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volume 130, number 105
thursday, october 27, 2011
Bike Hub to open in the Memorial Union
Bike retail store extension to provide students with essential bike accessories By MUNA SADEK Aggie News Writer
An ASUCD senate bill, calling for an extension of the 1971 ASUCD Bike Barn to be built in the Memorial Union (MU) was brought to the table at an Oct. 20 ASUCD senate meeting. Authored by Senator Andre Lee and co-authored by Bike Barn business and inventory manager Amelia Badish, Bike Garage rental and service manager Shell Sumerel and Bike Barn general manager Robert St. Cyr, Senate Bill 13, allocates $8,555.88 from Capital Reserves to fund the capital costs of a new Bike Barn location. “[Money will come from] our reserves, money that we had set aside from ASUCD, money that we’re pulling out of our own budget and then some grant money from ASUCD to help get it going,” St. Cyr said. Appropriately titled the Bike Hub, as a “hub” refers to the center on a bicycle wheel, the store is planned to be more accessory oriented. The new store will provide students with an extensive selection of bicycle equipment such as lights, locks, helmets, jackets, fenders and baskets, enabling students to buy any necessary equipment they may be lacking while on the North end of campus. Badish said the new store
will be opened to provide students with more access to their basic bicycle needs. “We will be selling a lot of lights at the new store. California state law requires that a cyclist ride with a front white light if they ride their bicycle at night. ... If someone forgot their lock, and they parked their bike near the MU, they can come on in to the ASUCD Bike Hub, and purchase a new lock,” Badish said. With an overall budget of $20,000, construction of the Bike Hub is determined to begin in either the end of the Winter quarter or the beginning of the Spring quarter and is set to open in the middle of the Spring quarter. A driving force of the project and a UC Davis alumna, Sumerel has been working at the Bike Garage since her first year. She hopes to start construction as soon as possible but the space the store will occupy in the MU has yet to be determined. The former T-Mobile location was the initial suggestion, but officials of the project are aiming for the travel agency space, that is slated to relocate to the current UC Davis post office. “Not only will the space help us bridge the gap between the Bike Garage and the Bike Barn, but it will also open up more student jobs as well as provide us with more space to offer different
State and federal governments in opposition over marijuana By ZANDER WOLD Aggie News Writer
Jasna Hodzic / Aggie
The new Bike Hub will be a go-to for all students’ bike accessory needs such as lights, locks, fenders and baskets. products,” Sumerel said. Employees said the store will be open for minimal hours during the middle to end of the Winter quarter and fully open at the start of the Spring quarter. The Bike Barn, housed in a relatively small area, prevents the full inventory from being properly displayed. The Bike Hub will soon be able to display those items that are not currently available to students because of the store’s size. This includes the chrome bike messenger bags. “They have them designed for laptops and books … they stay on securely and are comfortable while you’re riding. We have
them here but we want to put them over there where they can be better on display,” said St. Cyr, who has been working at the Bike Barn for over 14 years. “[It will reach] a new portion of the campus that I think is untapped and not being served adequately. [It would] be great to have one big store, but there is not enough space on campus in the locations where the students are, to have that big space, so we’re going to have to take a different approach,” he said. The opening date will be decided when the bill passes, according to Badish.
See BIKE, page 2
Postage stamps may increase by one cent USPS could issue first price rise since May 2009 By CLAIRE TAN Aggie News Writer
Starting Jan. 22, first-class mail (Forever) stamps will likely cost one cent more, from the current 44 cents to 45 cents. Other postage rates will be increased as well to compensate for the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) financial crisis. Letters with additional ounces are unchanged at 20 cents, postcards will have a three cent increase to 32 cents, 1 ounce letters to Canada or Mexico will have a five cent increase to 85 cents and other international letters will have a seven cent increase to $1.05. “The overall average price increase is small and is needed to help address our current financial crisis,” said USPS Postmaster General Patrick Donahue in a statement. “We continue to take actions within our control to increase revenue in other ways and to aggressively cut costs.” According to the USPS, the postage increases were filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on Oct. 18. The PRC has 45 days to review the
Evan Davis / Aggie
Junior classics major Tracey Myint gets helped at the campus post office. prices to verify they comply with the 2.1 percent price cap for each class of mail. Matthew Chlosta, media relations specialist for the PRC said the commission is currently viewing the USPS’s request for alterations to the postage rates. Augustine Ruiz, a USPS media contact for California, said the USPS is suffering from a national loss in volume. He said the postal service lost more than 20 percent of their overall volume, from their height of 213 billion pieces in 2006 to 167 billion pieces this year. With the loss of volume comes the loss of revenue. To combat this, the USPS has actively been cutting costs. “We have been reducing employment ranks by 110,000 employees,
closing post offices and doing consolidation studies of post offices and processing facilities,” Ruiz said. “There are approximately 3,600 post offices around the country to study to see the possibility of closing them and about 482 mail processing facilities that we’d like to get down to 200 nationally.” Ruiz said that in this way, it is able to save on utilities and transportation. He said at the moment, they are waiting on United States Congress to help them remain viable. “What we’re going through is things that are out of our control and things that are in our control,” Ruiz said. “What we can control is having Congress pass a number of bills that address key issues; what we can’t control is the usage of the internet.” The USPS has a pre-funding requirement, a law passed in 2006, in which every year they have to pay $5.5 billion toward retiree health benefits. Ruiz said Congress is currently looking into giving the USPS relief from it. He said that they have to be returned over $7 billion in overpayment to the retiree health system as well. The combination of the technologically advancing nation and the ongoing recession has resulted in the negative impact on mail volume.
See POSTAGE, page 7
Cross country to go to championships Event: Big West Conference Championship Where: Riverside, Calif. When: Saturday, all day Who to watch: Senior Axel Stanovsky will be looking to make a splash in his final trip
Fifty percent of Americans support pot legalization
to the Big West Conference Championship. The Everett, Wash. native finished 21st at last year’s meet and posted the second best time by an Aggie male at the NCAA PreNational Invitational Oct. 16.
Did you know? Although assistant coach Kim Conley is no longer eligible to compete at the collegiate level, she has continued to focus on her athletic pursuits.
See CROSS, page 2
Axel Stanovsky senior
More Americans want marijuana to be legalized than ever before. In a Gallup Poll released last week, exactly half of the responders said the government should legalize pot — the highest percentage ever recorded in the poll. The question was first asked by Gallup in 1969, in which only 12 percent of Americans favored it, while 84 percent were opposed. Even though 50 percent are in favor, the numbers differ greatly between different age ranges and political ideologies. Sixtynine percent of liberals favor legalization, opposed to 34 percent of conservatives and 62 percent of 18 to 29 year olds favor legalization, opposed to 31 percent of those 65 and older. Since the number of those in favor of pot legalization is rising every year, pressure is starting to be put on the government to legalize it. There are opinions on both sides of what should be done though. “This is a historic day in the decades-long war on marijuana,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), through a press release. “As of today, a majority of the American public believes the use of marijuana should be legal for adults.” Meanwhile, the debate on the issue is taking place around campus, as well as around the country. The most recent statistics of UC Davis show that 18.4 percent of students use marijuana at least occasionally, which is by far the most commonly documented illegal drug to be used by Davis students, according to UC Davis’ Safe Party website. “I’m personally against legalizing marijuana,” said Jonathan, a sophomore political science and history double major, who chose not to disclose his last name. “If you legalize marijuana, you would be committing yourself to losing the war on drugs.” Despite marijuana being illegal in America, it is legal in other countries. Psychology major Nyala Noe, who is from the Netherlands, is studying abroad at UC Davis. She has a first hand experience of living in a country in which pot is legal and has smoked in public
Irisa Tam / Aggie
settings. “I’m fine with [marijuana legalization],” she said. “People should be able to do whatever they want to do.” While the main debate is whether pot should be legalized, a part of the debate is who should determine if it is legal. “I don’t think it is a federal government issue,” Jonathan said. “It is a state’s right issue.” Whether the federal or state governments will be the deciding factor, has yet to be determined, the federal government has been involved with the issue, including introducing legislation in Congress. Last June, Representatives Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) introduced legislation to end the federal ban on marijuana and let the states choose whether to legalize it. While marijuana is illegal under federal law, 16 states allow medical marijuana, leading to clashes between local and federal authorities. Federal intervention led to the shutdown of medical marijuana dispensaries in southern California and Montana earlier this year. This past Tuesday, medical marijuana advocates in San Francisco announced they are drafting a 2012 ballot initiative to impose statewide oversight of California’s burgeoning medicinal cannabis trade. The ballot initiative is in direct response to the federal government intervening with dispensaries. The federal government keeps busy dealing with marijuana issues. For example, someone is arrested for a marijuana offense every 37 seconds and there are more arrests for marijuana possession each year than for all violent crimes combined, according to MPP. “The American people are clearly saying it is time to stop arresting adults for using marijuana,” Kampia said in the press release. “Now it is time for our elected officials to listen to the public.” ZANDER WOLD can be reached at city@ theaggie.org.
