November 9, 2011

asucd elections

Something science

Elections end tomorrow (Thursday) at 8 a.m. Don’t forget to vote!

Find out how ants are crucial to the ecosystem on the Science and Technology page.

Sciene & Technology | Page 3

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 130, number 112

Wednesday, november 9, 2011

University to offer new majors and minors

Artists get crafty in annual Gallery Staff Show

New areas of study needed to stay competitive, administration says

By RICHARD CHANG Aggie News Writer

Ever wanted to minor in human rights? You now can, thanks to the efforts of your professors.

Despite threats of further cuts from the state, the university expanded its curric-

ment of civil engineering, is one example of the university’s commitment to stay competitive.

“This minor will give students the opportunity to work in an integrated design capacity, which is the

ulum this year, in the form of several new majors and minors.

“This is one of the ways we are staying competitive,” said Patricia Turner, vice provost of undergraduate studies.

The sustainability in the built environment minor, administered under the depart-

Craft Center auctioning handmade crafts in South Silo

See MAJOR, page 2

Ask Katehi What steps are being taken to make UC Davis an internationally-recognized research institution?

UC Davis is already recognized around the world as a leading public research university. We are proud of the many prestigious academLinda Katehi ic and governmental exUC Davis Chancellor change programs and research enterprises that have global impact.

But we are taking steps to do even more.

Today, UC Davis is engaged in an estimated 150 international agreements of cooperation with leading research universities around the world and with ministries of science and education in Chile, Brazil, Vietnam, China and the Netherlands. We have also established partnerships with private sector companies like BGI, the world’s largest genomic institute.

On campus, more than 40 percent of our new faculty in 2010-11 received a degree

from an international university. We are among the top five U.S. universities in hosting international scholars — nearly 2,500 postdoctoral students and researchers annually. UC Davis is also among the top 10 U.S. universities in hosting Fulbright scholars and in sending our faculty around the globe on Fulbright Awards. In addition, our faculty and administrators actively participate worldwide in international conferences, workshops, symposiums and collaborative research. And UC Davis supports 30 international alumni networks on six continents.

Looking to the future, our newly-announced 2020 Initiative includes plans to increase the number of eligible California, national and international undergraduates.

This will bring great depth and diversity to the educational experience for all UC Davis students, and help better prepare our graduates to be future global leaders in science, academia, government and industry.

Do you have a question for the chancellor? E-mail campus@theaggie. org.

Sarena Grossjan / Aggie

Crafts up for auction include ceramics and other projects made by Craft Center volunteers.

By DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN Aggie News Writer

With November already underway and the holidays quickly approaching, the Craft Center is hosting its 10th annual Gallery Staff Show and Silent Auction.

Located in the South Silo, the Craft Center currently has

pieces donated by instructors and volunteers available for sale in a silent auction format. These pieces will be open for bidding through Dec. 2.

“This year we have a T-shirt quilt, photography, stained glass and glass fusing. We are really heavy on ceramics.

We have received tons of donations,”

See CRAFT, page 2

Middle-income families more likely University airport allows students to to eat fast food than poor families experience flight Fast food is not entirely to blame for high rate of low-income obesity

By HUDSON LOFCHIE Aggie Science Writer

Comedian Richard Jeni once said, “one out of every three Americans weighs as much as the other two.”

That was the part of his act that was not supposed to be funny.

Fast food has received a bad rap as being the primary cause of obesity, but a recent study by UC Davis researchers has found that fast food is more common among middle-income families than it is among lowincome families. Those same middleincome families also have lower rates of obesity than low-income families.

“For the very poor, fast food is not the biggest factor [in obesity],” said Paul Leigh, a professor of public health sciences at UC Davis and lead author of the study.

There is a direct coloration between lower income and increased obesity rates, but if fast food isn’t the cause of low-income obesity, what is?

There are a few other factors that lead to higher obesity rates in low-income families.

Elizabeth Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC Davis said that obesity is caused by a discrepancy between how many calories are taken in, versus how many are being

burned — what she calls the “energy balance equation.”

“If output doesn’t equal input, obesity develops over time,” she said.

When money is tight, priority is put on cost-per-calorie, which means that poor families will buy highly processed carbohydrates, food with saturated fats and sugar-rich sodas and snacks — empty calories.

Furthermore, lower-income neighborhoods are generally not as safe as middle and upper-income neighborhoods so children do not receive the recommended 60 minutes of physical

See FOOD, page 2 courtesy

Cowboy spirit still alive at The Davis Graduate

Lani Chan learns to fly with instructor Jonathan Bar-Or.

By LANI CHAN

Aggie Features Writer

Line dancing, music forms country community

BY CHRISTINA NOVAKOV-RITCHEY Aggie Features Writer

Those who stop by the The Davis Graduate on a Monday, Friday or Saturday night may find themselves being asked to dance by a man in a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat. However, before you start running to The Grad to find the man of your dreams, you better know how to dance — line dance, that is.

The Grad’s Country Night features music vidKristina Geddert / Aggie eos of the latest country The Davis Graduate, located at the University Mall, hosts hits, songs of the Billboard Country Night on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Top 40 and line danc-

Today’s weather Mostly clear High 67 Low 40

Forecast The cold weather the past few days has been a wake up call but at least it hasn’t been rainy. There is still a chance for some rain with very nippy temperatures on Friday.

Tyson Tilmont, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

You, too, can learn to fly

ing lessons. Meanwhile, its participants bring the cowboy boots, hats and plenty of plaid.

The Grad, a bar and restaurant that hosts nightlife events for patrons 18 and older, has been hosting Country Night since its opening in 1971.

Country Night takes place at The Grad, located in University Mall on Russell Blvd., most Monday, Friday and Saturday nights. There is no cover charge for patrons 21 and up before 9 p.m.; otherwise it’s $6 ($4 with college ID) for 21 and

See GRADUATE, page 6 Thursday

Friday

Partly cloudy

Chance of rain

High 68 Low 40

High 60 Low 39

I never thought that I would ever get to take a joyride, in a plane, over and around Davis during my four years here. Not only that, I never thought that I would be the one flying that plane. In the pilot’s seat. Two thousand feet in the air. Campus looks a lot smaller from up there.

Although I was given my lesson free of charge, anyone can take an introductory demo flight at the UC Davis University Airport for $55. The lesson includes a basic overview of air transportation and of the different mechanisms of the plane, and 30 to 45 minutes of actual flying over areas such as Winters and Vacaville.

I had expected, prior to the lesson, that I would walk around the plane a

few times and the instructor, University Airport CEO Jonathan Bar-Or, would size me up in terms of intelligence and decide from there whether or not to let me near one of his precious $95,000 planes.

But right after we sat down in front of Bar-Or’s iPad with the map of the route we would be taking that day, he informed me that I’d be the one flying the plane the entire time.

While we were still on the ground, Bar-Or began by teaching me how to direct the plane up and down, and how to roll from side to side using the wheel. Next, he taught me how to steer the plane left and right using pedals on the floor.

Among the plethora of dials to pay attention to in the cockpit are the speed

See FLIGHT, page 3

This is the day after Modern Warfare 3 has been released. More than 6 millions copies were estimated to be sold in the first 24 hours and more than half of the world’s relationships are already over.

