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volume 131, number 20
monday. february 13, 2012
GASC brings sexy back BDMS workshop to kick off Generation Sex Week By MICHELLE MURPHY Aggie News Writer
Curious about sex, sexuality or gender? Well, Generation Sex Week kicks off today, as students have the opportunity to attend workshops, exhibits and presentations that highlight sexual positivity. For over four years, the ASUCD Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) has collaborated with other organizations on campus, including the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center (LGBTRC) and Women’s Resources and Research Center (WRRC), to put on Generation Sex Week. The week provides an opportunity for students to gain a wider range of knowledge about sex and sexuality issues that are typically avoided. Additionally, it provides a platform for which students can converse with one another about all things sex related in a free and open manner. “It’s an opportunity to communicate with other people, because often times topics about sex, sexuality and gender are often seen as taboo,” said GASC Chair Caitlin Alday. “People tend to stick with what they know, and sometimes that can create a lack of knowledge, which can lead to fear or uncomfortable situations. It’s important for people to be exposed to new ideas and to the gain confidence to talk about them.” The first event of the week is a bondage, discipline; dominance-submission; and sadomasochism (BDSM) workshop, which starts today at 6:30 in the Student Community Center Meeting Room D.
Last year, this workshop was extremely popular, and this year’s should contain even more interesting information. Students can come and learn about different forms of sexuality and different ways of experiencing pain and pleasure, Alday said. “There
courtesy
will be time to walk around, look at different toys, ask questions and there will be a free raffle too. The workshop also talks a lot about consent, which is important because it can be applied to any sort of sexual situation that people encounter.” The week will conclude with keynote speaker Leah Lakshmi, a queer disabled Sri
Claremont McKenna College inflates SAT scores Aggie Staff Writer
An admissions official for Claremont McKenna College (CMC) admitted to reporting false SAT Reasoning Test score statistics to increase the school’s place in national college rankings. In a media statement released on Jan. 30, CMC stated the admissions official took full responsibility and resigned from the school. “Claremont McKenna College has a deep and unwavering commitment to the integrity of its academic activities, including its academic reporting,” said CMC in its statement. “We were saddened and disappointed to learn of this matter.” Currently, the college is engaged in legal counsel to prevent this type of conduct from happening again. Kaplan Test Prep commented on the case, saying there have been other cases of schools inflating SAT scores to influence their rankings, but CMC’s is the most egregious. “The reality is there are a number of ways schools have been able to influence their statistics around rankings,” said Jeff Olson, vice president of data science for Kaplan, in an e-mail. “When a school goes SAT optional, it will offer legitimate reasons for doing so, but realistically, one effect of going SAT optional is
that it boosts that school’s reported SAT scores. Another example might be if a school gets rid of its early admissions policy — this increases applicant volume, which makes it seem more selective and more competitive.” Olson said the problem with rankings is that they’ve had a negative effect on colleges because it forces colleges to focus on statistics around perceived status. “What rankings data can offer are certain statistics that give some insight around the edges as students research schools,” Olson said. “Ultimately, while rankings have been a traditional part of the college search narrative, they should really play a minimal role in the college applications process.” Walter Robinson, UC Davis assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate admissions and recruitment, said he believes rankings are the forensics of the outcome of the year’s efforts, as well as a way schools can tailor their efforts to achieve an outcome that satisfies the criteria for rankings. “I, for one, don’t have time to play the ranking game,” Robinson said. “There’s plenty of enough work to do. But there are some people who are very rank-conscious: parents, students and counselors.” In response to CMC’s reporting of inflated SAT scores, Robinson said he thinks CMC is one of the last institutions that would need to resort to that type of conduct. “Playing the college rankings game is a dangerous game to play,” Robinson said. “I think the reality of public universities is different than private universities.”
See KAPLAN, page 2
Irisa Tam / Aggie
Today’s weather Chance of rain High 53 Low 39
events and workshops, an art exhibit showcasing various expressions of gender and sexuality will be on display at the LGBTRC all week long. Furthermore, Generation Sex Week showcases the different resources about sex, sexuality and gender that are available on campus.