Celebrate Halloween all weekend
Farmers market, Davis Graduate to hold Halloween events By CASEY SPECHT Aggie Features Writer
With Halloween falling on a Monday, celebrations are starting now and the fall spirit is carrying all the way through the weekend. From a haunted house and fall festival to themed parties and a monster bash, there is sure to be an event to make anyone’s Halloween memorable.
Today’s weather Sunny High 74 Low 46
Halloween Week at The Davis Graduate Today to Tuesday 805 Russell Blvd. Ages 18 and up or 21 and up, depending on the night From country nights to a ‘90s themed party, The Davis Graduate has Halloween covered. “The crowd is super friendly and
full of locals,” said kitchen staff member Jesse McNabb. “We have Halloween-themed drink specials and a costume contest with prizes and cash worth $500.” Each night of Halloween Week is different at The Grad, in order to cater to every taste.
Forecast It looks like we will finally see a respite from this wind as the week comes to an end. It certainly couldn’t come at a better time — I felt like I was actually biking backwards on campus yesterday it was so windy! Alex Neigher, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
See HALLOWEEN, page 6 Friday
Saturday
Sunny
Sunny
High 74 Low 48
High 74 Low 49
Irisa Tam / Aggie
Sadly I’m leaving my Night Crew family. BUT that means one of you lucky bastards gets the best job ever. Just don’t even THINK about changing the Pats logo on the desktop. That computer is mine forever. It says so on the pink sticky! :D Kim Carr
page two
2 thursday, october 27, 2011
daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
TODAY
FRIDAY
October Book Faire
Crafternoon
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Women’s Resources and Research Center, First floor North Hall Each quarter the Joy Fergoda Library at the WRRC hosts a book faire where books can be purchased for under $3. Proceeds will be used to buy new books for the library. Nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and more! The faire will be open until Friday.
3:30 to 5 p.m. LGBT Resource Center, University House Annex Make asexual-themed crafts and hang out at the LGBTRC.
Quarter Abroad Info Session Noon to 1 p.m. Education Abroad Center, 207 Third St., Ste. 120 Attend the British Culture & Internship Information Session to learn how you can spend Spring quarter taking upper division English courses while completing an internship of your choice in the heart of London. Meet the professor and talk with advisors about logistics like financial aid.
Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series 4 p.m. 1005 Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility Building Dr. Frits Thorsen of the University of Bergen, Norway, will discuss the development of novel animal models to study melanoma brain metastases.
Asexual Association Meeting 5 to 6:30 p.m. First and E St., by the old Borders Chat with other ace umbrella-identified questioning people.
Women’s Volleyball vs. UC Santa Barbara 7 p.m. ARC Pavilion Students receive admission with student ID.
Davis is Burning 7 to 11 p.m. Freeborn Hall Delta Lambda Phi presents the 22nd annual drag show, featuring fabulous performers from all over the Sacramento region.
SATURDAY Women’s Volleyball vs. Cal Poly 7 p.m. ARC Pavilion The first 1,000 fans will receive free rally towels.
School of Law First Amendment Lecture Series 4 p.m. Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom, King Hall Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will discuss the First Amendment in the age of information overload. RSVP at www.surveymonkey. com/s/2011centralvalleyfoundationlecture.
Art Studio Program Lecture Series 4:30 to 6 p.m. Technocultural Studies Building New York-based painter Joanne Greenbaum is primarily concerned with the formalism of plastic arts. Her canvases don’t follow formulas of conventional painting, but rather continuously test and expand the possibilities by which painting can evolve.
American Red Cross Club Meeting 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. 118 Olson Missed the first general meeting? No worries! Just go to the third general meeting of the year and learn about all the volunteer opportunities around Davis and the Yolo community.
SUNDAY Young Frankenstein Screening 7 p.m. International House, 10 College Park Join students and community members at a showing of the scary comedy “Young Frankenstein.” Doors open at 7 p.m., the movie starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission for members is free, non-members are asked to contribute $2.
International Folk Dance Class 7 to 10 p.m. Davis Art Center Studio E, 1919 F St. As part of its ongoing class, the Davis International Folkdancers will be teaching an easy Serbian dance and a more challenging Bulgarian dance and doing previously taught dances. Bring grit-free, non-marking shoes. The first class is free to newcomers. 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.
campus Judicial reports Part-time forger Forgery of an enrollment verification form led to the referral of a student by the Registrar’s Office to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA). The student had forged a letter claiming that he was a full-time enrolled student at UC Davis for Fall quarter when, in fact, he was only a part-time student. The Registrar’s Office was alerted to this when the recipient of the forged letter contacted them to get some follow up information. In a meeting with a judicial officer, the student confessed to having forged the letter and agreed to the sanction of Deferred Separation. Deferred Separation means that the student agrees to give up his right to a formal hearing if he is again referred to SJA for misconduct. If the student is found “in violation” of misconduct after an informal hearing with a judicial officer, he will most likely be suspended or dismissed from the university.
Can you hear me now? A senior was referred to Student Judicial Affairs for having obtained an unfair advantage on a chemistry exam. It was reported by the instructor that the student had continued to work on her exam even after several verbal warnings had been issued for students to stop writing and turn in their tests. The student later stated that
she had not heard the verbal warnings and did not realize that the exam proctors had signaled the end of the exam. The student was placed on Disciplinary Probation until graduation and was required to complete a specified number of community service hours. Disciplinary Probation means that if the student is found in violation of any further misconduct during the probationary period, the student would likely be suspended or dismissed from the university.
Parking pass faux-pas The campus’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) referred an upperclassman to Student Judicial Affairs for using an altered expired parking permit in order to park for free at the Activities and Recreational Center. The student was alleged to have altered the expiration date on the parking permit. When the student met with a judicial officer, she claimed that a friend lent the parking permit to her and that she had overlooked the expiration date. However, in a subsequent meeting she admitted to having altered the permit. The student was placed on Deferred Separation and all of her TAPS privileges (such as parking permits) were taken away. Campus Judicial Reports are compiled by members of Student Judicial Affairs.
Another Bike Barn senate bill, Senate Bill 16, was passed last week. This bill allocates $12,634.16 from Capital Reserves and $1,598.78 from Bike Barn reserves. This will fund equipment replacement and upgrades.
bike
Cont. from front page A final decision from ASUCD Senate will be made tonight during the ASUCD Senate meeting. If the bill is passed, the ordering and remodeling of the space is set to MUNA SADEK can be reached at campus@ begin. theaggie.org.
Correction In Wednesday’s brief titled “Second town hall meeting tonight,” the start of the town hall meeting was listed as 6 pm. In fact the meeting started at 5 pm. The Aggie regrets the error.