Mimi Vo & Justin Chan

page two

2 wednesday, november 9, 2011

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY Cancelled: UC Provost Pitts Open Forum Previously scheduled: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Previous location: King Lounge, Memorial Union The discussion with UC Provost Larry Pitts has been cancelled.

Refund California Rally Noon Quad Students, workers and community members will march and rally to make banks pay their fair share to fix the economic crisis they created. Refund California is a statewide coalition of students, teachers, homeowners, community members and faith leaders working to make Wall Street banks pay for a crisis they helped to create.

UC Davis Bookstore Author Event 1 to 2 p.m.

UC Davis Bookstore Special Events Room, next to Memorial Union Post Office Tania Hammidi, of the UC Davis women’s studies department, will discuss her new book, Judgement Day: Fashioning Masculinities.

The book features 24 portraits of queer masculinities by Los Angeles- and New Yorkbased photographers Lola Flash, Love Ablan and Leon Mostovoy, as well as essays on stud/butch self-fashioning.

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road Free yourself from excess weight and obsessive thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.

THURSDAY Energy Institute Fall Seminar Series 2 to 3:30 p.m.

1065 Kemper Ryan J. Andress, Ph.D., will discuss optimization-based synthesis and analysis of hydrogen-producing alternative thermochemical cycles.

Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar Series 4 p.m.

1005 Genome and Biomedical Sciences Building Dr. Shankar Subramaniam, chair of the department of bioengineering at UC San Diego, will discuss perspectives and challenges of systems biology and medicine.

To the Zoo and Beyond: San Diego Zoo Vet Talk

5:30 to 6 p.m.

201 Wellman Nameless Magazine is UC Davis’s official undergraduate literary and arts magazine.

E-mail namelessquarterly@gmail.com for more information.

6 p.m.

1001 Geidt Internship and Career Center and the Vet Aide Club at UC Davis will present this special onenight-only talk with the senior veterinarian of the San Diego Zoo. He will present stories about panda births, koala reproduction and what it’s like to be a zoo veterinarian. On a side note, lots of cute baby panda pictures be will shown.

Peace Corps Info Meeting

American Red Cross Club Meeting

Nameless Magazine Info Meeting

6 to 7 p.m.

1130 Hart This meeting is for people who want to learn about the Peace Corps, the application process and how to gain skills to be more qualified. All are welcome.

Careers in Genetic Counseling 6:30 p.m.

194 Young Learn from a UC Davis alum about exciting career options such as a genetic counselor.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

6:15 to 7:30 p.m.

118 Olson Missed the first general meeting? No worries!

Just come to this general meeting to learn about all the volunteer opportunities around Davis and the Yolo community.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail 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.

of the community to benefit. While students and patrons can purchase handmade pieces, artists also get a chance to appreciate both their work and the work of others.

“We all like to go around looking at everyone’s stuff.

I also like it when someone puts up something ‘big’ at the auction that sets off a massive bidding war and everyone wonders who is going to get it. I’ve seen some high bids for a custom doll that incorporated something from every craft at the Craft Center, a large robot sculpture and fancy glass jellyfish done by one of the instructors. I expect this year’s Craft Center T-shirt blanket and the ‘Day of the Dead’ Craft Center diorama that Jan made are going to go for a lot of money. I know I’ll be putting in a token bid even if I can’t afford them by the end of the final night,” Rutherford said.

Not only is this an opportunity for artists to sell their work and see how much it will actually sell for, but all of the proceeds support the Craft Center. According to Tolla, artists are often surprised at how much their work sells for.

“We use the funds for things that will benefit the majority of the Craft Center,” Tolla said. “We often buy books, so that anyone who comes in can benefit from the proceeds.”

CRAFT

Cont. from front page said Jan Garrison, coordinator at the Craft Center.

Each year, Craft Center affiliates donate pieces to be sold in the show. Over four weeks, the crafts are open for bidding. Anyone can place a bid on items. On the final day of the show, Dec. 2, everything is opened up in a live auction format.

In celebration of this final day, the Craft Center hosts a reception, in which Jared Tolla, the assistant director, serves as the auctioneer.

“It is fun being the auctioneer. I know lots of people who crafted the pieces, so I have behind-thescenes knowledge,” Tolla said.

At this reception, the piece will go to the highest bidder. For the artists, it is an opportunity to put their work on the market.

“It’s nice to have people check out your pieces. It’s also a lot less stress than selling work myself, and you get to find out what other people are willing to pay for your work. It’s surprising to see what some things end up going for at auction,” said Jennifer Rutherford, an artist in the show, as well as a volunteer and sewing and glass instructor at the Craft Center.

For this year, Rutherford has contributed small mosaic glass-fused plates and a decoupaged box.

This is also a unique op- DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN can be reached at portunity for all members campus@theaggie.org.

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The california Aggie

wind of a mid-midlife crisis.

Then I received my presents: stickers, bubble-wrap, a cute mini tea set and Pokémon cards.

My friends and I ended Zenita up maniacally jumping on Singh the bubble-wrap, playing hide-and-seek and games of worst-case-scenario, having staring contests and watching animated movies.

I think we succeeded in reversing the clock. It felt nice to temporarily forget college stress and have some good, anachronistic ou know you’re old junior-high fun. when your idea of a Of course, it’s impossigood sale is five cents ble to permanently avoid off toilet paper, when the the responsibilities that thought of new groceries come with your false, mismakes you salivate more leading and unnecessary than all of Pavlov’s dogs put numerical age. Some days together, or when it’s four in you’ll just have to sit down the morning and your skin and get your work done is encased with cold, neebefore taking a break is dle-like icicles because you even plausible. refuse to turn on the heater Nonetheless, it is not the and pay extra quantifor PG&E. ty of your I certainly still act like I’m breaks, but It was my birthday on eight when I have the free time their qualSunday and ity that to do so ... according to matters. the cashier So rathat Trader Joe’s, I look even er than spending your free older than I really am. After time washing the couch carefully examining my rewith your drool as you stare flection beneath the blindmouth agape at a mundane ing radiance of no less than television screen, why not eight light bulbs, for no less rediscover your poor, nethan eight minutes, I noglected Lego sets that are ticed something unusual… gathering dust in forgotten The face gazing back at corners? me looked frighteningly fa Better yet, you can go to miliar. As evidenced by the Target and spend a glorious matching bags beneath our hour browsing for toys. The eyes, the parentheses wrin- games and contraptions for kles enclosing our lips and children nowadays are even the stress-induced grouchi- more exciting than the ones ness which often dominates available when we were our temperaments — the kids! similarities between me and The circumstances of my mom were growing with your life — your duties, your every passing second. residences, your relationI never wanted to adopt the ships, your dreams — will habits of incessant foot-tap- rarely remain constant. But ping, hair-wrenching, fineven though life may be gernail-biting and eyehard to reign, you always brow-knotting; I had alhave the power to retain ways hoped to happily byyour youth if you so please. pass any collagen-destroy When the shock of olding manifestations of old er age hurls you off your feet age and anxiety. and spins your thoughts But there I was, on day into a terrifying tornado of 6,935, half-crazed with Doom, make sure to stand sleep-deprivation, pacing your ground and clutch the about while scribbling to-do nearest stuffed animal availlists, carrying more respon- able for comfort. sibilities than a see-saw So even if your excitehas children or a bathroom ment for free coupon books scale has pounds, and doing rivals that for presents on all I could to manage my life Christmas eve, even if you as a (nearly) independent find yourself visiting Costco woman. just to indulge in free sam I feel old. I certainly still ples and escape the soract like I’m eight when I ry scorn of a refrigerator have the free time to do so, as empty as your starving but that time is becoming stomach, you must not lose increasingly sparse. I am al- hope! most afraid to sit here typ While college might ating at my computer, betempt to impose upon cause if I get too consumed you the effects of age at an by work, I may inadvertent- alarming pace, for now you ly take that final step into are certainly capable of adulthood — a dreamless shoving them aside. Good land of cold efficiency and luck! dull prudence.

