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volume 130, number 111
tuesday, november 8, 2011
Davis businesses continue to rebound
Local economy is not so bad, experts say By RAMON SOLIS Aggie News Writer
When Blockbuster went bankrupt, someone or some people fixed the sign of the Davis branch to read Blockbusted. But several months have passed now and there are fewer reasons for people to frown at or lampoon the Davis economy. Overall, sales tax revenues are down from 2008; however, many instances of local economic prosperity show that Davis is in the economic upswing, according to business development experts. “We’re in the midst of a period of
change, a period of flux,” said Kemble Pope, chief everything officer of The Centaur Group, a business consulting firm in downtown Davis. “Businesses like Borders that don’t quickly adapt to the prevailing economic conditions and market demands are failing and businesses that are more nimble and responsive are taking advantage of the situation by improving their locations or expanding their footprint.” The Irish pub De Vere’s, for example, is expanding its business from a single presence in Sacramento’s midtown district to an additional location in downtown Davis. The new pub will replace the former Agave bar and celebrate its grand opening next Monday.
See BUSINESS, page 4
Irisa Tam / Aggie
Rocknasium expands into neighboring suites New space 1200 feet larger By EINAT GILBOA Aggie News Writer
After 20 years in the same location, owners Mark Leffler and Carter Shmeck decided to expand Rocknasium, a local rock climbing gym, into its neighboring suites. The new space, at 4,800 square feet, is quite a bit larger than the old 3,600 square feet space. “The new space is in the same building, 100 feet to the west,” said Rocknasium manager Andy Fish. Rocknasium has been a hallmark of Davis since its construction in 1992 by the original owners Leffler and David Schlosser. Leffler got the idea to construct the Rocknasium when he went back to his hometown of Allentown, Pennyslvania in the winter of 1990. “I thought to myself, if it can make it here, it can do really well in California,” Leffler said. The original gym, at 2,400 square feet, took Leffler and Schlosser six months to build. “Over the years we have expanded,” Leffler said. “Recently the property owners offered us a bit more square footage, and Melody Tan / Aggie we jumped on the opportunity.” The Rocknasium, on Olive Drive, moved to a
bigger location next door last week.
By CLAIRE MALDARELLI Aggie Features Writer
Sunny High 62 Low 40
On Wednesday, UC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lawrence Pitts will be coming to the UC Davis campus. The provost, who is the highest ranking academic officer of the UC system, will be holding an open forum for students, faculty and community members from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Memorial Union’s King Lounge. The provost would like to talk with the UC Davis community about any subjects it is interested in, which could include tuition and the UC’s budget. “I’ll talk briefly about any or all of these topics and have an active dia-
Kristina Geddert / Aggie
Bartender Bobby Suliven serves Alan Marr at G Street Wunderbar, which replaced the G St. Pub last month. Once we had settled our attire and ID issues, we eagerly opened the menu ready to (hopefully) indulge in a great meal and drink. Wunderbar offers a variety of different drink options and even has Jäger on tap. As cheap college students, we decided that our drink of choice for the evening would be a pitcher of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. The beer lived up to our not-so-high expectations, and at $6.00 a pitcher was relatively cheap and good-tasting. Our beer glasses were frosted, which added a nice touch. As we sat waiting for our food to come, we sensed a “pub” vibe mostly due to very dim lighting. The mix of people who frequent the
See WUNDER, page 4
log with the people who come to listen and/or talk. More fun for me and for them,” Pitts said. Pitts also has plans to meet with Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi and Vice Chancellor Ralph Hexter. He will also be talking with the Academic Senate, the Academic Federation and the council of deans. This visit is one of many campus visits Pitts is making before his upcoming retirement. Pitts has agreed to maintain his post as provost until his successor is chosen. — Hannah Strumwasser
New high-speed rail budget doubles to $98 billion Project works to unite California in three hours By KELLEY REES Aggie News Writer
Decent food, low-key atmosphere at remodeled bar
Today’s weather
Provost to visit UC Davis students encouraged to attend forum
See ROCK, page 2
Dining in Davis: G Street Wunderbar At around 8 p.m. on Friday night, accompanied by a group of friends, I walked into the new G Street Wunderbar. Situated between Second and Third Street, right across from Woodstock’s Pizza, the Wunderbar took over after the G Street Pub closed down last February. As you walk in, the atmosphere is typical of a dive bar, with a spacious pool area and electronic dart boards, a full bar with bench stools, a small stage for bands to play and an area for group seating. My friends and I opted for the group seating. The tables were cleaner than one would expect at a bar, but at the same time slightly resembled card tables. As my friends and I quickly learned, the Wunderbar has a few rules that patrons must follow. As with most restaurants in Davis that serve alcohol, the Wunderbar does a thorough ID check. A piece of advice to those (few) outof-state students out there: make sure you have another form of ID besides your license, as it’s a requirement at the Wunderbar (I, unfortunately learned that the hard way). Further, the Wunderbar has a strict rule on beanies; they are not allowed to be worn inside the establishment, as a friend of mine quickly learned.
