June 6, 2012

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volume 131, number 78

wednesday, june 6, 2012

Newspapers demand names Subsidized of officers involved in pepper Stafford loan rate still up in spraying incident the air

Police union fears for safety of officers

By MICHELLE MURPHY

Senate rejects plans to avert doubling of rates

Aggie News Writer

On May 25, the Sacramento Bee and Los Angeles Times filed a lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents. The suit demands that the UC Regents comply with the California Public Records Act with the release of the police officers’ names that were removed from the Reynoso Task Force Report on the controversial pepper spraying of UC Davis students.

The lawsuit declares that the UC Regents violated the public’s right of access after redacting all of the names but two of the UC Davis officers involved in the operation that lead to the pepper spraying on Nov. 18, 2011. “[The L.A. Times and Sacramento Bee] allege that The Regents have failed to represent the interests of the press and public, leaving [the

Irisa Tam / Aggie

By CLAIRE TAN

Associate City Editor

Evan Davis / Aggie

On May 24, the United States Senate rejected the opposing Democratic and Republican plans to extend the July 1 doubling of the current subsidized Stafford loan interest rate from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

In 2007, former President George W. Bush signed a bill that reduced the subsidized Stafford loan interest rate to 3.4 percent. At its expiration on July 1, it will be restored to the same rate as the unsubsidized Stafford loan interest rate of 6.8 percent.

Senators voted 62-34 against the GOP plan and 51-43 against the Democratic plan. Each plan would have needed at least 60 votes to pass.

The rejected GOP and Democratic proposals, respectively named the Interest Rate Reduction Act (H.R. 4628) and the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012 (S. 2343), would have pushed the doubling to July 1, 2013 at a cost of $6 billion each. However, each party was split against each other’s method of paying for the bill.

The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act is legislation that would be fully paid for by eliminating the tax loophole that the watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, has determined is a problem that allows some privately held companies and professional businesses to avoid paying their fair share of Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, said Sen. Brown’s Press Secretary Allison Preiss.

On the other hand, the GOP bill would have funded itself by eliminating a preventative health care program. Deputy Press Secretary of Congressman Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Vicki Christner, said it would be paid for through the health care slush fund.

“It’s just two issues that need individual support,” Christner said. “The congressman doesn’t believe you should pit education against public health.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, a co-sponsor of the S. 2343 bill, said it appears some members of the Senate would rather drag the process out.

“It’s disappointing that some in the Senate would rather preserve tax breaks for the wealthy than help our best and brightest afford the everrising cost of a college education,” Sen. Brown stated in a press release.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee said a higher interest rate would add about $1,000 in loan debt per loan for students. Preiss said Sen. Brown is working to find a way to extend the current interest

Many UC Davis students and faculty recieved an email See EMAIL, page 2 requesting that they update their UC Davis webmail account.

See LOAN, page 2

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

The lawsuit filed against the University of California Regents demands that the See POLICE, page 6 names of the police involved with the pepper spray incident be released.

Change to allow alumni to keep student e-mail E-mail addresses to be renamed for alumni

By ADAM KHAN Aggie News Writer

Since 2008, students at UC Davis have enjoyed the convenience of a centralized Google e-mail account through the campus “DavisMail” Google Apps service.

However, the ever-increasing amount of students currently holding a “ucdavis.edu” address has led to an unforeseen problem: The university will soon run out of the allotted amount of e-mail accounts provided to them by Google.

Subsequently, the fate of an Aggie’s email account after graduation has been the subject of much speculation.

The standing policy has allowed previous graduates to keep their student email addresses for private use. A new plan is currently being discussed that will solve the growing shortage of available accounts.

“Our current plans are to automatically provide students with an option,” said Gabe Youtsey, program manager for the Cloud and Collaborative

Technologies at UC Davis. “In addition to keeping your DavisMail account upon graduation, students can opt to forward their mail to another address.

When all the changes have been made, student e-mail accounts will transition from an ‘@ucdavis.edu’ to an ‘@alumni. ucdavis.edu’, so students will still have mail from UC Davis as alumni.”

This change will maintain an appropriate number of student addresses

See ALUMNI, page 6

Phishing scam hits UC Davis e-mails

‘Update Your UC Davis Webmail Account’ a fraud

By GHEED SAEED Aggie News Writer

UC Davis students and faculty have recently been hit by a web e-mail hoax that reads “Update Your UC Davis Webmail Account.” The e-mail was direct-

ed to .ucdavis.edu Google-based e-mail accounts, and required respondents to click on a fraudulent web address link.

Instead of updating your UC Davis webmail account, the link

‘Helping Janet’ uses social media to save a life Campaign searches for bone marrow match before June deadline

By SARA ISLAS Aggie News Writer

When UCLA student Janet Liang was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 2009, she, her family and the doctors were the only people who knew about it.

According to the National Marrow Donor Program, ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell used by the body to fight infections, and bone marrow makes blasts – uniformed cells – that usually develop into these lymphocytes. However, the disease inhibits the development of normal blasts and, thus, the combat of infections.

After a year and a half in remission

Today’s weather Sunny High 84 Low 54

and a tragic relapse in 2011, Liang decided to tell others about her situation. While still in the hospital, Liang filmed and uploaded a video recording her plea for help to YouTube.

“I am scared of dying because of everything that I will leave behind,” Liang said in the video. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find my bone marrow match in time.”

The video went viral. Now, people all around the world know about Janet Liang, her disease and her desperate need for a perfectly matched bone marrow donation.

A campaign called Helping Janet was launched to help Liang find usable bone marrow. Although over 22,000 people have registered as donors, none of them are a perfect

match. The “Helping Janet” website states that the deadline for Liang to receive a bone marrow donation is this month.

Liang, who graduated from UCLA with a degree in international development and has a passion for reading and writing, dedicated the campaign in memory of Michelle Maykin, who suffered from the same disease as Liang and initiated a grassroots campaign for her own perfect match.

People from all over the world have gotten involved, including UC Davis students Vincent Trinh and Alysson Ng. Trinh, a senior English major, stumbled upon Liang’s plea for help on a social media website.

Forecast Alas, this is my final weather report for The Aggie before embarking on the realities of the real world after graduation. Good luck to all the graduating seniors, study hard for finals, and enjoy your summer Aggies!

Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

See JANET, page 2

Janet Liang

Thursday

Friday

Sunny

Sunny

High 84 Low 54

High 82 Low 50

courtesy

Got any old City Council election signs? I’ll gladly take them off your hands. mkhuey@ucdavis.edu Michelle Huey

page two

2 wednesday, June 6, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY

Jones and produced by Pia Baur.

Ecological/Watershed Risk Assessment 4:10 to 5 p.m.

1138 Meyer Attend this discussion about ecological and watershed risk management with speaker Barbara Washburn, sponsored by environmental toxicology. There will be also be a case study if time permits.

MFA Design Showcase 3 to 7 p.m.

Main Theatre, Wright Department of Theatre and Dance MFA candidates present their work in scenic, costume and lighting design. Meet designers Maggie Chan, Travis Kerr, Kourtney Lampedecchio and Dee Loree Sweger. Drop by Main Theatre, Wright Hall to see and discuss their work for stage and screen.