So in the midst of my 19th Make ZENITA feel important by telling her birthday, I found myself en- your secret eight-year-old pastimes at zensingh@ucdavis.edu. tangled in the angry whirl-

Midlife crisis

Y

majors Cont. from front page future of the civil engineering field,” said Frank Loge, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who was instrumental in creating the minor.

According to Loge, the integrated design capacity requires engineers, architects and others to collaborate during the design process so that a more efficient sustainable design can be achieved.

Another new program to arrive at the university is the human rights minor. Instead of starting from scratch, the new minor is a joint collaborative effort between the history

food Cont. from front page activity per day.

“The rate of aging is probably set during development years,” said Roger McDonald, a professor of nutrition at UC Davis. “The reality is that the only two things that will slow down aging are keeping weight off and staying active.”

There are serious health problems that come from obesity: cardiovascular problems and insulin resistance, just to name a few.

“There has been an explosion in cases of Type 2 Diabetes,” said Judith Stern of the UC Davis nutrition department.

Obesity is not just a health concern, but a social concern as well. Obese children are often the targets of bullying, and obesity-related complications cost the health care system $147 billion in 2008.

There is no single person or institution that can be blamed for the easy access to unhealthy foods. Over

“Getting a salt-water indoor pool installed on the second floor of my vintage chateau is so complicated!”

And your impending reaction? “I don’t care!” But, Michelle you won’t say that. So, you Nguyen fake a smile and offer a phony and complacent response like, “How wonderful!” just to assure him that his personal life story is not at all boring and dulling away the very neurons of your brain.

The worst, though, will be when someone talks about how smart/athlethere are few things ic/talented their kids are. in life quite as ex“My daughter can name citing as receiving a Facebook notification. It’s the capital of every state,” or “My son can roller blade like the less eventful, mibackward. You should see nuscule version of openhim do it, it’s hilarious!” But ing gifts on Christmas instead of laughing, all you morning. want to do is roll your eyes But when your notifito the back of your head cation button is inundated with a barrage of invites and keep them there until they stop talking. and reminders for your Following high school this exporeunion, Personally, I was never a fan of sé of interyou run away from the whole clique scene in high actions between classFacebook school ... mates, we like a fat kid should keep runs away in mind never to adverfrom a treadmill (ironic?). tise reunions as a meaning Don’t get me wrong, reunions sound like a superb ful occasion for meeting old pals. Because let’s be frank, idea. Sure, it’s been a few we are not, and never have years and I’d love to see been, pals with everyone how my classmates have changed. Of course, a nice from our class. The only people we really care for get-together to reminisce seeing are our real friends, old times and catch up on our new lives would be fas- whom we keep in touch with on a weekly if not daily cinating!

But, underneath the be- basis anyway. guiling surface lies the ter- The most likely circumrible truth of why reunions stance that would occur at one of these reunions have come to be. Anyone is that you’ll huddle in who attends, or creates, a group with your close these awful events (save friends and comment on those who have been insomeone else’s weight duced by sheer force of or make fun of the way will) only attend for one someone dresses. singular reason: to flaunt This is not much difto everyone how much ferent from what you albetter they are now than ready do (Facebook stalkthey were before. ing sound familiar?), except For the nerd, it could be now, this insensitive activthat he will appear wearity is done in a more pubing contacts and embraclic manner over cheese and ing a hot girlfriend. For the wine. The occasional small jock, he will make a showing with an even hotter girl- talk with those outside your clique only happens when friend. And for that shabyou stroll to the table to by-looking girl we all used grab more hors d’oeuvres. to avoid ... well, she will be unrecognizable in her new- Personally, I was never a fan of the whole clique scene ly blossomed body. in high school, and reunions But, those that have no new and improved physical are just the adult version of that. We like to surround attributes to showcase will make up for it with success ourselves with only those we’re comfortable with and stories. “Have you been to New York over the summer? everyone else is a poor victim of our ridicule.

It’s beautiful. Oh, by the So, why do I fear reway, I worked as an intern unions more than I fear the on Wall Street,” one might Apocalypse? Because I don’t boast, or “Last year, I inwant to tire my face musterned for Senator So-andso, so I’m pretty much a big cles flashing fake smiles, nor is it in my interest to tell deal.”

If this is how we are after someone it’s good seeing them when deep down injust three years of school, side what I genuinely want imagine what it would be to say is, “I hate your face.” like 15 years from now. I’m sure many of us will attend with the intention of show- Send MICHELLE NGUYEN ideas for excuses ing off our wealth. Some not to attend her high school reunion at guy might casually remark, michellen1990@yahoo.com.

I hate your face

T

department and the religious studies program.

Keith Watenpaugh, a historian of the Middle East and a religious studies associate professor, describes the minor as a way for students to link their major fields of study with the history, theory and promotion of human rights.

The process for approving a major or minor can be described as long and arduous. Faculty members are typically the ones who bring forward such a proposal. The proposal is then taken up by a dean or an academic senate committee. If the proposal has enough support, it will be reviewed by the administration, which makes the ultimate decision. The entire process can take anywhere from 18 months to

the past decade, the manufacture of refined carbohydrates has become far less expensive, and fats used in cooking are easier to produce. The U.S. government also spends $17 billion annually subsidizing grain farmers. This makes empty calories even cheaper.

There are a few ways to fix these issues. According to Leigh, there needs to cheap, healthy alternatives to the unhealthy foods on fast food menus, as well as government subsidies for healthy choices. He also believes that there should be a tax on sugary sodas and that the proceeds should go to fund food stamps.

Applegate suggests that neighborhoods create an environment for safe physical activity.

“Davis is a model community,” Applegate said.

“There are bike paths, farmers markets with organic food and parents here know the importance of activity and nutrition. Davis is fitness utopia.”

Some fast food chains

upward of several years.

According to Turner, the time-consuming process is necessary.

“It doesn’t make sense to invest in something that’s not practical. We’re using public money, and we should be prudent with it,” she said.

The review process ensures an efficient distribution of resources to fields that impact students the most, Turner said .

Vice Provost Turner is optimistic that the new programs will substantially contribute to the prestige of UC Davis.

“It’s a very good time to be a student here. We have a reputation to be admired,” she said.

RICHARD CHANG can be reached at campus@theaggie.

courtesy

Fast food is often blamed for obesity among the poor, but due to recent studies, this has been called into question. have begun to address these issues in their own way.

“McDonalds has done a good job of creating awareness through labeling calories on their menu boards,” Stern said.

“We need to promote both sides of the energy equation,” Applegate said.

“I compliment McDonalds.

They offer play areas which are a safe place for calorie

burning.”

