January 19, 2012

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volume 131, number 7

thursday, january 19, 2012

House bill could restrict access to scientific journals Federal institutions would need publisher permission to distribute

By AMY STEWART Aggie Science Editor

The Research Works Act, a bill introduced to the House of Representatives by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49), proposes to keep federal agencies from distributing privately or publicly funded scientific research without the consent of the publishers.

The bill, formally called HR-3699, states, “No Federal agency may adopt, implement, maintain, continue, or otherwise engage in any policy, program, or other activity that causes, permits, or authorizes network dissemination of any private-sector research work without the prior consent of the publisher of such work.”

The bill further defines “private-sector research work” as research that could be funded by taxpayers, as long as a publisher includes a “value-added contribution, including peer review and editing.”

The Research Works Act could put more control over ac-

cess and fees of papers to publishers of scientific journals, an idea opposed by open access advocates.

“The bill is a disgrace,” said Jonathan Eisen, a professor in the departments of evolution and ecology, microbiology and immunology and the Genome Center at UC Davis. “It should be trashed entirely.”

Eisen is an advocate of open access publishing in the scientific community. Open access to scientific research involves unrestricted access and unrestricted reuse.

“Right now not only do taxpayers pay for the research, they also pay the salaries of the scientists/doctors to do the work, and they pay for scientists and others to review and edit publications,” Eisen said. “It is ludicrous that then some publishers take those publications and restrict access to them.”

According to Eisen, if this bill passes, it could increase costs to individuals and to institutions such as UC Davis to access these papers. UC Davis currently sub-

scribes to about 52,000 journals, which gives students and faculty access to electronic copies of the papers published within them.

However, the high cost of some journals keeps those publications from the UC Davis subscription list.

“This new law basically means that they [the publishers] will have full control over everything that’s been published and they can raise the prices to whatever they want, which will mean only the wealthiest institutions can have the luxury of buying all of those journals in order to read it,” said Daniel Melters, a senior biochemical, molecular, cellular and developmental biology graduate student.

Melters also supports open access publishing, but is mostly concerned with taxpayers’ ability to access scientific research that was paid for with public money.

“I am all in favor of private companies making money in relation to scientific publishing, but they

See BILL, page 8

Irisa Tam / Aggie

Meet the Regents

UC Davis reacts to UC Berkeley’s middle-income aid plan

First UC Regents meeting of the year takes place at UC Riverside

No specific plan in the works yet

By SARA ISLAS Aggie News Writer

By MAX GARRITY RUSSER Aggie News Writer

The University of California Regents met Wednesday and are reconvening today at UC Riverside for their first of six yearly meetings.

Topics for discussion include the regents’ yearly diversity report and the amount of private fiscal support the UC system brought in last year, which totaled $1.6 billion, a $250 million increase from last year.

“A big topic we will be talking about is how the UC system fared in Gov. Brown’s budget proposal,” said UC Student Regent Alfredo Mireles.

A 26-member board comprises the UC Regents. Eighteen members are appointed by the governor for 12-year terms, one student regent is appointed by the sitting board members for a single-year term and seven are ex-officio members, which include UC President Mark Yudof.

The regents come from a variety of backgrounds. For example, Chair Sherry Lansing is the CEO of Paramount Pictures, Eddie Island is a retired attorney and Odessa Johnson is Dean Emerita of Community Education at Modesto Junior College.

Two UC faculty members sit as non-voting members as chair and vice-chair of the Academic Council.

“Each Regent serves on four out of the ten committees and their work is primarily in the context of the committees they’re in, with the chair of each committee naturally being the leader, who helps shape the direction of the work that the committee does,” Mireles said.

When it comes to UC budgetary issues, UC Davis Budget Director Chris Carter said in an email interview that most budget-related issues that come before the board are university-wide issues.

“The Regents directly approve tuition and student services fee levels charged to all UC students. They also approve some additional fees charged across the UC system: e.g. Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and Supplemental Professional Degree Tuition,” said Carter.

“Campus-based student fees are generally handled at the campus level. As state support for the UC has declined in recent years and student fees have increased, the importance of student fees to the campus budget has increased.

The current year marks the first at UC Davis in which student fee revenues exceed the state support coming to the campus,” Carter said.

Mireles said that the regents support individual campuses’ making many of their own dayto-day decisions.

“You won’t find the Regents telling, for example, UC Davis really specific things that should be handled by UC Davis administrators. We work on things that affect the entire UC community,” he said.

Only the President of the UC Regents, Gov. Jerry Brown, receives pay for being a member of the board. A student regent’s UC tuition and fees are waived during their time on the board.

“For a lot of Regents, it costs them money to serve,” Mireles said.

Spokeswoman for the University of California Dianne Klein said that the next meeting of the regents is set for Mar. 27 to 29 at UC San Francisco and is expected to have large UC student involvement.

MAX GARRITY RUSSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Today’s weather Rain High 51 Low 43

Since UC Berkeley’s initiation of the Middle Class Access Plan last month, UC-wide administration has placed the possible reworking of financial aid at the forefront of conversation.

UC Berkeley’s plan attempts to halt the decrease of middle-income students by capping tuition costs for families who make between $80,000 and $140,000 annually at 15 percent of their household income. Any remaining tuition costs after their 15 percent contribution will be funded

by UCB. Financial accomodation has tried UC leaders since tuition started rising more quickly a decade ago. In that time, tuition tripled and California students began contributing more money to their public education than the state subsidizes.

State and nationwide financial aid only supports students whose families make less than $80,000 annually. UC Office of the President (UCOP) reports show a six to nine percent decline in students with annual family incomes between $99,000 and $148,000, while students with annual incomes on the lower and higher ends of these numbers increased.

Kathryn Maloney, the Director of UC Davis’s Financial Aid Office, said that the drop in middle class students is a reflection of the transitioning ratio between income and tuition.

“Financial aid is supposed to cover students who can’t afford tuition due to low annual family incomes,” Maloney said. “But now tuition is too expensive for many students who have annual incomes too high to qualify for need-based financial aid.”

Maloney said every UC is going to be looking at enacting a plan like this, especially to accommodate rising numbers of students. Applications to the UC system rose 13 percent this year, according to UC officials. Meanwhile, tuition is expected to rise 16 percent annually for the next four years.

“I think it’s awesome that UC Berkeley is putting its money where its mouth is,” Maloney said. “The middle-income group is the one we struggle to accommodate the most; they never get ‘good money,’ only loans. I would love to initiate a plan like this at Davis.”

Though the diminishing middle-income population is a UC-wide problem, UC Berkeley has more middle-income students on its campus than Davis does. Davis has more low-income students; over 43 percent of Davis students receive Pell Grants, whereas only 35 percent of Berkeley students do. Maloney said that UC Berkeley felt greater urgency in providing support to middle-income students.

Desire Campusano, a senior sociology and Chicana/o studies major, as well as Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi’s student advisor, said that the chancellor has dedicated much effort to raising philanthropic support so that UC Davis has more money of its own to redistribute to students who need it. She said that UC Davis doesn’t have the kind of fundraising that UC Berkeley does, but is trying to increase it. Last year, Irisa Tam / Aggie UC Davis reached record fundraising heights; donors committed to giving more than $117.6 million to the university.

At the moment there is no precise plan to aid middle-income

See AID, page 8

Undergraduate course offers free textbook Music professor works to make education more accessible

By Alicia Kindred Aggie News Writer

Undergraduate class Music 10 (MUS 10) is offering course readings, including an e-book, for free via SmartSite.

Readings for the music appreciation course were previously offered in textbook form and are now available electronically through SmartSite for students enrolled in the class.

“I was never in it for the money to begin with; everything has gone wrong for the undergraduates financially,” said D. Kern Holoman, professor of music and author of the Music 10 textbook. “This is something I could do that is a win-win for everybody. It can teach me as an author what an e-book is and how it works.”

The e-book is printable for students who want to bring sections of the text to class. There is also a lending library for those who want to have a physical text in hand, Holoman said.

The box set for Music 10, which includes the text, three CDs and a CD-ROM, costs around $75. The “compact edition,” which includes the text and a CD, costs around $35, Holoman said.

This is not the first time that Music 10 offered an e-book in replacement of the textbook. The e-book debuted Fall 2010.

“Many people have observed that there are a lot of e-books out there and not a lot of e-textbooks out there. I think the fairer priced textbook companies and music companies can make their materials, then more students will want to take the courses,” said Philip Daley, events and publicity manager for the muForecast

I hope nobody threw out their rain coats just yet because it seems that winter weather has finally arrived here in Davis! Expect the majority of the rain to happen later in the afternoon today and into the weekend. Jump in a big puddle for me!

