February 13, 2013

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 132, number 18

wednesday, february 13, 2013

Yolo Basin Foundation to host Duck Days

News iN Brief

Fire at University Court displaces students

Event educates families on birds, environmental issues

By MELISSA GAHERTY

At 1:30 p.m. on Monday, a fire broke out at the University Court Apartments at 515 Sycamore Lane.

Eight apartment units were damaged.

The incident was considered third-alarm status, with 35 firefighters from UC Davis, Woodland, Dixon and West Sacramento fire departments assisting. At least 15 residents are displaced.

One person was trapped on the third floor, requiring the firefighters to tear down the walls. Two residents were treated for smoke inhalation.

Davis Fire Marshal Tim Annis told The Davis Enterprise that it appeared the fire began on the first floor and traveled up the wall to the third floor.

By 3 p.m., the fire was under control. The apartments were not equipped with fire sprinklers.

According to Annis, the sprinklers weren’t required and wouldn’t have helped in the situation due to the location of the fire.

It’s estimated the total damage is between $300,000 and $500,000. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

— Claire Tan

Verizon store robbed On Monday at around 7 p.m., the Verizon store at 500 First St. was robbed.

The suspect came into the store asking to look at some merchandise. While the clerk was assisting him, the suspect began to remove products from the storage cabinet. He stated he was armed with a weapon although none was seen.

The suspect is described as a white male adult with light brown hair, 5’11” tall and about 215 pounds. He was last seen unshaven and wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a white skull and World War II helmet on the front, blue jeans and blue and white sneakers.

— Claire Tan

Aggie News Writer

The annual California Duck Days will be held on Feb. 23 at Yolo Basin Wildlife Area Headquarters from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be an opening art show for the event on Feb. 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Davis Art Center. This event is free to the public and the art is provided by five high schools in Yolo County, including Davis High School and Woodland High School.

“Duck Days is a great family base.

It’s an inexpensive way to have fun with the family and get kids outdoors.

Duck Days raises awareness of wetlands and wildlife,” said Ann Brice, co-executive director of the Yolo Basin Foundation and head coordinator for Duck Days.

The event is open to people of all ages and is free for children under 16 who come with their parents, with an exception for the cost of field trips.

The event includes many activities like fowling, mystery bird trips, fishing as well as field trips and workshops led by many bird experts and about 25 environmental organizations.

The mystery bird trip has been led by Terry Colborn, Yolo Basin Foundation board member, for about five years.

“I use a spotting scope to focus on the bird with fine detail and watch their behavior. Everyone gets really excited, including the kids,” Colborn said.

“Those who have never been birding before have no idea that there are all these beautiful birds within a few miles of their home. It’s really a public service to spread this awareness.”

courtesy

Duck Days is a multifaceted event that features events such as falconry demonstrations (pictured) and field trips to see elk.

Robin Kulakow, executive director of Yolo Basin Foundation, not only believes in this sense of public service brought on by Duck Days, but also believes in environmental awareness.

“It’s a great introduction to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area along with environmental issues. Our goal is to educate and inspire people about the wetlands of Central Valley,” Kulakow said.

New events this year are the field trips to Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in Bay Area to see elks, and the Nimbus Fish Hatchery trip in Sacramento.

“One of the most popular events is the raptors of Central Valley,” Brice said. “They go out and look for winter raptors with top birder John Sterling.

This and the field trips always sell out quickly.”

Yolo Basin Foundation provides many of the volunteers for the event, along with two UC Davis service groups, the Rotary Club and Alpha Phi Omega, both of whom will help set up the events.

Kulakow has been involved in this event since it began 20 years ago. It has gone from a community-run event to a nonprofit and was eventually taken over by the Yolo Basin Foundation 10 years ago.

“People come from all over the region — from Sacramento, Napa and

See DUCK, page 5

Students plan to rally against privatization Blow the Whistle on Privatization day to take place today Zach Land Miller / Aggie

Tercero Phase III is currently under construction

by Sundt Construction.

UC Davis campus construction update List of major UC Davis buildings in construction, development According to Gary B. Dahl, director of project management at UC Davis Design and Construction Management, there are around 100 projects in planning, design and construction on campus.

Provided below is a list of the major projects in design with estimated cost and completion dates: •January 2013: The Old Davis Road repair, $3 million •End of February 2013: King Hall, $15 million •March 2013: Veterinary Medicine 3B Lab Building, $58 million •April 2013: Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building, $4 million •Summer 2013: Hutchison Drive relocation, $1 million •December 2013: Respiratory Disease

Today’s weather Partly cloudy High 68 Low 39

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

Students will rally today at noon at the Memorial Union (MU) to speak about “blowing the whistle” on privatization and to address the alleged ongoing privatization of the University of California.

Students for a Democratic UC encourage students to call the whistleblowing hotline for all UC campuses today to report on what they call the various abuses and violations of the UC Regents

Center, $18 million •August 2014: Tercero Student Housing (Phase 3), $88 million

and administrators.

“As with all actions of this kind, awareness is always the first goal, and then, hopefully, inspiration to act — we want the students and people of California to realize that public education is in the process of being destroyed, and unless we resist this transformation, we will soon be living in a society without even decent institutions of public higher learning to enrich our lives and educate our citizens,” said Robin Marie Averbeck, U.S. history graduate student and

member of Students for a Democratic UC. “If we do not seriously reverse track, we are going to end up with a system of higher education public only in name — because fees will be so high that more and more students will be unable to afford to attend, lest they want to go into even more outrageous debt than many currently are in. By taking this action, we are refusing to be commodified.”

According to the UC whistleblowing page, the hotline service allows students to report various incidents, in-

cluding economic waste or misuse of university resources, conflicts of interest, public health and safety, retaliation, discrimination or harassment and more.

Brooke Converse, University of California Office of the President media specialist, said the University has no comment at this time.

The UC whistleblowing hotline is (800) 403-4744.

Students report confidentially and can choose to report anonymously.

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

ASUCD executive candidates participate in Coffee House debate

The following estimated costs and completion dates are for buildings in design: Designing for Tercero Housing (Phase 4), has already begun •May 2013: UC Davis Welcome Center, $2 million •2015: Seismic retrofits for Olson, Freeborn and Wright Hall, $6 million •March 2015: Music Recital Hall and Classroom building, $15 million •December 2015: International Complex (Phase 1), $27 million •December 2015: South Valley Animal Health Lab, $4 million •May 2016: Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, $30 million

ASUCD executive candidates participated in the Winter Quarter elections Coffee House debate on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Candidates on the executive ticket are Carly Sandstrom and Bradley Bottoms (NOW), Migz Espinoza and Lane Lewis (FUQ) and independent candidates Paul Min and Sergio Cano.