News iN Brief
Students wary of the burdens of air travel may see a new option opening for their treks to Southern California. The commencement of November brought with it the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new business plan. The proposition drew much notice due to a doubling in the project’s previously estimated cost, culminating in a $98 billion price tag and approximated completion date decades off. Deputy Director of Communication for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Lance Simmens, said a myriad of factors account for the significant increase. “The scope of the work has been dramatically changed because we’ve spent numerous amounts of time working with local communities and getting alignments correct,” Simmens said. A result of the increased interaction with the community has been a need to increase tunneling and viaducts. In addition to shifts in workload, the alignments that were originally deemed best for use years ago in the early stages of design must now be reassessed due to an increase in development. Add to this
the composite price increases of concrete, steel and copper, conservative estimates of price inflation and expected ridership. Although the recently updated venture cites the creation of 100,000 jobs over the next five years and the reduction of carbon emissions by three million tons annually, many are still weighing the pros and cons of such an intensive and ambitious design. “It’s not clear that it’s a desirable project,” said Daniel Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, acting director of the Energy Efficiency Center, and professor of civil & environmental engineering and environment science & policy at UC Davis. “On one hand we like to think California can get things done — that we’re not stuck in a dysfunctional stage … on the other hand, it’s not clear it makes sense for California,” he said. Sperling lists a number of concerns, including the design’s expense, the uncertainty over the ridership and demand for such a rail, and the apprehension that it may not fit well with sprawled land use problems.
See RAIL, page 4
In review: G Street Wunderbar 228 G Street Hours: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Food: Ambience: Cost: $
***
Key Food and ambience quality
**** *** ** *
I’m dining here every day Almost like eating at home Better than my roommate’s
cooking Only if I’m starving
Budget
$$$$ chancellor $20+ $$$ professor $15-20 $$ graduate student/alum $10-15 $ undergraduate $5-10
Forecast The best part about early morning classes in fall quarter is how nice it is outside. And by best, I mean worst. This is the time when you leave all bundled up for class and by noon you’re that guy walking around carrying too much extra clothing ... I hate being that guy. Alex Neigher, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
courtesy
A project to link northern and southern California through high speed rail is estimated to cost $98 billion, which is double the original estimated cost. Wednesday
Thursday
Mostly sunny
Chance of rain
High 65 Low 43
High 65 Low 46
Justin Bieber was recently accused of fathering one of his fans, Mariah Yeater’s, child. Despite the allegations, the pop star continues to make appearances and plans on taking a paternity test to clear his name. Maybe she won’t be such a “Belieber” after that? Amanda Nguyen
page two
2 tuesday, november 8, 2011
daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
TODAY Endowed Lecture on Race Relations and Family Law 4 p.m. 1001 King Hall Join Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig as she presents the 2011 Bodenheimer Lecture on Family Law. She will explore the Rhinelander v. Rhinelander trial as a simultaneously tragic and inspiring story about race and family relations in our society.
Muslim Student Association Eid Banquet 7 p.m. ARC Ballroom The 2011 Eid Banquet will feature a speaker, food and entertainment. All are welcome. Tickets are $15 at the door.
WEDNESDAY UC Provost Pitts Open Forum 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. King Lounge, Memorial Union UC Provost Larry Pitts will discuss any topics of interest to the campus community, including UC’s budget status, undergraduate and graduate student fees and UC’s online course initiative, among others.
Nameless Magazine Info Meeting 5:30 to 6 p.m. 201 Wellman Nameless Magazine is UC Davis’s official undergraduate literary and arts magazine. E-mail namelessquarterly@gmail.com for more information.
Careers in Genetic Counseling 6:30 p.m. 194 Young
Learn from a UC Davis alum about exciting career options such as a genetic counselor.
THURSDAY Energy Institute Fall Seminar Series 2 to 3:30 p.m. 1065 Kemper Ryan J. Andress, Ph.D., will discuss optimization-based synthesis and analysis of hydrogen-producing alternative thermochemical cycles.
To the Zoo and Beyond: San Diego Zoo Vet Talk 6 p.m. 1001 Geidt Internship and Career Center and the Vet Aide Club at UC Davis will present this special one-night-only talk with the senior veterinarian of the San Diego Zoo. He will present stories about panda births, koala reproduction and what it’s like to be a zoo veterinarian. On a side note, lots of cute baby panda pictures be will shown.
American Red Cross Club Meeting 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. 118 Olson Missed the first general meeting? No worries! Just come to this general meeting to learn about all the volunteer opportunities around Davis and the Yolo community. To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie. org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.
police briefs FRIDAY
SATURDAY
U-jerk
Eggheads on the loose
Someone put a U-lock on a bike that wasn’t theirs on Hawthorne Lane.
Several people were throwing eggs at vehicles on Shasta Drive.
SUNDAY
Watch for potholes People were biking while smoking marijuana near Putah Creek.
Strike! Someone threw a baseball at a vehicle on Arlington Boulevard.
Crack is whack Several people jumped out of bushes to moon passing vehicles at Arlington Boulevard.
Historically accurate Thanksgiving Someone shot a wild turkey with an arrow on Research Park Drive. Police Briefs are compiled by TRACY HARRIS from the city of Davis daily crime bulletins. Contact TRACY HARRIS at city@ theaggie.org.
