September 27, 2012

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volume 131, number 85

thursday, september 27, 2012

Fall Convocation welcomes new year Katehi rallies for increased youth involvement in the arts By ADAM KHAN Aggie News Writer

With the dawning of the new year, students new and old assemble at Welcome Week events to revel in the glory of a fresh beginning.

The annual Fall Convocation took place on Monday, Sept. 24 to kick-start the celebrations and usher in the newest generation of Aggies with open arms. However, the commencement of the 2012-2013 school year marks another special event at UC Davis: the 10th anniver-

sary of the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Executive Director of the Mondavi Center Don Roth stated that the event was not just a welcome home. “It is] a celebration of the arts, and the prospects of the future," he said.

Wide-eyed first-years and distinguished faculty alike filed into Jackson Hall as Anush Avetisyan, winner of the Founders’ Prize in the Mondavi Center’s 2012 Young Artists Competition, performed a beautiful

See FALL, page 2

UC Davis named No. 8 public university University moves up a rank from last year

OBITUARY: LINNEA LOMAX After disappearing on June 26, UC Davis first-year and Placerville resident Linnea Noel Lomax was found on Sept. 7. She was 19. According to her parents, Lomax was a victim of a sudden onset of mental illness and subsequent suicide. Lomax graduated from El Dorado High School in 2011. In a tribute written by her family, Lomax is remembered as a bright, funny and compassionate young woman. She was known to sing at the top of her lungs even though she didn’t always know the lyrics. “She was a bright light, a dear friend, a loving sister, devoted daughter and a sweet, open spirit,” her obituary stated. “She lived boldly, full of love and faith.” A good friend of Lomax, second-year biology major Allison Holmstedt, said Lomax had a thermos that she decorated with a picture collage of her family and friends bearing a quote that said, “It takes 42 muscles to frown, but only 17 muscles to smile. Conserve energy.”

“I love Linnea so much for exactly that,” Holmstedt said. “She had such a bright, positive outlook on life and lifted spirits of everyone around her. Between making up silly songs on the spot, the ridiculous roundabout way she remembered vocabulary words, spinning around and jumping in puddles, to just the way she squinted her face before laughing when we joked at her expense — she would have impressed any environmental conservationist with how much energy she conserved from smiling and making us all smile.” Although second-year agriculture and environmental education major Katie Twyman only knew Lomax for a short while, Lomax managed to change her life. “This girl is my sunshine. She’s that smile on an off day,” Twyman said. “She is that girl that everyone knew as the most caring, unselfish, thoughtful, kind-hearted, loving girl that would always give her time, thoughts and effort to make sure everyone

around her was happy.” One of Lomax’s best friends since elementary school, second-year biology major Kadra Rademacher, attended the same schools with Lomax from kindergarten to college. “Linnea had a soul that shone brighter than the sun,” Rademacher said. “She will be in the minds and hearts of every single person she ever met because she was just one of those people in life that makes an impression on you with one conversation. She put her whole heart into anything that she did and cared about the people in her life to the point where everyone that spent time with her felt a real connection to her. She was a loving, godly woman.” Family friends of the Lomax family, Warren and Martha Dayton, own a design studio that does graphics for the Lomax family’s Christian adventure camp Rock-N-Water, where Lomax worked as a river guide. “We have known Linnea since she was born; she always had an exuberance and zest for life that made people know she really liked them and wanted to be with them,” the Daytons said. “She had a deep joy and conveyed a gratitude that you cared about her, making people feel wonderful and welcome. Unusual in a young person, she was affectionate and giving to people in an older generation; at her graduation party, she expressed how delighted she was that we had come and made us feel special, though it was a party for herself.” Lomax is survived by her parents, Craig and Marianne Lomax, and her 17-year-old sister Joy and 15-year-old brother Collin. In addition, she is also survived by her grandmother Emma Lomax of Placerville and her grandparents Mildred and Reino Haider of Sweden. A memorial service was held for Lomax on Sept. 22 at Green Valley Community Church. Family, friends and the community were in attendance. — Claire Tan

