February 16, 2012

Best of Davis 2012

GARDENS AND VILLA

Do you have tickets to see The Shins on April 23rd at the Mondavi Center? MUSE interviews Adam Rasmussen from Gardens and Villa, the opening band for The Shins.

The votes are in! Turn to section B to see what you voted as the best in Davis

MUSE | Page 4 and 5

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 131, number 23

thursday, february 16, 2012

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez announces the Middle Class Scholarship Statewide tuition cuts of two-thirds proposed for middle-income families

By MUNA SADEK Aggie News Writer

Under a proposed bill by California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, beginning this fall, California students from middle-income families would receive significant tuition breaks that can amount to annual savings of $8,100 for University of California students and $4,000 for California State University students.

Announced on Feb. 8, the new bill would mean that current and new undergraduate students from families with a household income of $150,000 or less would be guaranteed a deduction in their school fees by two-thirds.

This is estimated to cover about

42,000 UC students and 150,000 CSU students during all four years of schooling.

The Middle Class Scholarship would be integral in addressing ongoing tuition hikes and cuts in programs such as Cal Grant, which now primarily caters to families of working-class income, leaving few options for middle class families.

“There are a lot of people in the state that are fortunate enough to pay for their kids’ education out of pocket and there are a lot of people who come from a low income background and work their way through high school … and [are] ensured places in our CSU and UC system through Cal Grant,” said Spokesperson to Pérez, John Vigna. “Cal Grant, like every-

thing else, has been cut and it’s hurt some and it is middle class students who have been hurt a lot because of these fee hikes.”

With the collapse of the California economy in 2008, college enrollment is accompanied with an egregious amount of debt for students carried on after graduation.

“A student that graduates from college is not looking for the job with the best potential more than a job that will help them pay off way too much debt… A student carrying $25,000 in debt is going to spend an entire decade paying that off… that is simply not feasible for some families,” Vigna said.

See TUITION, page 6

Education trailer bill limits Cal Grant eligibility for institutions Changes have been in effect since the start of the academic year

By CLAIRE TAN Aggie Staff Writer

Gov. Jerry Brown approved Senate Bill 70 (SB 70) on March 24, 2011, which has continued into this year.

The bill, along with other budget-related bills, was signed in an effort to save on state spending.

According to the California Department of Finance, SB 70 was the omnibus education trailer bill.

“It included everything from community college fee increases, deferrals for both K-12 and community colleges, Cal Grant reductions, revenue limit deficit factors and everything else needed to implement last year’s March budget,” the department said.

The Enrolled Bill Report stated the education trailer bill would make various reductions, referrals and appropriations needed to bring California

Proposition 98 (Prop. 98) guarantee to quire the University of California minimum funding level for K-14 ed- and California State University to reucation required for the 2010-11 and port on their recommended options for addressing the $500 mil2011-12 fiscal years. In addition, it allion reductions reflected in lowed for changes necessary to imthe Budget, based on inplement the Budget Control Act put provided by the stakeof 2011. holders, prior to adopting According to the a final plan.” report, SB 70 inChanges to the Cal creased commuGrant program signified nity college fees a change in Cal Grant from $26 per eligibility requireunit to $36 per ments for both stuunit to create dents and institutions. $110 million in fee revenues that

SB 70 states that to support commube eligible for the Cal Grant as nity college apportiona student, recipients will need Irisa Tam / Aggie ment funding. to meet maximum income “The bill would generate an e s - and asset ceilings and a minimum timated $124 million General Fund financial need requirement, which savings via programmatic changes to formerly applied to only initial the Cal Grant program,” the Enrolled Bill Report stated. “It would also reSee BILL, page 2

Filmmakers’ Ambitions Club presents 5-Minute Film Competition Members encourage amateur filmmakers to enter

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

The Filmmakers’ Ambitions Club is hosting its first annual 5-minute film competition, open to all UC Davis students.

All entries are due this Sunday. An entry must be an original interpretation of “Cinderella,” “HumptyDumpty” or “The Three Little Pigs” and cannot exceed five minutes.

“Hopefully the competition will get students excited about amateur filmmaking,” said Phillip Chu, Filmmakers’ Ambitions treasurer. “The existing film festival is much more formal and we thought that might be a barrier to more novice or inexperienced filmmakers. It’s a lot of fun to just get out there and shoot something with your friends, and since just about everyone these days has a video camera on their phone, we wanted to have a fun theme that would encourage anyone to submit something.”

Submitted entries will be judged by a panel of professors from the Cinema and Technocultural Studies Program (CaTS).

Filmmakers’ Ambitions is a student-run filmmaking and networking club that aims to connect students who want to learn

more about filmmaking and who want to work on film projects. According to Chu, the club is committed to a more active approach to filmmaking than in years past, hence the creation of the competition.

The first-place prize is $250, followed by $50 for second place and a DV700 handheld digital video camcorder for third place.

Some of the prize money is from CaTS while the rest is from savings that the club has acquired through fundraisers and other means.

The ASUCD Entertainment Council is cosponsoring the competition.

“We’re starting to reach out to student groups that are looking to put on events,” said Tim Chin, assistant director of the Entertainment Council.

David Ou, promotions assistant for the Entertainment Council, agreed.

“We’re promoting it to a demographic that wouldn’t normally hear about these events,” Ou said. “The competition is a fantastic way to bring out the filmmaker in everyone. We’ve all read the classic children’s stories, and we interpret them in different ways, so it will be interesting to see what the filmmakers come up with.”

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

Community members celebrate the life of late student Renne Morrow passes away in West Davis accident

By ANGELA SWARTZ Aggie City Editor

About 400 family and friends of Renne Lyra Morrow joined together for a memorial to honor the late student at the UC Davis Conference Center this past Sunday. The family held an open viewing at Wiscombe Funeral Home at 116 D St. the same morning.

Morrow, a 19-year-old music major, was hit by a car on Feb. 4 around 11 p.m. in West Davis.

The Davis Police Department found that 62-year-old Davis resident Patrice White was driving on Arlington Boulevard approaching the intersection of Shasta Drive. As White entered the intersection, her vehicle struck Morrow, who was crossing the roadway.

Morrow was rushed by ambulance to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento with severe injuries. On Feb. 7 she passed away.

Police are investigating

Today’s weather Sunny/Windy High 60 Low 37

the incident, but have found no evidence that White was impaired by alcohol or drugs while driving. Davis Police Lt. Paul Doroshov said there are no signs of criminal negligence.

Morrow’s death has affected UC Davis students and faculty alike.

On Feb. 6 the Cal Aggie Marching Band, or Banduh!, of which Renne played the sousaphone for, walked along the Russell bike path until they reached Lake Boulevard and held a candlelight vigil.

Around 120 people spent about three hours singing, playing songs and talking about Morrow.

Sasha Jasty, a sophomore political science major and member of Band-uh!, was close with Morrow. Jasty described Morrow as a dedicated, loyal and wonderful friend. She said the Banduh! has always had a sense a solidarity and been like a family, and the vigil is one example of this.

“The vigil was one of the most beautiful things I’ve

ever seen in my life,” Jasty said. “It’s amazing how one person could have that kind of effect on so many people.”

At the time of her death, Morrow, who identified as being transgender, had just started taking hormones as a part of her transition to being female. She wrote a blog with updates on her experiences during the change.

Jonathan Youngs, a senior music composition major and drum major for Banduh!, became friends with Morrow after meeting her in 2010.

He said that for Morrow, it was important to her that people knew that her transgender status was important to her.

“She knew what she wanted out of life more than any of us do,” Youngs said. “In such a confusing time of our life as college, it’s incredible how much she knew what she wanted from life already.”

Sheri Atkinson, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource

Forecast If only today was Wednesday, because I could then say its Windsday!

But it’s Thursday, and I can’t think of any windy synonyms. I hope your Thursday is thrilling and full of enthusiasm!

Matthew Little, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

Center, said she had just begun to get to know Morrow this quarter, after Morrow returned to school from a quarter off.

“She had reached out to me as she started back to school to ensure she had some staff support systems in place,” Atkinson said in an e-mail. “She was also an up-and-coming student leader with a lot of potential. My interactions with her were truly enjoyable.

This is such a loss to our campus community.”

Tom Slabaugh, director of Band-uh!, met Morrow when she came to visit her brothers, who were also band members, during her senior year in high school.

“When I first met her was a funny moment,” Slabaugh said. “I said ‘Oh no, it’s another Morrow’ and she replied, ‘I do not deny my Morrow-ness.’ She really came to school to be in the Cal Aggie [Band-uh!].”

Youngs said her death has been a shocking emotional

courtesy

Renne Morrow played the sousaphone for the Cal Aggie See MORROW, page 2 Marching Band since her first year at UC Davis.

Friday

Saturday

Partly cloudy

Chance of rain

High 62 Low 39

High 58 Low 40

This Best of Davis thing is rigged. The California Aggie didn’t win best place to work again.

Jason Alpert

page two

2 thursday, february 16, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY Bone Marrow Registry Drive 11 a.m to 2 p.m.

Student Community Center meeting room C Sign up for the Bone Marrow Registry. It takes less than ten minutes to commit to save a life. For more information about bone marrow donation, please visit www.bethematch.org. Hosted by Tzu Chi Collegiate Association.

Fashion and Design Society Model Casting Call Noon to 3 p.m.

Cruess Hall Want to model the unique, creative designs of fashion design students at UC Davis in Spring? Come to a casting call to get measured and have your photograph taken. It should only take five minutes.

Shinkoskey Noon Concert 12:05 p.m.

115 Music This week’s concert will feature mezzosoprano Zoila Muñoz.

BME Distinguished Speaker Series: Robert Nerem, Ph.D. 4:10 p.m.

Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility Auditorium Robert Nerem, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Nerem will present his talk, “Bioengineering: A Half Century of Progress But Still Only a Beginning.”

“How to get into Heaven (According to Mormons)” 6 to 10 p.m.

194 Chemistry Ex-Mormon Ted Cox draws on his upbringing in the Mormon church and lays bare everything from the super-secret Mormon temple ceremony, including magic underwear, special handshakes and naked oil-rubdowns. Presented by the Agnostic and Atheist Student Association.

Liberty Mutual College Recruitment Job Skills Workshop 7:10 to 9 p.m.

230 Wellman Still looking for work this June? Liberty Mutual college recruitment manager Jenna Tonkovich will demonstrate skills that will go a long way toward helping you land your dream job. Dinner will be

provided for all attendees, and there will be multiple raffle prizes from Woodstock’s Pizza.

Poetry Night Reading Series: Jessica Kristie and Nora Bergamino 8 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Nora Bergamino is a poet and graduate student in the creative writing program at UC Davis. Jessica Kristie is a poet and the Writing Curator for ArtPlatform and the Co-Creator and contributor for the ArtPlatform book Inspiration Speaks.

FRIDAY Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck, UC Davis Arboretum Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes (you name it) and join your fellow musicians for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and world music over the lunch hour. All skill levels and listeners welcome.

Baseball vs. Utah 2:30 p.m.

Dobbins Field This is the baseball home opener.

SATURDAY Guided Tour: Nature’s Gallery Court 2 p.m.

Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis Nature’s Gallery is a ceramic mosaic mural, a stunning work of art composed of over 140 tiles hand-crafted by UC Davis students and community members.

Construction is now underway on Nature’s Gallery Court, a new feature in the Arboretum, where the mural will stand in an inviting tree-lined courtyard, surrounded by plantings. Visitors can see the project in progress during a free public tour of the Arboretum.

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 report No texting while testing During a final exam, a student was discovered to have a phone in her lap. The student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA), where she claimed that she did not use or intend to use her phone to cheat. Nonetheless, the student was still in violation of University policy, which states that no unauthorized materials may be out during an exam. As a result, the student agreed to be placed on Disciplinary Probation, which is defined as a specified period of time during which a student must demonstrate conduct that conforms to University standards. If a student is found “in violation” for misconduct during this period, the student will receive more severe disciplinary sanctions.

Too busy? Too bad A freshman engineering student was referred to SJA for turning in another student’s take-home exam. The student stated that her friend was very busy and had asked her to turn in his exam for

him. While the student did not intend to violate the Code of Academic Conduct, the professor had required all students to hand in their papers in person. The student therefore agreed to accept a Censure for a non-dishonest violation of academic conduct. A Censure is a written reprimand for student misconduct that is kept on file.

Dorm drinking A Resident Advisor referred a student to SJA after the student was found in her suite severely intoxicated and vomiting.

The student stated that she had just returned from a fraternity party where she had drunk a significant amount of alcohol.

As the student had violated Student Housing policy and unlawfully drank as a minor, she agreed to be placed on Deferred Separation. Deferred Separation means that a student has given up their right to a formal hearing upon a second referral and, if found in violation, will likely receive greater sanctions.

The california Aggie

verting the region in a paradise for drug consumption...”

One analyst surmised that Perez’s about-face could be an attempt to coChelsea erce the U.S. into providMehra ing military aid, currently prohibited by Congress because of past human rights abuses.

But Perez’s advocates said his change of mind came out of the growing realization that if demand keeps increasing (the UN estimates opiate use rose egalizing marijua35 percent worldwide from na in the U.S. would 1998 to 2008, cocaine by 27 be extremely convepercent and cannabis by 8.5 nient, but entirely immorpercent), the small counal. And yet, this difficult de- try will never have the recision has now become the sources to fight the flow of only one for Guatemala illegal drugs from producPresident Otto Perez after a ers in South America to the great increase in drug trafworld’s largest consumer ficking through Mexico to market in the U.S. the U.S. “Are we going to be rePerez’s proposal comes sponsible to put up a war as drug caragainst tels have takthe carNew evidence, however, en over large tels if we sections of suggests we may all be better don’t proGuatemala duce the off sinning ... and othdrugs or er Central consume American countries, instithe drugs? We’re just a corgating some of the highest ridor of illegality,” says murder rates in the world.

Eduardo Stein, a former A friend who attends UC Guatemalan vice-president Davis but currently resides who chaired Perez’s transiin Guatemala, noticed that tion team. many more citizens have The watered down verhired bodyguards that go so sion of this global news far as to follow their clients story is that those fat just outside to their mailblunts and dime bags boxes. stuffed in backpack pockU.S. Congressional ets (you know who you are) Research Service filed a have not only been accureport in May 2011 inmulating dust bunnies, but dicating that 95 peralso tension between concent of all cocaine enterduit (Guatemala), conducing the United States flows tor (U.S.) and constructhrough Mexico and its wa- tor (Mexico). The United ters, with 60 percent of States’ absolute need for it first transiting through and addiction to drugs Central America. is proportionate to how What’s more is that with deeply another country these drug exchanges will suffer. comes political transformaNew evidence, however, tion. Although many leadsuggests we may all be beters of Latin American coun- ter off sinning, choosing tries were elected and dethe low road for the high termined to crush orgaone, and feeding, in every nized crime with an iron sense of the word, those fist, they are now conceding addictions. to dealers and democrats.