Senior Recital 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

115 Music Watch this senior recital as Jonathan Martinez performs on the flute.

Student Chamber Ensembles 7 to 8 p.m.

115 Music Watch this free performance of the Student Chamber Ensembles.

THURSDAY Poetry Night Reading Series

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

Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road 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. For more information, call 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

Informal folk dancing 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

Central Park, Davis Unwind at the end of the day by trying some very easy dances from around the world. Members of the Davis International Folk dancers will informally do some of their favorite folk dances in the grass by the farmers market structure. All are welcome.

Unlimited Iced Tea 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Thai Canteen, 117 E St. Present your student ID and the event flyer to receive unlimited Thai iced tea. The ASUCD External Affairs Commission and Thai Canteen are sponsoring the event in preparation of finals week. Visit their Facebook page for more information at facebook.com/ events/217973761656867.

8 to 10 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Listen to Troy Jollimore at this free poetry reading. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat and sign up for a spot on the Open Mic list. The Poetry Night Reading Series is organized and hosted by Andy

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.

janet

“In order for someone like Janet to find a perfect bone marrow match, her donor must be Chinese,” Trinh said. “Considering how diverse our Asian American community is and that we make up only 7 percent of the total registry, her chances are very slim.”

Liang has won several awards for her plight and perseverance, including the Spirit of Hope Award from Asian Miracle Marrow Matches, the Unsung Hero Award for 2012 from Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and the Juanita Haugen Community of Character Award for 2012.

Trinh and Ng both consider Liang to be a very talented writer and actively read her personal blog at janetgliang.com.

Helping Janet is uniquely linked to many forms of social media. The campaign has a blog, helpingjanet.tumblr.com; a website, helpingjanet.com; and a Facebook page, facebook.com/helpingjanet.

Registering to become a donor can be done online. Asian Americans and those of Chinese descent are especially encouraged to do so.

Cont. from front page “We are both UC students, we’re both from the Bay Area, we’re both Asian Americans and we’re both activists within in our community,” Trinh said regarding his initial interest in Helping Janet. “Someone as sweet, talented and kind as her should not have to go through this.”

Trinh’s first act of involvement was coordinating a bone marrow drive at UC Davis. He teamed up with many Asian American organizations such as Lambda Fraternity and the Asian American Donor Program. They used many social media outlets such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to optimize the movement on campus.

Trinh helped to register nearly 200 people within the course of two days.

Ng, a senior managerial economics major who has also aided such bone marrow drives, said that the complexity of the situation lies in the fact that Liang needs bone marrow from a person of a similar race.

According to Ng, Liang is having a hard time finding a match because Asian Americans make up only 7 percent of the entire bone SARA ISLAS can be reached at city@ marrow registry. theaggie.org.

correction In the June 5 article titled “Student says Davis police used unnecessary force during arrest,” the article stated: “She [Bush] also said it was only released after Bush spoke to Davis Mayor Pro Tem Rochelle Swanson and Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi, who pressured the police,” while Bush said the investigation was actually prompted by a phone call from Katehi to the Mayor who was out of town. Katehi then called Mayor Pro Temp Swanson, who began an investigation. The press release was released by the police after the call from Mayor Pro Temp Swanson. The Aggie regrets this error.

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief

Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor

Jonathan Wester Business Manager

Dylan Gallagher Opinion Editor

Caelum Shove Advertising Manager Muna Sadek Campus Editor Claire Tan City Editor Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Devon Bohart Features Editor

Joey Chen Copy Chief Brian Nguyen Photography Editor Janice Pang Design Director Amanda Nguyen Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director

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The california Aggie

ly necessary to take a moment and appreciate the fact that you’re here on this earth. No matter what your circumstances are, Pamela you are alive. You are more Nonga than a memory in someNgue one’s mind, a name on a page, a social security number or a face in a photograph. You exist, right now.

I have a lump in my throat as I write this final column, because I think of all of the people who never made it to 20, or the peovery time I’m on an ple who were here yesterairplane, just as it’s day or last week but nevabout to leave the er made it to June 6, 2012. runway and enter the open It’s nothing short of a mirair, I send a little prayer to acle that you and I are here God. I thank him for the today. That is why I invite life I have and ask him to you to celebrate life with protect the pilot and pasme. sengers and to deliver me I’m celebrating this past safely to my destination. school year, I’m celebrating Even though a person is this past weekend, I’m celmore likely to die from a ebrating this very moment car accident that I’m than from a currentWhat are you going to do, stay ly expeflight gone awry, there’s locked up in your room all day to riencing. something I’m grateavoid danger? about exfully lookchanging the ing back security of the ground unon the amazing opportunider my feet for the uncerties I’ve had, the wonderful tain, mysterious skies that variety of people I’ve gotbrings my mortality to the ten to meet or know on a forefront of my mind. deeper level and the places This past Sunday, a I’ve been. I’m even thankflight carrying 153 people ful for the hard times, the from the city of Abuja to very hard times and the the city of Lagos in Nigeria mistakes I’ve made. I’m crashed into a building as thinking about how much it was approaching the air- I’ve grown and how far I’ve port. There are no survicome. vors. In an instant, due to Yes, death is an inevitaunforeseen circumstancble part of life, and it’s dees, 153 individual life jour- pressing to think about it, neys came to an abrupt but celebrating my curend. These were people rent state of being alive with pasts, friends and takes that negativity away. families, and aspirations When I realize how much I for the future. They’re take my world for granted, gone. and how blessed I am to be I can’t help but be shakable to take my world for en up by stories like this granted as I do, I can’t help one. They make me think but smile, shake my head about tomorrow. Not toand feel very, very grateful. morrow as in the distantAre you celebrating life? future-20-years-from-now Or are you letting the daitomorrow, but literally, the ly distractions and stressday that comes after today. es of the world weigh I think about going to sleep you down and turn you and never waking up, or away from the big picstepping out of my apartture? What are you celement door for the last time. brating? What have you I think about being in the accomplished, what have wrong place at the wrong you learned, what are you time, and making a fateful, lucky enough to be door should I say fatal, deciing at this very second? sion that brings my life to (Reading an amazing, suan end. per deep, thought-provokI don’t think it’s healthy ing column, of course). or productive to walk And what is looking at around day in and day out the past and the present with the thought of the without looking at the fupossibility of your untime- ture? Even if tomorrow isn’t ly death in your head. What promised, there’s nothing are you going to do, stay with having a little hope locked up in your room all and dreaming big. I hope day to avoid danger? No, that you can look ahead that would be impractiand be excited for what’s to cal and you would die from come. Here’s a toast to life. starvation or insanity, or Cheers! both.

However, every once PAMELA NONGA NGUE can be reached at in awhile, it’s absolutepamnonga@ucdavis.edu.

A toast to life

E

email Cont. from front page requires users to enter both their UC Davis username and password used to login to their UC Davis webmail account. Subsequently, the account becomes compromised; as a result, the user must reset both their passphrase and challenge questions used to secure the account.

