THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE VOLUME 133, ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915
UC Student Regent visits UC Davis
BRIAN NGUYEN | AGGIE
Folsom lake is currently at onefifth its capacity. Three years ago, these rocks would have been sub-
Student Regent application sees changes
merged under a few feet of water.
JASON PHAM campus@theaggie.org
On Jan. 24, UC Student Regent Cinthia Flores and Regent-designate Sadia Saifuddin visited UC Davis to discuss the upcoming 2015-16 Student Regent Application, as well as answer questions from the public about the state of the University of California (UC). The meeting was held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in South Hall. The Student Regent is a representative of approximately 230,000 professional, graduate and undergraduate UC students on the UC system’s governing board, the Board of Regents. The bulk of the meeting was spent showing a presentation by the Student Regent representatives on changes to the Student Regent application and encouraging students to apply. A major change to the application includes a switch from paper to online submissions. According to Flores, instead of submitting a paper application to their respective chancellor, students will now email their application to Anne Shaw, associate secretary of the Regents and their prospective campus’ Regent liaison. Another change to the application includes a new personal statement format. Instead of having to answer specific questions in a character limit as done in previous years, the application will now ask students to write a six-page, double-spaced narrative based on guided questions. During the meeting, Flores encouraged students from UC Davis to apply for the position because of a lack of Student Regent
California in drought, State of Emergency Governor calls for water conservation to counteract shortages
SHANNON SMITH city@theaggie.org
The State of California has been officially declared in a drought State of Emergency on Jan. 17 by Gov. Jerry Brown. According to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, dry conditions were experienced statewide in 2012 and 2013 based on reports by the U.S. Drought Monitor and the Department of Water Resources.
regents on 9
UC Davis computer
Regions of the Central Valley and Southern California have been experiencing extreme drought conditions. Additionally, on the eastern border, there are record-low snowpack measurements, about 84 percent below average. “The record has been surpassed for most days during the rainy season without rain,” said Clark Blanchard, spokesman for the Natural Resources Agency. “This is the driest that California has been since 1884.”
Computer science lecturer Sean Davis stands in his office filled with old and new computer parts, as well as posters from the various plays he has seen.
moonlights as Fringe Festival blogger S e a n D av i s d a b b l e s i n Scot t ish theater
RITIKA IYER features@theaggie.org
UC Davis continuing lecturer Sean Davis watches 160 to 200 plays every August. For the rest of the year, he teaches computer science. “I think I am lucky enough to be gifted with a wide range of interests,” Davis said. “I’m a general contractor, I review plays and I teach computer science.” Like many undergraduate students on campus today, Davis started in the 1970s with no specific major interests. After bouncing from chemical engineering to history, Davis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts psychology degree in 1978, having zero idea that one day he would rejoin the Aggie community as a faculty member in the College of Engineering. “It’s kind of cool because you realize that he absolutely didn’t know what he wanted to do at our age,” said second-year animal biology and computer science double major Russell Miller, who took En-
davis on 13
U C D avis S tore par t ner s w i t h Ama zo n GABRIELLA HAMLETT city@theaggie.org
On Nov. 22, 2013, the UC Davis Bookstore officially announced online its partnership with Amazon — the first partnership that Amazon has had with any university. Amazon approached UC Davis during Spring Quarter 2013 to
pitch the idea of this pilot program. UC Davis will receive a little over two percent of most purchases by students that shop at Amazon with a UC Davis email account, or customers that shop at davis.amazon.com. According to a Jan. 27 news release, students can sign up for a free six-month membership of Amazon Prime that
drought on 12
gineering Computer Science (ECS) 30: Programming and Problem Solving and ECS 50: Machine Dependent Programming with Davis. “He had a very generalized education, and learned most of the computer science he knows now on his own.” Davis picked up a keen interest in computers and programming after graduation, fostered by his purchase of a small computer from the children’s store, Toys “R” Us. After some self-teaching and experimenting with various projects, Davis applied to the UC Davis Ph.D. program in computer science, but ended up getting a master’s degree and teaching ECS classes in 1994. Davis described his teaching style as active and crazy. He said he doesn’t mind suddenly jumping up in class or walking up and down the aisles of the lecture hall in an attempt to grab students’ attention. “When he teaches, he is more of a casual teacher, he doesn’t just lecture from his slides. It’s really nice and easy to pay attention to if you want to,” Miller said. “I think that even though he’s one of the hardest teachers, he is also considered one of the best teachers.” Apart from teaching, Davis enjoys dabbling in subjects outside of computer science quite often. One such interest lies in Scottish theater, specifically plays
ROS A FURNEAUX | AGGIE
science lecturer
The effects of the drought are visible in lakes and mountains where the landscape requires precipitation to retain its functional and recreational purposes. Locally, the severity is evident at Folsom Lake, Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada and agricultural establishments around Sacramento and in central California. “Some municipalities have prepared accordingly,” said Nancy Barker from the UC Davis Extension’s Department of Land Use and Natural Resources. “However, most communities are high and dry; for example, places that take water from Folsom or the American River are in danger of their pipes running dry.” According to the official written Proclamation of the
Collaboration expected to bring in revenue for bookstore, student scholarship funds
would provide free two-day shipping. After the six months, students would pay $39 to continue their membership — 50 percent less than the regular price. UC Davis Stores Director Jason Lorgan, said that a portion of the funds will go to support a upcoming textbook scholarship program for students in 2014. The rest will fund other student
programs and services. “They recognized our store was the first university store in the nation to offer our students textbook price comparisons on our ucdavisstores.com textbook ordering page, resulting in UC Davis Stores being one of their larger amazon on 9
2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
news in brief
DAILY CALENDAR dailycal@theaggie.org
30 / THURSDAY Percussion Concert Noon to 1 p.m. | Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center Listen to Megan Shieh and Collin Boltz as they perform for free in the Mondavi Center. Joint BME/Biophotonics Distinguished Lecture 4:10 to 6 p.m. | GBSF Auditorium Join Dr. Juergen Popp from the Friedrich-Schiller University, in Jena, Germany as he gives a talk on Raman Spectroscopy for Clinical Diagnosis: Potentials and Limits. Skinny Guns 9 to 11 p.m. | RockBand University, 720 Olive Drive Suite H Join Dr. Juergen Popp from the Friedrich-Schiller University, in Jena, Germany as he gives a talk on Raman Spectroscopy for Clinical Diagnosis: Potentials and Limits.
31 / FRIDAY Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m. | UC Davis Wyatt Deck Join some folk musicians as they bring their acoustic instruments and informally play together over the lunch hour. All skill levels are welcome and listeners are invited. The event is free. Art of Athletes 5 to 7 p.m. | Basement Gallery, Art Building, UC Davis Attend the fifth annual art show featuring the work of current UC Davis intercollegiate student-athletes enrolled in all four undergraduate colleges. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and there will be an informal reception to meet the student-athlete artists from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The exhibition continue on Feb. 1 from noon to 6 p.m. Feb. 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Feb. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Update on Freeborn Hall Renovation Plans to renovate Freeborn Hall during the summer of 2014 have left the future use of the building up in the air. Whether the structure will be completely demolished for construction of an entirely new building or just renovated for seismic updates is still up in the air. However, Lower Freeborn is to remain open for an extended period of time. “When we announced that Freeborn was going to go offline this year, even in that announcement it was clearly stated that even though Freeborn will be going offline, Lower will remain open,” said John Campbell, director of campus recreation and unions. Although it may have been vocalized that it’d be helpful if both levels were closed, it was never intended to disrupt ASUCD’s operating units in Lower Freeborn, including KDVS. The project is far from the point of needing the radio station to relo-
cate as early as summer 2015, as was previously discussed. UC Davis alumnus and former KDVS general manager Justin Cable expressed to John Meyer, vice chancellor of Administrative and Resource Management, KDVS’ concerns of the difficulty and cost of possibly moving to a temporary location. “It really couldn’t have gone better for us because they’re including us in a lot of the discussions, now they know what our issue is,” said Cameron Cairns, general manager of KDVS. A study for the project is being conducted to discuss current needs as well as other areas of student life. The first kickoff meeting with the project advisory group took place last week on Jan. 23. “This is going to be one of the processes of a great study in discussion with multiple users and user needs,” Campbell said. “Our vice chancellor of Student Affairs
has ensured that the student voice is being heard as we have a large number of student representation.” The space’s intended use is student driven, and ideas of creating a new student union have been discussed. “We don’t want to just build an ASUCD office building, we want to create a space that truly serves the student needs,” said ASUCD Controller Eric Evans. The project is early in its stages, and program definition to determine the many needs and uses of the facility has only just begun. Campbell estimates eight to 12 months for the design group to solidify ideas, but it could possibly be years until any actual construction. The 60-year-old hall will still shut down at the end of June due to safety issues, but there is no displacement plan for any of the operating units using Lower Freeborn. — Nicole Yi
Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m. | UC Davis Wyatt Deck Folk musicians are invited to play together informally. All skill levels are welcome and listeners are invited. The event is free.
One World, One UC Davis campaign aims to increase university visibility
1 / SATURDAY
University spends $81,000 on marketing
Winter Birds in Davis: Slide Show and Tour 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. | 146 Environmental Horticulture, UC Davis Our feathered friends are fascinating! Learn about birds that winter in Davis during a slide show talk, then take a walk to see birds in the Arboretum. The event is free.
ONE UC DAVIS CAMPAIGN BUDGET: SODEXO ($245)
TELEVISION SPOT PRODUCTION ($29,775) OUTDOOR BANNERS ($11,138)
Introduction to Permaculture and Tour of Village Homes 1 to 3 p.m. | Village Homes Community Center Join Derek Downey of Bee Love Permaculture and current resident of Village Homes, as he covers the basics of permaculture design and techniques. He will also provide a summary of the Village Homes development, including natural drainage and passive solar design, and share opportunities for learning and applying permaculture design to the Davis area.
T-SHIRTS & GIVEAWAY ITEMS ($23,111) INDOOR BANNERS, MINI-BANNERS, BANNER DISPLAY STANDS, PROMOTIONAL ITEMS (BUTTONS, MAGNETS, WINDOW CLINGS, ETC.)
LAUNCH ADVERTISING ($10,880)
2 / SUNDAY Storytime through the Seasons: Climbing up the Gingko Tree Noon to 2 p.m. | Wyatt Deck Come celebrate Chinese New Year at the Arboretum with an outdoor reading program exploring the cultural and natural world of Asia. All ages are welcome and the event is free.
3 / MONDAY National Frozen Yogurt Day 4 to 7 p.m. | Yogurtland, 1411 W. Covell Blvd. Head to Yogurtland to celebrate its third annual National Frozen Yogurt Day. The store will be offering guests free yogurt and toppings and guests will receive a special collectible spoon that changes colors when it becomes cold and a commemorative cup to fill with their choice of yogurt flavors and toppings.
4 / TUESDAY Grupo Corpo 8 to 10 p.m. | Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center Check out this Question&Answer session with Grupo Corpo. Their style joins modern movement with the complexity of Afro- Brazilian dance, and the Q&A starts shortly after the performance. Trivia 9 to 11 p.m. | Sofia’s Thai Kitchen, 129 E. Street Find a team and head to Sofia’s to test your knowledge in subjects ranging from world geography to 80’s music to sports to The Big Lebowski. There will be prizes and entrance is free.
5 / WEDNESDAY Compassionate Communication: Authentic Honesty Class 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Third Space, 947 Olive Drive Attend the first class of an eight week series that teaches tools to make authenticity and honesty possible during the most heated moments. Register at kindcommunication.org/ class-registration, the cost of the class is $75 with a sliding scale available down to $45.
FOCUS GROUP FOOD
IT REPROGRAPHICS ($6,100)
TOTAL: $81,249
James Kim / Aggie
TAYLOR CUNNINGHAM
city@theaggie.org The One World, One UC Davis campaign was launched in the fall of 2013. Advertising for the campaign has cost $81,249, according to Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications, Luanne Lawrence. The campaign, which focuses on featuring exceptional UC Davis faculty, students and donors and their stories, seeks to improve the general public’s awareness of the University. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to improve the University by attracting more donors and even greater talent. It is also intended to distinguish UC Davis from other University of California (UC) campuses. So far, the money has been spent on outdoor banners, promotional items, launch advertising and IT retrographics. Over half of it, approximately $53,000, has gone to television spot production, T-shirts and giveaway items, according to Lawrence. “We [members of the UC Davis community] know that UC Davis is very well-known and recognized for its agricultural, veterinary and bio-
logical sciences programs,” Lawrence said.“But from surveys, we’ve learned that the general public doesn’t really distinguish between the UCs.” ASUCD Senator Pamela Nonga, who was featured in a One World, One UC Davis campaign video, agreed that all of the UCs can blend together in the view of the public. “Even when I was applying to colleges and looking at the different UCs, UC Davis didn’t stand out to me as much as the other ones,” Nonga said. “We need to work on getting ourselves out there and advocating for ourselves.” When asked whether the campaign is a good use of University funding, Shaun Keister, vice chancellor of alumni relations, said that he believes that it is the best way to expose “the best kept secret out there.” “When you look at all of the things that matter the most to society — water, food, health, the environment, the arts — there are very few universities in the world that can match the caliber of programs and people we have at UC Davis,” Keister said. “Prior to this campaign, we didn’t champion this enough.” A large part of the campaign involves sharing the stories of people
in the University. Banners are currently in place around campus that highlight specific students and their achievements, and their full stories can be read on the campaign’s website. These highlights are not limited to students. The achievements of faculty and donors are also being displayed. The Campaign for UC Davis, which was launched in 2010, had a goal to raise $1 billion in funds for the University from more than 100,000 donors. The goal was reached in November 2013, a year ahead of the projected fundraising schedule. In late January, One World, One UC Davis will tell the stories of 100 of the donors. “Our goal is to thank the 100,000 plus donors who helped UC Davis reach the goals of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign ... and to show the world at large the face of philanthropy at UC Davis,” Keister said. The 2020 Initiative, which seeks to add 5,000 undergraduate students and approximately 300 faculty members to the UC Davis community by 2020, should be aided by this marketing of the University, according to Sarah Oneucdavis on 9
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | 3
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Student-run international mentorship program attracts hundreds of applicants New buddy program promotes social environment for domestic, international students
Watts Legal with DANIEL WATTS
ELIZABETH ORPINA
editor@theaggie.org After its successful run in Fall Quarter 2012 through the International Students Club (ISC), the International Buddy Program saw its official beginning on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 at program orientation. Sponsored by the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) and the ASUCD Outreach Assembly (OA), the program aims to provide a platform for international and domestic students to socialize. As president of ISC at the time, ASUCD Senator Shehzad Lokhandwalla created the program out of inspiration from his own experience as an international student. “One of my good friends, Ellen Liang, was kind enough to mentor [and accommodate me to] the United States,” Lokhandwalla said. “Being inspired by that, I decided to start a domestic-international program through my club.” A total of 234 students applied to be a part of the mentorship program, 134 of them being domestic students. During a selection process that focused on finding enthusiastic students who wanted to learn more about new cultures, 174 were chosen
to participate. Moira Delgado of the SISS and Koby Rodriguez of the CCC led the orientations, discussing the ground rules for the program, such as respecting the Principles of Community. Each night had three parts, an icebreaker, program description and restrictions and culture training. The International Buddy Program committee behind the planning and pairing of students is comprised of Lokhandwalla, his interns Jessica Reiter, Tia Nguyen and Yanlin Alice Li and Rylan Schaeffer. Li is a second-year applied math major and international student, and she wanted to continue her involvement with the international community. “International students don’t normally connect with domestic students because of the language barrier,” Li said. “This is a great opportunity for international students to step out of their comfort zones, as it’s a big encouragement to do so.” Along with learning about different cultures and getting more involved on campus, students involved also have the opportunity to form friendships. Lokhandwalla believes that participants will continue to socialize with their buddies after the quarter-long program.