The Global Commission After just a month in ofon Drug Policy claims that fice, Perez has reconsidthe war on drugs has acered his platform on advotually failed and is more cating tough military action harmful than helpful. The against drug cartels to now Commission sides with maintaining the region’s Perez and other proponents strongest stance on drug le- of sanctioning drug usgalization. His latest posiers because anti-drug poltion aroused criticism from icy fuels organized crime, both Guatemalans and costing lives and millions of Americans over the weekdollars. end, where both argued for Political leaders and and against his authorizing public figures alike should the trade and consumption not be so reticent as to adof all drugs. mit what many confess priEl Salvador President vately: that evidence sugMauricio Funes fumes over gests our efforts to repress (sorry, it was too easy) the the world’s sweeping drug lasting effect legalization problems are but futile, will have over people’s per- and that those same efceptions and moral conforts should be directed tosciousness. “Imagine what ward a battle that would be it would mean,” Funes said. more easily won through “Producing drugs would no legalization. longer be a crime, trafficking drugs would no longer If you are still considering traveling to be a crime and consuming Guatemala after reading this column, contact drugs would no longer be a CHELSEA MEHRA at cmehra@ucdavis.edu crime, so we would be con- because she has already packed her bags.

Crack is not whack

L

eryone. Currently, I’m seeing ads for a tech start up, health insurance and a program that fills out your taxes for you. My age is in the information section of my Victor profile, as is the fact that Beigelman I’m a student, so it makes sense that these types of ads are constantly appearing as both a collective buzzkill and a reminder of my impending graduation.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Not only is your profile information subject to the selection prot’s an uncomfortable cess, but also is the actufeeling to know that al content you write, be it you’re being watched. on your own wall or those Unfortunately, for those of of your friends. If you’re a us who regularly use somusic fanatic who hasn’t cial media, this sensation stopped posting about is omnipresent and always Adele’s Grammys domiwill be. If you’ve ever startnation/comeback from ed a blog, made a profile vocal cord surgery since page or published a tweet, Sunday, chances are you’ll bad news: you’ve got a see some music-related ads peeping Tom staring right in the near future. With any through luck, you’ll your (comeven come Ad targeting isn’t a perfect puter) winacross an dow who science, but it’s well on its way ad promisdoesn’t plan ing you the to becoming one on leavfinest vocal ing anytime cord sursoon. gery money can buy.

This is not your runAs ridiculous a notion it of-the-mill peeping Tom, is that you could see ads for whom I imagine to be a vocal cord surgery when you pimply 14-year-old comtruly feel it doesn’t apply puter hacker who later went to you, it happens. Just the on to found Myspace. This other day I noticed an ad for is a much stronger force low-priced baby bibs. Let that uses tools and technol- me make something very ogy far more advanced than clear: I do not have a baby what was possible just 10 (nor do I want one anytime years ago. Social media gisoon), I never talk about baants Facebook and Twitter bies on Facebook, and most have harnessed this power, of all, I am not a baby (I and if you’re curious where think). So needless to say, I all the money comes from was a bit confused when I when it comes to their suc- came across the ad. Clearly cess, look no further. It’s the advertisers themselves called ad targeting. need a bit of practice in The concept has been finding their audience. around for a while, but only Switching the converwith the introduction of so- sation over to Twitter, the cial media has ad targetidea is essentially the same. ing become as effective as However, instead of proit is today. Consider this: moted ads, there are proMost of the actual content moted trends and tweets. A on Facebook and Twitter is promoted trend appears at information produced by the top of the “Trends” cattheir respective users — a egory for a whole day, refact that was crucial to both gardless of the actual activcompanies’ rapid ascent to ity it generates. A promotsuccess. Now the very same ed tweet tracks which topinformation is fed to adver- ics users explore on Twitter tisers who want their mesand appears at the top of sage to be seen, read and search results for keywords heard by the right people. associated with it. It’s simiWhen you take a second lar to Facebook, but with its to think about the whole own intricacies. idea, it’s actually pretty brilAd targeting isn’t a perliant. Facebook and Twitter fect science, but it’s well on have, like Google (let’s not its way to becoming one. even get into their agenda In a landscape where all for world domination), dethe information advertisers veloped the ability to imneed is provided for them mediately sort their users by their potential coninto specific demographics sumers, it’s not hard to see based on the information where the advantage lies. said users have provided in So if you think you’re the their profiles. Potential adsort of person who is too vertisers can then come easily enticed by ads, try to in and create a unique admonitor the information vertising campaign that you put on your social prowill only appear to users files. Or start posting incesof a certain age, sex, locasantly about babies. tion (remember “asl?”) and so on.

VICTOR BEIGELMAN has never held a baby Pull up your Facebook for before and gets a lot of heat for it. He’s just a minute. Notice the ads on never gotten around to it. Is that weird? the right side of the page?

Discuss it with him at vbeigelman@ucdavis.

They’re different for evedu.

You are the target

I

MORROW

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

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Cont. from front page blow to many on campus.

“Her death was really sad, but her life was really inspiring to a lot of people,” he said.

Morrow donated her organs, saving the lives of four people. The Morrow family asks readers to consider becoming organ donors. The Davis Transplant Center has an average waiting list of 800 to 1,000 potential kidney recipients, but they only have about 20 donors per year.

Morrow’s family is also accepting checks for the Brennan Morrow Memorial Fund to help the family cover funeral costs, with the balance to be donated to Band-uh!. The family hopes to purchase a new sousaphone with her name engraved on it.

Morrow was buried in Davis close to the grave of J. Pierce Gittinger,

BILL Cont. from front page Cal Grant recipients. Regarding institutions, SB 70 requires them to have at least 40 percent of their undergraduate students borrowing federal loans to have a three-year cohort default rate of less than 24.6 percent to be eligible for new and renewed Cal Grants for the 2011-12 academic year, and less than 30 percent for each subsequent year.

A cohort default rate is the average default rate of students who enter repayment on loans taken out during a fiscal year and default, or fail to repay a loan, prior to the end of the next fis-

Courtesy of the Morrow family

Morrow (left) is shown with her parents Ellen and John, along with his brothers Sean and Ryan. the founder of Band-uh!. She is one of three Cal Aggie Band-uh! members who have died during their time in Band-Uh!. She is survived by her brothers Sean and Ryan, along with her parents Ellen and John.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

cal year.

Institutions affected by this change in Cal Grant eligibility are mainly vocational colleges, with four Kaplan College campuses not qualifying for Cal Grant awards for the 2011-12 academic years.

“Schools with high default rates of over 25 percent are on the ineligible list to receive Cal Grants for two years,” said Director of Financial Aid for the Sacramento Campus of Kaplan College Ryan Smith. “So that’s pretty much about 90 percent of the vocational schools in this area.”

Smith said it is a negative impact, but some schools are taking this in stride by matching the Cal Grant and awarding them to students eligible for

Courtesy of the Morrow family

Nineteen year old Renne Morrow was a sophomore music major at UC Davis. the Cal Grant.

“We will reestablish our eligibility and receive Cal Grants for students again,” Smith said. “Gov. Brown helped pass the bill with the Obama Administration because they didn’t want students and vocational schools to have this type of funding if their default rates are high.”

Students who default on their loans may have children, low-incomes or housing issues.

“It depends on the situation,” Smith said. “If students don’t have all the capabilities of attending school, they have to drop out; most likely they don’t work at that time and forget about the loans.”

CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, february 16, 2012 3

editorials

College rankings

Quality over quantity An internal probe at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) found that the college has been inflating its collective SAT exam scores of incoming freshmen for the last six years, ostensibly to increase its national rankings.

This is a disturbing and uncalled for action that highlights the underlying problem of placing undue emphasis on college rankings, which undoubtedly affects UC Davis.

The UC Davis administration, led by Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, has been clear in its ambitions to become a Top 5 public research university. While such aspirations can be a positive motivating force to move our university forward, the incident at CMC demonstrates the problem with placing too much importance on such statistics.

Rankings generally emphasize quantifiable measurements that do not necessarily reflect the quality of a university. The popular rankings provided by U.S. News, for example, are not based on a holistic evaluation of colleges.

Their website states: “Over time, the ranking model has put less emphasis on input measures of quality (which look at characteristics of the students, faculty, and other resources going into the ed-

ucational process) and more emphasis on output measures (which look at the results of the educational process). This shift was consistent with the increased emphasis that educators, researchers and policymakers have placed on results when comparing and evaluating educational programs.”

This shows that selecting a university based on its ranking is not an effective way to find an education that is right for each individual. When it comes down to it, there is no substantial difference between the 48th and 41st ranked university.

UC Davis has gone up several places in the last few years, and we have yet to notice a significant change in the quality of our education.

If we choose improvements to our university based on categories that boost our rankings, the UC Davis administration would not necessarily be making choices that improve the quality of education for students.

As tuition rises and the university needs to make difficult decisions about how to remain competitive while staying affordable, it is important that UC Davis focuses on the quality of education rather than rankings.

courtesy newsday.com

guest opinion

What is a student loan?

Professor Joshua Clover Department of English

Our present moment of political upheaval differs from the ‘60s in at least one crucial regard. The antiwar protests on U.S. campuses, for example, happened within an economic boom. Now we have a global capitalist system: everywhere in general and nowhere in particular. This is much more challenging to picket, blockade or write songs about: “Masters of War” is a lot catchier than “Masters of New Forms of Exploitation in an Era of Declining Profits.”

But that is exactly what student loans are. Banks make money in one way, endlessly disguised: they buy income streams at a discount.

Your future income comes from laboring. So when banks have no routes for profitable investment in the present, they must buy your future labor. That’s all that debt is: the sale of some portion of your life to the bank, at bargain prices.

Those who cannot trace the contours of that misery lack all imagination. There is a reason that every revolution features, early on, the destruction of debt records. Debt is unfreedom’s financial form.

The university does well in this

Notes

Spread the word University of California and California State University campuses are taking measures to limit what you can do with your lecture notes. In an effort to restrict note sharing, the UC and CSU sent cease-and-desist letters to note-sharing websites notehall.com and coursehero.com.

Notehall’s website now indicates the company is no longer accepting notes from CSU or UC students.

Individual policy changes have also been implemented at campuses such as UC Berkeley.

Such a strict policy change, however, stands in stark contrast to the existence of organizations on campuses that provide similar services to those offered by note-sharing websites.

At UC Davis, the ASUCD unit Classical Notes pays students to take lecture notes that are then made available to others, essentially functioning with the same purpose as note-sharing websites. It is perplexing why campus officials would support such policy shifts while ignoring entities such as Classical Notes. Campuses need to be more clear in their stance and either restrict both options or restrict none at all.

Regardless of this issue, the new note-sharing policy infringes upon students’ rights and should be reversed. To support the

plan, proponents cite the California Education Code, which prohibits students from selling class notes, as well as the idea that professors own intellectual property rights for their lectures.

However, when students take notes they modify the information presented to facilitate comprehension and may even provide original art in the form of a doodle or two.

Thus, unless notes are written verbatim, professors cannot claim copyright infringement.

Restricting note sharing can also make it more difficult for students who are forced to skip class due to unavoidable circumstances, especially at universities that operate under the fast-paced quarter system.

While these policies are unfair, we would like to offer a practical solution to get around these issues and help you get that A you are vying for in Gen Chem. Next time you are in class, stop being anti-social and introduce yourself to your neighbors, especially the ones taking notes on their cool new iPads. You will make a friend or two that you can later ask for notes if the need arises.

Whether you take the oldschool approach of social interaction or continue to note-share online, please, whatever you do, do not send e-mails to the entire class begging for notes because you were too hungover to show up for lecture.

Hannah Strumwasser Campus Editor Angela Swartz City Editor Erin Migdol Features Editor

Uyen Cao Arts Editor Trevor Cramer Sports Editor

I

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.

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Guest opinions must be typed with an approximate word count of 600 to 800, or character count around 3,000 to 4,000. The same standards of letters to the editor apply to guest opinions.

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Address letters or guest opinions to the Opinion Editor, The California Aggie, 25 Lower Freeborn, UC Davis, CA 95616. Letters may also be faxed to (530) 752-0355 or sent via e-mail to opinion@theaggie.org.

in reclaiming education. The bank is not only profiting, but it is also the emissary of the profit motive; it does nothing else. Perhaps the closing of this small branch is purely symbolic; it won’t end global capitalism, after all.

But perhaps it’s something more. Everybody starts small.

You fight where you can. The fact that there are ten thousand banks doesn’t mean you don’t begin with one — it means you do. Closing a single recruiting center wasn’t going to end the military, but one by one, such closings helped end the war. The bank is fighting a war on your future, and for the moment the university is collaborating — on the wrong side.

That can be changed; this fight can be won. It turns out to be impeccably easy: you just have to sit down in front of a door. Of course, we know that sitting down on this campus is not terribly safe; we know that administrators and cops will eventually be sent to impose every scheme for extracting more from students. This alone should make it clear what the sides are, and what it means to take the side of the administrators, the cops and the purchasers of our lives. We have seen them clearly this year, their ways and their indecency. Which side are you on?

The problem here is not that their C.V.s. Some academic interthere are more Ph.D.s than acviewees now show up with their ademic jobs. There are plenfirst book already published. When ty of academic jobs; it’s just that there are thousands of others commost of them don’t pay a living peting for a handful of jobs, there’s Jordan s. wage or promise employment beno surefire way of distinguishing Carroll yond the next quarter. It’s obviyourself. ous why universities want this: Even fallback positions are glutUndergraduates pay the same tuted. A colleague of mine recentition for a class taught by a lowly looked into a position at a pripaid adjunct as a high-paid full vate high school only to find that professor. their English teachers were all Ivy At the same League Ph.D.s! time, graduating While the adPh.D.s often find Instead of training for our profession, junct trend has themselves overbeen exacerbated we’re expected to think like we’re qualified and inby the recession, magine you’ve spent the last already professors up for tenure experienced for it’s been movfive years in a Ph.D. program. work outside of ing in this direcDuring that time you have academia. Moreover, even temtion for decades. At this point, we taught dozens of courses, proporarily shifting to another cacan no longer think of it as a crisis. duced a book-length work and reer carries a stigma: Ph.D.s often This is now the routine functionbecome an expert in your field. ing of universities, which follow You’ve also sacrificed years of your think of it as a failure while hiring departments look at it with suspiwhat academic labor theorist Marc life, making tens of thousands of cion. So, in order to keep their aca- Bousquet calls the “excremendollars less than your peers outdemic careers going, Ph.D.s accept tal theory of graduate education.” side of academia who are now adjunct positions.

