't tell me anything because the DA is still deciding what to do with it, but the good news is the DA apparently is thinking about doing something about it. Also, the officer at the front desk came out from behind the bullet-proof glass to talk to me, which I thought was a nice touch.


   Last Thursday evening my internet was down and my car was at the mechanics, and my internet was down so I walked from campus to this party at I & 5th.
   As I was walking past Bistro 33 with a 40 of Steel Reserve (high gravity lager!) in a brown paper bag, I noticed that on of the two well-dressed gentlemen waiting in front of Bistro had handcuffs on his belt. Then I noticed the other had a police badge on his. Then that guy asked me how I was doing. wtf, DPD detectives?
   Anyway, since I had to be back in that quadrant in the morning to pick up my car anyway, and it would otherwise involve walking across town to get home, and then back again in the morning, the residents of the Foyerhouse were kind enough to let me slumber there (Thanks again guys, Team S unite! =D )


   Friday morning I drove down to So Cal without incident. Except I hit LA around rush hour so a normally 7-8 hour trip took 10 hours. Stopped by the hotel in Anaheim where the conference would be and then continued to Mission Viejo. Kristy had come up from San Diego right after work and was already chillaxing with my family when I got there. We went to local / most awesome ever Italian restaurant Salvatore's.

   Saturday I had to scamper asap back to Anaheim since the conference began at 8am. I chaired the International Law Commission again, this time discussing Reservations to Multinational Treaties. About 31 delegates in the committee, and they were suprisingly good especially considering it was the first time for most of them. I really wish the UC Davis team would return to CalMUN Anaheim, its a great way to start the year.
   My friend Nidia came by to help out on staff but we ended up not needing her. That evening more staff than usual had scampered off whence they came so the usual festivities were rather lacking. In particular, Saturday night activities just can't be the same without technical services director Vern.
   On the subject of Vern in particular, I thought it was pretty funny that when we were reading the conference evaluations afterwords, generally negative feedback was only met with laughter. "DPI [Dept of Public Information - Vern] wasn't very courtious" "everything was good but DPI could me more accomodating" "DPI was a jerk!" etc, we all look for the best ones to read aloud for our amusement.
   So the usual antics being somewhat lacking, I scampered off to Nidia's, which it turns out was within walking distance. There an impromptu party was quickly developing. Among others who showed up, I was particularly suprised to see some of Aaron's friends (since Aaron knows Nidia through me, a chain of acquantances is developing here).
   Anyway, it was irking me that Kristy was only about an hour away, and I missed her, so eventually I scampered off down to San Diego.

   On Sunday then, my drive back to Davis was even longer because I was coming from San Diego.

   "...I hereby resign ... I was in the freshman dorms, I never lied about that. Fact is, I was told to go there by my Focus [his party] advisors ... and you all sit around smiling smugly as if you didn't do the same. Not only that but I know many of you were drunk during budget hearings..." -(former) ASUCD Senator Nafeh Malik (paraphrased here, I don't have an exact transcript), resigning in lieu of the campaigning in the dorms controversy.
   "wow um... I think we need a ten minute break now to recollect ourselves." -Vice President Paloma Perez. "actually... I resign as well... -(former) ASUCD Senator Sean Reul.
   "The word is FUBAR" -ASUCD Senator Donald Cohen-Cutler on his cell phone immediately after a recess was subsequently called.
   "I'm... not resigning..." -ASUCD Senator Brianna Haag, the third implicated new Focus senator, as an anxious silence awaits her report.
   "I'm resigning... from all my other positions" -ASUCD Business & Finance Commission Chairman Alan Pang. "So wait, you're remaining in this one?" -President Kalen Gallagher, interjecting in the subsequent confusion. "yes." Room breaths an exasperated sigh of relief, Internal Affiars Commission Chairwoman Kahliah Laney looks like she's having a heart attack.

   Also at yesterdays senate meeting they swore in former Focus candidate Cari Ham to fill the senate seat earlier vacated by Lead senator Adam Barr. Selection of senators to fill vacated seats is the sole discretion of the ASUCD president.

Aggie photographer Matt Jojola (blueliquid13) sulks after missing both resignations, having left the room right before the excitement commenced (but he got a picture of the empty seats which I tihnk was probably more poignent anyway). Orwellian party candidates Rob Roy and Chad van Schoelandt can be seen in the back right corner.

Jurisprudence in ASUCD
   President Gallagher ostensably vetoed the bill passed by senate last quarter to allow ASUCD Court members to write legislation. He justified it by saying that US Supreme Court justices don't write legislation, among other things.
   In response, I firstly pointed out that as the ASUCD president has until the next regularly scheduled senate meeting to veto legislation, and that has already transpired, his veto is unconstitutional. So what happens now is either the relevant government body can refuse to recognize his veto in light of its manifest unconstitutionality, or it can be reversed in a case. The former more convenient method is unlikely to occur so either I will be filing a case myself, or if I don't other people have said they will certainly file one. Obviously either way I wouldn't be sitting on the case though.
   Furthermore I pointed out that in the national arena, one has the Justice Department, the Bar Association, numerous other law related lobby groups, and armies of lawyers who love to tinker with the law. In ASUCD the only semblance of any of these is the ASUCD Court. To say the court can't write legislation is to say that no judicial legislation will be written in ASUCD, and that is ridiculous.
   Also I mentioned that Marberry v Madison in 1807 established that the US Supreme Court could review issues that inherently involved the Court, thus negating the opposing argument that if Court members wrote legislation it would be a conflict of interest for them. To this Commissioner Gordon "I was president of my JC" Fung responded that he didn't think Marberry v Madison applied in this situation. In response I proceeded to give a brief history of the circumstances and significance of Marberry v Madison for the Senate.
   Chairperson Jenni Beeman then asked why we were citing US Supreme Court cases as relevant to ASUCD. This prompted me to give the Senate a brief overview of legal theory and jurisprudence.
   In summary, it was altogether good times.


ASUCD Senators Keith Shively, Janine Fiel, & Darnell Holloway during Thursdays meeting.