Jason Alpert Editor in Chief
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Jasna Hodzic Photography Editor
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friend’s house is akin to being out clubbing until morning. In other words, every Tuesday morning that I’ve walked into the house and sat down for breakfast, she must Janelle have thought I was insane. Bitker When I tell her that I merely slept at a friend’s house, she doesn’t seem to believe me. I have a theory about all of this, and it stems from America’s drinking age. In Belgium, the beer drinking age is 16. I’ve been approached in bars by 17-year-olds. It’s weird. n Belgium, my housing Kids start going out to bars options were to live with and discos when they’re 15, students in an apartsince bartenders rarely ask ment or to live with a host for identification. It’s weird. family. I chose the host Thus, Belgian teenagers family. are used to hanging out in My friends back at home public spaces. They meet said I was crazy. As a study for a drink in a pub or a abroad student, wouldn’t I cafe. They buy beers from want to prance around the a nearby store and lounge city, party all the time and in a park. It’s the culture. live without rules? Maybe Why hang out in someone’s to a cerhouse tain degree, when you I have a theory about all but I figured could be that learnsomeof this, and it stems from ing the lowhere ... America’s drinking age cal language well ... and culture cooler? would be far more bene In the States, there are no ficial to my life than the public spaces to hang out ability to freely chug vodin. Yes, we could meet at a ka with a bunch of other coffee shop. We could meet Americans. in a park. But let’s face it: al I don’t regret the decicohol makes these places far sion at all. I live with a love- more appealing. As 15-yearly host mother, her two olds, we Americans flock to daughters and a precious homes to eat our parents’ dog. I live in a gorgeous food and watch movies. The house in a charming res“bad” teens flock to homes idential neighborhood, to steal from their parents’ walking distance to everyalcohol cabinets. thing I could possibly need. Everything takes place in I’m served breakfast and private spaces. Our friends dinner, accompanied by become families. Our friends’ French conversation. families become families. We It’s a pretty ideal life. I’m send a text message five minlearning tons about this biutes before we arrive as warnzarre country and I feel freer ing. We start arriving comthan when I’m living with my pletely unannounced. We parents back in the States. come over for dinner unan But three weeks into my nounced. We have imprompstay, I received a lecture from tu sleepovers. Why not? We my host mom. She said I have nowhere else to go. was partying too often, not And at UC Davis, this sleeping enough, not studymentality is only heightened ing enough, and that if I were with our parentless dorms, her daughter, my behavior apartments and houses. would not be tolerated. But most Belgian students I was shocked. What in Brussels still live with their prompted this? families. Big cities are expen The night before, I went sive and living alone isn’t inout with a few friends to grained into “the college exgrab drinks. It was a melperience” like it is in the low evening of conversing States. A group of 20-yearwith other expatriates, and old students aren’t going to it ended around midnight. hang around someone’s par The only problem is that ents’ house drinking beer and I wasn’t out with my roomwatching “Adventure Time” mate, and it’s not recomuntil they fall asleep. No, mended for a young lady in they’re going to go out and any big city to take public dance until 6 a.m. and take transportation alone late at the morning metro home! night. This meant I could ei- I have not received anther hop on the last metro other lecture from my host by myself or spend 15 euros mom, but I’ve also toned on a taxi. In order to avoid down the weeknight outboth of these less than ideal ings. Part of studying situations, I have taken a lik- abroad is trying to live like ing to crashing on a friend’s a local, so I’m doing more couch every so often. normal Belgian things. My It’s not a big deal. I’m Monday nights consist of asleep by 2 a.m. and I take watching “The Mentalist” a bus back home in the dubbed in French with the morning. As an American family, and I save the 6 a.m. college student, this sounds metro rides for Saturday. like a normal night. This is where my Belgian JANELLE BITKER recommends you live host mom and I don’t see with a host family — you can party with eye to eye. To her, returning Americans in America. Don’t buy it? Send at 9 a.m. after sleeping at a concerns to jlbitker@ucdavis.edu.
Host mothers
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CROSS Cont. from front page Conley, who graduated from UC Davis in 2008, will run the 5,000-meter race today at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also finished third in the USA Women’s 10K Championships Oct. 10. Preview: The season is beginning to wind down and that means UC Davis senior Jonathan Peterson is coming into form. While coach Drew Wartenberg has been encouraging Peterson to race well throughout the season, the goal from the start of the year has been for the Clovis, Calif. native to peak during the postseason. With that strategy in mind, this week could be the week Peterson begins to hit his stride. It won’t be easy, however. After taking first at the Big West Championships last year, Peterson enters this year’s event with a target on his back. “Saturday will be an excellent test for him,” Wartenberg said. “It’s very difficult to go into a meet like this as a defending titlist.” On the women’s side the Aggies will be looking for a team effort on Saturday. Senior Krista Drechsler and sophomore Alycia Cridebring both posted strong finishes at the Big West Championship last season, and with junior Sarah Sumpter back in the squad to defend her 2009
conference title, the Aggies field a very formidable trio. “We’ve got a one-two-three punch up front,” Wartenberg said. “We love having this kind of team depth and they’re very excited to contend for a team title.”
The california Aggie
hurting themselves in the long run? And then there’s the matter of your own peace of mind: people become so overcome by the embedded Dylan notion that kindness Gallagher consists of not hurting someone’s feelings that they forgo speaking their mind. Interactions become built on complacent head nods and passive, insincere affirmations — attempts to quell insecurity and selfdoubt. There’s no reason to do this; a genuine friend would view your most n elementary school, honest response as a form we’re taught to accept of support, regardless of the a very specific idea of harshness of the delivery. kindness: “sharing is car“Yeah, you definitely fucked ing,” “treat others as you up in this situation. You would like to be treatreally should have done X ed” and the like. Truisms instead of Y.” Break the seal. though they may be, these If you care about someone, doctrines are conceptually good rules to live by. The you owe it to them to be an asshole. And more issue with them is that as time wears on and relation- importantly, you owe it to yourself. ships be For examcome more I’m not advising you to throw ple, some complex than kickcaution to the wind and start freely friends of mine reball matchcalling people sluts or fatties cently es at recess bought a and crayon cat, Adele, for their apartsharing, kindness takes on ment in the Ramble. They a whole new meaning. The concept of “too nice” post pictures of him on Facebook and Tumblr, capbecomes a possibility; too turing him in brief and rare many people spend their time trying to be diplomats moments of calm, but these are gross misrepresentaor friends of everyone, givtions. Outside of the snaping off the impression that shots shared with their exa personality can be unitended network, the creaversally compatible. But ture spends his time lunging even children have to adat hands and feet, chewing mit, in spite of everything shoes, defecating tapeworm they learn, that it’s just not particles and eating everypossible to be liked by everyone or vice versa. So cit- thing within reach. “Isn’t he cute?” they ask. izens, teach yourselves “No,” I answer. “He’s to recognize the fact that an absolute fucking sometimes kindness and brutal honesty go hand-in- nightmare.” hand. Be yourself; be blunt; Admittedly, this might be melodramatic, but I take be an asshole, if necessary. solace in thinking that I ex DO NOT READ THIS AS pressed myself honestly AN ENDORSEMENT OF INSULT. I’m not advising you and now my friends know how I really feel. It would to throw caution to the wind have been just as easy and start freely calling peoto nod along and praise ple sluts or fatties under the presupposition that they may Adele’s ability to look adorend up not liking you anyway. able and lie in cute positions, but where would Be kind — just understand that get the conversation? that sometimes you have to Where would that get me? be brutal to do so. As a matter of fact, I’ve found that the Ultimately, it’s a more allaround cathartic experifurther I advance into adultence for everyone when you hood, the more frequently it speak your mind — unless, seems that the road to kindof course, it isn’t. Maybe ness is paved with cruelty. “Yes, actually, you do look it relieves you and just winds up leaving everyone fat in that peasant dress.” “I don’t have any roman- else stunned and offended. Perhaps, rather than be tic interest in you, just a pleasantly surprised, they’ll heads up.” just be completely taken “No, this column is not aback by your unabashed good. Don’t send it to the assertion of assholery in a press or you’ll regret it.” I’m not going to try to su- place where most would choose a route of saccharine garcoat the fact that these placation and pretty words. kinds of comments sting But next time you feel the (though being the flawless need to tell someone they’re individual I am, I wouldn’t just a hookup or that they know from experience), but which is worse: tempo- look like a manatee in their gray sweats, recall the imrarily deflating someone’s mortal words of Sadie ego or knowingly allowing them to wear the unflatter- Saxton from “Awkward”: “You have to be cruel to be ing outfit all day or obsess kind … You’re welcome.” over whether or not you like them back? In the end, wouldn’t it be just as kind to Share your brutal honesty or flat-out hit them with a quick suck- insults with DYLAN GALLAGHER via e-mail er punch dosage of honesdylaaaaan@gmail.com (or Tumblr ask ty so that they don’t end up (cleverblog.tumblr.com/ask).