Nguyen, a second-year political science and sociology double major, got involved because of an interest in her own history. “I’m a domestic student, but I thought the program was interesting because my parents were immigrants,” Nguyen said. “People are interested in learning about new cultures, and hopefully people can make lifelong friends through the program.” In addition to orientation, one hour of commitment per week is required. At a final event at the end of the quarter, participants will be able to discuss what they learned and receive participant certificates signed by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. The International Buddy Program is closed for winter 2014 and will not return spring 2014. Lokhandwalla hopes that the ASUCD International Undergraduate Committee (IUC) will be permanently institutionalized, as he wants the program to be sustainable and under its control in the future. On Feb. 14, ASUCD Senate will decide whether to terminate, extend or permanently institutionalize the IUC. An official website is in the works, and until then, any inquiries can be directed toward Lokhandwalla at sslokhandwalla@ucdavis.edu. n
Student veteran presence grows on campus Memorial Union renovation to establish new veteran center
ABBY ALCALA | AGGIE
Fourth-year biological sciences majors Gurvir Kaur and Syeda Parkha look over their notes inside the TRV’s study room.
SEAN GUERRA
features@theaggie.org Over 700 students make up the veteran population on campus. The Davis Student Veteran Organization (DSVO), founded in 2010, serves as their representing body. Student veteran organizations have developed on campus over the past few years with goals to build community, representation and awareness concerning veteran identity. Lack of veteran-specific resources and breaking pervasive stereotypes have been struggles to their efforts. Though experiences vary, Elias Sanchez, a fourth-year political science and international relations double major and president of DSVO, said that veterans face many obstacles readapting to civilian life. “Reintegrating into civilization is really hard felt because you have sacrificed so much physically, psychologically, emotionally,” Sanchez said. “The greatest fear I have for veterans is when you have free time that’s the time you have to reflect … The difficulties we have had were never addressed. In the military your emotional needs are not priority one, your mission is priority one. But when you come to a normal setting and people actually ask you, ‘What do you think?’ or ‘How do you feel?’ it [challenges] you to self reflect.” These issues are indicative of not
only the academic, but also the medical and counseling needs of student veterans on campus. Dr. Romana Norton has been the Community Advising Network (CAN) counselor to the Transfer, Re-entry and Veteran community for five years and throughout that time she has worked to identify the needs of veteran students. “The military is a very distinct culture … the military’s answer to the traumas and stress that these folks have endured has been a lot of medication and a bootstrap mentality,” Norton said. “The first couple of years was just gathering information and one of the things I realized was that there weren’t any resources on campus. Being a CAN counselor assigned to the veteran population was the first resource besides the TRV center … unique to that population that would be provided on campus.” The Transfer, Re-Entry and Veteran Center (TRV) established in 2009 has been the resource base for veterans since a majority transferred from community colleges to the UC and must go through Veteran Affairs in order to process their GI Bill benefits. The Post 9/11 Veteran’s Assistance Act of 2008 has been alluded to as a reason for the increasing student veteran population and has been called the best federal educational benefit provided to veterans since WWII.
Service members who served over 36 months after 9/11 are eligible for full tuition coverage and housing and textbook stipends. Within the bill, there is also a transferability component, meaning service members can transfer benefits to their dependents. With increased incentive for veterans to attend higher education, the advocacy and presence of student veterans on campus as well as the historical significance of the Memorial Union (MU), the establishment of a student veteran center on the second floor of the MU is expected to commence in fall 2014. According to John Campbell, executive director of campus recreation and unions, the MU renewal project is expected to last 18 months and will be a comprehensive renovation. The veteran center is expected to provide space for social, counseling and professional outreach on behalf of veterans, and an overall rededication of the MU to revitalize campus awareness of student veterans is also a part of the project. Victor Garcia, 2011 UC Davis veteran alumnus and TRV advisor, said he knows that current resources are lacking, but believes that combining them in a new center will make them more accessible to students. “A lot of these veterans are coming into our institutions with specific issues: combat trauma, traumatic Veterans on 9
Question I read your column in The Aggie and wrote down your email in case I ever had some legal questions. I am an upper division student at UC Davis, and I need some advice regarding the University’s policy on grading changes. Over the summer, I took a course during Summer Session II and elected to take it for pass/no pass credit. Before the deadline to do so, I used Sisweb to change the grading option to pass/no pass. By the end of the summer, I had the equivalent of a C grade in the class, having always intended to take the course pass/ no pass rather than for a letter grade. But when I looked at my transcript, I discovered that Sisweb had apparently malfunctioned when I initially switched to pass/no pass. Sisweb didn’t process the switch and there was no record of me making the switch, so the C grade is showing up in my transcript and affecting my GPA. I explained the situation to my professor, who helped me submit a retroactive grade change request. The grading change committee denied my request. I want to fight this, because it’s not my fault that there’s a flaw in the Sisweb system. The University cannot prove that I did not make that initial switch to pass/no pass. But the University says that I’m the one that has to prove that I requested pass/no pass, which is impossible. On principle, I want my grade changed to pass/no pass, and I would like the university to make changes to Sisweb so that this doesn’t hurt other students in the future. Is there anything I can do? — Jim S. Davis, CA Answer You did the right thing by filing a petition with the Grade Change Committee. Unfortunately, reversing its decision will be an uphill battle. Sometimes the most difficult part of solving a problem is determining which arm of the bureaucratic octopus to ask for help. According to its website, the Grade Change Committee “reviews all retroactive and grade change requests not unambiguously justified by the Regulations of the Academic Senate and of the Davis Division.” In other words, if the normal regulations of the Academic Senate clearly entitle you to a grade change, the committee does not need to review the grade change request.The website doesn’t say where you’re supposed to go to request an “unambiguously justified” grade change, but I assume you must have asked your professor or the registrar to change your grade, and one or both of them declined. Either way, the committee is the right place to ask at this point. The committee reviews each petition on a case-by-case basis, though it applies the same set of rules to the facts of each case. It also claims the authority to make exceptions to its own rules when a petition warrants it. In general, the committee won’t change your grade unless the grade resulted from a clerical or procedural error. It won’t substitute its judgment for a professor’s judgment; if you thought your essay deserved an A, but your professor thought it deserved a failing grade, the committee probably would not touch the case. A clerical error is one that is made by someone other than the student, such as an instructor or a staff adviser.Your problem seems like a clerical error to me, though the committee stresses that “ignorance on the part of a student regarding university policy is not generally considered valid justification for retroactive action.” If I were to play devil’s advocate, I’d say the committee could reasonably interpret your failure to immediately notice the Sisweb problem as “ignorance on the part of the student.” It’s possible that “university policy” is to use this flawed Sisweb system, and that everything was working exactly as the university planned it to work. Maybe when you submitted your pass/no pass request, you were using a weird internet browser or accessing Sisweb from a faulty internet connection, both of which “university policy” says you should not do. But even though the committee denied your petition, you can still appeal.You usually get only one shot at the appeal, and you have to make the appeal within one academic quarter. Also, appeals are limited to confirming that the committee did not act in an arbitrary or capricious manner in making its determination.You have to provide substantial and new information and argue that the committee’s prior decision was not based on substantial evidence.You can’t just rehash the committee’s decision; you have to come up with new evidence. How should you obtain new evidence? I suggest you talk to Sisweb administrators and ask them whether they have any record of Sisweb having technical difficulties during the time you tried to make the switch to pass/no pass.You could then argue that these glitches are indeed a “procedural error” that entitles you to a retroactive grade change. If Sisweb refuses to give up the records, or claims that is has no records, do not give up just yet. Make a formal request under the California Public Records Act by sending an email to the campus public records coordinator, Lynette Temple, at lstemple@ucdavis.edu. From my previous experience with her, she will promptly respond to inquiries.You can use the public records request template at firstamendmentcoalition.org/public-records-2/samplecpra-request-letter/ or Google “California public records act request template” for more information on how to file a request. Daniel is a Sacramento attorney, former Davis City Council candidate and graduate of UC Davis School of Law. He’ll answer questions sent to him at governorwatts@gmail.com or tweeted to @ governorwatts.
4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
21 / TUESDAY
Judge finds City of Davis’ water rates fair, legal
Expensive to boot
Opponents submit initiative aiming to repeal rate increases
POLICE BRIEFS
On Anderson Road, someone wired $1,200 to a known suspect for shoes that were never shipped.
23 / THURSDAY
PAAYAL ZAVERI
city@theaggie.org
Pool party An intoxicated guy on L Street was drinking a beer while sitting in a pool of his own vomit.
Eggsposed Someone caught a group of people on film egging a property on Michelangelo Place.
25 / SATURDAY Miscellmania On West Covell Boulevard, two females ran off with a shopping cart full of miscellaneous items.
Old hat Someone on Fifth Street believed citations were only being issued to him because he was being discriminated against for wearing a beanie.
Smoking gun Someone reported a group of people with neck tattoos smoking cigarettes. According to the reporter, they “did not look like a normal Davis crowd” because they did not answer her when she said hello. Police briefs are compiled from the City of Davis daily crime bulletins. Contact EINAT GILBOA at city@theaggie.org.
WEEKLY WEATHER Short-Term Forecast There will be a slight chance of showers for the remainder of today, but after that the skies should clear up and cool temperatures will remain. Today (1/30): 60/43, 40 percent chance of showers, some clearing as the day progresses, light NW winds Friday (1/31): 61/32, mostly clear, some north breeze Saturday (2/1): 61/31, cold morning, calm winds
Long-Term Forecast After a short bout of wetter and cooler weather this week, we expect temperatures to return to the way they were previously. The weather should be enjoyable next week, perhaps with a few clouds
Sunday (2/2): High 61, low 32, cold at night, partly cloudy, calm winds Monday (2/3): High 64, low 33, mostly Sunny, calm Tuesday (2/4): High 64, low 34, mostly cloudy, calm winds Wednesday (2/5): High 66, low, 36, partly cloudy,
— Aggie Forecast Team
Yolo Ratepayers file a lawsuit against the City of Davis alleging that the city does not charge itself for water used at city-owned facilities and the city’s current and proposed water rates for ratepayers are illegal.
March 1, 2013 Measure I, which proposed water rate increases to fund the Woodland-Davis surface water project, passed with the 54.1 percent yes vote on the March 2013 ballot only election.
March 19, 2013 At public hearing regarding Measure I’s proposed water rate, Davis City Council approved the water rate increases.
March 29, 2013 The City of Davis was served an amended lawsuit over the city’s water rates alleging that the city’s wastewater and water rates are in violation of Proposition 218.
May 1, 2013 City of Davis’ water rates first increased following the proposed rate increase model.
Jan. 22, 2014 The City of Davis’ water and sewer rates were declared fair and legal by Yolo County Judge Dan Maguire in a tentative ruling.
Jan. 23, 2014 Water rate opponents turned in signatures to place an initiative on the June 2014 ballot to allow voters to repeal the water rate increases.
/ Aggie
calm winds
Jan. 30, 2013
Trisha Kietikul
winds
TIMELINE OF WATER RATES LAWSUIT AND RATE INCREASES
Maureen Mai &
here and there. Happy Studying!
On Jan. 22, Yolo County Superior Court Judge Dan Maguire issued a tentative ruling stating that the City of Davis’ current and future water rates to pay for the Woodland-Davis Surface Water Project are legal and fair. The Yolo Ratepayers for Affordable Public Utility Services (YRAPUS) and John Munn filed a lawsuit against the City of Davis in January 2013 alleging that the City’s wastewater and water rates were in violation of Proposition 218, which states that a ratepayer cannot be charged more than the cost of supplying water to their property. A final ruling on the water rates will occur after a 15-day period to allow the plaintiffs and the city to comment on the tentative decision. Other areas of the lawsuit will be settled in the spring. Michael Harrington, the attorney for the plaintiffs (YRAPUS), said they appreciated the court’s hard work in analyzing the rates. “We are disappointed with the ruling but the city attorney acted very professionally in trying the case,” Harrington said. “We are now awaiting the court’s decision.” Davis City Council members were pleased with the tentative ruling because it allows the city to move forward with the Surface Water project. Measure I, passed in March 2013, allowed the City of Davis to raise water rates to fund this project, which will supply Woodland and Davis with drinking water from the Sacramento River. It will cost the City of Davis $106 million, a combined $245 million for both cities. The first of the rate increases became effective on May 1, 2013. “I am very happy our City has prevailed in court. It is now time for our community to move past the continued attempts to derail this critical project, and onto the important work of bringing a sustainable supply of clean water LAWSUIT on 11
M E E T Y O U R R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S
all my other tours, and Davis was my first tour!
Ahh! I get the drink that they have every month. They get me every time! I feel like people mostly buy them because they’re “limited,” but yeah they got me there. 3. What’s your biggest fear? Not living up to people’s expectations. Yeah, my family — my mom in particular. It’s a family thing. Coming to college has really gotten me to loosen up a bit, I feel like I can breathe now. CIERA PASTUREL | AGGIE
VICTORIA TAM Commissioner for the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Committee Second-year undeclared social sciences major 1. What career do you hope to pursue after your education? How will ASUCD help you in your future plans? I came to Davis thinking I’d be a lawyer, and I discovered that I’d rather be helping younger students who need a little more push and encouragement, so I want to go into teaching — probably middle school or high school. ASUCD is definitely a busy organization, and being in ECAC which is a part of ASUCD is really helping me learn how to interact with people. You’re always busy planning something with other people, or listening to others give presentations about their legislation. It’s great for social skills — people skills. 2. What’s your favorite drink at the CoHo and why do you like that drink in particular?
