February 15, 2012

Science Wednesday Turn to page 3 for the science section every Wednesday.

This week, you will learn about flower sex.

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volume 131, number 22

wednesday, february 15, 2012

Biodiversity Museum

Day highlights campus collections Four biological science museums open their doors to the public

By ALEX STANTON Aggie Science Writer

This last Sunday, UC Davis hosted its first Biodiversity Museum Day. “We haven’t had a turn out like this since Picnic Day,” said Lynn Kimsley, professor and director for the Bohart Museum of Entomology, “I would like to make this an annual event.”

UC Davis opened up four of its bio-

logical collections to public exhibition.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology and the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology was in Academic Surge. The Center for Plant Diversity was in the Sciences Laboratory Building. The Botanical Conservatory was in the greenhouses.

Although each museum is open

See MUSEUM, page 4

Aaron Juarez / Aggie

Andrew Richards, alumni and staff member in the bohart entomology museum, teaches kids about bugs.

California community colleges crack down on casual students

New fraternity to open on campus Pi Kappa Phi reestablishes UC Davis chapter

By DEVON BOHART Aggie Features Writer

Student Success Task Force proposes reforms

By CLAIRE TAN

Aggie Staff Writer

California C o m m u n i t y Colleges (CCC) Chancellor Jack Scott presented Student Success Task Force recommendations to the Board of Governors of the CCC in its Irisa Tam / Aggie January 2012 meeting. These changes would allow transfer and graduation rates to improve.

According to the CCC Director of Communications Paige Marlatt Dorr, the CCC Chancellor’s Office is moving toward a phased-in, coordinated implementation of the recommendations that will include consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. She said legislation will be introduced by Feb. 24 due to legislative deadlines.

“This is a comprehensive plan that will result in more students completing certificates and degrees and transferring to four-year institutions,” Scott said in a press release.

The Student Success Task Force was created in compliance with Senate Bill 1143 (SB 1143), which was proposed by Senator Carol Liu (D- La Canada Flintridge) and approved by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 28, 2010.

SB 1143 required the Board of Governors of the CCC to adopt a plan for promoting and improving student success and to establish a task force that examines the best practices for accomplishing this success. In addition, the board is required to report the contents of the plan and the recommendations of the task force to legislative committees

by March 1, 2012.

“It was a one-year process, where a task force would meet with a variety of people with different perspectives on community colleges,” said Legislative Director for Senator Liu Robert Oakes. “We looked at ways to improve transfer rates, potentially improve funding and at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in relation to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems.”

Oakes said a report was issued in the last few weeks that led out a series of recommendations on how to improve the CCC system.

According to the Student Success Task Force recommendation summary, the reforms include: giving students the tools they need to succeed; prioritizing student enrollment; increasing transparency and closing the achievement gap; improving basic skills education and using tech-

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nology to help students and create greater efficiency. “[Senator Liu’s] primary interest was two-fold,” Oakes said.

“One was to look at transfer rates and the other part was to look at the whole system and how it operates.”

According to Oakes, the number of people who attend a community college saying they would like to transfer to a CSU or UC is dramatically higher than the number of people who actually do transfer.

“Only 24 percent of them do that and sometimes it takes them up to six years to transfer,” Oakes said. “There’s a disconnect; why aren’t students who want to get into a CSU, UC or private fouryear getting there faster or in greater numbers?”

CCC share funding with California K-12 schools, but funding is not necessarily tied to performance. Oakes said funding is based on the number of students who enroll in the class, but not based on the number who finish and earn degrees.

“The de facto rationing system is disproportionately harming first-time students,” Scott said. “Historically underrepresented students would benefit from the enrollment priorities recommended by the Student Success Task Force.”

According to Oakes, many students who accumulate a large number of units at a community college do nothing with them.

“At some point, we wonder why we’re holding up people who want credits to transfer when there are people who have been taking classes for many years over and over again,” Oakes said. “We will probably see several bills and individual community college districts doing some changes to try to make it harder to be a casual student.”

With reforms, causal students in community colleges will have lower priority and a harder time obtaining classes. The Student Success Task Force recommends instead of having registration priority be given to those with the most units, priority should be given to returning and firsttime students who have taken a diagnostic exam, participated in orientation and have developed an educational plan.

“The idea is to improve efficiency,” Oakes said. “If it saves costs and still provides high-quality education, we definitely want to do that.”

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

“Build your own legacy” can be read on the white and blue signs and banners that have sprung up about UC Davis’ campus, with an unfamiliar set of Greek letters: Pi Kappa Phi. This quarter, Pi Kappa Phi alumni who work for the national organization visited UC Davis to recruit students for the new chapter.

Pi Kappa Phi was estab-

tant for the Northeast region of Pi Kappa Phi, has helped to establish chapters at schools such as Pennsylvania State University.

“We are a fraternity, but we want to shatter the stereotypes of a fraternity,” Osorio said in a recent informational meeting.

Pi Kappa Phi was previously established at UC Davis; however, after the brothers strayed from the

See FRATERNITY, page 2

Olive Drive fence poses an inconvenient change for some local residents Residents await the approval of an at-grade crossing location

Shazib Haq / Aggie

This fence, along the Amtrak line, was put up by Union Pacific last September.

By MEE YANG

Aggie News Writer

Ever tried crossing the railroad tracks near the Amtrak station to get to the other side to see friends or to get a haircut? Well, times have changed and so has this crossing.

Since September 2011, Union Pacific (UP) has constructed a 3,800 foot long fence stretching three miles east starting from Richards Boulevard. Due to UP policy which upholds that a fence be put up on tracks in populated cities, a white fence was put up against the requests of Davis City councilmembers to wait for an at-grade crossing to be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Forecast Enjoy the mild temperatures and sunshine! It will be the middle of June before you know it and you’ll be stuck with the tough decision of either baking in your apartment or paying an arm and a leg for air conditioning.

Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

lished in 1904 under the name Nu Phi, translating to mean “non-fraternity.” The fraternity was an attempt to form a group that focused on leadership and other ideals that were unlike those of the rest of the greek system.

After some failures, the fraternity was renamed and lives on under the name Pi Kappa Phi; it now has 167 chapters and has initiated over 110,000 members.

One of these members, Matthew Osorio, the consul-

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According to City Councilmember Sue Greenwald, “an at-grade crossing would allow a crossing like a gate that warns when a train is coming; people would go straight through, not cross over or under.”

Greenwald said that city council submitted an application for an at-grade crossing, but it may be expensive and difficult to get.

Between 1998 and 2011, a total of five deaths occurred along the tracks. Although it is illegal to cross the tracks, some people still manage to make their way onto the track, only to be pulled off by workers of the Amtrak station.

See FENCE, page 2

It’s a big day tomorrow, guys. That’s right, The Aggie will be releasing the annual issue of “Best of Davis!” We’ve all been working hard so pick up a copy and read about some of Davis’ hottest spots!

Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 wednesday, february 15, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY Fashion and Design Society Model Casting Call 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.

Softball vs. Stanford 1:30 p.m.

La Rue Softball Field See if the Aggies can beat the Cardinal.

Circle K International Meeting 6 p.m.

6 Olson Want to help out in the community and meet new people? Then join Circle K.

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.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Free yourself from excess weight and/or obsessive thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility Auditorium Robert Nerem, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Nerem will present his talk, “Bioengineering: A Half Century of Progress But Still Only a Beginning.”

“How to get into Heaven (According to Mormons)” 6 to 10 p.m.

194 Chemistry Ex-Mormon Ted Cox draws on his upbringing in the Mormon church and lays bare everything from the super-secret Mormon temple ceremony, including magic underwear, special handshakes and naked oil-rubdowns. Presented by the Agnostic and Atheist Student Association.

Liberty Mutual College Recruitment Job Skills Workshop 7:10 to 9 p.m.

230 Wellman Still looking for work this June? Liberty Mutual college recruitment manager Jenna Tonkovich will demonstrate skills that will go a long way toward helping you land your dream job. Dinner will be provided for all attendees, and there will be multiple raffle prizes from Woodstock’s Pizza.

Poetry Night Reading Series:Jessica Kristie and Nora Bergamino 8 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. Nora Bergamino is a poet and graduate student in the creative writing program at UC Davis. Jessica Kristie is a poet and the Writing Curator for ArtPlatform and the Co-Creator and contributor for the ArtPlatform book Inspiration Speaks.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Bone Marrow Registry Drive 11 a.m to 2 p.m.

Student Community Center meeting room C Sign up for the Bone Marrow Registry. It takes less than ten minutes to commit to save a life. For more information about bone marrow donation, please visit www.bethematch.org. Hosted by Tzu Chi Collegiate Association.

BME Distinguished Speaker Series: Robert Nerem, Ph.D. 4:10 p.m.

Baseball vs. Utah 2:30 p.m.

Dobbins Field This is the baseball home opener.

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.

the fence and the Interstate 80. The fence causes a divide that does not need to be there, Chaniotakis said.

“Now they [residents of Olive Drive] are very far away,” Chaniotakis said, “so it cuts off traffic toward a great neighborhood.”

Breana Moreno, a junior neurobiology, physiololgy and behavior major, also stated that it is an inconvenience since she goes to church right across from the tracks. Things would be much easier and less time consuming if the fence was not there at all, she said.

It is a huge inconvenience, but change is always difficult. For Chaniotakis, the fence “has not affected the frequency of his visits, only the length of walking.”

So far, no one has officially complained and people have gotten used to the fence, Greenwald said.

For now, the wait continues for the CPUC to approve an application for an at-grade crossing.

fence

Cont. from front page Greenwald and other city councilmembers met up with the city manager and UP to negotiate alternatives. These alternatives consist of an aesthetically better-looking fence that would make the area look nicer and/or an at-grade crossing, Greenwald said.

Instead, UP went ahead with procedures and built the fence.

Andoni Chaniotakis, a junior plant science major, frequently visits friends who live in the area. Before the fence was built, he would cross the tracks about four times a week.

Although he sees that “it serves a purpose to keep people off the tracks, it should have a crossing point. People don’t like to take the long loop if there is a shorter way available (crossing the tracks).”

In addition to the physical barrier the fence imposes, it also creates a sense of division among the com- MEE YANG can be reached at city@ munity located between theaggie.org.

accuracy The California Aggie strives to ensure that all of its facts and details are accurate. Please bring any corrections to our attention by calling (530) 752-0208.

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The california Aggie

accomplished without a senate seat — to me that means they should be done without a senate seat. In other words, I want something more Rajiv from the current spate of Narayan campaign promises.

Second, a skeptical attitude to ASUCD today is apathy toward government tomorrow. In the future, it’s less likely that someone skeptical of ASUCD will project the same blowhard and tryhard characterizations hen I was but a onto federal or state youngin’, a first politicians. But because year Aggie, I was their formative adult not terribly optimistic years habituated a about the state of our negative association student government. You with governance, they’re could say that I drank the less likely to vote, less kool-aid by denouncing likely to hold politicians the corruption, inefficacy accountable, less likely to and self-righteousness of care. the Associated Students Let me be clear, I’m not of UC Davis. Of course, I calling for undue praise of couldn’t tell ASUCD. you what For the ... the skeptics’ view of student purposes ASUCD did or who government welcomes a self- of this served on it, column, fulfilling prophecy much less there’s a identify an difference underground blue book between skeptical and smuggling operation, critical. Where skeptics cash embezzled in Coffee dismiss ASUCD, a critic House freezers, insider could aggressively engage class scheduling or some with student government other kind of Aggiegate. precisely because they hold But the point wasn’t elected officials to a high to have my unfounded standard. To be a critic, characterizations vilified. you need to be informed.