Matthew Little, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

Friday

Saturday

Rain

Showers

High 53 Low 44

High 56 Low 42

sic department. “I think it is a move in the right direction and hope it continues that way.”

The cost of textbooks in relation to tuition increases has been a burning issue for students and faculty, Holoman said.

In the 2011-12 academic year, California resident undergraduate tuition was expected to cost $15,123.36. For non-California residents, undergraduate tuition was projected at $38,001.36, according to a UC Davis “facts and figures” sheet.

This does not include the price of textbooks.

“I would like to see a world where the basic factual content that you learn as an undergraduate is already available. The material that reaches the students through the college professor should be available at a very fair price,” Holoman said.

Music 10 will continue to teach the course with the e-book format in Spring 2012, Holoman said.

“In the music department, where students have to pay for lessons, we have a lot of double majors, and oftentimes their textbooks expenses are in the hundreds of dollars. The music students that I have talked to are very grateful for having a free option. Overall, it has been positive,” Daley said.

In a time where students can use websites such as Amazon. com or Slugbooks.com instead of college bookstores to find lower prices on textbooks, the e-book offers a new perspective on how students can obtain course material.

“This is part of a much bigger package of what it means to be a college student and how that is changing,” Holoman said.

ALICIA KINDRED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Wednesday was a horrid day. Please, Reddit, don’t ever leave me again.

Mimi Vo

page two

2 thursday, january 19, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY

FRIDAY

2012-13 Internship and Career Center Intern/Advisor Info Session 3 p.m.

229 South Hall Learn about the application process for becoming an ICC peer advisor or intern next year. Applications are due Feb. 3.

The House Peer Counseling Info Session 5 to 6 p.m.

Moss Room, Third Floor Memorial Union Pick up an application and learn about opportunities at The House. There will be another info session on Friday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Moss Room.

Davis College Democrats Pizza and Politics 6 p.m.

234 Wellman Eat pizza and discuss politics with the members of the Davis College Democrats.

French Club Meeting 6 to 8 p.m.

184 Young Meet the members of French Club.

Marketing and Business Association Info Session 7:10 to 8 p.m.

158 Olson Members of the MBA will get help building their resumes, networking and enhancing their research and public speaking skills.

Dues are $6 for the quarter or $10 for the next two quarters. Refreshments and snacks will be provided at the meeting.

Poetry Night Reading Series: Rae Gouirand 8 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Rae Gouirand’s poems and essays have appeared nationwide in American Poetry Review, Boston Review, Columbia, The Kenyon Review: KROnline, Seneca Review, Bateau and Memoir. Her work has appeared in two recent volumes of the Best New Poets series. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to sign up for a spot on the Open Mic list.

“Why Would Anyone Believe in God?” 8 p.m.

123 Sciences Lecture Hall Dr. Justin Barrett, senior researcher of the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, will explain the innate mental tools everyone possesses and why religion is cognitively natural, using evolutionary and naturalistic reasons.

Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road, UC Davis Folk musicians are invited to bring their acoustic instruments — fiddles, guitars, banjos, mandolins, Squeezeboxes and more — and play together informally over the lunch hour. All skill levels are welcome, and listeners are invited.

Composer Colloqium 4 to 5:30 p.m.

230 Music Composer Martha Horst will speak about her music.

SATURDAY Women’s Basketball vs. Pacific 2 p.m.

UC Davis Pavilion at the ARC The first 1,000 students to arrive will receive free “Real Aggies Wear Pink” T-shirts.

SUNDAY Women’s Gymnastics vs. Air Force 1 p.m.

UC Davis Pavilion at the ARC Cheer on the Aggies at the home opener against Air Force.

Folk Dance Class 7 to 10 p.m.

Davis Art Center, Studio E, 1919 F St. Learn the Chinese New Year dance “Bay Nian” from the Davis International Folkdancers. Also taught will be an easy Serbian dance and an easy Roma (Gypsy) dance, as part of an ongoing class. Bring grit-free, non-marking shoes. The first class is free to newcomers.

Empyrean Ensemble: Ross Bauer Composer Portrait 7 p.m.

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theatre Bauer is the founder and former director of the Empyrean Ensemble, and Sunday’s concert will pay tribute to his work and premiere two new pieces. Tickets are $8 for students and children and $20 general.

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 SUNDAY

Ninja in training

Going through withdrawals Someone was sleeping in an ATM kiosk on E Street.

MONDAY

Someone was behaving suspiciously and wearing black clothing on Seventh Street.

Don’t panic A “general panic alarm” went off on Bellhaven Place.

Foul play Someone was speeding in a car and waving a bat out the window on First Street.

TUESDAY Making it easy An unlocked bike was stolen on Drexel Drive.

Hopped up A subject threw beer bottles and yelled at a bartender on 2nd Street.

Police Briefs are compiled by TRACY HARRIS from the City of Davis daily crime bulletins. Contact TRACY HARRIS at city@ theaggie.org.

The california Aggie

acting a lot like Jim Jones,” I promptly equated Jeffs to the American rapper, not, as the author intended, the leader of the 1978 mass suicide of 909 Peoples Chelsea Temple members.

Mehra In a skewed sense, Jeffs did lead a life the media so celebrates –– flocks of women, excessive fertility and devoted fans. I don’t want to get too close to Jeffs, physically or otherwise, but aren’t most of us similarly tending towards polyamory these t’s that time of the days? month.

Our little black books No, not THAT time, may not have pages full of you pervert.

Fundamentalist Mormon Rather, that time of women’s phone numbers, the month we court the but nevertheless we do “He-Who-Must-Not-Berely on the occasional Named” topic of sex. I use booty call. From hooking air quotations because I up with that dude back just overheard a girl yell home or that chick across out, in mathematical terms, the hall, college students an account of a certain are unabashedly providing late-night the powder dalliance –– It seems that while Jay-Z has “99 to blow up “subtract a casual problems but a bitch ain’t one,” relationship clothes, divide legs, the opposite is true for Jeffs ... culture. add a bed Adam and and pray Eve would there’s no multiplying.” be stunned by how far To say that sex is we’ve taken their Garden even remotely taboo for of Eden shenanigans …

Generation Y is like saying down the corridor to the that you haven’t fantasized library stacks and upwards about French maid foreplay to the Mile High Club. Even or a bar bathroom hookup. more so, generations before Today, we are reveling ours are horrified by this in an overt form of carnal regression away from a freedom that forces one to single romantic endeavor. cough over explicit lyrics in Ever since I can a family car. While chivalry remember, I have clearly rests in peace, denounced monogamy. intercourse is enjoying a Dating, especially at a renaissance the Byzantines young(er) age, is a highly couldn’t have kept up with. depressing concept; But Warren Jeffs, you and your partner polygamous sect leader of consciously know that the Fundamentalist Church breaking up is a pending of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), task, almost like that item may be taking this whole on your checklist you itch “free love” movement too to mark off before you’re far. done.

It seems that while Facebook stalking, Jay-Z has “99 problems buckets of ice cream but a bitch ain’t one,” the and soggy tissues are opposite is true for Jeffs, inevitable matters of time. with his family of 79 wives Yet, despite the facts, we and 60 children. enjoy the momentary Jeffs’ international high that is having a debut was marked in May significant other. The 2006 when he made the alternate option is, of FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List course, to keep a score for avoiding prosecution sheet with your closest on charges of illegal and closet freak friends marriages between his by tallying up those dirty adult male followers and deeds! underage girls. After a But in all seriousness, bureaucratic dance with maybe both the loveystate courts that lasted dovey and noncommittal from August 2006 to types would at least agree 2011, he was accused of upon psychologist Dean incest, sodomy, rape and Simonton’s reasoning that child bride marriages. “quality is a probabilistic This summer, Jeffs was function of quantity.” sentenced to life in It isn’t about having prison plus 20 years and a better ratio of hits to a $10,000 fine for sexually misses. Rather, where the assaulting two 12- and mediocre might have a 15-year-old girls. handful or so experiences, He has recently been the more successful have in the news for imposing had numerous. outrageous rules on FLDS Whether you’re in a members, despite being relationship or being locked up. a floozy, know that To be clear, this Warren experience provides guy sounds like an A-class perspective and is, creep. His lifestyle is his sometimes, the light own choice, but raping your necessary to shine a sexier nephew since he was 5 and path. your niece since she was 7 is a tad too edgy for me.

Looking for a few husbands or wives?