4. If you were giving a graduation speech, what would your theme be? I read this book the other day about bamboo, how it bends but doesn’t break. So you know when life throws stuff at you, you could use that idea. No matter life’s hurdles, be a bamboo: bend but don’t break! 5. If you give one person you know a superpower, what would it be and why would you choose that person? Woah! I should’ve studied! It’s usually for yourself, I have to think about that. Oh man, I have so many people I’d give superpowers too. Um… well I have this one friend who’s going through some sort of self-reflective problems. I’d like to be able to give him the power to see beyond himself, and not be trapped with thoughts that are hurting him. 6. How confident do you think you are on a scale of 1-10? For the political issues, I’m pretty confident so I’d say an 8 or 9. But on a day-to-day basis, probably a 6. n
ELLIE DIERKING
features@theaggie.org
CIERA PASTUREL | AGGIE
GARETH SMYTHE ASUCD Senator Second-year double major in political science and history 1. What is your favorite memory from your hometown? I was born in Torrance, Calif. but I live in Seal Beach so about 20 to 30 minutes away from L.A.Well, I was walking with some friends at the beach and all these sea lions were coming up on the sand.You know, it’s called Seal Beach for a reason. So I got to see them come up on the beach and everyone was taking pictures and it was really nice to be a part of that community experience. 2. What was the deciding factor that helped you pick Davis? I was overwhelmed by the beauty. Also consistently, everyone’s been so friendly, that’s just the Davis culture — a smile and a wave. I’m a tree person, I love the trees, and I was going through the Arboretum and the redwood exhibit and it’s so beautiful.Then I stepped onto the Quad and there’s these huge trees and big flagpole and I just knew that this is the place I want to spend my time at. So I canceled
3. If you were giving a graduation speech, what would your theme be? My theme would be the culture of UC Davis and how it can relate to your real life. So taking what it is that we do best here, so empathy which is kindness, which is accepting of all cultures, which is working together towards a goal — taking that out of this community and dispersing it throughout the country and the world. This whole #oneucdavis campaign, the message is despite our differences we are united as one, I think that’s something that the world is losing sight of. 4. What’s your ideal date? My ideal date involves great conversation, good food and something with the Arboretum. I love the Arboretum, just walking through it or something like that. 5. Who is the person who you most admire and look up to? There’s so many people that come into our lives that we look up to. My grandfather has had a huge influence on my life. He was very successful in his life and he’s kind of given me his philosophy on how to manage people, how you use honesty to control the situation and how you never let your emotions get the better of you. Always stay in the rational and the logical because only through that do you get the actual work done. 6. How confident do you think you are on a scale of 1-10? In sociology class we’re talking about something called egoism, which is how everyone rates themselves higher than they actually are, so I’m not confident in my confidence… but I would say probably about an eight. n
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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Before they were professors, they were us Professor Diana Davis History professor practiced veterinary medicine in refugee camps
Professor Diana Davis said that her particular interest in environmental history stemmed from experiences in her youth. She offers unique courses like History 109A, which analyzes the human perception of how the world has environmentally changed, and History 109B, which helps explain how environmental change relates to disease and public health. Davis said that both courses reflect her personal history. Her early ambition revolved around pre-medical aspirations, and she traveled extensively, feeding her insight into fields she had not initially considered, like geography, a discipline in which she earned a master's degree. "I went to Morocco … to study nomads," Davis said. Davis reflected on this excursion saying that in studying the nomadic people of Morocco, it became clear one of their main concerns was a severe drought that was having a heavy impact on the animals in the region. "I came back wanting to be a vet," Davis said. According to Davis, she had a stroke of luck and was accepted to Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. During vet school, she said she was able to take a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the mid-nineties. "This was before the rise of the Taliban and later Al Qaeda. The Soviet Union had just fallen a couple of years before … it was before things got so incredibly dangerous," Davis said. Davis was based in a town on the Pakistan side of the Afghan-Pakistani border called Quetta. She said that for three months, she helped train Afghan male herders in basic veterinary medicine, using pictorial methods as many were illiterate. “All the medical services and the veterinary services along with almost everything else in Afghanistan had been destroyed by the war,”
ELI FLESCH
features@theaggie.org
Davis said. Davis also interviewed women to see if their culture permitted them to be able to provide veterinary services. According to Davis it did, and the women were often more knowledgeable about the condition of animals than the men. "Those three months, I worked largely in refugee camps," Davis said. She said she tried to learn the local language, Pashtu, but was largely unsuccessful, and so used an interpreter for interviews and conversations. "I went straight into a Ph.D. in geography at Berkeley. I wanted to go back to Afghanistan to get my Ph.D. there, but it got increasingly dangerous," Davis said. She earned her PhD in 2001, and after this, ventured back to Morocco, studying ethnoveterinary medicine, a field which looks into how different cultures and peoples practice veterinary medicine. After two years in Morocco, Davis also spent a year in France on scholarship. She noted that the Moroccan nomads complained about NGO's (non-governmental organizations) as they had not been carefully considering the agricultural practices of the nomads. These findings grew into Davis' first book, Resurrecting the Granary of Rome, which looks at the colonial opinion of North African ecology and how these views have influenced the present day. "My experience with the Afghans ... profoundly shaped me. They were so kind, so gentle, so loving with their children and their animals," Davis said. Davis said that these years were transformative and integral in creating the educator and person she is today. "As a trained geographer who has done extensive historical research on the Modern Middle East, Diana brings a refreshing interdisciplinary and theoretical sophistication to our department," said Davis’ colleague Professor Omnia El Shakry of the History Department. n
Apartment rent in Davis increases Rising water rates contribute in part to higher rent
Professor Ashutosh Bhagwat UC Davis law professor worked as Justice Anthony Kennedy's Clerk
When Professor Ashutosh Bhagwat of UC Davis’ School of Law was 26 years old, he was one of the 36 clerks for the United States Supreme Court Justices. Today, he teaches constitutional and administrative law, subjects that had great importance during his clerkship. “I'm really interested in politics and policy,” Bhagwat said. Bhagwat completed his undergraduate education at Yale, where he majored in history. Following this, he moved to the University of Chicago’s Law School, where he graduated in 1990. The Federal Reserve was his next move, where he worked as a research assistant. From there, he moved back to Chicago for a clerkship position with Richard Posner, a justice on the Seventh Circuit Appellate Court. Posner is widely regarded as one of the fathers of law and economics, according to Bhagwat, and with him, Bhagwat gained experience for his next job. At the Supreme Court, Bhagwat spent a year clerking for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who still serves. His clerkship responsibilities included researching issues and helping the Justice write opinions, which according to Bhagwat, was a job that held some weight. “Clerks had more influence in technical cases,” Bhagwat said. "You could actually convince the justices." Though he said that it is not rare for the Supreme Court justices to defer to the judgment of their clerks,
they rarely do so on landmark cases, for which they are sure to draft their own opinions. The clerking experience has traditionally been reserved for only a handful each year. Clerks are often young, a conscious decision by the justices, according to Bhagwat. Young clerks help the justices understand the newest trends in law, often displayed to students in school. Bhagwat also said he believes that many justices hire clerks with little attention to political leanings, despite their own views. Hiring on this basis helps the justices keep an open mind to varying interpretations of laws. “All the clerks were encouraged by Kennedy to come up with their own ideas,” Bhagwat said. Bhagwat described his one year with the court as an incredible experience. He still keeps in touch with several of his co-clerks, and said that these close relationships were the most valuable part of the job for him. “One of the coolest things about clerkships in general is that there's a familial like relationship ... the [Justices] keep mentoring,” Bhagwat said. Bhagwat's clerkship played an important role in his job search. “[Being a clerk] makes you an incredibly valuable commodity,” Bhagwat said. “It helped in getting my academic job.” Before academia, Bhagwat worked at a law firm in Washington for two years, but said that the allure of teaching was stronger than that of private practice. “One [of the advantages of] teaching is you get to a much bigger range of things, you get to pick your topics ... it's a lot more freedom,” Bhagwat said. n
Dietary pattern dictates circadian rhythm High fat diets reset body’s natural rhythm
SYNDEY COHEN
city@theaggie.org As Winter Quarter begins, so does the search for off-campus housing. Getting roommates in order, picking the perfect location and scoring the unit of your choosing can often seem like miracles when they come together. However, one detail can be the difference between realty heaven and housing hell: the price. Over the last two years, Davis alumnus Matt Cooper has conducted a project in which he has recorded the prices of different apartment units within Davis. For the year 2013, he found the prices did increase when it came to singles and three-bedroom apartments. Cooper’s data shows that the prices of one bedroom apartments rose 5.5 percent and three-bedroom apartments rose 7.5 percent. The price of two-bedroom apartments actually dropped 3 percent over the course of the year. “The crazy thing to see is the fluctuation within the year,” Cooper said. He found that it was cheaper to rent an apartment in Davis in December than it was in September, which he speculates is due to the University’s academic schedule. Cooper said that the prices can change as much as 20 percent between different months. “It’s a supply and demand kind of thing,” Cooper said. For one four-bedroom apartment unit at Sycamore Lane Garden Apartments, rent increased by $100 per month for next year. Prices also increased on all of the units at Sharps and Flats Apartment Homes located in South Davis. Ken Brown, their assistant community director, attributed the raise in rent to the increase in water prices brought on by the Woodland-Davis Surface Water Project, because the apartment includes water in the price of rent as does Sycamore Lane Garden Apartments. Oakshade Commons Apartments, among others, have started charging their residents for water as a separate
fee from their rent. “Under new management, they raised rent by $600 a month and started charging $15 a month per person for water and garbage removal,” said Harman Grewal, a fourth-year exercise biology major. “It’s confusing because I don’t know if we had to pay this last year, or if new management is trying to make a larger profit.” Fourth-year design major Hannah Feldman concurs with Cooper and said she believes that the rising prices have to do with supply and demand. She said she thinks that students are willing to pay the higher prices for prime real estate located comfortably close to campus. Although the general price of housing in Davis is on the rise, affordable options are available. One option is to seek housing in one of the Solar Community Housing Association’s cooperative housing units which include the Baggins End Domes on the UC Davis campus. The Solar Community Housing Association is a nonprofit organization that operates their housing in a cooperative structure, meaning that the residents both live and work together to do maintenance tasks in lieu of hiring professional help. The average room in one of the coop houses costs $375 per month. By comparison, Matt Cooper estimates from his data that a one bedroom apartment in Davis in 2013 would cost $895 per month. “Creating community within our homes, and among our housing coops is a huge benefit that holds far more value for many of us, than just our relatively low rent,” said April Kamen, a coordinator for Solar Community Housing Association, in an email. Although affordable options exist, as long as Davis has a steady flow of students that need roofs over their heads, the increases in rent will be inevitable. “As long as UC Davis students are flooding the area, I see no reason why renters wouldn’t keep jacking up their prices to make more money,” Feldman said. n
EMILY SEFEROVICH
science@theaggie.org Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have revealed a fascinating connection between cellular metabolism and the circadian rhythm — commonly known as the biological clock. Conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Paolo Sassone-Corsi, one of the world’s leading researchers on circadian genetics, a recent project examined the effects of a high-fat diet on the expression of genes responsible for unintended circadian oscillation (weird biological rhythms). The study, “Reprogramming of the Circadian Clock by Nutritional Challenge,” was published in the journal Cell in November of 2013. But first, what exactly is the circadian rhythm? For the typical college student, it’s certainly something that many of our priorities and schedules disagree with us on. However, for the ordinary sentient organism, the circadian rhythm is the daily cycle of biological events and activities that typically occur in a predictable fashion. In hu-
man beings, the circadian rhythm is responsible for processes such as the sleeping and waking cycle; it may cause one to feel keen and alert at one point of the day and more lethargic at another. For the researchers at UC Irvine, circadian rhythm is an intricate timepiece hinged upon a complex, dynamic set of genes that respond, interestingly enough, to dietary composition. The study itself was conducted on wildtype rodents. The test subjects were divided into two distinct groups: those fed a diet of “normal chow” [NC] (the regular, unadulterated rodent food) and those fed a “highfat” [HF] diet, representative of a traditional high-fat human diet. The team chose to closely examine the liver tissue of the rodents, which allowed them to determine the overarching effects of the diet on their circadian rhythms. “The liver is a beautiful organ to look at because it has a very powerful intrinsic clock, and it’s composed of almost all homogeneous tissue,” Dr. Sassone-Corsi said. nutrition on 12
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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
MUSE
MU SE JAMES KIM
BRIAN NGUYEN | AGGIE
arts@theaggie.org
Muse of the Week: Judy Yi, a fourth-year computer science major. 1. If you could describe your personal style in three words, what would they be? Can I say weird three times? 2. What makes your style so “weird”? Mostly the way I dress is like, I’ll do one style for one day and switch to a completely different style another day so I don’t really keep to my own “style.” I’ll do really androgynous one day just to see if I can do that and I’ll wear really bright colors one day and pastels on another day. I can never just like one type of style because I like everything. My closet is insane and it has mostly statement pieces in it. C A M P U S C H I C O N PAG E 1 3
MUSE SPEAKS WITH PEGGY SUE Pop-folk band to play Third Space
COURTESY
INEZ KAMINSKI arts@theaggie.org Peggy Sue isn’t just “folk.” According to NPR, it’s “mountainous and brooding” — perhaps bluesy, pop-rock influenced post-folk, with catchy guitar rhythms and strong harmonies. Rosa Slade, Katy Young and Olly Joyce have been making music together since 2005 and have toured with the likes of Mumford & Sons, Jack White and The Maccabees.Their third album Choir of Echoes dropped Stateside on Jan. 29. Of the album, the band wrote, “Choir of Echoes is an album about singing. About losing your voice and finding it again. Voices keeping each other company and voices competing for space. The call and response of the kindest and the cruelest words. Choruses. Duets. Whispers and shouts.” The Brighton, England natives will be playing at Third Space in Davis on Feb. 8. MUSE had the opportunity to talk to Joyce on the phone. PEGGY SUE O N PAGE 1 5
GRUPO CORPO TO P E R F O R M AT M O N D AV I Brazilian flare characterizes dance ensemble PAUL SANCHEZ arts@theaggie.org The Brazilian dance ensemble Grupo Corpo is set to perform at the Mondavi Center Feb. 4. With an immersive presentation of movement, rhythm, light and costume, Grupo Corpo’s uniquely Brazilian aesthetic has captivated international audiences for over 30 years. Grupo Corpo will be performing two different pieces created by choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, Sem Mim and Ímã, translating to “without me” and “magnet,” respectively. Sem Mim, based on the lyrics of Martin Co-
dax’s 13th century “Sea of Vigo” song cycle, is characterized by wave-like movements that reflect a maiden’s longing for her love lost at sea. Ímã, on the other hand, features magnetic motions and vibrant, colorful choreography that emphasizes juxtaposition. According to dancer Janaina Castro, who has been with Grupo Corpo for 13 years, the two pieces may differ greatly in style yet have the same “language” that audiences can appreciate. “It’s great to perform two different pieces,” Castro said. “We work with the same choreographer so it’s like we have a language; each performance is very different. It’s nice to do two pieces in one night because we can show the audience that they have the same language but are totally different.” According to Castro, the movement of Grupo Corpo’s G R U P O CO R P O O N PAG E 1 5
COURTESY Grupo Corpo compares their dance style to a fluid combination of classical ballet and contemporary dance.