“We want to provide resources to people, and this week is kind of a fun way to do it,” GASC commissioner Ivan De La Torre said. “There’s a lot of resources on campus that students are not aware of. Even if [students] don’t come out to the events, by just going online and browsing, you might find something you didn’t know existed.” The collaboration between various organizations to make this week possible has opened up opportunities between different communities on campus. “There’s a good queer community represented on campus,” De La Torre said. “However there’s not much of a bridge between that community and say for example, the heterosexual community. GenSex week is a good way of bridging that gap between those two communities by providing information on sexuality and everything related to sex in an open way.” Rachael Valler, another GASC commissioner, emphasized that the week is geared toward learning about diversity in sexuality and embracing that diversity. “There is no limit in sexuality. Generation Sex Week shows a broad range of people’s sexual experiences, desires or interests,” she said. “Sex is a huge part of many students’ lives, and it should be celebrated. Generation Sex Week is probably one of the only weeks that really showcases sex positivity.” MICHELLE MURPHY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
Donations to UC Davis rise in spite of pepper spray incident
College rankings’ significance become debunked By CLAIRE TAN
Lankan writer, teacher and cultural worker, discussing queerness and disability. Students can find more information about events taking place throughout the week on the Generation Sex Week event page on Facebook. In addition to the
Monetary gifts increased by 20 percent in 2011 By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer
With the pepper spray incident in November, UC Davis was put on the map nationally and internationally. However, despite the negative attention, monetary gifts to the university seems to have increased in recent months, bringing UC Davis closer to its fundraising goals. The Campaign for UC Davis effort, which began in October 2010, is the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign that aims to raise $1 billion from 100,000 donors by 2014. So far, the university has raised more than $750 million from more than 85,000 donors. “We’re a little more than threequarters of the way there,” said Kevin Bacon, the chair of the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees. “People continue to make gifts despite the pepper spray incident. The people who give money to UC Davis are pret-
ty committed to the campus. The incident was not a reason to stop supporting the university.” Last year saw a 20 percent increase in monetary gifts from donors. In December 2010, the university received $14.9 million in gifts. In December 2011, right after the pepper spray incident, the university received $19.2 million in gifts. “It is an extraordinary achievement to reach this milestone a little more than one year into the four-year public phase of this fundraising campaign,” said Shaun B. Keister, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations in a press release. “This important milestone gives us the momentum we need to reach our $1 billion goal.” Bruce Edwards, a member of the foundation board agreed. “Connecting those 100,000 people to the university is just as important to the future as raising the $1 billion,” Edwards said. In addition to Campaign
for UC Davis, the UC Davis Foundation Board started fundraising efforts for a matching fund for scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. “We’re trying to raise $1 million to develop a matching fund,” Edwards said. “If a donor gives $25,000 or more, they’ll get a match from the fund of $25,000.” According to Edwards, the board has already raised $450,000 with hopes to reach the $1 million goal by May or June. The 2011-12 fiscal year is 40 percent ahead of the 2010-11 fiscal year in terms of gifts, according to Julia Ann Easley of the UC Davis News Service. The donations collected for Campaign for UC Davis goes toward funding student scholarships, financial aid, faculty support, research programs, campus facilities and medical care. STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
UC Office of the President holds town hall regarding campus police New recommendations on police procedures to be released in early March their use of force. “Our project is largely about looking forward,” Robinson said. The continuation of Occupy protests at various UC campuses has become a daily issue for administrators struggling to bal-
By RICHARD CHANG Aggie News Writer
Charles Robinson and Christopher Edley are on a mission: they want to know how administrators should deal with protesters. Under the direction of University of California President Mark Yudof, UC General Counsel Robinson and Edley, dean of UC Berkeley’s law school, are on a listening tour. The pair arrived at UC Davis last Friday to host a town hall meeting and hear what students had to say about police and
Forecast This whole rain thing is really throwing a sword in my plans for outside activities. One can only remain inside for so many hours before losing his or her mind. Alex Neigher, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
Jasna Hodzic / Aggie
ance freedom of speech while minimizing campus disruptions. In November, campus police at UC Berkeley used force against student protesters and UC Davis cam-
Tuesday
Wednesday
Chance of rain
Partly cloudy
High 56 Low 42
High 56 Low 37
pus police used pepper-spray on student demonstrators on the Quad. A wide range of voices was represented at the meeting with students, faculty and staff attending. But the persistence of the Occupy movement on campus had some students wondering when the university’s patience would finally run out. “The protesters are disrupting our education,” said sophomore biochemistry major Quyen Le. Some disagreed. “I support civil disobedience,” said Shaun Geer, a sociology graduate student.
See POLICE, page 2
What could have been construed as the apocalypse, was actually just a three-day, pre-teen dance competition in Freeborn Hall. No one at The Aggie got served Jason Alpert
page two
2 monday, february 13, 2012
daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
Fashion and Design Society Model Casting Call
TODAY Phi Alpha Delta presents Sweet Justice 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Memorial Union II Coed pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta hosts its annual all-you-can-eat dessert buffet. Admission is $7 — fill up a bag to go or eat there.