‘Enrolled-No Work Submitted’ grade eliminated Brian Nguyen / Aggie

By MUNA SADEK Campus News Editor

UC Davis was named No. 8 public university in the country in U.S. News and World Report's 2013 Best Colleges rankings, Sept. 12, moving up a spot on the list since last year. The university placed No. 38 for a second year in overall rankings of public and private universities. The move up from No. 9 in the 2012 rankings to No. 8 this year can be attributed to the peer reputation data, as U.S. News and World Report solicits surveys from administrators in higher education and factors the results into 22.5 percent of the total, according to Barry Shiller, interim executive director of Strategic Communications at UC Davis. “That’s a really positive barometer in

terms of what the public thinks about UC Davis,” he said. “Though it holds less weight in the overall total, at 20 percent, graduation and retention rates also had a part in the school's No. 8 placement,” Shiller said. “The graduation and retention of first- to second-year students incrementally improved … and the retention rate is a measure of student satisfaction and that’s very important.” UC San Diego is tied at No. 8 with UC Davis. In an interview by UC Davis News and Information, UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said the high ranking is due to university stakeholders. “UC Davis’ reputation continues to grow as one of the nation’s elite public universities, where innovative research is addressing the world’s most critical issues and students

See RANK, page 2

Students no longer able to drop courses after deadline said professor and University Writing Program (UWP) minor advisor Gary Sue Goodman. Beginning this fall, students will no lon- The ENWS grade was used by students ger be able to use the Enrolledwho had not attended class or No Work Submitted (ENWS) submitted work but missed grade option, after the UC the deadline to drop the Davis division of Academic course. The instructor would Senate decided to eliminate it enter “ENWS” on the end-ofon June 8. term report of the student. “I was disappointed to hear Now, students will rethat the ENWS grade will be ceive an “F” instead of an eliminated as an option, since ENWS notation which they it has also functioned as a usewill be able to petition to the ful alternative to giving stuGrade Changes Committee for dents ‘F’ grades when they enremoval, if the failure to comIrisa Tam / Aggie rolled in a course but could plete the work is due to circumnot attend or submit the asstances outside the student’s control. signments, for varied reasons, from illSee ENWS, page 2 ness to personal or family emergencies,”

By LILIANA NAVA OCHOA Aggie News Writer

News iN Brief University of California pays $1 million No charges filed against officers for pepper spray settlement involved in pepper spray incident Officers involved in the Nov. 18 pepper spray incident on the UC Davis campus will not face criminal charges, according to a statement released last Wednesday by Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral. “Viewing the incident through the totality of the circumstances, there is insufficient evidence to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of force involved in the November 18, 2011, pepper spraying was unlawful and therefore warrants the filing of criminal charges,” a 13-page District Attorney

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(DA) report stated. The report filed by the DA relied mainly on the facts presented in the Kroll Report that investigated the incident, although the statement indicated that the conduct of the officer who pepper sprayed the demonstrators, Lt. John Pike, was “not objectively reasonable.” The statement also said that the DA report made clear the legal role of the prosecutor in the case, as the role of the DA’s office does not involve “an evaluation of administrative, civil or Internal Affairs liability for the participants” nor does it

review whether or not the policies were properly followed. “The scope of the District Attorney’s review is solely an evaluation of whether the filing of criminal charges is warranted by the events of November 18, 2011,” the report stated. Though the terms of the legal settlement have not been released formally, University of California President Mark Yudof thought the results of the settlement were appropriate. “On the whole, I thought it was fair,” he said. — Muna Sadek

Forecast For those of you who weren’t in Davis this summer, welcome back to the Davis heat! Enjoy the smoldering sun before the fall rain makes an appearance. Written by Amanda Nguyen Weather report courtesy of www.weather.com

The University of California will pay approximately $1 million to settle the pepper spray lawsuit, according to the settlement that was submitted yesterday for court approval. Plaintiffs of the case will be paid $630,000 ($30,000 each) and $250,000 will be paid to attorney and legal fees. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will be paid $20,000 for the organization’s future work with the University to promote freedom of speech and expression. UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi will also issue a formal apology to each plaintiff who was pepper sprayed or arrested, according to a press release by ACLU. $100,000 will be awarded to non-

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plaintiffs who were pepper sprayed or arrested Nov. 18, as the case was just developed as a class-action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were agreed upon in a closed session by the UC Board of Regents at a UC Regents meeting Sept. 13 at the UCSF Mission Bay campus. “I want the University and the police to understand what they did wrong. Police should be accountable to students … I felt like the University silenced me,” said sophomore Ian Lee in the press release. Before the settlement is finalized, it will be reviewed by a federal court judge for possible approval. — Muna Sadek

Welcome to the UC Davis class of 2016 and transfer class of 2014! Enjoy your first year at Davis and good luck to everyone on the first day of classes! Amanda Nguyen


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