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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Stories on Stage takes storytelling to new levels AKIRA OLIVIA KUMAMOTO arts@theaggie.org You’re never too old to have stories read to you — at least that’s what Stories on Stage: Davis believes. Stories on Stage is a monthly event where local actors read aloud short pieces and excerpts from the works of successful and budding authors. Stories on Stage was founded in 2010 in Sacramento in hopes of revitalizing the art of oral storytelling. The series became an award-winning event, attracting renowned authors to submit and present their work. News of its success spread, leading local author Jeri Howitt to create a branch of Stories on Stage here in Davis. The readings are held the second Saturday of each month in the main exhibit of the Pence Gallery in downtown Davis. The show features excerpts or short stories from works
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On Feb. 1 KDVS will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at Rock Band University. The show will be broadcast live and include a slew of bands, including local Davis favorites Big Sticky Mess and Whiskey Business. The doors will open at 8:30 p.m. with performances starting at 9 p.m. FO L K M USI C JAM S E SS IO N JAN. 31, NOON TO 1 P. M . , FREE WYATT DECK ARBORETUM
Folk musicians are invited to come out and play in an informal jam session on the Wyatt Deck in the Arboretum. Musicians of all skill levels are welcome as well as listeners.
Grupo Corpo is a contemporary Brazilian dance company that embodies the rhythmic and multicultural spirit of Brazil. The group, known for combining their contemporary stage movements with Afro-Brazilian dance, will be performing two pieces for their Mondavi Center performance.
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The John Natsoulas Gallery will be presenting the work of Alex Reisfar along with Bark!, a collection of dogrelated paintings and sculptures. Reisfar is an artist out of Portland, Ore. and was presented with the honor of being an Artist in Residence at the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in Davis in 2012. The works will be on exhibit starting Feb. 5.
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Co-sponsored by the Jewish Voice for Peace, author Penny Rosenwasser will be discussing her book, Hope into Practice: Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite our Fears, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at The Avid Reader. The book, which calls for Jewish women to free themselves from internalized anti-semitism by empowering themselves through activism, was published in October of last year.
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Weyes Blood, Dead Western and Loner will be performing at Third Space. The bands, all similar in their dark/goth folky sound, will be sonically haunting, bringing chills to the back of your neck.
DA N C E G R UP O CO RP O FEB. 4 , 8 P.M. M ONDAVI C ENTER
Bedtime Music One of the best times to listen to music is right before bed.You take a shower, get all clean and cozy, turn off the lights, put on some big ol’
Music is meditation. It can be a fantastic tool, one that can be utilized to manipulate your emotions.
ART E X H I B I T O P E N ING
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TUNE IN Addressing all types of music
COLEMAN SAWYER arts@theaggie.org
of one established author (usually someone who’s been recently and widely published) and one promising author (someone with great literary potential). Each story is dramatically presented by a local actor. The February show is set to feature Pushcart Prize nominated author Kate Milliken and Washington D.C. born author and poet Alexa Mergen. Actress Shelly Gilbride, who received her Ph.D. in performance studies from UC Davis, will be reading “A Matter of Time,” the first work in Milliken’s award-winning collection of short stories If I’d Known You Were Coming. Milliken explains that the piece is about a mother coming to the realization about “the death of her own greed.” “It’s so fundamental to hear stories
headphones, put on a soothing playlist and chill. Such a great way to end the day. In this situation, music saves us from the selfconscious thoughts that would otherwise consume us whilst laying in bed. Music calms us, it sends us into dreamland feeling like things will be okay. I attribute much of my sanity to these late-night music seshes. But what makes a good bedtime song? One obviously can’t just put on his/her usual Iron Maiden or LMFAO. Here are some attributes I look for when I’m trying to prep for sleepy time: 1) The song must be relatively low-energy. When lying in bed with the lights off, I’m aiming to become relaxed. After all, the overall goal here is to eventually get to sleep. Groups like Beastie Boys for example, while awesome, fill me with energy. They make me want to go play tackle football or run a few miles. In the morning, these effects are awesome, but when trying to wind down the day, it’s just not the right vibe. Emotional content can still be present in low energy songs. I look for songs that instill a sense of subdued inspiration. I want my heart to feel the music, not the rest of my body. The song “Hear You Me,” by Jimmy Eat World, is a great example of this phenomenon. The melody of the song is slow and pretty, strummed lightly on an acoustic guitar. Toward the end, the song features loud electric guitar, but maintains the slow rhythm and sad, heartfelt lyrics. Jim Adkins’ voice is soft and genuine, complemented by the soft acoustic guitar. The ingredients for subdued inspiration, perfect for a presleep music session. 2) The song must be relatively simple. I don’t want to hear a song that forces me to solve a riddle, or follow a complicated
story line. I want to relax my mind, I want to let my brain rest. Therefore, I look for uncomplicated songs. When enjoying music at the end of the day, honestly, the sound of the music is often more important to me than the lyrics. So I certainly do not want to listen to a song in which the lyrics force you to use brainpower. An example, you ask? “Heaven at Nite” by Kid Cudi. The song’s message is simple (although I’m not sure if I know what exactly it means) — have you ever been to heaven at night? The mental image of heaven at night is very pleasing. I imagine acres of perfectly lit, greek-style pillared buildings and green grass. Also, the soothing-ness of Kid Cudi’s voice is key — it doesn’t dominate the song. You aren’t forced to acknowledge his singing. This allows the listener to relax his/her brain. When this happens, the song as a whole can really engulf the listener’s being. 3) The song must have a beautiful melody. I know what you’re thinking: Tyler, shouldn’t this one always be a rule not merely for bedtime music? Why, reader, not necessarily. The key word here is “beautiful.” A song can be great without being beautiful. The song “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, for example, is a fantastic song. However, I would not consider it a beautiful melody. I love the song, but it is not one I would opt to listen to before bed. To me, beauty comes from a song’s ability to speak directly to your heart and soul. When I can detect genuine emotion in a song and get a rise from it, then I consider it beautiful. Different chords, lyrics and melodies do this for different people. We are not all going to select the same pre-sleep music, but a song that exemplifies beauty to me is “I Wish” by R Kelly. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, how he wishes he could just step away from all the fame and see his parents again. The beat is slow, soft and melodic. His sadness comes through so unmistakably, and all of it together definitely hits me in the heart. R Kelly gets a lot of crap for his offstage shenanigans, but he makes some beautiful music. This song gives my heart a final little jolt before I sleep, and sets me up to start the next day inspired. Music is meditation. It can be a fantastic tool, one that can be utilized to manipulate your emotions. Songs following these three rules get me in that perfect bedtime zone, and let me drift off to dreamland in a satisfied trance. Hopefully they do the same for you.
8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Student Housing continues Tercero renovation Tercero Phase 3 nears completion
CIERA PASTUREL | AGGIE
Progress on the Tercero dorms can be seen from the stairwell of the Tercero Dining Commons. UC Davis Student Housing hopes to open the dorms to incoming students by fall 2014.
JASON PHAM
campus@theaggie.org By June 2014, UC Davis Student Housing is expecting to complete Tercero Area Phase 3 (TP3). The project consists of opening seven brand new residence halls that will begin housing first-year students by fall 2014. According to Branden Petitt, director of the Office of Student Development, Student Housing plans to open 1,176 new beds as part of TP3 that will consist of 80 single rooms and 548 doubles. The total project cost for TP3 is $88,441,000. Petitt said that the funding for TP3, as well as all new residence hall projects done by Student Housing, comes from a combination of debt financing and capital reserves. “Student Housing is an auxiliary operation which is funded through room and board fees students pay when they choose to live with us,” Petitt said via email. For Frank Lin, a first-year animal science major, the high cost of living within Student Housing remains burdensome. “Usually for me, it’s the cost. It’s expensive here,” Lin said. “It’s nice that they are building new housing, but I don’t know if it’s the case where they’re going to lower the price or not.”
According to Jill Tomcyzk, assistant director of Project Management, TP3 is a design-build project (Clarify what this is) being constructed by Sundt Construction in collaboration with EHDD Architectecture out of San Francisco. According to Tomcyzk, sustainability features for TP3 include an energy-efficient design through strategies such as natural ventilation, shading from mature trees and proper orientation of the buildings. She claimed that TP3 will reduce water usage in its landscaping by capturing onsite runoff in bioswales, a system for the removal of pollution from runoff water, for natural percolation. Project specifications required the use of both high recycled content materials and regional materials when possible, according to Tomczyk. During the construction process, there was also a focus on projecting natural daylight and views into the living spaces. “The buildings are aiming to achieve a sustainability rating by the U.S. Green Building Council of LEED Gold, with a chance to achieve Platinum,” Tomcyzk said via e-mail. According to Tomcyzk, TP3 is largely similar to the residence halls constructed in Tercero Phases 1 and 2 in features and for-
Gratefulness leads to happiness Study finds attitude of gratitude links to many positive benefits in adolescents JASBIR KAUR
science@theaggie.org When it comes to gratefulness and positive thinking, not much research is available on children and adolescents. However, Dr. Robert Emmon’s research from UC Davis, in collaboration with Dr. Giacomo Bono (Whittier College) and Dr. Jeffrey Froh (Hofstra University) builds a scientific basis for trying to understand gratitude in children. This study is one-of-a-kind because it is the first to assess grateful thinking in adolescents — an area of research that has been neglected due to the common misconception that children are ungrateful. “Gratitude is the ability to be aware of the gifts life provides that we have done absolutely nothing to earn, deserve or receive,” said Dr. Emmons in an email interview. Seven hundred middle school students were assessed on their measures of gratitude, pro-social behavior, life satisfaction and social integration every three months for a six-month period. The researchers found that gratitude is a complex emotion that begins to spark in children around the ages of 10 and 14. “Participants were instructed to count up to five things in which they were thankful for and write and deliver an appreciation letter to someone. Aside from the control group, the non-control group were taught to think gratefully,” Dr. Bono said. After a six-month period, participants’ measures on these assessments were analyzed. The study took three years to complete. “Gratitude interventions can enhance
feelings of resiliency, which acts as a buffer in times of adversity,” Dr. Froh said. The researchers found that six months after the study, the participants who were taught to be more appreciative achieved easier social integration — meaning they were more socially adept and fit in better with peers. Social integration was found to be negatively associated with depression, envy, delinquency and antisocial behavior. Consequently, it was found to be positively correlated with a higher grade point average, life satisfaction, positive affect, self-esteem, hope and happiness. Practicing an attitude of gratitude can make individuals healthier, function optimally, improve well-being and lead to more resiliency. According to Dr. Emmons, resiliency acts somewhat like a psychological immune system that protects the individual during times of stress. Such a mindset can allow an individual to change his or perception about difficulties, and view them as opportunities instead. This in turn, allows grateful people to notice and appreciate the good things that happen to them. Over time, if one is truly thankful for the gifts they receive in life, one develops the need or dependency to do something in return — paying it forward, also known as “upstream generativity.” Feelings of indebtedness evolves into a full circle, benefiting not only the individual, but others as well. “Anyone can teach themselves how to become more grateful. That’s the great thing about gratitude — no one is ever too young, too old, too rich, too poor, too sick, too healthy to practice gratitude — [it’s] freely available to all!” Dr. Emmons said. n
mat. However, she stated that the uniqueness of TP3 residence halls will come from their 250-seat lecture hall to be used for the new student orientation program, movie viewing and other academic uses. Student Housing expects to begin Tercero Area Phase 4 (TP4) in late June 2014 with the demolition of Leach Hall to construct more housing for first-year students. The total project cost is estimated at $64 million. Student Housing expects to complete TP4 by June 2017 and to be open for incoming students that fall. According to Tomcyzk, Leach Hall will be replaced with approximately 500 beds in a similar arrangement to Tercero Phases 1, 2 and 3. According to Tomcyzk, Student Housing is still in its early stages of design, so the breakdown of singles and doubles remains undetermined. Tomcyzk claimed that the decision to demolish Leach Hall, built in 1970, came from the building’s age. “[Leach Hall] is kind of old, so upgrading is always good,” said Kimberly Campos, a first-year and a current resident of Leach Hall. “If they’re able to add more rooms or maybe put more doubles so it will be more affordable for students that would be good.” According to Petitt,TP4 is estimated at a higher cost than TP3 because of changes in
the construction market, changes in California building code for energy efficiency and the programmatic decision made by Student Housing to have a higher number of single rooms for TP4. However, Petitt claims that the cost isn’t significantly different from the cost of other construction projects being completed around Davis. According to Petitt, the Tercero Dining Commons was renovated in 2006 to accommodate the increase in residents TP3 will eventually add to the area. As for the increase in residents from TP4, Petitt said that Student Housing is in the beginning stages of its design to add seating to accommodate those residents as well. After noticing an already crowded space, Ales Lee, a first-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, predicts the 2006 Dining Commons renovation will not be large enough to serve all the residents in the Tercero area after TP3 is complete. “All those people in that one building is going to be ridiculous,” Lee said. “People are not going to be able to eat before their classes. The lines are already long in this area. So imagine if you’re adding another 1,000 students.” Amanda Mponte, a first-year biological sciences major, echoed Lee’s thoughts. “It gets so full,” Mponte said. “The lines are already down the stairs and imagine triple that. How am I supposed to eat before my class?” According to Tomcyzk, in addition to the Tercero renovations, the current Student Housing Capital Plan proposes a redevelopment of Cuarto’s Webster Hall beginning in 2017. Outside of Student Housing, there are currently three development projects in the works managed by UC Davis Real Estate Services. These include West Village, the redevelopment of Cuarto’s Castilian Hall and a redevelopment of Orchard Park. According to Mark Rutheiser, assistant director of UC Davis Real Estate Services, Castilian Hall will be renovated into a graduate student single apartment to be renamed “8th & Wake.” The buildings are expected to be completed by August 2014 and to be open for occupancy by Sept. 1 of the same year. “The goal [of the apartments] is to provide below-market rents,” Rutheiser said via e-mail. Rutheiser said that the apartments are being constructed by a third-party developer who will bear the cost of development as well. According to Rutheiser, the developer will also manage and operate the facility with its own funds. He said that this is not a new process for the University. DORMS on 12
This Week In senate Vice President Bradley Bottoms was absent from the ASUCD Senate meeting on Jan. 23. The meeting was called into session at 6:11 PM by President Pro Tempore Miles Thomas, who acted as presiding officer. Senator Gareth Smythe was elected to take the place of President Pro Tempore during the meeting. Three new commissioners were confirmed to Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission and four new members were confirmed to Aggie Public Arts Committee. One current member was re-confirmed to the Education Abroad Center, and a new member was confirmed as well. A unit director report was given by Darren Schluep who represented the ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo) and Associated Students Dining Services. He reported that CoHo sales have gone up this year, and that the CoHo hopes to introduce more vegetarian options for grab ‘n go salads. Schluep also reported that Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi potentially will be serving coffee at the CoHo on Feb. 3 to fulfill her Promise to Education she made in October. Dillan Horton, the unit director of University Affairs, reported on a recent Board of Regents meeting. He said that the UC schools, along with the CSU and CCC school systems, hope to increase their online education along with streamlining the transfer process and outreach to students in grades K-12. Some senators expressed concern that
