This Friday and Saturday, olive aficionados will flock to the Hutchins St. Square conference center in Lodi to hear international experts discourse on topics regarding various aspects of the production of olive oil. The course is aimed at olive lovers of all levels and will include discussion on economics in the olive oil industry, advanced methods of producing and harvesting olives, varieties of olive oil and pest control. “The olive oil industry is growing very quickly in California,” said Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center. “It’s expected to quadruple in size over the next few years as the trellis system becomes more widespread and farmers get more volume from an orchard for less cost.” The courses are sponsored by the UC Davis Olive Center, whose stated goal is to, “Promote increased market share of California table olives and olive oil through education, research and outreach,” according to its website.

In a primary full of twists, turns and uncertainties, two UC Davis students could play a critical role in determining the outcome. An Apr. 13 caucus of Democratic voters from the First Congressional District elected Don Gibson, a sophomore biotechnology major, as a delegate for Hillary Clinton. Ryan Loney, a sophomore environmental policy and planning major, was elected as an alternate delegate for Barack Obama. Both students will attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver from Aug. 25 to 28. According to quotas set by the state to ensure equal gender representation at the convention, there was one male delegate position from the First Congressional District available for Hillary Clinton. Gibson, who won that seat, said he sought to dispel the idea that only Obama attracts young voters.

Shine a Light Directed by Martin Scorsese Concert Promotions International Rating: 3 Considering its subject is the legendary Rolling Stones and it is directed by the critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese (The Aviator, The Departed), Shine a Light is a surprisingly boring and pointless film. On the bright side, at least only $15 was wasted on the IMAX ticket when it could have cost $400 to see the same thing live. Scorsese’s film Shine a Light documents the Rolling Stones’ performances at New York City’s Beacon Theater on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, 2006. These two performances were added onto their tour specifically for filming and featured a set list atypical from their other shows, with notable star guests like former President Bill Clinton, The White Stripes’ Jack White, Christina Aguilera and blues legend Buddy Guy. Mostly filming the two concerts, Shine a Light is also sprinkled with various interview clips with the band from the mid-’60s and is preceded by a semi-fictionalized introduction with Scorsese and the staff on show preparation.

t’s a familiar wardrobe cycle: Spring comes, time to buy new clothes. Summer comes, time to go shopping yet again – the routine continues year after year. Urging people to rethink their consumer habits is “Trashed Fashion: Breaking the Cycle,”a short film screening Friday at 7 p.m. at the Agrarian Effort Co-op near the Segundo residence halls, which will be followed by a clothing swap. “Trashed Fashion” highlights several ideas to incorporate sustainability into one’s shopping habits by suggesting alternate ideas to purchasing new clothes. Amanda Ornellas, a senior women and gender studies major, made the film with three other students.

To be honest, I am a little overwhelmed with the amount of “artsy stuff” scheduled to take place over the next week. Picnic Day is a lot to swallow, which is expected – but to those of you scratching your heads as you look at MUSE today, have no fear. The “expert” in all that is artsy or of entertainment value shall bestow upon you an exclusive list of where you should be seen and what you should be doing this weekend. Search Party. Attention all student music makers: your deadline is tomorrow! Before you go on a Safeway run to stock up on red party cups for an epic beer pong tournament this weekend, get your entry in for Search Party, the campus “talent search” brought to you by MUSE, the ASUCD Entertainment Council and KDVS 90.3 FM.

For anyone who has ever been stuck with horrible seats or waited in line at a ticket office only to be turned away, it can be agreed upon – good live music can be hard to find. Fortunately, a solution to this problem can be found in downtown Davis. Friday at 10 p.m. begins the spring and summer live music season at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, located at 129 E St. On the bill for opening night is San Francisco-based western swing group Lady A and her Heel Draggers as well as the townies Mad Cow String Band. When Sophia’s first opened in 2001, co-owner Kevin Wan said hosting live music was never far from his plans for the business. However, due to logistics and other matters of running a new business, the concert series did not get its start until about two years ago. Last year, Wan and Michael Leahy, a Davis resident and DJ at KDVS 90.3 FM, presented Sophia’s “Cool As Folk” live music series (named after Leahy’s radio show). The series invited acts like Minnesota-based folk band Cataldo as well as the Dodos, who toured with Frenchkiss labelmates Akron/Family and performed at the South by Southwest Music Festival.

The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts announces its 2008 to 2009 season, offering patrons the chance to see an impressive line-up of prominent performing artists, lecturers and musicians, as well as emerging talents and newcomers in other numerous fields. The new season, which is the center’s seventh, runs from October through June and will feature 66 events and 87 performances. Some of the large acts of the upcoming season include Linda Ronstadt in concert, a performance of Hamlet by Shakespeare & Company and a lecture from activist Gloria Steinem.

hree individual works of choreographers food science graduate student Ann Marie Dragich and senior dramatic art majors Toni Alejandria and Vivian Thorne come together to form this year’s Main Stage Dance/Theatre Festival, held in the Main Theatre this weekend. Combining both dance and theatrical elements, Main Stage utilizes the visual and auditory to render an immensely diverse and contemplative production. Each piece radically differs from one to the next, embodying each student choreographer’s unique strengths and creative abilities. Theater and dance associate professor David Grenke, the festival’s artistic director, has been involved with the festival for five years and oversaw the production of the event.

The central pillar of liberalism is a quest for equality in every form. This is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. At the root of the vast majority of liberal beliefs is an opposition to those with greater power. In nearly any political or societal situation, liberalism takes the side of the “oppressed,” the “dispossessed” or the “disenfranchised.” In foreign policy, America is perceived as being more powerful than other nations, and thus we are assumed to be the bad guy or the aggressor. With the environment, mankind is seen as the destructive overlord of nature, needing to be reined in by regulation, limitation and education. In issues of race, class and gender, the side that is perceived to be weaker is invariably favored: Latinos and blacks, the poor and the downtrodden, women and those “undecided” as to their sex.

Letter: University disregarding Jewish students One would think that after UC Davis upset 11 percent of its incoming freshmen in 2006 by having move-in day on Rosh Hashanah, one of the two Jewish Holy Days, they’d know better the next time around. Low and behold, the following Move-In Day in 2007 fell on Yom Kippur, the other Holy Day on the Jewish calendar. Once again, Jewish students missed an important holiday normally spent with family. Picnic Day, arguably the most important and exciting day of the school year for students, faculty, alumni, friends, and family, is on the first night of Passover. Picnic Day’s theme this year is a “kaleidoscope of voices.” This kaleidoscope of voices must be broken, because a significant minority group will be underrepresented on Saturday. I know my voice won’t be there. How can Jewish holidays continue to be neglected? Shame on Student Housing, shame on the Picnic Day Board, and shame on this university that takes great pride in its diversity.

Many UC Davis seniors return for a fifth year, but few have the kind of year Ryan Royster is having. After being selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 44th round of the 2007 amateur player draft, the Sacramento native opted to stay a fifth year in Davis. After obtaining his communication degree in the winter quarter, Royster continues to pad his stock for this year’s draft with one of the biggest breakout seasons in the Big West Conference.

ast month, Rob Olson argued that I had missed the mark in my account of conservatism’s history. He stated that, “[conservatives] in the past defended the elite,” whereas today, they “defend certain principles which apply equally to all.” And Rob is right – conservatives of the past did indeed defend the elite. But to do so, they used certain ideas; ideas which sound awfully familiar to the ones they use today. But you don’t have to take my word for it…