Friday, 5/9/97 LETTERS Earthquake predictions, construction and
more
Ways to predict I wish to clarify an issue raised in Kathryn
Combs’ article on earthquake predictions, which appeared in the
April 24 edition of The Bruin. The geophysicists quoted in the
article stated that no model exists and no tests have been done to
predict the time, location and magnitude of future quakes. This is
only partially true. James Berkland, a long-time geologist who
lives in the San Jose area, does predict quakes. Berkland bases his
predictions on the alignment of the sun, moon and earth, known as
"syzygy," when each new moon and full moon occur. The resultant
gravitational pull triggers quakes at these times. Certain people
get headaches and other physical symptoms shortly before quakes
occur. Animals, from pet dogs to clams, have been noted to
drastically alter their normal behavior just before a quake. A
recent article in LA Weekly about David Nabhan, an "earthquake
analyst," discusses the same theories related to the alignment of
the earth, moon and sun, and the effect of this alignment on the
gravitational pull of the earth. Both Nabhan and Berkland predict
the time, location and magnitude of future quakes. … Quake
prediction is an important aspect of life along the West Coast. I
am sure that your readers would appreciate the information such an
article would provide. Lionel Mandy Alumnus Anderson Graduate
School of Management UCLA School of Law Pipes impede programs I’ve
endured a lot of construction in my four years here, but the
pipe-laying in Westwood Plaza truly shows when a bureaucracy like
UCLA fails. Capital Programs was ordered by L.A. Water and Power to
have the laying of the pipes completed by April 30, which it did,
but its contract left room for the ditches to remain and be filled
in at a later date. One of UCLA’s best weeks of programming,
WorldFest, now shares Westwood Plaza with fences, dust, noise and
little room for an audience. Does construction come first in UCLA’s
list of priorities and is student programming even on the list?
Events like WorldFest (and once Mardi Gras) are supposed to build
and celebrate Bruin pride when they can actually exist. I don’t
think the "Ringing of Jackhammers" was scheduled between Merengue
Madness and Mariachi music. Brian Mahler Fourth-year Art history
GSA elections I am surprised that the Daily Bruin seems to have
missed the biggest story of the GSA elections. This year, SAGE/UAW
mounted a brazen attempted to take over the entire graduate student
government, but its "Progressive Activist Party" slate failed
miserably. Two out of three of its candidates lost. For years, we
have been hearing from SAGE/UAW about its tremendous support among
the graduate students, but it has never offered any proof. Sure,
people have signed cards, but what new grad student wouldn’t when
told to during their first week on campus by a group of older
students? SAGE/UAW claims that everyone who signs supports it, but
I have long been suspicious of this statement. Attendance at
meetings is usually quite small, and I always seem to see the same
200 or so faces out on the picket lines. This year, you can be sure
the e-mails flew from headquarters as SAGE/UAW members were urged
to support their official candidates. Yet, official SAGE/UAW
candidates for both president and internal vice president were
soundly defeated. This is amazing, considering Mark Quigley is a
member of the SAGE/UAW executive board! Candidates who did win
either did not mention SAGE/UAW at all in their statements, like
Lance Menthe (vice president), or were far more moderate and
diplomatic when referring to SAGE/UAW, like Andrew Westall
(president). Month after month, SAGE/UAW puts fliers in our
mailboxes, publishes articles in the Daily Bruin and goes office to
office in teams, haranguing graduate students to support it. Year
after year, we read in the Daily Bruin that SAGE/UAW represents a
majority of the graduate students. Well, we finally had an
election, and guess who lost? Gregg Gold Graduate student
Psychology