an increased amount of online courses would be detrimental because of the lack of contact between students and professors. The Club Finance Council gave a presentation.The council said that its services have increased in the past year because of increased marketing towards campus clubs. It has not been able to fund as many club events as it would like because the cost of funding for clubs has increased. Senate Bill 26 proposed to allocate $2,948.32 to the ASUCD unit Creative Media in order to replace old ASUCD website servers. The bill passed in a 9-1 vote. IAC Chairman Spencer McManus said it would be simply irresponsible to not supply Creative Media with the servers that it needs because of all of the work that it does for ASUCD. The senate meeting then moved into public discussion regarding the 2014-15 academic calendar.The issue of the 201415 winter break schedule was discussed for a substantial amount of time. Thomas was in favor of trying to take action on the issue, but a resolution for ASUCD to bring it to the University of California Office of the President was turned down in a 5-1 vote, with six abstaining. The remainder of the meeting consisted of senators adopting ASUCD units and assigning a member to the Experimental College task force. Three new pieces of legislation were brought up to be discussed at the next senate meeting. — Melissa Dittrich
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | 9
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
ONEUCDAVIS Cont. from page 2
Colwell, the senior manager of communications for development and alumni relations. “One of the main goals of the 2020 initiative is to grow the faculty.The One Campaign wants to show prospective faculty members why they should want to come work with UC Davis,” Lawrence said. According to Colwell, UC Davis also has opportunities for expansion that other UCs
don’t. “UC Davis has the largest geographical footprint of the UCs. It’s not like UC Berkeley where they’re surrounded by a major city, we have room to grow and expand,” Colwell said. Nonga said that she was happy that the funds being used in the campaign didn’t come from raising student fees. “I’m glad that they were able to find another avenue of funding. Hopefully, whatever kind of visibility that UC Davis gets from this campaign will make it a worthy invest-
ment in the long run,” Nonga said. In June, the One campaign will be expanded outside of the UC Davis campus and will move into the state of California as a whole, according to Lawrence. The campaign will start to appear in all of the admissions materials, and a large part of the project involves connecting alumni with the campus. “We’re creating an alumni portal on the One website of alumni and student events in specific areas,” Lawrence said. The One World, One UC Davis campaign
AMAZON
VETERANS
Cont. from front page
Cont. from page 3
the cover and/or a rearrangement of chapters. The least the University could do is lower its prices to be semi-competitive with other textbook retailers. Beyond that, this seems to be the “win-win” situation that UC Davis is yearning for. The University would be able to earn more money through students actually purchasing books from the bookstore. Instead of a measly 2 percent, UC Davis would actually earn 100 percent of the profit sold from these books. This plan also allows students to actually purchase textbooks at a reasonable price and be winners of the deal. Instead of allowing other companies to provide for students’ needs, do it yourself. Provide affordable textbooks that students would be able to purchase. Let’s face it, the students need the money way more than Amazon does. n
brain injury (TBI), PTSD … and what we’re starting to find is that those [particular] needs aren’t being met,” Garcia said. “The center would serve as a launching point for all of our veterans here on campus, as a new place where services and resources can be consolidated … One of the major needs that a lot of our veterans identified was the need for a place … to really come together as a community.” Norton also sees this need for a consolidation and specialization of resources for veterans and increased communication between them. “Medical issues are a big issue for student veterans … for instance pain management,” Norton said. “For [veterans] it’s not uncommon to have some sort of injury and not necessarily from combat … We need clinicians on campus that have expertise in combat injuries … What we at UC Davis want to provide them is ‘wrap-around services’ which means [communication] between all the services.” Sanchez identified with the issue of lacking medical services and referrals on campus. If there is an is-
REGENTS Cont. from front page
presence from UC Davis for the last seven years. “UC Davis hasn’t had a Student Regent in a really long time,” Flores said. Before the presentation began, Flores and Saifuddin listened to and answered questions from the audience regarding issues facing UC students. Issues presented included inconvenient access to Student Regents, more inclusion of gender-neutral restrooms, the increase in UC privatization, a longer orientation, an increase in online courses, an emphasis on teaching rather than research, not enough representation of international students and the decline of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) majors. “A lot of times, instructors are not actually teaching students and they’re kind of paying a lot of money to teach themselves when that’s what your professors are supposed to be there for,” said
Star Bacon, a third-year community and regional development major, as well as Student Assistant to the Chancellor. The UC Student Regent application consists of three components: a general information form, three references and a personal statement. The applicant will also go through three interview rounds. Applicants will first be interviewed by the Regional presidents. The top ten candidates will then be selected and subsequently interviewed by the University of California Students Association, who will choose the top three students to be interviewed by the UC Regents Selection Committee. The UC Student Regent must be a UC student with at least two years remaining at the UC. The student serves as the Student Regent-designate for the first year and the Student Regent for the second year. According to Flores, the Student Regent-designate and Student Regent perform the same job responsibilities, except only the Student Regent is allowed to vote. For Saifuddin, the short term allows
is the first UC Davis streamlined marketing campaign which includes all parts of the University. Programs such as the UC Davis Nursing School, which is located across the causeway in Sacramento, often have different marketing strategies than the base UC Davis campus, but the One campaign wants to integrate everything that makes up UC Davis. “The best part of the campaign so far has been working with the students, because they’ve never had a platform this big to tell their stories or to celebrate their achievements,” Lawrence said. n
sue that veterans have that cannot be accommodated in Davis they must travel to the Veteran Affairs (VA) Mather Hospital in Sacramento which has been described by some veterans as a ‘lost day’ with an average four-month waiting period to be seen, according to Norton. The issue of TBI has also impacted Sanchez personally as one of his fellow DSVO officers had to leave school due to “psychological impediments.” “A lot of veterans need medical service; they are disabled, they have arthritis and are diagnosed with a lot of different issues,” Sanchez said. “The loss of … a fellow marine from an academic setting really hit me hard because I felt responsible — like I didn’t do enough to help him stay here to accomplish his goal. His loss was ultimately a main motive pushing me towards helping other veterans who are here and may feel that they’re going in it alone when they’re not … it made me revert back to that ‘troop welfare’ mentality.” Garcia also sees the effort of veteran students lobbying for the establishment of a veteran center as important for the perpetuation of veteran representation on campus. “The students that did work on the proposal [for the veteran cen-
the Student Regent to develop innovative alternatives to current policy. “Cinthia and I sit on the board for two years so we recycle out a lot more quickly than other Regents,” Saifuddin said. “Other Regents are appointed for 12-year terms and oftentimes they’re old, they come from a very specific demographic, so they may not have the same ability to think outside the box that we do as students.” Saifuddin said she is the second undergraduate student to hold a Student Regent position in approximately 10 years. She said this is due to graduate and professional students having a longer time to build their resumes in order to obtain the position. According to Flores, the Student Regent and the Student Regent-designate are the only people on the board who have a specifically designated student interest as their primary job responsibility. “It is our job to fight for student’s interests and priorities; often times these are determined by the UC Students Association, the Council of Presi-
ter] have graduated … but a lot of our current veterans who are working for this vet center and carrying forward that proposal to make sure something happens ... realize that they’re not doing this for themselves... that their efforts are only going to pay dividends and be fruitful for those who are coming after them,” Garcia said. Overall awareness and resource accessibility are the goals of DSVO, and for the 2013-2014 school year, their ongoing project will be “What is a Veteran Project” in which student veterans will give video testimonials about their experiences transitioning from the military to academia. “[There are] a lot of individuals here who have contributed [to DSVO], who are about to graduate or who are student alums whose stories are very compelling to me,” Sanchez said. “Our overall goal is to … inform the community that we have veterans within Davis who are regular individuals who are going through extraordinary trials … and telling other veterans specifically that it’s okay to admit that we have faults, that we have needs ... As a former platoon sergeant, my job was to recognize people’s contributions … and I don’t want their stories to go untold.” n
dents and different governing bodies. Students bring us issues, and it’s our job to bring them back to the Board of Regents,” Saifuddin said. Flores also said the Student Regent is the primary advocate for access, affordability and diversity at UC. Along with voicing student issues to the Board of Regents, each Student Regent also has their own personal agenda they works toward. Flores said that her personal agenda dealt with issues involving access and diversity, while Saifuddin said that she was interested in issues of affordability. Student Regents also have the responsibility of building student power within the University through communicating with statewide leaders. “There are times when the going gets tough, but at the end of the day I can sit back and say, ‘I’m here. I’m making a change. These are the issues I’m working on and working towards,’” Flores said. The 2015-16 Student Regent application is due on Feb. 20. n
10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Opinion THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE ELIZABETH ORPINA Editor in Chief CLAIRE TAN Managing Editor SCOTT DRESSER Campus News Editor PAAYAL ZAVERI City News Editor NAOMI NISHIHARA Features Editor TANYA AZARI Opinion Editor KYLE SCROGGINS Science Editor KENNETH LING Sports Editor CRISTINA FRIES Arts Editor BIJAN AGAHI Photography Editor EMMA LUK Copy Chief JANICE PANG Design Director JAMES KIM Art Director BRIAN NGUYEN New Media Manager RYAN HANSEN-MAFFET Business Manager BEAUGART GERBER Advertisting Manager One Shields Ave. 25 Lower Freeborn, UCD Davis, a 95616 Editorial (530) 752-0208 Advertising (530) 752-0365 Fax (530)752-0355
The California Aggie is printed on recycled paper
editorial from the board The 98 percent
Amazon partnership Nov. 22, 2013 marked UC Davis’ embarked on a unique partnership with Amazon, the massively successful online shopping website. UC Davis is the first university to partner with Amazon in this venture. The program, as currently implemented, allows UC Davis to earn a little over two percent of all profit gained by Amazon when students shop on either Amazon.com, using their UC Davis email addresses, or at the UC Davis storefront, davis. amazon.com. The University is trying to help its students in this partnership with Amazon and it is admirable, to a certain degree. However, the collaboration with Amazon misses the point entirely. The money that the University receives will be directed back toward student funds. Part of
the profit, at least $40,000, will be used to create a textbook scholarship to help students in need. The rest of the money will be used to help support other student programs on campus. Its nice to see money going back to the students, as it rarely does, but the University seems to believe that this partnership will provide an additional source of revenue for itself as well as quelling the masses of students who have been vocal about the ever-rising prices of textbooks. The problem with this thinking is that it attempts to mask a much larger problem: the ridiculous cost of required materials at the UC Davis Store. The UC Davis Store is supposedly a service to the students that provides “the tools of education at the lowest possible cost.” This has
Divine Game
C-C-Chasm
LATIN AMERICANISMS with JORGE JUAREZ
IN TRANSITION
I
t’s no secret that football (soccer for you Yanks) holds a privileged position in the pantheon of Latin American culture. The beautiful game nears an almost religious significance for many in the region — I include myself in this group. The commandments of the faith are beautiful in their simplicity: ‘stand by your side through thick and thin, through promotion, relegation, and be forever wary of the darkened figure with the whistle lest he lead your team astray.’
But for those who revel in the ecstasy of a well-placed slide tackle, acknowledge the exquisiteness of a goalless draw. These are dictums not intended for the fickle and faint of heart. But for those who revel in the ecstasy of a well-placed slide tackle, acknowledge the exquisiteness of a goalless draw, and contemplate the mysteries of catenaccio, the pain and frustration of a lost, trophyless decade — a lost century if you happen to be an Everton supporter — is but a bump in the road on the path to salvation and silverware. While the link between football and faith requires no metaphysical proof, in many ways the sport occupies a space that neither religion nor politics can hope to intrude on. This fact is brought out by some rather overstated but nevertheless telling incidents in football history. Who hasn’t heard of the famed “Football War” — quite a few people actually judging from the responses I get when I bring it up — the armed conflict between El Salvador and Honduras touched off by their heated rivalry in the run-up to the 1970 World Cup? Or the more recent act of football-inspired peace brought about in Cote d’Ivoire’s Civil War by the return of their most beloved prodigal son, striker Didier Drogba. These are stories meant to provide if only a glimpse of the game’s true power to an uninitiated outsider. This coming June will see the footballing world’s eyes turn towards what might rightly be termed the mecca of the game: Brazil. The heralds of ‘joga bonito’ will be hosting the 2014 World Cup hoping to add a sixth win to their already
historic haul in past tournaments. However, the path to the grandest spectacle in sports (hate to break it to you Super Bowl) has not been devoid of controversy. The same cities which are set to host the World Cup were embroiled this past summer in mass protests against the Brazilian government and the apparent contradictions posed by hosting a high-expenditure event in the face of persistent poverty and inequality. The protests touched off a much needed reflection among football’s elite. A number of well-known Brazilian and non-Brazilian players expressed solidarity with a Brazilian people suspicious of the national image being sold to them. The suspicions are well founded in a world where football is increasingly commodified and encircled by interests alien to the game as many know it. The idea that football can cure all social ills is not a new one. Many an aficionado would offer up personal testimony of its healing powers and its almost magical prowess which can serve to dispel the all-too familiar distinctions of race and class in a region which still struggles to come to terms with both. But the question that such an uncritical stance ignores is one that should be at the forefront of contemporary football — and all popular sports for that matter — what is left when football is no longer a game for the people, but one reserved exclusively for the rich and powerful? The popularity of the game is deeply rooted in its ascetic simplicity, a certain philosophical poverty which requires nothing more than a ball and a space to play in. The two gods of football, Maradona and Pele — Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Platini can be seen as demigods (think of Messi as a young, slightly smaller Hercules) — are arguably the greatest exemplars of this now oftenignored cosmology. Maradona, on the one hand, rising from the roughest of Buenos Aires neighborhoods to conquer the world with both foot and hand (he is infamously known for his Hand of God goal in the 1986 World Cup), Pele emerging as a symbol of black accomplishment in a world maintained by the legacy of anti-blackness. This is the sacred corpus we as devoted fans risk losing in a world of multi-million dollar contracts and corporate takeovers. If you would care to engage in some friendly banter with JORGE JUAREZ regarding Inter’s recent run of bad form you can poke fun at jnjuarez@ucdavis.edu.