TUESDAY H.E.L.P. Club Fundraiser 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Memorial Union Tables Support the homeless by coming to the H.E.L.P. club’s bake sale. Proceeds will go toward maintaining community homeless shelters which are especially important during these cold winter months.
WEDNESDAY
Noon to 3 p.m. Cruess Hall Want to model the unique, creative designs of fashion design students at UC Davis in Spring? Go to our casting calls to get measured and have your photograph taken. It should only take five minutes.
H.E.L.P. Club Social 6 to 8:30 p.m. 146 Olson Learn about our community service programs and find out how to get involved in the community. Join the fun and enjoy a movie. 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.
Senate briefs ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the Feb. 9, 2012 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings. Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m. Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD president, present Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present Jared Crisologo-Smith, ASUCD senator, present, arrived late Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present Justin Goss, ASUCD senator, present Annamaria Kimball, ASUCD senator, present Amy Martin, ASUCD senator, present Mayra Martín, ASUCD senator, present Ryan Meyerhoff, ASUCD senator, present Erica Padgett, ASUCD senator, present Brendan Repicky, ASUCD senator, present Patrick Sheehan, ASUCD senator, present Yara Zokaie, ASUCD senator, present
Appointments and confirmations Natasha Kang was confirmed to the Academic Affairs Commission (AAC).
Unit Director Reports The director of Project Compost spoke about outreaching to Woodland schools about composting. The unit director of refrigerator services said he wants to create more positions in order to preserve institutional memory. He suggested several different ways for the unit to generate more money.
Presentations ASUCD President Adam Thongsavat gave the State of the Association address. He spoke about working closely with the university and increasing the training process for unit directors to ensure success.
$6,201 to encourage entrepreneurship. Repicky said he was unsure of what the end game of the bill was. The bill was tabled. Senate Resolution 9, authored and introduced by the External Affairs Commission, co-authored by Miller, Ozedirne and Raskin, to support California Senate Bill 967, passed with a 11-1 vote. Senate Bill 52, authored by Meyerhoff, coauthored by Goss and Kapur, introduced by Meyerhoff, to allocate time at the beginning of ASUCD Senate meetings for a voluntary recital of the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America, failed with a 1-8-3 vote. Senate Bill 50, authored by Cano, coauthored by Freeman, Garcha, Martín, Mohammad-Zakir and Rued, to implement the Long-Range Plan for KDVA, passed unanimously. Senate Resolution 10, authored and introduced by Goss, co-authored by Stone, Wold and Stifferman, to support interconnectedness within major departments between students and faculty. Martin stated that she think it was worth a resolution. The resolution passed unanimously.
Status of Legislation previously passed President Thongsavat vetoed senate bill 61 to place the All Work and No Play Makes Davis Boring Ballot Measure on the Winter 2012 ballot. Thongsavat stated that he agreed with content but disagreed with the process. He didn’t want to set a precedent where it was OK to bypass the rules for getting a ballot measure put on the ballot.
Public discussion Zokaie was concerned that members at the table pass on a vote simply to wait and see what the majority is and then cast a vote along with the majority. Meeting adjourned at 11:03 p.m.
Consideration of old legislation Senate Bill 63, authored by Don Ho, co-authored by Thongsavat, Chu, GlassMoore, Lin, Lee and Maemura, introduced by Bae, to create the Entrepreneurship Fund Special Committee, which allocates
Open positions within ASUCD can be found at vacancy.ucdavis.edu. AKSHAYA RAMANUJAM compiles the senate briefs. She can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
cramer
be difficult to see how the team could come out sharp at the start of the 2012-13 season. But with the win in their pocket the Aggies will find it much easier to put this season behind them. With a solid core of impressionable young players, UC Davis can now look to the future and a group that will continue developing, both physically and mentally, into a team that could challenge for a spot atop the Big West in future seasons.