At the same time, when I Contact CHELSEA MEHRA at cmehra@ read a USA Today headline, ucdavis.edu to join the growing mailing list.

“Cult leader Warren Jeffs

Sex is statistical

I

unfortunately, when it comes to how much advertising is too much, that line isn’t exactly clear.

Recent attempts to commercialize public Victor Beigelman schools by allowing advertising onto campuses have sparked a fierce debate over this potential example of advertising overload. Is littering the schools of our nation’s children with display ads perverse and unjust, or is it a smart strategic move to uestion. Well, a few help these schools recover questions. Who is from increasing budget “The Man”? What cuts?

Due to substantial makes a man part of “The Man”? Can we get a financial reductions in new name for this dubious education, many public Man that doesn’t make me schools are turning to feel like I’m a cog in the Iron advertising to bridge the gap. Some schools Giant?

Although the occurrence are featuring the ads on students’ report cards, of phrases like “sticking it to The Man” and “The Man while others are opting for much is keeping larger ads me down” The hard-knock life of an ad man on school in today’s is that he gets a bad name for buses, society is cafeteria uttered literally “selling out.” benches roughly 90 and lockers. percent of Naturally, the Helen the time by Hyde on reruns Lovejoys of our fair nation of “That ‘70s Show” and have cried foul at this 10 percent of the time by growing trend and pleaded people who think it’s still for everyone to think of the the ‘70s, the theme of the children. Their concerns The Man is still relevant in are warranted too, at least other forms all around us.

Working as an advertising on behalf of the little ones. Doctors have found sales representative for that kids under the age The California Aggie, I of 8 haven’t developed experienced the current enough cognitively to prevalence of The Man understand the intent to in our world. Despite sell always hiding behind working in a relatively an advertisement. As such, small local environment while gathering clients and they’re defenseless against selling them ad space in the most ads.

You can almost sense paper, I still ran into plenty Kraft lurking in the of people who wouldn’t shadows, plotting to even give me the time of unleash a terrifying wave day. People who thought I of Lunchables locker ads. was part of The Man. This is why advertisers, Me? The Man? How do I ad agents and advertising get out of that one?

The hard-knock life of an in general are viewed as ad man is that he gets a bad part of The Man. Most people understand the name for literally “selling out.” What I realized during value of advertising and can appreciate that my time as an ad rep is without it our society that different ads may wouldn’t be able to have different approaches, function the same. Play but the message is always on the impressionable the same: BE/BUY/DO minds of our future, THIS. And unfortunately, though, and you’re in for many of the people who a shit storm. recognize this fact don’t Advertising firms have take too kindly to either to be careful when dealing the subtle brainwashing with a demographic of or blatant swindling that people as dangerous and ends with their purchase volatile as protective of something as ridiculous as a set of dog stairs for the mothers. Selling a product or service is fine and all bed (come on, let’s all just agree to stay away from Sky that, but it’s important to know where it’s okay to Mall). display what. Put college To be fair, advertising investment, food pyramid agents have brought and fire safety ads in this negativity upon schools if you must, but themselves — any person keep the Jimmy Neutron who actively manipulates action figure ads out. The people into shelling out kid has a freakishly large cash for something they wouldn’t have decided they head and, frankly, he’s a pretentious little prick. needed on their own is Bottom line is, The Man undoubtedly going to get a bit of heat from the hippies, should know his place.

If he plays by the rules, purists or what have you. the Helen Lovejoys don’t Ads are ads, though, initiate WWIII, and every and the truth is many cog in the machine makes companies and industries its money. Everybody would fail without the wins. exposure and revenue successful advertising brings in. That being VICTOR BEIGELMAN likes to think he’s a Hyde, but let’s be real: He’s more of an Eric. said, there is a line, and

Labeling “The Man”

Q

Recent study links alcohol use and personality traits

By AYAN SHEIKH

accuracy The California Aggie strives to ensure that all of its facts and details are accurate. Please bring any corrections to our attention by calling (530) 752-0208.

Jason Alpert Editor in Chief

Amy Stewart Science Editor

Becky Peterson Managing Editor

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Joey Chen Asst. Copy Chief

Hannah Strumwasser Campus Editor Angela Swartz City Editor Uyen Cao Arts Editor Erin Migdol Features Editor Trevor Cramer Sports Editor

Jasna Hodzic Photography Editor Michelle Huey Design Director Janice Pang Asst. Design Director Mimi Vo Night Editor Amanda Nguyen Asst. Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director

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The Lantern (Ohio State University)

If you’re the type of person who gets aggressive when you’ve had too much to drink, one study says you shouldn’t blame it on the alcohol.

Chances are, you lack a trait that allows consideration of future consequences.

This is according to a recent study conducted at U. Kentucky by Ohio State U. psychology professor Brad Bushman, who was the lead author of the study. U. Kentucky professor Peter Giancola co-authored the study along with Dominic Parrott, associate professor of psychology at Georgia State U., and Robert Roth, associate professor of psychiatry at Darmouth Medical School.

“People who tend to focus on the future are not very aggressive,” Bushman said. “And it doesn’t really matter if they’re drunk or sober. Whereas people who focus on the here-and-now, they’re more aggressive than others but especially when they’re intoxicated.”

Bushman called the combination of alcohol and the inability to control one’s impulses a “double whammy.”

Bushman, who specializes in conducting studies surrounding violence and aggression, said he was not surprised by the results.

“Both alcohol intoxication and the failure to consider future consequences are related to what we call cognitive executive functioning,” Bushman said.

“That’s the functions in your brain

that look at things like your ability to reason and make good judgments and alcohol wipes that out … We didn’t know for sure, but we predicted the combination would lead to the highest level of aggression and it did.”

Ben Stickney, a fifth-year student at OSU, said he agrees with the results of the study.

“People who are aggressive will tend to be aggressive when they’re drunk.” Stickney said. “I’m a pretty happy person to begin with and I’m a happy drunk, so I think (alcohol) enhances whatever you’re feeling and you’re good at.”

Bushman and his colleagues conducted the study over the course of a year, with 500 participants with an average age of 23.

Participants were asked to complete a “consideration of future consequences scale.” The questionnaire asked participants whether they agreed with statements such as “my behavior is only influenced by the immediate outcomes of my actions.” Answers to the questionnaire determined the aggressive nature of participants.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups; one group was given an alcoholic beverage while the other group was given a placebo (non-alcoholic) drink.

All participants were then told they were competing in a computer game against another same-sex contender. Winners would be given the opportunity to administer electric shock to the loser.

According to the press release, participants had a total of 34 trials, participants were told they had “won” half the games and “lost” the other half. Bushman and his colleagues randomly determined these results.

With every loss, participants received an electric shock from their “opponents.” The duration of the shocks varied in length, but the purpose of the electric shocks was to see how participants would retaliate. Participants who turned out to be of the here-and-now type retaliated by administering shocks to their opponents longer than participants who thought about the future.

“The most aggressive people in our study were those who were drunk and didn’t think about their consequences,” Bushman said.

Bushman’s advice to individuals who behave irrationally when intoxicated is to refrain from consuming alcohol altogether.

“If you’re the kind of the person that thinks about the here-and-now, you should avoid drinking alcohol especially in situations that could lead to fights,” Bushman said. “And if you know somebody like that then you should avoid them when they’re drunk.”

Katie Soehnlen, a fourth-year OSU student, said she does her best to avoid aggressive drunks.

“I’m a pretty passive person, so I just stay up against the wall and walk away.” Soehnlen said. “I try not to affiliate with those people.”

OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, january 19, 2012 3

editorials

Step in right direction

Fix UC During the UC Regents meeting this week a group of students from UC Riverside under the name “Fix UC” are proposing the UC Student Investment Proposal, a model aimed at reforming the current financial system of the University of California.

The plan proposes that students defer their tuition until they get a steady job, when they will give five percent of their income, interest-free, to the UC for 20 years. Originally developed by the editorial board at UC Riverside’s campus paper, The Highlander, and their student government, the conceptual basis of the proposal as well as its subsequent development has been entirely student-led.

The need for a complete reform of the UC system is obvious. The disinvestment of the state in higher education and the severe tuition hikes that have resulted over the past several years have affected all students.

Begrudgingly bearing the load of these fee hikes, many have held on to the hope that tuition increases would be temporary and that the UC Regents would take the necessary measures to improve the UC financial system.

While it is unfortunate that the regents have so far

failed us in this regard, it is encouraging to see students take measures into their own hands and think creatively about how to restructure the current UC system.