Candidates discussed various issues, including the Campus Community Survey, ASUCD involvement and administration relations.

Audience members were also given the opportunity to ask questions.

The event was hosted by The California Aggie.

The Senate candidate debate will take place today at 2 p.m. in the Coffee House.

— Muna Sadek

— Liliana Nava Ochoa

Forecast Nice weather to have a picnic all the way up to the weekend.

Enjoy the three days off!

Roberto Martinez, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

Thursday

Friday

Partly cloudy

Sunny

High 72 Low 43

High 72 Low 36

Tomorrow is the Aggie’s Best of Davis Issue!

Be sure to stop by the newstands and find out what you all voted as the very best of Davis.

Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 wednesday, february 13, 2013

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

WEDNESDAY Black History Week Presents: Soul Speaks 6 to 9 p.m.

Student Community Center Multipurpose Room Come for a night of multi-cultural expression, showcasing the many soulful talents of the beautiful identifying members and allies of the African Diaspora of UC Davis.

Clubs and Experimental College Workshop 3 to 4 p.m.

114 South Join the Transfer, Reentry and Veterans (TRV) Center for their clubs and Experimental College Workshop.

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

Davis United Methodist Church Free yourself from excess weight and/ or obsessional thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Meetings are open and free to the public.

Visit foodaddicts.org for other meeting locations.

THURSDAY Black History Week Presents: Black Research Symposium Noon to 2 p.m.

Student Community Center, Meeting

Room D UC Davis researchers from various fields will share their research during the interactive symposium.

FRIDAY Davis Live Music Collective Presents: Camper Van Beethoven 7 to 8 p.m.

Davis Odd Fellows Hall Monday Come for an evening of music with Camper Van Beethoven. $18 advance tickets are available at Armadillo Music or davislivemusic.com. Tickets will be available for $20 at the door. The show is open to fans of all ages.

SATURDAY Davis Live Music Collective Presents: Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer 7 to 8 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Theater Come for an evening of music with Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer. $16 advance tickets are available at Armadillo Music or davislivemusic.com, or you can purchase tickets at the event for $20.

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.

Campus Judicial Report Ringer When a teacher’s assistant noticed an unfamiliar name on the sign-in sheet during a math exam, he called the student to the front of the room and confirmed that she was not enrolled in the course.

However, her Scantron bore the name of a student who was in the class. The TA referred both students to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for academic misconduct.

In his meeting with a Judicial Officer, the enrolled student admitted that he had asked his friend to take the exam for him because she had previously taken the course. He agreed to accept deferred separation status and to do 15 hours of community service for his dishonest behavior.

Altered tests and re-grades A student in a science class was referred to SJA for submitting several altered quizzes for re-grading. Because the professor photocopied the graded quizzes before returning them to the students, she was able to pinpoint noticeable differences between the original quizzes and the

resubmitted quizzes. It was clear that the student had changed several answers on each of the resubmitted quizzes in order to receive more points. When meeting with a Judicial Officer, the student admitted that he altered the quizzes in order to get a higher grade. He received a zero on each of the quizzes he had altered, which led to a significantly lower grade in the course. In terms of disciplinary sanctions, he accepted disciplinary probation and 20 hours of community service.

De-stressing with Beer Pong A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs by a resident advisor (RA) for the violation of housing policies. After hearing sounds, the RA knocked on the door of the loud room and consequently found a resident playing beer pong with several other students. Upon meeting with the Judicial Officer, the underage resident admitted that she had violated housing and University policy regarding the possession, use and distribution of alcohol. She received a censure for the violation.

Library site is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Mondays 6 to 8 p.m., while the Owendale Community Center site is open Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m.

To make an appointment to file taxes with VITA, or for more information, call (530) 309-8879, or visit their website at sivdavis.com.

VITA

Cont. from page 6 able to see the results of their efforts, and they are able to really help,” Hernandez said. “It’s such an eye opener to see college students on a Friday night helping their community.”

VITA filing for 2012 taxes takes place at two locations in Davis, three times a week until April 15.

HANNAH KRAMER can be reached at The Mary Stephens features@theaggie.org.

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

Chaucer, who once wrote “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.” However, whether this was Feb. 14 or some other date is still unSean clear, as Chaucer wrote beLenehan fore the modern calendar.

Unfortunately, we’ve forgotten exactly who’s to blame for all this, but we can still decide why Valentine’s Day resonates today. Forgetting our own romantic past is part of alentine’s Day is althat resonance. most here, something We know that the most many of us may wish vivid memories are associto forget. If you’re in a reated with strong emotion. lationship, then bully for And romantic love surely you. That’s just great. counts. It was a novel emoYou’re celebrating, while tion once, perhaps not too we’re commiserating. You long ago for some. To those can stop reading now. Go who haven’t loved yet, the away. spotless minds, forgive my Maybe love is elusive, ranting. but it’s not hard to find. It’s We might be content perpetually redefined in in our youth to rememour songs, TV shows, movber more. Better memoies, books — whatever you ry allows us to recall everylike. We are reminded evone’s name, every answer ery day of love (or lack on a test, where we left our thereof ). damn keys. Then we fall in Such a brazenly gaudy, love. vulgar, fake, evil, discrimAt the cost of soundinatory holiday must be ing cliché, the first love is unnecessary … writes the the best and the worst. It’s lovelorn single. something worth rememValentine’s Day says who bering and forgetting at the we love is no more imporsame time. Inevitably, it’s tant than when we love hurtful, and it’s a frame of them. Bless the fool who reference for the future. neglects buying flowers Each year, when until the Valentine’s 15th. He’ll Day rolls end up like We validate the holiday with around, the rest of our wallets, if not with our our personus. al lives are hearts To be so perversesingle on ly called to Valentine’s the fore. It’s Day compels us, howevhard to fight painfully deer unfairly, to find somebilitating memories of past one. A date on the calendar loves — whether it was the puts love on a timetable. first, or the second, or the It’s a task to be completed third, or you’re a fool who by next year. falls in love with everyone Whether you like it or you meet. not, the day has signifiBut Valentine’s Day is cance, that much is clear. for fools, and I mean that According to a recent in the best possible way. consumer report done by Science is now backing American Express, 6 milFreud’s theories on willlion proposals out of 14 ful repression of bad memmillion this year will hapories. Substituting those pen on Valentine’s Day. memories with equally inHow original. tense emotional experiWe validate the holiday ences can mask what hapwith our wallets, if not with pened before. our hearts. Total spending Sharing your life with a for Valentine’s Day 2013 is new significant other, creexpected to reach $18.6 bil- ating new memories of lion. We will spend $1.6 bil- love, are one of the most eflion on candy and $1.9 bilfective methods for getting lion on flowers. over the past. Foolishly forCondoms reach their getting the past is an imsales peak in February. portant part of living in the Despite best efforts, home present. You don’t need a pregnancy tests reach their scientist to tell you that. sales peak in March. This The chalky candies, holiday is full of surprises. flowers, diamond rings and Where did all this kneeoverpriced dinners (and bending, gift-giving and sex!) are as much an act of rumpy-pumpy come from? forgetting as they are a celI present some (incomebration of love. plete) history: Maybe only fools take There are at least three part, but only fools fall in martyred Christian saints love. They’re the ones who named Valentine or open themselves up, with Valentinus. One legend defull knowledge of their scribes Saint Valentine per- vulnerability. forming illegal marriagI humbly prescribe, es. In another tale, he falls without any pretense of in love with a girl who visoriginality, lots of foolishits him in jail. Allegedly, he ness this Valentine’s Day. sent her a note before his Hopefully it won’t be too death, signed “From your unforgettable.

