January 16, 2013

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 132, number 7

WEDNESday, JANUARY 16, 2013

Renewable energy company proposes wind energy at UC Davis Campus officials reluctant of proposal for wind turbines at residence halls

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Foundation Windpower, a renewable energy company, has proposed a plan to implement two wind turbines that could potentially power 7,500 dorm rooms. pus administration that would put up two wind turbines that could potentially produce enough energy to power 7,500 dorm rooms.

According to Bob Lewis, founder and vice president of sales at Foundation

By JESSICA GRILLI Aggie News Writer

Foundation Windpower, a company that specializes in producing renewable energy, has proposed a plan to cam-

Windpower, if administration agrees to accept the turbines, the company will develop, finance, build, own and operate the wind turbines at no cost to the campus.

“UC Davis and Foundation Windpower enter into a long-term contract where UC Davis agrees to purchase the 100 percent renewable electricity generated by the wind turbines,” Lewis said. “Foundation Windpower uses that to take out a construction loan whose proceeds are used to purchase and install the wind equipment.”

Mike Sheehan, director of facilities services at UC Davis Student Housing, said that hesitation to accept the turbines is in large part due to an uncertainty that the benefits would outweigh the costs.

Foundation Windpower estimates that the wind turbines will save the university over $2 million in energy costs over the life of the equipment.

“We price our electricity so it is cheaper than the traditional power supplied by the utility. We guarantee our price will start below and stay below the utility’s price,” Lewis said.

In addition to economic savings, the wind turbines could provide a source of energy that is safer for the environment.

According to Lewis, the wind turbines are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated by the university by about

See ENERGY, page 5

News iN Brief

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday The City of Davis and Davis Humans Relations Commission will host the 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Celebration on Monday at 10:30 a.m., following the 9 a.m. presidential inauguration. It is a free event and will be at Varsity Theatre, 616 Second St. Presentations and music will be featured in remembrance of MLK and his support for civil rights, peace and nonviolence.

Bay Area resident Sujatha Baliga will give a keynote address. She is a senior program specialist for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, working with communities to implement restorative justice alternatives to juvenile detention and zero-tolerance school discipline policies.

After the keynote address, a panel of community members will discuss discrimination issues in Davis. In addition, the Davis Ad Hoc Community Committee will participate in a sketch called “Breaking the Silence Again.” Local musician Dick Holdstock will play peace and freedom songs before leading the audience in a symbolic march.

The celebration will end at around 11:45 a.m. with a “Freedom March” through downtown Davis.

— Claire Tan

California Alcoholic New Welcome Center to Beverage Control open near Mondavi Center awarded grant Center to act as main hub for visiting prospective students, parents Money concentrates on limiting alcohol purchases by minors

Rachel Du / Aggie

The California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) received an $853,000 grant to reduce underage drinking. The grant money will be split between four programs: Minor Decoy, Shoulder Tap, Trapdoor, and Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs Program.

By KAMILA KUDELSKA Aggie News Writer

On Dec. 4, 2012, the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) received an $853,000 grant, funding a number of different programs that try to decrease the amount of underage drinking.

The grant was given by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Although OTS awarded the grant, the funds will go to support

See ALCOHOL, page 2

By SASHA COTTERELL Aggie News Writer

A new Welcome Center is slated to move onto campus this spring.

The Center will be located in the current Conference Center, across from the Mondavi Center.

Prospective students and parents will be able to use this center to gain more information about the campus, talk with administration and even submit their Statement of Intent to attend the University.

The 8,000 square feet of space will house an auditorium where information sessions and presentations about UC Davis can be held, a breakout room, as well as touch-screen, multimedia kiosks where prospective students and their families can learn more about the campus and departments of interest to them.

Though student tour guides are already available to give campus tours and provide student prospective, visitors are not currently able to get technical answers to their questions regarding admission.

“What’s missing right now is the conversation with administration,” said Walter Robinson, assistant vice chancellor of Undergraduate Admissions.

Robinson was also involved in the development of the initial

Lucas Bolster / Aggie

A new welcome center will be built across from the Mondavi Center this spring. The center will allow prospective students to learn more about UC Davis and have direct access to administrators. idea.

According to Robinson, when students and their families register to visit the campus online, they will have the option of coming for an information session, a campus tour or both. To further add to the visitor experience, there will also be admission advising at the Welcome Center, so students and their families will not have to go all the way to Mrak Hall to have questions answered.

Johanna Kanes, President of the Student Ambassador Council (SAC) and a third-year interna-

tional relations and French major, said that the current space that accommodates visitors is small and shared with the Alumni Center.

“In the Center we will have our own larger space where we can offer a variety of welcome services on a bigger scale and in a more developed way, including videos, presentations, interactive stations, admissions representatives as well as more space for our staff … I think this space will up the level of service we are

See WELCOME, page 2

Chancellor’s Undergraduate Advisory Board assembled to organize projects throughout school year Undergraduates plan for coat drives, cultural fashion week, food fair

By NATASHA QABAZARD Aggie News Writer

The 2012-13 Chancellor’s Undergraduate Advisory Board (CUAB) has been assembled and is comprised of 11 UC Davis undergraduate students who work alongside administrators on major initiatives that impact student life.

Such initiatives focus on enrollment, diversity, international experience and research, among other aspects.

Members of the Board represent various aspects of student and academic affairs. Additionally, there are two Student Assistants to the Chancellor (SAC) who

Today’s weather Clear High 56 Low 32

serve as the coordinators and facilitators for the Board, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and other administrative representatives.

“Currently there are a few projects underway. The most upcoming one is the winter clothing drive in which the Board will be organizing a [clothing drive] to support students during the cold weather. The bigger picture of the clothing drive is to address issues such as why clothing drives are necessary and what circumstances bring about need and what we, as Aggies, can do to address that need,” said Artem Trotsyuk, SAC and a fourth-year biological sciences major.

Beginning in 2010, CUAB was put in Forecast

A large ridge of high pressure will bring warmer weather beginning Wednesday and will keep wet weather out of the area for at least the next seven days. Overnight lows will warm up slightly to above the 20’s and into the low 30’s.

Jonathan Huynh, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

place so that students could serve as a liaison, bridging the disconnect between the student body and University administrators, and encourage engagement and understanding between the parties, according to Michael Matosich, board member and a third-year international relations and political science double major.

“Chancellor Katehi's vision for this year is to address health and wellness. Therefore, CUAB members have been planning a variety of events for the rest of the year that reflect different aspects of health and wellness. The event I am developing is a Health Fair in the Quad that will hopefully offer a variety of ways in which students can be-

Thursday

Friday

Sunny

Sunny

High 56 Low 33

High 60 Low 33

come informed about exercising, eating right and developing wholesome mental health,” Matosich said. “I hope to display fitness classes offered by the ARC's Fitness and Wellness program, counseling services provided by The House, activities

by Outdoor Adventures and local farmers and grocery stores that encourage affordable, healthy and sustainable food and dietary practices.”

For Irtqa Ilyas, a third-year human development and neurobiology, physiology and behavior double major and board member, joining CUAB was of paramount

See ADVISORY, page 5

Did you hear about the scarecrow who won the Nobel Prize?