not been the case, as evidenced by the large number of students who shop elsewhere, such as Amazon, when buying textbooks. Clearly, Amazon has been taking away business from the bookstore. Yet, the University is under the impression that the deal with Amazon “will generate significant revenue for the University and [does] not believe it will harm [its] in-store sales.” After all, two percent of sales can add up to quite a bit. While this may be true (we doubt it) there seems to be a much easier way of creating sustained revenue for the University through the bookstore: lower the prices. It is asinine enough to be asked to buy or rent the newest edition of a textbook that only differs from an older version by a new picture on amazon on 12
with SARAH MARSHALL
I
knew that transferring to UC Davis would mean taking harder classes, having more responsibilities and inevitably facing the terrifying process of graduating and moving on to the real world. I expected to have longer homework assignments and learn more diverse concepts than I previously had. I’m not sure I can say that I was “prepared” for it, per se, but at least I was aware. However, I was surprised by the significant amount of insight I gained about
There was no equivalent to the dorms or the DC. We couldn’t spend nights eating yummy late night cookies or getting to know the people on our floor. community college when I transferred. Suddenly, I realized what I had truly learned at my CCC and what I had missed out on while I was there. So aside from the pedagogical aspects of taking more arduous classes and forging a path for my eventual career, I recognized some other incredibly significant differences between my experiences as a CCC and a UC student. As a CCC student, there was little to no sense of overarching community or lifelong skills taught there. I didn’t have many chances to build lasting relationships with my peers or join groups to develop my interests. In community college, there was no equivalent to the dorms or the DC.We couldn’t spend nights eating yummy late night cookies or getting to know the people on our floor. I still lived with my parents and found it difficult to connect to my peers. My CCC didn’t have a football or basketball team, so there was never a chance to attend tailgates, rallies or even show school spirit.We couldn’t support our fellow students or take pride in our school’s history. We also didn’t have many social groups on campus — no sororities or fraternities to join, no cool CoHo people and very few interest clubs. It was difficult to feel immersed and harder to establish a dedication to our school. But here’s the kicker: our campus
didn’t even have a quad.The biting irony of a “community” college with no communal space for students to hang out in still makes me chuckle as I sit in the CoHo. We didn’t have the chance to build that feeling of “community” at our community college simply because we didn’t spend much time on campus, or even think much about our school outside of class. Aside from those missed opportunities, CCCs diminish the focus of long-term goals and structured plans for its students, so your education and experience feels incomplete. For transfer students, CCCs present a rudimentary education — one that will be fulfilled at a secondary school. It was commonplace to have large chasms in the flow of our studies because we were consistently dabbling in subjects, often dipping into and out of certain fields every semester. It was a far cry from the regularity of a declared major at a UC. For other students, CCCs are utilized to supplement past degrees or stacked to earn field-specific certificates. So ultimately, no matter your route, your education at a CCC is temporal and subordinate. Even more frustrating, there is also this anomalously withering comfort zone that accompanies a CCC education. During your time there you’re only focused on, well, only your time there. Your classes are a bargaining chip for satisfying requirements and moving on. You take a class, do well, and move on. It’s a type of pass-go-and-collect-$200 focus — not exactly the epistemological one UC Davis proclaims. Overall, this unsteady and inconsistent education creates and instills a very real “you’re on your own” mentality for CCC students. As unfortunate as it is, the fact remains that my primary goal during my time at community college was to get out of there as quickly as possible. I had absolutely no interest in maintaining loyalty or boasting school pride. It was sad. But things are different now. I’m thrilled to be an Alpha Phi, live within walking distance of my school and have the opportunity to create the life my UC Davis education prepared me for. I’m proud to be an Aggie and I don’t want to leave. To add to this list of discrepancies, email SARAH MARSHALL at smmarshall@ ucdavis.edu.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | 11
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Alice in NYC
Agent Orange Corn
LITERARY LESSONS with EREN KAVVAS
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE with ELLEN PEARSON
I
t may be whiny, it may be bourgeois and it may be lacking in diversity. That being said,“Girls” is still one of my favorite shows on television. I tried watching it with someone over the age of 30, and on both occasions the whole experience went quite poorly.There is something so germane about “Girls” and our generation; something so specific and perfectly adept that even though I cannot figure out exactly what it is, I know that the show is a millennial girls’ anthem. At least for this millennial girl. Moreover, because I try to find a way to connect all the things that I love, I have decided that
They both have this characteristic where they are scared about the future, but they still make really rash decisions. Shoshanna is a lot like Alice from Alice in Wonderland. First, a synopsis of the show for those who do not watch: four girls live in NYC, all live frustrating but uber normal lives. I have heard it referred to as a 20 something’s version of “Sex and the City”, but with believable characters. In any case, the character I am referring to in this piece is Shoshanna, the once inexperienced NYU student who is having a sexual epiphany. I have a theory that in “Girls,” each character is a part of a full person.We all have our fabulous Jessa side, our up-tight Marnie side, the hypocritical and naïve Hannah side and the new-to-the-world Shoshanna side. Maybe “Girls” is as if each of these parts of our identity was a complete person who just operated under the parameters of small piece of us. Also, maybe not, but that is my hypothesis on the matter. Shoshanna, like Alice, is generally confused about life. She is having a lot of new experiences and is not really sure where she stands in the larger spectrum of existence anymore. I think the 20-something girl could learn a lot from both Alice and Shoshana. All three of us are trying out new things. Shoshanna (spoiler alert!) just lost her virginity and is deciding if promiscuity might be her calling, Alice just fell into a psychedelic rabbit hole and is deciding if living a life of adventure is her
lifestyle choice and the 20-something girl just noticed her very first facial line that she suspects might one day be a wrinkle, and is re-evaluating if she has made enough progress in life as someone who is getting their first wrinkle should have. Alice and Shoshanna also have something else in common — they both have this characteristic where they are scared about the future, but they still make really rash decisions that do not seem to follow the actions of someone who is overly concerned about life. Alice, if you are so anxious about trying to get home, why are you always taking so many tangential adventures? I know that there’s a part of you that thinks,“Screw going home, I want to run off into this sunset with this caterpillar” and you are trying to make this work with the familial responsibilities that you hold dear. However, worrying about both at the same time and then still deciding to go to that tea party is just very confusing to the reader. Now onto Shoshanna, and the confused part of the 20-something girl she represents. Shoshanna, it was probably a big step for you to sleep with Ray, and I am all in support for figuring out at what level of sexually-liberated-woman you belong, but you need to figure out your priorities before spending nights in random guys’ dorms. I saw you get googly-eyed when Adam talked about how much he loved Hannah. If you want that, you need to sit and think about your life instead of jumping into a new selfimposed identity.The same goes for you, confused-part-of-the-20-something-girl. If you are so worried about your future, and how you are going to survive as an adult, maybe just think about it for a little while instead of suddenly making rash decisions. The joy of “Girls” is being able to watch someone on television make similar mistakes as you did. I haven’t experienced everything those girls on TV have, but every once in a while I think, “I did that” and it comforts me to know that I am not the only idiot out there to make such a silly life mistake. Now, if I could just get Shosh a copy of Alice in Wonderland, maybe she would get to see herself in the mirror and might not feel so bad. To follow Alice, Shoshanna and EREN KAVVAS into the rabbit hole that is your midtwenties, email her at ebkavvas@udavis.edu.
A
decade before most of us were born, the U.S. government contracted chemical companies, such as Dow Chemical and Monsanto, to manufacture Agent Orange for use during the Vietnam War. This deadly defoliant was a mixture of two common pesticides: 2,4D and 2,4,5-T, dubbed Agent Orange because of the orange stripe on the metal drums used to transport it around Vietnam. The U.S. government secretly developed 2,4-D as a chemical weapon under
Are increased yields worth poisoning our farmers? 2,4-D is a smoking gun for a bullet-riddled problem. the disguise of agricultural research. When wartime was over, it was marketed to homeowners as a weedkiller for lawn and to farmers as an herbicide. Despite its sordid history, the Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of evaluating a new GMO corn and 2,4-D pesticide combo-pack. As RoundUp Ready corn and soybeans are resistant to RoundUp pesticide, this new GMO corn and soybean would be resistant to a pesticide containing 2,4-D — one of the ingredients in Agent Orange. Because 2,4-D is already used at a commercial scale, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that has documented its carcinogenic effects. Some argue that 2,4-D can’t be linked to Agent Orange because it was only one of the two ingredients in the chemical weapon. In 2006, however, researchers clearly linked stomach cancer in California farmworkers to the application of 2,4-D pesticide on agricultural fields. 2,4-D easily volatilizes, or changes from liquid to a gaseous form, and is then ingested through the air by breathing and swallowing. What would approving this new GMO corn and soybean result in?
letter to the editor
Even more 2,4-D sprayed all over the country! Farm workers aren’t the only people who have been exposed to and sickened by 2,4-D — many Vietnam veterans have, too. Vietnam veterans suffer from lymphoma at rates disproportionately higher than the general population. The link between Agent Orange and lymphoma has been so scientifically proven, that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers disability and compensation to any veterans or family members of a veteran who were “exposed to herbicides during the Vietnam era.” The family members of any veteran who died because of exposure to Agent Orange are even entitled to survivor’s benefits. How do veterans feel about GMO corn that is modified to withstand the spraying of the same chemical in Agent Orange? The Vietnam Veterans of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated solely to assisting veterans from the Vietnam War, wrote a letter to President Obama asking for his support in opposing the approval of such a poisonous chemical. Proponents claim that 2,4-D resistant corn and soy will benefit farmers. However, a study on Nebraska farmers linked 2,4-D application to the increased rates of lymphoma in farmers who sprayed the pesticide. Are increased yields worth poisoning our farmers? 2,4-D is a smoking gun for a bullet-riddled problem. Last year, the USDA faced enough public outcry to require a formal environmental impact assessment by the EPA, now underway. If you would like to voice opposition to the approval of Agent Orange Corn to the EPA, you can comment online at regulations.gov by searching “Dow AgroSciences” on the homepage. Nearly 3,000 people have already commented. Additionally, you can sign a petition at CenterforFoodSafety.org. To vent frustrations about poisonous chemicals in our food system, email ELLEN PEARSON at erpearson@ ucdavis.edu.
LAWSUIT Cont. from page 4
Response to Breathe Free: At What Cost? As student assistants with Student Health and Counseling Services’ Health Education and Promotion Department, we appreciate your article for spreading awareness about the new and groundbreaking UC Davis Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy, implemented Jan. 1, 2014. Additionally, we would like to draw attention to the many resources and services offered by the University to support students during this transition period. Finally, we wish to address the editorial perspective expressed regarding the costs of promoting this new policy and supporting student tobacco cessation efforts. Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) is now offering students free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products in conjunction with professional smoking cessation services. NRT, in the form of a one-month (four-week) supply of gum, patches or lozenges, is available at no cost to enrolled students — and students can also get an additional free twoweek supply of NRT from Rite Aid Pharmacy, 655 Russell Blvd., to help fight their cravings. Students just need to show their valid UC Davis ID when picking them up. In addition, free smoking cessation support group therapy is available from Counseling and Psychological Services, and individual tobacco cessation counseling with a Mayo Clinic-certified counselor is available at SHCS for as long as needed. Regarding the cost of this initiative and the resources dedicated to its implementation, we believe what is interesting to consider is that a single pack of cigarettes costs between $6.50 and $7, including tax.This means that a student
who smokes a pack a day will spend about $50 per week or about $200 per month on tobacco products. If a student chooses to quit, and there is a need to purchase more NRT than what is available for free on and near campus, the weekly cost of NRT (about $17-25 per week) would be half or less than half the cost of smoking a pack of cigarettes every day, seven days of the week. Furthermore, while a smoker will likely continue buying cigarettes, a successful quitter will probably wean themselves off of NRT in a few months. It’s also important to keep in mind the increased healthcare costs the smoker is likely to incur in the future if they continue to smoke. Not to mention the improved health, wellbeing and longevity that comes with being tobacco-free.We are proud to point out that the services provided by SHCS can support a person in quitting tobacco and improve their chances of quitting for good, as many of our formerly smoking friends have been able to do. The money our friends saved on cigarettes gave them more “breathing room” in their budgets, as well as on campus. For more information on the range of options supporting students who wish to quit tobacco, please visit breathefree.ucdavis.edu. Sincerely, Daniel Connor, Jillian Kern and Kevin Tran Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Student Assistants Health Education and Promotion Student Health and Counseling Services
to Davis,” said councilmember Dan Wolk in an email. “We will continue to collaborate with our partners on making sure the project is built on time, on budget and with as much outside funding as possible to minimize the impact to ratepayers.” Mayor Joe Krovoza stated that the City Council took the advice of the city’s Water Advisory Committee to ensure the new rates were legal and fair. “This means our joint project with Woodland will proceed to bring Davis a clean, environmentally sound and fiscally responsible long-term surface water supply,” Krovoza said. Dianna Jensen, from the Water Advisory Committee and a principal civil engineer for the City of Davis, said the aim of the surface water project is to provide water supply reliability and improved water quality. “The conjunctive use of surface water with groundwater to meet customer demands will result in an improvement in source water quality, substantially reducing the hardness of the water to customers,” Jensen said. Harrington said that the opponents of the water rate increase submitted signatures on Jan. 23 for an initiative in the upcoming June 2014 election. This initiative aims to place a measure on the ballot to allow citizens to vote on the water rates that will pay for the construction and operation of the surface water project. This initiative, if approved by the
voters, would repeal these rates and return them to the rates prior to May 1, 2013, Harrington said. As of Jan. 28, the initiative has been taken to the Yolo County Elections office to verify the signatures. According to state law, 1,161 valid signatures are needed to place the initiative on the ballot. The total number of signatures collected is 2,233, said Tom Stanionis, the chief of staff at the Yolo Elections office. Zoe Mirabile, the City of Davis city clerk, said that the next step is getting the signatures back from the county by mid-February if it is to be considered for the June 2014 election. “By Feb. 11, the City [of Davis] has to take action to call the [June 2014] election, so the initiative has to meet that deadline to be on the ballot,” Mirabile said. Harrington said he expects this to be a great political challenge for the Davis residents. “We started this water referendum together as a team in August 2011,” Harrington said. “We want the people of Davis to vote as to whether they think these rates are fair or appropriate.” Members of the group stated that their aim is to fight for safe, affordable, sufficient water provided by a public utility for Davis residents. The issues the lawsuit addresses about the City of Davis paying for its water use still need to be addressed, Jensen said. Maguire stated in his tentative ruling that a pretrial conference is scheduled for Mar. 7 to discuss those issues. n
12 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
NUTRITION Cont. from page 5
“This allows a nice look at the biochemistry … it allows the direct study of the effect of nutrition on metabolism.” The research team determined that the mice fed a consistent diet of normal chow have a certain set of circadian genes activated. When the mice are placed on the high-fat meal plan however, an entirely different set of genes are switched on. This causes a major shift away from the organism’s original circadian rhythm. Dr. Pierre Baldi is a key member of the study’s bio-informatics team, responsible for the collection and analysis of highly complex genetic data.
DROUGHT Cont. from front page
State of Emergency, the magnitude of the severe drought conditions presents threats beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single local government. “We can’t make it rain,” said Gov. Brown in the State of Emergency proclamation. “But we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas.” During 2013, Brown issued an Executive Order, directing state water officials to accelerate the review of water rights and transfers; he also created a Drought Task Force, to review expected water allocations. While the government of California is taking precautions and planning ahead to reduce the negative effects of the drought and its current and possible future predicaments, it is impossible to do so without the cooperation of California’s residents. “We hope to provide education on drought conditions,” said Andy Roy of the UC Davis Extension’s Department of Land Use and Natural Resources.