With a little backwardSkeptics predicate their looking introspection, cynicism on willful I would argue that my ignorance. Critics are in the skepticism was thinly business of busting chops. veiled signaling. To write So what do we do off student government as about it? In some sense, a gaggle of blowhards and much of the change we tryhards was a positional need calls for a collective statement meant to paradigm shift. Some of illustrate to others that that change can come I was neither blowhard from running or elected nor tryhard myself. You candidates themselves if might be able to tell that they decide to pursue an I don’t feel the same way ambitious agenda. That anymore. From anecdotal kind of change cannot be observation, though, it enforced. seems to be the case that Because my own my former skepticism is skepticism was fueled not uncommon among the by a vague, uninformed student body. There are two set of opinions, I think problems with this. what we need is some First, a skeptical attitude good old-fashioned to ASUCD is an attitude ASUCD civic education. of disengagement, one Entering students ought of low (or worse, no) to know what ASUCD has expectations. In this accomplished (or even way, the skeptics’ view failed to accomplish) in the of student government past, how things get done welcomes a selfin student government and fulfilling prophecy. The what the potential of senate consequence of this or executive offices holds issue is manifest in the for possible change. At the previous and current present, most of us don’t election. In the former, possess this knowledge we saw disengagement because we don’t need incarnate with six senate to — with or without our seats contested by seven understanding, people will candidates. continue to run, bills and In the latter, while resolutions will continue we have many more to pass and nuances will candidates, I would argue continue to get scrutinized that the expectations over six hour meetings. of such candidates are As for me, I’ll keep lower. Here my own (lack looking for that Aggiegate. of ) experience may be worth noting, but at You can wish RAJIV NARAYAN a final least a few of candidate undergraduate birthday today at rrnarayan@ platforms could be readily ucdavis.edu.

Civic education

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making hormones to letting your brain use sugar to think.

Iron is also essential for mood improvement because it allows your body to use oxygen, preventing irritability Theresa and exhaustion. Vitamin C Richardson helps with the absorption of iron.

While the above nutrients work to enhance your mood and energy, keeping your brain cells healthy with omega 3 fats will make all of this possible. So include these oils in your diet to improve onsidering all the all of your brain’s processes. stress we get from As you can see, these recessions to tuition, nutrients work in symphony it is safe to say that college for stress-prevention, which is the insane asylum for is why eating them instead the academically gifted. of popping pills is your best Unfortunately, when it solution. Better yet, combine comes to stress, keeping a all of these into easy meals buckle on your waist line for every part of the day. can be just as difficult as I recommend starting holding onto your marbles. the morning with yogurt, All too often, nutritional topped with fruit, granola health is and walnuts. forgotten in It’s as easy As students, remember that we to make as it the midst of stress. are complex machines. Put crappy is uplifting.

You forget minutes oil in a car, and it won’t function In breakfast, you have snack on put together fast food and even succumb a breakfast with omega to emotional eating. It’s 3-rich nuts, dairy protein difficult to care when you’re and fibrous oats for TTP upset. But what if the food absorption and B vitamins you eat actually determines and iron for energy. Not to your stress level? mention, the vitamin C and Foods are nutritional extra fiber from fruit will drugs. When you eat them, further boost your ability to they alter mood chemicals use these happy-nutrients. in your body. The fact is, if For lunch, I suggest a you don’t eat the right ones, whole grain tuna salad your ability to make happy sandwich with a little hormones and energy for mayonnaise, celery, parsley your brain will be low. As and a tiny bit of lemon juice a result, you can have a for vitamin C, black pepper difficult time being happy and salt. If you are a strict and thinking your way out vegetarian, have a soy patty of stressful situations. with spinach instead, which Only certain types of are still high in omega 3s. protein, for example, In the evening, grill some effectively boost your salmon in soybean oil with mood. These are proteins iron-rich dill weed. This high in tryptophan, will provide you with loads tyrosine and phenylalanine of TTP and omega 3s, and (TTP), which are needed adding steamed broccoli and to make your behavioral potatoes will add the vitamin chemicals, serotonin and C, fiber and B vitamins. dopamine. Serotonin Last but not least, I controls sleep, memory recommend all-natural ice and mood, while dopamine cream or soy ice cream with regulates decision-making, raspberries, mint and wheat attention and ability to germ. This dessert is high experience pleasure. in fiber, vitamin C and B Deficiencies in TTP vitamins. And believe it or contribute to anxiety not, both raspberries and and depression, mint are high in iron, too. while increasing your While we would all like consumption through to think that a B.S or B.A. food can better your sense in [insert major here] is of wellbeing. TTP is best a sign of mental clarity, absorbed from dairy and reality proves otherwise. As soy, rather than meat students, remember that sources, along with fibrous we are complex machines. grains. While high fiber Put crappy oil in a car, and it carbohydrates are not won’t function. Put the wrong highest in protein, they nutrients in our bodies, and increase TTP absorption we won’t either. How you eat and are rich in vitamins. is vital, but it never has to be Whole grains are also a difficult feat. So eat these typically higher in B vitamins, nutrients for stress, and quit which along with iron are worrying about your health crucial to feeling upbeat.

— it will go away at some Unfortunately, these are point anyway. also common deficiencies, which can lead to increased For more meals that prevent your academic stress. B vitamins can prevent mental breakdowns, contact THERESA RICHARDSON at terichardson@ucdavis.edu. anxiety in many ways, from

Meals for sanity

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FRAternity Cont. from front page values, it was shut down in 1984 because Osorio said the guys lost the vision.

Jonathon Baza, a senior communication major, was the first UC Davis student to be contacted and to sign as an official founding father of the UC Davis chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. After he visited a friend in Pi Kappa Phi at CSU Long Beach, he was interested in the fraternity and wanted to be a part of reestablishment at UC Davis.

“Pi Kappa Phi didn’t have the greatest reputation when they left here in 1984 and I would love to be able to [erase] that at UC Davis,” Baza said.