He was outstanding in his field.

Written by Harry Stanwyck, resident joke master

page two

2 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

WEDNESDAY Orientation Leader & First-Year Experience Information Session 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Tercero Main Lounge Do you want to share your Aggie Pride?

Then consider applying for Orientation Leader or First-Year Experience Peer Adviser positions in Student Housing.

This info session will outline the positions, selection process and application instructions. For more information, see our Facebook event page.

Circle K International First General Meeting 6 to 7 p.m.

Olson 6 Interested in doing community service, developing leadership skills and gaining friendships? Then come out and see what the club has to offer you!

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Davis United Methodist Church Join Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), if you are experiencing difficulties with eating addictions. Meetings are open and free to the public. Visit www.foodaddicts. org for other meeting locations.

ASUCD Outreach Assembly Town Hall Meeting 7:30 p.m.

Mee Room, Memorial Union ASUCD Outreach Assembly invites students to come and participate in a conversation about how ASUCD can become more involved on the UC Davis campus.

THURSDAY Transfer Re-entry Veteran Center Internship Workshop 3 to 4 p.m.

16 South TRV invites all transfer students to join us with guest speaker Kay Nelson from the Internship & Career Center. Learn how to find, apply for and secure internships.

Please email TRV@ucdavis.edu for an RSVP.

welcome

Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Speaker Series: Dr. April Kloxin 4:10 to 5:30 p.m.

1005 GBSF Join Dr. April Kloxin as she gives a presentation on “Dynamic Biomaterials for Controlling the Cell Microenvironment.”

Kirtan Night and Food

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Cal Aggie Christian House, 433 Russell Blvd.

Come join Sikh Cultural Association for its first Kirtan Night of the quarter as we sing glorious praises of the Timeless Being. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the free food afterwards. Bring your friends and learn about Sikhism.

Poetry Night Reading Series: Art Mantecón and Gilbert Rodriguez 8 to 9 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery Join host Andy Jones and special presenters Art Mantecón and Gilbert Rodriguez as they read poems from their selected works. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat, and to sign up for a spot on the Open Mic list.

FRIDAY BPSHI Presents: Provoked — A True Story 7 to 8:30 p.m.

26 Wellman Join the Baghat Puran Singh Humanitarian Initiative for their Social Justice group’s first event for their Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Project. “Provoked” is based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a Punjabi woman who endured 10 years of physical abuse and rape at the hands of her husband. There will be a short discussion afterwards; everyone is welcome to attend.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, email 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.

Wittman, Recruitment and Training Chair of the SAC and a fourth-year genetics major.

Wittman said that the Center will be integral during the busiest visitation months — end of March through the beginning of May — when the University garners thousands of people and can reach up to over 300 scheduled visitors daily.

Cont. from front page able to provide as well as creating a motivating and creative workplace,” she said.

The Center will also house meeting rooms, offices and space for tour guides to prepare for tours.

“We are giving guests large quantities of information without sacrific- SASHA COTTERELL can be reached at ing quality,” said Margaret campus@theaggie.org.

lidity, one of the largest brick structures in the world. It stands firm in angry, red defiance of our modern steel Sean buildings that sway in the Lenehan wind.

The cobblestone streets attacked the arches of my feet Memory with all the malevolence of a crotchety senior.

Beer, a drink that was initially brewed before the first crusades, is traditional. At the time it was preferred to drinking water, as it was more sanitary.

If Bruges was a country, its recently took a trip to chief export would almost Bruges, Belgium — a certainly be oldness. slightly unconvention What I found myself wonal stop for the American dering is what it would be abroad. It’s a name that usulike to live in Bruges — to ally precedes reaching for a overtly live in history. When map. you live in a house that was If the goal of a vacation is built in the 15th century, you to become lost, I succeeded are reminded of how old the on accident. It turns out this was necessary to find out not world is every day.

It requires an especially just where, but also when, I anachronistic frame of mind was. to accept that your home What little I knew about and office are medieval, that Bruges is that it is very beauyou may get around by horse tiful and very old. That stateand buggy if you wish, and ment can be applied to most that it’s all something worth places in Europe. tweeting about.

Bruges is notable because Human activity in the what is old is never separate.

Bruges area predates the The old is never established Romans, and it’s not hard to as The Other. imagine by looking around.

Stonehenge, for examThis calls to mind all the ple, is a tourist attraction people that lived before the to gawk at before returnpresent. All those that built ing to modern life. Fannythe belfry and dug the capack toting, camera-armed nals that attracted me to rubberneckers can exit Bruges have the highlong since way, take a Any effort to draw attention disappeared. few snaps and drive away from heritage, history and This is a context that off again. tradition is to be scrutinized is lacking in I’ve nevDavis. Our er actualplace in time ly been to is not so immediately apparStonehenge, though a ent — it takes a little more Welsh guy I met told me as meditation. That we live in much. history is a concept so hugely Stephansplatz Cathedral, obvious that it doesn’t come in Vienna, sits among modup very often. ern clothing stores in the Another seemingly impershopping district. Sightseers ceptible truism is our morare shared between the old tality. Most college students and new. do not think about this. Why By comparison, Bruges is should we? absolute in its ancientness.

If life is anything like a colThe large majority of buildlege course, then death is its ings in the center of the city defining topic. This will beare hundreds of years old. come more apparent by the The same goes for the canals midterm. Yes, you will be and roads that transport the denizens of this fanciful town tested on this.

Kitschy tourist traps notthrough space and time.

Bruges is a museum. Most withstanding (there is a museum in Bruges that features everything has great signifia life-size chocolate model cance and the past constantof President Barack Obama) ly intrudes on the present. wandering the streets has a Things are not to be moved tempering effect. Just as you around. Redevelopment is a appreciate how many came curse word. There will be no before, you see there will be skyscrapers. many after.

Medieval landmarks still To recite some platitudes: dominate the skyline, and live like there’s no tomorrow, most likely always will. Any effort to draw attention away life is short, YOLO and all that. from heritage, history and Our lives are a blip on tradition is to be scrutinized. the spectrum of time. We In the town square there is shouldn’t take ourselves too a belfry tower completed in the 1400s, its bells ringing out seriously. If that upsets you, on the hour. There are wood- remember that you don’t have to take me or this colen windmills. There are so umn seriously either. many swans it seems as if all swans must be from Bruges.

It’s all nauseatingly pretty.

You can email SEAN LENEHAN with existential The tower of The Church crises at splenehan@ucdavis.edu, but what’s the point really? of our Lady epitomizes so-

Living in History

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alcohol

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Cont. from front page underage drinking mainly through the suppliance of underage drinkers rather than concentrating on driving under the influence violations committed by minors.

“Actually, it is [grant money] splitting between four programs: Minor Decoy, Shoulder Tap, Trapdoor, and the last program is called Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) Program,” said John Carr, the public information officer of ABC. The first program, Minor Decoy, is used when underage individuals — under the direct eye of police officers — try to buy alcohol from retail licenses. Retailers who sell to minors may potentially be fined a minimum of $250, given 24 to 32 hours of community service for the first violation or both. ABC may take administrative action as well, resulting in the suspension or permanent withdrawal of the alcoholic beverage license.