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“Roughly 10 percent of an organism’s circadian genome is oscillating in a given cell,” Dr. Baldi said. “The 10 percent that is oscillating is different from cell to cell, tissue to tissue, organ to organ … A highfat diet disrupts normal oscillation and creates new rhythms altogether.” Lead author of the study, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, elaborated on some of the specific biochemical alterations. “... A high-fat diet resulted in the cessation of many of the existing circadian oscillations within the cell’s metabolome and transcriptome,” Eckel-Mahan said. “This is attributable in part to the aberrant chromatin recruitment of the CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins, which are two transcription factors essential for cellular rhythmicity … A high-fat diet both
blocks existing oscillations within the hepatic [liver] clock while inducing new oscillations where and when they would not take place under normal conditions.” The research team was able to determine that this drastic shift in biochemical rhythm can happen when an organism consumes a high-fat diet over a very short period of time (Christmas break, anyone?). Luckily however, reverting back to a controlled lower-fat diet allows the organism to return to its original bioclock. “You can have a high-fat diet for five days, and you can re-program your clock in this time … In the study, if we take an obese subject on a high-fat diet and put them back on a diet of normal chow, their clock will revert to a normal cir-
“This is the driest that California has been in almost 40 years. We have had all this time to prepare for a drought, but has it really helped?” The California Department of Water Resources is a co-sponsor with the Association of California Water Agencies in a statewide campaign called Save our Water. Details can be found at saveourh2o.com. “A couple ways that the general public can reduce their water usage would be to shorten showers from ten minutes to five,” Blanchard said. “Make sure to do full loads in the washing machine and the dishwasher. Cutting back watering would also be beneficial; if you have a green lawn from watering, you’re doing something wrong.” Easy tips from the Save our Water campaign include: turning off the faucet when brushing teeth, shaving or washing hair, soaking pots and pans, throwing unused water/ice cubes on a plant instead of down the sink, washing dark clothes in cold water and watering outdoor landscapes deeply but less frequently. “Los Angeles has been upholding further restrictions as far as water usage,” said Ted Thomas, of the California Department of Water Resources. “They have been heavily encouraging water storage projects, and as a result, are in less danger than many other areas.”
Seeing how Los Angeles, one of the drier areas in California, is able to collaboratively reduce risk, exemplifies the potential for other regions of California to do the same. “The current conditions are very severe,” Thomas said. “Keeping in mind that we have lost December and January, the concern is high but the conditions could change.” The UC system is hoping that the universities and students will reduce water use by 20 percent by 2020. “The UC has long been a leader in conservation efforts,” said UC President Janet Napolitano in a press release. “This new 2020 goal complements the University’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative and its broader award-winning sustainability efforts. UC is prepared to play a leadership role in response to California’s current water crisis by demonstrating water sustainability solutions to the rest of the state.” According to weather.com, there is a chance of rain in Davis on Jan. 30 and Jan 31. This is the first sign of hope that there has been to alleviate this drought in months. “We are in an unprecedented, very serious situation,” Brown said at a press conference. “People should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, on nature and on one another.” n
AMAZON Cont. from page 10
the cover and/or a rearrangement of chapters. The least the University could do is lower its prices to be semi-competitive with other textbook retailers. Beyond that, this seems to be the “win-win” situation that UC Davis is yearning for. The University would be able to earn more money through students actually purchasing books from
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cadian rhythm … this is encouraging because you have not locked the system into something irreversible,” Dr. SassoneCorsi said. The question that that research teams will seek to answer in the future is how different diets, not just a typical high-fat diet, can impact an organism’s circadian rhythm. The Atkins, Paleo, Vegan and Mediterranean diets are prime examples of popular dietary paradigms employed today, and each one may have its own unique effect on gene expression and circadian rhythm. Once again, research reminds us that our dietary patterns and lifestyle choices dictate both our physical status and our lives in more ways than previously imagined. n
DORMS Cont. from page 8
“UC Davis has several other residential facilities that have been built and managed by third parties in a similar manner,” Rutheiser said. He said the reason behind rebuilding Castilian Hall was its age, which led it to becoming functionally obsolete beyond affordable repair. “Castilian Hall was built in the late 1960s … Because of the very high cost of repair, the obsolete standards of the existing living units, and the higher level of health and safety that can be achieved by building to current building codes, it was decided to rebuild,” Rutheiser said. According to Rutheiser, the redevelopment of Orchard Park is because of the same reasons as Castilian Hall. Additionally, Rutheiser said that the redevelopment will also bring an opportunity to increase the amount of student housing at the site. The University is currently negotiating with a separate developer from 8th & Wake to redevelop Orchard Park. A meeting was held Jan. 25 to introduce the graduate student community to the third-party developer and to discuss the plan concept for Orchard Park further. n
the bookstore. Instead of a measly 2 percent, UC Davis would actually earn 100 percent of the profit sold from these books. This plan also allows students to actually purchase textbooks at a reasonable price and be winners of the deal. Instead of allowing other companies to provide for students’ needs, do it yourself. Provide affordable textbooks that students would be able to purchase. Let’s face it, the students need the money way more than Amazon does. n
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | 13
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
CAMPUS CHIC Cont. from page 6
3. What are your three must-have items in your wardrobe? Acid-washed boyfriend jeans, oversized sweaters/shirts and a really comfortable pair of platforms just because I’m 5’1”. 4. What is your favorite accessory and why? I invest most of my time and money in good shoes. 5. Where do you love to shop and why? Thrift stores because I’m really strapped on cash and I’m still really into eclectic statement pieces, and the best place to do that is at thrift stores, like SPCA and R&R. My all-time favorite sweater cost me definitely less than $3. 6. Where did you get your head-to-toe look? The shoes were thrifted and I originally I bought them for a cosplay. I think these thigh-high socks are my dad’s socks? All the main parts of my outfit, like the dress and the necklace, are my roommate’s. The jacket and bag are also thrifted. My dad got me this hat from Target for Christmas.The ring is from Karmaloop. The glasses are probably the most expensive part of my outfit. Everything of this outfit put together is like one-tenth of what these glasses cost me. I always buy things that are really, really cheap, but if it’s something that I’ve thought about over half a year, then at that point it’s like, “Well then I just have to get it!” 7. What do you love about shoes? The first time I started wearing heels was like sophomore year. Now I have a full closet of heels so for the longest time every month I would buy a new pair of shoes that were around 50 bucks and I thought I was going insane. When I dis-
DAVIS Cont. from front page
on showcase at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. “The Fringe is marvelous. It’s so different, that it is unlike any other situation,” Davis said. “Those people are there to present plays because that’s what they want to do.” As the largest arts festival in the world, The Fringe boasts theatrical and comedy acts, as well as dance and music performances over the entire month of August. Just last year, over 45,000 performances of close to 3,000 shows were presented, and nearly two million tickets were sold. Since 2005, Davis has attended the festival from start to finish, watching anywhere from 160 to 200 plays over the entire month and averaging between six and 10 plays each day. “I was a big moviegoer and then I discovered plays because they can be wilder. The suspension of disbelief is greater for a play than it is for a movie,” Davis said. “I’m a novelty seeker. The Fringe has not failed me.” Davis is joined at the festival every year by his friend and theater buff Tim Emm, who
covered heels I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever!” It was like discovering I had a superpower because I didn’t have to be short anymore. I have about five or six pairs of expensive heels so that’s not horrible, but it’s not great either. My favorite pair are my Jeffrey Campbell nightwalkers. 8. How has your style changed since high school? I had a period in high school for at least two years where I wore the same gray sweater all the time. I thought I had really hairy arms for the longest time, so for some reason it really got in my head. I also had a crush on a guy who also wore the same sweater all the time so the combination of those two things led to me wearing that sweater everyday. I also had long hair until junior year of high school and, the first time I cut my hair, I did it myself in the bathroom. It was some kind of Mulan sh*t, but I just wanted to be different. 8. What is your favorite fashion blog? My current favorite blog right now is Tokyo Fashion. It’s basically Tokyo street style, but it’s almost like a fashion show because that stuff you see in a fashion show is not something you would usually wear. I like looking at that because I like taking their colors and textures and incorporating it in a realistic way to wear clothing. 10. What does fashion mean to you? I think for me it’s like an outlet because the things that I do academically, like math and science, seem very monotone to a lot of people — that’s one side of me and the only way I can express a lot of the more creative side of me comes out through clothing. It’s very much like painting. I don’t really see myself in outfits, but I see outfits as outfits on their own. I’m not going to call myself the
BRIAN NGUYEN | AGGIE
canvas, but it’s a way to look at experimenting with fashion. 11. What final tips can you give to our fashion-forward readers? Don’t be afraid. Most people will not think
chooses about half to two-thirds of the plays they watch together. “Sean is a great companion as he would describe himself the loud American willing to talk to anyone and me the slightly more reserved English man discussing background and providing lots of theatre trivia,” Emm said in an email interview. “I choose the plays based on my knowledge of up and coming playwrights, particular actors I find interesting and the reputation of certain venues plus a few random experiments. I like having a mix of fringe and international festival productions.” Venues at the festival can range from 1,000-person auditoriums and smaller conference rooms to caves beneath bridges holding close to 40 viewers. Despite this, the average audience size is just four during the festival, because smaller shows happening in the city’s outskirts don’t attract as many viewers. “Sean’s approach is to take a venue and see everything in it that day — pretty much going in blind not knowing anything about it — a true fringe adventurer looking for the undiscovered gems,” Emm said. After watching each play, Davis takes mental notes on what he liked and didn’t like. At
poorly of you if you’re wearing something that stands out. There’s rarely a malicious thought that’s going through someone’s head if they see someone who’s wearing something that’s out there.You’re the one who tells others what your image is, not the other way around. n
the beginning of every day, he updates these comments onto his website, fringefan.com. “He keeps to a couple of lines of text, a star rating and constantly lists them in the order that he has enjoyed them,” Emm said. “I do read it particularly if he arrives at the festival before me to get a flavour of the festival from his perspective.” Davis’ short comments give readers a quick overview of what the piece’s highlights were. Website visitors can also see rankings of the previous Fringe festivals. “Last year, I had about 1,000 people who read it. Most people can’t go to the festival for the whole month, so the website is like a service for them,” Davis said. “I want to go in and ask ‘how does an average Joe see the play?’” Even though there is hard work involved in the venture, Davis made it clear the work is rewarding. “Sean is an enthusiast, throwing himself full pelt into the festival atmosphere — talking to people in the queue getting their word of mouth tips and recommending shows,” Emm said. “He has no pretensions and doesn’t analyse plays in an academic way but describes how he responds to a play or artist. n
You’re invited to Congressman John Garamendi’s upcoming
Town Halls! Ask him anything.
Saturday, February 8th
Saturday, February 15th
Fairfield/Suisun Town Hall
Dixon Town Hall
County Supervisors Chambers 675 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 10 am to noon
Woodland Town Hall
Woodland Community College 2300 E. Gibson Road, Room #800 Woodland, CA 1 pm to 3 pm
Davis Town Hall
Davis City Hall Chambers 23 Russell Boulevard Davis, CA 5 pm to 7 pm
American Legion 1305 N. 1st Street Dixon, CA 10 am to noon
Rio Vista Town Hall
Veterans Memorial Building 610 St Francis Way Rio Vista, CA 1 pm to 3 pm
Vacaville Town Hall
Veterans Memorial Building 549 Merchant Street Vacaville, CA 6 pm to 8 pm
For more information call 530-753-5301
14 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
CO MIC
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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
FOR RELEASE AUGUST 26, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
C R O S S W Edited O RbyD Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 “Pay attention!” 6 Taj Mahal city 10 __ of Arc 14 Tokyo automaker with a liar named Joe in its old ads 15 Forehead 16 Neutral shade 17 Home country 19 Amble 20 Add blonde highlights to, say 21 Whole bunch 22 Free-for-all 23 Out of touch with reality 26 Musical with nightclub scenes 31 Men of the future? 32 Take to the soapbox 33 Disco brothers’ name 34 Church seat 37 Get one’s head out of the clouds 41 Tooth tender’s org. 42 Trim, as a photo 43 Any one of New England’s six 44 Fly alone 45 So far 47 Strike it rich 51 Stave off 52 March Madness org. 54 Performing pair 57 Missing 58 Position of moral superiority 61 Bear in the sky 62 Clarinet cousin 63 “Rubber Duckie” Muppet 64 Checked out 65 911 responders: Abbr. 66 Helps, as a perp DOWN 1 Discover 2 Anthem start 3 Just darling 4 Israeli weapon 5 Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, briefly
By Billie Truitt
6 Not there 7 Watchdog’s warning 8 “Vive le __!” 9 Piercing tool 10 Tiara sparklers 11 Central Florida city 12 Specter formerly of the Senate 13 Microwaved 18 “Night” author Wiesel 22 “It’s possible” 24 Slightly 25 Gray wolf 26 __-Cola 27 Longtime infield partner of Jeter, familiarly 28 Ole Miss rival 29 Downed 30 Minuteman enemy 33 Econ. yardstick 34 Seek guidance in a 34-Across 35 Suffix with sermon 36 Sharpen
8/26/13
T H U R S DAY’ S PU ZZ LE S O LV E D
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
38 Air France destination 39 Lumber 40 DOJ division 44 Butter or mayo 45 McDonald’s golden symbol 46 Without a date 47 World Court site, with “The” 48 Old white-key material
8/26/13
49 Anxious 50 Gold bar 53 Geometry calculation 54 Sandy slope 55 Military squad 56 Keats works 58 Whack weeds the old-fashioned way 59 “Big Blue” 60 Sphere
SUDOKU
foreign languages. Learn how foreign languages will help your creative writing and help you read Shakespeare. Wait! Knowledge of foreign languages is helpful but not necessary. Contact Mark at 530341-4015
Do you want clarity and cohesion in your assignments? I can help you. I can also help students with their ESL assignments. Individual and group sessions are available at reasonable rates. Contact Mark at 530-
reduce.
recycle.
341-4015
Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.
UC DAVIS
2014 Graduation Celebration Program Funding Announcement
The Office of Student Affairs is pleased to announce the availability of funding for student-organized graduation celebrations. Programs must support the University’s goal of encouraging students from historically underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to attend college and achieve leading career aspirations. Funds may be used for partial support of program costs, including facility rental, printing services and light refreshments.
Additional information and application forms can be requested by emailing Beverly Babcock at bababcock@ucdavis.edu
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 Campus Contact: Sheri Atkinson, Executive Director, Community Resource Centers slatkinson@ucdavis.edu or 752-2139
reuse.
recycle...
BAWK!