To prevent students from being victimized by phishing incidents like this one, UC Davis IT Security Coordinator Robert Ono refers students to antiphishing information located, on the UC Davis Information and Education Technology (IET) web page.

UC Davis will never ask you for your passphrase via e-mail, telephone or non-campus website, according to the IET web page.

“I don’t believe it’s so much a problem of internet security as it is with students’ lack of understanding of phishing scandals; students should be aware of such incidents and become better educated on what constitutes an illegitimate e-mail, simply by visiting the IET website,” said first-year bi-

loan Cont. from front page rate and was recently at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio to discuss with students the importance of maintaining the 3.4 percent interest rate.

“If the Democrats were interested in a solution, they would have discussed a way to pay for it before bringing their bill up for a vote,” said Sarah Chu, press assistant for the Senate HELP Committee Republicans. “In

the fourth provided a soundtrack. When he finished, we offered our praise. Then the homeless man stood up, got out his guitar and tambourine, and put on a show.

Nolan He cradled his guitar, Sheldon placed his boot on the tambourine and began to play.

He played with such fervor that I turned to the others and said, “The music’s in him just trying to get out” — an unfortunate attempt at humor but an adequate assessment, nonetheless.

Then he started to make sounds that our povertyhere are some things stricken language can’t dein life that take a while scribe, a combination of to digest. Sometimes things happen too fast. Other mumbling, wailing and prayer. My fellow audience times the context of a situamembers, feeding off his ention, or the perception of it, ergy, joined in with musical changes. Then there are the pleas of their own. And there I times when your brain was was, in the middle of a sponturned off and it takes concentration to figure out what taneous concert, with nothing to do but listen. A man’s the hell happened. I had a night recently where all these unintelligible words, sprinkled over a things occrystal clear curred at once. It was If ever you feel nervous, scared, symphony. a week ago lonely, regretful or anxious, just I began to fill his empand I’m still stop and take a breath ty sounds chewing with my own on it. emotions and meaning, lyrics No, this wasn’t a night of appearing as the air hummed reflection where I bathed in around me. It was beautiful. self-loathing and drowned When it ended, all I could do in memories of my college was take another drag and years wondering what could exhale a “Sonuvabitch.” have been, where I sat ab Later we moved our stage horring the loss of freedom that awaits me when I receive to a back alley. We sat on my diploma, a one-way tick- crates, we smoked, some of us played, some of us liset on a Willy Wonka elevator tened. Rarely was my presout of this wonderfully protective snow globe we call UC ence verbally acknowledged, Davis. So if you’re looking for but conversation took a backseat that night; took a seat bethe traditional I’m-a-Seniorhind existence, behind living. here’s-my-farewell-advicecolumn, you’re out of luck be- For a few hours we were wading through life undisturbed cause 1) I don’t have any, 2) I and I knew that we were all swore to my editor I’d avoid clichés and 3) this night reads content, satisfied. We were where we were, and that was like a story and will leave a more lasting impression than enough.

Like all things, our time tomy inevitably immature and gether came to an end. Our futile advice ever could. chance meeting may never This night involves me, a repeat, but sometimes once pack of cigarettes, two ranis plenty. I’ll continue to think dom dudes, three guitars, a about that night but may tambourine and a homeless never understand its signifman.

I was drunk and didn’t start icance. There’s a chance I’m taking mental notes until lat- trying to trap air here, trying to box in a meaning that eier, so I can’t remember exther doesn’t exist or can be actly how this story starts. found anywhere, but I’m OK I vaguely recall listening to with that. The idea of its imguys playing guitar outside Woodstock’s, then dipping in- portance will suffice for now. side real quick to use the rest- There’s also a chance you room. When I emerged, I de- gleaned nothing from this story and you’re still looking cided to sit on the sidewalk for that advice, so I’ll leave and listen awhile. you with this: If ever you feel I made small talk with the nervous, scared, lonely, retwo guitar players and I left gretful or anxious, just stop with one of them to buy a and take a breath. Stop and pack of cigarettes. When we look around, recognize your returned, the street was deexistence, that you are alive, serted and had closed up that you made it far enough shop. During our first cigto feel these things and long arette, a homeless man enough to remember times stopped by and asked for a when you didn’t. Then take smoke.

We invited him to sit down another breath, and be grateful. with us and I handed him a cigarette. He leaned over, I lit it for him and the three of us At times, NOLAN SHELDON gratefully exists at sat, smoked and listened as nosheldon@ucdavis.edu.

Symphony of sages

T

ological sciences major Daniel Tran.

Ono adds that approximately 70 to 80 percent of all e-mail are spam and phishing messages. Though most messages are caught and dropped prior to delivery, a few may be delivered to a student e-mail account.

“The few delivered spam or phishing messages appear in your e-mail junk folder, and a fewer yet number may make it through to your mail inbox,” Ono said.

To avoid phishing scams in general, Ono states that students should be aware of the following when encountering suspicious e-mail messages.

Phishing messages generally contain no initial salutation, such as “Dear Student.” Phishing messages often describe some urgent action for the email reader, such as visiting a website or forwarding your login account information to a destination. IT Express, the campus help desk, will never ask you for your login account password to be sent or entered into a webpage.

The messages often indicate origination from a campus unit that does not exist.

“Contact the campus help desk, IT Express, to confirm the legitimacy of a

order for Congress to agree on a bipartisan student loan fix, the Senate Majority should send the legislation through the appropriate committee to get a bill that everyone can agree on.”

Chu said the GOP has suggested different options to pay for the student loan fix and the Obama Administration has yet to respond.

In a letter to President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky;

message asking for personal information. E-mail recipients may also independently look up a telephone number for the apparent message sender and contact the sender by telephone to confirm legitimacy of the request,” Ono said, regarding the confirmation of e-mails.

IET attempts to educate students and faculty alike on the importance of internet security, as well as allow users to take advantage of useful links ranging from Multimedia Content Development to Training Services in Classroom Media Training, and the IET web page provides students with readily available “how-to” links regarding internet security, e-mail and computing services and educational technology.

“The campus continues to improve its anti-phishing message filtering.

However, the campus needs to carefully manage such filtering to ensure the filters do not prevent the delivery of legitimate messages — a false positive,” Ono said.

For information about this issue, visit security.ucdavis.edu/antiphishing.cfm.

GHEED SAEED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia; and Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. gave two options to extend the student loan interest rate deadline.

The first proposes to increase federal employee retirement contributions and the second asks to limit the length of in-school interest subsidy, revise the Medicaid provider tax threshold and improve the collection of pension information from states and localities.

A U.S. Department of Education representative,

who asked to remain anonymous, said the department has been engaged in a widespread conversation with college presidents.

“We’re going to do more and the President will do more,” the representative said. “College affordability, access and completion are all extremely key initiatives of this department, of the Administration and of the Secretary of Education.”

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

The california aggie

Science &Technology

wednesday, june 6, 2012 3

Hudson Lofchie

Education & indoctrination *Author’s note: While writing this column, I realize that I make many statements against religion that may offend individuals who identify as strongly religious. I do not wish to offend anyone, and I am merely using evangelical religion as an example of a concept.