Regardless of individual or even buying houses and settling into We’ve seen hand-wringing departmental intentions, schools their careers. But you have a sethroughout the profession, but now effectively produce Ph.D.s not cure, tenure-track job waiting for there is a huge disconnect beto fill tenure-track jobs but, rathyou afterward, right? Wrong. tween ideology and practice. er, as a “waste product,” cheap, exMost Ph.D. graduates will work Facing budget constraints, hirpendable labor that can be easily as adjunct professors, instructors ing freezes and growing class siz“flushed away.” not eligible for tenure and paid es, even the most radical-mindSo, what is to be done? The based on the number of classes ed of departments is often forced MLA’s acknowledgement of the they teach. Though often considto hire more contingent workers at problem is a great first step, but it ered part-time, adjuncts typicallower pay. seems unlikely that we’ll see a soly teach more classes than a tenMeanwhile, Ph.D. students relution handed down from above. ure-track professor. Many adjuncts spond to the dwindling number of Instead, we have to realize that we receive less than $20,000 per year, academic jobs by competing hard- cannot respond to this problem inwith no health care or retirement benefits, and most of them can be er. Students are expected to spend dividually. Imagine if adjuncts, tenure-track faculty, and Ph.D. students fired at will. Some don’t even have more time on teaching, take on more administrative responsibilcollectively went on strike and reoffices. Some are on food stamps. ities and publish more peer-refused to work at institutions which As the president of the Modern viewed articles to keep up with the paid academic workers less than Language Association (MLA) vanishing job market. Instead of $40,770 per year, the MLA’s adjunct Michael Bérubé recently pointed training for our profession, we’re salary recommendation. Those out, adjuncts are “the new faculty majority”: 1 million of the 1.5 mil- expected to think like we’re already schools would quickly realize that adjuncting is not an apprenticeship. lion college instructors in America professors up for tenure.

But hyper-professionalism is Without adjunct workers, universiare adjunct faculty. According to no guarantee of a university job. ties would cease to run. most estimates, graduating Ph.D. students have a 50 percent chance Because very few are getting tenof ever achieving that coveted ten- ure-track jobs, graduates stay on JORDAN S. CARROLL, a Ph.D. student in English, can be the job market for years building reached at jscarroll@ucdavis.edu. ure-track position.

Ph.D.s without futures

Editorial Board Jason Alpert Editor in Chief Becky Peterson Managing Editor Melissa Freeman Opinion Editor

deal. If you can be made to exchange your future life for present cash — a trillion in outstanding student loans! — the university can raise its tuition much faster than if there were no banks involved, and much faster than its costs are increasing. The astonishing fee hikes require the presence of banks in your public education.

Profit increases education costs. It doesn’t lower them.

Mario Savio’s famous speech included the invocation, “We don’t mean to end up being bought by some clients of the University, be they the government, be they industry, be they organized labor, be they anyone!” He did not have the foresight to add “banks.” But what he describes is precisely what is now happening: The university is selling students to the bank because it’s the only way to generate more income from students who don’t otherwise have it.

That’s privatization, and it must stop. Those hours and years of your only life now owned by the bank, when you could be talking to friends, going to movies, caring for loved ones — they are not necessary for you. They are necessary for the bank.

This is why shutting down the bank of campus is not just a sensible idea but an obvious first step

feeling strongly about something? submit a letter to the editor to have your opinion printed in

The California Aggie.

editor@theaggie.org

4

The California Aggie’s Arts and Entertainment Section

volume 6, number 6

Uyen T. Cao

If you have any questions for TIMOTHY THAI, e-mail him at dtmpower2@hotmail.com; to share your endless love for Usher, e-mail spin@ucdavis.edu. For everything else, e-mail arts@theaggie.org.

5

Outside of the boundaries The MFA Thesis showcase this year features unique and original acts by MFA candidates Folawole and Kevin O’Conner

Climax Yesterday, while finishing up some torturous video projects, my friend came to my rescue with a hypnotizing track released by Usher just a few hours before. The track is titled “Climax” — a collaboration with up-and-coming Philadelphia-based American DJ and producer Diplo.

And as they say, “There is a whole world living in that song.”

The synergy between artists is a unique phenomenon. When artists collaborate, there is a limitless number of outcomes that can spear off of one chord, lyric or melody. We’ve seen this synergy inspire some of the greatest songs in history: Jim Morrison and The Doors, Nas and Lauryn Hill, The Roots and Erykah Badu, etc.

However, lately there seems to be a systematic and pre-calculated spawn of new “collaborations.”

There’s no doubt that a new craze has begun: the idea of taking the “underground” and making it cool in the mainstream. And perhaps there were no greater “underground” music genres than electronica, dance or house. But in recent years, artists like Rihanna and Ke$ha have tried to channel some qualities of electronica and brought them to your nearby radio stations.

But the biggest issue was when I had to wonder if the “soul” in music was becoming secondary to the content of the music being produced. As artists slowly replaced their lyrics and voice for beat- and dance-friendly songs, I started to wonder if the concept of making music was dumbing down from something unique to the point of pure annoyance and regurgitation.

More importantly, what roles are artists like Usher playing in creating a platform for DJs like Diplo?

To help me clear up some issues with the concept of the two worlds, I asked my cousin Timothy Thai, a DJ himself and creator of Dance or Die Productions, on his thoughts on the collaboration between established artists and DJs: “In reality the top 100 DJs are in fact, producers. French Producer DJ David Guetta has now overcome Netherlands number-one Armin Van Buuren as the most popular DJ in the world. How? Look at his music — it’s all over the radio and is being played across the world globally.

Why? He is producing what the mainstream wants.

A big part of it is through collaborations with big name artists such as Nicki Minaj, Akon (‘Sexy Bitch’), Flo Rida (‘Where Them Girls At’), Usher (‘Without You’), Kid Cudi (‘Memories’), and the list goes on and on. Looking at all those songs I just named; so much of the market can identify those artists. These are really big pop artists that millions of people listen to and by collaborating with such big names, DJs can also bring recognition to their own music.

Artists such as Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Deadmau5, Porter Robinson, and many others, have stayed away from mainstream and producing the sounds and songs that they strive to produce and want to produce. Their sounds have also reached the top charts of places such as Beatport.com where the ‘underground’ or people in the ‘scene’ will recognize these artists.

We can compare these artists with so many amazing bands in other genres not getting as much radio play, like The Shins for example.

But when it comes to mainstream and radio/media, only names like David Guetta are recognized and everyone else is still the ‘background producer.’

Diplo and Afrojack are creators of ‘Look at Me Now’ with Chris Brown and ‘We Found Love’ with Rihanna. However, the majority of the time, these songs are still being claimed and perceived as Rihanna’s tracks or Chris Brown’s tracks. DJs have always been around. These artists aren’t new.

Why are DJs blowing up now?

Media has so much to do with it.

So much of the new generation spends their time on computers on blogs, Tumblr, Facebook, and are always looking for ‘NEW’ music. If it wasn’t for social media and websites like Tumblr. com, or Facebook.com, these artists wouldn’t be where they are now (Diplo even said that in the interview with Billboard magazine).

Corporations used to have control over almost everything.

Controlling what music gets released, what style is being aimed for, how much, etc. Tracks would go through so many tweaks and fixes before [they get] released. Diplo, Skrillex, A trak and all these new DJs are just posting raw sounds or finished tracks that only they have worked on. And what they wanted to produce, it’s not going through stages of tweaks. It is being judged for what it is. Crazy thing is they post it for the internet which then goes viral. This is the new generation. Anyone can be famous; you just have to be good.”

Thursday, February 16, 2012

By PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie Arts Writer

Theatre has always been an evolving and dynamic form of self expression. It is meant to push boundaries and raise questions. It no longer includes just acting and singing; it now can encompass a wide variety of other performance acts. The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) thesis shows put on by Davis grad students in the Department of Theatre and Dance is a great example of this. In this year’s MFA Thesis Choreographies showcase, MFA candidates Kevin O’Conner and Folawole will perform original works that explore the themes of community and play.

The choreographers both come from very diverse backgrounds. Folawole is an international solo artist and choreographer who has studied at the San Francisco Ballet and has received the prestigious Djerassi Fellowship. Additionally, he teaches dance throughout the Bay Area. Kevin O’Conner has worked for the past 10 years in a variety of performance arts: improvising, dancing, choreographing and circus arts. In his current work he uses these things to study the ecological body.

Folawole and O’Conner have created separate distinct pieces for the show with their own interpretations of the themes.

Folawole’s piece is called “Light Phases.”

Folawole will have four pieces that study the concepts of joy, listening, light and trust. He also incorporates many different types of performance media into the play. “‘Light Phases’ is a play with light,” Folawole says. “Trust that night and day always have light.

Shall we keep moving? Nothing was ever lost, nothing can ever be taken. Look at what wakes us up, what takes us to sleep. Let us play.”

In the first phase Folawole will work with the light installations that artist Chris Fraser made for the stage. Folawole uses two dance forms in his performance. He will perform a hip-hop piece with music mixed by DJ Quest. The second piece will be a ballet where he works with violinist Emily Palen, whom he first met when he saw her perform on a street corner in San Francisco.

Finally, the last piece is theatre-inspired and will

include performance artists Afi Ayanna, Mirism Wolodarski and li-Hui Chua. The common thread throughout the four sections is the fashion created by designers Gabriel Russo and Ashley McKay. Kevin O’Conner’s piece is slightly different; it is titled “Dis/connect.” The work is a collaboration between dancers, circus artists, performance artists and vocal improvisers. Part of it is choreographed while the rest will be improvised.

“The piece explores the idea of a place. Not fixed entities but porous places. Places and processes,” O’Conner said. “This piece offers space for an interchange with one another, performer and audience, the Mondavi center and its surrounding ecology.”

A major aspect of O’Conner’s performance relies on audience participation. It needed audience participation in building the set. Additionally, there will be many circus artists performing in the air, which is something rarely seen at UC Davis.

“I want the audience to feel like they contributed something to creating the piece,” said O’Conner.

Additionally O’Conner taught two familyfriendly circus acts workshops on Feb. 5.

“I wanted to activate the performance space I will use by having people of all ages come in to the Mondavi Center and try out some of the circus apparatuses they will see in my show,” O’Conner said. “The workshop was a giant success as one of the first events for the UC Davis Institute for exploration in theater, dance and performance.

Hopefully this initial workshop will lead to more events where the community can actively participate in at the Mondavi Center.”

“I think students should take time out of their schedule to see this show since the MFA candidates have worked really hard on the pieces,” said Alison Sundstrom, a junior dramatic arts and English major.

The performances will start today and run until February 26 at the Mondavi Center’s Vanderhoef Studio Theatre. From today to Saturday and Feb. 23 to 25 the show is at 8 p.m. and on Sunday and Feb. 26 it will be at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17-19 general admission and $12-14 for students, children and seniors.

Fierce Creatures and The Dirt Feelin’

Today, 7:30 p.m., $5 (all ages) Luigi’s, 213 E St. Since its grand opening a few weeks back, Luigi’s intends to fill its space with entertainment to fit people of all ages. Today, Fierce Creatures and local band The Dirt Feelin’ will be hosting the performances. Visit fiercecreatures. bandcamp.com to hear music from the band.

Jolie Holland and Sea of Bees

Tuesday, 8 p.m., $12 Odd Fellow’s Hall, 415 Second St. Jolie Holland and Sea of Bees will bring an eclectic mixture of sounds to Odd Fellow’s Hall, located downtown. Mixing jazz with folk, blues, traditional rock and country, Jolie Holland is a unique voice. Sea of Bees is a local band in Davis. Julie Ann Bee is the voice behind the project and has been featured in Submerge Magazine in Sacramento for her well-received acoustic and indie music.

(Left Photo) Emily Leap, Jorge Rodolfo de Hoyos, Jr., and Kevin OConnor in Dis/connect. Photo courtesy of Brian Nguyen.

(Right Photo) MFA Choreography Candidate Folawole. Photo courtesy of David Papas.

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

An interview with Gardens and Villa On April 23, Gardens and Villa will open for The Shins at the Mondavi Center

Students showcase art at the Basement Gallery Student art on exhibition until Feb. 24

Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers

Saturday, 8 p.m., $24.5 / $18.5 / $12.5 (students) Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center Multi-Grammy Award winner Chucho Valdés comes to the big Jackson Hall stage on Saturday night. Valdés has been hailed for his virtuosic jazz piano playing style. Joined with the Cuban group Irakere and Arturo Sandoval (trumpet), Valdés will spice up each performance with a energetic flair.

Transmedia Sculpture Walk Launch Party

Tomorrow, 4:30 p.m., free John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. As the first-ever transmedia sculpture walk to be created in America, John Natsoulas Gallery will hold a huge launch party tomorrow to welcome the innovative mixture of technology and art. Additionally, various kinds of other entertainment such as music and poetry will be held at the gallery.

Between the Quotes: Work by UC Davis Art Faculty

Today to Feb. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(Tuesday to Sunday), free Pence Gallery, 212 D St. The Pence Gallery has collaborated with the art department to bring the works of the faculty to the gallery. Darrin Martin, Hearne Pardee, and Dave Hollowell are among some of the familiar names to have work up in the installation space. For students of these professors, it’d be a great way to see if they really do practice what they preach.

Gardens and Villa

courtesy

By PETER AN

Aggie Arts Writer

In April, James Mercer and The Shins will lure an audience to cheer at the Mondavi Center. But before evoking nostalgia for the Garden State soundtrack, a band of a much different nature will take the stage. Gardens and Villa, a five-member, synthheavy ensemble hailing from Santa Barbara, will open for The Shins. At its core, this is surf culture for the 21st century recalling an eclectic mix of ’60s and ’70s rock, but taken with flutes and synthesizers.

Gardens and Villa consists of Chris Lynch on vocals and flute, Shane McKillop on bass, Levi Hayden on drums, Adam Rasmussen on the synthesizer and Dusty Ineman on the keyboard. The Mondavi Center serves as a brief stop on Gardens and Villa’s way to Coachella. There, they’ll be opening for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, a far cry from the quiet guitars of The Shins.

UC Davis looks to take part in laying claim to witnessing Gardens and Villa’s rise to ubiquity this April. As the opening act for The Shins, Gardens and Villa will be tasked with setting the mood for the entire concert. Given the tolerance of the student populace, Gardens and Villa can expect to be received with open arms and rousing cheers.

Indeed, these are exciting times for Gardens and Villa, whose name is taken from a street in Santa Barbara where the band used to tend to a garden.

This wholesomeness has led to an orchestra of sound coming from the band, hazy and weightless.

Lead vocalist Chris Lynch wields the quiver of flutes with great command, something fellow member Rasmussen describes as melding together with the synths, producing music that is altogether organic.

Adam Rasmussen, the man on the synthesizers, was kind enough to take a break from exploring San Francisco’s Pacific Beach to speak with

Muse about the band’s upcoming ventures.

“San Francisco is crazy,” he says right off, and in the background the clamors of the big city have certainly taken Gardens and Villas and embraced them wholly.

Muse: So how are you guys doing this morning?

Rasmussen: Pretty good. San Francisco is, like, super misty. There’s lots of waves; it’s pretty cool.

What does your band name mean? Does being from Santa Barbara have anything to do with it?

It’s definitely a little bit about our environment and it can be a symbol for a lot of things. For us it was a question of, we took a property that was overgrown and kind of out of control as far as vegetation goes. We ripped it all out and put a garden in. We learned to grow our own food, which was getting into the idea of sharing vegetables and fruits; all this was on Villa Avenue. But we kind of view it as a symbol for regeneration.