“With the individuals we have here, we’re going to make sure that Pi Kappa Phi starts now and stays here forever.”

Pi Kappa Phi seeks out very specific types of people to advocate its ideals.

The national members referred to the acronym men of CLASS, or Character, Leadership, Achievement, Scholarship and Service, to portray the various expectations of a member.

First is character, referring to an individual with integrity and therefore one against hazing new members, one of the things that the previous UC Davis chapter lost sight of, Osorio said.

Second is leadership, one of the biggest focuses that Pi Kappa Phi has.

Albert Lam, a senior environmental science and management major, said that the leadership emphasis was a large part of why he chose to join.

“I want to be a better leader because I am leaving UC Davis and you just have to go out there and use what you learn,” Lam said.

Baza sees this, and the idea of guiding other members, as a contributing factor of why he likes the aspect of being a part of Pi Kappa Phi, after the experience he has had with his mentor at the law firm where he works.

“I want to be able to give back to other gentlemen here in the same way that I have been able to receive from my mentor,” Baza said. “I would love to see a great group of guys pass on wisdom to future generations that follow in our footsteps.”

The new members of the UC Davis chapter of Pi Kappa Phi gather after a meeting.

Following leadership comes achievement. Adam Roose, the consultant for the Pacific Northwest region of Pi Kappa Phi, described how members of the fraternity are expected to strive to achieve.

“When you join, [the others] are going to push you to achieve,” Roose said in the informational meeting. “It’s great to be in a brotherhood that will push you to better than yourself.”

Another trait that is sought for in a new member is scholarship, ensuring that while these students are leaders, achievers and of good character, they must also retain good grades to set an example for others within the fraternity and on campus.

Lastly, Pi Kappa Phi members are expected to immerse themselves in service. Pi Kappa Phi is unique because it founded its own philanthropy, Push America, and its members continue to run and operate it.

Push America helps disabled children by holding events that encourage them to be the best they can be. In addition, a bike ride across America is held, called the “Journey of Hope” which helps to raise money for the disabled.

But above all of these qualities, the current 20 UC Davis students who are signed on look forward to being a part of starting something new and creating a fraternity from scratch.

courtesy

“The opportunity to become a founding father is more extraordinary than just becoming a member of something that has already been established. You are actually building something that is left behind,” Baza said.

“It’s like playdough,” Lam said. “We get to morph what we want to do.”

Currently, the chapter is still in its beginning stages, recruiting enough members to be considered competitive with other fraternities on campus.

Eventually, elections for officers will be held, followed by writing the constitution and establishing a budget.

It is also a hope that within a couple of years, a Pi Kappa Phi house is established in UC Davis as well. While there is a lot of work ahead, Baza shows optimism in through the entire process.

“If we have a good set of great guys, and we all have the same cohesive vision, anything can happen,” Baza said.

“Within the next couple of weeks, it will be up to us to make Pi Kappa Phi a reality.”

Those interested in joining Pi Kappa Phi can visit the table at the UC Davis Silo on Wednesday and Thursday and at the Memorial Union on Friday. For more information, e-mail Roose at aroose@pikapp.org.

DEVON BOHART can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Science &Technology

wednesday, february 15, 2012 3

The california aggie

Evolutionary “founder effect” detected Scientists conducted experiment on small Caribbean islands

By BRIAN RILEY Aggie Science Writer

Thomas Schoener and David Spiller, both professors in the UC Davis Evolution and Ecology Department, are among the co-authors of a new study appearing in Science magazine that provides evidence for an evolutionary phenomenon called the “founder effect.”

The founder effect is the evolutionary theory that a small number of “founders,” or initial members of a population in a specific location, can have a longlasting effect on the genetic composition of subsequent generations.

“We actually saw a hurricane [in 2004] wipe out a population of lizards on small islands that we had been monitoring,” Schoener said. Since the cays, or tiny islands, were cleared of lizards, they were able to introduce male and female lizard pairs on a number of island cays as an experiment to test the possible effects of the founder effect.

“Most of the vegetation [after a hurricane] survives,” Schoener said. “The other things come back fairly quickly. Spiders get completely extirpated, but most of the arthropods can come back pretty quickly. Either they fly, or with the case of the spiders they balloon.”

Schoener, as part of a previous study, had in-

Manuel Leal / Duke University

The brown anole lizard helped study the controversial phenomenon called the “founder effect.” troduced larger founding populations to small islands, with a ratio of three females to two males. For the current study, however, the researchers decided to test the smallest possible number of lizards which could potentially form a founding colony: one female and one male.

“That’s as small as you can get,” Schoener said .

They chose seven pairs of lizards from forests containing large trees on a large island to be introduced on seven small cays where there were small bushes.

Scientists monitored the lizards to see if the lengths of the lizards’ hind legs became shorter over subsequent generations. They measured the leg lengths of the male

and female founders on a particular cay to see if the founder leg lengths had a lasting effect on subsequent generations or whether processes such as natural selection or genetic drift were enough to explain the lizards’ evolving leg lengths.

Schoener found that both natural selection and founder effects were involved in the leg lengths.

They were able to find lasting influences of the initial leg lengths on subsequent generations.

“Adaptive evolution,” said David Reznick, a biology professor at UC Riverside who was not involved in the study, is “genetic change in populations that makes them better able to survive and produce offspring in a given environment.”

For example, lizards living among small bushes would be expected to develop smaller hind legs after successive generations to facilitate walking on the small branches.

It was not known whether “just one male and one female harbor sufficient genetic variation for adaptive evolution to be possible,” Reznick said . “Their experiment suggests that’s true and that was not expected.”

“I think the uniqueness of this study derives from its focus on an evolutionary process that doesn’t get much attention. Natural selection certainly dominates the study of evolution and the public’s perception of it,” said Michael Kinnison, a biology professor at the University of Maine who was not involved in the study.