The plan is the first major and comprehensive plan that has come entirely from UC students and can become a catalyst for the creation of other student-developed ideas. Proposals for reform that come directly from those invested in higher education rather than from a group of seemingly detached businesspeople is certainly a step in the right direction for the future of the UC system.

For the most part students have largely used protests and rallies as tactics to express concern over the current financial state of the UC and rally support for their cause. While movements of these types are certainly important, it is imperative that students demonstrate to the state and to the regents not only their anger, but also their determination and ability to enact real change.

We applaud the students at UC Riverside for being among the first to develop an alternate tuition system.

Now it is time for UC Davis students to come up with a plan of their own. We are looking for more localized plans. Submit your ideas to opinion@theaggie.org.

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.

The California Aggie welcomes guest opinions from its readers.

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Jordan S. Carroll

Electoral Pessimism

W

riting in an era before political correctness, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels described unwarranted faith in electoral politics as “parliamentary cretinism.” Stricken by this disease, politicians and their constituents imagine that “the whole world, its history and its future are directed and determined by a majority of votes.”

Under the influence of this chronic disorder, American citizens seem to lose all memory and reason, falling for the same confidence games every four years. This time it will be different, we tell ourselves. This time, elections will bring about meaningful political and economic change.

So, when Barack Obama announced hope and change, many on the anti-war

courtesy newsday.com

Letters to the editor Apology for last week’s religious demonstrators I want to apologize for what happened last week. I’m referring to the yelling preachers that preached condemnation for three hours on the Quad. I am asking for forgiveness on behalf of Christians who don’t portray God’s love accurately. I hope you will not attribute a lack of love from humans for a lack of love from God. Last week, I felt so aggravated that Jesus was being portrayed as someone who hates. I love Jesus more than anyone or anything and when I saw other Christians yelling at people and telling them

that God hates liars, idolaters, homosexuals, etc., I felt incredibly frustrated. I do not support the ways in which they tried to get the “message” across.

Let me be clear: The God that I love does not hate people in the slightest bit; he only hates their selfishness. There is a big difference between the two and unfortunately the line became blurred last week. If Jesus hated those people as the preachers claimed, there is no chance I would be a friend of that God. No one likes being yelled at and told God hates them. The Jesus I know loves us more than anyone can imagine, even if, at times, it seems hard to believe. The Bible

says that love is patient and kind and does not insist on its own way; screaming condemnation is certainly not love.

I am not saying that I love in a perfect way, but I try. Jesus had real relationships with people and cared for them genuinely. In fact, one time when Jesus expressed intense anger and yelled was against those who were exploiting people who were seeking a genuine relationship with God. Again, I am so sorry for what happened. Please forgive us for the ways we don’t represent the loving God we claim to follow.

TIMOTHY HONEYCUTT

Senior, political science

guest opinion

The positive side of SOPA

By BOB REGAN

UC Davis, class of 1972

Imagine there’s a student at UCD who plays guitar. He starts performing around town and builds up a pretty good following. Upon graduation, instead of going to law school as planned, he decides to take a break to pursue his first love, music.

One year becomes two, then five. His band extends its reach beyond Davis to Sacramento, then to all of Northern California. They are a typical DIY (do it yourself ) band, using all the latest technology to connect with and expand their fanbase. They tour incessantly.

They start their own record label, sell recordings and merchandise from the stage, do radio tours and promote themselves through any medium available.

The year? 1977. The more the music business changes, the more it stays the same.

That guitar player, as you’ve probably guessed by now, was me. I never made it to law school, and my band, The Skins, never officially “made it,” although we had a great run, which I will always treasure.

I pushed on alone to L.A., signed a major label record deal, got dropped, moved to Nashville, played guitar in

bars, studios and on the Grand Ole Opry, then found my real calling: songwriting. I eventually wrote one hit, then another, then several more for some of the biggest acts in Country Music. I now made my living solely from licensed, legal uses of my songs.

I bet it all on Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which gives authors the “exclusive right to their respective writings.”

What does this have to do with the Stop Online Piracy Act? Glad you asked. Today, when I Google any of those hit songs followed by “mp3” or “download,” here’s what comes up: thousands of sites, seven out of 10 illegal, mostly foreign, showcasing ads for anything from Princess Cruises to Lysol to AT&T. Everyone involved in this scenario — the sites, search engines, advertisers, payment processors — makes money with every click, while I, and everyone else who brought the song to life, get zip.

To me, legislation to shut down these foreign rogue sites should be a no-brainer, but to many in the tech and academic communities, it’s anything but.

There, copyright owners are routinely portrayed as villains, while pirates are hailed as heroes. Cyberspace is deemed virtually above governance.

options are a conservative moderate and left flocked to his banner. And yet, under a Republican. These candidates represent his tenure, we saw the continuation of Bush’s policies, including the bombing of a very narrow range of the political spectrum because all of the real decisions civilians in Pakistan, Guantanamo Bay’s have been made long before the ballots tenth anniversary and the expansion of are cast. indefinite detention.

Even if there was a genuinely left-wing That is not to say that Mitt Romney candidate in the race, their ability to would be much better. Just as Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous, effect change would be restricted once in office. As President Romney is electable marginalized for being perceived Just as Kim Kardashian is famous for Obama’s universal healthcare as electable. Nobody being famous, Romney is electable plan shows, the likes Romney, sure, but entrenched interests because he’s a shameless for being perceived as electable of the capitalist class opportunist with no will always win over the scruples, he’s clearly leftist ambitions of an upstart politician. the perfect candidate. Of course, then, Yet we are already being told by Romney is more than willing to mum Democrats that we must fight for Obama, the war-mongering of his opponent, writing in a Wall Street Journal editorial that he is the only thing standing between us and utter ruin. that we must “prepare for war” with This is the second stage of the Iran.

Among the major candidates, only Ron parliamentary disease: If politicians are all-powerful, holding the salvation or Paul claims that he would stop the statedamnation of the country in their hands, sponsored slaughter of people overseas. then the people must be helpless at their But even if we believed peace was in Paul’s power, his domestic policies would mercy.

Indeed, this is what most of the election be almost as disastrous. If elected, Paul coverage would lead us to believe. would roll back civil and reproductive Pundits and newscasters render the rights, cut social spending and eliminate American voter as impulsive, petty and environmental protections and labor stupid, driven to distraction by the latest laws.

A recent Pew opinion poll found that 31 gaffe or chain e-mail. If the American percent of Americans have a positive view people sat down to have a beer with its of socialism, and yet our only presidential favorite candidate, the media seems to

Back to the top. Often, when discussing this issue, I am told that I should adapt to “free.” I am lectured about the success of some DIYer, and I am chastised for not emulating him or her. Hmmm. Thought I’d already been there, done that.

The music business I know is largely inhabited by former DIYers who took their experience and talents — playing, engineering, programming, writing — behind the scenes to succeed in an incredibly competitive industry.

Their efforts can be heard on 90 percent-plus of all music downloads, legal or otherwise.

They are astounded that anyone would dismiss the value of their life’s work or consider them mere roadkill on the Information Superhighway.

If no one wants the songs I write, fair enough, I’ll pack it in. But it seems they do. My copyrights are everywhere in the Cyber-Somalia that is the internet today, making money for pirates and their enablers.

Let me compete in a free — not black — market, and I’ll do fine.

Don’t buy into the hyperbole and self-serving rhetoric surrounding SOPA. Read it, see what it actually does and then make up your own mind. I’d love to come back to UCD and have this discussion in person. I’ll even bring my guitar.

suggest, it would quickly lose the thread of conversation.

The Occupy movement has shown us otherwise. Countless general assemblies revealed an American public capable of serious debates outside of the logic of our bipolar party system. Instead of squabbling over horse race minutia, occupiers asked fundamental questions about inequality and privilege.

Just as importantly, the occupations demonstrated that political action is possible outside of the voting booth.

Through civil disobedience and the re-appropriation of public space, the Occupy movement changed the terms of public conversation without the guidance of elected officials.

And, if this movement expands, it will be capable of even more. As Occupy Oakland’s Boots Riley points out, “politicians are controlled by whoever controls industry. If we want to control the politicians, the people must make a movement in which we control industry through strikes, shut downs and militant unions.”

Certainly, we should vote. Federal elections are an innocuous enough pastime. But we cannot let them distract us from the real work of achieving democracy and social justice.

JORDAN S. CARROLL is a PhD student in English. He can be reached at jscarroll@ucdavis.edu.