A similar program, the Shoulder Tap, aims to catch adults who buy alcohol for minors near or at ABClicensed businesses. A decoy approaches an adult at or near the license retailer to ask for alcohol, making it clear that they are underage. Again, the minor acts under direct supervision of police officers.

The penalty for an adult buying alcohol for minors is a minimum of

and her face fell toward my stomach.

Though I didn’t want to see it, I felt my lap and my Leo elbow get wet, so I gently Ocampo redirected her and aimed Some her gushing mouth toward the tub.

Shake Not surprisingly, I later found out that it had been her very first time.

She’d been acting so cocky and so playful about getting to smoke, so I guess I naturally assumed it was an everyday thing for her. If I had known she had nevhe other night this er smoked anything in her pretty girl threw up life, I would have been a on my lap after her gentleman and offered to first hit off a brand-new at least light her up myself Hello Kitty pipe. so the hit would’ve been She had taken a really gentler and she wouldn’t long inhale, and the flame have had to swallow so was burning the bowl the much dirty heat. entire time, so it must’ve It all got me thinking been unbearably hot. about my first time, which, At first I was surprised; to be perfectly honest, I not a lot of people can take can’t at all remember. so much so deeply, and I I don’t remember what was strangely impressed.

I was initially trying to acBut it became obvious that complish, and I don’t reshe had no idea what she had just gotten herself into. member if my first time taught me any sort of les For some reason, that son, which is ironic benight we were hot-boxing cause it also doesn’t feel my friend’s bathroom with like it happened that long the lights off, so except for ago. the lighter’s flame, the en I’m pretty confident, tire room was as black as though, that while I outer space. might have ended up do A couple of us were scating something stupid that tered throughout the room: I was sitting on the tub, oth- night, my first time for sure ers on the sink, on the floor, did not end with me vomiting up what anywhere felt like bersolid. ... it was admittedly a decent little ries and hot The pretty girl, firework show as she spit burning mud.

This pretwho was pieces of weed all over ... ty girl’s first sitting on time is more the toilet, memorable, sparked up not only beher lighter and brought it cause it was difficult and to one end of her pipe and a little entertaining to sucked vigorously on the watch, but also because other.

For a long while her head it left me with so many questions. and her hands were about Why was she so eager the only things that were to smoke if she had nevvisible in the room, but beer smoked before? Most fore she could finish her people I know smoke to long-ass hit, her face reddened and her eyes swelled relieve tension or pain, but I doubt that’s what up as if someone had just she had in mind. Her beput her in a choke hold. havior left me wondering She gave a cute, piggish snort and coughed out into if she was really just trying to fit in. her pipe, coating it with I don’t blame her for drool. wanting to try it out, but It was quite a turn off, I don’t believe she should especially the part where have treated it as if it she wasted a good bowl, but it was admittedly a de- would be just another way cent little firework show as to party and get fucked up.

We would have all had she spit burning pieces of weed all over the darkened a much more pleasant experience if she had been room. more honest with herself Someone immediateinstead of acting like she ly turned on the light and had something to prove. went to help her, but she The pretty girl was fine, tried to play it off as if she by which I mean, she was had not just incinerated in perfectly good health by her lungs. She leaned tothe end of the night, but ward me with her eyes all teary and her nose all slimy the whole ordeal taught me a good lesson about huand said “your turn,” while manity and the universe ... offering me an empty pipe.

I just can’t remember it at I took it off her hands, the moment. and she burped in my face.

I moved a bit to the side to give her room to sit on LEO OCAMPO knows many other ways you the tub, but she burped can keep from embarrassing or hurting yourself on your first time. Just ask him at again — except this time, a little bit of smoke came out gocampo@ucdavis.edu.

My first time

T

$1,000 and 24 hours of community service.

Another program is the trapdoor operation.

“Trapdoor operations are when ABC agents and local law enforcement work undercover to check the IDs of people coming into bars and restaurants. They work at the door and when need be, [they] confiscate fake IDs,” Carr said.

The Trapdoor operations’ main goal is to reduce the number of minors with fake IDs, as well as opening leads to find more information about counterfeit operations and ID “mills” that make fake IDs. Minors who are caught with such IDs are at risk of being arrested.

Carr said the programs allow people to see the consequences of selling liquor to minors. Amanda Chen, a second-year cell biology major, said she doesn’t think the programs are unethical due to their intentions.

“It probably works,” Chen said. “I don’t think it’s a trick because they are trying to lower the [age] of drinking alcohol. But I still think it will not ultimately lower the amount of minors acquiring alcohol.”

Although many people think the programs are invasive, numbers show otherwise. Statewide, about one out of five retailers will sell alcohol to minors. The compliance rates are 80 to 85 percent.

In addition to programs catching retailers who sell to minors, ABC makes sure businesses are able to ed-

ucate themselves on the California state laws on alcohol. The LEAD program provides free, voluntary classes to educate retail licensees, their employees and applicants on alcohol responsibility and the law.

Westlake Market is a local market that has an ABC license to sell alcohol.

“Nobody besides myself [has taken classes offered by ABC]. We don’t require it of anybody. I have taken them since they have been required by other regions,” Westlake Market manager Scott Holmes said.

The grant money will also be directed to 15 mini-grants, which will be awarded to local California enforcement agencies to operate the Minor Decoy and the Shoulder Tap programs.

Many retailers who sell alcohol make sure that they do not sell to minors by requiring anyone who is purchasing alcohol to show IDs. “We card anybody that looks like they are under 30. We only take United States-issued IDs and passports. We do not take out-of-country ID cards or passports,” Holmes said.

Even with ABC’s efforts, 15 to 20 percent of ABC-licensed businesses are still selling alcohol to minors.

“There is still work to be done in California. We need to educate.

Raising community public awareness is a real key to keeping young people safe,” Carr said.

KAMILA KUDELSKA can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Science &Technology

wednesday, JANUARY 16, 2013 3

The california aggie

Cancer research from nature’s bandits

Defense of Monsanto

Racoons provide breakthrough in study of tumor formation

By KELLY MITCHELL Aggie Science Writer

Since March 2010, necropsies have revealed raccoons with a significant similarity. These specimens, studied by the scientists at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis-led California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS), all had tumors. Raccoons, with their short lives, are not known for getting tumors so it was rare to find cancer in multiple cases as the cause of death.

Through study of the tumors, researchers discovered a new virus that is believed to be the cause of these tumors. This newly described virus was named raccoon polyomavirus. Polyomaviruses are known to cause cancer under lab conditions,

but since cancer usually takes time to form, little is known about their effects in natural environments.

Besides the raccoon polyomavirus virus, Linlin Li, a doctor at the Blood Systems Research Institute, also identified other animal viruses including dog kobuvirus, dog sapovirus, dog bocavirus, dog circovirus, bovine astrovirus and gray fox amdovirus.

These viruses affect many parts of the animal, including multiple parts of the intestinal tract.

“Raccoons have short life spans and generally speaking cancer is a disease more likely with age,” said Patty Pesavento, associate professor of anatomic pathology at UC Davis. “In humans the exposure to polyomavirus precedes cancer by decades. We’re not sure

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Racoon

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whether this is a transformative event caused by the virus or whether these raccoons are in some way immunocompromised (have weakened immune sys-

tems) or exposed to anthropogenic (human-made) pollutants.”