“However, in reality, natural selection is one process among several that are thought to shape genetic diversity.”

“What their study shows is that there was in fact a founder effect,” Reznick said. “There’s a real trace of adaptive evolution there and it happened very fast, in spite of the very small number of founders.”

For the current study, Schoener said, “We kind of took a chance, and it paid off.”

BRIAN RILEY can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

UC Davis strikes back against food poisoning $25 million USDA project seeks to eradicate E. coli from food production

By HUDSON LOFCHIE Aggie Science Writer

Over the past 60 years, E. coli has been the primary model organism for gene sequencing and recombinant DNA experiments. While the majority of these E. coli strains are harmless, there exist a few strains that, when present in the human body, cause severe food poisoning and intestinal havoc.

UC Davis is a member of a largescale research project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) geared toward reducing amounts of the E. coli pathogen in cattle and processing plants.

They also seek to educate both restaurants and individual consumers in safe storage and preparation methods.

According to the USDA grant proposal, there are 9.4 million cases of food-borne illness every year, with an estimated social cost of $1.4 trillion in sick days and loss of productivity. One of the primary culprits behind these extreme cases is the E. coli strain 0157:H7, but other harmful strains include the 0104 strain.

“Over 50 people were killed in Germany [in 2011] by the 0104 strain,” said Terry Lehenbauer, the associate director of the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center (VMTRC).

The strains the researchers are looking to minimize are in the groups Shigella and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The Shigella strains produce toxins, known as Shiga toxins, which are responsible for dysentery, colitis and renal failure. The EHEC, of which 0157:H7 and 0104 are members, produce other toxins called verotoxins that cause bloody stools, and infection and inflammation of the large intestine.

E. coli can infect anyone, but the highest at-risk groups are the elderly, young children and people with diabetes.

The portion of this project based in Davis is focused on eliminating

well. They die without descendants to pass on those unappealing genes.

Similarly, a bee doesn’t look at a flower and think, “I’ll help that flower spread Amy its pollen to another flowStewart er. I’m just a good bee like that.” All the bee wants is the sweet nectar that the flower makes (another evolutionary attractant for the pollinators). In the process of satisfying its own love for nectar, the fuzzy bee ends up covered in pollen that it then takes to the next flower; fertilization is a happy lowers are the iconic Valentine’s Day gift. accident.

Explaining these evoluIf a person gets nothing else for their significant tionary concepts can be difficult without humanizother, especially since coling the players. It feels natlege students are usually on a budget prohibiting ex- ural for us to say, “The flowpensive dinner reservations er wants to attract the pollior shiny jewelry, the couple nator,” even though plants will probably still exchange obviously don’t have a brain to want anything, at least in flowers. the same way humans want I’d like to encourage something. you to look closer at those It seems natural beflowers. Since this is being published the day after cause, on some level, we know that Valentine’s every living Day, they might still ... the basic idea is the same: thing has the be on your find a way to pass on your same need — to survive table or genes to the next generation and reprodesk. If duce. These you took a needs do get basic biology class, you already know complicated when talkthat a flower is the main re- ing about what humans actually want; not everyone productive part of certain plants; specifically, a group wants children, after all.

However, where do we of plants called angiodraw the line? At what sperms.

In a certain sense, a flow- point between, “The flower needs to reproduce,” and er’s purpose is indeed to “The flower tries to trick a look “pretty.” However, pollinator to come near,” this isn’t for the good of does it become overly huthe people who pick them manizing? This line is actuto give to their lovers; this ally rather difficult to disis for their own good. The more attractive the flower is tinguish.

It seems obvious that to its respective pollinator, whether bees, birds or bats, the verb “trick,” for examthe more likely it is to fertil- ple, implies a rationality and purpose that a simple plant ize and spread its seed.

This is just a basic evolu- does not have. The problem tionary concept. The differ- is that it’s hard to think of another word that describes ences between plants with what the Ophrys exaltata, flowers and people when an orchid species, does to it comes to reproduction are fairly obvious; since hu- bees: it looks like a female bee and even exudes somemans can move to their what similar smells, so simisexual partners, a different lar that male bees have been species acting as a vector known to attempt to mate isn’t required. with and then ejaculate on However, the basic idea the flower. is the same: find a way to It goes beyond that, pass on your genes to the though. The smell they make next generation. The only is actually slightly different difference is the strategy. Angiosperms split from than the females in the bee population, making it odd their non-flowering cousthat they are trying to imitate ins, gymnosperms, about the bees. However, what sci200 million years ago. entists have found is that the While gymnosperms usually use methods like wind bees are actually much more likely to visit orchids that travel to disperse their seeds, flowering plants use smell slightly different from their own population than other methods. those that smell the same.

Even a glance at different types of flowers shows a The orchid is not trying large diversity of shape. The to be dishonest; it’s just that the orchid flowers that hapreason for this is the pollinators. Flowers co-evolved pened to look like the female bee were more likely to surwith their pollinators over vive. There was no intent to millions of years, adapting deceive. That’s just the way it shape and color to be the happened. most attractive to their re I wouldn’t recommend tryspective helper. ing to use that as an excuse Not that there are intentions behind these adapta- with your significant other, though. tions. Flowers with genes that make them look unappealing to the pollinators AMY STEWART can be reached at in the area don’t reproduce science@theaggie.org.

Flower love

F

Eric Erbe / USDA

E. coli infected beef can cause food poisoning, nausea. the presence of these bacteria on animal hides and looking for ecologically sound methods of making food processing safer. Researchers are using specific electrical currents that are harmless to the animals but inactivate E. coli cells.

The research will also focus on learning more about these endemic pathogens.

“Know your enemy,” said James Cullor, director of the VMTRC. “We are working on diagnostic methodologies so we can find these things, track them and find out their biology.”

Davis’ role in the project also delves into the consumer side of prevention. Davis will be developing intervention strategies and training programs to teach proper handling and preparation of potentially contaminated food products.