Rocknasium offers a multitude of programs and events, including climbing competitions in the winter months and the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival tour, hosted at Davis Senior High School. “The festival sells out every night at 500 people a night,” Leffler said. “Rocknasium has been hosting the festival for 12 or 13 years now.” Rocknasium also offers theme parties for its members. They host overnighters where people can climb from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning. The gym also hosts clinics and kids’ competitions. One, which takes place in May, is part of the United States climbing tour series. Climbing classes are offered for climbers of all levels. “Our main goal is to make all our members get stronger at climbing,” Leffler said. “Climbing is a lot of technique, and we want to give people classes to make them more advanced climbers.” Yoga classes will be offered in the new yoga room, the schedules for which have not yet been finalized.
rock
Cont. from front page When they first opened, Rocknasium’s business climbed steadily, but eventually plateaued. Now it caters more to members than big groups. “A lot of college kids have discovered it, and the teen population,” Leffler said. “There are people here that have been members for 20 years. People graduate and leave, but when they come back to Davis, they visit. Everyone gets along.” The gym’s strong community even helped them through their recent expansion. “Me and a climbing company built the climbing wall ourselves, but we had some help from our members,” Leffler said. Expansion has allowed the gym to build upward, as well as increase their bouldering area. “Bouldering is when you are unroped and climb up the walls,” Leffler said. They have also added a yoga room, showers and expanded their bathrooms. “It’s a lot bigger, there’s lots of different climbing surfaces, and there’s a bigger arch- EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@ way for climbing,” Fish said. theaggie.org.
correction In Monday’s article “Sweet Briar Books to close after sales drop,” it was incorrectly stated that Sweet Briar Books will close on Nov. 25. It will actually close on Dec. 24. Business hours were also listed as 1 to 6 p.m., when they are actually 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Aggie regrets these errors.
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If walking around with a Post-It on your face doesn’t appeal to you, maybe thinking about the benefits of voting will help. First of all, you get a stickMedha er, which I am very sad Sridhar that I am missing out on. Who doesn’t want an awesome red, white and blue “I Voted” sticker to display proudly on themselves? The sticker comes with automatic bragging rights. Since I have a late December birthday and have never been able to vote before, I am a failure as a poli sci have always been jealous of major. Today is Election my friends who came back Day, but I will not be from voting with those bataking part in it. I regisdass stickers. tered to vote too late. Yes, I Maybe the sticker isn’t logged onto the “Rock the enough for you and you Vote” website, thanks to incare more about the issues fluences from musical moand candidates. Whether guls like Diddy and Justin you’re for Rick Perry’s Timberlake, filled out the flat-tax plan or President entire form, even using my Obama’s jobs plan, there Davis address, only to read could be a lot riding on the fine print: for California, your vote. voters must Obviously, register at Between attempting to study and for toleast 15 days lurk hotties on Facebook, there’s day’s elecin advance. tion these not enough time in the day After cursing issues for a good 10 are not minutes, I fias pressing, but there may nally came to terms with it. certainly be issues in your Ah, well, I guess there’s allocal area that you care ways next year. about. Take some time to Exactly one year from look over the ballots before now, hopefully many of you voting; I know it sounds cliwill be voting in the naché, but you could make a tional presidential elecdifference. tion. I would never forgive Perhaps you couldn’t myself if I forgot to register care less about politics. for the big one, especially (Ok, honestly, who are you since I get e-mails from the people?). I understand that Obama campaign. Voting everyone varies in interests takes a lot of effort and I but, chances are, an issue know I’m being incredithat you care about may bly hypocritical, but it’s im- be on a ballot somewhere. portant to get out there and If you’re an avid biker, you vote. may be concerned about I know voting takes time, sustaining bike lanes (just and you’re busy. I hate ask Sen. Rand Paul, who to blame my forgetfultried to shut them down) or ness on being busy but I’ll if you’re in a “cannabis-indo it anyway. I have midduced haze,” you may be terms, essays and fraterniconcerned about the legalty stuff, on top of trying to ization of marijuana. Don’t catch up on reading and dismiss politics because staying healthy (both of you think all of our politiwhich I’m not doing so well cians are screw-ups or not on). Between attempting trustworthy. Ultimately, if to study and lurk hotties no action is taken, we’re on Facebook, there’s not going to have to deal with enough time in the day. those untrustworthy screwOf course, even when ups in government. Sounds I turn off my laptop and like a nightmare to me. sit down to look at class I know I sound very hypnotes, I glance up to see the ocritical since I registered month’s PG&E bill staring too late but isn’t too late at me. There goes studybetter than never? Sure, ing, time to pay the bills. I blamed it on my lack of While writing the check, my time, but I know that it was stomach starts to growl. I more my fault in procrastiopen the fridge to get some nating. If you know anyone food only to find that I’m like me, make sure to stay out of everything. It’s time on their asses about regisfor a Safeway run. tering to vote on time. What I’m saying is that As students at a pretfinding time in our busy ty politically active unischedules to remember to versity, it only seems right register punctually can be that we make our voices difficult. Maybe it would be heard in government. Plus useful to create a calendar you get stickers, bragging reminder on your phone or rights and the feeling that perhaps walk around with you’re making a difference. a neon green Post-It note I couldn’t ask for a better on your face. You won’t be November Tuesday. able to read it, but every time you look in the mirror MEDHA SRIDHAR is still silently bitching you’ll attempt to read that about her excellent procrastination skills. green thing, which will in Feel free to reprimand her yourself at turn remind you. mdsridhar@ucdavis.edu.
