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volume 131, number 62
wednesday, may 9, 2012
Unhealthy food options linger at the DC Student preferences, costs affect menu By CHELSEA MEHRA Aggie Features Writer
Anna Oh / Aggie
Jon Wiles grabs a plate at the Dining Commons, where unhealthy food options are still present.
A batch of neon yellow eggs coagulates into chunks above a watery base in one of many warm metal dishes along a service line: strips of bacon atop oil-soaked bread, sugar-dusted pancakes and glistening potatoes. With a quick swipe of their plastic ID cards, students are lured to the UC Davis Dining Commons (DC) by the smell of glazed donuts and frosted cinnamon rolls. While the all-you-can-eat model of UC Davis dining is economical according to Dining Services Director of Sustainability and Nutrition Linda Adams, as far as redeeming the labor, water, and electricity used to produce the food, concerns about the environment may also facilitate the mass production of food. Although these issues are foremost the responsibility of Dining Services
staff members, General Manager of Resident Dining Brenan Connolly said they have trouble modifying the menu and its nutritional content if the most popular and consumed dishes are the less healthy ones. “There’s too much opposition to messing with some of our [less healthy] dishes,” Connolly said. The amount and type of oil used in these dishes is a point of contention for some students. Thibault Hoppe-Glosser, a senior science and technology studies major, tilted his empty plate of beef tacos (550 calories, 21g fat, 5g saturated fat, according to nutritional information provided by Adams) to expose a dark orange puddle. Next to him was a half-eaten grilled portobello burger (610 calories, 34g fat, 9g saturated fat) with a visibly damp bun. “I’m usually not very
See DINING, page 2
Plans begin for Memorial Union remodeling
New head baseball coach swings for the fences
Committees meet soon to discuss ideas and design
After 20 years with the program, Matt Vaughn is making progress By TREVOR CRAMER Aggie Sports Editor
It ended with a “ping.” The sound doesn’t have quite the same flair as the crack of the wooden bats in the Major Leagues, but that didn’t really matter at that moment. The crowd had dwindled as the 11-inning game neared the four-hour mark, but the UC Davis baseball players were focused entirely on the field, as a walk-off single off junior Paul Politi’s aluminum bat gave the Aggies a victory over rival Cal Poly. The entire UC Davis team ran out of the dugout to mob Politi in excitement, and the remaining spectators cheered while the sun set behind the center-field wall on a clear, crisp Friday afternoon. But as the celebration continued behind him, UC Davis head coach Matt Vaughn showed little emotion. He clapped his hands a few times, took a brief moment to look around sparsely populated Dobbins Baseball Complex and then walked at a measured pace to exchange a handshake with the opposing coach in front of home plate. It’s the calm, steady demeanor that characterizes Vaughn as a coach, but despite his lack of displayed emotion, Vaughn’s players know he cares deeply about UC Davis baseball. “Coach Vaughn is a very stoic individual,” said senior starting pitcher Anthony Kubpens, “but you cannot question the passion he has for this team. He’s a fiery guy and when he speaks to you, you can feel his passion.” Vaughn first joined the UC Davis baseball program in 1988 as a freshman pitcher out of Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, California. He found success early in his career under legendary head coach Phil Swimley, but shoulder surgery prevented him from reaching his full potential. “Before the surgery I think I would have gotten a shot to pitch [at the professional lev-
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el,” he said. “ I was able to [return to] pitch at the college level and be effective, but it was really unsatisfying.” Vaughn’s desire to remain involved with baseball prompted him to ask Swimley about the possibility of returning to UC Davis after graduation as pitching coach. Swimley was not initially open to the idea, encouraging Vaughn instead to continue applying for law school. Vaughn said he thought Swimley was afraid of what his parents would say if he chose to give up on law school. Regardless, a call from Vaughn’s father finally convinced Swimley to allow his senior pitcher to become part of the coaching staff. In the end it worked out for both sides as Vaughn held the position of pitching coach for the remainder of Swimley’s tenure. When Swimley retired in 2002 following 36 years as head coach, Vaughn felt he was a strong candidate to become the program’s next top-man, but was disappointed to find out that UC Davis had opted to go with Rex Peters, who had served nine years as head coach of Chapman University. Vaughn was so frustrated by the university’s decision that he packed up his office and prepared to leave the university for good. He threw all of his things into a duffle bag, certain that his time at UC Davis was over. Peters attempted to contact Vaughn on multiple occasions, but Vaughn was not interested in sticking around as an assistant coach. But over the next few weeks things changed. Vaughn’s first child was born that summer, and the next day he met with Peters at The Graduate, a restaurant across the street from the University. As Vaughn describes it, in the days after your first child is born “everything is right with the world,” and Vaughn agreed to stick out the season
See BASEBALL, page 4
Anna Oh / Aggie
The Memorial Union is expected to be remodeled to include additional lounges, outdoor seating and retail space.