“We videotaped a group of people preparing hamburgers and salads and saw that less than half of them used soap when washing their hands,” said Christine Bruhn, director of the Center for Consumer Research at UC Davis.

Bruhn’s research has shown that the majority of infections are due to poor sanitation in the home and kitchen, so she will be part of an effort to work with hospitals and health care providers to teach people about proper preparation and sanitation.

These programs will work to teach new generations proper food preparation methods that were common knowledge to previous generations.

“Less than 2 percent [of people] feed the other 98 percent. Each generation is getting farther and farther away from the basic knowledge of food safety,” Cullor said.

The USDA project is a five year, $25 million endeavor with specific goals set up along the way. Aside from UC Davis, the other involved institutions include University of Delaware, New Mexico State University, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, the University of Arkansas and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

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

Want to stay updated on all the latest science news?

Follow @Calaggiescience on twitter.

4 wednesday, february 15, 2012

The california Aggie

ASUCD City/County Affairs to host Housing Day Thursday Event works to connect students with housing options for next year

By GHEED SAEED Aggie News Writer

Do you know where you’re living next year?

On Thursday, ASUCD City/County Affairs is putting on Housing Day 2012 in hopes of connecting students with various housing options and relieve the stress of apartment hunting.

“Living in Davis, students are very fortunate in that there is never a shortage of housing. Students are at a great advantage with tons of options for where to live. This means students should be picky, find the apartment complex that is right for them, and make sure their landlord respects their renter’s rights,” said Director of City/

County affairs Jeanna Gindi.

Housing Day Coordinator Sabrina Dias emphasized that many students do not know “the tips and tricks” to living in an apartment and Housing Day’s main priority is to provide students with that valuable information.

Housing Day brings together managers, complex owners and representatives to students, rather than having students go out on their own to find valuable information on available housing units for Fall.

“The ASUCD Office of City/County Affairs brings over 60 apartment complexes and other housing related businesses to the campus so students looking for housing for the upcoming year have all the resources

museum Cont. from front page separately on other occasions, this event is the first time all four museums were open simultaneously.

Biodiversity Museum Day sought to reach out to the community to expose the public to the world of biology.

Being a community targeted event, the exhibits had something for people of all ages and all education levels.

In the Bohart Museum of Entomology there were hundreds of bugs — living and dead — to be observed.

Each station contained a placard with information about the specimen being portrayed. The information was written for children and for those uneducated in biology, so they could understand and learn something about the organism. However, they also listed the species name and other information meaningful to the more biologically inclined.

Similarly, in the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology,

in one place at one time,” Dias said.

The organizers of Housing Day hope to provide students with different information regarding looking for housing and moving in to a new apartment.

“We have an information booth in the lobby to provide students with renter’s information guides and many other brochures and pamphlets about moving into an apartment such as what to look for in a lease, how to navigate the waters of a security deposit, and much more,” Dias said.

Housing Day is also offering students special offers and freebies for attending the annual event.

“This year along with all the freebies that individual booths give out, we will have a

there were many visual exhibits to interest the younger crowd, while a host of volunteers fielded questions and provided demonstrations.

“I think it’s great,” said senior plant biology major Allyson Ayalon, a volunteer at the herbarium. “Usually we only get graduate students doing research.”

One entomology professor even arranged for his class to attend the event in order to supplement their education.

Biodiversity Museum Day also provided some campus museums some exposure that they normally do not receive.

Volunteers were able to gain practical experience by representing exhibits at the museums and opening themselves up to questions from the visitors. Having to explain biological concepts to people of varying ages and educations gave them well-rounded practice in communication.

“No matter what your focus in your field is, you can always benefit from knowing how to communicate well,” Kimsley said, “And what better way to start out than in a

stamp card. If a student visits all booths on the card and receives a stamp, they can turn in a completed card for a chance to win an 11 inch MacBook Air,” Dias said.

Gindi said that looking for housing can be confusing and difficult for students.

“It is hard to know what rights you are entitled to as a renter, which apartments give you the most for your money, and what you should be looking for when moving into off campus housing. At Housing Day, students can find answers to all these questions,” Gindi said.

Housing Day 2012 will be held in Freeborn Hall on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

GHEED SAEED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

non-threatening environment, talking to kids?

For those who may have missed Biodiversity Museum Day, or just wish to visit the museums again, there are still opportunities. The Bohart Museum of Entomology has monthly openings and does demonstrations on Picnic Day — including cockroach races and maggot art.

The Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology arranges free tours for individuals within the UC system — tours are available to the public at $3 per person, with a minimum cost of $30.

The Center for Plant Diversity’s herbarium is an open resource for students. There is also an upcoming event “Botanical Teas in the Herbarium” on Feb. 29 for anyone interested in plants — this event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in 1026 Sciences Laboratory building.

The Botanical Conservatory is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and also schedules tours.

ALEX STANTON can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

classifieds The Ag-gregate by Vancey Le

vvle@ucdavis.edu

Tuesday’s puzzle solved

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Employment Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Internship Hands-on experience career development UCD Athletic Training staff accepting applications from dedicated individuals interested in becoming Student Athletic Trainers. Apply at Athletic Training Facility, Hickey Gym (752-0647) or Pavilion (752-7515) http://ucdavisaggies.cstv.com/school-bio/ucda-ath-train. html Deadline March 2, 2012.

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Sudoku

Hard 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, february 15, 2012

The california Aggie

5

Newly opened SCC popular with student body Student Community Center staff aims to create community cohesion

By MAX GARRITY RUSSER Aggie News Writer

Operational for just over a month, the new Student Community Center (SCC) is boasting strong student usage of the center’s numerous services and study areas.

Centrally located on the corner of Hutchison Drive and California Avenue, the SCC offers students a wide variety of community shaping facilities, programs and quiet places to study. Extra student fees for funding the creation of the SCC were approved by ASUCD in 1999.