The majority of these raccoons were found in the

See RACOON, page 5

Giving gifts or expecting favors?

New study looks into the science of reciprocity

Primates

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By NICOLE NOGA Aggie Science Writer

With

the

New

Year

comes resolutions to eat better, make a career change or to just be a better friend. With a high

volume of birthdays approaching in the coming months, the thought of getting something for your roommate or distant friend may cross your mind, especially since you are subliminally expecting something from them.

People may deny such thoughts and claim that it is all out of the goodness of their heart but studies using primates as models say otherwise.

Adrian Jaeggi, a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and a junior research fellow at the campus’ SAGE

Center for the Study of the Mind, conducted a study to answer the question of reciprocity — resource exchange between individuals — using chimpanzees and bonobos as his subjects.

“Many primates exchange grooming, social support or even food sharing on a reciprocal basis.

Most of this reciprocity happens in the long-term fashion … the evidence for immediate exchanges is much more limited,” Jaeggi said. “This suggests

See RECIPROCITY, page 5

Shedding light on the unseen world Remembering Carl Woese’s revolution in microbiology

By ALAN LIN

Aggie Science Writer

When American scientist Carl Woese passed away Dec. 30, 2012 at the age of 84, he left behind an outsized legacy built on the study of the world’s smallest living things. In the past several years, this field has provided dramatic new insights into the pervasive influence of microorganisms on human health, global climate and the evolution of all life on earth.

By pioneering analytical methods that have since become commonplace at biological research centers such as UC Davis, Woese and his colleagues at the University of Illinois discovered in 1977 a hitherto unrecognized third domain of life — known as the Archaea — distinct from what had been the conventional two-fold division of the living world into bacteria (prokaryotes) and everything else (eukaryotes). Not only did the

discovery spark an upheaval in the scientific community, but Woese’s methods also established for the first time a tree of life that fully incorporated microbes, which occupy virtually every branch on the tree.

“He just brought a lot of order to a lot of chaos in dealing with microbes,” said John Ingraham, an emeritus professor in UC Davis’ microbiology department and who is currently writing a book on the relationships among organisms in which Woese figures prominently.

The chaos stemmed largely from the challenges microorganisms present to traditional classification schemes: Many are virtually indistinguishable when viewed through the microscope, and they have left little in the way of a fossil record of evolutionary descent. Woese’s key insight was to look deep into the molecular makeup of organisms for an identifying marker. He found it in a type of gene shared by all organisms,

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which codes for a component of the cell called ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Woese compared the slight variations in the composition of rRNA gene sequences of dozens of microorganisms in order to determine their evolutionary relationships, known as phylogeny. In the course of this painstaking work, Woese found that

See WOESE, page 5

So you want to like wine but don’t know how Food for thought ... and wine

Wine

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By ALAN LIN

Aggie Science Writer

and then blog about the unfairness of big corporations.

Now don’t get me wrong — I do understand that there is a fundamental difference between bad labor practices for Hudson something you wear or use, Lofchie like a computer, and a genetically modified food product that you assimilate into your body. There is an intimacy related to food that does not exist with shoes or computers; the food that you eat is broken down on a molecular level and literally becomes part of you. want to talk about some After doing my homework thing today, and I hope for this column, I came to the that it does not result in realization that there are in my office getting burned fact many reasons to hate, or down. But I work in a baseat least avoid, Monsanto. ment, so I guess its not that First, the excessive enforcemuch of an issue. Genetically ment of patents. Monsanto modified crops — devhas customers sign end-user il incarnate or world savior? license agreements (EULAs) Solution to the hunger prob- that prevent the replication lem, or a capitalist venture? and even the study of their Each of these holds a little seeds. These EULAs forbid bit of truth, and I want to ex- independent research and plore a side of the debate that can block unflattering findisn’t normally discussed in ings from being published. the press — Another GM crops frowned Good products cost more. upon pracas the good guys.

That’s business. That’s how tice is the implementa When the world works tion of the talking Terminator about geand the netically modified crops, Monsanto Zombie. The infamous is, for the most part, the cen- Monsanto patent #5,723,765, a.k.a., the Terminator gene, terpiece of conversation. is for a gene that makes all Debates, if they can even be seeds of Monsanto crops called that, are riddled with completely sterile. The hearsay, rumors, myths, “I Zombie gene is similar to the read this” or “I heard that.” It Terminator gene except that seems to me that most peosterility can be reversed by ple simply have absolutely no idea what they are talk- spraying a chemical, made by ing about. And those who do Monsanto, that triggers fertilhave some knowledge on the ity. subject are focusing on all the One of the last points I wrong things. want to make is that the general public has an uncan As bad press and political heat goes, Monsanto is on ny knack for rememberthe sharp end of it more often ing every mistake in histothan not. The “liberal” media ry and forgetting the good parts. Monsanto is often paints Monsanto as a mean, heartless company, set on de- condemned as as the manstroying any and all competi- ufacturer of Agent Orange and the other “Rainbow tion.

Herbicides” during the So Monsanto has some rather shrewd business prac- Vietnam War. What surprises me yet again about the pubtices … all successful comlic is that they cry murder for panies do. They have some a chemical that was meant of the most consistentto kill crops, and had the unly stable stock prices on fortunate side effect of stillWall Street, and have earned births and infant deformamassive investments from tions, but that same public both Bill Gates and Warren seems to develop complete Buffet. So what is it about amnesia regarding compaMonsanto that the public nies who design products finds so appalling? Most of with the sole purpose of takthe arguments I have heard ing life. There are easily close against this company are to a hundred weapons manthat Monsanto destroys the ufacturers just in the United small farmer. While many States. small farmers are bankrupt by lawsuits with Monsanto, And finally, I want to talk it is merely the result of about consumer stupidity.

Monsanto defending its inHate me, don’t hate me; I retellectual property … to the ally don’t care, but it is my death. honest opinion that the average consumer is not edu Monsanto makes a large percentage of its money from cated enough to know what a GMO is, or educated enough licensing patented genes to make decisions about to other companies. They GMO legislation. I read dozhave contracts with Dow Chemical, Syngenta, Novartis ens of bloggers’ posts about GMOs and many of them are and many others. Monsanto under the idiotic impression is truly ruthless in its negotithat GMO is a chemical that ations when licensing out its is added to plants. patents, and it should be.

No one is forcing these Monsanto may have questionable-at-best legal praccompanies to license with tices, but they have achieved Monsanto, no one is forcing farmers to buy Monsanto the ultimate corporate sucseeds. But good products cost cess — government support more, and consumers (farm- the likes of which hasn’t been ers and other corporations in seen since the times of John D. Rockefeller and Standard this case) are willing to pay the premium that Monsanto Oil. Our government turns a relatively blind eye toward charges for good products.

Monsanto’s activities because Good products cost more.

Monsanto has branded itself That’s business. That’s how as “agents of a future prosthe world works.