Cont. from page 4 they head into next season. Thursday’s game against CSU Northridge was easily UC Davis’ best chance to get a win for the rest of the season — as it was at home against the eighth-ranked team in the Big West. Had the Aggies fallen short against the Matadors, there was a very scary possibility that the team could enter next season carrying a losing streak of over 25 games. With that hanging over their heads, it would
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
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ter and filled with overflowing ketchup. This particular burger didn’t stand out to me because it was any more difficult to clean, but rather because it represented the fact Dylan that somebody had turned Gallagher their dinner into a makeshift volcano instead of eating it. Naturally, I saw plenty of similar instances of discourtesy outside the dish room as well, like the table full of athletes who charitably decided he quickest way to lose to clear off their plates but left your faith in humani- nibbled bread crusts and baty is by getting a job in nana peels on the table. I can customer service. Trust me on only imagine that this was their interpretation of meetthis one. Now that my previous food ing me halfway. And who service job of three months could forget all the diners’ has fallen through and been ambitious attempts at making replaced by another, I’m es- towering soft serve ice cream sentially a seasoned pro in the cones only to have them end field. It has, after all, been over up on the floor? The obvia week since my first sched- ous answer would be “the next person to come along and atuled shift in position #2. Last Monday, a momentous tempt the exact same thing,” occasion, marked my first day since nobody ever seems to figure out in the dish this room at said ... I can’t forget that there are that feat has a new job. This success rate children starving in [insert night, when of about 0.1 not spent atcountry here] percent. tempting to Although get a handle patrolling the dining area has on walking in my runwaytaught me that people can be ready non-slip shoe attachhorrible any time and place ments, consisted of scraping they choose (misplacing confood remnants into the comdiments, spilling soy sauce post bin, passing dishes down the cleaning assembly line everywhere, gluing napkins and listening to 102.5 play to tables, etc) sifting through Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” four their leftovers in the dish room has given me a better times. To preface, I usually try platform to pass judgment –– to adopt a more positive nowhere is it easier to witness standpoint regarding people firsthand how disgusting peo(“usually” and “try” being the ple can be. operative words here), but It isn’t the physical exertion I’ve reached a point where of having to clean up somethis has become increasing- body’s edible art that gets to me; at the end of the day, volly difficult. My awareness of people’s cano or not, I’m still shoving general ability to suck be- leftovers into an open bin. comes especially heightened The motions are all the same while working on the receiving and, frankly, they’re nowhere end of the rotating dish return. near as painful as listening Judging by the half-masticat- to Flo Rida unironically rap ed leftovers and half-assed, “I’m Bill Gates/Take a genius haphazard stacks of dishes to understand me” multisent around that mechanism, ple times in one night. Plus, I people seem to think that the can always assuage myself by behind-the-scenes dirty work thinking “Hey, at least it’s not is performed by subhumans a syringe.” There are a number of elrather than fellow students. ements that do bother me From what I have been about receiving a wasted told and witnessed firsthand, meal, though, like the fact that there are few things that peothe chefs work hard to make ple won’t place on the dish rethose dishes and plenty of turn trays. This must be somepeople wait in line for them. what of a universal customers’ modus operandi since, even And, as a member of Amnesty in my last workplace, which International’s mailing list, I catered to a much more ma- can’t forget that there are chilture crowd, trash and recycla- dren starving in [insert counbles would consistently wind try here]. up in the same containers as However, dealing with the dishes, despite the nu- wastefulness and cleaning merous disposal areas on site. up people’s shit is all part of Due to recent events, my new the job description, just like employers even had to invest smiling and thanking them in biohazard waste bins and for their patronage; I knew post gentle reminders for cus- that when I signed my work tomers to please not place release forms. Fortunately, I their hypodermic needles on have a second job, one that almost encourages me to turn the dish carousel. In light of this, I suppose right around and pass judgit’s fortunate that the high- ment on those very same peolight of my first shift was re- ple. Justice has been served.
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ceiving an uneaten ham- DYLAN GALLAGHER just wants to be treated like burger with a hole calcula- an ordinary person. Send him an absurd amount tedly drilled through the cen- of fan mail at dylaaaaan@gmail.com.