“Since the first day we opened, students seemed to settle right in,” said Events Coordinator for the SCC and the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) Rebecca Miller. “From what I’ve observed, everyone coming in seems to really love the space.”

The first floor of the complex includes the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center (LGBTRC), the Cross Cultural Center courtesy (CCC), the Student Recruitment and The new Student Community Center has been a popular place for Retention Center (SRRC) and a satelstudents to study and hang out since it opened last month. lite office to the Women’s Resources

and Research Center (WRRC). The ground floor also includes a lounge, café, reflection room and an extended study space that works much like the 24 hour-room in Shields Library.

Director of the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) Steven Baissa emphasized the importance of having the CCC located at the SCC. “The center, as we like to call it, is really a home away from home; meaning for all students,” Baissa said. “We are primarily a retention program for students who come from marginalized, unrepresented, and under served communities. We have students who feel isolated; we try to connect those students who really feel unrepresented.”

Baissa cited a hunger strike by four UC Davis students in 1990 stemming from numerous racist and sexist actions that were taking place on campus, as the origin of the CCC. A temporary cottage was erected in 1992 as a short-term location for the center, yet not until the opening of the new SCC did the CCC have a permanent address.

“We feel like the vision that was

created back in 1990 has finally come to fruition”, Baissa said.

The second floor of the building contains the Undergraduate Resource Center (URC), five media rooms, a large multipurpose room, two outdoor terraces and an IET computer lab.

“The whole building is very spacious and quiet, the computer room isn’t as crowded as the library’s,” said first-year biological science major Estefania Mendoza.

Student staff member Allison Keneis said the overall student reaction to the new center has been positive.

“They really like that they can rent out the meeting rooms for two hours at a time for studying and the computer lab gets used a lot,” she said.

Baissa attributed the success of the SCC to the fact that all of these centers are now located in the same space.

“It’s fantastic to have all the centers in the same building,” Baissa said.

“It’s really bringing in a lot of traffic.”

MAX GARRITY RUSSER can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

Priscilla Mendez competes on MTV’s “The Challenge” Psych major returns to the spotlight after “The Real World”

By KELSEY SMOOT Aggie Features Writer

Few can say that by age 20 they’ve lived in a house with seven strangers, watched themselves cry on national TV and flown to the Dominican Republic three weeks into a school year to compete for $150,000. But junior psychology major Priscilla Mendez says that being a part of MTV’s “Real World: San Diego” in addition to her latest reality show, “The Challenge: Battle of the Exes” has changed her life.

“It’s surreal. I remember getting that first call from MTV saying that I was selected to be on “The Real World” and saying, ‘Thank you, you’re changing my life right now,’” Mendez said.

After a summer spent enjoying a whirlwind experience as a cast member of “Real World: San Diego”, Mendez thought she was through with reality TV stardom. However, soon after moving to Davis, she was given the opportunity to return to television on “The Challenge: Battle of the Exes”, currently airing on MTV Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Unlike “Real World,” “The Challenge” is a “Survivor”-style sister show where cast members from other MTV reality shows compete in physically grueling challenges for a cash prize of $150,000. Mendez was eliminated after the first episode of the show.

Mendez said that she had no idea that she would be selected to return to the TV network that initially changed her life, as she thought that two of her co-stars from “The Real World” would be chosen based on their physical fitness. However, after just three weeks of arriving at UC Davis for Fall quarter 2011, she abrupt-

ly packed up and left for the Dominican Republic where the show was being filmed.

“As long as MTV continues to offer me life-changing and exciting opportunities, I’m going to take them,” Mendez said.

This season, which is the show’s 22nd, is centered on the idea that ex-couples must work together in order to complete each challenge and win the grand prize. Though Mendez says that her teammate, Nate Stodghill, could hardly be considered an ex, they were partnered up as a result of a brief romantic encounter on “The Real World.”

Mendez and Stodghill were eliminated after one episode of the show. After Stodghill’s failure to successfully complete their first challenge, the pair was automatically placed into an elimination challenge. Subsequently, Mendez was the first to lose in elimination.

She said that her physical endurance could not withstand the intensity of the task.

“If you watched “The Real World”, you saw how girly I was.

I wasn’t really the ‘working out at the gym’ kind of girl. And since I was in school for three weeks before I got the call, there was no time to train,” Mendez said.

Mendez described the first time she saw herself on TV as incredibly weird. After being filmed 24/7, she said the experience is one requiring complete openness, and watching yourself cry on television is like watching a movie. She said it was funny to see herself weeping with sad music playing in the background, the way most people would imagine their lives to be if their everyday life had theme songs.

Though some might be worried about what close friends and fami-

courtesy

Priscilla Mendez competed on The Challenge with Nate Stodghill, fellow Real World cast member. ly would think of their appearance in reality TV, Mendez said that she continues to have a very strong connection with her friends and family.

“My mom wasn’t surprised to see anything. We’re extremely close. We talk about everything,” Mendez said.

Lilian Mendez, Priscilla’s mother, said her daughter’s ability to be open and herself landed her the spot on “The Real World,” in addition to the invitation to be back on “The Challenge.”

“She’s not afraid to be herself. Whether it’s a good quality, or bad quality, she don’t cover up her good qualities. But on the other end, if she has things other people might try to hide, she

doesn’t. She’s not afraid to show them, and learn from them, because that’s what’s real about her,” Lilian said.

The 20 year old says that many of the speculations about reality TV are misconceptions. MTV does not pay for the cast’s recreational activities, and does not condone underage drinking. Additionally, she said that she is saddened by the notion that reality TV stars are faking their personalities for the sake of entertainment.

“Some people have told me that they don’t want to watch the shows because they don’t want to see me in a negative light. It is impossible to fake your life for three months.

What you see on the show is truly me,” Mendez said.

Senior psychology major Rahael Solomon said that she couldn’t imagine being in Mendez’s position; being a college student in the midst of being a reality television star could prove to be invasive.