Is that a flute I hear in the background? Flutes and synthesizers? How did you guys come to add that to your ensemble?

Yeah, absolutely. Chris is our lead vocal and he plays bansuri flutes, which are Indian flutes and they’re made out of wood. The flute wasn’t really something we were going to put in the band, but it was something Chris was really passionate about. He plays it really naturally and it feel right.

We’ve always had keyboards in the band and I play synthesizers. We were really impressed on how they complemented each other. At certain moments they just kind of blend together to have something really synthetic and overly acoustic and at certain moments they all blend together into something magical. But thanks, man! It’s a

really fun instrument.

OK, you guys are opening for The Shins playing at UC Davis in April. That’s big. How are you guys handling it?

We’re definitely excited, its been a long time since we’ve played with a band that has been that established. We’re over-the-moon excited.

In one word, describe your band. OK, two words... or you know what, use as many words as you like.

Gardens and Villa... hmm, I would say it’s kind of like an impressionist painting; rather than being abstract or realist we try to make these clashes in the sound.

Are you guys influenced by surf rock being from Santa Barbara?

Not modern surf rock, but definitely older stuff.

Surf culture, but not necessarily surf genre. We draw our inspiration mostly from the early ’80s and the late ’70s.

What are you guys listening to right now?

I’m really digging the John Mouse; it has a little bit of an ’80s vibe. It’s really synth-heavy and the vocals have a ton of passion in them. The lyrics are really simple and vague; there is lots of color and imagery. It’s simplified sound and thoughtful.

Do you think we UC Davis Aggies will like Garden and Villas?

We want UC Davis to hear music with a new take on it. Is Sophia’s Thai Kitchen still there? Best food we had on the entire tour. The vibe that we got from Davis last time was a very chill vibe. [It’s] very open and receptive.

PETER AN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Evan Davis / Aggie

By SASHA SHARMA Aggie Arts Writer

UC Davis boasts an art department that allows students to explore their creative abilities in a multitude of ways. The UC Davis Basement Gallery is one such space.

The student-run, student-organized art gallery, located in the basement of the Art Building, aims to create a professional and sophisticated space for students to showcase their work. The Winter 2012 Basement Gallery Awards show took place on Tuesday.

Robin Hill, a professor of art at UC Davis, pointed out that the show included works from only onethird of the students that comprise the art major.

“These students are all hungry and this is really the cream of the crop,” Hill said of the work displayed at the gallery. Ariana Young, an art history major and co-director of the show, added, “This is for people who are really serious about showing their work.”

The works shown included sculptures, digital media and paintings, among others. Students’ work displayed here will be judged over the coming week by the entire full-time faculty of the arts department.

Students are competing for coveted scholarships and opportunities to work at the New York Studio School, Art Studio in Paris and the French Riviera, and Yale University.

The show itself was set up Salon-style. The Salon is a tradition that dates back to the 1670s when the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture organized its first public show of the work of recent graduates.

Paintings and sculptures were displayed close to one another in a limited space.

The Basement Gallery show, which takes place every year during Winter quarter, embodied these elements of the Salon with live music and the artists’ works clustered together in close quarters.

“A lot of the artists wanted the right to arrange their

own work,” said Thelonious Elliott, a senior art studio major who collaborated with other students to put the show together.

Two of Elliott’s own pieces, titled “Apposed as opposed to posed,” appeared at the entrance to the gallery as starkly white panel squares painted with acrylic primer.

“It is a physical body of paint creating the illusion of space. I used squares because it’s just an unloaded way to talk about it,” Elliott said of his pieces. “This took about 90 hours.”

Christopher Jones, a junior arts studio and technocultural studies major, also has his work showcased at the gallery. Jones said he was inspired by “the institution of the suburb.” His sculpture, a 4x4 piece of wood putty with fiber glass installation, represents the decomposition of suburbia.

“It’s decomposing and kind of accumulating at the same time. I was also really inspired by the violence in housing material,” Jones said.

“I don’t really subscribe to the idea of the artist in his studio — I think art is really a visual argument and discussion. It doesn’t work unless it’s a community,” said Jones of the show.

The exhibition is almost an amalgam of many streams of consciousness, as the ideas conveyed vary far and wide.

Emmeline Yen, another artist who is exhibiting her work at the gallery, says she was inspired by repetition.

“Repetition is aesthetically pleasing in an odd and strange way; it’s almost gross,” said Yen. Her sculpture “Les chats,” brings the element of grotesqueness in repetition to life as the orderly polyurethane sculpture of many cats seems to melt to the floor.

The exhibition features the work of about 50 artists from UC Davis and will be held in the Basement Gallery through Feb. 24.

SASHA SHARMA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Jessica Kristie and Nora Bergamino

Today, 8 p.m., free John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Jessica Kristie is a poet who has released several publications, including “Dreaming in Darkness,” in which the collection of poems won the 2011 Sharp Writ Award in Poetry. Joining Kristie, Bergamino will take the stage to read her poetry. Bergamino is a poet and graduate student in the Creative Writing Program at UC Davis.

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

muse supports your creativity.

HERE’S A DOODLE SPOT JUST FOR YOU:

look at that, You are now a published artist.

6 thursday, february 16, 2012

TUITION Cont. from front page The program is estimated to cost California $1 billion annually, which would be funded through closing the selected sales factor loophole which allows out-of-state corporations to choose the smaller of two tax breaks on how to calculate taxes that go to the state.

This elimination was part of a 2009 budget deal that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger elicited from Democrats in 2009.

The termination of the Cal Grant was also proposed.

“He created this loophole and we want to close it and bring California tax policy in line with states like New York, New Jersey and Texas,” Vigna said.

A dedicated fund in the treasurer’s office would in turn be established, which will accumulate approximately $1 billion a year.

Last year Gov. Jerry Brown attempted to eliminate the single sales

The california Aggie

factor. It garnered two Republican votes and passed the Senate.

Sam Mahood is a senior political science and communication double major at UC Davis who has worked with Vigna as the immediate past president of the Davis College Democrats and has served on the California College Democrats’ statewide board. He said the plan is relevant to college students today as it addresses the burden put on middle class students and their families by the rising costs of college.

“Middle class students and their families often don’t qualify for financial aid, but still struggle with the burden that the cost of college places on them.

Multiple child families, such as mine, are particularly hit with this issue,” Mahood said.

Because the bill will require two-thirds of the state legislature to approve it, Mahood encouraged students and their families to contact their representatives and urge them

aggieS Cont. from page 8 for the Big West Conference regular season title. The Aggies are 7-4 in conference, and are tied for third.

With a strong performance in the final five conference games,

to support this legislation and join groups, such as Davis College Democrats, that will be advocating and lobbying directly on behalf of the bill, as well as urging ASUCD and Lobby Corps to support this legislation on behalf of UC Davis students.

“It is key that elected officials feel the pressure from their constituents to pass the plan,” Mahood said.

ASUCD president Adam Thongsavat, who met with Pérez recently and was present during his announcement of the Middle Class Scholarship, said students should not fail in pushing to get the bill passed.

“If we fail to act and mobilize — we collectively pass up a great opportunity to help future students.

We need to put pressure on Sacramento and let them know higher education affordability is in crisis and this will slowly reserve that course in the right direction,” Thongsavat said.

“Students need to fully

the Aggies could find themselves in first place.

The Aggies will begin the week by traveling to Long Beach State for the first of its final three games on the road. UC Davis took down the 49ers by a 78-62 margin earlier this season in a game that that saw senior Kasey Riecks break the 1000 career point barrier.

baseball Cont. from page 8 postseason for the first time since 2008, and Vaughn has put together a quality schedule to challenge his team and prepare them for the Big West.

“When you can look at a schedule and see teams that played in the regionals and super regionals in your schedule, it adds excitement,” Vaughn said. “Getting the chance to play teams of this caliber shows that UC Davis baseball is headed in the right direction, and serves to prepare us for the Big West schedule.”

The nonconference schedule is also highlighted by a home series against Creighton in March, the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Bluejays advanced to the Corvallis Regional of last year’s NCAA Baseball Championships with an overall record of 45-16 and return 19 players from last season’s squad. The Aggies will also make trips to Arizona, Stanford and Hawaii

mobilize behind this bill; it’s a great opportunity to flex our muscles and support legislation that will actually alleviate the burden of college tuition for a lot of families.”

The plan, which has not been popular among Republicans, seems to be gaining popularity, according to Vigna.

“We believe this isn’t really about a tax increase; it’s about tax fairness and using money from a giveaway to benefit California’s middle class, which ultimately benefits all of California. We’re pretty confident that we’ll get the Republican votes we need to get it passed in both the assembly and the senate… this is just quite frankly a no-brainer for middle class families,” Vigna said.

For many, the scholarship is said to be the determining factor in the decision to progress toward higher education, being that college is not a possibility for all families.

“It really addresses a

LBSU is coming off an impressive win over first place CSU Northridge in double overtime — handing the Matadors only their third loss in conference.

Gross has stressed the importance of each game, and stated they will not be overlooking the game against the 49ers.

“Long Beach is a different team,

— a precursor for when the Warriors join the Big West in 2013.

UC Davis lost two pitchers to Major League Baseball from last year’s staff (Scott Lyman and Joe Biagini), and Vaughn will be looking to three seniors to steady the starting rotation, but expressed that younger guys will also be counted upon.

College baseball introduced new bats in 2011, resulting in a decrease in power-hitting. Vaughn says it’s not an excuse, and that the team must find other ways to win.

“We have to take advantage of every opportunity of getting more bases,” he said.

“Whether it’s taking the extra base or taking the extra pitch to draw a walk, we have to focus on playing the game the right way and a team that can execute all the traditional short-game plays will come out on top.”

The first pitch of the season will be thrown on Friday, 2:30 p.m. at Dobbins Stadium.

— Russell Eisenman

huge need for support for these families so that students stay in college and also choose to go to college in the first place when their weighing their options,” said University of California Student Association (UCSA) president Claudia Magaña.

She encouraged students to start on their own campuses.

“Educate more students on what this bill does so that more people are aware,” Magaña said.

The UCSA, a studentrun organization that aims to improve the quality and accessibility of the UC, will hold its 10th annual Student Lobby Conference in Sacramento on March 2 to March 5. “[It will include] students from every UC campus, meeting with every legislator in the whole state, so we are going to be telling them this,” Magaña said.

This plan, if passed, is expected to make a dramatic reinvestment in the middle class, according to Vigna.

their style is different and you have to be focused going into that game,” she said. “We know it’s not just Northridge we have to beat, we have to beat every team in the conference.”

Two of the Matador’s three conference losses have been in overtime (the other was to UC Davis).

The Aggies know that a win

“Every student from the time they go into kindergarten are told that a college education opens the doors of opportunity… for you to have a successful and prosperous life and we have seen the last several years really undermine that commitment and [Perez] believes that it’s time we reaffirm that commitment and start reinvesting back in the middle class.”

Vigna encourages all students to go online to get involved in the bills’ passing.

“The website has a place where they can upload their own videos talking about some of the difficult choices they had to make to go to college and get them to share their story, and we would love to have every student in the state go there,” he said.

For more in formation on the Middle Class Scholarship, visit MiddleClassScholarship. com.

MUNA SADEK can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

against CSU Northridge on Saturday would help ensure that UC Davis can control its destiny.

“We’re not hoping that somebody loses to somebody or that somebody beats somebody else,” Gross said. “The focus is on us.”

— Matthew Yuen

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THE LINEUP 8 thursday, february 16, 2012

The california Aggie

Les-sanity in The Pavilion UC Davis feels the love in win over Pacific on Valentine’s Day MEN’S BASKETBALL

By RUSSELL EISENMAN Aggie Sports Writer

In 2010, the UC Davis men’s basketball team defeated Pacific for the first time in 70 years.

It didn’t take quite that long for the Aggies to repeat their victorious efforts over their Big West Conference rival this time. Five players scored in double figures for UC Davis, led by Harrison Dupont’s career-high 17 points and eight rebounds, as the Aggies sent the fans home happy after a 73-64 win over the Tigers on Valentine’s Day. With the victory, UC Davis improved to 3-22 overall and 2-11 in conference play, and is riding its first winning streak of the season.

The Aggies came out shooting well, hitting 5-11 from three-point range and shooting over 45 percent from the floor in the first half. Tyler Les and Eddie Miller each had two shots from long distance in the opening frame, while Josh Ritchart contributed one of his own.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Les

and Ritchart gave UC Davis its first lead of the game, 17-14, 10 minutes into the contest, prompting Pacific coach Bob Thomason to call a timeout.

The team’s played back and forth for the remainder of the period, and UC Davis took a 31-30 lead into the break.

In déjà vu fashion, Tyler Les opened the second half with a three-pointer followed by a Ritchart three-pointer, and right on cue, freshman J.T. Adenrele stepped up and intercepted a pass on defense leading to another Aggie basket.

The 39-30 lead was short-lived, however, as Pacifc rallied to take a 42-41 advantage with 12:30 remaining, prompting Jim Les to call a timeout.

The Aggies responded to their coach, running out to a 51-42 advantage. After two Tiger free throws, Dupont converted a three-point play to give UC Davis a 54-44 hold over Pacific. Dupont was a key cog for the Aggies in the second half, scoring 14 of his 17 points in the period.

UC Davis pulled to a 60-47 lead with just over 5:30 to play, and held on for the win.

Adenrele was a strong performer throughout the night, helping the Aggies on offense, on the boards and defensive-

ly in the center of their 2-3 zone.

“J.T. is a game-changer, and we see that in practice,” said head coach Jim Les. “Our term with him is unleash the beast on game night, because when he does it in practice, he’s dominant for us.”

Adenrele finished with six points, six rebounds, three steals and a block.

Tyler Les contributed with 15 points while freshman Paulo Mancasola added 13.

Jim Les was pleased with his team’s efforts in all facets of the game.

“I thought we took advantage of opportunities for drivers to drive the ball and opportunities to get the ball to shooters, and they stepped up and made shots,” coach Les added. “I thought consistently all night our defense did a nice job. I’m pleased that these guys are just sticking with the process and continuing to work to get better and [play] together.”

UC Davis takes a break from Big West action this weekend as it travels to face Northern Arizona in an ESPN Sears Bracketbusters match-up at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday night.

RUSSELL EISENMAN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

Harrison Dupont led the Aggies with 17 points in their win over the Pacific Tigers.

BASEBALL PREVIEW

women’s basketball PREVIEW

jacks, baseball is back!

Teams: UC Davis vs. Utah Records: Aggies, (0-0); Utes, (0-0) The UC Davis baseball team begins Where: Dobbins Stadium the new season with a new coach — Matt When: Friday 2:30 p.m.; Saturday 1 p.m.; Vaughn, who has been a member of the UC Sunday 1 p.m.

Davis coaching staff for over 20 Who to watch: Senior David years. That tenure included two Popkins was named to the trips to the Division II College American Baseball Coach’s World Series (1995 and 2003) and Association/Rawlings All-West one to the Division I postseason Region Second Team, and the All(2008).