kaplan Cont. from front page UC Davis saw an increase in its freshman admissions applications for the 2013-14 school year. In 2011, the school received 45,806 applications and for this cycle, 49,389 applications. Regarding transfer admission applications, there was a slight dip, with the school receiving 13,554 applications in 2011 and 13,126 applications this year. “If you look at Davis and the transfer numbers, you’ll also see there was a decline in the number of applica-
police Cont. from front page Forty people participated in the forum, in contrast to the hundreds that flocked to UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi’s town hall meeting following the Nov. 18
of those things. It’s an application developed for iPhone and Android that is intended to be, “a limited, intimate, more personal network” which is, Nicole indeed, quite true. My Nguyen network, for example, consists just of myself and one other. Path organizes — and elegantly so — messages, photos and locations in such a way that feels as natural as conversation in real life. But maybe you don’t want real life. Maybe you omorrow, hearts will don’t yet have a network be sent aflutter with of two, or maybe you don’t flowers, chocolate, like to know too much. candle-lit dinners and the You like the mystery. I can’t like. But not all hearts will continue without menbe so delighted. For longtioning Craigslist persondistance lovers and sinals here, the most primigletons, Valentine’s Day is tive network that the web just 24 inglorious hours has to offer. The personof very public displays of als can be as innocent as affection. And on a cam“seeking hiking partner on pus teeming with primed weekends” or as salacious 20-somethings, the paas “must rade of be British love para- With something as large and vast and DTF phernalia tonight!” will be un- as the web, if you’re looking for which is love, it’s there to be found avoidable. why, for Sulking most young in moderpeople with their whole ation is acceptable, but it lives ahead of them, I think may be worthwhile to conit best to avoid online classider tomorrow a day of resifieds altogether. flection. It’s likely that our But there is an alternanotions of love are starrytive that I was surprised to eyed, thanks in equal part find frighteningly popular to romantic comedies and among 20-somethings. the canons of English literI am new, apparently, to ature. Relationship dynamthe world of Grindr, a loics are changing. So, for the cation-based networking purposes of modernity, I application for gay men think it appropriate to disthat allows users to find cuss the impetus of these each other within close shifting relations between proximity. The service has us — the internet. become so widespread Communication is the (boasting millions of uskey to a successful relationers worldwide) that its deship, and the web is the key veloper launched Blendr, to modern communicaan app for its lesbian and tion. How do we reconcile straight members, last technology with something spring. On the one hand, as personal as our romanthe app is freakishly calcutic affiliations? lative, refreshing its pagThere’s an ongoing dees as you move about. But bate on the matter. Do on the other hand, it ofmore closed or more open fers the soothing affirmanetworks cultivate genution that lone wolves are, ine connections between as a matter of fact, not at people? With something as all alone. large and vast as the web, if If the specificiyou’re looking for love, it’s ty of geosocial networkthere to be found. But what ing seems all too imperkind of love? Therein lies sonal and the chummithe distinction. ness of closed networking Intimate networks incomes across as too pertended to nurture close resonal, look to the gray marlationships are growing siket vagueries of Missed multaneously with large Connections. They are online communities that available for nearly evthrive on their users’ anoery city (yes, even Davis) nymity and the desire for and provide hope for those quantity over quality. looking to reconnect a serI find those closed netendipitous encounter. works to work best for parSo, tomorrow, after ties that already know each ‘Linsanity’ takes on the other well, particularly the Raptors and re-runs of LDR — the long-distance Bridget Jones’ Diary stops relationship. Having been playing, I encourage you away for months at a time to beat the blues. Open from my own significant your laptops, and meet other, I understand all too the many solutions of the well the monotony of ininternet. cessant texting and calling. Maintaining an LDR Suga mamas switching it up and taking requires subtlety, variation their men out tomorrow night need to conand surprise. tact NICOLE NGUYEN at niknguyen@ucdaPath indulges all three vis.edu for props.
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tions across the entire University of California (UC) system,” Robinson said. “[UC Davis] did not see the same rate growth as the rest of the UC.” According to Robinson, UC Davis saw an increase of 1.3 percent, which is the smallest increase of freshman applications in the UC system. “It’s hard to attribute it to anything particular,” Robinson said. “I like to do the work that will produce the best possible outcomes, in terms of what the institution desires in the way of attracting certain types of students.” Kaplan said the top echelon of schools hasn’t really changed over
pepper-spray incident. Most members of the Occupy movement were notably absent during Friday’s meeting. Robinson and Edley plan to forward their recommendations on police procedures to Yudof in early March. In addition, the findings of several UC
the past several decades and it’s been largely the same group of schools that has made up the top-15 list. “There’s really no difference in quality when a student goes to the 22nd ranked school versus the 28th ranked school — it’s not something future employers are going to care about or remember.” Robinson said he doesn’t believe UC Davis is as concerned with rankings. “Where there’s excellence, where there’s access and how we remain affordable; that’s very challenging these days,” Robinson said. CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
Davis-commissioned pepper-spray investigations will be released in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, campus officials have not removed Occupy tents from the Quad or prevented the blockade at the on-campus U.S. Bank. The bank blockade has now
entered its fourth week. “The hope is that protesters will eventually realize they’re hurting their fellow students,” said Barry Shiller, a spokesperson for UC Davis. RICHARD CHANG can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
monday, february 13, 2012
The california Aggie
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Project Linus makes blankets for needy children Nonprofit holds monthly events for service projects By ZANDER WOLD Aggie News Writer
For anyone who grew up a Charlie Brown fan, Linus is a familiar name. People know him as the kid who always carried around a blanket with him. One group has taken that name and turned it into an nonprofit organization. Project Linus is a national group with two missions. The first is to provide warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill or traumatized by giving them blankets and afghans. The other mission is to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for individuals and groups in local communities. One of those communities, the Yolo County branch, had its monthly event this past Wednesday. Diane Mcgee is the chapter coordinator and founder of the Yolo chapter of
Project Linus. A few years ago she read a book which included a story about a child who benefited from Project Linus. The author of the book spoke at the Sacramento chapter of the organization which led her to get involved. In September 2008, a group began to meet in Yolo County as a Sacramento branch of the organization and in September 2010 it became its own branch. The local chapter now meets once a month to sew together and give its blankets and afghans to various organizations throughout Yolo County. Sue Lomax works for Communicare Health Center, which is one of the local organizations that receives blankets from Project Linus. They help take care of children who are in foster care and she said she knows the group has a positive impact on children.