4

The California Aggie’s Arts and Entertainment Section

volume 6, number 2

Uyen T. Cao

Stop SOPA and PIPA

With the need for the human race to explore every depth of the unknown, the internet is indeed the last frontier. On Jan. 24, the U.S. Senate will begin voting on legislation that will compromise and restructure the way our internet works.

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) do not allow for due process. As a form of censorship, if a site is reported to be infringing upon copyrighted material, service providers have to do everything in their power to prevent users from getting there by, for instance, taking down the content.

SOPA and PIPA are gaining a surprisingly large number of supporters including the American Society of Composers (ASC), Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Go Daddy, etc.

Luckily, there is also a large following in opposition to the two bills. Yesterday, Wikipedia, Wordpress, Craigslist, Reddit and many more websites joined in on a 24-hour blackout.

Wikipedia stated boldly on its only accessible page: “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge.”

If these bills were to pass, they would be, by far, the most damaging piece of legislation to come out of Congress for some time.

First of all, SOPA and PIPA will make it nearly impossible for entrepreneurs to start up their businesses if their websites were taken down for hosting any copyrighted material. Keep in mind that this could be for something as small as a reference. More importantly, these bills will greatly throttle innovation.

The Washington Post asked back in November: Will SOPA protect artists’ work or hinder their creativity?

From a very personal stance, it would destroy every source of inspiration of every piece of artwork I have made up until today.

Like many others, I use the internet daily to gain inspiration for all of my work. In fact, it is a part of my creative process to search the web for inspiration. If it weren’t for the circulation of information on the World Wide Web, I would have never discovered Edward Burtynsky or Leslie Shows — two major sources and muses to my paintings. This goes for every other aspect of my life. I learned how to play guitar and piano via YouTube, how to use Photoshop and Illustrator through seminars posted on blogging websites like Tumblr.com, how to sample songs via SoundCloud, etc.

All of these websites promote creativity and a visual language that transpires from sources passed along through normal individuals like you and me. It’s an invaluable network that promotes innovation and creativity.

And it’s not just me. If you ask any living artist today, there will always be someone else’s artwork that stimulates their own.

That’s what artists do: we recycle and appropriate ideas in ways that are new and exciting. That was the basis of Andy Warhol’s work. That was the basis of Jeff Buckley’s thinking when he covered Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” or when Eric Clapton covered Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads.” Or look at hip-hop as a genre; the sampling of beats and songs has been a huge part of its history. Some of the greatest musicians today have made their career from sampling songs.

Pogo, for instance, has made a name for himself by editing Disney and Pixar films to create hypnotic songs.

If SOPA and PIPA go through, these types of material will be censored or taken down. There would be no room for artistic freedom.

I rarely like to mix politics with music or art. But in this case, there’s something that goes beyond the apparent tactic of stopping piracy. If these two bills pass, the livelihood of many artists will be jeopardized. We are a generation that relies heavily on the technologies and advances of the internet. If the government begins to censor and regulate our right to the free internet, it could be fatal.

Whether or not SOPA or PIPA go through, this will not be the end of attempted censorship of the internet. Go to house.gov/htbin/findrep, find your representative, and let them know where you stand. Call or e-mail them to STOP SOPA and PIPA.

A rare look at UC Davis art faculty work Between the Quotes, current exhibit at the Pence Gallery, gives a chance to see work from art professors and community

By PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie Arts Writer

The latest exhibition at the Pence Gallery in downtown Davis, Between the Quotes, is a rare treat for many art students. They will have an opportunity to see work from their professors. It is a unique look at the types of work the art department faculty produces.

“It gives the community a chance to see what is going on in our studios,” said Hearne Pardee, art studio department chair. “Students are always curious about what we do. I don’t show my work in class because I don’t want them to try and model themselves after what I do. This can give them a perspective on what their teachers are talking about and help them learn some new ideas.”

One of the most intriguing aspects of the show is being able to see the diversity and variety of work the faculty produces. There is almost every type of medium imaginable, from painting to sculpture to photography, and each artist has their own style and perspective in their work.

“The whole focus of the show is really sharing the talent of the faculty with the community, showing what is normally only seen in their studios or galleries across the U.S., to the people in Davis,” said Natalie Nelson, Pence Gallery curator.

Nelson started the show and approached the faculty about displaying their work in the gallery. They responded with enthusiastic agreement.

“There’s going to be some really interesting, challenging work that makes students think and talk. There’s some things that are quite funny in the show, some things that are really intriguing. So there’s really different forms of artwork

that they might not get a chance to see regularly,” Nelson said.

Another surprise of the show is that many professors will be doing work outside of what is considered to be their field of expertise or what they teach.

Professor Robin Hill normally works with sculpture, but her piece in the show is a large picture of a digital snowflake derived from a mathematical algorithm.

“I have taken a mathematical algorithm of a UC Davis mathematics professor who works on probability and snowflake crystal growth,” Hill said. “I work with ideas of chance and encounters with found materials and situations and when I saw a visualization of his data we started to collaborate. I took his data and made it into art.”

Another faculty member, Darrin Martin, has created two unique works. The first is a video of images of various ancient ruins in Europe from places like Rome and the South of France juxtaposed with images of a sculpture he created. Additionally, he has created a series of sculptures from plastic foam.

Yet another artist is Matthias Geiger. “He’s originally from Germany,” Nelson said. “He’s working right now with a series of portraits of artists from San Francisco area and these are mostly performing artists and he’s photographed them basically where they work. He’s captured people who are kind of on the cutting edge of doing very advanced type of work; choreographers who do very different types of dance forms. He captures something so interesting about the environment in which the artist works and well as the character of the person.”

Despite the diverse artwork displayed at the exhibit, there is something that ties it all together. That is the name of the exhibit: Between the Quotes. Each art-

The Shins

ist was asked to choose a quote to display next to their work. This can represent the pieces on display, the artist’s inspiration for those pieces or their work in general. It is to help the audience understand the creativity and inspiration behind the artist’s work and their studio practices.

“I definitely read other artists’ [work]; I read fiction and there are certain texts that have kind of haunted me in my work. Out of those I tried to think of what would be most relevant to my work in the exhibit,” Martin said.

There will be a panel discussion with selected members of the faculty on Feb. 7. It is open to everyone.

“There’s such a one-way conversation between the students and teachers most of the time,” Hill said. “They don’t get many opportunities to respond to our work. I want to encourage students to come with questions and even if they don’t ask questions to leave the exhibition with a question and to engage their peers in discussion about the work and determine the goal of the work.”

The exhibit will run until Feb. 29 and is open during gallery hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Top left: The Pence Gallery current exhibition features works by faculty members in the Art Deparment. (Photo by Evan Davis / Aggie).

Topright:Photographic series by Matthias Geiger (courtesy photo).

Bottom right: Painting series by Bryce Vinokurov (courtesy photo).

Technology in art

The role of software in creation

By JAMES O’HARA Aggie Arts Writer

It goes without saying that the role of technology in everyday life is virtually ubiquitous for most students here at UC Davis. From the perpetually hooked-in smartphone user to the casual Facebooker, engagement with technological venues — the internet, phone, television, computer — is inescapable. It is, simply, the nature of contemporary college life.

So is art any different? In an age where we can check our e-mail in the bathroom on a device smaller than a child’s hand, have creative endeavors managed to stay detached? The fast and simple answer is no, they have not. That is, most have not.

Obviously, film and photography are art forms built on the foundation of technology. But with the advent and popularization of software like Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut, and Adobe After Effects, to list a few, those mediums are subject to substantial influence if not downright alteration.

The inevitable question, then, is: Does the introduction of software into art work toward the betterment of the creative result?

Kaila Joye, a senior art studio and English major, uses Photoshop, a comprehensive photo editing software, in her post-production photography. As she describes it, it is a convenient tool for enhancement, for achieving the generally unachievable and pushing the camera beyond its real-time limitations. To her, it is far from a crutch for laziness or a backup mechanic, as some view it.

“When it comes to using Photoshop, I try to only use it

for techniques that I can’t actually accomplish while I am actually taking the picture,” Joye said. “But I think that one of the problems with having the kind of editing software we have is that people are less concerned with getting a technically great picture since they can just go in and fix all the things they messed up.”

Photoshop is essentially a household name. It gives users the tools that, until recently, were reserved for professionals and zealous amateurs. Something that once required the isolation of a dark room can now be done in Photoshop in minutes. Some view this as a degradation of the form.

“It makes art more accessible. Anyone can try and Photoshop a picture, but it doesn’t mean it’s original,” said Christina Deniz, a senior sociology and film studies double major with a minor in dramatic art. “It can either help a photo or not. Just like there are paintings that grasp your attention and some that don’t. There are pictures that can capture true emotion and interest and some that don’t.”