Voting troubles
I
Weekend held just a few days ago will not do much to bolster relations between students and the people it is not so aptly named for. I’m doubting that “Davis Aaron Chancellor’s Club insider’s Weiss view of the Robert Mondavi Institute” is any less uptight than it sounds. So when your parents come around for the next mandated visitation weekend, recommend they skip the trip to Chem 194 to hear a lecture on “coaching your student through college 101” and actually spend some time with them. Try something which ollege can be scary. will actually represent at Upon arrival, many least a smidgen of what will experience their your life is like here. first time living away from Head over for brunch home, their first time being at Crepeville, or wherever in charge of creating their you like to nurse away your own schedule, and if they’re headache after a long night lucky, a welcome week-inof drinking. Whether or not duced hangover the likes you reveal the location’s of which they’ve never exidentity perienced as a hangbefore. I’m not ashamed to say my dad over cure is Although I was cooler than my current self up to you, do quite litbut perhaps when he was in college erally own a your parbook titled ents have the guide to been waiting for the right college, like my column, it time to unveil your famidoes little more than offer a ly’s secret remedy for postfew jokes about things you binge drinking recovery. might come across while Appreciate the conveyou are here. This is why nience of our local Target I want to explain how to and grab that mirror you’ve take advantage of a bank of been getting along withknowledge which has been out for the last two months. sitting right under our nos- When I was a freshman es, or more likely calling ev- we had to drive 10 miles ery day to make sure our through the snow to get to noses are getting along OK. the Wal-Mart in Dixon. A Our parents are old. This shopping trip also means means they are also likean opportunity to get some ly to be old fashioned. groceries if you let it be However, through diligent known that you’ve been livresearch and checking mul- ing mostly off of Ramen tiple sources I found that and Chef Boyardee. they really were “young There are many benefits once too.” In fact, it seems to spending “quality time” that many of our parents with one’s parents. Odds have actually had experiare that they know how to ences very similar to the help solve all of your petones we are going through ty college problems. I have now, and may even be able sought my parents counto offer us relevant advice. sel on everything from how I’m not ashamed to say to evict my friend that overmy dad was cooler than my stayed himself into a roomcurrent self when he was in mate, to over the phone college. I recently posted a cooking tips on whether or photo online of him with not my steak is done. Their his arm around an old girl- advice may not always be friend in front of his 1968 worth taking, but a parent’s VW Bus, which featured an suggestion bears a brand of ironic portrait of Mickey experience that our peers Mouse he painted himself. simply cannot offer. After receiving 50,000 hits it Whether you’re headwas far and away the most ed for a tour of campus, a popular thing I have ever quick meal or a trip to the posted to the internet, and, store, you have a heck of a fortunately, all the comlot of better options than ments which read “your attending a brunch with mom is hot” were not about Chancellor Katehi and my actual mom. hearing her “vision for UC After leaving our childDavis.” Our parents may hood homes and legally be- not seem cool now, and coming adults, our parents it’s because they probamay not see us as peers, but bly aren’t. However, if you they will at least begin to dig deep and spend some recognize us as something quality time together, as more than a butt they used opposed to just sufferto wipe. This is why I advo- ing through their visit, you cate college students seekmight come out with some ing advice from their elrelevant advice, or at the ders. Unfortunately, the very least some free food. UC Davis campus has done its best to get in the way If you need AARON WEISS to forward a of this. The programming question to his super cool dad, shoot a note at the Parent and Family to atweiss@ucdavis.edu.
An untapped resource
C
Men’s basketball season PREVIEW By CAELUM SHOVE Aggie Sports Writer
New coach. New direction. The 2011-12 basketball season got off to a strong start last week with a 108-63 exhibition win over Menlo College in the Pavilion. Now, with the five-month campaign underway, the team must continue to develop as it looks to perfect the schemes of new head coach Jim Les. “We’re bringing a defensive mindset,” Les said. “We think we have very good skilled players and athletes that can defend and have a purpose for what we’re doing on the defensive end. “We’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to be physical [and] we’re going to try to dictate what offenses do. That’s a successful formula to winning basketball.” Given that, the Aggies must replace Mark Payne and Joe Harden, who together combined for 39 percent of the team’s scoring last year. Fans should find it reassuring that the team won’t be playing run and gun basketball. Rather, the team is expecting that the intensity and unwavering expectations of their new head coach will lead them to success. “Coach [Les] brings an energy and passion every day to the court that makes us want to get better,” sophomore forward Josh Ritchart said. Added senior guard Eddie Miller, “[Coach Les and his staff] have high expectations and they’re teaching us to hold ourselves to those same standards.” Those expectations will be the same for everyone on the team, explained Les, and everyone will have an opportunity to fight for playing time. Naturally, some players have already established themselves as key pieces of the puzzle. Ritchart, Alex Tiffin, Ryan Sypkens, Ryan Howley and Tyrell Corbin were
the five starters from the scrimmage against Menlo College and all five can expect to play significant minutes this season. Two other players, Miller and Harrison Dupont, will be expected to start and contribute once they are fully recovered from injuries that hampered their preseason training camps. Coach Les also expects to see his freshmen step in and contribute to the effort. In particular, Corbin and J.T. Adenrele have done well transitioning from high school to Division I basketball. While Les and the rookies share the bond of both being in their first year on campus, the same cannot be said for the rest of the organization. In helping him adapt to the Davis way of basketball, Les has relied on assistant coach Kevin Nosek, now in his sixth year with the program. “[He helps] with the nuances of knowing our players,” Les said. “He knows Davis basketball and he knows Big West [Conference] basketball. All [of that] is going to pay huge dividends.” For leadership on the court, the team has turned to Miller, now in his second year with the program after transferring from California in 2009. “They respect his experience and his approach to the game,” Les said. “Coming from a senior, I think that’s big.” For the players and coaches, last week’s scrimmage was the beginning of a long and grueling season. This weekend the team will travel to San Diego for three games before playing its first home contest of the regular season, Nov. 15 against UC Santa Cruz. The Stanford Cardinal will come to the Pavilion on Nov. 18. Following the contest against the Cardinal, the Aggies will play seven more games before the 16-game Big West Conference Schedule begins.