Valentine.”

These stories of roSEAN LENEHAN was only fooling with the mance were popularized bitter single act, but you can still totally email him at splenehan@ucdavis.edu. by authors like Geoffrey

Forgetful Valentines

V

Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

Joey Chen Copy Chief

Jonathan Wester Business Manager

Brian Nguyen Photography Editor

Caelum Shove Advertising Manager

Janice Pang Design Director

Muna Sadek Campus Editor

James Kim Asst. Design Director

Claire Tan City Editor Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Adam Khan Features Editor Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

Amanda Nguyen Night Editor Allison Ferrini Asst. Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director David Ou New Media Director

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor One Shields Ave. 25 Lower Freeborn, UCD Davis, CA 95616 Editorial (530) 752-0208 Advertising (530) 752-0365 Fax (530) 752-0355

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Water pipes

B

Workshop focuses on improving energy efficiency

Aggie Staff Writer

Rebecca Peterson Opinion Editor

ing within it. The whole process leaves you with a cool, manageable puff of smoke that is a lot tastier and easier to breathe in than the painful rush of Leo heat that you get with dry Ocampo pipes.

While seasoned smokers actually enjoy the heavier, harsher hits, firsttimers understandably find them extremely unpleasant and painful.

Bongs function in pretty much the same manubblers are definite- ner as bubblers: smoke is ly one of my favorite drawn, filtered, collected and then breathed in. engineering feats.

But the biggest differTheir clever design allows ence between bongs and you to suck out the funbubblers, besides their ny smoke while a little bit of splashing water filters it size, is the lack of a carb.

In bongs, there is no and makes it more pleaspesky carb to worry ant on your throat and lungs. If you’re a first-time about. Just like with bubblers, when you take a hit smoker, or if you’re an enoff a bong, most of the gineer, I definitely recomsmoke will build up and mend you get yourself a remain inside it. However, bubbler. once you’re ready to reBubblers, unlike regular, dry pipes, require a lit- lease all that smoke, instead of letting go of the tle bit of water to funccarb, you’re supposed to tion properly, but everyremove the bowl. thing else is essentially This is another particthe same. ularly tricky part about Like most other kinds smoking that most people of utensils, bubblers usuhave a difficult time with. ally have a little hole on Physically, the act of rethe side of the bowl called moving the bowl feels a a carb. For some reason, little awkward, not only learning to use the carb is because it requires finesse usually the hardest part and coordination, but also of smoking for beginners. because But it’s not it feels much different from There is this terrible unwritten like you’re pulling a rule ... that says all glass somehow trigger. pieces must eventually break breaking the bong.

If you But I can are rightreassure handed, you this is not the case. it is a lot easier to smoke The removable bowl acif you hold the piece with tually acts exactly like a your left hand. While this carb. While the bowl is in seems counterintuitive place, the entire bong is and awkward, it leaves completely sealed and inyour dominant hand free sulated. But when you reto do more important things like sparking up the move the bowl, it exposes an open hole through lighter and maneuvering which outside air can enits flame. ter the bong.

Always start with your This allows the bong index finger across the to be “cleared.” Since the carb, otherwise there bong is no longer sealed, won’t be enough suction it is now a lot easier to and you won’t attract the flame into your bowl. Then breathe in all its contents.

Bongs are usually prettorch the bowl as you suck ty big, and their large size slowly but deeply on the allows for more water, mouthpiece. As long as you keep the carb clogged, which means more smoke is filtered, which means a most of the smoke you cleaner hit. draw out will collect into Bongs also usually have a cloudy mass and remain a pretty hefty mouthpiece. inside the bubbler.

Take advantage of this But as soon as you let and fill it with ice. This go of the carb, all that cools down the smoke smoke is going to rush even more and makes the up out of the mouthpiece and down into your lungs. hit extra smooth.

While I recommend Again, the reason I recthat everyone go out and ommend bubblers is bebuy a groovy water pipe, cause they usually give there is one last thing to you a cooler, smoother keep in mind about utenstream of smoke than any sils in general. of the other utensils. This There is this terrible unis all thanks to the water. written rule of the universe When you cover up the that says all glass pieces carb and suck in through must eventually break. the mouthpiece, the waI don’t mean to scare ter starts bubbling vigoryou out of investing in a ously. The smoke that is drawn out of the bowl gets fancy pipe. Just try not to yell at your roommate trapped inside these bubbles and is then circulated too much when he one day sneezes too hard and in and out of the water. accidentally drops your All the movement baby. through the water literally cleans the smoke and filters out some of the largLEO OCAMPO and his bong can be reached at gocampo@ucdavis.edu. er, hotter particles float-

Cool Davis holds workshop for homeowners

By PAAYAL ZAVERI

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief

The california Aggie

Cool Davis held a Cool HomeWorkshop on Saturday at the Mary L. Stephen’s Davis Branch Library at 315 E 14th St. from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees learned how to measure their energy usage and improve their home energy use.

Lynne Nittler, one of the founders of the Cool Davis Initiative, said that people had the chance to learn how to use a wattmeter at the workshop, which measures how much energy an appliance consumes. People also could learn how to use the PG&E website to track their usage by month or day for electric and gas bills.

“Our main goal for the Cool Home Workshop was to promote improv[ement of ] energy efficiency at home, teaching households how to track energy usage,” said Clara Perez, a Cool Davis volunteer.

There were many home

energy experts present to answer any questions people had. Additionally, there were resources available to sign people up for the Cool California Challenge. The Cool California Challenge is an effort aimed at reducing household carbon footprints. Cool Davis is helping the community participate in this challenge.

Nittler said three factors are considered for the Cool California Challenge: electric and gas usage determined from a household’s PG&E bill and the odometer from the household’s car.