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 | 15
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
PEGGY SUE Cont. from page 6
MUSE: Choir of Echoes sounds far more confident than your previous two albums. Did anything trigger that? OJ: In between making the two albums we actually recorded a compilation of songs, an all cut up soundtrack. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the film Scorpio Rising, but there’s no dialogue [in the whole] film, just these songs, and we recorded covers for them. That influenced Choir of Echoes quite a lot. We learned what you can take out, as far as instrumentation, and what you can leave in. That added to the confidence, that understanding. One of the guitarists that played on the original recording actually came to a gig of ours, he said he liked our covers a lot. This album is getting comparisons to big names, like Warpaint and The xx. Are these welcome, or uninteresting? Are they among your influences? I always think it’s interesting when we get comparisons to particularly female artists, especially Warpaint and The xx. I think it’s sort of lazy journalism, really. They’re
STORIES Cont. from page 7
out loud,” Milliken said. “I’m from L.A. and I come at my stories with an L.A. perspective, so it will be cool to hear what it sounds like being read from someone outside the big city.” Mergen’s short story “Learning to Swim” will be read by Sacramentobased veteran actress Analise LangfordClark. “Learning to Swim” is one of the first stories Mergen ever wrote and she worked on it for 20 years before completing it this year. Mergen said she feels that now that her story is finally complete, it has become now a narrative that needs to be brought to life by being told aloud. “I think Stories on Stage emphasizes writing as a living art,” Mergen said. “There’s something very intimate and human about sitting in a room with other people taking in a story. I mean, short stories are always about the human condition: love, loss, learning and delight, things we can all relate to.” Stories on Stage: Davis is run by a panel of local writers, headed by Howitt, who pride themselves on carefully choosing easily readable, entertaining pieces. After choosing readings for the
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flattering, for sure, but kind of lazy. We’d like to think we’re more individual than comparisons like that. We’re influenced by Bob Dylan, for example, and other strong lyrical songwriters. But that kind of goes back to the previous thing — we work as a band to create our own music. Has Peggy Sue been recording Choir of Echoes over the three year hiatus, or is it a relatively new production? I suppose we were writing the songs for perhaps a year, and then the recording process was maybe a month at the most. We lived at the studio, and recorded there, but the girls [Slade and Young] are always writing songs, and they always have lyrical ideas. When they bring them to the band I don’t think you could ever guess when it was written or who it was written about or where it actually comes from. Then, when it comes to the band, the timeframes get a bit skewed, but definitely the songs were all new save for one, which Rose and I had from the Acrobats [Peggy Sue’s second album] demo. What was the highlight of recording — was it your time in the studio? Yes, staying in the studio was brilliant.
show, the panel goes through the meticulous process of hiring actors who can uniquely bring each piece to life. “You really have to match the story with the perfect actor.” Howitt said. “How they phrase passages in the story changes how you understand the story. It can bring out the poetry in the piece without harming the content.” Stories on Stage has recently become more popular in Yolo County, attracting large crowds that don’t always fit in the Pence Gallery. Howitt plans on keeping the event in the small space in order to preserve a sense of community and intimacy. It has been suggested to Howitt that she raise the price of the event in order to make a larger profit off its newfound popularity, but for Howitt it’s not about the money. “Some people say we should charge more since it’s getting so popular, but I won’t,” Howitt said. “My attitude is that I don’t want to make this an expensive thing. This is an event for people who love writing and acting. I view writers as artists, and this event is for the art.” The next Stories on Stage event is on Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pence Gallery. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating and standing space is limited, so it is suggested you arrive early to secure a seat. Admission is $5.
I N V O LV E D .
Black Sabbath has recorded there, tons of people that we all admire, and the setting was really great. Ben Rubinstein, who plays bass on this record, didn’t play on Acrobats. It was really nice having him and the cohesion of having a bass player the whole time — writing songs with someone and performing and recording with him. This album felt really complete, from demo-ing to finishing it, recording it. To me, that felt like the highlight. We had a clear vision, and that vision was completed. We recorded with Jimmy Robertson, who recorded the covers album which I was speaking of. He’s a really great guy to work with. The whole thing was so fun. The setting is amazing, though. It’s in South Wales; there are rolling hills and horses there. It was brilliant. It has been said a couple times that the theme of this album is “singing.” Is this building upon an established base or divergent from past work? I think the first and second album we’ve wanted to be a band, together. The guitars have always been a big thing. [Slade] has always been an amazing guitarist, really underrated, in my opinion. I’ve seen a lot of people play, and she plays really well.
They [Slade and Young] always were quite shy about admitting that. That took over a bit, the instrumentation. What they both have, though, is that they’re both great singers. When it came to this album, we were going to make a show of the vocals. I think it’s really great that they can show off a vocal aspect to this — it was definitely a conscious decision to put vocals at the forefront, and in my opinion, it definitely worked. Peggy Sue is about to embark on a tour of the United States before heading to Europe. Do you have any other projects during or after? That’s the next thing coming up, really. We’re going on tour with Mandarin Orange. Ben, who plays bass with the band, has his own project The Mariner’s Children so he’ll be supporting at some of the shows, but we’re super excited to come tour in the States. We always get on really well in America. For more information on Peggy Sue, go to peggywho.com. Tickets for the show at Third Space cost $10, and can be purchased online at thirdspacedavis.com/event/peggysue. The show starts at 8 p.m.
GRUPO CORPO Cont. from page 6
dancing is a fluid combination of classical ballet and contemporary dance, and lies on the foundation of discipline and precise control of body movements. “We do something very fluent and use the entire space,” Castro said. “Sometimes, people think it’s very easy and a free work, but I think it’s hard work. You have to focus and have the discipline.” Technical director of Grupo Corpo Pedro Pederneiras believes that Grupo Corpo’s use of Brazilian dance movements, rooted in such types of dance as capoiera and samba, has led to the development of choreography and movement not easily replicated. The company, based out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, features an almost entirely Brazilian group of dancers. “The dance of Grupo Corpo is based in Brazilian music,” Pederneiras said. “The way of the dancing is very special and even hard for nonBrazilians to dance in this way.” Pederneiras, who initially began with Grupo Corpo during its incep-
tion as a dancer, said that the goal of Grupo Corpo has always been to tour internationally, almost as a form of cultural exchange. He said that currently 60 to 65 percent of all of Grupo Corpo’s shows are performed internationally. Jeremy Ganter, associate executive director and director of programming at the Mondavi Center, says this is the group’s fourth time performing at the Mondavi Center. He attributes Grupo Corpo’s popularity to an “aesthetic [that] is powerful and easy to love.” According to Ganter, the group has become a local favorite and reflects Davis’ wholehearted support of contemporary dance. “Grupo Corpo is very popular here, and I think that is as much about the power of their work as it is about the incredibly strong and supportive modern dance audience we have in this region,” Ganter said. “On campus and off, we have some of the most warm, supportive and adventurous dance-goers you’ll find anywhere. We are so proud of that.” Tickets range from $17.50 for UC Davis students to $63, and can be purchased online at mondaviarts.org or at the Mondavi ticket office.
E D I T O R @ T H E A G G I E . O R G
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16 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
BACKSTOP Slumping Aggies head south in hopes of jump-starting season Teams UC Davis at Cal Poly; at UC Santa Barbara Records Aggies 6-14 (1-4); Mustangs 8-11 (4-2); Gauchos 12-6 (3-2)
Who to watch? Corey Hawkins has been on a tear over the past several games. He has shot over 50 percent from the field in each of the last six games, averaging almost 21 points per game. Meanwhile the Mustangs have held their past two opponents to under 43 percent from the field. This matchup may prove to be Hawkins’ toughest challenge of the new year. Preview The UC Davis Aggies are coming off of a poor showing at home, losing two of their last three against Big West opponents. UC Davis put together promising stretches in each game, including a nice run to bring them close against Hawai’i, but were unable to close out well in both of their losses. The Aggies’ defense allowed UC Riverside to shoot 55.1 percent from the field, despite the Highlanders averaging just 42.7 percent as a team on the season. Head coach Jim Les attempted to remedy the problem, placing sophomore forward Justin Dueck and sophomore guard Olivier-Paul Betu in the starting lineup. “Defense has been an area that we needed to address,” Les said. The move worked for a game as the Aggies forced Cal State Fullerton to shoot under 40 percent. Against Hawai’i, however, the defense once again fell behind and allowed their opponents to absolutely dominate them to the tune of 58.2 percent shooting and 90 points. The Aggies’ biggest struggles have come on the interior, something not helped by the recent news that senior forward Josh Ritchart will be sitting the rest of the season due to injury. UC Davis was outrebounded by eight boards in the game and gave up 42 points to the starting frontcourt of Hawai’i. They lack an interior presence on defense as junior forward Clint Bozner has proven to be foul prone
and junior forward Iggy Nujic lacks the tools to play defensive anchor. The Aggies have often resorted to having 205-pound freshman forward Georgi Funtarov play in the middle, despite not having the size or skill set to guard opposing big men. The good news for the Aggies is that Cal Poly is equally lacking in size. Their leading rebounder, senior forward Chris Eversley, stands at 6’7” and seems to prefer shooting from beyond the arc to banging down low. Only one player on the roster who plays significant minutes is taller than 6’7” and he grabs just 3.6 rebounds per game. This game should prove to be a way for UC Davis to get back to their stingy defense as they are facing an opponent that makes just 42.9 percent of their shots, including 33.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Mustangs are led in points by Eversley who shoots 41.2 percent, while turning the ball over 1.4 times per game. They also score only 64.9 points per game, which ranks a solid 314 out of 351 teams playing NCAA Division I basketball. The Aggies, meanwhile, have been able to pour in 72.4 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. If UC Davis can recapture some of the defensive magic that they had against Cal State Fullerton while maintaining their consistent offensive performance, they should be able to escape with a win against their hated rival Cal Poly. Of all of the flaws that UC Davis can take advantage of against Cal Poly, namely inside scoring and efficiency, UC Santa Barbara shares none. The Gauchos are led by junior forward Alan Williams who leads the team both in points, at 22.9, and rebounds, at 10.6 per game. Williams has also managed to be efficient, shooting 55.3 percent from the field while making over 70 percent of his 7.2 free throws per game. Of course, to complete the package, the junior also averages an outstanding 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Williams is just one key part of a UC Santa Barbara squad which shoots 47.5 percent from the floor as a team. They also are No. 16 in all of Division I basketball in assists, with the team combining for over 16 per game. Simply put, the Aggies will have to play a
COURTESY
Junior forward Iggy Nujic drives to the basket against a Cal State Fullerton defender.
nearly perfect game to beat the Gauchos. UC Santa Barbara is strong where UC Davis is weak and their high powered offense will likely have no problem running through the Aggies. The main hope that UC Davis has is to capitalize on the strategy that Cal State Fullerton recently used to beat the Gauchos. The Titans took and made a lot of three-pointers while forcing UC Santa Barbara into shooting only 33 percent from downtown on 21 attempts. The Aggies may be able to hang with the Gauchos if they run-and-gun better than their opponent, as they seem to have little hope in hanging tough in a slowed down, half court game.
Aggies look to ride Mustangs to victory
Aggie tennis fights through difficult weekend VICTOR ANDERSON
After having win-streak snapped, UC Davis looks to knock off red-hot Cal Poly
sports@theaggie.org
Teams UC Davis vs. Cal Poly Records Aggies 8-10 (3-2); Mustangs 11-8 (5-1) Where The Pavilion — Davis, Calif. When Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
Who to watch? Junior Sydnee Fipps has already scored 982 points in her illustrious UC Davis career. Fipps looks to become just the 16th player in the history of the program to reach the 1000-point milestone — the first since alumni Kasey Riecks in 201112. There is a good chance Fipps will surpass the mark at home against Cal Poly on Jan. 30, as the gritty, physical forward scores a team-leading 17.4 points per game. Preview The Aggies went cold in paradise. Riding a three-game winning streak, the UC Davis women’s basketball team headed across the Pacific Ocean to take on the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in Honolulu on Jan. 23. Poor shooting and a big Rainbow Wahine run spanning the first and second halves were the Aggies’ downfall. Leading 19-14 late in the first half, UC Davis (8-10, 3-2 Big West) was undone by a 17-3 Hawai’i run. The Wahine (8-10, 3-1) were led by Ka-
— Ryan Reed
MISHA VELASQUEZ | AGGIE
Freshman Taylor McGuire beats a Long Beach State defender to the basket.
milah Jackson, who scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half to put the game out of reach for the Aggies. Jackson, a first-team AllBig West performer a season ago, also added nine rebounds. The Aggies were paced by junior forward Sydnee Fipps and sophomore forward Alyson Doherty, who chipped in 17 points and 11 points, respectively. Fipps, who didn’t shoot well from the floor (3 of 11), was aggressive going to the basket and drawing fouls, going 10-14 from the foul line. Fipps and sophomore forward Celia Marfone led the Aggies on the glass with five rebounds apiece, but the Aggies were outrebounded as a team 38-27. UC Davis actually played solid defense, holding Hawai’i to 37 percent shooting from the floor. However, the Aggies were unable to get into any sort of rhythm offensively and shot just under 36 percent from the field. One bright spot was freshman Taylor McGuire, who averages 1.2 points
a game for the Aggies but knocked down two second-half threes. Up next, UC Davis looks to get back to its winning ways against a dangerous Cal Poly team on Jan. 30. The Mustangs (11-8, 5-1) have dominated conference play, winning their past three Big West games. Most recently, Cal Poly beat up on UC Riverside on Jan. 25, winning 89-72. Last season, the Mustangs placed second in the Big West standings, won the Big West conference tournament and reached their first ever NCAA tournament. This year, the team, currently sitting atop the Big West standings, boasts a three-headed scoring machine in the form of Molly Schlemer (17.5 ppg.), Ariana Elegado (16.7 ppg.) and Jonae Ervin (12.9 ppg.). Luckily for the Aggies, the game will be played at the Pavilion, away from Cal Poly’s Mott Athletic Center, where the Mustangs are undefeated (8-0) this year. — Scott Dresser
The women’s tennis team salvaged a weekend split with a win over Pacific on Jan. 25. A day after falling to No. 1-ranked Stanford, the Aggies won the doubles point in their match against Pacific and triumphed with a 4-3 overall victory. Senior Megan Heneghan, senior Melissa Kobayakawa and sophomore Tiffany Pham all won matches in both singles and doubles play. Heneghan and Kobayakawa dominated in their singles matches, winning 6-1, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-1 respectively, while Pham gutted out a dramatic super tiebreak win, scoring a 6-3, 4-6, (11-9) victory. Senior Nicole Koehly came up just short in her singles match, losing a tough battle in a super tiebreak as well 6-3, 6-7(4), (7-10). It was an impressive turnaround for the Aggies after being outclassed by the top team in the nation the day before. Stanford defeated UC Davis 7-0 overall on Jan. 24. Stanford boasted a roster including five nationally-ranked players in singles, and a pair of top-ranked doubles teams as well. The ability of the Aggies to bounce back and get a tough road win the very next day speaks to their strong and positive mentality as well as close team camaraderie. The skill and talent were present as well in the matchup against Pacific once the early season nerves wore off after the match against Stanford. The road trip continues for the women next weekend when they play at San Diego State on Feb. 1, and then at UC San Diego on Feb. 2. The men’s team was in competition over the weekend as well, albeit for only one match. They took the courts at Pacific on Jan. 25 just after the women’s team triumphed. The men did not fare quite so well unfortunately, falling 6-1 overall. The lone victory for the Aggies came in singles, courtesy of a 6-4, 6-4 victory for freshman James Wade.This was Wade’s 11th singles victory of the season, tying him for the team lead with sophomore Brett Bacharach. Bacharach very nearly added to his own tally, but came up just short in a 6-1, 6-7, 3-6 loss. The men will look to bounce back at home as they open up a six-match homestand beginning this next weekend. On Feb. 1, they host San Francisco and on Feb. 2 they play Loyola Marymount here in Davis, Calif. n