Zach-Land Miller / Aggie
The men’s basketball team is off to a strong start under the guidance of their new head coach, Jim Les. Asked about his goals for the season, Les gave a long-winded response that encapsulated what he wants to take away from his first year at the helm the UC Davis basketball program. “I don’t have goals in terms of numbers or wins. I have goals in terms of our approach to the game,” he said. “If you’re willing to learn and you’re willing to open up to new ideas and new ways of playing, the wins and success will take care of itself. “We want to pack [the Pavilion]. We want to make basketball games an event that people look forward to and can get engaged with. We’ve got a really good group of guys and that’s our vision, to make basketball relevant on campus again.” CAELUM SHOVE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
OPINION
The california aggie
tuesday, november 8, 2011 3
Letters to the editor
Response to Chilean Student Association
editorials
asucd elections
Party has gotten too loud After this upcoming election, at least nine of the ASUCD Senate seats, in addition to the president and vice president, will be members of the BOLD slate. This is an excess that ASUCD could do without. This is not to say that BOLD or other slates are problems in and of themselves. The question is, what makes a slate a slate when they make up an overwhelming majority of a governing body? At that point, they really are senate, not BOLD. Slates can be a great tool for promoting collaboration between senators and creating a cooperative environment around the senate table. A slate, however, is not really necessary to accomplish these things. Collaboration and cooperation should be present within ASUCD at all times, with members working closely together whether they were elected through the same slate or not. Dissent, too, is necessary to create a well-rounded governing body, and slates, even when made up of independently voting individuals, surely inhibit this important aspect of ASUCD to some extent.
The point is not to put blame on BOLD for running nearly all this quarter’s candidates, but to ask –– where is everybody else? It is possible that the recent rise of such a dominating slate has had a negative effect on the idea of running an independent senate campaign. With the overwhelming resources and visibility of a slate such as BOLD, some individuals considering running independent, or starting a slate of their own, could be intimidated by the relative solitude of the process. If each member of a slate plans on winning and voting as an individual, it does not make sense to put a label on it when these individuals combined make up nearly all of the candidates. Each member of BOLD has a diverse background and vision, and it seems unnecessary to organize themselves under a single umbrella with no unique unifying quality other than matching t-shirts and the vague representation of “all communities and all students.” In the future, we would like to see students have options when it comes to an election –– to at least have the option of a student government not run by a single slate.
In the article “Chilean Student Association” from Nov. 1, Boris Cardenas expresses concerns about our activities. To be clear, the Chilean Student Association is not a political organization. It has a diverse membership and welcomes discussion among individuals with different
Rally Nov. 9
On Nov. 16, the UC Regents will vote to increase our fees by 81 percent over the next four years. There is no one we can petition or convince to stop this trend toward privatization. We must take matters into our own hands by preventing the UC Regents from convening at UC San Francisco on Nov. 16. This Wednesday, we will be holding a rally in solidarity with our comrades at UC, CSU and community colleges across the state who are walking out of classes in opposition to the proposed higher education fee hikes and budget cuts and in preparation for the convergence at UCSF on Nov. 16. For the last 10 years, we students have sat back and let the regents walk all over us. Fees have gone up 300 percent since 2001. In the meantime, the richest Americans have gotten exponentially wealthier, services for working people have been slashed, the average student’s debt load has risen to nearly $30,000 and over 5,000 of our fellow young Americans have been sent to their unnecessary deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Barack Obama, who was elected on a cynical platform of “hope” and “change,” has flatly betrayed us. Why have he and
ideas, which is one of the benefits of being on a university campus. Our main aim is to generate collaborative bridges between our members, who are developing important investigations at UC Davis and Chile in order to contribute to the development of our country. The association expects to meet with any outstanding and valid Chilean authority visiting Davis — no matter of political preferences
— to advance its goals. The association and our affiliates have concerns about the ongoing demands to improve education in Chile and will do our best to contribute to that from California. In fact, there are several activities that are in our agenda regarding this issue.