You’re welcome
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While success this weekend is something the Aggies hope for, however, Wartenberg believes it is key for the team to remember that the Big West Championships are not the end of the season. “This is where we take
our first crack at a championship meet,” he said, “but it’s a balancing act. We need to put our best foot forward without going so hard that we focus only on this meet.” — Trevor Cramer
OPINION
The california aggie
thursday, october 27, 2011 3
Letters to the editor editorials
Tanning beds
Teen baking is bad On Oct. 9, Gov. Jerry Brown approved Senate Bill 746, which prohibits the use of tanning beds for those under the age of 18. The bill is an important step to decreasing the general use of tanning beds, but in particular decreasing use among minors. SB 746 was sponsored by the California School of Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery and backed by organizations such as the California Medical Association, Kaiser Permanente and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Tanning beds use lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation, UV rays, to produce a cosmetic tan similar to that of lying outside in the sun. In some high schools, indoor tanning is a part of prom culture, even though many health studies show that the over exposure of UV rays of minors can increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Indoor tanning companies even buy advertisement space inside high school newspapers, offering discounts to students as long as they have a parental consent form. From this, it’s clear teenagers are target customers. Much like the cigarette industry, the tanning industry claims that the concerns about their product are overblown, or even that their
products are actually helpful. They claim that the ability to time the session and control the UV level in the bed gives the person tanning an ability to control their exposure that an outdoor tan will not. However, numerous studies show that indoor tanners are likely to get burned and suffer other skin damage from using the tanning bed. The concerns are especially strong for minors. The World Health Organization placed tanning beds in its highest cancer risk category, “carcinogenic to humans,” after more than 20 studies found that those who start using tanning beds before the age of 30 are 75 percent more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Before the bill passed, teenagers were allowed to use tanning beds as long as they brought a signed parental consent form. These parental consent forms did not explain the possible risks of tanning for teenagers. Preventing teenagers from using tanning beds is similar to keeping them from smoking before they turn 18. Once a person reaches adulthood, they can decide for themselves if the increased risk of skin cancer is worth the benefit of an even tan. Until then, keep teenagers out of tanning beds.
debit card surcharges
Don’t move your money yet Since the passage of the Oct. 1 Durbin Amendment, which reduces about half of the amount retailers have to pay banks for debit card swipe fees, banks have been trying to make up for this lost revenue. Early next year, Bank of America will be enacting a $5 a month surcharge to debit card users. Other banks are still testing out monthly fees. To put it simply, this change is detrimental to college students. Many larger banks will only be charging the monthly fee to members whose checking balance is under $1,500. It is unfair to enact a surcharge on those who have less money in these accounts. And though some banks will exempt people who are signed up for direct deposit for their paychecks, a good deal of students don’t have time for a job while carrying as many units as they can to graduate in four years. Groups such as moveyourmoneyproject.org — whose slogan is “Invest in Main Street, Not Wall Street” — are leading a national movement encouraging people to move their money from their bank accounts to credit unions. These unions are cooperative institutions owned and controlled by their members. Although it would seem wise to remove one’s money from banks with the new
fees, there are clear downsides to doing this. For college students, switching one’s place of residence often — going from school to home — makes it difficult to put one’s money in a credit union when there are a lot fewer union locations, making it harder to access one’s money than it is when working with major banks. Banks can take advantage of their customers as they know the difficulty associated with moving one’s money around and that most students will have to stick with a bank — as most don’t know how their interest rates would change when switching over to credit unions. As it is, it’s difficult for students to deal with money. As a digitalized culture, debit cards are an important form of quick payment. It would be unreasonable for people to abandon debit cards completely, even with the new costs. Swiping one’s card is easier than going to a bank or ATM to get cash out, or writing an archaic check. Though some students might consider switching from Bank of America to other banks, it seems likely that most banks will have to start a similar fee system. Before you think about taking your money and running from your bank, consider the negative effects of doing so.
Editorial Board Jason Alpert Editor in Chief Becky Peterson Managing Editor Melissa Freeman Opinion Editor
Hannah Strumwasser Campus Editor Angela Swartz City Editor Erin Migdol Features Editor
Uyen Cao Arts Editor Trevor Cramer Sports Editor
Amy Stewart Science Editor Jasna Hodzic Photography Editor
Editorials represent the collective opinions of The California Aggie editorial board. The Opinion page appears Tuesdays and Thursdays.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
GUEST OPINIONS
The California Aggie welcomes letters from its readers. Letters must be typed and no longer than 200 words. As The Aggie attempts to represent a diversity of viewpoints on its letters page, we reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed, and letters become the property of The California Aggie. All correspondence must be signed with the author’s name and telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication, although names may be withheld upon request.
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Bar crawling comes with risks
While the author of the article encourages students to go out and drink at the bars on their 21st, be aware that you could be setting yourself up for some not so great consequences. There are serious repercussions when you are arrested for public intoxication or driving while under the influence in Davis. The approximate cost of a DUI in Yolo County is between $10,000 to $15,000 and would show up on your criminal record. Some tips to have a fun night on your 21st include reviewing safeparty.ucdavis.edu for responsible drinking tips before going out, drinking water in between alcohol-
ic drinks, eating food high in protein to slow down your body’s rate of alcohol absorption, using the buddy system and having the number for Tipsy Taxi (530-752-6666) or another safe ride on hand to get home safely. Whether you decide to go out to the bars on your 21st birthday or not, you should be aware of the possible consequences of high risk drinking. Students can access lots of great tips on how to celebrate safely with alcohol on safeparty. ucdavis.edu. Joel Breck student assistant health education and promotion department
Response to prisoner swap
the end, are men who take up arms to defend their families because Palestine has no army. These are the men the author calls terrorists. Israel currently imprisons over 5,000 Palestinians, over 1,000 of which are detained without due process. However, I do want to address the implication that Israeli government officials are trying to achieve peace (and that Hamas, decidedly, is not) with two examples. Last year, Israeli General Consul Akiva Tor spoke at the UC Davis School of Law about the Arab Spring. As an Egyptian, it blew me away when he said that Israel feared free elections in Egypt because they could result in a government that is unfriendly to Israel. What shocked me even more was his response to a law student who asked why Israel wouldn’t freeze illegal settlement building — Hamas’ only requirement to resume peace talks. His answer? It’s not in Israel’s interests. Okay, fine. At least Netanyahu released 1,027 prisoners for the sake of peace, right? “…storms are sweeping the Middle East. I do not know if in the near future we would have been able to reach a better deal or any deal at all,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Or not. That hardly sounds anything like Israeli officials’ “willingness” to make peace. So tell me, who’s stalling the peace process?
One final point to note: it’s easy to play the victim when you have one face; Gilad Shalit’s face has been all over the news. They even know the exact number of days he’s been captured for crying out loud! But the over 1,000 Palestinians remain nameless and faceless, known to the world only as “terrorists” because of unbalanced pieces like this. Most Palestinian families don’t know if they will see their son after he leaves for school or work because an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint might be having a bad day. I can’t tell you how many of my Palestinian friends can’t visit their family members (even the dead ones!) because the Israeli government has blacklisted their family. I’ll pose this question to the author, as well as all readers: why are Palestinians fighting? What drives someone to strap on a suicide bomb? What makes an ordinary civilian like you and me, someone with family and friends, put on a bomb that will kill them? Why does Israel fear the general populous of Arab countries? I want it to be incredibly clear that I do not condone suicide bombing, but it’s important to ask why? If you can answer that and address it, maybe, just maybe, we can achieve peace in the Middle East.
Holocaust as a metaphor is offensive, insensitive and triggering. Thirdly, the use of the word “choice” both in reference to a person’s choice about the outcome of their pregnancy and to Hitler’s “choice” to commit atrocities during WWII is not comparable. We stand in solidarity with students identifying as Jewish, Queer, People of Color, Women, Transgender, Romani, and folks with disabilities for whom this film invokes histories of oppression, genocide and erasure. We wish to express our anger that students were unable to make informed decisions about seeing the film and were left without support while
watching it. The following list offers resources for students who may have been triggered by the film or who are looking for accurate information about pregnancy, abortion and adoption. Please stop by the Women’s Resources & Research Center if you are looking for additional support, information or want to talk about your experience.
I am an Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Student Assistant in the Health Education and Promotion (HEP) department of Student Health and Counseling Services, and I wanted to address some suggestions that were made in the column “Bar crawl a rite of passage for 21st birthdays”, which promoted the idea of going out on a bar crawl on one’s 21st birthday. Alcohol is a drug, and binge drinking on your 21st birthday can be dangerous. Have fun with friends, but be safe and realize you don’t have to binge drink when celebrating your birthday.