Applegate said that kids who eat healthy and are physically active are not only healthier later in life, they have better blood flow, better attention span, better mental acuity and even higher scores on standardized tests.

HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Wednesday, november 9, 2011 3

The california aggie

Ants: one of the most important parts of our ecosystem

Fall back

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“They are the glue that holds our ecosystem together”

Brian Fisher in Madagascar

By ERIC C. LIPSKY Aggie Science Writer

Watch where you step, because ants are crucial contributors in the continued discovery of the world we live in. Insects, although small, are one of the greatest indicators of biodiversity in an area.

Brian Fisher, chairman of the department of entomology at the California Academy of Sciences, has been studying insects and ants for decades. Fisher’s travels have taken him from the Congo, to the Amazon and now to Madagascar. Located off the coast of southeastern Africa, Madagascar is considered a model for biodiversity.

“We have been traveling all over Madagascar using insects to try to create a fine-scale biodiversity map,” Fisher said.

Fisher said that insects share an incredible amount of microendemism, meaning that these insects are unique to certain locations. Some scientists are reliant on mapping bird species to determine biodiversity, but this method has problems. Fisher said that if scientists were to try to map out biodiversity based on just birds, they would only get a broad history of the area.

“In eastern Madagascar, it’s the same bird species, it doesn’t matter where you go, you find the same bird species,” Fisher said. “We wouldn’t be able to see life’s story with just birds.”

Fisher said only about 15 percent

courtesy

of species have been discovered on earth. He said that it is only a matter of time before society loses the chance to learn more about the remaining 85 percent of undiscovered species.

“Many species will go extinct without us seeing them. It may be only 50 years until they are extinct, so it’s our last chance to try to explore the species before they’re gone,” Fisher said.

One of the biggest problems Madagascar faces is deforestation.

Similar to how other forests around the world are being destroyed, Fisher is seeing humanity’s impacts in the forests of Madagascar.

“It’s shocking what has changed over the past 20 years. One of the forests that we studied last year is gone; it shows how vulnerable these areas are,” Fisher said.

According to a thorough forest review published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2010, deforestation has slowed over the past 10 years. However, the report states that each year, an area about the size of Costa Rica is lost to deforestation.

“I see poor recognition from the public. We need to do a better job to make people aware of why we need more people to inventory these things [biodiversity of areas],” Fisher said.

According to Fisher, ants act as great representatives of the biodiversity in areas because they eat the most diverse sets of foods and be-

cause within groups, they show the broadest range of lifestyles.

He said that the mining companies in Madagascar have got to know about the biodiversity of the areas they are trying to mine.

“They have to know what’s down there is not found elsewhere in Madagascar; the problem is we don’t have enough information to quickly provide it to people who want to mitigate our impacts,” Fisher said.

He hopes to create a sort of ant culture with people that is similar to the relationship people have with birds.

“My goal is to be like the bird people and have field guides that can make people aware of how important insects and ants are,” Fisher said.

“You could remove birds and have an ecosystem function; you couldn’t remove insects and have an ecosystem function,” Fisher said. “They are like the glue that holds the ecosystem together.”

Nevertheless, Fisher said that he is going to continue his pursuit to discover and preserve the insect species on earth.

Fisher is making his way from Madagascar and will be in Davis today for a seminar that will cover his experiences in Madagascar and relating to the ant diversity found there. The seminar will be located in the Recreation Pool Lodge on La Rue Road, and will be from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.

ERIC C. LIPSKY can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

flight Cont. from front page navigation panels and communication systems.

After only 30 minutes or so of basic instruction, I was seated behind the controls of a small four-seater plane, facing a long runway and preparing for takeoff. Bar-Or was sitting on my left, and my friend Tyler Bronstein, who kindly agreed to come along for moral support, sat in the back. Before I knew it I was giving the engine a full shot of gas, watching for the speedometer to reach 60 so I could lift the nose in the air ... and then we were flying.

For most of the time we were airborne on that clear afternoon, I was silently in awe. Getting to Winters in what seemed like less than five minutes felt like being tossed through a timeloop. Beyond that, I was working hard the entire time to process the fact that I was actually behind the wheel of a plane.

Back in the day when I was learning how to drive, I could never understand how the driving school teachers could be so patient. Bar-Or was no different. He was remarkably calm the entire time, tolerated my cursing every time my stomach dropped and made sure to reduce any anxiety I had when he could.

To my surprise, once I had made it safely off the ground, I found that flying was actually relatively easy. Yes, it was true I wasn’t worrying about other traffic or really anything other than what was directly in front of me, but controlling the plane felt like playing a video game after about 10 minutes.

Bar-Or left a surprising amount of control to me, only maintaining control of the foot pedals which were embarrassingly too far away for me to reach. He let me experiment steering until I learned could keep the plane riding smoothly, and even though Tyler was sick for most of the ride I think he would agree that I got the hang of it by the end.

Bar-Or even commented that I

is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. As the planet revolves around the sun, this tilt means that at different points of its orbit, different parts of the earth Amy are closer to the star, which Stewart is why we have seasons and why winter in the northern hemisphere occurs at the same time as summer in the southern hemisphere (and vice versa).

When our hemisphere is n a purely selfish tilted away from the sun, it level, I enjoy the also means that we spend switch from Daylight a greater amount of time Saving Time to Standard in darkness. People have Time. Anything that gives known this for thousands me an extra hour of sleep is of years, and different cita cause for celebration for ies set their clocks differmy sleep-deprived brain, ently depending on their and I imagine many colown sunlight, but it wasn’t lege students feel the same until common use of pub(especially since midterm lic transportation that season is just ending and knowing the time became we can finally relax from a requirement. studying a The first bit).

Sometimes, scientific precision proposal Thinking for setting has to take a backseat to too hard the clock about the practicality forward concept of for spring Daylight and sumSaving Time, however, mer was from Benjamin makes one wonder why it Franklin in 1784, but the was a good idea. Yes, the idea didn’t catch on unoriginal goal was to give til a proposal from an an extra hour of sunlight Englishman named William as the fall and winter make Willett in 1907. for earlier evenings and Willett’s idea left sometherefore save electricity. thing to be desired. He However, the concept does wanted to move the clocks create confusion for those 80 minutes ahead durwho don’t pay attention ing the summer months — to the dates of the switchin four, 20-minute increovers or forget the conments. This plan is more cept of “Spring forward, fall precise compared to the back.” one-hour jump we do to If you find it confusday with regard to the ing now, you should know Earth’s tilted axis, as the that there are certain arlength of daylight increases eas that don’t observe gradually (not all at once) Daylight Saving Time at all. during spring.

Hawaii, American Samoa, However, who here Guam, Puerto Rico, the would be able to keep Virgin Islands and most of track of how often to turn Arizona (with the exception the clocks ahead 20 minof the Navajo Reservation) utes four times per year, as do not switch their clocks. well as back 20 minutes anThere is no federal law reother four times per year? quiring that states observe Sometimes, scientific preciDaylight Saving Time, only sion has to take a backseat that if they do, it must beto practicality. gin at 2 a.m. on the second The issue of scientific Sunday in March and end precision versus practical at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday usefulness comes up again of November. in one of the major claims Even these regulations of Daylight Saving Time: are subject to change; this that it reduces electricity range of Daylight Saving use. The precise, scientific Time is actually from the answer appears to be that Energy Policy Act of 2005. yes, it does. Is this reduced Until the Uniform Time use enough for the average Act of 1966, when Daylight person to notice? Not really.