the Democratic Party doubled our troop presence in Afghanistan, invaded Libya and illegally murdered U.S. citizens in Yemen? Why have they failed to provide the American people with a publicly funded jobs program to curtail growing unemployment and poverty? Why have they promised to slash Medicare and Social Security while giving billions of dollars in relief to the most profitable corporations? Why have they deported more undocumented people than George Bush and the Republicans? In light of these events and the recent growth of the Occupy Wall Street movement, we UC students have decided that we have had enough with the two-party system! No longer will we allow the Regents — appointed from both big business parties — to walk all over us. If they must increase fees each time they meet, then, quite simply, we must prevent them from meeting at all. UC students, teachers and workers, please join the growing movement against budget cuts and fee hikes. The future of our state and our country relies on your involvement in the movement. On the Nov. 16, free busing will be provided from UC Davis and several other Northern California
college campuses to UCSF and back. If you are interested in coming, contact Davis Strike on Facebook for more info. This is our ultimatum: if the Democrats and Republicans continue to raise fees on working Californians while slashing taxes for the rich, then they will not be physically able to vote on a fee-hike. We have made our case passively for far too long. Now is the time for action, but we need your support. We will undoubtedly face the same police truncheon that brutalized Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen and disparagingly infiltrated peaceful UC Davis protests in previous years. But we are prepared to fight back with our numerical strength. Join us on the quad this Wednesday to discuss the plans for the statewide convergence on the regents meeting on Nov. 16. For decades, working people and students have been hit with the onslaught of austerity and corporatism. Now, for the first time in 80 years, the people are beginning to fight back. Join us on Facebook by searching and liking “Davis Strike”.
Chilean Student Association
Davis Strike An organizational network of students aimed at mobilizing UC Davis students against fee-hikes
athletics town halls
guest opinion
Let everyone speak
ASUCD in crisis
Over the past month, UC Davis has been hosting town hall meetings to discuss possible changes to the athletic department as mentioned in the Dempsey Report. In the report to Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi, former NCAA Commissioner Cedric Dempsey proposed, among many things, that UC Davis switch from an educational model to a business model with regard to the athletic department. In order to move to a business model, which almost all Division I programs use, at least five more sports could be cut. Because of these proposals, many of the speakers at these town hall meetings are current members of the teams that could be cut and therefore anti-Dempsey Report. However, that doesn’t mean all the speakers in this crowd share this opinion. Every once in a while, a proponent of the Dempsey Report will come up and most of the time, those in favor of a business model are unable to finish their thoughts and speeches because they get interrupted by people who disagree with their opinions. This is unacceptable. The purpose of these town hall meetings is for the administration to hear the multitude of opinions that exist on this campus and make a decision they feel adequately represents it. Therefore, they need
to hear everyone’s uninterrupted opinions to make the best decision possible. All the speakers are entitled to speak on the matter without the threat of getting shut down by someone who disagrees. Everyone needs to be fair and let those who wish to speak voice their opinion. We understand the implications the Dempsey Report has on numerous sports on campus. For the individuals on the teams that could get cut, this is obviously a huge burden as their sports are often the center of their social and academic lives. To lose these aspects of college could be detrimental to those students. This does not give anyone the excuse, however, to badger and mistreat those who you don’t agree with. Dempsey Report supporters should not be afraid to go to these meetings and speak their minds. There is no explicit right or wrong answer when it comes to the future of UC Davis athletics. There will be positive and negative consequences regardless of what Chancellor Katehi decides to do. Ultimately, the decisions should be made based upon what is best for UC Davis and not based upon who speaks the loudest at these meetings. All we ask is to let everyone get equal opportunity to speak on the matter.
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GUEST OPINIONS
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By CAMERON BROWN Senior economics major
The state of our student government is in crisis. At the end of this Fall 2011 election, ASUCD will undoubtedly be dominated by one campus slate, BOLD. Six out of seven current candidates are BOLD. With six seats open, they are guaranteed AT LEAST five seats. BOLD slate members currently hold four out of the remaining six seats on senate. Thus, BOLD is assured nine senate seats and an overwhelming 3/4 majority. Students around campus must ask: how can a single slate represent the diverse needs of the entire campus student body? And, how has BOLD accomplished such a great feat of securing nine senate seats? This answer is within the vote counting system. Currently, elections are conducted through the choice voting system also known as single transferable vote (STV). This system creates a threshold number of #1 votes that each candidate must reach to get elected. However, after a candidate reaches this threshold number and se-
cures a seat, all surplus #1 votes for the candidate are redirected to a voters #2 candidate. The redirection of votes continues until all six winning candidates reach the threshold number. In theory, this system is meant to be the fairest, allowing for proportional representation. But campus slates, being knowledgeable of this system, have realized the advantage it gives to groups of students that run together. If one can successfully organize students to vote a slate #1-6, then once the #1 candidate from a slate reaches the threshold, the #2 candidate will receive all of their leading slate members excess votes. So when individuals run together and organize students to vote for them as a group, they are purposefully aiding each other by helping to redirect their votes to their slate members after they meet the threshold. I do not wish to attack BOLD because they are not the only slate that has benefited from this system. We have seen many slates pass through our ASUCD: LEAD, ACT, GO, JAM and more. But, having freethinking “individuals” comprise a slate is NOT
equitable to being inclusive of diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Yes, each senate candidate is an individual that can think independently and (hopefully) make fair and objective decisions. But, don’t students run on slates because they share similar ideas and goals? If not, then one plausible explanation could be because an election slate gives an advantage to all of its members. The only method of changing the election process is through the ASUCD Senate. With slates generally winning the majority of senate seats each election, I can only assume that senate members favor the current voting system. From one student to another, I advise to not vote any slate #1-6 in the future; only choose candidates you believe in and candidates you feel will represent you. Otherwise, campus slates that can successfully organize students to only vote for their slate will continue to dominate in elections and consequently dominate ASUCD. Cameron Brown is a senior economics major and concerned student. If you want to share you concerns or counterarguments with him, contact him at cabrwn@gmail.com.