Big West Conference First Team When asking Vaughn what he’s last season. He was one of just two most excited about, it’s a very simAggies to appear in all 54 games, ple answer for him. and he led the team offensive“Just to start playing games ly with a .321 batting average and against someone in a different posted a team-high 63 hits and 23 David Popkins uniform,” Vaughn said . “We have senior RBI. a good mix of veteran guys and Did you know? Last season’s closer young guys, and I know they’re Tom Briner, who has been switched looking forward to start competito the starting rotation for this season, re- tive action as well.” corded six saves in 2011, tying him for eighth The Aggies will be looking to reach the all-time on the UC Davis single season list.

See BASEBALL, page 6 Preview: Break out the peanuts and cracker

Teams: UC Davis at Long Beach State; at Cal bounds, all in her short amount of playing time off the bench. She grabbed four reState Northridge Records: Aggies, 15-8(7-4); 49ers, 10-14(5-6): bounds and shot 3-3 to total eight points against UC Riverside on Saturday.

Matadors, 14-10 (8-3) Did you know? Cal State Where: Walter Pyramid –– Long Northridge has really turned things Beach, Calif.; The Matadome –– around this year. They finished Northridge, Calif. last in the Big West Conference for When: Today at 7 p.m.; Saturday at the past four years, having a 4-12 2 p.m. conference record in each of the Who to Watch: Head Coach past three years and 0-16 record in Jennifer Gross has stressed that the 2007-08 season. this team is one that fights, battles This has been quite the revivand hustles for every ball. You can al for their program, as they cursee this playing style in its fullest rently stand in first place in the when Brianna Salvatore comes off Brianna Salvatore Big West, with an 8-3 conference the bench. record. One of those losses, howThe sophomore hailing from Villa sophomore ever, was to the Aggies earlier this Park, Calif. has earned playing time season. in every game and a burst of energy off a UC Davis bench that has been so Preview: The UC Davis women’s basketball program is currently locked into a tight battle strong for the Aggies this year.

Salvatore’s tenacious play has See AGGIES, page 6 brought her to fourth on the team in re-

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915 aggie supplement

www.theaggie.org

thursday, february 16, 2012

2 thursday, february 16, 2012

The california Aggie

zia’s delicatessen

the best

Dining

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Be frost yo

Best burrito

zia’s delicatessen

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Taqueria guadalajara Be sand st wich

yolo berry yogurt

Nathan Chan / Aggie

Shazib Haq / Aggie

“I think people enjoy having a place to sit down and enjoy great food and drink without having to wait in line.”

Reilly Bennett Burgers and Brew manager

Be burgst er

st Be ink l dr ecia sp

burgers and brew

sophia’s thai kitchen

Evan Davis / Aggie

Mishka’s coffee

Evan Davis / Aggie

Shazib Haq / Aggie

Best Burrito 1. Taqueria Guadalajara 640 W Covell Blvd.

417 Mace Blvd.

“People mention that we have great coffee and many, many, many teas and a very pleasant building atmosphere.”

t Bes ee f cof

Sisa Novakodic Mishka’s owner

Best Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream

2. Tie: Sudwerk

316 C St.

2001 Second St.

2. Sugar Daddies

227 E St.

113 E St.

3. Dos Coyotes

3rd and U Cafe 223 Third St.

3. Cultive

1411 W. Covell Blvd.

2191 Cowell Blvd.

231 E St.

Taqueria Guadalajara, despite being farther from campus than the downtown restaurants, has yet again secured the award for best burrito in Davis.

Affectionately known as “Guad” by the student body, Taqueria Guadalajara is home to the Regular Burrito ($4.45), the Super Burrito ($5.45) and the Super Giant Burrito ($10).

“If I’m gonna get Mexican food, I’m gonna come here,” said sophomore nutrition science major Stephanie Anderson.

What many customers like about Guad’s is not just the taste of the burritos, but the presentation. Other burrito joints like Chipotle and Dos Coyotes also have great tasting burritos, but they often fall apart when trying to eat them, according to some customers. Guad’s offers tightly wrapped burritos, packed with flavor and easy to handle.

Guad’s also offers many perks not available at other burrito restaurants. Every meal comes with unlimited free chips and salsa. It even has a vegetarian burrito if meat isn’t your normal fare.

Perhaps the most well known aspect of Guad’s is its thirst-quenching, sweettooth-satisfying horchata.

“This food is more authentic and it’s a good location, but the horchata is the main reason I come here,” said sophomore physics major Ethan Krajnovich.

Rounding out the top three are Chipotle and Dos Coyotes.

— Hudson Lofchie

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! That is the famous saying, but in Davis, residents clearly prefer frozen yogurt over ice cream.

Yolo Berry Yogurt has been voted Davis’ favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt shop again this year.

Yolo Berry opened in October 2008, becoming the fourth yogurt shop in Davis.

Customers are able to serve themselves yogurt from machines on the wall. Over 100 toppings allow everyone to be creative and put together their own frozen yogurt ensembles. A cup of frozen yogurt and toppings costs just 39 cents per ounce, and the multiple yogurt flavors are rotated daily.

“Yolo Berry stands out for its toppings, I’m guessing. That’s really the main difference with us,” said assistant manager Jaymi Garcia. “We have so many different toppings and variety. That’s what makes us stand out from the other yogurt shops.”

Yolo Berry, located at 316 C St., is in a prime location directly across the street from Central Park and very near to other restaurants and hangouts of downtown, including the Davis Farmers Market and Burgers and Brew.

“We have good customer service, we are a friendly, clean environment, and we have variety of toppings including fresh fruit and hot syrups and cold syrups. It’s just a good atmosphere,” Garcia said.

Sugar Daddies, located at 113 E St., came in second place with Cultive, located at 231 E St., coming in third.

— Priscilla Wong

Best Coffee

1. Sophia’s Thai Kitchen 129 E St.

1. Yolo Berry Yogurt

2. Chipotle

Best Drink Special

3. Davis Beer Shoppe 211 G St. Specials hold a fond place in all college kids’ hearts. After all, what could be better than getting something at a discounted price? Well, it would be getting alcohol at a discounted price.

Two-dollar-off draft beers, $5 cocktail drinks, and $3 well drinks during happy hour earned Sophia’s Thai Kitchen the name of Davis’ best drink special.

Emily Mekinna, waitress at Sophia’s, said that she thinks exotic flavor sets their drinks apart from others.

“Our drink specials are very affordable and very unique — and always very good,” Mekinna said.

Take the Thaibreaker for example: light rum, gold rum, Malibu, Myers’s, apple brandy, pineapple juice and 151 float make for a truly one-of-a-kind drink.

“Our mojito’s are so good that they’re county-famous,” Mekinna said.

Sudwerk, with $1 pints and 3rd and U, offering 3 pints for $6.50 came in second for their happy hour specials.

Third place winner The Davis Beer Shoppe offers discounted beer shots during happy hour.

— Sara Islas

Best Sandwich

Best Burger

1.Mishka’s Café

1. Burgers and Brew

1. Zia’s Delicatessen

2. Tie: Starbucks

2. In-N-Out

2. Nugget Market

610 Second St.

208 F Street 825 Russell, Suite 24 2038 Lyndell Terrace The Activities and Recreation Center

ASUCD Coffee House Memorial Union

3. Peet’s Coffee 1411 W. Covell Blvd. #114 B 231 E Street For many sleep-deprived students, coffee is a life saver for getting them through heavy course loads and every day student obligations. This year, Aggies have voted Mishka’s Cafe the number one spot to grab a cup of coffee, espresso or tea.

In 1995, Mishka’s opened with the hope of providing the city of Davis with a café that resembled what one would find in Europe. In early 2011, Mishka’s Café moved to 610 Second St., next door to the Davis Varsity Theatre.

“It’s been 17 years. I was young and naïve and I just thought it would be sort of a wonderful idea to have a European style coffee shop with a lot of space to sit down and talk and have a really nice warm atmosphere. That was the goal,” said Mishka’s owner Sisa Novakodic.

Mishka’s Café serves an assortment of coffee and espresso drinks, teas and pastries. There are numerous places to sit down inside and a few tables outside in the front of the building, which makes it an ideal location to hang out with friends or study for an upcoming exam.

“People mention that we have great coffee and many, many, many teas and a very pleasant building atmosphere,” Novakodic said. “They feel comfortable here, like it’s their living room.”

Starbucks and ASUCD Coffee House tied at second place, and Peet’s Coffee and Tea came in third.

— Priscilla Wong

616 Third St.

403 Third St.

1414 E. Covell Blvd.

409 Mace Blvd.

1020 Olive Drive

3. Tommy J’s

3. Beach Hut Deli

726 Second St.

109 E St.

It can hardly come as a surprise to the Davis community that Burgers and Brew is being recognized for its unparalleled savory excellence for the fourth year in a row.

“It feels great every single time,” said Burgers and Brew manager Reilly Bennett, of the restaurant’s continued success. “I think people enjoy having a place to sit down and enjoy great food and drink without having to wait in line, be cramped and have to listen to ear-splitting music like you would have to at a bar. Because of this, in addition to our location and hours, we’ve got a really fun atmosphere.”

Burgers and Brew, which opened in 2007, offers an extensive menu of burgers, including the spicy guacamole cheeseburger and the bacon and jalapeño burger, which Bennett says are favorites. However, the more adventurous diners can satisfy a carnivorous appetite with the buffalo burger or lamb burger.

“Our lamb burger might scare some people, but it’s not your grandma’s lamb,” said Bennett. “It comes with our mint yogurt sauce, which seems off the beaten track, but once people try it, they love it.”

To accompany their burgers, Burgers and Brew serves 28 beers on draft and countless bottled options. Starting this past December, they started brewing their own imperial brown-ale, Rapture, which was sold out within the first few weeks.

“When it’s available again, we will have it available for $2 a pint during happy hour,” Bennett said.

Famished burger-cravers can also fill up at second-place winner In-N-Out or at third-place winner Tommy J’s, located during the day inside Froggy’s Bar and Grill.

— Lani Chan

Turkey, smoked mozzarella and pesto mayonnaise make up the classic Viareggio, served at none other than Zia’s Delicatessen, voted to be home of the best sandwich in Davis.

Owners Kevin and Anne Marie Crilly established Zia’s in 1995 and say that one of the biggest things that sets their eatery apart from others is the fact that they are a truly family-owned and operated restaurant.

“My wife and I are here every day that we are open and we have two of our children working full time,” Kevin said.

This alone, however, would not win the deli the title of best sandwich. Kevin and Anne take the quality of their food very seriously to ensure customer satisfaction.

“We’re concerned about price, but we’re most concerned with taste,” Kevin said.

“We would not serve something that we ourselves would not be happy with. We put a great deal of emphasis on the quality of our food.”

Zia’s has a lot of in-house meats, meaning they are prepared at the deli. This type of attention to quality amounts to why the deli’s sandwiches are so unique, especially the Viareggio.

“What makes it special is the pesto that goes in the mayonnaise is made here, so it doesn’t come out of a jar,” Kevin said.

Zia’s has a distinctive “homey” atmosphere, replicating the authenticity of an Italian deli. With the classic Italian decor and music setting the tone, customers can take a step into Italy, if only for a brief moment.

The runner-up for the title of best sandwich goes to Nugget Market, where customers can make their own sandwiches for a quick and easy meal.

Voted third is the Beach Hut Deli, with its unique sandwich names and surfboard tables that make it the ultimate place for students to enjoy a beachy environment, even when they are miles away from any waves.

— Devon Bohart

thursday, february 16, 2012 3

The california aggie

Best buff et

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

“The pizza is unique.

They have slices at reasonable prices and make it in a brick oven.”

“When I had a crepe there for the first time it was so good. Like, finger-licking good.”

Best break -fast

best pizz a village bakery

Ahmad Soltani customer at Village Bakery

Nathan Chan / Aggie

let them eat cake

crepeville

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

uc davis dining commons

Nayla Hojman Senior exercise biology major

Beston a eal m budget

ASUCD Coffee House

Best Breakfast 1. Crepeville

Shazib Haq / Aggie

Best Buffet

Best Dessert

1. UC Davis Dining Commons

330 Third St.

2. Black Bear Diner

1. Let Them Eat Cake 310 C St.

2. Ciocolat

2. Davis Sushi Buffet Japanese Restaurant

255 Second St.

3. Cafe Bernardo

301 B St.

3. Sugar Daddies

707 Second St.

234 D St. Whether it’s after a long night of brain-draining studying or hard-core partying, breakfast is an integral part to any college student’s day. And students agree that with a breakfast that consists of 31 different crepe options and a mound of potatoes on the side, you can’t go wrong.

Crepeville has once again claimed the title of number one breakfast destination in Davis. Perla Salazar, Crepeville’s manager, believes this is due to the amount of food given for the price.

“Students definitely appreciate the quantity of food they get. They are getting what they pay for,” Salazar said.

Crepeville is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and serves its signature breakfast crepes throughout the day, giving students the opportunity to have a great breakfast at whatever time they wake up. Salazar added that on Saturdays, morning is their busiest time but on the weekdays, it is usually around lunchtime or even later.

Students also agree that the quality of the food is just as good as the sheer quantity.

“When I had a crepe there for the first time it was so good. Like, fingerlicking good,” said Nayla Hojman, senior exercise biology major.

Elizabeth Trockey also agreed and added that everything is good there, not just their crepes.

“I really like their potatoes and their mimosas are great, too, because they are made with fresh-squeezed oranges,” Trockey said.

Salazar said the most popular menu items among students are the dessert crepes.

“But besides [those], the other two most popular crepes would be the California Crepe and the Chicken Pesto Crepe,” Salazar said.

Coming in at second and third are Black Bear Diner, known for its huge portions and Café Bernardo, known for using local and seasonal ingredients.

113 E St.

3. Kathmandu Kitchen 234 G Street Moving up from last year’s number two spot, the UC Davis Dining Commons was voted the best buffet in Davis.

“Freshmen are excited to see the number of choices,” said Kyle Peiper, the dining commons operations director for residents dining, who pointed out that freshmen often have to get adjusted and not eat too much.

The three dining commons on campus, located at the Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto residence areas, offer buffets for breakfast, lunch, dinner, “late night” and weekend brunch.

All students, whether dorm residents or off-campus residents, are welcome, as well as faculty, staff and even community members with no formal campus affiliation. Diners without prepaid meal plans can pay $8.75 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and $12.75 for dinner, with a 10 percent discount for purchases made with Aggie Cash.

Theme meals at the dining commons are especially popular. This year’s luau theme will be on March 8, and the annual Harry Potter Dinner, featuring foods based on the book and movie series, will be on April 24.

Dietitian Linda Adams works to create nutritious as well as environmentally sustainable menus.

“Typically, what’s good for us [to eat] is also good for the planet,” Adams said.

Guests with food sensitivities or allergies can indulge themselves in gluten free pizza, breads and cookies, as well as food in the gluten-free refrigerator. Other typical allergies are accommodated as well, with the dining commons attempting to provide at least one option for every meal, Adams said.

The Davis Sushi Buffet Japanese Restaurant placed second, with its lunch and dinner sushi and non-sushi buffets. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m.