By ADAM KHAN Aggie News Writer
The Memorial Union (MU) is expected to receive a renovation sometime in the near future with the hopes of bringing new life to the facility. Plans are currently being put forth for the remodeling of the East Wing, which now houses the Post Office, Campus Copies/Classical Notes and the Information Center. The project also includes a wayfaring initiative to improve the entrance to the MU from the bus terminal. Designs
are barely in the development stage, and definitive decisions have yet to be made regarding what will be added to the wing. Ideas include additional lounge space and outdoor seating, an area for live entertainment, more retail space and a pub. The project aims to be as student-oriented as possible in order to satisfy the desires of the general population. “The more student input, the better,” said Brett Burns, Business Manager of ASUCD. According to Burns, leaders from greek, intercollegiate athletics and
various other organizations will have input on the plans. Two student representatives will sit on the Memorial Union Planning and Analysis Committee, and a Memorial Union Remodel Student Advisory Committee was established by ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling in collaboration with Executive Director of Campus Recreation John Campbell. Sterling feels that the current state of the MU lacks the proper energy for such a central location.
See MU, page 4
SHAWCing Tips: Stress You probably need no reminder that stress is a commonly cited obstacle to health and wellness. Being stressed is itself an unpleasant feeling, one that can lead to weight gain and a weakened immune system by way of cortisol and other hormones. To manage stress unhealthily is another source of, well, stress.The American Psychological Association (APA) indicates that our generation leans on alcohol and food. What you may not have heard, and what the APA recently found, is that another metric is causing our generation still more stress. The stress differential – the difference between how stress you feel and how much stress you think is healthy or normal for someone your age – is at its highest in five years for peo-
Forecast With this warmer weather and the fact that I took my last midterm yesterday, I slowly feel senioritis setting in. For all of you graduating seniors: good job thus far, stay focused, and keep up the good work. Only 20 more school days left! Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
ple born between 1980 and 1994, the Millennial generation. As you might have guessed, part of the problem here is that there are more reported stressors. Issues exacerbated by our financial climate, including money, work and the cost of housing, are the most commonly reported sources of stress. Reading this is probably stressing you out more, so let’s get to solutions: Psychologists claim that coping with stress is a two-part process. First, how you appraise stressful situations is key. If you find your first response to a stressor is cursing below your breath or yelling at your roommate or wallowing in despair, practice instead the words, “Okay, that’s a challenge, but I can handle it.” Second,
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what you do about stress is important too. If there’s good news to be found in the APA study, it’s that our generation is notable for proactive stress-management techniques, ranging over exercise, meditation, mindfulness and yoga. And no one expects you to go it alone. Between CAPS, The House, Health and Education Promotion (HEP) and the Student Health Center, there are a number of places on campus that are willing to load your stressmanagement arsenal. The ASUCD Student Health and Wellness Committee (SHAWC) aims to promote and address important health-related issues on campus. We serve as a liaison between ASUCD and campus health organizations, clubs and resources. If you have SHAWCing suggestions, questions or tips, please e-mail us at shawcucd@gmail.com and “Like” us on our Facebook page!
I went to a seafood disco last week... And I pulled a mussel. Amanda Nguyen