The guest opinion “IsraeliPalestinian prisoner swap” on Oct. 25th was simply one of the most slanted pieces I’ve ever read. Not only did the author fail to look at both perspectives of the issue, he managed to unfairly attack one side. He claimed the release of Gilad Shalit came at the “very high cost” of releasing 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Let’s examine this statement, shall we? First, we need to establish this: who is Gilad Shalit? From the sheer joy, sympathy and over-usage of ‘kidnapped soldier’ coming from the Israeli side, you’d think he was a kid who was abducted by those savage Palestinians. The truth is he was a prisoner of war. The author himself identified him as Sergeant First Class Gilad Shalit, a soldier in the Israeli army, also known as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). This is the same IDF that has killed at least 6,418 civilians since 2000, according to B’Tselem, an Israeli organization. This is the same IDF that receives $3 billion annually from the United States while our college tuition costs have doubled in the past 5 years. This is the same IDF that between Dec. 27, 2008 and Jan. 18, 2009 massacred 1,385 Palestinians, of which over 1,000 were non-combatant men, women and children in a break of a ceasefire that Israel initiated. The actual combatants, in
Response to “180”
Tuesday Oct. 26, 2011, a group of individuals distributed DVDs entitled “180” on the UC Davis campus. The content of the film was both triggering for many in our communities and also deceitfully hidden. Our response to “180” is multi-faceted and we want to share both our support for the community and share our critique. Firstly, the distribution of the films was deceitful, and we find their methods problematic. We are disappointed that many students were misled about the film’s content. Secondly, the comparison of abortion to the Holocaust is not merited and the use of the
Ahmed Desouki Senior biotechnology major Muslim Student Association West president
Women’s Resources & Research Center: (530) 752-0222 Daniella Moses and Jessie Quinn Interns at the Women’s Resources and Research Center
mands of the working class. This led already grossly exaggerated wealth the capitalist class to begin an ultiat the expense of the 99 percent.” mately futile campaign to reclaim It should therefore come as no surtheir former rate of profit by cutprise that many among the finanting taxes for the wealthy and for cial elite are directly in charge of Jordan corporations, instituting free marthe privatization of our schools. As ket policies, deregulating industries, Higgins points out, “A lot of the time, Carroll funneling money into speculative the regents are the bankers and the schemes and slashing or privatizbankers are the regents.” ing the welfare state that had devel- The slow death of our public oped in more prosperous times. As universities is therefore intimatepart of this strategy, free market par- ly tied to fundamental economic tisans allowed Wall problems that can Street to run ramonly be solved by pant and de-fund- ... neither the student movement nor revolutionary acOccupy Davis can limit themselves tion. ed public instituver two years ago, University tions such as the According to to narrow, reformist demands of California and California UC system. The deJoshua Clover, State University students cline of public unia professor of formed leaderless general assemblies versities and the 2008 financial crisis English at UC Davis, the conditions and occupied administrative buildare consequences of the same disas- that made inexpensive public uniings to show their opposition to fee trous economic system. versity education possible — “a dehikes and budget cuts. Their slogan mand for highly trained workers With state support cut by nearwas “Occupy Everything, Demand that outstripped supply” and “a hisly two-thirds, UC tuition jumped Nothing.” About a month ago, cititorically high rate of profit in the from $776 in 1980 to $13,218 in zens assembled in Zuccotti Park in real economy”— have disappeared 2011. Unless checked, this trend New York City to protest increasing will continue: President Yudof and in the last three decades: “For that economic inequality and the domreason, I don’t foresee any return to the UC regents plan to meet soon inance of finance capital. “Occupy the 1960 Compact via some change to discuss an 81 percent fee increase Everything” became “Occupy Wall in the tax structure or argument over the next four years. Despite adStreet” and, finally, returned to our from the position of justice. Any ministrative propaganda, these own Central Park as “Occupy Davis.” sharp fee increases were comconcessions now would have to be California did not invent the oc- pletely avoidable. compelled, not requested.” cupation — organized labor began Much of that money went straight What this suggests is that neither using sit-down strikes around the to the top. The number of executhe student movement nor Occupy turn of the last century. Our octives and senior manager positions Davis can limit themselves to narcupations are not the sole inspihas more than doubled since 1997 row, reformist demands. When sturation for the Occupy movement, while, in recent years, the UC sysdent protesters focus entirely on either. Occupiers draw on polititem has voted for an $11.5 million the price of tuition, or when occucal examples ranging from Italian increase in executive bonuses and piers limit their demands to things Autonomia to the Arab Spring. salary. As Emma Kluge, an Occupy like campaign finance reform, they Nevertheless, I believe our stuDavis coordinator, observes, “The fail to see that what they are fightdent protests and the spreading UC system represents the larger pic- ing is just a symptom, a reflection occupation movement are closely ture: highly concentrated wealth in of an economic system which colconnected as two forms of struggle the hands of irresponsible people lects the wealth of the 99 percent in against free market capitalism. become self-perpetuating at the ex- the hands of the one percent. Resonances between the two pense of those who support them.” Concentration of wealth and the movements go beyond rhetoric Just like in the rest of the economy, wholesale destruction of public and tactics — they have a common austerity for UC students and work- goods like the university system are enemy. Andrew Higgins, a Ph.D. ers means luxury for UC executives. not merely the result of bad educastudent in history at UC Davis par- Sarah Augusto, a Ph.D. student tional policy in California, or even ticipating in both protests, argues a conspiracy of bankers — they are in sociology actively involved in that, “To me the struggle against the logical results of capitalism. OWS and the student movement, privatization of the UC system and also sees a direct parallel between In this regard, then, the slogan the fight at Occupy Wall Street are Wall Street and UC administration: of the 2009 UC student protests one in the same.” “The regents consistently make dehad it right: it is only through glob In order to see these conneccisions that benefit their own finan- al occupation that we can achieve tions, we have to put them into con- cial interests over the quality of the local change. text. In the 1970s, the top one perUC system and the well being of its cent faced a crisis brought on by de- students and workers, just as Wall JORDAN CARROLL can be reached at jscarroll@ clining profits and the insurgent de- Street bankers seek to increase their ucdavis.edu.
Occupy: UC Connection
O
The California Aggie’s Arts and Entertainment Magazine
4 volume 5, number 26
Thursday, october 27, 2011
A one-woman show
Uyen T. Cao
Silent dancing “Dance without music is hollow. It’s only technically impressive — a shell without anything inside,” says a commenter on a Merce Cunningham dance choreography video on Youtube. Like postmodern art, thinking about contemporary dance is a new way of viewing the art world that I had not been exposed to very much until relatively recently. Last year, my best friend, who is an aspiring musical theatre performer, was taking a postmodern dance class and showed me a video of a woman walking across a room. There was no music. It was just the woman walking across the room from one end to the other. This is a dance video, my friend said. I remember looking blankly back and her and saying: “I don’t get it.” Although this dance choreography by Cunningham was very strange and experimental to me, it brought up a very interesting point that I couldn’t let go. Can a dance really exist without music? I’ve been a major fan of hip-hop choreography since I can remember. And I realized that I enjoyed this type of choreography because hip-hop styles — like breaking, locking and popping — are rhythmic with the lyrics and beats of a song. You will never see a guy on the street b-boying in silence because the musicality of the movements are very much inseparable to the counts and beats of a song. So perhaps this was why I felt so uncomfortable watching Merce Cunningham’s choreography. The silence made me uncomfortable. This realization made me want to dig deeper into why I was in such discomfort watching this type of dance and choreography. Last year, I had the great opportunity of meeting Anna Halprin at a conference where she spoke about her late husband, Laurence Halprin, who was a renowned landscape architect. But to be perfectly honest, I was more interested in hearing her talk about dance. Anna Halprin is an early pioneer of the “expressive arts healing movement” in which she utilizes the body in a kinesthetic sense. If you’re confused about what that means, I don’t blame you. It is very hard to describe; even once you witness it, it remains indescribable in how seemingly experimental it all feels. But in an exercise Halprin did during the conference, she told the entire room to sink down into their chairs. And then, she told the room to sit up straight in their chairs. Halprin then asked: “How did this change in position alter your mood?” After Halprin’s exercise, I came to the realization that movement can be lead by the dancer’s contact to the objects and space around them — like how Halprin made the entire room shift in space. In this sense, music becomes a secondary entity. I was curious to see what aspiring dancers on campus think about this issue and the growing popularity of postmodern dance. I asked my roommate to ask her friends in her dance choreography class whether they think there needs to be music for dance to exist. Here are two responses I received: “Since dance is a form of selfexpression, it doesn’t necessarily need music. However, music helps me connect to movement, so for me, music and dance are almost inseparable,” Avery Lincoln said. Alright, I get that one. “I don’t necessarily think dance needs music, especially since I usually end up creating movement without any music. I feel that when dancing your body creates natural rhythms, which can be the music that drives the dance. This includes breathing, tapping your foot to the floor, clapping, etc. Although this is my own preference, I do feel that for certain traditional dance such as ballet, music plays an important role. I think it’s important to mention that I personally think music should not determine all of the movement,” Angel Rodriguez said. I guess you would have to say that whether music is an important factor in creating dance ultimately depends on the dancer and the choreographer. There’s no denying that I continue to be impressed by artists who are pushing boundaries and dancing to their own rhythm in life. That, in itself, is by no means “hollow.” UYEN CAO would like to know if you’ve ever danced without music. Let her know what
you thought about it by e-mailing her at arts@ theaggie.org.
