February 2, 2017

Page 1

the California Aggie SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915

NEWS IN BRIEF

VOLUME 135, ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

DANIEL SCHNERT / COURTESY

BY ALYSSA VANDENBERG campus@theaggie.org On Jan. 19, ASUCD Senator Sam Park resigned from the senate. Park, a fourth-year political science major, stepped down due to personal reasons. ASUCD President Alex Lee informed ASUCD members of Park’s resignation in an email sent on Jan. 27. “A count-back election was conducted the week following and no candidate from the Winter 2016 election was able to pass the minimum threshold to be selected,” Lee wrote. “Per Article II, Section 11.2 of the ASUCD Constitution, I will be seeking to appoint an interim Senator for the remainder of Winter Quarter 2017 to serve till March 2017.” Students interested in serving as the interim senator can apply on UC Davis’ vacancy website.

ACTION JACKSON, FAMOUS BREEDING DONKEY, DIES AT 29 Action Jackson known for quality breeding, extroverted personality BY DEMI CACERES campus@theaggie.org The UC Davis Horse Barn at the Cole Facility recently lost its famous breeding donkey, Action Jackson, who died on Jan. 6 at the age of 29 due to serious and chronic laminitis. In recent years, he developed a sway back and his teeth began to fail him. He suffered from degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD), a systemic disease of the connective tissue, according to his veterinarian. Arthritis stiffened several of his joints, and his feet were in pain. Toward the end of his life, Action Jackson lived on pelleted feed so that he could maintain his body condition in spite of his inability to eat hay. Action Jackson, a light-colored Spanish mammoth donkey, was born in 1987. He came to live at UC Davis in September 1996, when Pat Downing of Tucson donated him to stand as stud in the Department of Animal Science’s breeding herd. During his 20 years of service to UC Davis, Action Jackson bred 500 mares and jennies and produced a new generation of California-bred mules and

donkeys who compete in sports or pack supplies. According to Dan Sehnert, the facilities coordinator for the Department of Animal Science, Action Jackson got his name because he saw a lot of “action.” Action Jackson’s first UC Davis offspring was born in 1997 and was the first mule born on campus in 60 years. Action Jackson quickly attracted many who visitors who enjoyed his outgoing personality and his enthusiastic braying. He became such an icon that, in 2004, a bronze sculpture was created in his honor named “The Jack,” which was donated to be sold for the raising of funds to improve the department’s equine facilities. Sehnert was well-acquainted with Action Jackson and said that he loved the attention, especially from children, as well as anything sweet.

IAN JONES / AGGIE

MORGAN TIEU / AGGIE

AB 1887 prevents use of state funds, including UC funds, for travel to states with anti-LGBT laws

DONKEY on 8

A look inside KDVS

Law to affect students selected to attend national conference on undergraduate research

UC Davis’ freeform radio station serves as platform for Davis community

BY JEANNA TOTAH campus@theaggie.org

BY ALLY OVERBAY arts@theaggie.org

One of the many new California laws that took effect on Jan. 1 was Assembly Bill 1887, a bill written and sponsored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-28). The law, a response to “religious freedom” and “bathroom bills,” prohibits state-funded travel to states outside of California with anti-LGBT laws. Since the University of California (UC) is funded by the state, this law impacts travel opportunities for both students and faculty. The four states where state-funded travel is currently prohibited are Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. “The impetus for this [law] was that there were states that were passing very anti-LGBT, discriminatory laws,” Low said. “In response to that, companies, not only in my district, but companies, tech companies, industries, such as Hollywood, indicated that they would boycott and withdraw any of their businesses in these discriminatory states because they did not want to subject their employees to potential discrimination. [The state does] not want to subsidize discrimination.” Low views this law as an attempt by California to ensure that it does not fund other states that do not uphold California’s values. “The difference [between companies] and the State of California, so a government entity, and these are taxpayer dollars, so we will not allow taxpayer dollars to support any kind of discrimination, ” Low said. At least four UC Davis students and their sponsoring faculty will be impacted by this law, as they will not be able to receive funding from UC Davis to travel to the National Conference on Under-

Whether through music, talk shows, announcements or advertisements, KDVS 90.3 FM, UC Davis’ freeform radio station, serves as an ongoing resource for the community. While the station is both literally and figuratively underground, its utility for the campus and Davis/Sacramento community is limitless — KDVS runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Though the station has evolved since its birth in 1963, its commitment to alternative music and news remains. Originally run out of the laundry room of a campus dorm, the station first operated as KCD in February of 1964, according to the KDVS website. The station has since relocated its tower, modernized and renovated, but it remains one of UC Davis’ most influential nonprofit organizations. UC Davis alumna Janie Lozano first joined KDVS in 1998 as an undergraduate student looking to get more involved. Like all KDVS members, she began as a volunteer, cleaning and organizing music. “I didn’t think I wanted a radio show at first, but then people kept asking me, ‘So what kind of show are you gonna do?’ And so I thought: maybe I could do a rock show,” Lozano said. “I was starting to get into punk rock at the time, so I started a punk rock show in April of ’99.” Since her first show (for which she was admittedly nervous to go on the air), Lozano has continued to DJ, and she still DJs for the station to this day. She noted that, among other changes, more women have become involved with KDVS since she began volunteering. “I think when I first started I could count on one hand all the female DJs that I knew about,” Lozano said. “And now, it’s pretty 50/50. It’s better; it’s not as male-dominated. And, as you know, our general manager is Olivia [Henderson].”

TRAVEL on 8

KDVS on 8


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.