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volume 131 number 31
monday, march 5, 2012
Students re-occupy the Quad Activists marching to the Capitol today By HANNAH STRUMWASSER
Campus News Editor
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
Students set up more tents on the Quad in preparation to receive student protesters from other campuses.
On Saturday, student protesters re-established the occupation on the Quad. Since winter break, only a few tents have remained on the Quad. Students occupied Dutton Hall at the end of Winter quarter, and then occupied the old Cross Cultural Center Building in January. “I don’t think the movement has stopped or slowed down, I think it’s a continuous thing but it has its peaks and valleys,” said a student named Johnny. In preparation for the arrival of student protesters and the 99 Mile March for Education, students had set up approximately 35 tents as of Sunday afternoon. The 99 Mile March for Education is a state-wide act of student activism. Today, stu-
dents will be marching to the Capitol to protest cuts to higher education. The re-occupation of the Quad is part of the call for action across the state of California. On Thursday, protesters held a “funeral” for higher education. In preparation for the fiveday movement, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter and Administrative and Resource ManagementVice Chancellor John A. Meyer sent an e-mail to the UC Davis community about the protests. “For many, these are difficult times. As a community, we respect the passion and energy of those seeking to create constructive economic and social change. We hope that participants in campus demonstrations will respect the rights of community members to freely engage in academic, professional and personal pursuits,” Hexter and Meyer wrote in the letter. HANNAH STRUMWASSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
UC Davis celebrates “Days of Action to Defend Public Human Rights and Education” begins with a Humanities Week mock funeral
Provost lecture this evening to discuss the Arab Spring By DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN Aggie News Writer
Today the UC Davis Human Rights Initiative will kick off its first Human Rights and Humanities week. This will be a series of separate lectures, colloquiums and symposiums, finishing Friday with the second annual Symposium on Human Rights. “I’m really happy it has come together so well. It shows the importance of studying human rights at UC Davis,” said Dr.
Participants mourn the death of public education
Keith David Watenpaugh, associate professor and director of the Human Rights Initiative. Sarah Leah Whitson, the Executive Director of Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch, will be the keynote speaker for the Provost lecture this evening. “The important thing about the Provost lecture, is that she’ll [Whitson] give us up to date information about human rights in Syria,” Watenpaugh said. Whitson’s lecture is the main
See HUMANITIES, page 2
News iN Brief
Findings of UC Davis task force on pepper-spray incident to be released Tuesday The UC Davis task force investigating the pepper spray incident on Nov. 18 will be releasing its findings Tuesday. At noon the task force documents will be available online, and there will be a meeting to present the findings Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the UC Davis Conference Center ballroom. The task force was called for by Chancellor Linda Katehi,
and then put together by UC President Mark Yudof following the pepper-spray event on the Quad. Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Cruz Reynoso, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Law chaired the task force. A live webstream of the meeting will also be available at ucdavis.edu. — Hannah Strumwasser
Davis’ Ben & Jerry’s closes Those looking for a Vermonster in Davis are out of luck. Ben & Jerry’s at the Davis Commons officially shut its doors on Feb. 29 at 5 p.m., earlier than their normal closing time. A sign was posted on the store’s door thanking customers for their years of patronage and announcing its closure. Sam Hensley, operations manager of the ice cream store and former manager of the shop, said the lease was up and
Today’s weather Mostly sunny High 71 Low 45
business had dropped. “Ever since the end of the 2007-08 year, there were five to eight dessert concepts in town,” he said. “There are too many dessert options, leading to an oversaturation of the industry for the population of Davis to support.” Ben & Jerry’s first opened in Davis in 1997. Discount coupons — not free cone certificates — will be accepted at the San Francisco Ben & Jerry’s stores. — Angela Swartz
Yash Nagda / Aggie
Student protesters held a mock funeral for higher education on Thursday. Students dressed in black and marched across campus and listened to speeches from different members of the community.