Spoken words
Miracle in Rwanda taking place Nov. 3 & 4 at the Mondavi Center By MICHELLE RUAN Aggie Arts Writer
It’s April of 1994 in Rwanda and the stench of fear is overwhelming. There is no escaping the sickening scent as Hutu tribesmen wielding machetes hunt down the Tutsi, another tribe, which eventually culminates in a three-month genocide in which nearly 500,000 to one million Tutsi are slain. For Immaculée Ilibagiza, a member of the Tutsi, fear has no smell. Rather, it takes the form of the constriction of breaths as she struggles to control her terror every time the perpetrators of the genocide raid a local pastor’s house in which they search for her while she hides in a veiled extra bathroom with seven other women. Incredibly, Ilibagiza survives the nightmare but not without having had her entire family viciously killed in the genocide. Leslie Lewis Sword’s emotional one women show, Miracle in Rwand, is based on Ilibagiza’s NY Times bestselling memoir, Left to Tell. Lasting an hour, Sword transforms herself into eight different characters as she recreates Ilibagiza’s 91 days harrowing experience for the audience. On Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, Sword will be performing Miracle in Rwanda at the Mondavi Center. The event is in co-sponsorship of the Office of Campus Community Relations, the Kittelson Charitable Foundation, The UC Davis Human Rights Initiative, as well as other local contributors. Students and the Davis community will get the
Miracle in Rwanda
courtesy of Derek Van Oss
chance to watch Sword’s performance, which has been touring worldwide for the last several years. Afterward, there will be a panel discussion with Sword, Ephrem Rukundo, a Rwanda Genocide survivor and international agricultural development graduate student, Andrea Dooley, an ex-
pert of the Rwandan Genocide, and Professor Keith Watenpaugh, Director, UC Davis Human Rights Initiative about the play and the Rwandan Genocide. “It has a lot of depth. It is a message of the power of faith and hopefully of forgiveness and the confirmation of the human spirit
which can survive even the most horrifying of events,” said Craig Davids, one of the organizers of the performance. Davids had seen the show last year with Rukundo in Vancouver and was inspired to bring the show to Davis so that students could have a firmer grasp in not only understanding Rwanda but also the examples of how prejudice can lead to such horrific acts. Dr. Watenpaugh shares Davids’ sentiments. “What this play also explores is how, or even if it’s possible, to achieve reconciliation after mass violence,” Watenpaugh said. “Students interested in the question of human rights will find this a compelling exploration of those issues and problems.” Rukundo believes that this will be a vital opportunity for students to gain perspectives into their own lives. “It gives an idea to people who were not there of what was happening in Rwanda,” Rukundo said. “It is important for people here to know that the basic human rights they may take as guaranteed in everyday life — sometime it’s not the case somewhere else.” Tickets are still available for the evening performances of Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, both of which start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $28/$14 for students. The proceeds of the tickets will be going toward the funding of education in Rwanda and give the chance for Rwandan youths to not only heal their divided country, but to also rebuild it out of the ashes of its past. MICHELLE RUAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
Making abstractions concrete New York-based artist, Joanne Greenbaum, speaks at Artist Lecture Series today
By UYEN CAO Aggie Arts Editor
There are certain pieces of artwork that truly speaks to their viewers due to the intricacies and delicate gestures that the artist conveys on canvas. For New York painter Joanne Greenbaum, the playful use of abstractions and shapes in space makes her work unique and, in many ways, unconventional. For these reasons, her work has been shown extensively across the world, including New York, Los Angeles and Switzerland. Today at 4:30 p.m. in the Technocultural Studies Building, Greenbaum will continue the 2011-12 lecture series by talking about her work and experiences as an artist in the art world to date. The event is free and is open to the public. There are certain characteristics that make Greenbaum’s work stand out. The use of lines and contemplation of solid color over soft shapes create a structural and architectural feel of space. The creative process that Greenbaum takes to create these unique abstractions are characterized in the root of her drawing process. “I’ve always drawn and have drawn a lot,” Greenbaum said. “At some point the drawings became the paintings — so I approach everything kind of like the drawing process, making common lines and forms monumentalized.” As for the use of material overall, Greenbaum is known for using oil and acrylic. However, in her recent discoveries, the use of different materials can achieve different aesthetic appeals, which add a lot to her newer body of work. “For the most part, I use traditional painting materials like oil and acrylic,” Greenbaum said. “But, lately, I have been using magic markers and fluorescent paints in my work, as well as some sprays. I like to combine all kinds of materials. When new things are introduced into the culture, I like to try them out. But, I still
love oil [paint] the best.” The Artist Lecture Series, presented by the UC Davis art studio program, has brought over a hundred different artists around the world in the past decade. Each artist has been chosen to help further the education of those interested in pursuing or understanding the art world better. Kyle Dunn, a second year Master of Fine Arts candidate in the art studio graduate program, is in charge of organizing the lecture series this year. “Greenbaum was chosen based on the quality of her work and the high level of achievement she has had in all aspects of her field,” Dunn said. “She has shown at very prestigious galleries and museums and has even had work on the album cover for popular bands like Wilco. I think her paintings display an amount playful sophistication that is exciting for younger crowds, artists and nonartists alike.” Additionally, students will have a chance to directly talk to Greenbaum and ask her about her work in an informal atmosphere during and after the lecture. “She’s an example of the sort of artists we bring to the series, engaged in the New York art scene, exhibiting internationally,” said Hearne Pardee, the art studio department chair. “She will meet with [graduate] students in their studios to discuss their work and more informally with other students.” Finally, when asked what if she had any tips for aspiring artists at UC Davis, Greenbaum replied with the best of her abilities as an individual who reached success only by facing her own unique endeavors. “Come to my lecture [today] because this is a huge question that I couldn’t possibly answer,” Greenbaum said. “My path was not the typical path, so if I have anything to say, it would be that not everyone is the same, and that some people will have early success, some late and some not at all. You can’t compare yourself to anyone, everyone is unique. And if you don’t keep working after
Ruby Ibarra: “Beyoutiful” Editor’s note: This year, MUSE will be featuring more local artists and performers by creating a space for artists’ works to be shown. And this week a poem written and performed by Ruby Ibarra entitled “Beyoutiful” is on spotlight. Ruby Ibarra is a rapper and spoken word artist from San Lorenzo, CA. She is a former member of UC Davis’ spoken word collective, SickSpits and an alumna at the university. She has rhymed for over six years and has been fortunate enough to be featured in noted web-based publications such as Worldstar Hip Hop, XXL Magazine, and MTV & VH1’s blogs. The content of the poem in its entirety, spelling and diction included, are intended by its author. I wanna be 5’5” with brown eyes Big breasts, small waist, and nice thighs ‘Cause I only see myself through your eyes So I don’t eat, but I’m fed with more lies So I try and I cry and I purge and I vomit The urge to be honest, with no courage to just stop it Society’s ideals, so I feel I need a shield Skipped another meal so I can keep my appeal But my skin starts to peel, I can no longer feel What it means to be real, so I fall on these heels/ ‘Cause who cares about the frame that holds my diploma? Or the train of my thoughts that molds my persona? Or the way I’ve been brought up to be as a grown up? But it’s the body’s frame trained by the way of society’s boner ‘Cause I have to be 5’10” and in trend And only feel good about the clothes that I’m in Experience defined by the beds I’ve climbed in Shadowed by a mask that I’m forced to hide in So of course I lie then, thinking each night I need to lie beside men Drinking each time my pride inside is rising Trying to find me, but I’ve lost what I’ve been Who’da thought that it’s me that I fought each time and All at the cost of what I’ve become When I look into the mirror I feel numb Staring back at me are super-sized thighs, empty, hollowed eyes Heart full of cries, brain filled with lies, body materialized, so I Nip and I tuck, I snip and I pluck Lips covered in muck, hips controlled by these cuffs Can’t stick to my gut, I’m fixed and I’m stuck I’m tricked by this bluff ‘til I’m sick and throw up This shit is corrupt, I’m forced to grow up Can’t fit in this stuff, this change is abrupt Stick thin ain’t enough, must be thick with C cups Tears drip as I rub off this make-up that’s rough Society’s planted silicones, so we end up being sickened clones Stuck in this cyclic flow of afflicted bones So don’t let your sister know that she’s worth more than lipsticks and combs And that her blisters will show every time she vomits at home When your parents aren’t home, and she’s all alone Only seeing what these magazines and TVs have shown I wanna be a covergirl, so I cover the real girl But if you peel off these pearls, under’s a concealed world Of a girl with hopes and dreams, brighter than things that gleam Who knows that she’s a queen, knows what her life means ‘Cause I can only be 5 feet with slanted eyes Geek and kinda shy, small feet and crooked smile, just me, with no disguise! Next Tuesday, SickSpits will have its first open mic night of the quarter at Central Park from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Spoken word artists like Ibarra will be performing their pieces. For more of information on Ibarra specifically, visit: www.rubyibarra.com/.