W

hat determines whether a child will speak English, Chinese or Spanish?

What determines whether that child will be Democratic, Republican, or Libertarian? Jewish or Christian or Muslim? The brain of a newborn child is a blank slate just waiting to be filled with knowledge and culture. An in-

fant has no language, no political party and no religion. Parents have a huge amount of influence over what their children learn, and what cultural or social phenomena they are exposed to. But where do we draw the line between education, and indoctrination?

To be clear, I am talking about indoctrination in the pejorative sense of the word, different from education in that individuals are expected to never question or critically examine what they are being told. While parents have no control over the nature of their children, they do have control over the nurture.

With the unyielding advancement of modern science, many previously accepted dogmas have come to be viewed as immoral indoctrinations.

Religion, the military and even Western culture demand a level of acceptance, “faith,” if you will, in the ideals that they propose.

Many religions demand belief in a deity, the government demands belief in democracy, and much of Western culture demands belief in industrialization, purchasing power and the perfect tan.

Perhaps the most controversial of these dogmas is the institution of

correct, or, just as importantly, organized religion, although the finding a flaw that will force us to government, and even Western culture, can be justifiably labeled keep searching for the truth. as indoctrinating.

It is ignorant to say that religion has no place in society. It is Religious indoctrination has a shoulder for many to lean on, never been as pertinent an issue as it is today, with many of its a monolith of stability. But why is that? Let’s go back in time. founding principles clashing diNature must have seemed a terrectly with scientific discoveries. rifying and uncertain beast long Scientists accuse religious parago. We cannot fault the people ents of blinding children to the thousands of years ago for attribtruths of the universe, while religious families accuse scientists of uting rain to a rain god, the moon to a moon god exactly the same and the sun that thing.

It is ignorant to say that rose every day to a Some people sun god. believe that scireligion has no place in ence and religion But humans are society can co-exist, with naturally curious. one complementEvery day, sciening the other, but tists and teachthe reality is that religion and sci- ers work to further the knowlence are not compatible, for the edge of the new generations and same reason that education is dif- improve the quality of life for ferent from indoctrination; evan- billions of people around the gelical religion says that the acworld. We now know through racepted knowledge is not to be tional inquiry that fire is not an questioned in any manner, that act of god; it is rapid oxidation. the words written thousands of Earthquakes are not an act of years ago are definitive proof of god; they happen because of tecdivine creation. Science, on the tonic motion. Lightning is statother hand, openly encourages ic electricity, things fall down beanyone and everyone to criticalcause of gravity, life originated ly examine accepted knowledge with abiogenesis. in the hopes of either proving it Religious beliefs are general-

Colorful butterflies share traits by crossbreeding Heliconius butterfly shows rare example of hybridization

By RACHEL KUBICA Aggie Science Writer

While studying the genome of the Heliconius genus of butterflies, researchers at UC Irvine found information not only relating to their abilities to smell and taste, but also the unusual source of their colorful wings. Different species of the Heliconius genus, a brightly colorful family, are able to acquire superior wing colors through crossbreeding.

By studying the way these butterflies use crossbreeding to acquire superior wing colors, researchers hope to learn more about hybridization.

Hybridization, which is considered extremely rare in the wild, occurs when members of different species interbreed.

“This study is important because it now suggests that hybridization may be much more widespread than we thought and that it provides a much faster way for species to adapt than by evolving similar traits from scratch,” said Adriana Briscoe, UC Irvine associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and study co-author.

“The study might prompt other investigators to look for evidence of trait-sharing in other species.”

According to Arthur M. Shapiro, UC Davis professor of evolution and ecology, hybridization can be a creative force in evolution, producing genetic novelties.

“In plants we have long known of and studied, [there is] a phenomenon called ‘introgression’ or ‘introgressive hybridization,’” Shapiro said.

“In this case even a very small amount of hybridization can introduce genes from one species into the other, where they act like new mutations; if advantageous, they will spread

ly based on indoctrination of the new generations. Any thought against the prevailing philosophy, any critical examination of the anthropocentric workings of the universe, are quickly and definitively stamped out and marked as signs of demonic tendencies.

Once again, I want to say that religion is not a target of these criticisms, but is merely an example of the concept of indoctrination. Even science can be guilty of indoctrination. When science vehemently puts down any alternate theories and insists that its way is the correct way, it is removing choice and freedom of thought in the same way that many religious institutions do.

Religion has no place in schools, and science has no place in churches, synagogues or mosques, but it is wrong to raise the new generations with just one view of how the world works. It is the duty of the people raising the new generation to allow the unindoctrinated to choose for themselves what they believe. Without that freedom of choice, we take away what it means to be human.

HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

Coordinating traditional and renewable energy sources

Mathematicians address complex issues in electricity supply

Butterfly

courtesy

and increase in frequency.”

This spread of advantageous mutations can thus improve the overall fitness of the recipient species, which is what is happening in the case of the Heliconius butterfly.

“This study is thus a spectacular animal example of something previously known almost entirely in plants,” Shapiro said.

The crossbreeding found in this genus wasn’t the only important finding in their genome. Because the Heliconius butterflies are active in the day and use their wing colors to attract mates and ward off predators, researchers predicted that the butterflies’ senses other than visual would be weakened. Instead, they found that the butterflies’ senses of smell and taste were similar in strength to night-flying moths, which rely strongly on the recognition of pheromones.

“One of the most obvious morphological differences between a moth and a butterfly is in the shape of the antennae, where on a moth there are vastly more hairs for catching odors than on a butterfly,”

Briscoe said. “We were surprised when we found similar numbers of genes for smell and taste in both.”

The olfactory similarity between these butterflies and night-flying moths could be considered a backup or supplemental method to the butterflies’ usual visual cues.

“If you are a mimetic butterfly you may also have to rely on smell to identify potential mates when you are surrounded by other butterflies that look like you,” Briscoe said.

“Another likely reason is that butterflies have long been in a chemical arms race with their host plants so finding the right kind of food to eat [by using their sense of smell] is crucial for their survival.”

In addition to its implications for hybridization in other species, this study also establishes a precedent in research methods due to the researchers’ use of genomes.

“We were particularly excited by the fact that we were able to sequence the butterfly genome by pooling our money together

See BUTTERFLY, page 5

Powerlines

courtesy

By BRIAN RILEY Aggie Science Writer

With the advent of renewable energy technology, such as wind turbines and solar photovoltaics, the public and quasi-public agencies that operate the U.S. interconnected power grid look for optimal ways to integrate traditional energy sources with new renewable energy sources.

Power grid operators must decide how and when to switch on coal or gas back-up systems when wind or solar energy production drops in local areas. These decisions are made to provide continuity in the supply of electricity at lower costs.

Two UC Davis professors were recently awarded grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to research this coordination problem.

Mathematicians refer to this coordination issue as the “electric power dispatch problem,” explained Roger J-B Wets, a professor in the UC Davis department of mathematics, and one of the researchers working on the project.