“It’s the difference between feeling love and nurtured and not,” Lomax said. “Without [Project Linus], it would leave a big hole for these children. Kay Cunningham serves as the secretary of the chapter and has been involved for a year and a half. A retired teacher, she realizes it is not that different. “It is sort of like being a teacher,” she said. “The kids give you a lot back.” Brooke Brandow got involved in a more personal way. Her daughter was in a ski accident and while in the hospital, received a blanket from Project Linus. She said she also feels good making blankets for needy children. “I like to make things to make people happy,” she said. “A lot of children even in Yolo County have never had anything handmade.” There are around 20 organizations that the local chapter donates blankets to, all
but one being in Yolo County. They also give to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital where Mcgee’s daughter works. Mcgee realizes that this is not only a great way to help needy children but also local women. “They have made so many blankets and afghans for their family,” she said. “This gives them an opportunity to take them and give them to [needy] children.” Cunningham feels blessed to be a part of the group as well. “[The group] has meant a lot to me,” she said. “It is energizing to have all these women working together.” Project Linus meets once a month at the Davis Senior Center on A street. They welcome anyone who wants to come help sew blankets and afghans or just donate old ones. ZANDER WOLD can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
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THE BACKSTOP 4 monday, february 13, 2011
The california Aggie
“Finally”
Trevor Cramer
More than a win By TREVOR CRAMER Aggie Sports Editor
On the surface it doesn’t seem like much. Typically a men’s basketball team playing at home against a squad that has won just two of 12 conference games would expect to come away victorious. But anyone who was at Thursday night’s win over Cal State Northridge knows that it was far more than just a win — it might have been the team’s biggest victory since beating Pacific in 2010. In a season that has been characterized by grim disappointment, a plummeting RPI and a losing streak that spanned 18 games, the Aggies needed one in the win column and they finally got it. And you could see the relief in the team’s eyes as head coach Jim Les and his players took the time to high-five members of the Aggie Pack following the playing of the Alma Mater. “It was long-awaited and it feels great,” said senior Eddie Miller who led UC Davis with 24 points. “We really needed that.” While this one win won’t put the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament or even bring their record close to .500, it allows the team to do something it has been trying to do for weeks: move forward as a program. Since the conference season began in late December, the talk about the team has centered on the losing streak — and as the streak grew, so did the pressure on the team. It’s too soon to tell if UC Davis has “learned how to win close games” or even if this win will translate into more victories in the future (and you can throw Saturday’s loss to Long Beach State out the window because they are far better than any squad in the Big West Conference), but with the pressure now off we will have a chance to see what this team is really made of. The win over the Matadors did three main things to help the UC Davis men’s basketball program. The first is it takes the team a step further away from the national spotlight. It has yet to be seen if UC Davis will move up from the last spot in the RPI (official NCAA RPI rankings are released on Mondays, and 0-23 Binghampton is playing Sunday after this story is completed), but ending the losing streak ensures that the Aggies no longer show up on ESPN’s list of longest active winless runs. Secondly the game taught us a lot about what UC Davis is capable of down the stretch. During previous close games this season the Aggies have had a tendency to move into a disjointed and ultimately ineffective offense down the stretch, but in the final few minutes against CSU Northridge UC Davis moved the ball, was patient and found good looks at the basket. We also found out that Tyler Les has the potential to make shots in the clutch. The three-pointer he hit in the final minute with a defender in his face gave the Aggies a twopossession lead and gave the impression that he might be one of UC Davis’ best options for late game scoring. Thirdly, and most important, this win ensures that the losing streak will not plague the Aggies as
See CRAMER, page 2
Aggies stop 18-game skid By CAELUM SHOVE Aggie Sports Writer
The UC Davis men’s basketball team won its first game since Nov. 15 this past Thursday in the Pavilion, beating Cal State Northridge 79-71. The win stopped an 18-game losing streak and was the team’s first against a Big West Conference opponent this year. “Finally,” said senior guard Eddie Miller, slumping into his chair in relief. “[It’s] long awaited and it feels great. That was quite a team effort; everybody stepped up and made plays.” Head coach Jim Les agreed that it was the team’s effort that led them to victory. “I couldn’t be more proud of this group,” Les said. “They’ve been resilient through some unbelievable adversity and continued to fight and progress and get better. “We had a group that played a ton of minutes, they were tired and they just battled and gutted out an unbelievable win so I’m really proud of them. [We had] so many contributions from so many different places.” The biggest contribution for UC Davis in its win over Cal State Northridge came from Miller, who scored a game-high 24 points and recorded 6 rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Les had challenged Miller after the team’s last loss at Riverside, and reserved special praise for the former California player after