“Untitled 2006”(oil on canvas)
courtesy of Joanne Greenbaum
school, that is ok too. But if it’s meant to be, you will find a way to make art no matter what.” UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
Finish Ticket Today, noon to 1 p.m., free The Quad, Memorial Union
The Entertainment Council continues their autumn and fall concert series on the Quad with Finish Ticket. Listing Coldplay and the Strokes as some of their major influences, Finish Ticket will play a show with a lot of full sounds and great energy. Stay tuned after the Quad show as the band hopes to announce they will be setting up a costume themed-house show sometime during the weekend.
Cold Shot Duo feat. Rene Martucci and Richard Urbino Today, 9:30 p.m. to midnight (ages +21), free Our House, 808 Second St.
It seems as though not many students have ventured past the confines of E street downtown. But for those who are 21 and up and need something to do tonight, there will be live music at local restaurant and lounge, Our House. Cold Shot will be singing iconic dance hits of the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and now. This means that there will be plenty of reminiscing to your Britney Spears and NSYNC days.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 Wednesday, 8 to 11 p.m., $2 123 Science Lecture Hall
You’ll probably see a lot of Muggle and wizard costumes this Halloween weekend. So why not refresh your memory as to why you love this franchise so much by attending the movie screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2! The Entertainment Council presents the movie screening. Be sure to go early to reserve good seating.
The man behind the laughs
MUSE interviews Joel Hodgson, founder of Mystery Science Theatre 3000
Hilary Hahn, violin Saturday, 8 p.m., $17.5/$30/$36 (student tickets) Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center
By ELIZABETH ORPINA & PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie Arts Writers
Do you ever find yourself mocking characters on the screen? Do you mute the television and make up your own lines? If you said yes to any of those questions, make your way over to The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center on Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. to watch the professionals do what you love to do at home with friends. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 presents Cinematic Titanic, featuring the original creators of MST3K, “riffing” lines over cheesy movies from the past. Currently, the group is made up of Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Josh Weinstein, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, Michael Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl, Bill Corbett and Patrick Brantseg. MUSE sat down with the founder of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Joel Hodgson, to ask a few questions. MUSE: How did you get involved with MST3K? Hodgson: Well, I created it. That started over 20 years ago and we did it locally and developed it in about 22 shows. We did 22 shows locally before we sold it to Comedy Central. That’s kind of how we figured it out and got started. It’s how we figured out how to riff on movies. Is the riffing scripted or improvisation? Well, we have always written the movies, even when we were in Mystery Science Theatre so that kind of remains that we write them. They’re usually about 600 riffs per movie. We sometimes change what we say; there’s a lot of editing that goes on. People react differently all the time. Trace [Beaulieu] gets a really big laugh at cutting clips that set up for my jokes so sometimes I have to edit my joke out but I’m happy to do it because it’ll give him a laugh. We do improvise sometimes because the way audience reacts and also we change our jokes to make each other laugh. Pretty much it’s written, just because there’s so many. It’s kind of like music.
Hilary Hahn returns to the Mondavi Center this Saturday to perform impressive repertoire by the great Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Hahn has been celebrated by The Los Angeles Times for her strong stage presences as well as her powerful technique with the violin. This Saturday, come see for yourself if the critics are right.
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
How many people are involved in the process of making these movies? There are five of us that write it and perform it and then we usually travel, and we have a warm up guy and then the stage manager. What kind of audiences does this type of entertainment usually reach out to? It’s usually only people who know about Mystery Science Theatre, either they watched it while it was on the air or knew people who introduced them to the show. Also, kids who watching it with their parents, too. If you could riff any of the recent movies, what movie would you riff and why? I just went to see Footloose and I laughed [because] it was just terrible. It was the remake that just came out. Why do you think this sort of entertainment makes people laugh?
courtesy of Joshua Targownik
I think because the movie is the set up, it’s either something they say or something they do. It’s different than doing regular stand up comedy because you don’t have to set up anything — the movie is the reference point so you just add jokes. It’s a little bit different and a little bit easier to do than stand up. What’s your favorite part of this job? I love writing them and I love performing it. Can you tell me a little bit about the movie being shown at Davis? We’re going to be performing Doomsday Machine. It’s a crazy movie because the last 15 minutes of the movie is made by a completely different cast — a cast that is trying to finish the same movie. ELIZABETH ORPINA & PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
SHOW MUSE SOME LOVE AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. TWEET US: @AGGIEARTS
Dia de los Muertos Festivities Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., free La Raza Galeria Posada, 1012 20th St., Sacramento
In a two-day event, La Raza Galeria Posada in Sacramento will host various events to celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday called Dia de los Muertos. There will be workshops on mask and sugar skulls paintings as well as poetry readings from local poets. The event is open to all who are willing to know more about the culture and holiday.
UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
6 thursday, october 27, 2011
The california Aggie
HALLOWEEN Cont. from front page The Grad will kick off Halloween Week today by going back in time for a ‘90s Halloween Party. Cover band Lovefool will play classic ‘90s hits all night. This night is 21 and up and there’s no cover charge if guests come in costume before 10 p. m. Friday is the annual Vet School Halloween Party for 21 and up. McNabb recommended arriving early because it’s known to get very crowded. Saturday is Country Halloween Part 1, which is an 18 and over event. If guests come in costume before 9 p. m. there is no cover charge, and there will be a costume contest with $500 worth of prizes and cash. Sunday is The Grad’s usual Pub Quiz, but with a Halloween-themed twist. This event starts at 9 p. m. Halloween night is Country Halloween Part 2 for 18 and over.
This event will also have a costume contest with a variety of cash and prizes. If guests arrive before 9 p. m. in a costume, there is no cover charge. Ending Halloween Week on Tuesday is the Day of the Dead Salsa Party. This event is for ages 18 and over, and if wearing a costume, there will be no cover charge before 9:30 p. m. Party-goers can dance the night away in their best Day of the Dead face paint and costumes. Fall Festival at the Davis Farmers Market Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central Park at Fourth and C Streets All ages, free The Davis Farmers Market will be transformed into a country fair, complete with corn stalk decorations, farm animals, pumpkins, fresh fall food and live music. “It’s a lot different from our usual farmers market,” said Davis Farmers Market Executive Director
Randii MacNear. “It’s our way to say thank you to all of our supporters and to celebrate the essence of harvest and farmers market.” Come hungry to try an array of delicious fall flavors including pumpkin ice cream, butternut squash pizza and a variety of pies sold by the slice. This is the one time during the year when there will be animals at the market. The Raptor Center will display baby pigs, ponies and birds. Sutter Davis Hospital is putting on the Kid’s Costume Parade, which starts at 11 a. m. More than 25 crafters will sell homemade goods, so everyone can buy their fall essentials. The festival will exude all things fall and will be a festive start to the Halloween weekend, MacNear said. “It really takes your breath away,” MacNear said. “When you walk in it’s like you’re on a farm during harvest.”
Monster Bash Saturday, 7 p. m. to midnight Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. 21 and up, $20 pre-sale at Watermelon Music or $25 at the door Join the dance party and rock out to classic rock music played by local band Custom Neon. The third annual Monster Bash benefits the Davis High School Madrigal Singers and their outreach work with kindergarten to ninth grade students. Drinks will be available for purchase and free munchies will be on hand to keep people energized as they dance the night away. “It’s going to be a rockin’ good time,” said Madrigal parent coordinator Leslie Hunter. “You’re benefiting the choir and the children they help, so it’s a win-win for all.” The event will be held in the newly remodeled upstairs room of Odd Fellows Hall, and guests are encouraged to come in costume.