By MAX GARRITY RUSSER Aggie News Writer
A mock funeral procession for the “death of public education” was held on Thursday afternoon in the Quad which included bag pipes, a drummer, “mourners” dressed in black and even a coffin. The funeral procession for public education was the first event held during the “Days of Action to Defend Public Education,” which were planned for March 1 to 5. Numerous other campuses across California and in other parts of the country are participating in the events to raise awareness and support increased funding for public education. The “Days of Action” planned at the UC Davis campus is tied with the Occupy UC Davis movement. “These budget crisis and budget cuts do affect 100 percent ofstudents and more students need to get involved,” said ASUCD Senator Kabir Kapur. “Anything we can do to raise awareness and get students involved in whatever fashion they’re willing to do it in; if it’s marching, if it’s lobbying or even writing to their legislators.” Kapur said that he planned on
Forecast After one of the nicest weekends of 2012 to date, we will once again be graced with another bout of this years pseudo-winter. The chance of precipitation on Monday night and Tuesday will most likely give us just enough rain to be a nuisance and nothing more. Alex Neigher, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
participating in more of the events following the mock funeral. An imitation minister preached to participants before the procession slowly marched around campus and then returned to the Quad. “The university is not succeeding in getting the legislators to vote [for] the funds they should,” said UC Davis alumnus Richard Seyman. “It is a slow death by attrition.” After the march, there were speakers both on the Quad and just outside the Memorial Union (MU). They cited the need for increased student participation and the raising of taxes to help counter loss of funding to public education. “For one, students have a worse off learning environment because class sizes are going up,” said graduate student of history Andrew Higgins. “The level of an education that you are getting is getting worse as you are paying more for it. We’ve seen across the board at the UCs that section numbers are going up. So for students a few years ago a section could be around 45 students, whereas now some might have 75.” Higgins also cited graduate students as being overwhelmed due
Tuesday
Wednesday
Chance of rain
Sunny
High 59 Low 39
High 64 Low 37
to the lack of funding. Undergraduate student protesters also had grievances about their university experience being worsened by decreased public education funding. “Not enough people show physical support for public education,” said junior transfer student Natalie Roman. “It has affected my ability to get financial aid; my ability to take classes and not be stressed about the two jobs that I depend on for food and rent.” Higgins also noticed how students’ preferences in majors have changed as a direct reaction to the new cost of education. “One thing that I’ve noticed is that students are staying away from the liberal arts majors because they don’t see it as a viable way to pay off the debt that they are going to have when they graduate.” Most participants cited the first event as a way to raise awareness for a massive march on Sacramento today. Students from all over the state will be coming to advocate for high education at the capitol. MAX GARRITY RUSSER can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
That’s right, people. Your iPad is no longer just for your consumption - it’s for your cat too. There are several different apps developed just for your feline friend, such as Paint for Cats and Cat Fishing. So that’s what our society is coming to ... Amanda Nguyen
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daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
Summer Abroad Info Session
TODAY Gender Equity 101 Noon to 1:30 p.m. SCC Room A What is the difference between sex and gender? What is the difference between equality and equity? Join the discussion to kick off the Gender Equity Awareness Week by learning about gender equity and making change.
Energy Institute/BAE/Plant Sciences Winter 2012 Seminar Series 12:10 to 1 p.m. 1003 Kemper Join Dr. Jean VanderGheynst, associate dean and professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis College of Engineering, as she discusses “Mining the Compost Heap to Discover Enzymes for Lignocellulose Deconstruction.” There is no cost and all are welcome to attend.
Ken’s Confessions: Masculinities and Men in the Media 7 to 8 p.m. SCC Room E WRRC’s Peer Educators will lead a discussion on how men are portrayed in the media. Examine masculinities, the images and characteristics of men and masculinities in the media, the gender binary and the impact of these topics on our community.
“At last, an Arab Spring: Black Swans of the Middle East” Human Rights Watch Speaker 7:30 to 9 p.m. AGR room, Walter A. Buehler Alumni and Visitor’s Center The inaugural UC Davis Provost’s Lecture in Human Rights features Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa Division of Human Rights Watch. Whitson’s talk “At Last, an Arab Spring: Black Swans of the Middle East; Human Rights Watch Reports from the Ground,” will address the role of the international community in Arab uprisings and challenges ahead.
TUESDAY
Noon to 1 p.m. Education Abroad Center, Third and A Streets Learn about the France summer abroad program, “World Cinema and the European Film Festival.”
Getting Paid Noon to 1 p.m. SCC Room E Thinking about getting a job and having to negotiate for your salary? Did you know that women, people who are LGBT and people of color are systemically underpaid in the U.S.? Learn how to estimate an appropriate salary and negotiate for what you deserve!
Porn and Popcorn 1 to 2:30 p.m. SCC Room E Learn about the role pornography plays in our society. No video footage of pornography; however this (pro/con) discussion will be explicit in nature. Sponsored by Campus Violence Prevention Program.
Pinay Symposium: Kwento ng bayan (story of the nation) 7 to 9 p.m. 1003 Giedt Filipina women speak about their experiences, adventures, and hardships in the United States. Sponsored by SRRC & Kappa Psi Epsilon.