In third place is Kathmandu Kitchen, which offers its popular Chicken Makhani and Vegetable Korma dishes as part of its daily buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

— Claire Maldarelli

Marie Antoinette supposedly said of her subjects, “Let them eat cake.”

Though she spoke of her fellow Frenchmen, Davis residents have apparently taken her words to heart, voting cupcake bakery Let Them Eat Cake Davis’ best dessert.

Opened in 2009 by Paulette Coffman and her daughters, UC Davis students Chelsea and Brittany, the bakery offers a rotating menu of approximately 100 classic and innovative cupcake flavors. Chocolate chip cookies, buttermilk biscuit sandwiches and scones have also been added to the menu, which originally included just 24 different varieties of cupcakes.

In July 2011, Let Them Eat Cake moved from 423 L St. to their current location on C Street, a change Paulette Coffman said has been “great.”

“We still have our regulars from our old location, and now we’re getting more foot traffic,” Coffman said.

Coffman said besides the three daily flavors, the vanilla “Illegally Blonde,” chocolate “Dubliner” and red velvet “Scarlett,” customers’ favorite flavors change with the day of the week. Current offerings include the cornflaketopped “Breakfast of Champions,” “Lolita,” a tropical liqueur cake, and the February flavor-of-the-month “Cupid,” a chocolate-hazelnut cake filled with Nutella.

Coffman said she can get inspiration for new cupcake flavors anywhere, and recently invented the “Ale to the Chief,” an India Pale Ale cake with salted caramel frosting and crushed pretzels, after drinking an unusual beer at Monticello Seasonal Cuisine.

“It had juniper and sage, and I thought, ‘Guys would love this in a cupcake,’” Coffman said. “They go crazy for it.”

Rounding out Davis’ best dessert in second place is Ciocolat, followed by Sugar Daddies, formerly known as Davis Creamery, in third place.

Best Meal on a Budget

1. Village Bakery

1. ASUCD Coffee House

2. Woodstock’s Pizza

2. Taqueria Guadalajara

219 G St.

3. Uncle Vito’s Slice of N.Y. 524 Second St. Looking for the best slice of pizza in Davis? Located at 814 Second St., Village Bakery has been voted the best pizza in Davis and is therefore one spot not to be missed when a pizza craving arrives.

Laura Doyle, manager at Village Bakery, believes that there are many reasons why consumers love the pizza there.

“We focus on the dough. The recipe is really, really good and it’s one of the reasons our pizza is so good,” Doyle said.

“We don’t over-handle the dough, which keeps the air bubbles in there. The air bubbles we manage to keep in our dough is one of the reasons that our dough is so chewy.”

Doyle said that one of the things that makes Village Bakery so charming is that they use a brick oven.

“People really like the brick oven,” Doyle said.

She said that Village Bakery is a great place because it has a certain charm about it. It has pizza by the slice and hasn’t increased its prices.

“We’re a place someone can come with their kids,” Doyle said. “Families in Davis come here a lot.”

Ahmad Soltani, a customer at Village Bakery, gives the pizza a “thumbs-up.” According to Soltani, Village Bakery is great because his kids love going there and because it has great ingredients.

“It’s all fresh, they make everything themselves,” Soltani said. “The pizza is unique. They have slices at reasonable prices and make it in a brick oven.”

To check out the all of the best pizzas Davis has to offer, visit second and third place winners Woodstock’s and Uncle Vito’s Slice of N.Y., respectively.

— Eric C. Lipsky

— Erin Migdol

— Brian Riley

Best Pizza 814 Second St.

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Best dessert

Memorial Union

640 W. Covell Blvd.

417 Mace Blvd.

3. Hunan Bar and Restaurant 207 D St. The next time you’re thinking of rolling out the big dough for a quick lunch, forget about it! The ASUCD Coffee House, casually known as the CoHo, is the premier dining destination for the on-the-go, cash-strapped student.

Located in the Memorial Union (MU), across from the Quad, students rave about the CoHo’s accessibility and cheap prices.

“We have the best location to eat on campus; we are next to the MU, the Quad, Shields Library, Wellman Hall and Olson Hall.

It’s convenient for the way students go about their day. You’re getting quality prices for organic, locally grown and quality food,” said senior political science and communication double major and Fickle Pickle Deli employee Sam Mahood.

From pizza to pho and just about everything in between, the variety of foods offered by the CoHo are endless. The CoHo provides students with seven different meal menus, so you’ll never get bored with that plain old sandwich again. The majority of food items served are under five dollars, leaving customers with a happy tummy, and a thankful wallet.

In a rough economy, shelling out the big bucks for a simple sandwich, soup, or salad is certainly not an option for many students.

“I think it’s really great that it’s so accessible; it’s in the middle of campus! It’s cheap, fast and delicious. There’s lots of choices,” said sophomore landscape architecture major Sarah Skinker.

Runner-up Taqueria Guadalajara serves primarily Mexican fare without breaking the bank, and third-place winner Hunan features “Americanized” Chinese food on a friendly budget.

— Gheed Saeed

4 thursday, february 16, 2012

The california Aggie

Best place for a late-night snack

Best new restaurant

1. In-N-Out

1. de Vere’s Irish Pub

1020 Olive Drive

217 E St.

2. Burgers & Brew

2. Paesanos

403 Third St.

139 G St.

3. The Old Teahouse

3. Rostini Italian Kitchen

825 Russell Blvd. #22

1411 W. Covell Blvd.

For those late-night cravings, the fast food chain In-N-Out Burger seems to be the definitive choice for UC Davis students looking for food fast.

Located right off Interstate 80, the burger joint boasts comfort food items such as multiple types of burgers, french fries, neopolitan shakes, along with three other milkshake flavors and a secret menu.

The business’ late-night hours could be what contributes to its popularity for students looking for something to eat when other food locations doors’ are closed. In-N-Out is open 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“The food seems more clean and not as processed,” said junior biochemistry major Moses Holleyman. “It’s convenient and it’s quick when you’re looking for something to eat late at night.”

In-N-Out was originally founded in 1948 in the southern California city of Baldwin Park and now has hundreds of locations spread across California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas.

“At In-N-Out Burger, quality is everything. That’s why in a world where food is often over-processed, prepackaged and frozen, In-N-Out makes everything the old fashioned way,” the In-N-Out website states.

Both the corporate and local In-N-Out employees declined to comment, saying they do not comment on contests.

Burgers and Brew and The Old Teahouse placed second and third in this category, respectively. Samantha Lynch, a manager at Burgers & Brew, said she believes their variety of food options, along with their being open until 3 a.m. is what attracts students late at night. The Old Teahouse manager Regina Peng attributes their third place standing to their popular boba drinks and late hours.

— Angela Swartz

Just four months ago, the de Vere White family sought to bring a taste of Ireland to Davis by opening a second location of its popular Sacramento eatery and bar, de Vere’s Irish Pub, downtown. And four months is all it took for Davis residents to embrace the authentic pub, voting it Davis’ best new restaurant.

The restaurant, which boasts furniture and decor flown in from Ireland, features traditional Irish dishes such as shepherd’s pie, black pudding, and bangers and mash, in addition to typical American pub fare. And as expected for any pub, the menu features an extensive selection of beer, wine and whiskey.

Co-owner Henry de Vere White said the community’s response to the pub has been positive, with customers ranging from families to college students to grandmothers.

“We’ve had a great first four months. I think people have been excited to try something new and have been really open-minded,” de Vere White said.

De Vere White said a menu change is planned for March, which will offer new, more varied dishes. The restaurant has also been the site of office parties, rehearsal dinners and other personal functions, as well as Monday Trivia Nights and Tuesday Whiskey Society meetings.

In honor of St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds childhood cancer research, de Vere’s will host St. Baldrick’s Day Battle of the Pubs on March 12. After competing to raise the most money for St. Baldrick’s, each “team” from the Davis and Sacramento de Vere’s locations will shave their heads in solidarity with children battling cancer.

De Vere White said he hopes to do more community events in the future.

“Our goal is in 10 years for people to come back to their old pub, have a discussion in the library, see their old professors. We want to become entrenched as a social gathering place,” de Vere White said. “Every aspect of life should come through these doors.”

— Erin Migdol

the best

st t Be-nigh e ck lat sna

sophia’s thai kitchen

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

Dining

t Bes n a i s a ine cuis

in-n-out

“I would really be open to any of [Mikuni’s] sushi rolls raining from the sky ...”

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Be barst

“I think people have been excited to try something new and have been really open- in-n-out minded.”

mikuni japanese restaurant and sushi bar

ew t n nt Bes aura t res

de vere’s irish pub

Evan Davis / Aggie

Amanda Beck senior english major

Jasna Hodzic / Aggie

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Bes sus t hi

Henry de Vere White Co-owner of de Vere’s Irish Pub

de vere’s irish pub

Evan Davis / Aggie

de vere’s irish pub

Evan Davis / Aggie

“[Sophia’s Thai Kitchen] almost feels like there’s several restaurants within a restaurant. You have a cushion room, the outside patio and the more traditional indoor dining area.”

Eleni Stephanides senior psychology major

Evan Davis / Aggie

Best sushi

Best Asian cuisine

1. Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Best bar

1. Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

1. de Vere’s Irish Pub

2. Hunan Bar & Restaurant

2. Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

129 E St.

500 First St.

217 E St.

207 D St.

2. Zen Toro Sushi

129 E St.

3. Namaste Nepal

132 E St.

3. Tie: Little Prague

825 Russell Blvd.

3. Jusco Japanese Restaurant 228 G St. Bragging rights for having the best and freshest sushi in Davis belong, again, to the reigning champions at Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar. “It makes sense Mikuni has won Best Sushi for two years in a row because it is in a great location and is a lot more modern and trendy than a lot of the more traditional sushi restaurants,” said Amanda Beck, senior English major. “Plus, their rolls have funny names, like ‘Pimp My Roll’ and ‘Train Wreck Roll’.”

Beck, who is a passionate food enthusiast and blogger, said that her standards for sushi include having the freshest fish possible, which Mikuni has become known for at its eight Northern California locations.

“We are committed to producing quality food, and having the freshest fish in the area shipped in every day,” said Janet Cho, one of the restaurant’s managers. “It feels awesome to be in the running again for Best Sushi.”

A particularly appealing feature of the modern Japanese dining experience at Mikuni is their happy hour, which takes place every Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

“I love the $3 hand rolls, $5 shrimp tempura and $5 sushi rolls,” Beck said.

“Also, their specialty drinks are strong, and at happy hour they are only $6. The Tokyo Tea is really good, at least if you’re not looking for a “let’s drink casually” drink — there’s like four different kinds of alcohol in it.”

Beck’s favorite item on the happy hour is the spicy scallop handroll, which is a generous helping of scallop, sauce, masago and onion wrapped in seaweed for just $3. However, the unique distinctive quality of sushi menu items at Mikuni gives each a universal appeal.

“I would really be open to any of their sushi rolls raining from the sky, but if I had to choose I would probably pick the Iron Chef Roll — panko shrimp, white tuna, sauce, masago, and onion,” Beck said.

Sushi enthusiasts can also indulge at Zen Toro Sushi, located in Mansion Square, or super-indulge at Jusco Japanese Restaurant on G St for a dinner buffet for $15.49 on the weekdays.

— Lani Chan

330 G St.

Of the 37 Asian restaurants in Davis, only one can claim to rule them all.

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen has once again bested the competition to be this year’s Best of Davis pick for best Asian cuisine.

As one may guess, the variety of Asian cuisine prepared is faithful to the establishment’s namesake.

“The Thai iced teas are delicious and their peanut sauce is out of this world,” said senior political science major Adessa O’Shana.

And while the food is expectantly exceptional, what separates Sophia’s from the pack is its flexible ambiance. One does not simply walk into Sophia’s and find a table.

“It almost feels like there’s several restaurants within a restaurant,” said senior psychology major Eleni Stephanides. “You have a cushion room, the outside patio and the more traditional indoor dining area.”

Not only does the physical environment offer several categories of experience, Sophia’s is also a favorite for its live independent music and Tuesday trivia nights, serving side dishes for the spirit and mind alongside its food.

Coming in second place for best Asian cuisine is Hunan Bar and Restaurant. At hard-to-beat prices, especially for lunch, Hunan woos its customers with disarming portion sizes writ with variety and flavor. Close to campus, it’s a regular stop for many students.

Rounding out third place is Namaste Nepal, a relatively new restaurant that serves Indian and Nepalese cuisine. Despite its rookie status, Namaste Nepal has already made a name for itself. Its lunch buffets, discount offers and delivery service have earned this spot a devoted following.

— Rajiv Narayan

Tres Hermanas 805 Second St. So you’ve gotten to your senior year and you’ve reached the ultimate trifecta: finally lost your freshman fifteen, figured out how to get A’s without going to class and are officially 21 on your actual ID. But you had to sacrifice — you never studied abroad!

Have no fear, because De Vere’s Irish Pub arrived in Davis in November for your international drinking pleasures. There, you can discover the tastes of Ireland in the bar voted number one by UC Davis students.

Co-owner Henry de Vere White said the pub’s strength is that it appeals to a wide crowd.

“We try to offer a place approachable to all walks of life, with parents and children sitting next to students drinking beers next to professors,” de Vere White said.

Part of what makes De Veres unique is its “Whiskey Society,” which costs $50 for a lifetime membership. Members are able to get whiskey at discount on any given day, and on two Tuesdays a month can participate in whiskey tastings. On the alternate Tuesdays, special whiskeys are offered at a 20 percent discount.

Senior community and regional development major Isa Del Signore Dresser said she goes to de Vere’s at least once every weekend. She enjoys playing games there and drinking a hard cider with her friends.

“The interior is really nice. It has a very European feel and there are lots of big comfy booths and couches. When I studied abroad there was an Irish pub called Scholars that we went to all the time and De Vere’s has a very similar style,” Del Signore said.

The second place winner, Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, is popular for its Tuesday trivia night, live music and laid-back atmosphere. It’s also a good place to go if you’ve been waiting for a chance to corner your TA outside the classroom.

The G Street bars Tres Hermanas and Little Prague, tied for third place, both have dance floors and lively music to satisfy those looking to end their night with a bang.

— Melissa Freeman

The california Aggie

thursday, february 16, 2012

best place to sleep on campus

Best place to work on campus

1. UC Davis Quad

Best place to study 1. Peter J. Shields Library

1. ASUCD Coffee House

2. At home

Memorial Union

2. In class

3. Mishka’s Cafe

2. UC Davis Research Labs

3. Peter J. Shields Library

610 Second St.

3. Activities and Recreation Center

After pulling an all-nighter, coffee from the esteemed ASUCD Coffee House may not suffice as an energy boost before your next class. No worries! Either pack a blanket or lay out a sweatshirt and catch up on some much needed snooze time on the UC Davis Quad.

The Quad, voted the best place to sleep on campus, is a popular area on campus where students and staff can snack, socialize, sunbathe and apparently, slumber.

