Nothing stays the same after we leave college. There’s more time for naps, we can drink coffee at Peet’s and enjoy the weather instead of staring face-down at illegible notes, and we can read for pleasure instead of doing it out of fear of public humiliation from our English professor. I, on a more annoying hand, was blindsided by how abruptly my friendships changed. We used to be tied by metaphorical umbilical cords and now I’m lucky if I know what part of the country they’re in. It’s pretty jarring when that familiarity is taken away. Our BFFs and BFFLs and BF4Es might not last as long as we thought. I categorize friendships into three groups now: friends who will be at my wedding, those who are just attending and those not invited. And don’t tell me I’m the only one who’s planned this out in their head super early. Single people can make preparations too. We already know who belongs in each category: co-workers and the people from high... ...

On July 1, 67 of California’s 278 state parks, beaches and historic sites will be closed. A budgetary move by Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration, the closures are a response to a cut of $22 million to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Announced last May, the proposal was at first largely ignored because it was such an illogical notion that it appeared to be more of a ploy to dramatize the state of the budget crisis than an actual productive course of action. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to cut state parks in 2008, but abandoned the idea due to public outcry. Unfortunately, Gov. Brown does not seem to mind becoming the first governor to close parks. The supposed savings of $22 million is less than 1 percent of California’s $9.2 billion budget deficit. In fact, the state legislative analyst reports that closing some parks will cost the state more than it would cost to keep them open due to expenses involved in locking up buildings and storing museum artifacts.... ...

On Thursday, Interim Police Chief Matthew Carmichael was sworn in as the UC Davis police chief. Carmichael will hold the position for one year, after which UC Davis will release a national recruitment call for someone to permanently fill the position. Carmichael is taking on a difficult job. Former Police Chief Annette Spicuzza retired last Wednesday after five months of paid leave in the wake of the Nov. 18 pepper spraying of students. The relationship between the student body and the campus police force has soured since that event, particularly with the release of the Reynoso Task Force Report. “My top priority in the next few months is going to be rebuilding the relationship between the police and the campus community,” Carmichael said at the swearing-in ceremony. A new police chief is not a solution, but an opportunity to enact the solution. If Carmichael keeps his word that officers will be going into the student community to listen to our concerns, then this personnel change could be the beginning of... ...

Responses to my last column included “not as inappropriate as I expected” and “needs moar buttseks.” I’m going to ignore both of those comments (for now…) and write as per a suggestion I got from a reader earlier this spring. Today, my unconventional conventionalists, I bring you a Spotter’s Guide to Grad Students! A look at the weird and wonderful cast of characters you will meet on your journey toward your degree, whatever it may be. The Prisoner — Caught in a bad project (Google that phrase, now!), this student rarely leaves the lab, venturing out only for seminars and their allotted caffeine ration. Some are enslaved by their advisor’s draconian work ethic. For others, their research funding and lust for life are linked and both ran out after their first winter quarter. High risk of dropping out and becoming happy, healthy and successful. The Hipster — Grad student of lore and stereotype. Can often be seen reading poetry at the Beer Shoppe or TA-ing your “Bi-curious Malagasy Transcendentalism” class.... ...

The term “arms race” might seem a bit archaic at first glance. After all, the quest for bigger bombs and missiles with longer range was the mechanism that made MAD, or mutually assured destruction, a real possibility. Yet the notion of an arms race is not just an ancient relic, a throwback to a time when grade-schoolers practiced huddling under desks and the Commies were our arch-nemesis. The arms race is alive and well. Last week, India announced that it had successfully tested a missile with a range that put Shanghai within reach. Called the Angi V, it can hit targets in a 5,000 kilometer radius. Now why would India do this? One obvious reason is to establish a sense of parity with China. Now China has made no secret of its desire to become a major military power. In recent years, it has announced double-digit increases in military expenditures, tested advanced tactical jets and beefed up its navy. Whatever China’s intentions may be, they have India glancing warily at... ...