Thursday’s game. “I thought Eddie was huge tonight,” Les said. “Our senior strapped us on his back and made huge plays for us on both ends of the floor.” The highlight of the game came when Miller caught the ball in the left corner and exploded past his defender and down the baseline before rising up for the one handed slam. The play brought the Pavilion to its feet, and an Aggie victory kept the fans cheering throughout. Thursday — UC Davis 79, Cal State Northridge 71 Like so many other Big West Conference games this season, Thursday’s contest came down to the final possessions. However for the first time this year, the Aggies were able to close it out. UC Davis led for a majority of the second half before Northridge tied it at 65-65 with six and a half minutes remaining. After another layup the visitors took the lead and it looked like the Aggies could be headed for another late collapse. Not this time. Back-to-back threes by Tyler Les and Paolo Mancasola put the Aggies up two before two made free throws from Josh Ritchart extended the lead to four. UC Davis would ride it out at the free throw line before finishing nine point victors. Saturday — Long Beach State 89, UC Davis 69
The winning feeling would not last long, as the league leading 49ers came into the Pavilion on Saturday afternoon and dominated the Aggies. The bigger and more athletic Long Beach State team finished with 50 points in the paint, compared to just 16 for UC Davis. The Aggies were outrebounded 42-26 and committed 12 turnovers compared to just eight for Long beach State. The 49ers also had 24 assists and shot 51.5 percent from the field. “Success leaves clues,” Les said he told his players after the game. “[Long Beach State] is a very successful team for a lot of good reasons and they leave clues all over the stat sheet. “Early on their defensive intensity and pressure bothered us.” Despite the early pressure from the 49ers, UC Davis held tough and was down only two after eight minutes of play. From there Long Beach State went on a 14-2 run over the next six minutes to put the game out of reach, as they eventually took a 46-24 lead into halftime. The Aggies made some adjustments in the second frame and were able to cut the deficit, but ultimately could not close the gap. The team shot 60 percent from three in the second period, a big improvement over the 27 percent they shot in the first half. Throughout the game Ritchart was the go to man for the Aggies on of-
Nathan Chan / Aggie
Senior Eddie Miller led the Aggies in their win against Cal State Northridge. fense. The 6’9” sophomore finished with 24 points on 15 of 29 shooting, but only had one rebound. “It’s a team that shows us ultimately where we want to be,” Ritchart said afterward. “How to play together as a team, it’s a good example of where we want to be and what we aspire to.” The Aggies will have a chance to get back to their recent winning ways this Tuesday when local rival Pacific comes to the Pavilion. It will be a tough test for UC Davis, which lost 48-64 when it played at Pacific earlier this season. CAELUM SHOVE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
Aggies split in doubleheaders Turnovers help UC Davis top UC Riverside By MATTHEW YUEN Aggie Sports Writer
In a week that consisted of two double-header games with the men, the women’s basketball program split against two teams from southern California. UC Davis started the week with a frustrating performance against UC Irvine , but bounced back to take down UC Riverside on Saturday, 67-46. “In any single game there are things you’re going to do well and there are things you’re going to improve on, and there were stretches … where we played some of the best basketball we’ve played,” said Head Coach Jennifer Gross. “Our goals weren’t to go undefeated in conference they were to get better every single day and to continue to improve.” With the win, UC Davis moved to a record of 15-8 this season with a 7-4 Big West Conference mark which places them in a tie for third in the league –– half a game behind second-place Cal Poly. Thursday –– UC Irvine 68, UC Davis 59 Senior Samantha Meggison’s first career double-double was the highlight for the Aggies, as they did not play
as well down the stretch as they have in the past. UC Davis built a 28-27 halftime lead on Meggison’s jumper with three seconds remaining. The Aggies came in second frame on a tear, scoring 13 unanswered points and taking control of the game. UC Davis ultimately stretched its lead to 17 with 13:35 remaining. From there, though, it was all UC Irvine. The Anteaters put together a 19-3 rally that extinguished the fire that the Aggies brought into the second half. The UC Davis lead vanished when UC Irvine pulled ahead 57-56 and then went on an 11-3 run to stun the Aggies, who had held a 15 point lead just seven minutes earlier. “I thought we lost a bit of our defensive intensity, and this is a team I think can be one of the best defensive teams this school has ever seen and we need to recommit to that and keep improving,” Gross said. “This is a game where we need to examine the areas we can get better.” Meggison led the Aggies with 17 points, followed by juniors Blair Shinoda and Hannah Stephens who tallied 13 apiece.