Saving Time was set from The first national study the last Sunday in April to was commissioned by the the last Sunday of October, United States Department every locality was free to of Transportation in the choose when to change 1970s and found that, natheir clocks for Daylight tionally speaking, electricSaving Time, which caused ity usage decreased by 1 a great deal of confusion for percent each day when usthe broadcasting and travel ing Daylight Saving Time. industries.

A similar study from 2008 The law was amended in from the United States 1986 to change the springDepartment of Energy forward date to the first found that extending Sunday in April, extendDaylight Saving Time by ing Daylight Saving Time one month reduced nationby nearly a month. At this al electricity usage by 0.03 time, the fall-backward percent. date was in the last Sunday Not per person — naof October and remained tionally. Of course, every with these dates until 2005, little bit of electricity saved when the date was changed is helpful. Just don’t expect to the first Sunday of to see that difference reNovember. flected in your utility bill.

But why does all of this confusion need to exist at Have a science question? E-mail AMY all? The most basic reaSTEWART at science@theaggie.org and she’ll find an expert to ask. son is that the Earth’s axis

Tech Tips Freshly minted courtesy

Students enjoy views like these while learning to fly at the University Airport. was an aggressive flier, which was strange in the context of real life and not Star Wars, but it helped me transition from freaking out to having fun.

Flying that plane, even though it was just to the edge of Lake Berryessa and back, was easily one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my lifetime. I thought getting a car when I was in high school was awesome, but sitting in a private plane at that elevation with the nose pointed in whatever direction I wanted made it truly feel as if the world was my oyster.

Judging by the kind of daily activity at the airport, there are plenty that feel the same way. Only a few planes were still parked at the airport on the afternoon we were there. Anyone with a pilots’ license can rent a plane to fly for $85 an hour, including fuel and insurance, opening up endless possibilities for day trips and adventures.

Bar-Or told me how he would fly out to Half Moon Bay for picnic dates when he was in school and how he

can routinely get to Los Angeles in only an hour and 45 minutes.

Whatever the scenario, it seems that a pilots’ license, while being quite the hefty investment of roughly $6500 for 60 hours of instruction, is something that could definitely be put to good use.

While I am a long way from obtaining my pilots’ license, getting to experience flying on an ordinary day was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I got off work at the Memorial Union and biked out to the airport right afterwards, only to fly right back in that direction half an hour later to look at the same area from two thousand feet above.

It was unreal that this was possible, all in the space of an hour and a half, for a person with absolutely no prior knowledge or experience in flight. If anyone is aching to cross something off of their bucket list, head out to the UC Davis Airport when you have a free afternoon and fly somewhere. It’s worth it.

LANI CHAN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

College unfortunately costs a great deal of money — to attend, live, play, eat, party. As with any long list, priorities and disarray abound at the thought of paying expenses. Fortunately for students and adults alike, Mint.com can make this job easier by managing, tracking and budgeting users’ personal finances.

In this secure, accurate forum, one does not need spreadsheets or financial advisors; Mint gets the job done in a manner our generation is trending towards — neatly.

The platform is simple: create a Mint account, enter your financial information, and quickly see all your balances and transactions together in one place. No more logging in to different checking, savings and investment accounts; no more Excel e-mail attachments to parents back home; no more calendar reminders and certainly no more

fretting about the state of your money affairs. We can finally get the entire picture with Mint and not have to worry about piecing it together.

My favorite feature (besides being a free service and sending text reminders) is the helpful graphs. Spending is broken up into categories based on when and what was spent. Net worth, income and account balances are tracked as well, making it easy to understand financial patterns.

There is even the option to track spending against personal goals, which can then be contrasted with the graph that compares spending against national average. Already done for you, Mint’s financial analysis beats the arduous work that is Excel any given day.

Your life will greatly benefit from financial streamlining.

— Chelsea Mehra

4 Wednesday, november 9, 2011

The california Aggie

Obama introduces student loan relief plan Improvements to student loans will take effect January 2012

By CLAIRE TAN Aggie News Writer

On Oct. 26, President Barack Obama introduced his “Pay As You Earn” proposal at the University of Colorado in Denver. The goal of the plan is to improve the college loan repayment process to make it easier and more affordable for students.

“We’re making changes that will give about 1.6 million students the ability to cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their income starting next year,” Obama said in his student loan savings plan op-ed. “We’re also going to take steps to help you consolidate your loans so that instead of making multiple payments to multiple lenders every month, you only have to make one payment a month at a better interest rate.”

Obama said a fact sheet called “Know Before You Owe” will be given to students to help them make the right loan decision.

Still in the works, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau teamed up with the United States Department of Education to help schools improve the student loan information given to students and their families.

“This looks really cool and I hope they do it,” said Director of UC Davis Financial Aid Kathryn Maloney. “With all the information in one place, students can understand better and make better decisions.”

There are two main repayment plans; the standard repayment plan and the income based repayment (IBR) plan. There are also other repayment plans that are dependent on a student’s financial situation.

“There are several repayment plans for student loans,” Maloney said. “One is called the standard and it’s a 10-year plan based on the amount you owe divided by 10 years. There’s also [the IBR plan] that was introduced in 2009 but not as many people knew about it.”

The current IBR plan allows for loan repayments at 15 percent of a person’s income. Beginning in January 2012, that will change to 10 percent.

“It’s fairly new but wasn’t very publicized,” Maloney said. “We don’t promote it; we just do the loans and don’t deal as much with repayment but we definitely could do more to let people know.”

Another improvement of the plan is

consolidation, which does not affect UC Davis students because UC Davis is not a part of the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. To be eligible for the special direct consolidation loan, a person must have a federal loan and a commercially-held FFEL loan.

“Some schools use banks, some schools used the federal government,” Maloney said. “We use the federal government, but there are students like graduate students or transfers who use both [the banks and federal government] and may need consolidation, although more students don’t need consolidation.”

According to Studentaid.ed.gov, the repayment term is different for the special direct consolidation loan than the traditional direct consolidation loan.

“Each loan that is consolidated retains its original repayment term,” Studentaid. ed.gov said. “As a result, borrowers will pay less interest over the life of the loan than they would under the traditional consolidation program.”

According to Maloney, right now is when people are going into repayment. She said

it is a six-month grace period so for those who graduated in June, come December is when they will begin asking for repayment.

Those from the Project on Student Debt said that two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010 and carried an average of $25,250 in debt. There is also data released by the U.S. Department of Education that shows an increase in federal student loan default rates.

“The official ‘two-year cohort default rates’ show that 8.8 percent of student loan borrowers who entered repayment in 2009 had defaulted by the end of 2010, up from 7 percent for those entering repayment in 2008,” the U.S. Department of Education stated.

UC Davis has a site called CashCourse that helps with basic budgeting.

“It helps you think more about whether you really need to take out a loan,” Maloney said. “Sometimes you can look at your lifestyle and see if you can make other adjustments, such as getting a roommate or making your own food.”

CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Research finds that intestines grow in response to food

By Curan Mehra

Daily Californian (University of California-Berkeley)

U. California-Berkeley research shows a more dynamic role for stem cells and insulin in the intestine, a finding that could have implications for diabetes treatment.