Other programs like Final Cut and Adobe Premiere, film editing software, are also changing the nature of the game for aspiring college filmmakers. Like photographers who have more control over their photos than ever in post-production, amateur filmmakers are able to work like the professionals.

Senior film studies major and Aggie TV tech editor Spencer Harris uses Final Cut for things like color correction, audio normalization and chroma keying (green screen). The mastery of such techniques, Harris said, while not terribly difficult, is essential in his efforts.

“Completing just about any project can be more of

a challenge if you’re not particularly comfortable with whatever programs you’re working with,” Harris said. “I think mastering a program is invaluable. You can typically work quicker and more efficiently than you would otherwise.”

What artists may come to realize, for those who have not already, is that those who do not know the software may be left behind. Filmmakers, photographers, graphic designers, musicians and more all need to be well acquainted with the software that has weaved its way deeply into our lives. Like anything, there are degrees of mastery.

Not unlike the modern internet blog that has enabled amateur writers a venue for self-publication, more people than ever have access to advanced artistic tools of today. Professional editing software, even special effects, is now possible given the investment of time and resources.

In other words, more people than ever are delving into digital music production with music-producing software like FP player and Abelton Live. And more than ever, given the digitalization of photography and film and increasing access to High Definition (HD) and high-quality post-production, people are delving into visual arts.

But again, not unlike the modern internet blog, the increased accessibility to these forms likely means the increased output of mediocrity — amateurs producing amateur work. But it also means the discovery of more talent, and more great art. It’s a near statistical certainty.

JAMES O’HARA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes Civilized Man Daniel Ellsworth Music

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“Indie” is too broad a term. Critics and music fans like genres and categorizations because they make it easier to say, “Well, it’s kind of like…” I felt the need to address this because Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes’ debut album, Civilized Man, is not an “indie” album.

Civilized Man is technically indie in that it’s not under any major label, but Ellsworth’s aim is not for any critic accreditation. Ellsworth’s aim seems to be an inoffensive attempt at radio-friendly pop music. Not that there is anything wrong with that since the album’s main conceit is about stopping to pick the daises or whatever joy-

ous people do. This is folk-pop rock-pop at its most sugary.

Some other music reviews compared Ellsworth’s work to that of Elton John. That’s hyperbole; his work, especially on the debut album, resembles that of solo Paul McCartney. During the early ‘70s, Paul’s solo work was at its most syrupy pop and Ellsworth seems to want to hark back to that. So, at best Civilized Man sounds like McCartney when he was trying to make innocent fun music and at worst sounds like James Blunt. The strong single “Shoe Fits” is infectiously catchy, filled with unmitigated joy and represents the album at its popesque best.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album never reaches those highs and at most is just plain pleasant to listen to, but there is the problem: The album just never rises above simply pleasant. There are highlights on the album other than the catchy single; one is the eighth track “Follow Me Home,” which includes some amusingly funny lyrics such as “I ain’t got much to offer besides some cheap red wine, I got some dusty floors and a .45.”

Another highlight includes “Hieroglyphs,” which attempts to be The Rolling Stones doing a blues homage.

The debut album is a promising start; it just never rises above listenable. But then again, isn’t that what we ask of all music?

Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Salt Lakes will be playing at the Torch Club in Sacramento on Feb.14.

Give these tracks a listen: “Shoes Fit,” “Surrender,” “Wolf is Me” For fans of: My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, Wings — Rudy Sanchez

campus CHIC. Aggie News Writer

The Aggie: What are you wearing?

Lee: “A thrifted men’s jacket, thrifted grandpa cardigan, American Apparel cropped long sleeve and American Apparel disco pants. My black loafers are from Nordstrom Rack. My necklaces are from the Melrose Trading Post, and this ring is made from a spoon I got in San Francisco. I got my bag last winter on sale at Urban Outfitters.”

How did you decide what to wear today?

“These pants I always wear when it’s cold outside since I don’t like wearing jeans. I always like to have turquoise on me. I’m dressing for the weather but I still want to have my style.”

Where do you find inspiration?

“I find inspiration in other people I see on the street and online — like on Tumblr.com.”

What’s your advice for staying chic during the winter?

“Try layering. I go to thrift stores and get outerwear that’s cheap and warm and mix and match!”

Stephanie Nguyen / Aggie

Wilco: Ticket giveaway

Feb. 1, 8 p.m., sold out Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center The Aggie Arts Committee (a program created by Mondavi) is hosting a competition for a pair of tickets to the SOLD OUT Wilco concert. For a chance to win, go to the Aggie Arts Facebook page, “like” it, change your status to your favorite Wilco song and title (tagging @Aggie Arts to the message), and then send an email to mondaviinterns@ucdavis.edu with your full name. The competition ends Friday Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.

Mar. 14, 6:30 p.m., $20 limited student pre-sale | $25 general admission Tickets on sale now Freeborn Hall Entertainment Council is doing it big this year. Tickets for Steve Aoki and Datsik are now on sale. Get them now before tickets are sold out.

Three Painters: Works by Peter Edlund, Leslie Shows and Fred Tomaselli

Today to Mar. 18, 11 to 5 p.m. daily (closed on Fridays), free Nelson Gallery Peter Edlund, Leslie Shows and Fred Tomaselli are three unique painters bound by a fascination with nature. However, each artist interprets the landscape through various mediums and conventions of composition and space. See their work in person to be the judge of how nature is perceived through each artist’s work.

The Artery: Emma Luna

Today to Feb. 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(Monday through Friday) | 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, free The Artery, 207 G St. Emma Luna’s work features monotypes and mix-media that evoke childhood memories of her native Dominican Republic and Latin American roots. She utilizes personal touches to create depth within her work, such as the layering of representational images of her past onto the canvas.

Spring Dance Auditions

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Josephine Pearl Lee, sophomore design major

Apr. 23, 8 p.m., $35 Tickets on sale now Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center The Shins have become a major household name in the Indie music category. For the first time, they will come to Davis. This will be a unique opportunity, as the concert will be held at Jackson Hall, indisputably one of the greatest acoustic spaces in Northern California. Buy your tickets today; there’s no doubt that tickets will be sold out soon.

DIM MAK’s Dead Meat Tour: Steve Aoki, Datsik & Special Guest

PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.

Thursday, january 19, 2012

FOLLOW MUSE ON TWITTER! TWEET US @AGGIEARTS

Today, 6:30 p.m.

Hickey Gym Are you passionate about dancing?

Each year, the Spring Dance showcases chosen student-made dance choreographs. With the preliminary choreographs created, dancers are now needed. You don’t have to be a dancer or dance major to audition. Warm-ups begin today at 6:30 p.m.

Rae Gouirand

Today, 8 p.m., free John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Rae Gouirand, a resident in Davis who has taught classes at the University and whose works have been featured nationwide in acclaimed sources like the American Poetry Review, Boston Review and Columbia. Tonight, she will read her poems and essays at the Natsoulas Gallery. Be sure to arrive early to secure a seat.

UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

5

6 thursday, january 19, 2012

The california Aggie

The Pantry celebrates its one-year anniversary Program continues growing with support from community

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

On Jan. 11, the Pantry, a studentrun program that provides UC Davis students with meals and basic necessities free of charge, marked its one-year anniversary.

Located in 21 Lower Freeborn, the Pantry is brought to students

by ASUCD, the Community Advising Network and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. The program strives to provide non-perishable, high protein food for UC Davis students

struggling to pay for meals, as well as such basic necessities as soap, toothbrushes and toilet paper.

“It was clear that there was a demand for a service like the Pantry due to an increased concern about student hunger and the effect that it has on students’ health and wellness,” said Erica Padgett, ASUCD senator and former assistant director of the Pantry. “We see anywhere between 300 to 500 students a week, and although that may be a small number relative to the size of

our campus, I believe that no student should have to sacrifice food or other basic necessities due to financial difficulties.”

According to Padgett, the Pantry is a partially subsidized unit of ASUCD. The unit relies heavily on outside donations, both for money and food.

“It’s definitely grown since last year,” said Rosa Gonzalez, director of the Pantry. “Every quarter, it starts out with 15 or 16 individuals a day, and when money starts getting low by the fifth or sixth week, we see a

jump in numbers to 100 to 200 individuals per day.”

According to Gonzalez, the top products are currently cereal, tuna, macaroni and cheese, rice, peanut butter, Top Ramen and pasta.

Sophomore animal science major Briana Hamamoto stops by the Pantry every week after class.