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
Junior Blair Shinoda scored ten points in the Aggies’ win over the Highlanders. Saturday –– UC Davis 67, UC Riverside 46 Though the loss to the Anteaters shattered the UC Davis’ goal of beating every team in conference at least once in the regular season, the Aggies came back strong on Saturday as they beat UC Riverside for the second time this year. At the end of the first half, UC Davis had a 16 point advantage, thanks to 14 points
off the Aggie bench. “Our defense fuels our offense, we get going when we get defensive stops so we need to focus on getting those stops,” Shinoda said. Shinoda was the only Aggie in double-figures with 10 points, but the Aggies spread the ball around well. Five different UC Davis players scored at least eight points. Senior Kasey Riecks drained a three early in the
first half for her only points of the day, bringing her career total to 1,029, good for 14th place on the UC Davis all time list. The Aggie defense that has been so consistent this season truly showed its worth, as the team got 14 steals, forced 26 turnovers and posted an impressive +20 turnover margin. MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@ theaggie.org.
UC Davis back in action Aggies gymnastics increase season-high by more than two points
By KAITLYN ZUFALL Aggie Sports Writer
Aggie fans were treated to an incredible level of performance Friday night when UC Davis returned to the Pavilion against visiting teams Sacramento State and Oregon State. Oregon State and UC Davis both set season highs in a meet that saw impressive performances from each squad. Oregon set a Pavilion facility record with a score of 197.400 on its way to capturing first, followed by Sacramento’s 194.175. UC Davis finished third with a season-high 193.875. After a disappointing meet against California the week before, the Aggies’ score was a more than twopoint increase from their previous season-high of 191.600 set two weeks ago.
“It was such positive energy in the gym,” senior Erika Van Dyke said. “It was such an honor to compete with these amazing teams. And to come together and really improve as a team in this kind of atmosphere was so exciting for us.” UC Davis started the meet on the vault, an event that has consistently been one of the Aggies’ strongest this season. Junior Katie Yamamura led the team with a 9.825 which was good for a tie for third. It was the highest individual event finish for UC Davis. Yamamura would later go on to take third in the all-around, tying her career-high score of 39.125. After struggling on the uneven parallel bars this season, the Aggies saw some improvement on last week’s score, finishing with a 47.925. Notable performances by freshmen Lisa Wiktorski (9.725) and Tiana
Montell (9.700) were both collegiate career-highs. But the most dramatic improvement of the night occurred when UC Davis performed on beam in the third rotation. After a disappointing performance last week in which the team counted four falls on their way to a season-low 46.700, the Aggies increased their score by two whole points to a 48.875, the second highest score in school history. “Second best beam score in school history for the team … I’m kind of speechless,” Head Coach John Lavallee admitted. “I’m really impressed with the performance they put up there, the mental toughness … they did an amazing job to stay on and fight through.” The score brought the Aggies within 0.475 points of Causeway-rival Sac State as they headed to the floor for the fourth rotation. But despite earn-
ing their highest event score of the night on floor (48.875), another season-best, UC Davis was unable to close the gap and was forced to settle for third. For several of the Aggies, the night was about more than the eleven career records that were set or tied, or the multiple season-high scores. Makayla Stambugh of Oregon State and Katie Osaki and Claire Torgerson of Sac State are all from the same home gymnastics club as several of the Aggies, including Van Dyke. “It was so special to be able to compete with them tonight,” Van Dyke commented. “They did such an awesome job and it was wonderful to have those girls come together again.” UC Davis returns to action on Saturday at Air Force. KAITLYN ZUFALL can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.