The research, which was published in the journal Cell on Oct. 28, shows that the quantity of intestinal stem cells grows or shrinks to accommodate food, instead of maintaining a stable quantity, as scientists previously thought.

For researchers Lucy O’Brien, postdoctoral researcher, and David Bilder, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, the logic of the findings made evolutionary sense.

“If the animal can expand the size of the intestine and digest more food but then shrink when there is not as much need, it makes the animal more efficient, more physiologically fit,” O’Brien said.

The four-year-long research project, which examined the intestines of fruit flies, began somewhat by chance, she said.

One day in the lab when O’Brien needed to observe a certain genotypic mutation, there was only one slide available — one of a fly that had not been eating.

“When I opened it, its gut was so small,” O’Brien said. “I thought there’s no way this organ could have as many cells as a normal organ I’m used to looking at. That got me wondering whether the act of feeding was actually changing the makeup of the original tissue.”

Her idea diverged from the research of the time, which argued that stem cells in fruit flies divided at a reasonably constant rate, according to O’Brien.

In the lab, she began her work by observing the flies immediately after they had undergone metamorphosis and emerged as adult flies but before they had first eaten. At this point, the stem cells were mostly “inert,” according to O’Brien.

“But when I would give the flies food, I would see the stem cells come to life, and they would divide and divide and divide and divide,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien then spent a year digitally reproducing the intestines of the fruit fly and using computerized algorithms to rigorously count the 4,000 to 10,000 cells in any given fruit fly.

Here, the small size of the fruit fly helped.

“The ability to get at really fine-grain detail about individual cells in the organ makes the fruit fly such a useful animal to study,” O’Brien said.

As a biologist, O’Brien said her first thought was that insulin — which is central to regulating metabolism — would be a key factor in the response of stem cells to food.

The secreted insulin directed stem cell growth. During feeding, insulin secretions would increase, signaling intestinal growth.

In exploring the impact of insulin,

O’Brien’s research has laid preliminary groundwork regarding the use of stem cells in the treatment of diabetes in humans, according to an article by Abby Sarkar, a Harvard University graduate student, and Konrad Hochedlinger, associate professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard, that accompanied the study’s publication.

Musclelike cells in the human intestines similarly secrete insulin. However, understanding the impact of those secretions is much more challenging in the context of a human versus that of a fruit fly, O’Brien said.

“The fruit fly is going to give us indications about how the equivalent process would work in the human,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien plans to continue her current work by examining involvement of muscle tissue in the secretion of insulin. She will also explore what factors limit stem cell growth.

classifieds Bus full of nuns

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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, november 9, 2011 5

The california aggie

New technology may help HIV patients to avoid skipping medications

By Kathryn Elliott

Minnesota Daily (University of Minnesota)

Sticking to pill regimens can be tough for anybody, but for HIV patients it’s especially important to adhere to the treatment schedule recommended by their doctors.

Keith Horvath, a U. Minnesota researcher in the School of Public Health’s looking at how social media can help patients maintain the rigorous regimen — following the efforts of drug companies and medical providers.

Pill reminders sent to a patient’s mobile device or inbox are already a common strategy to encourage medication adherence, but psycho-social factors like depression or drug use can put a damper on patients’ taking their medication, Horvath said.

Last spring, Horvath launched a pilot study to find how online support networks might motivate HIV patients to follow their medication regimens. He built a “Facebook-like” website, which allowed participants to network with other HIVinfected individuals.

The user feedback has been positive

enough that Horvath is preparing to submit a grant proposal next semester to the National Institutes of Health for a larger study.

Medication adherence is critical for HIV patients because missing a dose can provide an opportunity for the virus to replicate. If this happens while low levels of an HIV drug are in the blood, the virus can mutate to become drug-resistant.

Ten years ago, a typical medication load included about 30 to 40 pills daily.

That’s down to about three now, said Terri Foley, director of communications for the Minnesota AIDS Project.

The more than 6,000 HIV-positive Minnesotans have an array of services available to help them stay true to their medication schedule.

But Tim Marburger, director of fundraising and special events at The Aliveness Project — a community center in south Minneapolis that provides services to people with HIV —said that about 70 percent of the 1,600 people that the center serves are below the federal poverty line of $10,830 annual individual income.

Many of them use pay-as-you-go

cellphones — not smartphones that can send alerts — and many don’t have regular Internet access.

Alternatively, one free, high-tech option for HIV-patients sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services is a pill box with a built-in alarm.

Another DHS support program for HIV patients struggling to stay in control, Medication Therapy Management Services, sets up counseling at the pharmacy.

Darin Rowles, director of case management at the Minnesota AIDS Project, said all of its programs use email to communicate with clients plus a fraction that use text messaging. But the best way to help patients is to meet in person.

Online interaction, even over chat, slows down the conversation, he said.

“I don’t see social networking as being realistic for [the clients] because of the boundary concerns,” Rowles said. “It’s much more about relationship building — face to face interaction.”

Positive Link, a program within the Minnesota AIDS Project for HIV-positive gay and bisexual men, has a “secret”

Facebook page that roughly 50 of its 600 participants feel comfortable using, said Nick Schrott, a health educator with the program who is also HIV-positive.

At least half of the 600 have Facebook but don’t use the Positive Link page, he said.

Their main concern is privacy — making sure HIV-related alerts that pop up on their wall won’t be viewed by the wrong eyes, Schrott said. Even though the page is unsearchable and its announcements can’t be viewed by non-members, people don’t feel comfortable taking the risk.

A site like Horvath’s that isn’t as big and as public but has the same options as Facebook might work better, Schrott said.

Horvath said he realized the population with access to social media technology is a subset of those infected. The web site he created, which allows private posting and networking, appeals to a more educated, higher income group.

It’s only one part of the solution for medication adherence, and people with privacy concerns might choose not to use it, he said.

“That’s fair and that’s their choice,” he said.

IQ can change noticeably during adolescence, for better or worse

By Florence Lau

The Johns Hopkins News-Letter (Johns Hopkins University)

It is generally assumed that everyone has a stable IQ (intelligence quotient) score, thereby making it a standard measure of intelligence for teenagers everywhere.

Those who perform badly in IQ tests as teenagers are written off as being unable to do as well in future endeavors, like getting into a highly ranked college or finding a job. Those who do well in such tests can get complacent, believing that they are “naturally smart” and are destined to do well.

However, new research has found that IQ is not a stable a trait as was previously believed. Using IQ tests taken from a group of 33 adolescents when they were between the ages of 12 and 16 and then again four years later when the same adolescents were between 15 and 20 years old, researchers have found that there were significant changes in their scores from 2008 compared to the scores from 2004.

Changes were up to a 20 point increase or decrease in scores, whether it was in verbal (language, math, knowledge and memory) or non-verbal (visual puzzles, identifying missing pieces of a picture) types of IQ. Changes to one type of IQ did not appear to cause a change in the other type.

Along with comparing IQ scores, researchers also looked at MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans of the subjects brains. They found that the increase in scores correlated with increases in grey matter of the brain.

Grey matter is where processing takes place in the brain, so it makes sense that increased intelligence would correlate with increased information processing.

Specifically, increased verbal IQ scores correlated with increased density of grey matter in the part of the brain which is activated during speech, and increased non-verbal IQ scores correlated with the part of the brain activated during hand movements. It was not clear whether decreases in IQ scores meant a decrease

in grey matter in the relevant areas of the brain.