Wets is widely recognized as a pioneer in a branch of mathematics known as “variational analysis,” and has worked on mathematical techniques which are being applied to the current problem for many years.

When applied to real situations involving significant levels of uncertainty, the application becomes extremely complex.

Since weather patterns cannot be predicted with certainty, mathematicians use models to find optimal

See ENERGY, page 5

Math helps biologists find size of clot-forming cells Why platelets are the size and shape they are

Cells

courtesy

By RACHEL KUBICA Aggie Science Writer

Using computational modeling, UC Davis mathematicians have developed a mathematical design for figuring out why platelets, the cells that form blood clots, are the size and shape that they are. Platelets are important for healing wounds, but having too many can cause strokes and other

conditions.

Greater knowledge of how they form and behave could have wide implications.

According to study co-author Alex Mogilner, UC Davis professor of mathematics and of neurobiology, physiology and behavior, an understanding of platelet behavior could be important for medicine.

“There has to be a certain number of them [platelets], and they have to be 2-3 microns in diameter for humans,” Mogilner said. “There is a number of disorders associated with either too many platelets, resulting in life-threatening thrombi [blood clots] or too few platelets, resulting in equally dangerous excessive bleeding.”

In addition to holding implications for physiology and medicine, this study is important for modeling the physical forces inside of cells.

Mogilner, along with UC Davis postdoctoral scholars Jie Zhu and Kun-Chun Lee, developed a mathematical model of the forces inside the cells that turn into platelets in or-

der to predict their final size and shape.

“We find that smaller cells always have to overcome a higher force in the hooping filaments [surrounding the cells] to start the deformation,” Zhu said. “Therefore, the size of final platelets could be determined by the barrier force in the filaments — cells will stop dividing if the barrier is too high.”

The balance of the forces within these cells could provide insight into their form, which dictates their function.

“One of the fundamental questions of cell biology is: what determines size and shape of cells?” Mogilner said. “There is a number of mechanisms [within cells], including the [mechanical] force-balance, which we confirmed for platelets.”

Zhu likens the bending elastic filaments in these cells to the experience of drinking out of a water bottle.

“These interesting findings reminded us of a scene that most people probably have experienced when drinking bottled water: If

you try to suck the water out without letting air flow in the bottle, the plastic wall of the bottle will collapse inward, often forming a barbell-shaped cross-section,” Zhu said.

This barbell shape is important in understanding platelets, as it is the shape these cells take in an intermediate stage, as discovered by Mogilner’s collaborators, the Joseph Italiano team at Harvard Medical School. While Mogilner and his colleagues took a computational approach, the Harvard team took an experimental one.

The Harvard team found that the preplatelet cell transitioned from a circular to the barbell shape before splitting into two daughter cells.

“In coming up with a mathematical model, it is always nice to have some experimental data,” Lee said. “It is like watching a baseball being thrown across a baseball park making an arc; it makes sense because it fits our physical intuition and experience.”

RACHEL KUBICA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

THE BACKSTOP 4 wednesDAY, june 6, 2012

The california Aggie

The gridiron abroad Part II on the field Football has taken hold in the high schools and colleges in the U.S., but lacks popularity beyond our borders.

For UC Davis athletes of the late 1990s, though, European shores were a landing place for those who could not make it in the NFL. Football with the Mermaids After graduating from UC Davis in 1998 with a degree in economics, Aggie cornerback Desi Barbour wanted to continue his professional career. Barbour had several stints with the minor leagues in the United States and then decided to take his chances playing in Europe.

Barbour made his way into the Danish American Football Federation, Denmark’s top American

football league.

Like many European players, Barbour was given a contract that featured more than just monetary incentives. He was provided a place to live and a transportation pass to ride the bus or train around the country, in addition to a stipend.

Still, adjusting to Danish life was not necessarily simple.

Barbour recalls an instance during his first week in Denmark when he had difficulty performing the simple task of purchasing a candy bar.

“I asked my teammate if I could borrow some money because I didn’t have any Danish currency yet,” Barbour said. “I was terrified to speak to anyone because they were all speaking in Danish.

It was a bit of a shock.”

When it comes to football, American players in Europe face some unique challenges as well.

While European teams want to employ as many American players as possible, most European leagues, including the one in Denmark, have rules limiting the number of American players a team can have.

Barbour says his teammates referred to Americanborn players as “imports,” something that Barbour perceived as odd.

Still, Barbour’s connection to Denmark has become about more than football.

During his time as a player, Barbour’s girlfriend gave birth to their daughter Melva. While Barbour has never been married, he has continued to make attempts to remain part of

his daughter’s life.

Although Barbour came back to the States in 2010, he is once again exploring the possibility of returning to Denmark as a player so he can be close to his daughter.

But finding ways to make Denmark his permanent home has been a challenge.

“Their immigrations laws are very strict,” Barbour said. “Even if you have a child or you’re married it is difficult to find ways to stay in Denmark permanently.”

Barbour has also written a third-person narrative about his experience as a player in Denmark entitled A Knight in Denmark, which he says was inspired

by Melva.

He expects the book to become available for sale sometime this year.

Domestic Abroad Kevin Daft made a name for himself in Europe as well.

Daft graduated from UC Davis in 1999 and was drafted in the fifth round by the NFL’s Tennessee Titans as a quarterback. After being part of the Titans team that lost in the Super Bowl in 2000, Daft was assigned to the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe, the NFL’s developmental league.

After holding their training camp in the U.S., the Claymores headed to Scotland for the threemonth NFL Europe season. During that campaign Daft led the Claymores to a World Bowl victory (NFL Europe’s championship).

For Daft, it was his first trip to Europe, and he says it was a welcomed opportunity to see the world.

Katie Yamamura neurobiology, physiology and behavior major. Yamamura had already been named to the MPSF All-Academic squad in April before the Capital One list came out.

She was sidelined by injuries during her sophomore year but she came back with a vengeance this year. Head Coach John Lavallee has enjoyed having Yamamura back on the mat this season.

“Yami [Yamamura] has been an anchor performer for us,” Lavallee said.

To top off a nearly perfect season and GPA, Yamamura received the W.P. Lindley Award after being named UC Davis’ most outstanding scholar-athlete in 2012.

She was honored last Saturday during the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame and Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony.

For now, Yamamura can enjoy some much-needed physical and mental rest, as the Aggies will be back to the grind soon enough. UC Davis gymnastics is building quite a legacy in the MSPF thanks to gymnasts like Yamamura and will look to continue its reign next year.

— Kim Carr Katie Yamamura

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

Ethan Ostrom While it seemed that the women’s track and field team was stealing the headlines every week, one of the Aggies’ most impressive contributors this year was from the men’s team.

Junior pole vaulter Ethan Ostrom had a 2012 season that will go down in UC Davis history.

After becoming just the third Aggie in history to top the 5.2-meter mark in 2011, Ostrom continued to soar to new heights this season.

The Cottonwood, Calif. native finished first on three occasions this season, including at the Causeway Classic and the Hornet Invitational.

He also took second at the Big West Conference finals with a height of 5.25 meters, just three inches better than

Ethan Ostrom

teammate junior Mike Peterson, who took third.