Previously used for agriculture during UC Davis’ early years, the Quad has metamorphosed into one of the more scenic areas on campus. It is split into two factions, East and West Quad, by a walkway that spans from the Memorial Union to Peter J. Shields Avenue.

The Quad includes a large grassy expanse where students can be spotted hanging out with friends or relaxing in solitude. Though not the quietest area, as the Quad is also a popular gathering ground for organizations to convene and recruit, it is a nice place to nap for those who can get past the chatter of daily comings and goings.

UC Davis first-year undeclared major Tarandeep Kaur said that she likes to nap and hang out with friends on the Quad for the refreshing outdoor environment.

“It’s really relaxing to just lay down in the sun. The fresh air feels really nice. Even though I live on campus and my bed is relatively close, I still choose to nap on the Quad because sometimes the room can be suffocating,” Kaur said.

So, if you find yourself doing the barely-conscious-head-bob at the end of your first class or weaving on your bicycle in the fashion of a cyclist deserving a BUI, swing by the UC Davis Quad for some shuteye. For those who find no shame in sleeping in academic settings, the second and third place winners were “In class” and the Peter J. Shields Library, respectively.

— Kelsey Smoot

Once again, the student workers of UC Davis have agreed — the ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo) is the place to work. Yes, a job’s a job but it sure doesn’t feel that way for those making delicious pastries or whipping up a white chocolate mocha Frappuccino to brighten up somebody’s day.

The CoHo is one of the largest student-run food service in a university in the United States. It serves nearly 7,000 people a day — students, faculty, and visitors alike. The CoHo also promotes environmentally conscious methods by using biodegradable containers, locally grown produce and composting a lot of its trash.

UC Davis students have taken notice of the CoHo’s forward-thinking sustainability practices and great atmosphere to the point that whenever job applications open up on the ASUCD website, several hundred applications begin to pour in within a few hours. And those lucky enough to work at the CoHo can’t stop singing its praises.

“There’s nothing like getting real, legitimate job experience while working with cool people. It’s unlike any other place. It’s not a small coffee shop, and not a big corporate restaurant. It’s got a really unique character,” said Alicia Sanhueza, a senior design major who is a senior kitchen supervisor.

Sarah Herrera, a junior English and psychology double major, sums it up in a few words.

“I’m always excited to come to work!” Herrera said.

Other campus work places deemed exceptional to work at include the UC Davis research labs and the Activities and Recreation Center.

— Michelle Ruan

It is no surprise Shields Library clinches the top spot for best place to study in Davis.

Students, faculty, and guests alike enjoy Shields for its resources, space and studyfriendly hours. With a computer lab and dozens more sporadic computers, wireless internet and 3.1 million volumes on loan for checkout, Shields has everything one may need for cranking out an essay or researching a project.

Offline, Shields users not only have access to UC Davis’ library, called the Harvest system, but also the catalogs of fellow UCs, called the Melvyl system. Where most people must subscribe or pay for premier electronic journals and databases, UC Davis students boast the ability to use those otherwise expensive and exclusive resources, “52,473 journals and 799 databases in total,” according to Shields employee Daniel Goldstein, for free (aside from tuition).

In addition to the rows between stacks of books, Shields’ four floors leave plenty of square footage for socially acceptable study spots: long tables, study carrels and private rooms. The library is open until midnight every school night, closing at 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

If it’s a 5-hour energy kind of night/morning though, pack your belongings and head next door to the 24-hour reading room. The jail cell lighting and entertaining desk carvings will keep you awake enough to finish your work and get the heck out of there!

Coming in at a close second is studying “at home,” be it in your dorm room, house or apartment. And the ever-popular, always-packed Mishka’s Café on Second Street medals bronze, finishing out the competition for Davis’ best study places.

— Chelsea Mehra

Evan Davis / Aggie

st Be g in plu

5

Best to p place eo watchple-

The quad

Best e placeep to sl

Best gen e ed ral

Be plac st e stud to y

peter j. shields library

food sciences and technology 3

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

AsUCD coffee house “There’s nothing like Beste getting real, plac rk o to w legitimate job experience while working with cool people.”

Alicia Sanhueza senior design major

Best place to plug in 1. Peter J. Shields Library

“This class has lots of laughs but also lots of learning.”

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Charles Bamforth Food Sciences and Technology 3 instructor

the best

On campus Best general education course

1. Food Sciences and Technology 3: Introduction to Beer and Brewing

2. Mishka’s Cafe 610 Second St.

3. ASUCD Coffee House Memorial Union Studying no longer relies upon just a stack of textbooks and a pile of notes.

Wireless internet is also an integral part of the college studying experience, whether downloading professors’ slides off of SmartSite, looking up facts on Wikipedia or procrastinating on Facebook.

For the best place to plug in, or most computer-friendly location, Davis students and residents have voted for Peter J. Shields Library. Shields Library, located between Peter J. Shields Avenue and Hutchison Drive, is near the center of campus for quick access between classes. The Shields Library has had wireless internet since July 2003, along with the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library and the Carlson Health Sciences Library.

According to Dale Snapp, head of the systems department at Shields Library, the reason the wireless internet in the library is so good is the improvements in coverage and reliability. Wireless access points were upgraded to Aruba wireless access points (APs) in 2007 and are now located all over the building.

“The new APs are centrally controlled and monitored to provide a high degree of reliability,” Snapp said. “If one AP goes offline, the adjacent APs increase their radio transmission to cover the gap until the malfunctioning AP can be replaced.”

Snapp believes that the Shields Library provides an ideal location “where access to print, electronic resources and online chat reference service meets faculty, student and staff expectations.”

“I believe the Shields Library’s central location on campus, quiet study spaces and secure wireless coverage make it a top destination for their collaboration, studying and research needs,” Snapp said.

The second place winner was Mishka’s Cafe, located at 610 Second Street in downtown Davis. Third place went to the ASUCD Coffee House, located in the Memorial Union.

— Amy Stewart

2. Human Development 12: Human Sexuality 3. Nutrition 10: Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition Not many college grads across the country can say they took a course in beer making during college. But for UC Davis grads, this is almost a rite of passage.

Because beer is an integral part of many students’ college experiences, it comes as no surprise that Food Science and Technology 3: Introduction to Beer and Brewing has emerged as this year’s winner for best general education class.

Covering a wide range of topics from the history of brewing and brewing science to the types of beer worldwide and world beer markets, students find this class to be especially fun and upbeat. Much of this is due to its instructor, Charles Bamforth.

“The thing I like most about this class is the professor. He has a great personality and cracks a lot of jokes,” said Will Bauer, senior evolution and ecology major.

Charles Bamforth believes students enjoy this class because it combines fun with learning.

“This class has lots of laughs but also lots of learning. [Students] get to meet and hear from some great names from the brewing industry and get to realize that beer is a wonderful vehicle for understanding the application of science,” Bamforth said.

Taking a class about an activity almost all college students participate in seems to be a major driving factor. Danny Carlson, a senior environmental policy analysis and planning major, agreed.

“I thought it would be interesting to learn a little bit more about the thing I drink so much of,” Carlson said. “It’s also interesting to learn about the international consumption of beer.”

Bamforth added that one of the integral concepts he emphasizes in his class is that: “I teach them that beer is fun, but like everything else in life needs to be treated with moderation and respect.”

Rounding out second and third place were Human Development 12: Human Sexuality and Nutrition 10: Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition.

— Claire Maldarelli

Best place to peoplewatch 1. The Quad 2. ASUCD Coffee House Memorial Union

3. Davis Farmers Market People-watching is one of the cheapest and easiest pastimes — all you need is a functional set of eyes, a healthy imagination and ample fodder for speculation. As a focal point for campus activities, this makes the Quad a prime location for such an activity.

Even early in campus history, the Quad has been a central feature because of its proximity to the Memorial Union since 1970, the original dormitories and Dutton Hall, said senior anthropology major Lawrence Nguyen.

In conjunction with its historical centrality, the Quad often hosts throngs of people in and out of the context of organized gatherings.

“The Quad is a good place because it’s really diverse. There are all sorts of people who go there for food and coffee, and there are always active social events there,” said senior psychology major Morgan Blackburn.

Whether you wish to observe the everyday student, or if you’re pursuing a more unique category of subjects, the Quad houses them all. If you’re looking for the political minded, it has served as grounds for the Occupy movement. If you’re looking for the free-spirited, Whole Earth Festival takes place there in the spring.

Due to the sheer volume of people who route themselves through the Quad, for one reason or another, you’re bound to find someone of interest.

“Almost everyone walks through there at least once, which means you get to see all sorts of personal styles and characters,” said senior religious studies major Paige Minichiello. “I’m pretty sure I saw Hagrid once, with a full beard, hat, and trench-coat, but he was wearing a Hawaiian print shirt.”

Placing just after the Quad in second place, the ASUCD Coffee House is another popular site for observation. Located just north of The Quad, its large windows allow for viewing the first-place winner, despite inclement weather. In third place is the Davis Farmers Market.

— Alex Stanton

6 thursday, february 16, 2012

The california Aggie

trader joe’s

the best

lifestyle

Shazib Haq / Aggie

The arc

Nathan Chan / Aggie

best grocer store y

“I like the ARC because there’s something for everyone ...”

hyatt place & aggie inn

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Michelle Stone junior evolution and ecology major

st be e to e ac pl ercis ex

The arc

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

“Downtown is the place to be ...

The social atmosphere and the history behind downtown have a lot of charm.”

Best l e hot

B placest livee to

Best l e hot

downtown davis

Best place to exercise

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Don Ho downtown Davis resident

Best place to live

1. UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center

1. Downtown Davis

2. UC Davis Arboretum

2. North Davis

3. Davis Greenbelt

3. Central Davis

It’s no surprise that the most diverse and student-friendly colossus known as the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (the ARC) has topped the charts this year for the best place in Davis to get exercise.

Besides specializing in weightlifting, cardio and aerobic exercise, the ARC also offers many recreational activities and classes that can spice up any student’s daily routine.

“I like the ARC because there’s something for everyone, whether you’re climbing or playing racquetball or dancing — you name it,” said junior evolution and ecology major Michelle Stone. “And you don’t have to be an expert, either; the classes teach you everything. It’s also a really good way to meet people that you wouldn’t ordinarily meet in your classes.”

Whether you want to get your groove on with dance, rekindle your Wild West days by learning how to ride a horse, get electrified with a high-energy spin class, be part of an intramural team, or enhance those Bruce Lee martial arts skills, the ARC offers a lot more than a rock-climbing wall — it has just about everything fun.

While the classes for recreational activities have a quarterly cost, a currently enrolled UC Davis student can use most of the gym’s workout facilities for free, since membership is included with tuition.

The ARC’s on-campus location coordinates with the campus community on a very friendly basis, connecting positive Aggie pride under one roof.

“It’s a good environment. I’ve never really had any altercations here as far as people being mean to one another. Its friendly, relaxing and just a good place to be,” said Kenny Job, employee at the ARC’s fitness center.

Finishing in second is another on-campus gem, the UC Davis Arboretum, which provides a combination of fresh air, nature and jogging lanes.

Behind the Arboretum in third place is the Davis Greenbelt, a connection of 10 bike loops that span across the Davis area to offer exercise and scenic views.

“Downtown is the place to be,” said recent graduate, ASUCD Controller and downtown Davis resident Don Ho. And he isn’t alone.

Reprising its role as 2011’s Best Place to Live, downtown Davis has once again won Best of Davis.

It’s not hard to see why.

“The social atmosphere and the history behind downtown have a lot of charm,” Ho said.

With its proximity to campus, Central Park and all the venues downtown has to offer, downtown Davis epitomizes what many believe it means to live in one of the last true college towns in America. It is in this spirit that you’ll often find a congenial mix of students and longtime Davis residents walking, shopping and eating alongside one another.

Densely packed and easily navigable with arrays of diverse eateries, downtown Davis naturally becomes the location in which you can find many of the other listed attractions in Best of Davis. Of course, with all of these perks comes a competitive atmosphere for securing housing. But residents claim the location is worth every penny.

The second best place to live in Davis is North Davis, an area marked informally by its location north of West Covell and west of F Street. Here you’ll also find The Marketplace, a convenient smorgasbord of businesses at the meeting place of many apartment complexes.

Placing third is Central Davis, a location considered west of Highway 113, at the south end of Russell Boulevard. Central Davis offers proximity to greek life, a half dozen public parks, nearly as many schools and two shopping centers with newly popular businesses, including Trader Joe’s and Forever 21.

— Rajiv Narayan

— Dominick Costabile

Best hotel

Best grocery store

1.Tie: Aggie Inn 245 First St.

Hyatt Place

1. Trader Joe’s

173 Old Davis Road Extension

885 Russell Blvd.

2. Hallmark Inn

2. Nugget Market

110 F St.

1414 East Covell Blvd. and 409 Mace Blvd.

3. Best Western Palm Court

3. Davis Food Co-op

234 D St.

620 G St. Although it only opened a year ago, Trader Joe’s has become Davis’ favorite grocery store, voted Best Grocery Store by California Aggie readers.

“I really like shopping at Trader Joe’s because they have so many different things. They have a bunch of prepackaged frozen food that comes in really useful, especially during those stressful finals weeks. It’s a cheap and easy way to eat healthy,” said Preethi Rajendran, a sophomore psychology major and an avid shopper at Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s is conveniently located in the University Mall, so it is easily accessible for students living in the dorms as well as those living off campus. Organic food is readily available at Trader Joe’s; everything from milk, vegetables and fruits to cheese, pasta and cereal can be found in organic varieties. Also, many customers enjoy the free samples that are offered daily and often inspire new meal and cooking ideas.

Nugget Market came in second. There are two locations in Davis. It offers a variety of cost-effective gourmet food and a deli where they sell many types of sandwiches, even gluten-free options.

The Davis Food Co-op, which carries both natural/health foods and normal supermarket items ranked third. It’s known for having things that no other stores in Davis carry, including ingredients for many types of ethnic cooking.

— Paayal Zaveri

Whether you are a university traveler, booking a family visit, or simply looking for a comfortable place to stay, the Aggie Inn or the Hyatt Place could be the place for you.

Tying for first place as the best hotel in Davis, Aggie Inn and Hyatt Place both offer complimentary wireless internet, a fitness center and close proximity to campus.

Located on Old Davis Road, near the Mondavi Center, the Hyatt Place is a new hotel.

“Our hotel is geared [toward] the 21st century traveler, with a 24 hour lifestyle,” said Katherine Lucas, the director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Place. “Everything, including the gym and food options are available at any time. Our rooms provide travelers with home atmosphere,” Lucas credits the success of the hotel to the friendly, engaging staff, along with the standard of excellence they set for the hotel.

On the opposite side of campus, the Aggie Inn is also a top option for Davis visitors.

“The Aggie Inn was established 22 years ago, since then we have been able to build a reputation of outstanding service and excellent room accommodations with the university and within our community,” said Maria Lara, the general manager of Aggie Inn. Recently partnering with the Ascend Collection-Choice Privileges Hotels, the boutique hotel now allows travelers to earn points for free nights or air mileage.