Theworkshopwasafollowup to the Cool Davis Festival last October. Volunteer Christine Beckman said participants stated many difficulties to committing to the challenge, such as cost, habits and not being able to make changes to their living space. However, she is determined to help households work past these difficulties and the workshop was one way of achieving this.

“The Cool Davis Challenge is a two-year-old mission aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and improve people’s quality of life,” Nittler said.

Cool Davis lines up with one part of the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan which aims to help households lower greenhouse gas emissions. Nittler said that since Davis is not an industryheavy city, most of the pollution is from households.

Cool Davis’ goal is for 75 percent of households to lower their carbon footprint by 15 percent by 2015. This includes renters and students as well as homeowners. They are working with the city to help achieve this goal.

According to the Cool Davis website, the City of Davis is ranked first in the race to become the coolest city in California, slightly ahead of Tracy, San Jose and Chula Vista.

“Cool Davis looks at

three aspects of energy use: transportation, home energy and consumption of resources,” Nittler said.

A number of people spoke at the event, including Beckman on how to use wattmeters and Chris Jones from the Cool California Challenge. Attendees at the workshop took surveys to make a Cool Solutions checklist for their home and win prizes such as light bulbs and clothes-drying racks.

Cool Davis is holding an event on March 3 at the UU Church of Davis called Climate Crisis: Putting Faith Into Action. The event will include four interactive workshops: “Developing an EnvironmentallySustainable Church,” “Engaging Hearts and Minds to Build Sustainable Lifestyles,” “Integrating the Care for Creation into Liturgy,” and “Acting Ethically for a Planet in Peril.”

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

The california aggie

Science &Technology

wednesday, february 13, 2013 3

Diabetes treatment Stem cells show potential

the day while maintaining a stable baseline weight.

This process takes longer and is done over a few days or even weeks. Don’t worAllen ry about how accurate the figure is; just think of this Guan as a reference point. From there, you figure out the calorie deficit or excess that’s right for you.

The next step is to find a realistic diet you can stick to. Don’t look at a dieting template and think “wow this sucks”; that sort of mentality will only hinder o it’s been over a your progress over the long month since you haul. Find a diet that is promised yourself easy to maintain dependyou would get those sixing on your daily schedpack abs and a pair of pyule and how much effort thon-sized biceps. You’ve you’re willing to expend. probably tried everything Make sure your diet is reafrom dieting to going hard sonable. Don’t try somefive times a week at the thing like limiting yourself gym. Six weeks later, getto 500 calories a day while ting that perfect body for Houseboats or spring break also working out.

The other key aspect of a seems hopeless. successful diet is to stick to Every once in a while, it even if it sounds counterI have friends asking me intuitive. If the diet calls for about my routines and dieting. Some people say that cheat days (days with excess carbs or calories), aldiets and exercise routines low for cheat sound ridays. A sucdiculous. ... don’t waste your time on cessful diet But we should re- useless routines; do something is essentially a change member that can provide benefits in in lifestyle. that quote View it as a your everyday life

by Thomas long-term Jefferson, change to your habits, and which is “If you want not simply a quick fix. something you’ve never Once dieting is properly had, you must be willing to executed and maintained, do something you’ve nevyou may consider incorpoer done.” Well, it’s time to rating a workout routine. break the bad habits and A workout routine is a step out of your comfort huge investment of time zone. It’s time to get some and calories. While getting results. fit and strong isn’t exactDiet is probably the easly a survival necessity in toiest path to losing weight. day’s society, good physical Let’s forget about workhealth and a strong phying out to attain that persique has beneficial effects fectly sculpted serratus or on other aspects of your those Adonis abs. Take the time to figure out your bas- life. Point is, don’t waste your time on useless roual metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of cal- tines; do something that can provide benefits in ories required for the body your everyday life. to function normally at If you’ve been to the rest. weight room lately, you’ll BMR can be calculated see there are more people simply in two ways: using than usual (I call them the some sort of BMR calcu“Resolutionaries”). After a lator online (Google it), or few months, the gym clears just actively counting the calories you eat throughout See GUAN, page 5

‘BroScience’

S

Diabetes treatment

By VICTORIA TRANG Aggie Science Writer

In a recently published study, researchers from the UCSD School of Medicine and scientists from the San Diego-based biotech company Viacyte, Inc. investigated methods to create endocrine cells, specifically pancreatic T-cells, which are important in treating diabetes through their production of insulin. The study compared two methods of generating endocrine cells from stem cells, in vitro (in cultures), and through transplantation of immature endocrine cells grown from mice. The malleable nature of the stem cell

courtesy

makes it possible to pursue both of these methods.

“The stem cell has the capacity to become any cell in the body. They will make certain decisions to become tissue or organ cells,” said Maike Sander, the principal scientist and a professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine, and director of UC San Diego’s Pediatric Diabetes Research Center.

In the research laboratory, Sander and other cellular biologists learned how to make various viable organs or tissues by recreating the same environment that the body provides. According to Sander, cells differenti-

ate through a very specific sequence of events in the body, and scientists are taking steps to recreate these events as accurately as possible in a laboratory setting.

In the lab, researchers can figure out what to do to the stem cell to make it develop like it would in the body.

In order to grow these cells, the UCSD researchers and Viacyte, Inc. scientists created their own medium to grow the stem cells and followed strict rules regarding the development process.

“One of the issues with human embryonic stem cells is that they turn into any cell in the body so there

needs to be rules and protocols to make sure the cells do not differentiate until it is required,” said Allan Robins, who leads the development of techniques for cell manufacturing at Viacyte’s Georgia location.

Currently, in vitro cultivation of endocrine cells from stem cells has been an interesting obstacle to overcome.

“We don’t quite know how to execute this,” Sander said.

According to Sander, the main challenge to cultivating in vitro endocrine cells comes from correct duplication of the biological environment that triggers their

See DIABETES, page 5

Medicine in a whole new light Fiber-optics used to treat epilepsy

By NICOLE NOGA Aggie Science Writer

Is your lover the fairest you’ve ever met? Were they born to finish your duet? If the answer is yes, you are in luck: There is an app for that.

courtesy

By NICOLE NOGA Aggie Science Writer

There are many conventional and unconventional ways to treat ailments.

Some people prefer the organic method, downing apple cider vinegar or sipping herbal tea at the first sign of a cold, while others rely solely on antibiotics. However, those who depend on approved medicinal practices and scoff at non-traditional medicine may be surprised to find that oftentimes the field of medicine goes much deeper than a bottle of pills.

Many conditions require medication because there simply is no other option to turn to. One of these conditions is epilepsy. Epilepsy affects one in 26 people, and is a condition characterized by spontaneous seizures in the brain.