Ostrom’s season ended in bittersweet fashion at the NCAA Regional at Texas, where he broke the UC Davis pole vaulting record with a height of 5.35 meters, beating Tom Moore’s mark set in 2001, but came up short of advancing to the NCAA Finals in a jump-off.

Despite the frustrating end to the season, Ostrom will be looking to come back even stronger in 2013.

“To be that close and end up on the wrong end should provide some motivation over the course of the year to come,” said coach Drew Wartenburg.

— Trevor Cramer

Mark Honbo / Aggie

ATHLETE OF THE QUARTER Honorable mentions Paul Politi Junior Paul Politi’s season ended with a 10-game hitting streak intact, topped off with an All-Big West Conference second team selection.

The Los Gatos native manned the hot corner all year for UC Davis, and was the only Aggie to start all 57 games.

The third baseman hit a team-leading .345 for the season – good enough to place him eighth Paul Politi in the Big West – and junior amassed another team-leading 79 hits on the year, which ranked third in the conference.

Politi also led UC Davis

Elizabeth Datino

with 32 RBIs, second on the team with 13 doubles, and blasted three home runs.

His single in the bottom of the 11th against Big West rival Cal Poly provided the walk-off RBI on May 4. His 4-6 performance that day was just one of many highlights in this season of offensive explosion.

Politi will return next year for the Aggies and will look to add to his already impressive batting statistics.

— Russell Eisenman

Junior Elizabeth Datino Centennial, Colo. had a tohad one of the most mem- tal of 12 hat tricks this year orable seasons in UC Davis while also being named to the Intercollegiate lacrosse history.

W o m e n ’ s In the midst of the Lacrosse Coaches first round of the Association AllNCAA tournament, We s t / Mi d w e s t Datino shared the Region second lead for total points team. in all of the counDatino tied the try. Her 54 goals school record with and school record eight assists against 47 assists racked up St. Mary’s last year to 101 total points and now she is five in the season. She Elizabeth Datino assists away from was the only play- junior breaking the aller in the nation to time school record rank in the top 10 for both goals and assists currently held by Christina in the NCAA Division I this Corsa. year.

— Jason Min The steady attacker from

Matt Seramin Not much was expected from the UC Davis men’s golf program, as it was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Sophomore Matt Seramin had other plans for the Aggies for the 2011-2012 season.

Seramin stepped up to the tee in UC Davis’ time of need, leading the Aggies to their second straight Big West Conference title.

The sophomore had only a couple of rounds of college competition from last Matt Seramin year, so his talents began to show later sophomore in the season as he gained experience.

The San Geronimo, Calif. native fired a three under par over the threeround competition to tie for fourth place individually at the Big West Championship.

Seramin had two individual topfive finishes over the season, both coming in consecutive weeks. The week before he finished fourth at the Big West, he placed second at the Winchester Classic in Meadow Vista, Calif. with a one over par.

— Matthew Yuen

See FOOTBALL, page 5

freshman OF THE QUARTER

ATHLETE OF THE QUARTER Junior Katie Yamamura has been positively stellar for UC Davis’ women’s gymnastics team this year.

This season, Yamamura was named MPSF Gymnast of the Week six times. Those honors led to All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors in all four individual events and the all-around, including conference titles in the vault and uneven bars.

Her amazing performance at the conference meet culminated in a MPSF Gymnast of the Year Award.

She held the top regional-qualifying scores on vault, bars and all-around for the MPSF. Yamamura capped off her 2012 season by earning her second bid to the NCAA Seattle Regional.

The Palo Alto, Calif. native impresses off the mat as well. Yamamura was recently selected to the Capital One Academic All-District women’s at-large first team. The honorees are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and Yamamura is now eligible to be named an Academic All-American.

She holds a 3.96 grade-point average as a

“It was a chance to get away from a lot of stuff,” Daft said. “You get a chance to use different money.

They speak English, but with an accent that makes it sound almost like a different language, so it was cool getting used to that.”

Daft says that it was also a transition to get used to the Scottish way of eating.

He says the hotel that the team stayed at did not serve particularly good meals, so Daft began the practice of eating Burger King as a pregame meal.

During the games, Daft was struck by the fervor of the Scottish fans.

European stadiums do not have the same restrictions on noise-making devices that are often prohibited in the U.S. Moreover,

Elizabeth Landry has won the Freshman of the Quarter Award from The Aggie for her exemplary contribution to the women’s lacrosse team. Landry, who made the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team, also collected the league’s Newcomer of the Year award.

“I think that staying motivated and committed to getting better throughout the whole year was a key to my success,” Landry Elizabeth Landry said. freshman The freshman midfielder from Lafayette was all over the field chasing down attackers while leading the charge on the offensive side.

Landry led the Aggies in ground balls (37), draw controls (72) and caused turnovers (31). She also broke the season and singlegame records for draw controls in her first year of play.

Landry showed her versatile talents in the final game of the year where she scored six goals, caused four turnovers and won five ground balls in the 24-10 blowout of St. Mary’s.

— Jason Min

Aggie Digest Track and Field UC Davis track and field will be represented by two athletes in the National Finals, which will be held at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa beginning Wednesday.

Senior Sarah Sumpter placed 12th at the NCAA West Prelim Meet at the University of Texas in the 10,000m run with a time of 34 minutes, 24.87 seconds.

The finish was enough to steal the last qualifying spot for the NCAA Finals in the event. Sumpter, already the Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, will have a chance to further add to her running of accomplishments.

Also traveling to Drake will be Ashley Hearn to represent the Aggies in the discus.

Hearn’s 54.13m (over 177 feet) discus throw was a school record that earned her a ticket to the NCAA Championships.

The Rocklin, Calif. native held the previous record for the event with a mark of 52.7m (173+ feet).

Hearn’s monstrous throw at the NCAA West prelims was good for fifth place overall and first in her flight. She will have three more attempts at the NCAA final round.

The competition is a three-day event spanning from June 6 to 9. Sumpter is one of 24 competitors in her event while Hearn is also in a discus field of 24.

— Matthew Yuen

wednesDAY, june 6, 2012 5

The california aggie

ENERGY Cont. from page 3 solutions in applications involving weather. David Woodruff, a professor in the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, refers to this process as “optimization under uncertainty.”

“The future is always uncertain, but unfortunately we haven’t been able to deal with that as well as we do now,” Woodruff said.

This particular branch of

mathematics, which is known as stochastic variational analysis, involves finding a way to create one special function that approximates the information provided by the hundreds of possible equations involved, Woodruff explained. “[Stochastic variational analysis] essentially provides the mathematical justification to approximate these ultra-difficult problems and obtain guarantees that you get excellent approximate solutions,” Wets said.

The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy sub-agency called “Advanced Research Projects Agency— Energy” (ARPA-e), is a response to concerns that the U.S. is falling behind in its economic security.The purpose of ARPA-e is to fund projects with cost-to-performance ratios that are too high to be attractive to private industry. After the projects are partially developed and costs are brought down, other funders can adapt the results for use in spe-

research groups to study biodiversity on a genome-wide scale.”