There is some humor I find perity that will trickle down to all.” in this situation, and that is the complete hypocrisy of the Let’s for one moment hoards of internet users who imagine a world withrush to vilify Monsanto. How out Monsanto. Without the many of the people writing Golden Rice engineered by about this company are typMonsanto, millions of maling on a computer made by nourished individuals would Apple and manufactured by die every year of Vitamin A Foxconn? A computer made deficiency, and nearly half in factories with such terria million more from blindble working conditions that ness caused by Vitamin A deFoxconn had to install bars ficiency. on the windows to prevent I am by no means suggestsuicides due to low pay and ing that Monsanto is a good illegal overtime. Employees company. Their level of soeven need to sign away the cial standards leave much to right for their family or any be desired. What I am saying of their descendants to sue is that if you want to launch the company in the case of a campaign of hate and prodeath. I myself am guilty of test against a multinational, owning multiple Apple prod- multi-billion dollar compaucts. I am willing to pay that ny, at least educate yourself premium because Apple enough to know what you are products are beautiful and talking about. functional.

And ask yourself this: How many of these writIs it worth sacrificing the ers are wearing Nike shoes, hundreds of thousands of manufactured by children lives saved every year by paid pennies per day? I find it Monsanto’s products just to completely asinine that these destroy the company that individuals who claim to hold bankrupt the small farmer themselves to such a high down the street? moral standard are so selective in their moral battles.

HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@ They buy a $2,000 computer theaggie.org.

As a species, humans have historically held a unique relationship with fermented grapes. The ancient Greeks devoted an entire god’s worth of worship to them, Dionysus. For the past few millennia, the French have held the tradition of producing wine very dearly. Even wealthy Northern Californians have a longstanding history of growing, strategically smashing and, after waiting a while, drinking the contents of these berries. Such a long and colorful relationship leaves the medium of wine

with a lot to be appreciated. This can be evidenced by the emergence of a multi-billion dollar wine industry. But even with all that being said, what is it about wine that people like so much anyway?

So many first-glass-of-wine stories involve a sip followed by a mild wince and a strained, “It’s really good.”

And then, often unfortunately, an, “I guess I just don’t really get wine,” tends to follow. What is it about wine

See WINE, page 5

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Notice to Readers 25 Lower Freeborn Hall, UCD One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616 Editorial: (530) 752-0208 Advertising: (530) 752-0365 Fax: (530) 752-0355 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Events BRUNCH WITH THE SCIENTISTS! Nothing to do on a Saturday? The Genetics Club is hosting our annual brunch with the scientists! Eat and mingle with researchers in the fields of biotech, medicine, genetics and ag science. WHEN: SAT. Jan 26, 2013 10am-1pm @1132BAINER. ADMISSION: $5 Presale for members, $7 for nonmembers. $10 at the door. Contact Lauren @lamwalker@ucdavis.edu

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FOR RELEASE MARCH 15, 2010

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle The california Aggie Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Month with showers 6 Auctioned auto, briefly 10 Journalist Nellie 13 Egypt’s capital 14 Ancient Greek district 15 Corned beef bread 16 Kids’ game with an “it” 18 Nest egg item, for short 19 Bridge supports 20 Curving pitch 22 Garment bottom 23 Suffix with methor prop24 Alley competitor 28 Backyard play apparatus 33 Like some college walls 34 Employed 35 Caesar’s 1,051 36 Author André 37 Fall apple drink 38 Pass’s opposite 39 Single 40 City on the Ruhr 41 Group of lions 42 Nuclear treaty subjects 44 9-Down footballer 45 Corn discard 46 The Atty.

General is head of it 47 Low-level clouds 50 Icy formation at either extremity of the Earth’s axis 55 Peeper 56 Today, to Caesar—and a hint to the hidden word appearing in this puzzle 15 times (including the one in this answer) 58 Classic Jaguar model 59 Jeans material 60 “What’s in __?”: Juliet 61 Japanese money 62 Has a sandwich 63 Brawn

3/15/10

By Lila Cherry

DOWN 1 Eight, in Berlin 2 Twosome 3 Bike outing 4 Enrages 5 Despised 6 Perot of politics 7 Denver-toChicago dir.

8 Crusty desserts 9 San Francisco Bay city 10 Wedding party member 11 Old Greek stringed instrument 12 365 days 14 As above, in footnotes 17 Met, Nat or Card 21 Beethoven’s “Minuet __” 24 Archie Bunker type 25 Like lambs and rams 26 Like most modern TVs, picturewise 27 Reb general 28 Square’s four 29 Birdhouse songbird 30 Suffix with bombard

Tuesday’s Saturday’spuzzle Puzzle solved Solved

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

31 Drop in pronunciation 32 Flooring specialist 34 Yokel’s possessive 37 27-Down’s org.

38 End of most work wks.

40 Oceanic reflux 41 Dr. Denton’s, e.g.

43 Ode title starter 44 Massage deeply 46 Dire fate

3/15/10

47 Like a sheer negligee 48 Small child 49 What’s on your mind 50 Trident-shaped letters 51 Hindu princess 52 Prefix with apple 53 Summit 54 Relieved cry 57 Tolkien tree creature

Sudoku

Hard

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit.

So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

WEDNEsday, january 16, 2013 5

The california Aggie

What the puck?

Aggies stay perfect in SoCal road trip

By LUKE BAE

Aggie Sports Writer

The UC Davis Ice Hockey Aggies remain unbeaten and sit comfortably atop their division with a record of 12-0.

The Aggies traveled down the I-5 to Riverside for a match against Chapman University (2-11) and came out victorious Friday night. By a score of 16-5, the Aggies extended their winning streak to 11. This game was the first of two on the Southern California road trip.

Head coach Spenser Wagner realized that playing a game following an eight-hour car ride would be challenging.

"We came out really strong," he said. "From past experience, it can be hard to drive all the way down and play well. But the team obviously has a lot of offense and we won and that's the most important thing."

Since many of the players' family members live in Southern California, the team was supported by friends and family. Senior Andy Chung certainly enjoyed having his aunt and uncle watching from the stands.

"It was actually nerve-racking because they've never actually seen me play before. It kind of boosted my confidence too, and so it was good to have them [there]," the defender said.

With another game the next night, the team traveled

energy Cont. from front page 5,500 tons every year.

“This is equivalent to the greenhouse gas reducing effect. [It is] equal to planting about 1,500 acres of trees,” Lewis said.

Since 2011, Lewis and his team at Foundation Windpower have been collaborating with campus administration to understand and analyze the cost and benefit of this project in both financial and environmental terms.

“At this time, we have not pursued wind energy as we have been advised by consultants that this is not an optimal area for wind harvesting,” Sheehan said. “The other challenges with wind turbines [are] their requirement for a significant amount of land, their creation of visual challenges and when deployed in the wrong area [their danger] to local birds such as the Swainson’s Hawk.”

According to Lewis, the company conducts regular bird-monitoring at many of their projects and has not had any issues with injuring birds.

“We have proposed these turbines to be

further south to take on UC San Diego (7-1) in a game of undefeated teams.

The late Saturday game was scheduled for a 10:45 p.m. start, which allowed the team to relax before the big game.

As the players watched the Baltimore Ravens barely edge out the Denver Broncos, they knew that they had a tough UCSD team ahead of them. Because of the consecutive days of playing, players and coaches took a laid-back approach prior to the game.