“People with epilepsy have recurring, unprovoked seizures,” said Michael Rogawski, a professor in the Department of Neurology, and an epilepsy researcher at UC Davis. “The seizures can be very dramatic, such as a generalized convulsion — stiffening and jerking of the whole body — or very

subtle, such as a brief loss of awareness. However, in all cases, epileptic seizures relate to abnormal electrical discharges in the brain.”

The dramatic seizure described is called a “grand mal,” while the other, less obvious seizure is called a “petit mal.” Petit mals are sometimes more dangerous because in the brief moments of unconsciousness, the individual can swerve off the road when driving, or lose body control and fall.

The aftermath of a grand mal is similar to the symptoms of a petit mal.

The 2007 news story of Wesley Autrey and Cameron Hollopeter involved the aftermath of a grand mal seizure. Causes vary from brain injury to genetics but there is no known cure for epilepsy. Most people take anticonvulsants to manage their seizures.

“Some current treatment options include drugs that target brain cells, and surgery to remove the part of the brain believed to be where the seizures are starting,” said Caren Armstrong and Esther Krook-Magnuson

See MEDICINE, page 5

What is Duet?

Duet is an app made for iOS devices specifically targeting couples. The app begins with a date proposal sent to your sweetheart and they either accept or deny it.

How much does it cost?

The app is currently free in the Apple Store, and works on both the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

While not yet available on other operating systems, development of an Android version is currently underway.

How does it work?

First you must download the app and launch it on your mobile device. Next you propose a duet with that special someone. Your proposal is a private invitation leading to spending time together.

Your message starts with the phrase “Let’s…” and you fill in the blank with a suggestion. The person you send it to then accepts or denies your duet.

When your duet proposal is accepted, it is “paired,” becoming a private conversation between you and your love. You can add videos, notes and pictures to your conversation as well.

Duet saves your conversation so that you can cherish the moments with each other forever.

You must have that person’s number stored in your device and you may only send a proposal to one person at a time. If the person you propose the duet to does not have the app installed, that is fine; it will automatically send the message via SMS. For the LDR crowd: For those of you in long distance relationships who are unable to see your significant other on Valentine’s Day, the app is great for sharing moments in a more interactive way than a simple Skype call or Snapchat moment.

NICOLE NOGA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.drawback of drugs is that they are basically always on rather than just at the time of the seizure, and that they lack specificity, [and] thus can have serious side effects.”

for different species to seek … tail.

Animals will go to extraordinary lengths to find a mate. The majestic Kakapo of New Zealand, Alan for instance, is a species Lin of flightless parrot. Upon reaching sexual maturity, young males are known to travel to the edge of the forest, hollow out a bowl in the dirt and then hum the opening bars of Dark Side of the Moon for hours on end in search of a mate.

The Australian Lyrebird is a species with a particularly developed syrinx.

To put this organ in mammalian terms, we humans t’s that time of year are familiar with a laragain. The end of the ynx, or a flap of tissue in second week of the the throat that oscillates year’s shortest month is when air passes by it, alrolling around and people lowing speech. A bird’s syrare thinking a little bit less inx is largely the same, exabout school, and a little cept that birds possess bit more about a story with two, one for each lung. In birds and bees. I always the case of the Great Lyre, found that particular metthe bird’s mating ritual inaphor funny because apart volves building a mound, from some vague simistanding on it and using its larities — like how some great syrinx to literally rebirds are pretty, sing and peat every loud noise that set up nests with partners, it can remember, ranging and bees are often associfrom other ated with birds’ calls to a drive to Animals will go to ambient hu“sting” extraordinary lengths to find man noisanything es like camthat moves a mate era equip— the ment, conanalogy versations or doesn’t translate very well noises from chainsaws and to people. highways.

For instance, I can’t find There exists a species of any documentation of beetle whose sole goal is birds pairing off, turning to push around the largup the Marvin Gaye, and est quantity of excrement getting it on. Maybe I’m a bit of a gooey romantic, but possible for the sake of impressing a mate. Some huI can’t help but get at least man males also enjoy cola little excited for this time lecting large amounts of of year. It might not be evshit — or spewing large erybody’s favorite; it feels a amounts of bullshit. bit arbitrary. But even if it Salmon are known to is arbitrary, it still gives me swim thousands of miles time to reflect on love and to return to their streams partnership. where they were born to Since the dawn of sex, mate. there’s been great incenAnimals have found all tive to do two things: find kinds of ways to broadcast a quality mate and convey inherent mating quality, that one is worth mating for instance some bird spewith. Thus, courtship was cies change their diets to born. Whether it be sendinclude larger portions of a ing flowers and chocolates specific variety of berry prito a spouse’s work, or havor to mating season. The ing the biggest and most berry is desirable at this colorful tail feathers, forces of nature have brought See LIN, page 5 about a multitude of ways

Life, Sex and Everything

I

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by Angela Yuan

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.

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

ACROSS 1 “The __ Kid”: early TV Western 6 Suit parts 11 “__ the season ...”

14 Choir members 15 Even if, for short 16 Cal. neighbor 17 *Sam in “Casablanca,” e.g.

19 Spinner 20 Squealed, so to speak 21 Be under the weather 22 Formally unsay 24 Cutlass or 88 26 She plays Julia in “Julie & Julia” 27 Tack on 30 Standards of excellence 32 CEO’s degree 34 Dirty 36 *Fast-paced 39 “Wake Up With Al” weatherman 40 China’s Mao __tung 41 Studio stand 42 *Collapsible headgear 44 “Honor Thy Father” author Gay 45 Sun, to Esteban 46 Outcome 48 Canonized 26Down 49 Festival showings, perhaps 51 Quartz variety 53 Began the betting 55 UN anti-childlabor agcy.

56 Old oath 60 Menu phrase 61 Big finish, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be 64 Roofing material 65 Part of a pound 66 Best-seller list entry 67 NBC fixture for nearly 35 yrs.

68 Dirty campaign tactic

3/23/10

By Merle Baker

69 Show reverence, in a way DOWN 1 Limits 2 Hip bones 3 Ollie’s partner 4 Zaire, today 5 Disney toon panda, “Special Agent __” 6 Travel bag 7 Airline to Tel Aviv 8 Farm home 9 “Spider-Man 3” actress Russell 10 More ticked off 11 *Hank Aaron’s 6,856 is the career record 12 Heavy metal 13 Back-to-school mo.