Because genome sequences can show Cont. from page 3 the fundamental genetics of a species, they rather than by obtaining major grant fund- are especially important in learning about ing for the project,” Briscoe said. “This sug- creatures across all natural populations, gests that it will soon be possible for small according to Robert Reed, article co-author

BUTTERFLY

football Cont. from page 4

rather than just cheering after plays end, Daft remarked the Scottish fans, in the tradition of European soccer, sing in unison throughout the game.

“Even though some of the venues only held 12,000 people, it

sounded like 30,000,” he said.

Although most NFL Europe teams were made up mainly of American players, the league had a regulation requiring each team to sign at least a few players from their local country.

According to Daft, some of the native players had played college football in the U.S., but some had significantly less training.

cific applications.

The creation of ARPA-e in 2007 was meant to mirror the creation of the original Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) that was created in 1958 in response to concerns that the U.S. was falling behind the Soviet Union in technological research and development. One wellknown successful ARPA project was the ARPANET, which evolved into today’s internet.

The specific ARPA-e program which is providing funding for

and UC Irvine assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, whose lab produced the online database server and genome browser.

“We can learn which genes are involved [in the evolution of ecological traits], how those genes change, and how the genes can

He recalls one wide receiver, who was raised as a soccer player, had transitioned to football relatively late in his athletic career. More notably, however, this player would smoke cigarettes at halftime, which Daft found highly surprising.

Like Barbour, Daft also found a lifelong commitment in Europe.

Daftís girlfriend, whom he met

electrical grid coordination project is called “GENI,” which stands for Green Electricity Network Integration.

According to Sarah Ryan, professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University, the GENI-sponsored project involves “bridging the gap in green energy integration between basic research and implementation.”

BRIAN RILEY can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

even move between populations and species!” Reed said. “This is one of the great frontiers in biology right now — hunting for the specific genetic changes that drive evolutionary change.”

RACHEL KUBICA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

at UC Davis, traveled to Scotland with him. Daft would later propose to her at the famous Saint Andrewís golf course.

After the 2000 NFL Europe season, Daft returned to the U.S., where he played for several NFL teams before being assigned back to NFL Europe as a member of the Amsterdam Admirals in 2002.

Daft ultimately finished his ca-

reer with the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League in 2004, at which point he began coaching.

Daft is now in his first year as wide receivers coach/co-offensive coordinator at UC Davis, where he is preparing for the upcoming season.

TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@ theaggie.org.

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6 wednesday, june 6, 2012

The california Aggie

Parkour presents pleasurable pastime Students take on parkour, share enthusiasm

By KELSEY SMOOT Aggie Features Writer

If you remember watching action-packed cartoons as a kid, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dragon Ball Z, you might also remember feeling that you wish you could do the stunts that the characters performed so effortlessly. Parkour enthusiasts Kyle Turner and Matt Jian agree that their love for the physical art form stems from an early childhood desire to watch cartoons and climb around their environments.

“When I was younger, I never really stopped climbing on stuff. So it’s like a continuation of what children do naturally,” firstyear biomedical engineering major Turner said. “Then one day, a few of my friends went online and found a video of people doing parkour and I thought, ‘Wow, so this has an actual name.’”

Parkour is a physical discipline that emphasizes the ability to efficiently move around obstacles in an environment. In recent years, parkour swept the nation via an internet craze. Turner describes parkour as “the art of movement.”

“I wouldn’t really call it a sport; it’s more of an art form and discipline,” Turner said. “People think you’re only doing parkour if you’re doing crazy flips and stunts. It’s whatever you make it. Vaulting or even just climbing a tree can be parkour. As long as you’re moving.”

Turner also said that the major misconception about parkour is the amount of risk that the activity poses. As a seasoned parkour athlete, Turner says that parkour is much more calculated and logical than spectators believe.

“People who practice parkour have an internal gauge on exact-

ly what they can and can’t do. You begin to know exactly how far you can jump or what your body can handle. You’re essentially training to be careful,” Turner said. “When I’m trying to learn a new move, I repeat it hundreds of times in my head, figuring out the precise movement, visualizing which muscles I will use. Then I practice the motions leading up to it.

If I’m still afraid to do it after that, I won’t do it.”

While parkour is traditionally non-competitive, television shows like American Ninja Warrior add a competitive aspect to some stunts that are similar to parkour. Additionally, Olympic gymnasts often incorporate comparable physical elements.

Sophomore civil engineering major Matt Jian said that for him, parkour will strictly remain a hobby, as it is a community effort and not something that he sees as a competition.

“I see parkour as something that you learn and teach each other. If you’re better in one aspect and someone else in another, you try to help each other to improve in both areas respectively,” Jian said.

Jian also agreed that parkour enthusiasts think their stunts through before attempting them.

“It takes time. I’ve been doing this for a year and when I think back to when I just started, I realize how much I have improved,” Jian said. “You have to know the limitation of your body and assess the situation.

Ask yourself ‘Can I do this?’ and ‘Who is around to help me if I get hurt?’”

Both training partners agree that parkour has influenced and has been influenced by other areas of their lives. Jian said that the perseverance he picked up from being a runner in high school has

Anna Oh / Aggie

UC Davis students Kyle Turner and Matt Jian practice their parkour and freerunning stunts. evolved into the discipline he applies when practicing parkour.

Turner said that parkour has supplied him with myriad tools for life.

“It has taught me to think differently, to be creative, and to be careful and aware. You learn to see obstacles in life as things to get over or around with perseverance,” Turner said.

Senior community and regional development major Camille Mack said that she has seen people doing parkour around Davis and almost always stops to take a picture.

“It’s really amazing what they can do. And they’re just us-

ing their bodies and whatever is around them. They look very skilled,” Mack said.

Jian and Turner both occasionally practice their skills with an organization of parkour enthusiasts called NorCal Parkour.

While they both say their schedules don’t allow for frequent meetings, Jian and Turner each say that NorCal Parkour is a group of skilled and welcoming athletes.

“Whenever I make it out to a weekly jam, it’s awesome. The parkour community is like a family,” Turner said. “If one person learns a new move, they will immediately turn around and try to

teach it to someone else.”

Turner hopes to somehow be able to incorporate his love of parkour into his future career, and commits to always practicing parkour as a hobby.

“I guess I could be a stunt double, but that’s not really what I want to do. I want to do something that could make a major difference in someone’s life.

Through engineering, I could design prosthetics,” Turner said. “As far as parkour is concerned, I will continue to do it as long as I’m capable.”

KELSEY SMOOT can be reached at features@ theaggie.org.

Students get the grade without the effort Professors acknowledge diminished attendance levels

By CHELSEA MEHRA Aggie Features Writer

We all have those friends who flaunt their “free time” at us, claiming they never go to class and still manage to maintain a competitive grade-point average.

As you examine the dent in your nose from falling asleep on your textbook, that soon-to-be-enemy-ofa-friend thumbs his or her perfectly undented nose right back.

It is quite the mystery how these oversleeping, bright-faced know-it-alls successfully complete college by attending a fraction of their lectures.