"It was a nice cool-off moment,” Chung said. “It’s a good bonding moment and getting to know each other on a more personal basis."

Even with a chance of a perfect season on the line, senior Joey Koressel did not approach the game any differently from the rest.

"We go in every game preparing the same way. We know we have to come out hard in the beginning and obviously for road games, it's a little tougher because we have to travel," the captain said.

Koressel attributes the team’s success to strong defensive tactics.

"We have a defense-first mentality. We know we're going to score goals but our main focus is to keep the puck out of our own net,” he said.

near the freeway and the University substation, so we expect the same results we’ve had at our eleven other locations,” Lewis said.

John Pimentel, co-founder and president of Foundation Windpower, said the campus’ adoption of wind energy could spur opportunities for academic research and knowledge about renewable energy.

“Curriculum could be created on how renewable energy projects are envisioned, permitted, financed, constructed and operated. Environmental studies on the benefits of the project and biological studies on its impacts could become part of UC Davis course offerings. We think this is a marvelous fit with the UC Davis’ unique mission and reputation as environmental and biological thought leaders,” Pimentel said.

However, the academic aspect of wind energy on campus might already be covered.

“We have a small wind turbine on the roof of Bainer Hall,” said Case Van Dam, professor and chair of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department on campus.

“It doesn’t power the building; it’s more for education purposes — for research.”

Although consideration to set up the turbines has been in the process for two years, Sheehan emphasized that developing a well

raccoon

WINE

Cont. from page 3 North Coast and one in Oregon. Eleven so far were found in Northern California, including Marin and Yolo County.

“The tumor types described in these raccoons, which are tumors of the olfactory system, have never been reported in this species,” said Federico Giannitti, a researcher at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “We can consider this a new species of emerging disease.”

However, this does not mean that it is restricted to just this area.

“Raccoons are not necropsied unless they are seen with nervous signs (signs of rabies) and there is a chance of human exposure. Necropsy with diagnostic testing is expensive and funding has to be available for disease surveillance in wildlife, which it is not in many states,” said Leslie W. Woods, professor of clinical anatomic pathology at UC Davis. “Some of the raccoons with neurologic disease are sent to veterinary diagnostic labs, and those get a full necropsy, including rabies testing. There may be many more tumors out there, but surveillance is spotty and infrequent.”

There could be other cases that simply were not fully studied due to these reasons, but it is thought that this virus remains in the West Coast.

Of course, concern arises if this is a disease capable of spreading to other species, especially humans, but according to Pesavento, this spread is doubtful. “[It’s] very difficult to say ‘at all’ when it comes to natural disease. Viruses are very clever,” she said.

Further studies will be needed to see the connection between the virus and the formation of tumors. Luckily, raccoons are ideal to study in this case since they have short life spans, about 2 to 3 years, which means they can provide a good model for studying the virus. Also, more research will be needed to see if humans had a part in propagating the new virus. Since raccoons exist in habitats very close to us, our actions can easily influence their lives.

These studies could be a great part of our steps toward a better understanding of cancer and how it forms.

“We finally got the complete genome of the [racoon polyomavirus], which was the basis of the following study,” Li said.

Cont. from page 3 that draws such a large following?

Some might say that wine is an acquired taste.

The flavors have nuance and intricacy. It takes a refined palate to appreciate a refined drink.

These statements are popular, but don’t tell anybody much about anything, let alone appreciating wine. If anything, the language used is divisive and only associates a layer of stiffness and pomp to the industry and prevents a more widespread enjoyment of the drink.

How about some helpful advice? According to Dongha Luong, a UC Davis alumnus and enologist at Acacia Vineyards, “People generally look for a nice bouquet, nice mouth feel, a strong body that can stand the test of aging without falling apart and finish. Color and clarity are also considered, but usually aren’t as important.”

To break it down, the bouquet is the smell of the wine and the lingering scents after one drinks it. Smell is an important component of wine flavor, since the way the human body detects taste is via chemoreceptors on the tongue that send signals to the brain in the presence of specific molecules. While the thousands of

KELLY MITCHELL can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

RECIPROCITY Cont. from page 3 that single events are negligible, and primates balance exchange over longer time frames; they have ‘friendships.’ The function of friendships is to ultimately increase reproductive success by helping the individual to have more surviving offspring.”

The researchers gave food to certain individuals in the chimpanzee and bonobo groups and then observed the success rate of other individuals depending on whether they groomed that individual prior to receiving food as a gift.

The chimp group demonstrated a lot of longterm exchange rather than immediate reciprocation. Chimps have long life spans and stable social groups, thus more lasting relationships form between individuals. Because of these friendships, chimps generally shared food with their partners and friends regardless of grooming. Bonobos, however, presented a different result. The bonobo monkeys were much more likely to groom before taking food.

Jaeggi said that bonobos participated in more grooming behavior because they sought the calming effects of the endorphins.

WOESSE Cont. from page 3 not everything that looks like bacteria is bacteria. A special kind of microbe known to produce methane, for example, turned out to belong to an entirely new class of organisms, later named the Archaea, which then took their place on a newly established universal tree of life built entirely from genetic information.

“What’s most astounding about Carl’s discovery is that it was done in a time when sequencing was really laborious and time consuming, and so this was really a labor of love that Carl did to put these organisms on a tree and [go] out on a limb to say there’s a new domain of life,” said UC Davis microbiolo-

They stayed true to their philosophy by defeating UCSD by a score of 11-3 and pushed their winning streak to a dozen.

"Everyone was skating hard, really flying out there. We played strong defense and wore the other team down," Wagner said.

Freshman Gordon Dickson led the pack, totaling eight points, and sits atop the league leaders in points with 78.

A strong sense of camaraderie surrounds this team off the ice and the results have been evident in the rink.

The shores of San Diego are recognized as having some of the best beaches in the world. Although 57 degrees is not considered warm by any stretch, the weather was nice enough for the Aggies to enjoy their Saturday afternoon tossing around a football on the West Coast sand before the game.

Wagner summarized the team’s mindset nicely.

"You need to focus during the game or in practice so we try to keep the team really amped up and excited, and at the same time, we're here to have fun. We're not the military," Wagner said.

The Aggies will have a rematch with UCSD on Jan. 19 at 2:15 p.m. at Vacaville Ice Sports for their next game.

LUKE BAE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

thought-out and strategic plan for on-site renewable energy and alternative energy is a priority for UC Davis.

“Currently, there are solar electric systems and solar thermal systems serving many housing and campus properties.

Student Housing has photovoltaic panels on Alder, Thompson and Miller residence halls, [the] Segundo Dining Commons, Segundo Services Center and the Tercero Dining Commons. Solar thermal systems are operating on the Cuarto Dining Commons and the Campbell, Potter and Wall residence halls,” Sheehan said.

According to Van Dam, a few wind turbines have also been set up and utilized by local businesses.

“There’s now four or five in the area …

They provide most if not all power to the local business, and thereby [reduce] the electric energy that these businesses take from mostly PG&E in this part of the world,” Van Dam said.

Lewis and his team at Foundation Windpower are looking to finalize negotiations with administration before the expiration of wind tax credits at the end of 2013.

JESSICA GRILLI can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

advisory Cont. from front page importance.