18 Rice source 23 One of a drum set pair 25 Scales of the zodiac 26 Swiss miss, maybe: Abbr.

27 Soil-related prefix 28 Fails to grasp 29 *1962 Gene Chandler hit 31 Helpers: Abbr.

Tuesday’s puzzle Solved solved Monday’s Puzzle

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

33 “__ of robins ...”: Kilmer 35 Capital east of the Elbe River 37 Substantial 38 Elation 40 Base melody 43 Boring 44 Like a __ bricks 47 Obama attorney general Eric 50 Tyke’s blocks 52 Arc lamp gas

3/23/10

53 Granola ingredient 54 Word after flight or floor 55 Ancient Peruvian 57 Contributed 58 Away from the wind 59 Farmer’s place, in song 62 “Wheel of Fortune” buy 63 Printer need

Sudoku

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Meetings Are you interested in a health related field? Join C.H.E. and learn more about our pre-health organization!

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Websites/Internet Overpopulation is sexually transmitted. http://population.sierraclub.org/ population/

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, february 13, 2013 5

The california aggie

Aggie Digest The UC Davis women’s gymnastics team put together a strong team performance to place third at the Power of Pink meet this past weekend.

The Aggies’ overall score of 194.675 was the second highest in the program’s history, missing the school record of 194.7 by a microscopic .025 points.

Trailing just fourth-ranked UCLA and 25th-ranked Washington, UC Davis placed ahead of Sacramento State in the stacked quad meet.

The Aggies got strong contributions from senior Katie Yamamura, who scored a 38.8 in the all-around, her second highest this season. Yamamura’s 9.825 on the uneven parallel bars was the highest UC Davis score.

The UC Davis gymnast who also helped the Aggies’ cause was junior Anna Shumaker, whose vault and balance beam scores of 9.8 and 9.85, respectively, got her fifth and third place in each event.

Shumaker placed right behind Yamamura in the all-around, putting to-

DIABETES Cont. from page 3

differentiation. The cells they have produced in the past did not develop the primary genes essential to healthy endocrine function, such as insulin production.

However, the method of transplanting immature endocrine cells has shown promising results.

“We can [create endocrine cells] by taking a precursor, a stem cell, and putting it in the mice to grow. It takes 150 days to a year until they are matured and fully functional. [The endocrine cells cultivated from the mice] are pretty much like normal human [pancreatic] cells,” Sander said.

According to Sander, no one has attempted to transplant the immature endocrine cells from mice into humans. However, she does have an idea for how it

gether a neat 38.625 for sixth place overall.

Senior Michelle Ho recorded a 9.775 on her bars event and posted an identical score on the floor before closing her competition with a 9.725 on the beam.

Sophomore Tiana Montell also added to UC Davis’ point total by adding two 9.725 marks on the vault and bars, then scored a 9.675 on beam.

The Bruins scored a 196.95 to place first while the Huskies placed one point behind at 195.95 in second place. Sacramento State took fourth at Pauley Pavilion with a 193.925 score that rounded out the meet in front of 4,234 fans.

The Aggies’ total score of 194.675 was a product of a 48.75 on floor, 48.775 on uneven bars and 48.575 on beam and vault.

UC Davis will have its next competition at Seattle Pacific on Friday at 7 p.m. before coming back to California to compete with Sacramento State once again the following week.

— Matthew Yuen

could be done. This transplantation method is only one of many that are being tried. “[The] best method right now is to put them into an encapsulation device, a thin membrane where the cells cannot get out but the insulin can. The cells are contained in a little membrane and the insulin [can move through it]. If anything goes wrong, you could just remove the device from the person,” Sander said.

The technique keeps in mind the experimental nature of the endocrine cells.

Viacyte, Inc. aims to start human clinical trials with this method by 2014.

“We have developed our own device,” Robins said.

“It’s transplanted subcutaneously. After a short amount of time the device is able to maintain the cells in the device, which then become pancreatic hormone-producing cells.”

In other developments

lin

with stem cell research and diabetes, Fernando Fierro, an assistant adjunct professor of cell biology and human anatomy at the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures in Sacramento, intends to run clinical trials for mesenchymal stem cells to treat two major complications of diabetes: chronic wounds and critical limb ischemia.

“Mesenchymal stem cells are easy to grow in a culture plate. We typically obtain them from bone marrow from healthy donors, which contain a few thousands of them. After a few weeks in the laboratory, we have expanded them to several millions,” Fierro said.

At the very least, stem cell treatments for the complications of diabetes are currently in development as well.

While Viacyte, Inc. and Fierro move ambitiously to human clinical trials, Sander notes that it is im-

and their odd place in a metaphor about human sexuality. Unlike human females, relatively few female bees reach sexual maturity. Interestingly enough and on an unrelated note, while many humans may be sexually mature, there are moments when intellectual maturity seems relatively scarce.

Bees again! The distinction is made almost at birth, when tending worker bees find a larvae with desirable traits of a queen and feed her a special form of jelly rich in proteins — the bee equivalent of pickles and ice cream. The distinguished diet stimulates a different growth cycle that eventually leads to a sexually mature queen who leaves the hive on any given sunny day, mates with 12 to 15 drones and then returns to the hive to birth offspring for the remaining two to seven years of her life.

Unfertilized eggs become male drones, and fertilized eggs become female workers. Though I don’t claim to be an expert in human females, this feels different from behavior I’ve seen in most of my conspecifics.

All of this is a long, rambling way to say that even throughout nature, we see a strange compulsion to find a partnership or mate. Some call this compulsion love, and though it can be silly, strange or nonsensical at times, it’s a struggle shared by many members of the animal kingdom, some plants and occasionally, a frustrated, fifth-year, intellectual romantic.

Cont. from page 3

time of year for these birds due to the fact that it is rich in anthocyanin, a pigment associated with a bright red color. As the birds consume higher levels of anthocyanin, they become redder, and the redder birds are more frequently sought after by mates.

Thinking about the strange lengths to which animals will go to for the sake of love, I can’t help but consider the disparate mating strategies of cuttlefish. For those unfamiliar with these little cephalopods (think distant cousins of squids), they’re a species capable of selectively adjusting their body coloration through use of specialized chromatophores, or color cells. This fact doesn’t tell us much about the mating rituals of cuttlefish, though, until we consider a simple fact: Not all males are big, strong and capable of outaggressing one another for females.

The smaller males aren’t going to be wiped out of the picture so easily, though.

A small, male cuttlefish will change his coloring to resemble a female. After this occurs, a large, unsuspecting male will round up the little guy along with a bunch of other females, and corral them into a cave, wherein the small male will have an opportunity to find a mate literally underneath the large male’s nose. Maybe size doesn’t always matter. It’s important to appreciate the little things in life. I’ll stop now. This is terrible.