“It’s a great place to get a snack in between classes,” Hamamoto said. “It’s one less item I have to pay for at the grocery store. It’s a great resource, and students should

really take advantage of it.”

In November, the Pantry was featured on NBC Nightly News in a segment along with another pantry from the University of Central Florida.

“A lot of resources on campus have been very helpful. We have students come to us and say ‘Thank you, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be eating,’” Gonzalez said. “They make it worthwhile.”

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

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thursday, january 19, 2012 7

The california aggie

Do you think students should continue to occupy the Quad?

“The Quad is the most obvious place to go. The tact of occupation still has its usefulness. We are one of the last ones standing, so it’s not a good idea for us to to leave.”

“No, I don’t see how occupying the Quad is going to do anything for the cause. The rally was a success, but the movement has died out.”

Artem Raskin

senior biochemistry and molecular biology double major

junior political science major

“I don’t understand what they are trying to achieve. But I love seeing tents out here, so yes, bring more tents.”

Kiho Song

Chadwick Bigglesworth junior physics major

“No, they are not getting anywhere. A lot of people are protesting, but they are not really involved. It’s just a bandwagon thing.”

“No, I feel that it distracts from the real purpose of the protest.

We need to come up with a way to protest tuition increases that is more effective.”

Colson Hoxie

Matthew Brody

junior physics major

senior biochemistry major

“I don’t think it is hurting anyone, but I also don’t think it is going to accomplish anything, either.

It doesn’t seem like the most effective way to protest.”

“Wherever people occupy, we should come together as long as we have a community and safe place.”

Dana Furuyama

junior political science major

senior English major

Text by CLAIRE MALDARELLI Photos by MELODY TAN

“No, I think the movement has lost its focus and no longer achieves its original goal, which was to stop tuition increases.”

Michaela Lee

Maxx Bartko

sophomore international relations and economics double major

Mayan Bean Project sends students to Guatemala Campus group improves crops, facilitates cultural exchange

By PRISCILLA WONG Aggie Features Writer

Over winter break, a group of eight UC Davis students set out from Guatemala City in a rented microbus, which was navigated through pothole-filled roads along the flowering cane fields and volcanoes. Four and a half hours later the group arrived in Coatepeque, San Marcos, 15 minutes away from the mountain town of Sintana, where they would devote their time and energy to educating Mayans about agricultural cultivation.

The trip, which lasted from Dec. 15 to 22, is one of three that will take place throughout the year through UC Davis’ Guatemalan Mayan Bean Project. The project works in cooperation with Alma Cautiva NGO and is aimed at helping impoverished Mayans in highly conflicted areas through agricultural education, improving locally available bean cultivars in El Quetzal and La Reforma, Guatemala, and facilitating cultural exchange.

Second year horticulture and agronomy graduate student Colleen Spurlock began working with Alma Cautiva NGO four years ago. After many talks with Alma Cautiva director, Mynor Reina, and multiple investigations into agricultural practices that do and do not work in the region, the Guatemalan Mayan Bean Project was launched as an agricultural extension project. The project’s goal is to improve the yield of staple food crops through education of local people.

“In addition, a mission of Alma Cautiva is to facilitate the cultural exchange between students from the United States and working people of Guatemala, and to explore the areas of Guatemala where no other NGOs are present,” said Spurlock in

Members of the Mayan Bean Project

an e-mail interview. “This helps bring attention to the corruption and misery that are in some parts of Guatemala that few tourists have ever seen, and the students’ presence brings hope to the people of San Marcos.”

During the trip, volunteers cleared a piece of jungle, put up a giant fence and planted beans. The goal was to integrate the community, especially the youth. For senior environmental horticulture and urban forestry major Roelof Diener, the ultimate goal was to show the locals how easy it is to grow their own food and establish a demonstration plot.

courtesy

“It’s not that we are trying to improve on the Guatemalan agriculture with our U.S. techniques; rather, we are trying to establish home-grown gardens for poor people that live in an area that has the perfect climate to grow basic food crops all year round,” said Diener in an e-mail interview.

Senior plant sciences major Emily Kwok found out about the trip to Guatemala by e-mail in November and instantly knew she wanted to go, so she left the day after finals Fall quarter. For her, the importance of the project is to provide a source of free beans to the locals and to give vol-

unteers a cultural experience that is different from what tourists usually experience.

Aside from this, she also believes that the project breaks down social barriers for the native residents.

“The local children we worked with got to see students regardless of gender, race and age working alongside each other.

This was important to me because I think it promotes a concept that every individual is important and can contribute equally to a project,” said Kwok in an e-mail interview. “Colleen said that when parents were told that the workshops were being offered, some asked whether or not they could bring their daughters. I think in a way we are promoting gender equality which I think is important considering the prevalence of violence toward women in the country.”

Spurlock believes that education is the most basic path to improving quality of life. This project hopes to give people access to agricultural education and resources as time progresses.

“The project will continue to grow and one of the ultimate goals is to open an agricultural extension office with internet access and a library staffed with both Guatemalans and students from the United States,” Spurlock said.

The next two trips to Guatemala will be taking place over spring break and summer.

The spring break trip will be from March 25 to April 1 to harvest and replant the beans, and to hold another set of agricultural education classes. For those who are interested in accompanying the Guatemalan Mayan Bean Project, contact Spurlock at clspurlock@ucdavis.edu or meet her on Saturdays at the Alma Cautiva booth at the Davis Farmers Market.

PRISCILLA WONG can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

THE LINEUP 8 thursday, january 19, 2012

The california Aggie

women’s basketball preview Teams: UC Davis vs. Pacific against Long Beach State, Records: Aggies 11-6 (3-2); senior Kasey Riecks conTigers 9-7 (3-2) tributed to the victory with Where: The Pavilion 15 points. This strong perWhen: Saturday at 2 p.m. formance is one of many Who to Watch: Junior on the path that has led Hannah Stephens did not to Riecks’s 1,000 career break the assists points. record or score The game her 1,000th point against the 49ers as some of her propelled Riecks teammates did reto 1,006 on her cacently. She has, reer, putting her however, providin 15th on the ed the Aggies with UC Davis all-time the steadfast and scoring list. consistent level of The Auburn, basketball that UC Calif. native is Hannah Stephens Davis needs. chasing another Stephens drained junior one of her fellow two early threes in Aggies.

Current the game against head coach Long Beach State, providing Jennifer Gross is the eighththe spark that set the Aggies’ highest scorer in UC Davis offense on fire in their best history, having 1,143 points shooting game of the season. over her career with the She finished with 10 points in Aggies from 1993-97. the game.

Preview: UC Davis is com But where the Aggies ing off its best shooting have struggled, Stephens game of the season, and has stepped up. Though Gross is optimistic that this she is not the tallest of play- will be a turning point for ers, Stephens grabbed 10 the year. rebounds against Cal State “I’m just hoping this is a Northridge and collected jumping-off point for us,” six more against the 49ers. she said.

The San Mateo, Calif. na- After the Aggies’ two wins tive still ranks fourth on the this past week, they stand team with 54 rebounds. at 11-6 with a 3-2 Big West Did you know? In the game Conference record. The

Tigers also have a 3-2 record in the league, tied with UC Davis for fourth in the Big West.

Games between Pacific and UC Davis have developed a rivalry-type intensity over recent years.

Last year, the Aggies toppled the Tigers in a close game in Stockton.

Pacific got its revenge later in the season when it upended UC Davis at the Pavilion.

“It’s become sort of a rivalry with them. We love playing them,” Gross said.

“We get to do a little preparation and we get to focus on our game,” Gross said, regarding the break until Saturday’s game.

The Aggies hold a 6-1 record at the Pavilion, while the Tigers have a 3-5 record in away games this season.

Gross likes her team’s chances and hopes the Aggies can continue to shoot well.

“With conference play you get a lot of teams who know what you do because they’ve played you a lot,” she said. “We’ll be preparing for the Tigers.”

— Matthew Yuen

Gymnastics preview Teams: UC Davis vs. Air Force Where: The Pavilion When: Sunday at 1 p.m.

Who to watch: Junior Michelle Ho was announced as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday. It is the third such honor of her career at UC Davis.

The award came after Sunday’s meet at Stanford in which the Los Altos, Calif. native had strong performances on floor, uneven bars and balance beam in her collegiate all-around debut.

The Aggies have captured both of the first two MPSF Gymnast of the Week awards of 2012.

The first honor of the new season was awarded last week to junior Katie Yamamura.