So what does this mean? This research shows that intelligence is still developing in children, and that having a low IQ score during the pre-teen years doesn’t necessarily mean anything later on. It also shows that students who have a high IQ score earlier in life may not have the same score later, so they have to keep working hard and studying.

This last point especially is supported by research which has also found that the brain doesn’t lose its plasticity — its ability to mold itself and change with the amount and type of input it is receiving and the environment it is in — even when people are adults. For example, Professor Eleanor Maguire from the Wellcome Trust Centre found that taxi drivers in London have increased volume in their hippocampus, an area of the brain which controls memory and navigation.

Further research will be needed to decide whether or not this finding can be generalized to IQ changes even as adults,

and whether these results also apply to other cognitive functions. Research can also be done to determine why these changes are happening and if it’s really just as simple as “working out” that part of your brain more or less. Research on these changes may have long-lasting impacts on education, employment, and how the education system is structured in the future. Furthermore, this research could be applied to mental disorders and whether changes in supposedly “stable” traits like IQ could contribute to such disorders.

Clearly, people’s brains don’t stop changing as they grow older, and this applies to no other group more distinctly than teenagers. Their brains are still changing and molding dramatically, even more so than adults’ brains, and intelligence is something that can be molded along with practical and physical skills. Brains are made to adapt to situations, and if one stops trying to study and better himself or herself, his or her brain might simply stop trying to keep up. said.

Breast cancer drug likely to be disapproved by FDA

By Michael Lee

The Duke Chronicle (Duke University)

When clinical trials suggest an expensive cancer drug is ineffective but individual cases highlight its benefits, the methods for evaluating clinical research come into question.

Avastin, a drug for use against metastatic breast cancer — an advanced stage of the disease — is currently pending final approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Recent clinical trials do not show overall improvements in survival rates, casting doubts on the drug’s practical effectiveness. But some oncologists are saying that if ways to see which patients would respond positively to Avastin are developed, it could be a very effective treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

“Some patients do benefit from Avastin,” said Dr. Gary Lyman, medical oncologist and professor of medicine at Duke U. “The problem is that most don’t.”

Lyman was part of the FDA’s Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee, which in 2007 placed Avastin on an accelerated track for use against breast cancer. Accelerated approval is uncommon, and it was granted partially due to promising results of a clinical trial and Avastin’s previous success as a treatment for colorectal cancer, Lyman said. Avastin, though potentially beneficial, is also toxic, like most cancer drugs. It was approved with the provision that the drug be assessed again when two other clinical trials concluded.

When the trials ended in 2010, they showed unexpected results.

“The [new] data reviewed this past year was not as encouraging as we had hoped based on the initial, accelerated approval decision,” Lyman said. “None of the [new]

trials have shown an overall survival improvement indication.”

Compared to the first trial, the new trials indicated a shorter period of progressionfree survival, the time during or after medication in which the cancer ceases to worsen. They did not demonstrate a survival advantage or an improved quality of life on average, Lyman said. He and other oncologists noted, however, that there are certain patients for whom Avastin works very well, a phenomenon that might not be reflected in a large clinical study.

“In individual patients, we have seen remarkable responses to Avastin, but we have not yet learned to tell who will be one of those people with the remarkable response,” Dr. Gretchen Kimmick, Duke associate professor of oncology, wrote in an email Monday. “Here, further research needs to be done.”

The FDA, however, required the advisory board to either unconditionally approve the drug—which would have exempted Avastin’s developer from providing more clinical data—or deny it. The board ultimately rescinded its approval. Lyman and 10 others voted against Avastin, and one member voted for it.

“If we had been given the opportunity to extend approval, I think several panel members including myself would have voted for that,” Lyman said.

The FDA has yet to make the final decision, though historically it has rarely deviated from the advisory board’s decision, he said. If it rescinds Avastin’s approval, then it is likely that insurance companies will cut off funding for the drug for breast cancer use.

“To me, [the end of insurance coverage] would almost be the worst case scenario,”

You’re probably ten feet from a bin right now.

Recycle the aggie.

Lyman said. “It’s very likely that those with means would be able to pay for the drug and many patients would not, or they would end up mortgaging their homes or end up going into great debt in order to get the treatment they or their doctor thinks they need.”

Dr. Neil Spector, Duke associate professor of medicine and associate professor of pharmacology and cancer biology, said there is financial need to develop an identifying method.

“If we prescribe expensive drugs to 100 people in order to get two responders, our health care system will not be sustainable,” Spector wrote in an email Tuesday. “That is not being harsh, it’s being realistic….

We need to develop effective therapies, understand who is most likely to benefit and make them available to likely responders at costs that patients can afford.”

Economics may limit developers’ ability

to tailor a drug to specific individuals, added Dr. Erich Huang, a surgical oncologist and the director of cancer research at Sage Bionetworks in Seattle, Wash.

“The question then is, are we incentivizing people to figure out which drug works for which patient?” Huang said. “It’s the kind of question that needs economic analysis because it is more profitable for [pharmaceutical companies] to market an agent to a larger, un-selected group of patients.”

Lyman said he is confident that Avastin’s usefulness as a drug will emerge as ways of finding which patients would respond well to it are developed.

“I sincerely believe in the near future there will be a marker, a gene, gene pattern or protein that will tell us which patient is most likely to respond,” he said. “To me, that’s the holy grail for Avastin because of [its toxicity].”

6 wednesday, november 9, 2011

The california Aggie

women’s basketball Season PREVIEW Amid everything that is going on with Aggie athletics this year, the spotlight now turns to basketball. Last season, the UC Davis women’s basketball program made it to the NCAA tournament — a first for UC Davis basketball in Division I — after having won the Big West Conference in Coach Sandy Simpson’s final year of his 14-season-long tenure.

It would be easy for UC Davis to make excuses and call this a rebuilding year, with a new head coach and the loss of its two key seniors.

But to UC Davis, the pursuit of excellence never meant taking the easy route.

With all the things that have changed from last season to this, the Aggies know they are not the same team as last year and have modified their goals after having the most successful season in UC Davis’ Division I existence. Led by Head Coach Jennifer Gross, they have set the bar higher.

“The neat thing about coming off such a successful season is our kids are determined to come back and they’re ready to step into new roles,” Gross said. “To be honest, we weren’t satisfied [with last year’s results] … the talk has been not just getting back but at least getting to that second round.”

The loss of the graduating seniors Paige Mintun and Heidi Heintz left holes in the roster that the Aggies will be searching to fill.

Yet, UC Davis’ goal this year is not necessarily to replace those players. Gross and her players have made it clear they will be tailoring their playing style to the roster they have this year rather than trying to duplicate that of last season.

“People are going to have to step it up this year. There’s a huge void, but I feel like we do have the capabilities to fill them,” senior forward Kasey Riecks said. “I don’t know if it will be a consistent three or four players scoring every night, but it will be a group effort this year.”

The loss of top rebounders and scorers is not exactly something that is easy to overcome. But

Zach Land-Miller / Aggie

Senior Kasey Riecks will be a key piece in UC Davis’ 2011-12 season.

Gross is certain they will make up for this in other areas.