ALAN LIN falls into two of the three above categories. He can be Let’s get back to thinking about bees reached at science@theaggie.org.

guan Cont. from page 3 out again and the only ones left are the “regulars.” This phenomenon happens every year and is usually due to people giving up after not seeing the desired results fast enough.

That is the first problem.

People are quick to give up when patience and persistence is key. The bodybuilder greats like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane didn’t get their mindboggling aesthetics over night.

The next bit of advice is simple, yet effective (it’s also the only advice I feel comfortable actually giving): lift heavy, lift heavy and lift heavy. Unless you know what you’re doing, you should forget about burnout sets, supersets, crossfit etc ... Develop a strong base to work from. By lifting

Medicine

heavy with few reps per set (3-5), you’re building myofibrillar hypertrophy, which is essentially building denser / true muscle mass.

This works both ways, for weight loss and gains, when combined with the appropriate diet. Don’t skimp out on squats, deadlifts and bench press only to become a cardio bunny. Running helps maintain weight, but lifting helps with building definition.

The benefits of lifting heavy are insurmountable.

By lifting heavy, you’re automatically increasing your base strength, which is usable throughout daily life.

The mechanisms behind myofibrillar hypertrophy also correlate to better muscle coordination through increased motor neuron stimulation (think of pro-athletes and how coordinated they are).

Lastly, lifting heavy helps keep fat off better. This works

in two ways. Your body’s hormone concentrations will change. Testosterone, a naturally produced steroid, will increase, resulting in lower body fat percentage and quicker recovery times.

In one study, scientists compared the serum testosterone levels of a male before lifting and after lifting an extensive period of time. The end result was a 27 percent increase in serum testosterone levels. Your body’s basal metabolic rate will also increase just to maintain the newly developed muscle mass. This combination of increased testosterone and muscle mass will help keep body fat relatively low with little effort.

So what should you take from this article? Basically keep things simple, be knowledgeable about the diets and routines, be patient, and most of all stay safe.

ALLEN GUAN can be reached at science@

The research has opened up an avenue to new possibilities, but more development is necessary before pursuing this fiber optic strategy in humans. Rogawski, who discussed the novel treatment, said that light sensitive channels in the brain are needed for the fiber optic treatment to work, but it is not naturally present. Mice used for the model were genetically engineered to express the light-sensitive gene but in humans it is not that simple.

“Obviously, people can’t be bred to express engineered channels,” said Rogawski.

“Another approach will need to be used.”

Rogawski went on to describe how the engineered channels could be induced using a gene therapy vector, such as a genetically engineered virus.

“A light pipe would then need to be surgically implanted [into the patient’s’ brain].

This is a very elegant strategy because it allows specific types of neurons to be activated selectively.”

The issue with the surgery is that it is very complicated, and simpler approaches to treat epilepsy are being researched. One alternative is using electrical stimulation on the brain with metal electrodes.

While the tools to attain the ultimate goal of replicating the fiber optic treatment in humans may be distant, the research still could lead to better alternatives for people with epilepsy. With any luck, fiber optics will someday be used in more than just high-definition television and night lights.

Cont. from page 3 of the UC Irvine Department of Anatomy and Neurology in a joint interview. “A major drawback of drugs is that they are basically always on rather than just at the time of the seizure, and that they lack specificity, [and] thus can have serious side effects.”

Armstrong and Krook-Magnuson added that for about 40 percent of patients, current treatment options do not provide adequate seizure control.

Recently, UC Irvine neuroscientists have come up with a way to combat epilepsy using fiber optic light signals. Ivan Soltesz, the Chancellor’s Professor and chair of the Anatomy and Neurobiology Department at UC Irvine, and his team created an electroencephalogram (EEG)based computer system that activates optical fibers placed in the brain when a seizure is detected. Light-sensitive proteins called opsins are then activated which either stimulate or inhibit neurons during a seizure. The research team found this process was able to stop electrical seizure activity and reduce convulsions successfully in a mouse model.

“This approach is useful for understanding how seizures occur and how they can be stopped experimentally,” Soltesz said in the initial press release. “In addition, clinical efforts that affect a minimum number of cells and only at the time of a seizure may someday overcome many of the side effects and limitations of currently available treat- NICOLE NOGA can be reached at science@theaggie.org. ment options.”

DUCK Cont. from front page

the Bay Area. Some people even plan their visits to their parents around this event,” Kulakow said.

TheYolo Basin Foundation puts up a billboard between

Davis and Sacramento around this time of month in order to attract new people in the area and increase awareness of the event. The event has been getting more attendees and positive feedback.

“Duck Days is a beloved community event. My children grew up volunteering

and participating in Duck Days, and still volunteer.

Even some friends I know have this event on their calendar and think of it as a holiday just like Valentine’s Day,” Kulakow said. “So, it is a privilege for me to serve the community like this.”

MELISSA GAHERTY can be reached at city@

Pell Grants safe until 2015, report suggests

By Brian Latimer

The Daily Free Press (Boston University)

While government agencies tighten their budgets as the U.S. economy recovers from recession, the Federal Pell Grant’s foreseen shortfall in 2014 is now unlikely, and students will still receive government-subsidized financial aid, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office Wednesday.

Officials had anticipated $5.7 billion dollars in Pell Grant shortfalls by 2014, but with $9.3 billion in extra money not used in 2013, the organization should be safe until 2015, said Libby Nelson of Inside Higher Ed, who analyzed the discrepancy between shortfall and surplus.

“This was based on projection on how many students will be on the program receiving grants,” she said. “CBO’s latest analysis turns out this event significantly overestimated in the past and now there is money left over from this year’s appropriation.”

The surplus may be a result of fewer students receiving Pell Grants than originally expected, Nelson said.

“We found out in September that fewer people are receiving grants than the government expected, so that may be a part of the explanation [for the surplus],” Nelson said. “There have been quite a few eligibility changes that kick students out and create a drop-off in students applying.”

However, despite the continuation of Pell Grants, it will be more difficult for students to meet the requirements needed to receive a grant in coming years due to changes put into effect in July 2012, she said.

Restrictions on eligibility for applicants for Pell Grants have become more rigid, Nelson said. Students without a high school diploma or a GED were previously eligible for a grant, but that policy no longer stands.

“Prospective students used to be able to take a test to prove they can benefit from college education, but people cant do that any more,” Nelson said. “Other policy changes are that the total semesters you could receive a grant was reduced from 18 to 12.”

Prospective students and those enrolled in college can only receive a Pell Grant once per academic year instead of obtaining multiple to accelerate graduation, Nelson said.

Daniele Paserman, a Boston U. economics professor, said decreasing funding for student aid programs lowers chances for students to receive a grant.