you’re skeptical of this, direct your cent in 2001. And this was before Sept. 11, the Iraq-Afghanistan War attention outside to the roaming and credit bubble bursting. This packs of hipsters. was before tuition increased by Secondly, we care in a differseveral thousands. ent way. But I can see why indifRajiv Despite the mercy of having ferent appearances are taken as much of my tuition covered by underlying apathy. In 2007, New Narayan scholarship, I still needed to work York Times columnist Thomas three part-time jobs last year to afFriedman called us Generation Q — for “Quiet.” He makes the claim ford the remainder, rent and food. I learned this year that I’m just one that the millennial generation is too quiet both “...for it’s own good of many in a recent phenomenon of taking multiple … and for the jobs to make ends country’s good.” What’s different about our meet. If we are the quiet generation, this generation is that we have another School already demands a sizis because the old f you’ve made it to this corenvironment, a virtual space ... able portion of guard cannot hear ner of the newspaper, you altime. Add to that ready know that a tumbleweed the noise online. brush might as well be running for In the past, political engagement employment and it’s not hard to see why you find neither students was the only means of improving ASUCD Senate. Some say this is a gathering petition signatures to your environment. What’s differgenerational phenomenon to be ent about our generation is that we run for office, nor students takexpected of the millennials. For ing the time to understand the ishave another environment, a viryears, our generation sustained sues and candidates. Political encriticism for its relative lack of civ- tual space, to disengage from regagement is not so much a politality. Social networking platforms ic engagement. But is the barren ical right as it is a privilege. To be election really a function of politi- like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr able to run in an election, and to a afford one the opportunity to recal apathy? lesser extent, effectively vote, you To make the sweeping claim that design one’s life via monopolismust first pay to be here, live here millennials are apathetic is to argue tic control. That means you can and eat here. reconfigure the constellation of that we lack a kind of passion for shaping society to our needs — that links, feeds, status updates, friend Finally, we are not as apathetic about student government as we don’t care. Let me entertain four requests, followers, pics, tweets we are convinced it cannot solve and tumblrs however you like. ways to frame our brand of caring our problems. The latest tuition Our care today comes across in to complicate the reductive critiincreases charge students nearly an alternative politics; one comcisms levied against millennials. $2,000 more in annual fees. Each Firstly, we don’t want to look like mitted to engaging what’s meanstudent here pays about $120 aningful in a seductively customizwe care. There’s a difference benually to ASUCD through his or able environment. tween saying someone doesn’t her student fees. Even if you were Thirdly, we cannot afford to care about politics and noticing to completely dismantle the stucare. Students are increasingly when folks are trying hard to sigseeking employment to make ends dent government and refund all nal that they don’t care. In other the money to students for four meet. A report in 2001 claimed words, there’s a cache to looking apathetic, independent of whether that student employment rose See NARAYAN, page 4 from 49 percent in 1984 to 57 peryou really care about any issue. If
Apathetic students
I
4 tuesday, november 8, 2011
wunder
The california Aggie
adding tomato slices and fresh pieces of basil, gave it an interesting twist to the traditional grilled cheese sandwich. In comparison, the side salad did not live up to mine or my fellow diners’ expectations. All of us who ordered the side salad found the salad to be dry and the dressing to be unsavory. But they did provide other dressing options on request even after we had used the first one, which was nice. Probably the biggest hit of the evening was a burger called “The Big Mess.” At $12.95, it’s the most expensive burger on the menu but also, in our opinion, the most delicious — so in this case the money might be worth it. The “Big Mess” is a charbroiled one-pound patty served open-faced on grilled sourdough topped with caramelized onions and pepper, roasted tomatoes and fries, and then completely covered with cheddar cheese. Although Wunderbar just opened in late October, the restaurant and bar still has an unfinished, half-empty look to it. While we were eating, we were among only a few other people in the restaurant. But, as my friends and I were about to leave, the bar started to pick up, more people were flooding in and the stage was being set up for an event of some sort. All in all, Wunderbar is a decent restaurant and bar and doesn’t cost too much — which, being a college student, is always a plus. But with all the other interesting restaurants and bars in town, it might need to add an extra something to help it stand out.