Nightmare on C Street Friday, 7 p.m. to midnight and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. 336 C Street All ages, $3 suggested donation Get scared for a good cause. The Davis Anime Club, Harry Potter Club, and the Davis College Panhellenic Association (DCPA) are coming together to create the first annual haunted house event. A $3 recommended donation will benefit My Sister’s House, the Davis Joint Unified School District and Cal Aggie Camp. Members of the campus groups will be dressed up and ready to scare. The DCPA will also be selling baked goods. “It’s a family-friendly event, and it will be G-rated from 11 a. m. to 1 p. m.,” said Charlie Colato, senior managerial economics major and one of the event’s organizers. “But, at night get ready to be scared.” CASEY SPECHT can be reached at features@theaggie. org.
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The Greener Side
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by Angela Yuan
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Wednesday’s puzzle solved
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Sudoku
Employment Hiring badass programmer for innovative project, email aggie.adman1@ gmail.com. RECYCLE!
Very Hard
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.
Good luck on midterms!
Goodbye Kim!!!
thursday, october 27, 2011 7
The california aggie
POSTAGE
statements.” Ahmad said there is now a rapid diversion from paper to paperless, meaning more Americans are paying through online or non-paper means. He said banks and credit card companies who are actively encouraging people to switch to non-paper statements isn’t the issue since that’s just technological process. “The problem is the postal service is unable to adapt to the fact that volume is down,” he said. “Congress also mandates that they deliver every day but Sunday and for years we’ve wanted to adjust that.” As the second largest civilian employer behind WalMart, the USPS has excess infrastructure that the Postal Reform Act will address. “We’re not looking to bail out, we just need to get the mail out,” Ruiz said.
Cont. from front page One bill authored by Reps. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) and Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) known as the Issa-Ross Postal Reform Act, has been approved by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and is currently standing before the House of Representatives. “The bill would make structural reforms to the postal service and reduce operating expenses so that the postal service can be profitable again and meet its obligations to employees, retirees and taxpayers,” said Communications Adviser of the Oversight Committee Ali Ahmad. “The postal service’s most profitable product is first-class mail. Ninety percent of first-class mail has historically been businessrelated communication, which includes putting a check in the mail to send to a power company or banks sending CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
Check out Women’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball online at theaggie.org Also the sports editor wants more followers. So go “follow” @CalAggieSports on Twitter. Seriously. Go. Now.
THE LINEUP 8 thursday, october 27, 2011
The california Aggie
FIELD HOCKEY PREVIEW
MEN’S POLO PREVIEW
Teams: UC Davis off against the at Pacific Tigers. In their Records: Aggies, first NorPac game 3-11 (1-4); Tigers, of the season, UC 2-12 (0-5) Davis pulled off Where: Brookside a solid 3-1 victoField — Stockton, ry over their conCalif. ference rivals. The When: Saturday Aggies hope that at 1 p.m. this added conWho to watch: Emily Mecke fidence will help Junior forward junior lead them to anEmily Mecke demother win. onstrated her ofCampos also befensive prowess in the lieves that her team will be Aggies’ last game, scoring aided by the fact that they twice against California. are accustomed to play Mecke currently leads ing on grass, something the team in scoring with six that could negate Pacific’s goals, good for 10th in the home-field advantage. NorPac Conference. “We’re very comfortable Did you know? In addition in [Pacific’s] field,” she to being a Pacific alum, commented. coach Vianney Campos While the team is eager spent two years as the as- to end the regular season sistant coach to the Pacific on a high note, this match women’s field hockey has added significance due team. to the way that it will set The current seniors on the tone heading into the the Pacific team are the NorPac Tournament next last of the students that she week. coached for the school. “I think we have a lot Preview: Saturday’s match of momentum from playagainst the Tigers will be ing against two top 20 the final regular-season teams and having a lot of game for UC Davis. After success in many areas [in two heartbreaking loss- those games],” Campos es against NorPac rivals explained. “We just need Stanford and Cal, the Aggies to continue with the moare ready to end the season mentum we’ve been havwith a win. ing … We want to contin Campos believes that her ue that momentum into team has all of the motiva- NorPac.” tion that they need to ac- UC Davis hopes that the complish that goal. results of Saturday’s game “The girls have a chip on will propel them into further their shoulder,” she said. success in the first game of “They don’t like playing the NorPac tournament on Tuesday at Stanford. well and still losing.” This is not the first time — Kaitlyn Zufall that the Aggies will face
Teams: No. 12 UC Davis at No. 11 UC San Diego; at No. 10 Loyola Marymount Records: Aggies, 20-7 (11-2); Tritons, 12-7 (10-3); Lions (11-6) (8-1) Where: Canyonview Aquatic Center — Russell Hampton La Jolla, Calif.; Burns junior Aquatics Center — Los Angeles, Calif. When: Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 1 p.m. Who to watch: Junior Russell Hampton netted nine goals during last weekend’s tournament run, and scored a hat trick when UC Davis played against UC San Diego earlier in the season. Did you know? Senior Aaron Salit leads the Western Water Polo Association in goals with 64 to his name. Preview: UC Davis could lock up the No. 1 seed for the WWPA this weekend. The task won’t be easy, as the Aggies travel to southern California to square off against the third and second place teams in the conference, and the No. 11 and No. 10 teams in the country, respectively. Coach Steve Doten believes his team is prepared for the challenges it faces this weekend. “We played San Diego in southern California earlier this season and came up just short,” Doten said. “We’ve made adjustments to the offense and defense to prepare for a team of their caliber.” The Aggies’ confidence should be riding high after last weekend’s 4-0 tournament run in Santa Clara. UC Davis secured a 20-win season for the first time since 2007, however it will need a victory over a tough Loyola Marymount squad to secure a regular season conference title. “We are doing a much better job against the drops. We made adjustments for 6-on-5 play, and we were moving much better. Now we have a chance to be the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament,” Doten added. “This is a great group, a really great team, as good as the ’07 team and could be even better with a regular season conference championship and more.” — Russell Eisenman
Football PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Southern end is not an easy one to underUtah stand. Despite being the unaniRecords: Aggies, 2-5 mous choice to win the (0-1); Thunderbirds, 4-4 Great West in the pre(0-3) season coaches’ poll and Where: Eccles Coliseum starting the season 3-1, — Cedar City, Utah the Thunderbirds have When: Saturday at noon struggled in conference Who to watch: After play. In the last month starting the season as Southern Utah has lost little-used reserve, redthree straight confershirt running back ence games before finally Austin Edmonson was bouncing back last week given the chance to im- Austin Edmonson with a win against Weber press in the last two redshirt freshman State. games. One constant for the Thunderbirds has been He made the most of it. The Moonpark, Calif. native their explosive passing attack, rushed for 135 yards on 26 car- led by experienced junior quarries in the last two contests, after terback Brad Sorensen. getting only four carries in the Southern Utah and Sorensen lead previous five games. the conference with 278.6 passing Last week, the 5’6” 185 pound yards per game this season. Edmonson rushed for a team- “For [our] defense there’s a lot high 80 yards on 14 touches. His to do,” Biggs explained. “We are production has likely earned him implementing some schemes the back-up tail back position for that hopefully can take away the remainder of the season. [some throws] because last year “Austin gives you a different di- they really torched us with the mension because he can come pass game.” out of the backfield and do some As with all passing attacks, the things in the pass game,” Head Aggies will need to find a way to Coach Bob Biggs said. “He’s put pressure on the quarterback, quick and a lot stronger then something they have struggled he appears when you look at his to do this year. body size. UC Davis is last in the Great “He’s a terrific player [with] West with only six sacks on the season. great vision and [good] mobility.” Did you know? The Aggies have Offensively, the Aggies will not beaten Southern Utah since continue to stress the balanced 2008. In the last two contests, attack that has been working the Thunderbirds have scored at well the last two weeks. least 55 points. “It’s been nice,” Wright said of Preview: For the first time this the team’s back-to-back games season, this week’s contest is an with over 100 yards rushing. “The absolutely must-win game for balance helps the pass game, the UC Davis. play action keeps the defense off Should the Aggies lose on balance, so it’s been working.” Saturday, they would be elim- Wright explained that the Aggies inated from contention in the will focus on time of possession Great West Conference title race, and limiting turnovers as ways of a team goal at the beginning of keeping the Thunderbirds’ powerevery season. ful offense on the bench. They aren’t eliminated yet, “We need … to help our defense out [and] keep them off the though. “We can still accomplish our field,” he said. “They’re going to goals,” said quarterback Randy give us some underneath throws Wright. “It’s pretty positive out and we just need to take them.” here. We still have conference to play for, so we’re going to be out For all football news and updates, you can follow here getting better.” CAELUM SHOVE on twitter @CaAggieFootball. He The Aggies’ opponent this week- can be reached at sports@theaggie.org