“I’d be uncomfortable with the fact that everyone would know my business. I couldn’t deal with people judging me before they got to know me” Solomon said.

Though Mendez didn’t win, she says she is currently still watching the show, and enjoying her life as a full time student.

“I’d love to keep doing this. But for now, my time and place is school,” Mendez said.

KELSEY SMOOT can be reached at features@ theaggie.org.

campus CHIC.

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

Jack Leng, junior history and design double major The Aggie: What are you wearing?

Leng: “A double-breasted wool coat with epaulets, a funnel-neck from All-

John Leng

Stephanie B. Nguyen / Aggie

Saint’s, a random white shirt, $2 jeans from China and Steve Madden leather boots.”

How did you decide what to wear today?

“I like to look as if I take class and work seriously, so I start with a collared shirt. From there, I try to layer on things that will

Where do you find inspiration?

“My parents taught me to dress for the job I want, so I just try to keep it classy.”

winter?

“Do something different.

Spending a lot of money on clothes won’t guarantee that you’ll get a look that you want. Try to layer things that complement each other. Try to be playful with it if you can.”

What’s your advice for staying chic during the

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

work with it. Then I toss on a coat that will keep me warm.”

6 wednesday, february 15, 2012

The california Aggie

Inside the game with...

Jennifer Gross foul?

When I was coaching high school I got one, but I have a long way to go to reach Coach Simpson in that category [laughs].

By MATTHEW YUEN Aggie Sports Writer

Normally, The Aggie does not run these Inside the Game stories on student-athletes twice in their career. Yet, seeing that this Aggie was last featured in the mid 90s, we made an exception.

Head Coach Jennifer Gross is quite possibly one of the best players to ever grace the women’s basketball program at UC Davis, and has full proof in the UC Davis record books.

This year, Gross has stepped into her new role as head coach following UC Davis legend Sandy Simpson’s retirement, and has adjusted nicely. The Aggies currently hold a 15-8 overall record, and are 7-4 Big West Conference.

Though Gross had been featured back in her days as a player for UC Davis, she sat down with Aggie Sports Writer Matthew Yuen to discuss her return to UC Davis after a stint abroad as a professional, her new role as head coach and why basketball coaches yell so darn loud.

You were playing here while Davis was Division II and you first came to coach at the beginning of the transition into Division I. How has UC Davis basketball changed over your time here?

When I first got here, Coach Simpson and I analyzed our program at the time: where we wanted to go and what was possible for us at the time. We wanted to become one of the top teams in the West Coast, and in the first four years we were eligible, we won the Big West Conference and made the NCAA tournament. We’re happy about our accomplishments, but our goal is to reach our potential and our potential is to go deep into the NCAA tournament. I think we’re building that mindset and the mentality to get ourselves there.

Jennifer Gross has led the Aggies to a 15-8 record in her first season as head coach.

What brought you back to UC Davis to coach after playing professionally in Denmark and Israel?

I never thought I wanted to get into coaching so I got into some other things after I got done playing. I got a job working for a sports marketing company down in San Diego and when I was down at my old high school’s game, the coach asked me if I could come out and help. The very first day I went out and helped there was something inside me that said ‘wow this is really fun’.

Two years later an opportunity came to coach with Sandy Simpson, and there were a lot of things at the time that could have kept me in San Diego, my family, friends and I had a good job, but there’s something special to me about Davis.

There’s something really unique about what the previous coaches have built and the people and kind of student-athletes that UC Davis attracts.

tearing up the last time I took my jersey off because it meant that much to me.

Having played here as a player and being able to come back and compete as a coach, there’s something different about that. This is my dream job because UC Davis is such a special place for me and I want to see our program do well. I want to be a part of helping it grow.

What does it mean to be back coaching here at your alma mater rather than another school?

I wore the uniform here. I remember

Do you ever see things happening in games and think ‘I would have done something different’?

We like to relive the glory days all the time

What’s it like, seeing players on your team reaching milestones like Kasey [Riecks]’s 1000 points and Hana [Asano]’s steals and assists?

It’s exciting to me. I played in a different era; we were [Division] II and we were a very competitive program, but it’s really hard to compare. Playing against some of the best [Division] I players in the country is fun and challenging. I get excited when kids reach those milestones because that shows how consistent they’ve been all their years for the program.

courtesy

and now my mind says I can do this, but my body says no you can’t. Each one of our kids bring a lot to the table, and I’ll tell you one thing: they’re a lot more athletic than I was and they can do a lot more physically than I could. The days where I think of myself as a player rather than a coach are gone, my goals now as a coach is to maximize our players potential and help them be the best that they can be.

Have the goals for the program changed in your time here?

We all know what we want to achieve and of course we want to be cutting down those nets at the end of the year. My coaching philosophy has nothing to do with basketball, it’s about helping our student-athletes achieve so much more — all kinds of values they can use throughout their life and we get to use basketball as a fun medium for that.

As head coach, it looks like you’re yelling a lot during games and it appears to be anger, from the audience’s standpoint.

Why is that?

A lot of times when I’m up, it’s just communication, I’m saying things in an urgent tone and the volume is high so the players can hear me. Ninety percent of the time I’m talking to our players and communicating with them. Visually it might come across as frustration or anger but really it’s just communication and trying to motivate your team. The other 10 percent of the time, it’s just trying to make sure our officials are staying on top of it.

Finally, you recently had your son Joshua.

What’s it like as a new parent and coaching alongside your husband, coach Joe Teramoto?

Having Josh, our son, has changed our approach on things. We’re coaching somebody’s daughters, and we look at how parents are coaches — they coach their kids everyday. The kinds of things we’re trying to teach our son we’re trying to teach our team. It’s challenging at times to be a great coach and a great parent, but you have to have balance in your life. Sometimes in our profession you can get caught up being successful and achieving stuff that you forget that it’s supposed to be fun.

Have you ever been issued a technical

MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.