Gross stated some of the team goals were not simply results-oriented, but that they were striving to build the team relationships and work ethic.

“We want to play tough, we want to play gritty, we want to play disciplined on both sides of the ball and we want to have fun doing it,” she said. “We will be working not just on technique, but also flat out toughness and effort.”

The absence of Simpson is also something Gross is unfamiliar with, but she knows his philosophy will not leave.

“You win with people: you recruit good people and do it as a team,” Gross said.

Riecks, Samantha Meggison, Lauren Juric and Hana Asano head the team as senior captains, but even they say leadership can come from anywhere on the court.

“We know what it’s like to end a successful season,” Riecks said.

“We were all here last year and we know what we need to do to achieve that this season.”

The young talent Riecks speaks of could refer to a number of players, from incoming freshmen to returning juniors. Highlighting that group will be junior Cortney

French, who will return after having missed last year due to injury, and who Asano credits as “the greatest shooter in the conference, by far.”

Asano hopes to lead the team as point guard and plans to spread the ball out, crediting the team as being balanced and faster than last year.

“We have a different style of play. We’re faster and scrappier and our defense is going to be different,” she said. “We’re excited to bring that onto the court and for the fans to see us.”

UC Davis opens its season on Friday at the University of Washington and plays a tough schedule for the duration of the season. But if there’s one thing the Aggies are working at, it’s doing whatever it takes to be successful.

“I think we’re going to be a really fun team to watch, we’re going to be a little faster pace,” Gross said. “I’m excited to see where that takes us because I’m ready to get going. We’re on our toes.”

Last year’s results showed that UC Davis belongs in Division I, but they will not stop there. The Aggies are out to prove they are here to compete with the best teams in the nation.

— Matthew Yuen

men’s soccer PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis vs. UC Santa times they have played at Meredith Field, with their last Barbara; TBD Records: Aggies 7-7-4(5-3-2); victory in Santa Barbara coming on Oct. 11, 2008.

Gauchos 13-5-1(6-4-0) Where: Meredith Field at Preview: This is it. All the Harder Stadium –– Santa overtime minutes (about 138 extra minutes, equivalent to Barbara, Calif.

When: Wednesday at 7 p.m.; more than a game and a half) have led to this game.

TBD Who to watch: If you want Head Coach Dwayne to find Lance Patterson, look Shaffer said his team’s goal for the man who towers over from the beginning was the rest. The senior will enter to make it to the Big West his second and final Big West Tournament for a chance to Conference tourbattle for an NCAA nament, with the Tournament bid. hope his college caThe first step has reer does not end in been checked off Santa Barbara. the list, and now the The Aurora, Colo.

Aggies must take native has proven on the 17th-ranked to be a multi-facGaucho team in eted force everySanta Barbara. where on the field.

UC Davis has He terrorized opdropped two deciponents last year, Lance Patterson sions to UCSB this leading the Aggies senior year, but this upin almost every ofcoming game will fensive category. be the battle that Then he made the switch truly matters. The Aggies this year to defense, shut- have abundant experience ting down threats on the UC in close games, as all but two Davis goal. of their games this season Patterson gained a start- have been decided by one ing job his freshman year, goal or ended in a tie. the last time UC Davis made “The big thing is, we’ve it to the NCAA tournament, gained a lot of experience and has been a mainstay of playing in tight games,” the Aggie lineup ever since. Shaffer said. “They’ve grown Patterson has played almost as a team and all of that every minute the Aggies will help us against Santa have been on the field, and Barbara.” will be an essential part in Should the Aggies win leading the young UC Davis against UCSB, they will move team. on to the conference finals, Did you know? The Aggies which will take place on were one win away from Saturday. A loss would result home field advantage for any in the end of the 2011 camBig West Conference champi- paign for Aggie soccer. onship games they played.

“We are going to the best Settling for ties in their final place in America to play coltwo games, UC Davis missed lege soccer,” Shaffer said. “It’s out on the number one seed, an exciting time, I know the and will travel to No. 17 UC guys will be excited for it and Santa Barbara as the third hopefully we will give UCSB seed. all they can handle.”

The Aggies have not beaten the Gauchos the past three — Matthew Yuen

Photo of the Week Editor’s note: The “Photo of the Week” is an addition to The Aggie during the 2011-2012 academic year. It will display the best single moment on campus or in the city in the past week — anything from students, classes and sporting events to campus protests, farmers markets and city festivals.

The photographer will briefly describe how the shot was captured, what type of lens was used and how the settings helped to capture the moment.

I came across this gazebo on Drew Circle while coming back from an assignment in South Davis. I’m a sucker for interesting architecture so I thought I’d snap a couple of pictures of it. I got low and tilted my camera a bit to get some depth and make it interesting. The sun peeking out of the clouds was the icing on the cake.

Through experimenting with photography, you can gain a whole other perspective on the boring structure you pass on the way to class. You can also just kill time while waiting for your bus.

— Shazib Haq

graduate

“I grew up listening to it,” Gray said. “My whole family’s very country.”

Guth said she loves country music and finds it hilarious.

“I appreciate the stories they tell. They’re not as repetitive as other kinds of music,” Guth said.

To be fair, it isn’t just the dancing or the country lifestyle alone that keeps these people returning week after week. Many of the Country Night regulars said they have special ties with the community here, and it’s that community that really keeps them coming back.

“You’ll be friends with everyone by the end of the night. The community is so happy,” said Mike Rockport, who graduated from UC Davis in 2006.

And by saying that it keeps them coming back, that’s not just every once in a blue moon. The regulars at The Grad come almost every week, sometimes more than once.

“If I get off work on Mondays before 10 p.m., I’ll come by The Grad,” said Natalie Grace, who graduated from UC Davis in 2006.

And despite their seemingly chilled-out nature, these country people can get a little wild sometimes, too.

“A couple of years ago they had the mechanical bull in the middle, that was something pretty memorable,” Rockport said. “I went out there and I rode it.”

And of course, like almost anywhere nowadays, people come to Country Night at The Grad looking for love.

“If you want to find someone special, this is probably the best place to come,” Dasso said.

Cont. from front page up and $10 ($8 with college ID) for 18 and up.

Line dancing lessons are offered at The Grad before Country Night officially begins. Each night features a different dance.

On Friday, dancers will learn the “hillbilly,” and on Nov. 25, dancers will learn the “Hawaiian Hustle.” Titles of some of the most well-known dances include the electric slide, the cupid shuffle and the watermelon crush.

“I actually can’t stand country music, but the dancing is too damn fun,” said Davis resident Philip Johns.

According to Christian Guth, who graduated from UC Davis in 2006, when songs with the most well-known dances are playing the dance floor is so crowded that the regulars don’t generally go up.

“For some songs there are only five people up dancing. It’s when the hard songs start playing that the locals go up to dance,” Guth said. “[For] certain songs, everyone and their mother goes out and dances.”

When talking about “country dancing” there’s another half to the equation in addition to the dances: what country really means. For Country Night participants such as Andrew Dasso, a graduate student at UC Davis in agricultural engineering, country is a way of life. “[Being country is] working hard and striving,” Dasso said.

Country music has been with many of the attendees for their whole lives, so they can’t imagine anything different. For Galt resident Natalie Gray, country equals CHRISTINA NOVAKOV-RITCHEY can be reached at features@ ranches and cowboys. theaggie.org.