What’s most surprising about these students is that they are not at all shy about admitting their tricks of this special academic trade.

“I have literally only gone to [Nutrition 10 once] before the midterm. I got an A. Not only do they tell you everything on the exam, but they also don’t change tests year to year and section to section. Teachers don’t really teach you.

They put everything on a PowerPoint,” said Antonia McKee, a sophomore sociology major.

Maureen Clemons, a

sophomore human development major, noted that her method is a selective one, where she will only attend lecture if the professor does not have sufficient slides or if a participation grade is involved.

“Many people have realized that you can review certain professors’ material post-lecture, and t h e re f o re refrain from attending lecture altogether. There are the rare cases, though, where the professor simply speaks from his own notes the entire time or grades participation. I will attend in such instances,” Clemons said.

Those who are simply content with practicing diligent study habits – attending class, doing the reading, visiting office hours – find issues with their peers’ techniques.

“I just don’t get it! He’s an honors student and yet he goes out on the week-

POLICE Cont. from front page newspapers] with no choice but to bring this Petition to protect the public’s right of access to this important information,” the lawsuit states.

In March, the Federated University Police Officer’s Association (FUPOA) filed a lawsuit against the UC Regents declaring that the names of the police officers should be redacted from the Reynoso Task Force Report. The court decided that all of the police officers’ names but Lt. John Pike and former Chief of Police Annette Spicuzza could be redacted from the report because they were already in the public

ALUMNI Cont. from front page due to the lack of restriction on alumni accounts. The change will be automatic, and all graduates since 2008 still using the service will be informed well in advance.

Research is also underway to discover the percent-

ends, has a good time, and still gets good grades.

Wow, how is that possible?” said Aarti Sharma, a sophomore mathematics major, in regards to another student.

Some teachers

Irisa Tam / Aggie

support, but maybe don’t condone, the type of student who can skip class and keep up.

“I don’t think it’s easy to get a good grade without attending class but those data are hard to come by. I am completely OK with anyone who can get a good grade without attending class,” said Sharon Strauss, an evolution and ecology professor, in an email interview.

Her opinion may be in

domain.

“The police federation sued to have all of the names kept sealed. The trial court basically determined that [Lt.] Pike’s name and the name of the chief should be released, but agreed preliminarily that the rest of the names could be redacted,” said Thomas Burke, the attorney representing the L.A. Times and Sacramento Bee. The UC Regents were in favor of full public disclosure of the Reynoso Task Force Report.

The case between the FUPOA and the UC Regents has been settled, and the names have not been officially released. There has been speculation about which police officers were involved, but the public is entitled to an official

age of alumni that continue to use the student service for personal use. Data from this report will influence the means by which the central Information and Educational Technologies (IET) Department will communicate the plans to students and graduates alike.

Measures are also being taken to ensure the opinions of

the minority, as some professors make it a point to conduct lecture such that participation is necessary, not optional.

“Most students attend regularly because I emphasize at the beginning

of the quarter that they will need to in order to succeed in the class. It is absolutely not possible to get a good grade in my class without attending lecture,” said Seeta Chaganti, associate English professor, in an e-mail interview.

Distinguished statistics professor George Roussas

confirmation of the other officers that were involved, according to Burke.

“The settlement of that case, so the reports could be made public, did not preclude or bar a followup public record lawsuit,” Burke said.

As a result, the Sacramento Bee and L.A. Times issued a lawsuit after several denied requests for the official list of names.

“We believe that the [UC] Regents stated publicly that this report was to be made public.

Justice Reynoso said that all of the names were going to be made public, and this lawsuit is about making sure that that’s what happens,” Burke said.

However, David Kidd, President of the UC Davis Police Officer’s

the general population are taken into account.

“We’re planning to reach out to students and talk to them through ASUCD and the Graduate Student Association to discuss these changes and see if there is any feedback from the community,” Youtsey said.

Kimi Wong, a senior biological sciences major

Association, is fearful of the officers being targeted and their lives threatened from anonymous sources around the world if the names are released to the public, which is what happened to Lt. Pike.

“FUPOA is trying to protect our officers from this new type of ‘internet terrorism.’ We go out every day to protect the students on this campus and risk our lives so that people such as you can sit back in relative safety and exercise the freedom of speech, which we all enjoy,” Kidd said in an e-mail interview.

While the police union understands the public’s right to know the names, the Alameda Superior Court decided to redact the names during the FUPOA and UC

who plans to use her student account after graduation, is excited for the new change.

“It’s mainly for communication with professors, if I need to ask them for recommendations or anything official that’s pertaining to UC Davis in particular. I think it’s a good thing in general that we get to keep the e-

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maintained that the student-teacher relationship offers intellectual benefits otherwise forfeited by those who do not frequently attend both lecture and discussion sections.

“It takes interaction with the instructor to explain the fine points; a student may have great difficulty in doing it alone.

Furthermore, discussing exam questions requires thinking, which students regularly attending classes acquire. The same may not be argued for not regularly attending students,” said Roussas in an e-mail interview.

Hannah Kearney, a firstyear materials science and engineering major, found this to be true when her roommate, after not attending her Spanish class since the first week of school, fell behind and missed assignments only presented in class.

Kearney expressed concern when she noticed her roommate was in their room from noon to 6 p.m. instead of attending scheduled lectures.

“I was baffled. And it’s not like you can get away with not attending those classes.

She is graded on participation and has in more than one instance not known about certain homeworks,” Kearney said.

All three professors have found that more students are present on days of examination than on any other day of class.

“I guess it’s inevitable, but there are generally no more than one or two students (out of classes of 70-120) whom I haven’t seen all quarter and only see at the final,” Chaganti said.

Strauss claims that if the class is scheduled early (before 9 a.m.), many students fail to attend. When thinking about how to remedy this problem, she said there isn’t a perfect solution.

“In an anonymous survey, I would have to ask students to report accurately both their class attendance and their expected grade,” Strauss said.

“Perhaps classes with clicker questions could evaluate this relationship; however, classes with clicker questions tend to have better attendance, so they would be a biased sample.”

CHELSEA MEHRA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Regents lawsuit.

“There has to be a balance between the public’s right to know and the right of our government officials to be safe,” Kidd said.

John Bakhit, the attorney representing the police union, could not be reached to comment on the lawsuit.

According to UC spokesperson Brooke Converse, the attorneys representing the UC Regents and the attorneys representing the L.A. Times and Sacramento Bee agreed to submit briefs by June 12 and have set a June 26 hearing date.

Converse had no further comment regarding the lawsuit.

MICHELLE MURPHY can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

mail. It should be that way,” she said.

Evelyn Garcia, a senior community and regional development major, agrees.

“I’d love to keep it, refer back to it, for anything. I have a bunch of internship e-mails, professors that are saved onto my account, just stuff that I saved that would be good for the future. I don’t

mind the name change; it’s understandable.”

According to Youtsey, an exact date for the change to be implemented has yet to be decided.

“It’s still in the planning stages, but we’re looking at roughly a year out,” he said.

ADAM KHAN can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.