“That we are not going over the fiscal cliff opens good news to current students and prospective students worried about how to finance their higher education prospects,” Paserman said. “Much of the research on how financial scholarships affects attendance and enrollment shows that there is an effect if you decrease financial aid and how it affects probability to enroll.”

Paserman said with a surplus, there is a chance more students can receive Pell Grants, but higher education costs have been rising at a pace faster than that of inflation during the past thirty years.

“For the last couple of years the actual amount granted to students has been upgraded because there is an automatic index for inflation,” he said.

A number of students said they believe the surplus should be put to use for the benefit of students.

Amy Yun, a School of Management senior, said while a significant part of the surplus might be saved in case the economy begins to decline again, some should be used for student aid.

“I understand there is a surplus and the [U.S. government is] keeping a reserve of enough money in case things get worse in later years,” Yun said. “They should provide enough money for their current pool of candidates right now and dip into the surplus.”

Max Lim, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman, said he thinks as another recession or fiscal cliff is not immediately pressing, the U.S. government should allot the entire surplus to students.

“Having too big of a surplus is not good because, although it is good to have as a backup plan, there is no real point keeping the extra money for something that may not happen,” Lim said.

Thiagu Meyyappan, a College of Engineering senior, said the surplus will protect future Pell Grants from another recession, but the amount saved in 2013 should also be used for students.

“If we do have a surplus, then they should weaken the restrictions so more people apply for a Pell Grant and go to college,” Meyyappan said. “When you are just coming out of an economic crisis, it’s necessary to tighten restrictions to save the whole program. But if they start to flourish, the Pell Grant should be available to more people again.”

6

wednesday, february 13, 2013

The california aggie

Viva la VITA Students team up with the IRS to provide free tax services to low-income workers

By HANNAH KRAMER Aggie Features Writer

When working at low wages, paychecks are carefully forecasted to the penny. And yet, when looking at the breakdown of hours worked and money earned, the figure always comes up short a few dollars.

Taxes.

All year, money drains from paychecks to feed the American financial system. To quiet the rumblings of discontent at a slightly less-filled wallet; there is hope to be found, and lost dollars to be reclaimed, if taxes are filed. In the midst of the February-to-midApril tax filing season, loud commercials blare from every station about all kinds of money-back guarantees, reaped benefits and the quickest service. What isn’t so blatantly mentioned is that these companies charge taxpayers to retrieve their own money. And when the thick IRS forms are navigated alone, there exists the possibility of missing benefits and erroneously marking signatures and initials.

When confronted by confusion and the advent of paying a company to do taxes, suddenly, going through the motions of claiming lost tax dollars doesn’t seem so urgent.

Thankfully, for anyone making less than $50,000 a year (next to all students who have part-time jobs), there’s the Students in VITA. VITA, or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, is a national IRSfunded program that connects certified volunteers with individuals or families who make less than $50,000 a year to file tax returns for free.

“It’s completely free. Part of being in VITA is that we don’t accept any compensation,” said VITA coordinator Nery Leon, a fourthyear economics and communication double major. “Our goal is to get all that money back to you — the taxpayer. VITA is available to anyone in Yolo County making less than $50,000 and worked in 2012. It’s not just for students.”

For anyone who qualifies, this translates to getting back some of that money lost with each paycheck — without having to pay for a service. VITA can be free of cost because all of the workers for Students in VITA are trained UC Davis students.

“Everyone in VITA is certified by the IRS through an online certification program,” Leon said.

After going through training and getting experience under their belts, volunteers can then turn around and teach new members.

“As a lead intern, I teach classes to VITA volunteers who are also trying to get certified,” said lead intern and 2012 UC Davis

graduate Gloria Lee. To ensure accuracy for each file, after meeting with a volunteer, the tax forms are reviewed after the appointment.

“For each filing, a quality reviewer checks information like social security numbers,” Lee said.

To file taxes with VITA, one must make an appointment, bring in a photo ID, a Social Security Card (or copy of the card), all W-2 and 1099 forms, and any other earnings or tax forms to one of the VITA sites. From there, the process is streamlined.

“It typically takes about an hour, but it can be as fast as 20 minutes,” said Leon.

In addition to receiving some of the money taken from each paycheck, additional funds can be awarded based on a number of factors. VITA is helpful in that instead of searching through page after page for credit qualifications, volunteers can help quickly pinpoint how to get the most money back, according to Leon.

“To help the taxpayer get as much back as possible, we have an interview sheet to fill out when you come to a [VITA] site. It has questions like, ‘Do you have children,’ ‘Did you pay medical expenses,’ [exceeding $5,000]; things that qualify for benefits,” said Leon. “There’s also a California renters credit; you can actually get money back on your taxes if you bring your landlord’s name and phone number.”

Although most students who have a job are still filed as dependents to their parents, they are eligible to collect money from their personal taxes.

“As a dependent, your parents claim your education expenses, but if you have a part time-job and get a W-2, there is credit out there for you. If you get money taken out of your paycheck, that’s money that you are losing unless you do your taxes,” said Leon.

Not only does the taxpaying community benefit from VITA, the volunteers also find themselves gaining through the program.

“Students get accounting experience by going out and doing taxes for people, [which is why] we have many econ students volunteering with us,” Leon said.

“If volunteers complete 40 hours of work each quarter, they qualify for the VITA as an internship through the Internship and Career Center.”

Due to the opportunities to get hands-on experience and internship credit, Students in VITA has grown from 9 volunteers to 85 in a matter of three years.

“In the past years, [the Davis chapter] has changed its whole profile; engineering it more for student involvement. It’s grown tremendously,” said Lupe Hernandez, rela-

tionship manager at the IRS. Hernandez supervises and serves as the IRS’ point of contact for Leon and other Students in VITA members.

“VITA is an excellent stepping stone to a great career and it provides points on résumés, especially with government positions,” Hernandez said.

In addition to earning credit for interning and adding to a résumé, volunteers are able to discover what could potentially become a lifelong career path.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do my senior year with my degree. I joined VITA only because I really enjoy volunteer work.

It was my first time getting involved in taxes,” said Lee. “I ended up discovering that it’s actually pretty interesting and fun, and the people I help are so grateful. Thanks to VITA, I’m now working in tax accounting as a bookkeeper.”

Lee is not the only one whose career path was influenced by her participation in the program.

“It made me realize that this is what I have a passion for,” said Leon. “I love sitting down and working with people. I nev-

VITA

{Volunteer Income Tax Assistance} for people making > $50,000/yr takes less than an hour professional assistance free!

James Kim / Aggie

er thought I would, but I like tax policy now.

I can actually see myself working in policy and accounting. Everyone I help is so happy, and I enjoy that [part of the job].”

On top of all of the personal growth and development that comes with volunteering with VITA, students are able to make a

See VITA, page 2