Coming in second place, is the Hallmark Inn, which is located further away, in downtown Davis, near the Amtrak train station. This hotel offers travelers to reserve a complimentary bicycle, along with newly upgraded rooms.

Best Western Palm Court is the third place winner, also located in downtown Davis. Offering amenities such as a spa, steam room and internet access, this hotel is in close proximity to many Davis attractions.

— Danielle Huddlestun

The california Aggie

thursday, february 16, 2012 7

Anna Oh / Aggie

the arboretum

best cut hair

davis barber shop

“We ask the hard questions, get the answers, to ensure a great looking haircut.”

st mo re ue pictu -sq

John Brito manager and barber at Davis Barber Shop

“I like how [the Arboretum] doesn’t look manufactured. There isn’t a sense that it’s been landscaped over.”

Linh Banh senior English and Film Studies double major

Best place meet to mate a

iN CLASS

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

forever 21

best ng thi clo ore st

Shazib Haq / Aggie

the arboretum

Nathan Chan / Aggie

Best Clothing Store 1. Forever 21

Best public art

Best Place To Get a Haircut

1. The Egghead Series UC Davis Campus

209 G St.

2. Target

2. The Dominoes Senda Nueva Greenbelt

2. Tie: Aggie’s Barber Shop

4601 Second St.

724 Second St.

3. The Gap

3. The Joggers Third and F St.

Supercuts

1300 E. Covell Blvd.

500 First St. If you’re wondering why two girls who just walked into class are sporting the same jacket that you just purchased yesterday, the coincidence can probably be traced back to UC Davis’ apparel hot-spot: Forever 21.

One of the only large clothing retailers within a short walk of campus, Forever 21 offers students affordable, up-to-date garments as well as accessories. As implied in the name, the store’s major target market is a demographic of young adults — found in abundance in a college town.

Junior art history major Alex Craven said that low prices are her incentive to shop at Forever 21.

“It’s cheap! And I’m also most familiar with this store,” Craven said.

The franchise, which opened in 2011 and is located at the University Mall shopping center, is conveniently situated next to Starbucks and other heavily patronized eateries.

With multiple entrances and exits, customers are able to drop in after perusing other indoor shops or head straight to the shopping destination through the outdoor storefront.

Though most of the store’s merchandise is geared toward women, Forever 21 also includes a section of men’s apparel, including outerwear, shoes and accessories.

Store employee Sierra Rudolph said the easygoing customers, as well as trained co-workers and an orderly store are what make Forever 21 the best.

“The customers are great, and the employees are wonderful. With smaller stores, everything starts to get messy. We really try to keep the store organized,” Rudolph said.

The second and third place winners, Target and The Gap respectively, also offer affordable clothing. However, both present a larger distance challenge for those who prefer not to use four wheels.

— Kelsey Smoot

3. Pomegranate Salon 123 D St. The haircutting game is relevant to everyone because of one reason: if your hair is wrong, your entire life is wrong.

Luckily the greater campus population can go easy knowing that Davis Barber Shop was voted first place by the Davis community as the best place to get a haircut.

John Brito, manager and barber at the Davis Barber Shop talks about hair with a passion.

“As far as hair goes, we don’t prescribe to one side only, and we consider the individual as a whole,” Brito said.

Such a guiding philosophy is apt for a 50-year-old traditional family barber shop.

For the boys looking to impress that after-midterm date, the Davis Barber Shop can guarantee a good looking head of hair, if nothing else. The Davis Barber Shop is a place where the relationship between barber and patron still rings true.

“We ask the hard questions, get the answers, to ensure a great looking haircut,” Brito said.

The store also displays bamboo bicycles out front, and on a good day one might even be able to request a ride at the owner’s discretion.

And why not? A great haircut deserves to fly down the street on a bike with all quickness, among the clamor of, “Where did you get that haircut, broham?”

Tied for second place were the Aggie Barber Shop and Supercuts. Pomegranate came in third place, as a premium hair salon and thus a little pricier than most.

— Peter An

Most Picturesque Spot

Evan Davis / Aggie

Best PUBLIC Art

1. Davis Barber Shop

875 Russell Blvd.

the egghead series

Although some may overlook or neglect its presence, public art can serve a vital role in maintaining a city’s certain characteristic or charm. For Davis in particular, a few familiar faces have become the symbolic emblem of campus life.

In fact, they are quite hard to miss.

Robert Arneson’s sculptural egg-like characters have taken quite a beating after being vandalized multiple times this year alone. But despite the repetitive harassment, voters chose The Eggheads as the best public art on campus.

The Eggheads is a series of pieces, with each individual sculpture entitled Bookhead (in front of Shields Library), Eye on Mrak (in front of Mrak Hall), See No Evil Hear No Evil (east of King Hall), Stargazer (behind North Hall) and Yin and Yang (in front of Wright Hall).

“I like The Eggheads because they make our campus unique compared to other schools,” said Victoria Gilland, a sophomore psychology major. “They seem to add humor to all the stress of studying and sitting through classes all day.”

However, Arneson’s aesthetic might not bode well with all viewers.

Jesse Vasquez, the photo lab technician for the UC Davis art department, walks past Arneson’s Eggsheads about seven times a day. In his opinion, The Eggheads isn’t necessarily a town gem to be viewed with such admiration.

“I think they’re awful but I don’t live in Davis so it’s not an embarrassment I have to bear,” Vasquez said.

The second top-voted public artwork is The Dominoes. The large-scale sculptural pieces were constructed by Eddie Hood and are located at Senda Nueva Greenbelt.

The Joggers, by Tony Natsoulas, placed third. The sculpture depicts two individuals running in opposite directions, and is located outside Bistro 33 at Third and F St. — Uyen Cao

Best Place to Meet a Mate

1. The UC Davis Arboretum

1. In Class

2. Putah Creek

2. House Parties

3. Davis Greenbelt

3. Downtown Davis Bars

Davis’ lush, extensive arboretum was voted the most picturesque locale in Davis.

With a winding creek that extends the length and a wide diversity of plant life, the Arboretum provides ample opportunity for a keen photo op.

Walk the length of the 3.5-mile loop and one may venture through the California foothills, complete with pines, cenotaphs and valley oaks.

Go further, and one will venture past a medieval Japanese-style gazebo surrounded by lush greens and fragrant white flowers.

Also along the Arboretum is the Australian collection, featuring towering eucalyptus trees and colorful shrubs.

Along the small lake there is an East Asian section with cherry blossoms and fragrant daphne.

Desert, Mediterranean, South American, and Mexican sections add to the rich diversity, as well as oaks and a redwood grove, too.

“I think it’s really scenic and serene, especially in the spring,” said Linh Banh, senior English and film studies double major. “I like how it doesn’t look manufactured. There isn’t a sense that it’s been landscaped over. It just looks natural.”

“And I love the redwood forest,” Banh added. “I like to walk around there — it’s really nice to just get away for a bit.”

With all its diversity, the Arboretum has a wide space for scenic photography.

Joggers and walkers frequent the paths in all seasons. And students and picnickers sprawl out on the grass, particularly in the spring. All in all, it’s regarded as a fine place for a photo.

Putah Creek, which empties into the Berryessa Reservoir, was voted the second most picturesque.

The Davis Greenbelt, which weaves its way around Davis, was voted third.

–– James O’Hara

With spring just on the horizon, pheromones and desperation are in the air, but rest assured, Davisites!

There’s no need to activate an OK Cupid account just to find “the one.” This year’s student-voted best place to meet a lover is right here on campus.

Anyone who has seen the modern classic that is Mean Girls knows that some of the best romances begin in the classroom (“It’s October third”), so take that into consideration next time you feel the urge to sit quietly in the back row and doze off — you wouldn’t want to miss out on true love.

Having met her own boyfriend of several months in a comparative literature course, sophomore community and regional development major Diana Joost proves just how possible it is to meet the perfect match in school.

“Class is a great place to meet people,” Joost said. “If you’re in the same class then you probably have similar interests. Plus, sitting next to someone and asking for homework help is a good excuse to start a conversation.”

However, if you’re too busy jotting down notes during lecture to interact with fellow students, there are plenty of extracurricular outlets in which to continue the search for a soulmate. If loud music and a party rock atmosphere set your passions ablaze, second place winner house parties are an excellent place to meet likeminded students.

If neither of the other options fit the bill, the downtown Davis bar scene, which placed third, is also a popular meeting ground for lovelorn individuals — especially those in need of a little liquid courage.

— Dylan Gallagher

8 thursday, february 16, 2012

The california Aggie

best place for evening entertainment 1. Sophia’s Thai Kitchen & Bar 129 E St.

the best

entertainment BE PL ST TAKEACE TO FAM ILY

2. Tie: Fraternity and sorority events Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts 3. de Vere’s Irish Pub 217 E St.

— Michelle Ruan

Best Place to Take a Date 1. Downtown Davis 2. UC Davis Arboretum

Kristina Geddert / Aggie

Rachael Bogert / Aggie

DAVIS FARMERS MARKET sophia’s thai kitchen

With its variety of drinks and numerous live bands, Sophia’s Thai Kitchen & Bar has been named the best place for entertainment, especially after an exhausting week of classes.

The restaurant has an adjacent bar and stage connected so its customers can have a chance to relax with their drinks and enjoy the occasional live band.

But, no need to pout for those who haven’t reached 21 yet. They can enjoy a cup of Sophia’s Thai Iced Tea, which has gathered a lot of praise from its customers for its creamy texture and free refills.

Sophia’s is also one of the region’s top indie music venues. Singer-songwriters such as Sean Hayes and Tyler Ramsey of Band of Horses have been one of the many acts that have graced Sophia’s stage throughout the years.

“It has a lively atmosphere. A lot of Davis students go there. Sophia’s attracts a good mix of college students,” said Daniel Quiroz, a senior political science major.

Kevin Yeung, a junior biological sciences major also agreed that many Davis students enjoy going to Sophia’s.

“The people there generate a lively experience,” Yeung said.

Fraternity and sorority events tied with the Mondavi Center for second place on this year’s list for evening entertainment. De Vere’s Irish Pub, with its popular trivia night, came in third.

best entertain ment

-

3. Davis Farmers Market What do movie theaters, restaurants and concerts all have in common? Not only are they all similar date spots, but they can all be found in downtown Davis, voted as the best place to take a date.

Michael Bisch, the co-president of the Downtown Davis Board of Directors said that this amalgamation of places to go make it ideal for a date.

“It’s got a wide variety of things to do within a very small geographic area, so one can bring a date down and then go to a movie, get something to eat, go hang out or check out a live performance someplace,” Bisch said. “So, instead of getting in a car and driving all over to do a variety of things in a date, you can do it all in one place in downtown.”

Not only is it all one place, but it is one convenient place, near enough to campus so that students living anywhere in town can find transportation suitable to get downtown.

Along with accessibility and convenience, downtown Davis businesses generally cater to the student population.

“A lot of the eateries and bars are geared specifically [toward] the students. I think that’s a big factor,” Bisch said.

Downtown Davis also has a number of events that entice people to bring a date and enjoy the afternoon or evening. Some of the festivities that keep downtown Davis bustling include art galleries, live performances and fundraisers.

The vision of downtown Davis is to have activities running every day, drawing in locals and visitors for food, retail and entertainment. This leads to a variety of opportunities for different dates.

“It could be really romantic if you do it right,” said junior economics major Alex Cardenas.

However, if you or your date is looking for a place that is a bit less buzzing with activity, in second place, the UC Davis Arboretum is a romantic spot to get a little more personal. The Davis Farmers Market was voted the third best place to take a date.

“It’s got a wide variety of things to do within a very small geographic area, so one can bring a date down and then go to a movie, get something to eat, go hang out or check out a live performance someplace. So, instead of getting in a car and driving all over to do a variety of things in a date, you can do it all in one place in downtown.”

Michael Bisch Downtown Davis Board of Directors co-president

Best place danceto

— Devon Bohart

Best Place to take Family

Best place to dance

1. Davis Farmers Market

1. The Davis Graduate

2. UC Davis Arboretum

805 Russell Blvd.

2. KetMoRee Thai Restaraunt and Bar

3. Picnic Day There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries on a Saturday morning to convince visiting family members that Davis is indeed the perfect little town. And as voted by the Davis community, the Davis Farmers Market is the number one pick for the best place to take family for a visit.

Randii MacNear is the current manager for the Davis Farmers Market. MacNear first got involved with the weekly event shortly after graduating from Antioch College in 1975, when he realized the importance of having healthy and fresh alternatives offered at the Davis Food Coop and Farmers Market.

Along with Annie and Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce in the Capay Valley, two of the founding farmers of the market, MacNear joined the team to help manage the market. And 31 years later, MacNear has only seen the market grow bigger and stronger in participation and community bonds between students, community members and local farmers.

“I believe the true magic of the market is that it makes people feel hope and happiness, and centers them as human beings,” MacNear said. “[The Davis Farmers] Market is that place where real food, friends, fresh air, green grass, children playing, neighbors visiting, college students meeting up, lonesome people feeling connected, all come together with our most precious farmers. Everyone and our community has a chance to be healthy and renewed.”

Today, the Davis Farmers Market offers practically everything from organic and fresh produce, gourmet cheeses, local art and crafts, hot and prepared foods and textiles.

The market is located at Central Park, between Fourth and C St., on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. On April 4, the market is scheduled to relocate its East Quad markets, which take place Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m., to the Silo Union patio.

The UC Davis Arboretum placed second on the list of best place to take family, and Picnic Day placed third.

— Uyen Cao

“I believe the true magic of the [farmer’s] market is that it makes people feel hope and happiness, and centers them as human beings.”

Randii MacNear Davis Farmers Market manager

Evan Davis / Aggie

BE PLAC ST TAKEE TO DATE A

238 G St.

3. Activities and Recreation Center dance classes Put on your cowboy boots, because Davis loves ‘em some country dancing. The Davis Graduate, host to country, salsa and top 40 themed nights, was once again voted the best place to dance in Davis.

“We’re the only place in town that has a real dance floor,” said Danny Ramos, general manager.

Dances are held Monday through Saturday, and most nights are 18 and over. The Grad also hosts special events — such as greek mixers — on Thursdays. Most nights have a cover charge, but Wednesdays are free for the 21 and over crowd.

The Grad, located at 805 Russell Blvd in the University Mall, has been open since 1971.

“Music changes, but dancing remains the same,” Ramos said. “Try it out some time. You’re in college. Most people that come in have fun.”

In second place is KetMoRee, a Thai restaurant that turns into a night club Thursday through Saturday.

The G Street location often has a line out the door, with a variety of house, top 40 and old school music pulsing past the bouncer. The first hundred people of the evening get in for free, and if you buy a drink before 11:30 the cover is waived.

Third place goes to the on campus Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), which hosts a variety of dance classes and team practices, including ballet and salsa.

Though the ARC is more of a fitness club than a night club, the people of Davis love getting their sweat on in the second floor studios.

–– Becky Peterson

THE GRADUATE

DOWNTOWN DAVIS

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

“[Downtown Davis] could be really romantic if you do it right.”

Alex Cardenas Junior economics major