“The reason why I was compelled to join CUAB was because I wanted to bridge the gap between the administration and student body.

Last year, as the student representative on the Executive Committee in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, I realized that the administration really does care about students, but this emotion does not really come across while tuition and the price of our education is increasing,” she said. “As a member of CUAB, I would like to see more opportunities where students and administrators can engage in healthy conversation to build a positive image of each other.”

Applications are for the 2013-14 CUAB are accepted in the fall.

NATASHA QABAZARD can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

taste buds on the tongue are significant in how people perceive their foods, the millions of olfactory chemoreceptors in the nose also play a crucial role. Try holding your nose the next time you eat and taste the difference.

Mouth feel, as the name would suggest, describes the characteristics of the fluid itself — whether or not a wine is viscous or watery. The mouth feel might make a glass of chardonnay seem “buttery.”

Body is a little harder to explain. When describing the body of a wine, people often refer to the tannic levels. Tannins are molecules often associated with the ripening of fruits.

“Tannins are responsible for that sour puckering taste in wines,” said Lynn Anderson, a local wine enthusiast.

People tend to describe really tannic wines, like Cabernets, as big-bodied and bold-tasting.

Less tannic wines, such as Zinfandels, are usually considered semi-sweet and lighter.

Finish is the taste that lingers on after the sip is finished and leaves the drinker with something to reflect on afterwards.

Winemaking comes down to a lot more than crushing grapes, adding yeast, waiting a while and drinking what’s left. Many things like soil type, yeast genetics, even the chemistry happening in the machinery, the packing and the

transport methods have to be taken into careful consideration when going from grape in the field to wine in the glass.

This end combination of flavors is the result of a careful production process that starts with growing the right grapes the right way and then processing and fermenting them under carefully monitored conditions. For instance, acids are added to wines that are intended to be crisp to give them tartness. Additionally, selecting for increased potassium carbonate makes some reds feel velvety.

According to Kathleen Go, a UC Davis alumna currently working for the Livingston Winery, the levels of added sulfurous anhydride have to be kept within strict parameters.

“Too much would cause problems of color and taste, but too little would spoil the wine,” Go said.

Ultimately, when people taste wines, they‘re looking for something in particular, whether it be a sweetness, a bitterness or even simple alcohol. In the end, the winemaking process yields a great variety of flavors enjoyed by many, once people get an idea of what they’re looking for.

“And there we did see an effect of grooming on sharing,” Jaeggi said in the initial press release. “Chimps would go and take food pretty confidently, but bonobos were more reticent.

They’d reach out and then groom. It seemed to be that they’d groom to release tension, and then there would be these short-term reciprocal exchanges.”

As far as what these findings say about humans, they reveal clues about the distant past and why favor exchange has evolved within our society. “[This study] suggests that friendships are an evolutionarily old feature, going back at least to our last common ancestors with chimpanzees and bonobos … Food is shared between families in order to buffer the risk of coming home empty-handed,” Jaeggi said. “This research indicates that this precondition of reciprocal relationships was already present in our last common ancestor and might have facilitated the evolution of a hunting and gathering lifestyle.”

Chris Swanson, a fourth-year anthropology student at UC Davis, commented on how Native American tribes used gift exchange as a demonstration of wealth. The tradition, known as potlatch, was reciprocated in a grander fash-

ion by the receiving tribe and the cycle started over again.

“The potlatch was a way for leaders to strengthen their social position,” Swanson said.

Studies done on reciprocity are also related to altruism in humans. Altruism, as defined by psychology, is a motivational state with the goal of benefiting someone else’s welfare — though there is a lot of debate among and within the fields concerned with human behavior about what the underlying motive actually is. “[We] have shown that where monetary rewards are concerned, roughly 20 percent of college students behave altruistically,” said Edmund Fantino, a professor of psychology at UCSD. “[That is] being willing to give up resources in order to give a windfall to an unknown other.”

Whether or not you are fully aware of the subconscious reasoning for why you give gifts, looking at our gift-giving behavior in our closest ancestors has given us detailed insight into the psychology and evolutionary behavior of humans. The practice of giving a cup of sugar to your neighbor may yield more than just a cup of sugar in return.

gist Scott Dawson, who worked with Woese last year on a study of cellular evolution. “It took a lot of courage to do that.”

At first, scientists by and large ignored or disputed Woese’s controversial results, which were first published in the November 1977 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. But as Woese and his collaborators continued and refined their studies, the new methods eventually became fundamental to the study of the microbial world.

Advances in rRNA sequencing have allowed researchers to begin compiling vast libraries of genetic information on microbes sampled from environments as diverse as the human gut, sulfurous ocean vents and the inside of clouds. Jonathan Eisen, a UC Davis microbiologist who stud-

ALAN LIN wants to know more about what to look for in wine and can be contacted at science@theaggie.org.

NICOLE NOGA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

ies microbial ecology and evolution, said Woese easily deserved the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology given the profound application of his work for classifying pathogenic microbes by analyzing their phylogeny.

“What he did is transform classification of microbes into a very rigorous, useful tool where you could say something about the organism and it meant something,” Eisen said.

“That single-handedly led to revolutions in understanding causative agents of hundreds to thousands of diseases.”

And then there’s that third domain of life. Follow-up studies to Woese’s 1977 paper have shown that the Archaea, which are often found in extreme environments such as boiling hydrothermal pools, are more closely related to the eukaryotes —

which includes the plant and animal lineages — than bacteria. Dawson said that these implications of archaeal biology are still being absorbed by the scientific community. “[Woese] opened up a whole world of biology we didn’t know about,” Dawson said. “Still now, a lot of people don’t understand the distinction or the implications of it. When you have something that really pokes at the foundation of what we think we know, it can take a generation to get the ideas solidified.”

More information on Woese’s life and work can be found on Eisen’s blog,phylogenomics. blogspot.com/2012/12/rip-carlwoese-collecting-posts-notes. html.

OYANG TENG can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

6 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

The california Aggie

Downtown rundown A look into the convenient lifestyle of downtown dwellers

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Living in downtown Davis allows for residents to circumvent cold bike rides and crowded buses.

By JOYCE BERTHELSEN Aggie Features Writer

While sitting on her front porch, Bridget Bugbee watches a highly inebriated guy struggle to stay on his bike before falling off in front of her house. Bugbee offers him some water, but in his drunken stupor, he declines and flirts with her instead. He then declares that he is on his way to get more beer and hops back on his bike, only to fall once more at the end of the street.

The secret life of downtown dwellers has many eventful stories, and witnessing drunken activities is only one of them.

The convenience of location is certainly one of the most appealing factors of living downtown, according to many.

“I would say I eat [at restaurants] more [than people who don’t live downtown],” said Bugbee, a fourth-year English and communication double major.

“But I also do other silly things. I’ll go to farmers market just because it’s super

close, and I’m going to buy random things I don’t necessarily need like honey or something,” Bugbee said.

While other students struggle to bike for miles in the cold, have to wait for a crowded bus or need a car just to get groceries, downtown residents can simply walk to the store or campus.

“I love it,” said Annika Flink, a fourthyear wildlife, fish and conservation biology major. “It’s great. It’s my best year so far, and I think it has to do with the fact that we live downtown. It’s just close to everything.