Did you know? UC Davis has never been defeated by the Air Force Academy since John Lavallee be-

came head coach in 2008. “We expect to have a very The last time the team exciting meet,” Lavallee hosted Air Force was on said. “We’re really looking Feb. 4 last year, when the to learn from our experiAggies delivered a sound ences and get our level of 192.100-to-188.950 vic- performance up.” tory over the visiting The meet will serve as Falcons.

Alumni Day, in which forPreview: After two mer UC Davis challenging road gymnasts will be trips, UC Davis is recognized, inready to perform cluding memfor a hometown bers of the men’s audience. gymnastics pro In addition to begram. ing the first home As Sunday’s meet of the season, duel is one of Sunday’s duel with only five home Air Force will be meets, the team the Aggies’ first test Michelle Ho hopes that the against an MPSF junior alumni will be opponent. joined by a large After coming in student crowd. second to UC Davis in last “It’s always great [to year’s MPSF Championship, compete] in the Pavilion,” Air Force is sure to be ready explained Lavallee. “The to take advantage of any student support is always mistakes in order to top the great and something that Aggies. [the team] looks forward But Lavallee believes that to.” his team is ready for the challenge.

— Kaitlyn Zufall

help of cosponsor Representative Carolyn Maloney (NY-14), on Dec. 16. The Research Works Act, for which the official full purpose Cont. from front page is “To ensure the continued publication and cannot be allowed to make money simply integrity of peer-reviewed research works by by co-opting work done via government the private sector,” was then referred to the funds and then charging for it,” Melters Committee on Oversight and Government said.

Reform, where it has been since.

Issa introduced the Research Works Act to the House of Representatives, with the AMY STEWART can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

BILL

Men’s Basketball Preview Teams: UC Davis at Pacific Records: Aggies, 1-16 (0-5); Tigers, 5-11 (1-4) Where: Alex G. Spanos Center — Stockton, Calif.

When: Saturday at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: Sophomore guard Tyler Les can shoot the basketball with the best in the country.

The son of former NBA player and current UC Davis head coach Jim Les is averaging 9.6 points per game and is Tyler Les shooting above 45 sophomore percent from long range this season.

His 45 three-pointers so far this season rate him second in the Big West Conference and 53rd in the country. At San Jose State earlier this season Les tied the UC Davis school record with eight three-pointers in the game.

The sophomore also has 22 assists this season, the fifth-most on the Aggie squad.

“Tyler works extremely hard at his shooting,” Jim Les said. “I think a lot of credit goes to his teammates who seem to find him when he’s hot, and when he’s open he rewards them by knocking down shots.”

Did you know? On Feb. 10, 2010, the Aggies beat the Tigers 62-59 at The Pavilion. The win snapped Pacific’s 49-game winning streak over UC Davis.

Preview: The men’s bas-

ketball team has another opportunity on Saturday to stop their 13-game losing streak, which stretches all the way back to mid-November.

The Aggies, standing last in the Big West, head to Stockton to face a Tigers team that has only won five games this year and is secondto-last in the conference.

As always with coach Les, UC Davis is focusing on its defensive game plan this week.

“We’re getting back to some basics, especially defensively,” he said. “We’re making too many mistakes. There’s not enough emphasis on the importance of getting stops and putting out the effort and energy needed to win.”

Like UC Davis, Pacific is a low-scoring team, averaging less than 65 points per game.

The Aggies have struggled to hold teams to their average this season and are last in the Big West in scoring margin, giving up 75 points a game while only scoring 62.

UC Davis scored 80 points in its last contest, though, shooting 50 percent from the field and 54 percent from three-point range.

“I thought we attacked the defenses well [against CSU Northridge],” Les

said. “We got to the free throw line, we made our free throws and we shared the ball. Offensively I was very pleased with what we did.”

Another 80-point performance on the road this week would likely put the Aggies in a position to win their first game against a Division I opponent this year.

On the road against a local rival, UC Davis must rebound well and limit their turnovers.

The Tigers are the worst in the Big West in defensive rebounding, while UC Davis is last in turnover margin with 265 turnovers compared to 196 takeaways.

And should the Aggies find themselves in another close second-half game on the road, coach Les is confident that his young team will soon figure it out.

“We need to continue to get better and make the necessary plays coming down the stretch to close out games,” Les said, before noting that three of the five league games so far have come down to two or fewer possessions.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys playing in situations that they haven’t played in before,” Les continued.

“Part of it’s a new system and part of it’s learning how to win.”

Hopefully for Aggie fans, the team learns how to win soon.

— Caelum Shove

Women’s water polo preview Event: Spartan Invite Teams: No. 16 UC Davis, No. 17 UC Santa Barbara, No. 2 California, Santa Clara University and No. 5 San Jose State University Records: Aggies (0-0); Gauchos (0-0); Golden Bears (0-0); Broncos (0-0); Spartans (0-0) Where: San Jose State Aquatics Center When: Saturday 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Who to watch: Junior utility player Jessica Dunn.

She was second in the team last year with 51 goals, led the team with 40 assists and added 45 steals, 14 drawn exclusions and a team-high 16 blocks.

Did you know? 5,683 of last year’s 7,252 minutes — 78.3 percent — return for this season, the highest return rate for the program since 2000.

Preview: The experience and depth of the 2012 UC Davis women’s water polo team has head coach Jamey Wright very excited for the upcoming season.

One of the main reasons is that this team reminds him of the 2008 team, a team that won the Western Water Polo Association championship, finished fourth in the NCAA tournament and finished the year with a school-record 27 wins.

“This team is a lot like the 2008 group in that there is a lot of experience in the senior group, which is pretty exciting,” Wright said. “We have a lot of

people who have played together for a long time, and I think they all understand their roles and what they’re supposed to do.

Depth is a real strength for us. The challenge for me will be to have trust in that depth.”

The top five scorers from last year’s 20-12 team return, led by juniors Carmen Eggert (57 goals, 33 assists) and Jessica Dunn. Two other seniors, attackJessica Dunn er Ariel Feeney junior and center Alicia Began, along with fifth-year Dakotah Mohr (113 career goals), tallied 30 goals apiece.

Mohr has also shattered the school record for drawn kickouts.

The Aggies have a total of seven seniors, including goalie Rachel Tatusko and defender Kaylee Queipo-Miller, who has twice earned All-Big West Conference honors.

Along with the experience of seniors and juniors, Wright also has five players that redshirted the 2011 season, as well as an influx of freshmen, led by centers Allyson Hansen and Elsie Fullerton.

Whoever is in the lineup for coach Wright will be tested early. Four of the Aggies’ first six opponents are in the Top Five (Stanford, Cal, USC, San Jose State). This weekend’s tournament in San Jose

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redirecting fundraising.

Many UC Davis students eagerly await some sort of aid. Sarah Krane, a senior economics major, is a middle-income student. She cannot afford to pay tuition.

“My dad has an auto-immune disease and the money he has goes straight to health costs,” Krane said. “My family goes into debt every month, but doesn’t get any aid for tuition because on paper we make more than the maximum amount you can make to receive aid. Financial aid doesn’t take our huge health care costs into consideration.”

Krane is one of many fulltime students who work to pay for tuition. She works at two different jobs for a total of 30 hours a week.

Cont. from front page students at UC Davis or direct the increased donations to providing more funding to students. However, according to Campusano, it has become a main topic of conversation.

“Helping middle-income students was one of the first orders of business at our meeting this week,” she said.

According to administrators, there have been many different ideas inspired by plans like UC Berkeley’s to address the growing struggle for middle-income students. These include increasing the blue and gold program from covering families making $80,000 to covering families making $90,000, recruiting more SARA ISLAS can be reached at city@ out-of-state applicants and theaggie.org.

will give Wright an idea of personnel use and combinations, and he intends to use his whole roster.

“This weekend, I need to play the people who will play a lot of minutes this season. I need to see where they’re at,” Wright said. “Then I also need to play people in a lot of different combinations to see what else we have or to see if we are as deep as I think we are.

“I have to understand that the team might not be where I want them to be, or they might not be where they think they should,” Wright added. “But we’ll find out this week and we’ll know what to work on for next week.

We won’t know any of that until we give them an opportunity.”

The tournament begins Saturday morning at 10:30, when UC Davis takes on Big West conference foe No. 17 UC Santa Barbara and finishes Sunday against host No. 5 San Jose State at 3:30 p.m.

Although this will give Wright a good idea about the season, he said his main focus is winning the Big West Championship, which just so happens to be held at UC Davis’s own Schaal Aquatics Center this year from Apr. 27 to 29.

— Russell Eisenman