Cont. from front page restaurant and bar were much older and it seemed we were the only college students there. Our food did not take very long to arrive and even though they brought each of our meals out separately, within 15 minutes everyone had their food. The Wunderbar offers a variety of American-style foods typically found at a bar — mostly a variety of different hamburgers that range in price from $7.95 to $12.95. The tri-tip sliders ($5.95) from the appetizer menu sounded excellent and one of my friends ordered them as her meal. Although the two sliders, which were topped with caramelized onions, were a decent amount of food for the money, my friend found them to be “uninspired” and “decent, but unmemorable.” Another meal that sounded excellent from the menu description was the BBLT — Bacon and more Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. But after eating this sandwich, my friend felt that it really didn’t live up to its extra “B” and needed more bacon to adhere to its name. Further, the French fries that accompanied the meal were nothing special and were, as my friend put it, “lacking in taste and originality.” Because most of my friends ordered something in the meat category, I decided to explore a vegetarian meal and ordered the Grilled Cheese Margherita with a side salad for $7.95. I thought the sandwich was very good, and using a unique blend of cheeses — asiago, mozzarella, CLAIRE MALDARELLI can be reached at and fontina — as well as features@theaggie.org.
Business Cont. from front page “There’s actually very little commercial space for businesses in downtown Davis,” Pope said. In general, the restaurant sector has actually shown a marked improvement in Davis. Earlier this year, Tres Hermanas replaced Pasta?. Let Them Eat Cake, the cupcake specialty store, improved its Davis location by moving from L Street to downtown. “Some businesses are doing well, such as some technology companies that are adding staff. Other retail businesses are not doing as well. The good news is that property values in Davis did not decline as much as in other surrounding jurisdictions, and people and businesses continue to be interested in moving to or opening a business in Davis,” said Sarah Worley, economic development coordinator
rail Cont. from front page Most of California’s transportation problems are encapsulated within large metropolitan areas, which the high-speed rail will do little to combat, Sperling said. However, Simmens said that for commuters looking to ditch automobiles and the traffic that accompanies them, this high-speed rail would be an easy solution. As commutes lengthen due to housing prices, those living in Bakersfield, for example, would have more opportunity to work in an epicenter, such as Los Angeles.
for the City of Davis. In September, Blue Oak Energy, providers of photovoltaic power to high-profile communities in both the public and private sectors, established new headquarters on Drew Avenue in Davis. The alternative energy company has provided energy to the likes of Google, the city of San Diego, and Bay Area Rapid Transit, as well as a host of other businesses and city governments. In June, Mori Seiki, one of the largest manufacturers of machine tools in the world, began construction of a new facility along Second Street. This addition to the local economy is expected to bring in 150 to 200 jobs. Seiki’s choice in having the new building in Davis is largely attributed to the wealth of engineering talent at UC Davis. “But,” Worley said, “the situation again varies among individual businesses.”
Nonetheless, it is in part stations in less-populated areas that have given rise to concern over the train’s future effectiveness. Unlike the United States’ only current highspeed train, Amtrak’s Acela Express, the California High-Speed Rail would run through prolonged stretches of sparsely populated state and have stations in smaller-towns. The reason for Acela’s success, Sperling said, is because of its route through the densely populated Northeastern corridor, connecting the bustling hubs of Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, New Haven and Boston.
narayan Cont. from page 3 years, they would scarcely be able to use that for one month’s rent. This is not to say that ASUCD is irrelevant. For what $120 is worth, the collective operation of student government does a lot for em-
Sweet Briar Books, an independent bookstore on G Street, is the most recent local casualty. The store has made plans to close shop by the end of December. While the city of Davis has no statistic on the total vacancy rates in business properties, Melanie Glover, spokesperson for the Davis Downtown Business Assocation, said that “many of the Downtown businesses that are currently ‘empty’ are actually already leased and will open once permitting procedures are taken care of.” To support the Davis economy, Glover recommends buying locally the next time you shop. “For every $100 spent in locally-owned independent stores in Davis, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures,” she said. RAMON SOLIS can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
The Authority’s new press release reasoned that as California’s population grows, so too will the state’s transportation needs. The Authority estimates that without the high-speed rail the state will need up to $171 billion to finance additional highways, runways and airline gates. Altamont Commuter Express Executive Director Stacey Mortensen expounded upon the idea that railways can accommodate increases in ridership, not by adding more tracks, but by increasing throughput on the existing lanes. “There’s new promise in the fact that rail, once it’s in place, can be expanded upon without taking up
ploying students, making resources available and ensuring a livable, enjoyable, diverse campus environment. They cannot solve tuition hikes, but they do make them hurt less. I would ask those who speak to the apathy of our generation what they think drives political disengagement. For some, the story of apathy is
anymore space,” she said. At the outset, trains will run from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under two hours and 40 minutes, reaching speeds of 220 mph. The cost for such a voyage is about 83 percent that of average airfare, roughly $81 dollars for a one-way ticket, Simmens said. The route will later be expanded to Sacramento and San Diego. In comparison with the high-speed rail fees, the current price of a one-way Amtrak ticket from Davis to Los Angeles runs anywhere from $58 to $90, with the shortest trip being eight hours and 30 minutes. KELLEY REES can be reached at city@ theaggie.org.
about some insidious quality inherent to our generation’s character. If you can, in fact, make the claim that we don’t care, you’d be hard-pressed to separate the apathetic generational personality from an environment conducive to disengagement. RAJIV NARAYAN doesn’t care if you e-mail him at rrnarayan@ucdavis.edu.
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Sudoku
Medium 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.