We can walk anywhere and rarely drive. A lot of my friends are close by [and] campus is so close. It’s nice to not have to worry about factoring significant amounts of time to travel from place to place.”

The decreased use of cars also meets Davis’ green standard of living. With the accessibility of restaurants, bars and shops at residents’ disposal and the campus a mere walking distance away, the world of downtown seems to be haven for a collegestudent-efficient way of managing financ-

es. The money that is saved from gas can instead go to pricey textbooks, pricier tuition or the bars. A convenient social life certainly becomes easier to attain as well.

“Since we’re so close, I significantly have gone out more,” Flink said. “I don’t know about eating out, but definitely on weekends, we go to bars and stuff.”

But, arguably, the saved money from gas may simply compensate for the notoriously steep rent. Flink shares a three-bed/ three-bath place with three people, who split the $2,050 monthly rent. Others have to share a room to halve a $1,400-per-bedroom rent.

Still, some residents have a better deal than others. Bugbee, who shares a threebed/three-bath house with four people, pays $590 out of the $2,580 total rent per month. Others also pay as low as $438 on F and Eighth streets for a two-bed/one-anda-half-bath residence.

“For how expensive Davis is, I’m paying a decent amount,” said Art Middleton, a master’s student in creative writing who

shares a two-bed/one-bath house with one person and pays $600 out of their $1,200 monthly rent.

Downtown living also allows Middleton to enjoy the luxury of having a backyard, in which he said he has hosted events without much complaint from neighbors.

With restaurants so close, however, it is difficult to avoid the allure of going out to eat.

“It’s easy for me to go out to eat when I live next-door to a really good falafel place,” Middleton said. “I can easily convince myself to go out to eat, [and] it’s much easier to convince myself to go see a movie, too, considering I live close to all the theaters. And that definitely doesn’t help the wallet.”

Part of downtown’s entertainment also includes the (drunken) events that occur throughout the day and night, including Bugbee’s encounter with the lumbering bicyclist.

“Our trashcans are always flipped over,” Flink said. “I think people just go through and kick them over. I’m assuming it’s probably drunk people, but I’m not entirely sure.”

Trashcan flipping may indeed be a common activity, having also been seen with Bugbee’s trashcans, as well as at other apartment complexes. Still, there are even more peculiar sightings by downtown tenants.

“Last spring, we had three different runs of streakers down the street,” Middleton said. “[And] my neighbors across the street have chickens, so the chickens often get out of their pen and come across the street and hang out. It’s always funny to listen or watch people interacting with the chickens, like, ‘Where did these chickens come from?’”

However, downtown residents also worry about safety and inconvenience factors. Because it is in the middle of everything, there is certainly more traffic. Car traffic is a hassle when biking to school, while Bugbee said that foot traffic interrupts her sleep when there are track meets or practices early in the morning in spring.

Fraternity and sorority parties, people screaming, couples fighting and other loud noises can be heard during weekend nights. The strident noises of the farmers market crowd can also interrupt an early Saturday morning.

Still, even with the weekend nuisances, the convenient location may outweigh downtown’s shortcomings.

“It took me waking up on my first day living here [and] packing a bag to go to the library for the first time to realize that [campus] is five minutes away,” Middleton said.

“So it’s great. I can’t really trade [that] for anything.”

JOYCE BERTHELSEN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Balancing kids and books UC Davis boasts child care options for student parents

By ALYSSA KUHLMAN Aggie Features Writer

Try choosing between bottles and books — not beer bottles, but baby bottles. Do you choose to make your sweet but crying child a bottle or try to finish reading that last paragraph of your textbook?

Many UC Davis students attend classes while also rearing children. But just how do they do it? Kyle Tos, a first-year physics graduate student, is expecting a baby with his wife Devin Tos, a biology graduate from Texas Christian University. The baby should conveniently come right around March 22, in the midst of finals week.

“I think he’s more stressed than I am,” Devin said.

“She doesn’t have to take finals,” Kyle said. “I talked to the professors and they were pretty chill; they said I could take an incomplete and finish it next quarter.”

When asked what they admire most about student parents, both agreed it was the entertaining and unique anecdotes of such a parent’s daily life.

“I have a fellow physics grad student friend and I just really like seeing his Facebook statuses with a picture of the baby crying and [him posting] ‘Well, I guess I’m not studying tonight,’” Kyle said. “[My kid] might make me a little more motivated to get [my work] done faster. It’ll be tough to have to choose between a physics book and my newborn … I’m not at all [a procrastinator].”

Kyle plans to budget his time wisely for his family and his classes. “[Currently I’m] taking three classes right now and assistant teaching three classes for Physics 9B … [next quarter] I plan to take three classes and assistant teaching.

Anything beyond that is just not doable. I need to look more into maternity leave,” Kyle said. “Guys usually get maternity leave; my brother got two or three weeks off. So I’ll probably get one more week after spring break.”

Kyle and Devin agree that parenting while attending school is much more manageable with only one parent in school.

“I just finished taking a medical assistance class, so now I’m looking for something to do until the end of March,” Devin said. “[After the baby is a certain age] I eventually want to be a physician’s assistant but I need to get all my experience hours in first. I need about 1,500 to 2,000 hours of that to apply.”

For parents who are full-time students, it can be hard to budget time between playing with their children and studying. Such parents often use external childcare. Jay

Belsky, UC Davis professor of human development, agrees that the time spent outside the sphere of the parents must be replaced with caring individuals in order to still nurture the child in a healthy social and emotional environment.

“If the quality of care when the parents are not there is good, meaning the quality is attentive, responsive, caring, then everything is great … but if there is a student that arranged to have their child cared for by someone who's not responsive and caring, then that's not in the child's best interest,” Belsky said.

UC Davis has many options to help campus community members care for their children, such as the Hutchison Child Development Center. Director Teresa Heath attests to many of the attending children belonging to young parents.

“I would say the youngest parent is 21 and our oldest parent is probably 40,” Heath said. “There are about 20 [students whose children attend our center].”

In addition to daycare, UC Davis also helps student parents through subsidies offered through the Work Life Program.

“There are different grants and different subsidies that come through the work life office, and they pay for part of the tuition of the children,” Heath said.

Kyle’s schedule is already filled with studying and teaching, yet next quarter spending time with his new son or daughter will also take up much of his schedule.

“That’s the nice thing about physics — not every minute is spent in the classroom.

You go to class, learn a little bit and then spend hours and hours on homework. So I can do that while being at home, watching the kid,” Kyle said.

Kyle and Devin both encourage other graduate students considering having kids that the reality can be manageable.

“I think it’s possible, more so possible, if you’re not both grad students. If just one of you is, it makes you more flexible,” Devin said.

“I would always say go for it, ‘cause I like kids. I think if you have some people that help maybe once a week or a few times a week, then it makes it easier,” Kyle added.

In the end, student parents are respected for their juggling of studies and family, and their effort to continue to fulfill their education to make a better life for their children.

“The extent that the parent is going to school to improve their life prospects, that’s in the child's best interest. It shows they’ll be more satisfied with their lives," Belsky said.

ALYSSA KUHLMAN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.