Big West Tournament for Women’s Basketball 7 to 10 p.m. The Pavilion Watch as women’s basketball plays in the first round of the big West tournament. The first 200 students are admitted for free, otherwise tickets are $5 for UC Davis and Big West students and $10 for general admission. 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 March 1, 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, left early Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present, left early Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present Jared Crisologo-Smith, ASUCD senator, present Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present Justin Goss, ASUCD senator, present Anni 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, pro tempore, present Yara Zokaie, ASUCD senator, present
Presentations The Exceptional Presence at Senate award was given to Martin. The Michael John Tucker Leadership Award was given to Sergio Cano. The Hottie Hot Hot award was given to Martín and Espinoza. Repicky, Bae, Meyerhoff, Martin, Martín and Espinoza said their farewells. Joyce Han, Bradley Bottoms, Don Gilbert, Paul Min, Beatriz Anguiano and Kabir Kapur were sworn in as senators.
Unit Director Reports The unit director of AggieTV spoke about the revenue generated from sales of the coverage of the pepper spray incident to various news channels. The unit director of The Pantry spoke about The Pantry being stable and generating revenue from online donations. Some senators thought The Pantry was not being
advertised enough, but Padgett stated that the reason it isn’t advertised is because it targets a specific group of people.
Consideration of Old Legislation Senate Bill 65, authored by Maemura, co-authored by Lockwood and Barnett, introduced by Sheehan, to institutionalize a follow-up process for bills involving financial appropriations. The bill passed unanimously. Senate Bill 66, authored by Repicky, coauthored by Dias, to update the Elections Codes to properly reflect current technology and update the clauses concerning the Voluntary Spending Agreement. Some senators were concerned that since student fees go into the campaign fund, if candidates chose to not sign the agreement, they should be required to pay a fee to cover the costs of things provided to candidates who do sign the agreement. These benefits include free fliers from Campus Copies, an AggieTV video and the debate. Goss said that the debate should be free to all candidates as an open forum to discuss their platforms. The bill passed unanimously. Senate Bill 69, authored by Goss, to restructure the unit adoption process where units pick the senators that adopt them. Zokaie and Crisologo-Smith were concerned that unit directors would be too busy to conduct interviews. The bill was referred back to IAC with amendments. Senate Bill 70, authored by Goss, coauthored by Barnett, to require the ASUCD Controller to provide the Senate with the weekly balance of the Senate Reserves Account. Zokaie said that she didn’t see how the bill made any difference since the Business and Finance chair had that information present at the meeting anyway. The bill passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 11:14 p.m. 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.
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ing Snooki through her deep breathing exercises as Deena drunkenly steals the other expectant mothers’ yoga balls. I’m kvelling already. Dylan Better yet, there are so Gallagher many questions concerning the inevitable two-part Labor/Delivery Special. For instance, will the housemates pregame their trip to the maternity ward with RonRon juice or shots of Hypnotiq? Should we expect Snooki’s birthing noises to sound like the pinched wails of a spider monkey or here’s a rumor floatwill she just say “Wah” reing around the inpeatedly? Will they even ternet right now that bother wrapping the baby Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is in a blanket or will they just with child and predictably, transplant it immediately many people are responding to this magnificent news into an Ed Hardy onesie? with backlash. I, on the oth- It’s so fun to wonder about Snooki’s future as a er hand, will be thrilled if it parent that I almost wish ends up being true. she would just follow in Before I launch into the Jessica Simpson’s footsteps long list of reasons that and be Snooki’s posseemingsible fertil... we must ask ourselves one ly pregization has me so giddy, thing: since when have we known nant forBut I would first Snooks to exercise restraint? ever. on top of and foremost just caterlike to take ing to my personal amusethis opportunity to congratulate her. Because what ment, all the talk about her (probably bronzed) uterus better way to do so than is also a welcome vacation through the written word, her preferred medium of in- from hearing about all of the stuffy current events from formation sharing? around the world. Not only would a confir Frankly, the only thing mation of this news make her the first Jersey Shore cast- I want to worry about occupying is my recliner evmate to bless the Earth with ery Thursday night at 10/9c. offspring, but the presence Especially with the prosof her longtime boyfriend, pect of a Baby Snickers enJionni LaValle, leads me to tering the equation, I would believe that she’ll even be imagine that this sentiment able to pinpoint the father. I is already shared by apbelieve kudos are in order. proximately 124 percent of But let’s get back to the Americans. most important thing here: This might all just be entertainment value. Can you imagine what this is go- a ploy to feed the dwindling flames of “Jersey ing to mean for the show? Shore”, but gimmick or not Before worrying that this it has me pretty revved up. pregnancy runs the risk of hindering the meatball life- Considering the speed with which this information style, whose trademark activities include binge-drink- spread, I would assume the same is true of other coning and club-hopping, we sumers as well; the day this must ask ourselves one rumor really caught hold, I thing: since when have we had three separate friends known Snooks to exercise ask me at different times if I restraint? had heard the news yet. The You, like me, may recognize her preeminence in the last time anyone talked this fields of fiction and human- much about a conception it was immaculate and creatitarianism, but we secretly know it was her liquor-fu- ed the suffix Anno Domini. eled antics that kick-started But I have long since digressed from my ultimate her career. As such, she has intent of addressing the a certain reputation to uphaters of Snooki’s pending hold as America’s resident miracle. To members of this hot mess, and this is excelgroup, I ask the following lent news for a fan like me. question: how could anyI not only expect her visone be upset about a matits to Karma and the tanning salon to continue long ter that is so unifying in its publicity? And, taking a into her third trimester, I wait with bated breath and a backseat to the first question, how could anyone be bowl of popcorn. up in arms over something In the worst case scenaras beautiful and natural as io, though, even if she does tone her antics down, I have motherhood? Either way, whether you avidly love it no doubt that the folks beor hate it isn’t going to mathind the scenes will find ter in the end — it’s going to a way to spin her journey be great for ratings. through maternity into reality TV gold. Imagine, if you will, the hypothetical DYLAN GALLAGHER is seeking applicants for the Snooki Fan Club at dylaaaaan@gmail. episode documenting the Shore girls’ trip to a Lamaze com, as well as applicants for the Dylan Fan Club at cleverblog.tumblr.com. class: J-Woww loudly guid-
Mother of the year
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Humanities Cont. from front page event for the public, titled, “At last, an Arab Spring: Black Swans of the Middle East; Human Rights Watch Reports from the Ground.” It will be held in the AGR Room of the UC Davis Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center from 7:30 to 9 p.m. “Whitson is an expert on Middle East and North Africa issues, having led landmark investigations of human rights conditions in Libya and Saudi Arabia since joining Human Rights Watch in 2004,” stated a press release. On Wednesday, the Environments and Societies: History, Literature and Justice Colloquium will be pre-
piet Cont. from page 6 at applying water,” Myles said. “They will apply 85 to 90 percent of the water you want where you want it. So if you want a field to get an inch of water, you can give it 1.1 inches. Flood irrigation, which is what they’re using now, is only 50 percent efficient, meaning you’ll have to buy twice as much water to get the application you want.” On a recent trip to India, the team talked to farmers cultivating horticultural crops about installing the new technology, finding a spectrum of awareness. Some farmers had been previously exposed to it and had begun experimenting with it themselves, and some had never heard of it at all. Now, Myles and her team are planning to set up a demonstration farm to illustrate the effectiveness of drip irrigation. “This way, we can show them what we have and they could teach us about things we haven’t considered,” Myles said. “I’m big on getting feedback from farmers on the ground,
haps, the arts will see the digital age as friend, not foe. The site has funded a number of projects right here on our campus. Nicole Studio 301’s production of Nguyen RENT, for example, is just a few donations shy of $1,000. It has 42 days left to triple that amount and reach its goal. AggieTV’s LipDub music video met its target, then raised $56 beyond it. If you haven’t seen the video yet, YouTube it — now. The charming sixhe fine arts and the minute cover of Queen’s digital age don’t ex“Bicycle” and “Don’t Stop actly look to each Me Now” was an impresother with doting eyes. sive, collaborative effort The arts allege that the between the university new era moves much too and the Davis community, fast, with no pause for produced by students, for deep reading and reflecstudents. And Kickstarter tion. The digital age remade it possible. torts that fine art is an Rachel Agana, who ancient, outdated practice in a mechanical time. graduated from UC Davis last They funyear, was damentalCommoners like you and me can AggieTV’s ly undermine each become venture capitalists with a online profor another — few bucks and a click of a button ducer the event. one cham “I chose pions tangibility and sensory expe- Kickstarter for LipDub because it does two things rience, while the other is based completely in a vir- at once. You get to market the project, and you can tual reality. earn some money,” Agana Modern artists, of said. course, have embraced The downside, she told cyberspace as a platform me, is the risk. If you for self-promotion and a don’t reach your fundvehicle for a new kind of ing goal in time, no moncreativity. But these two ey changes hands. This disciplines – science and policy encourages project the humanities – are frecoordinators to set their quently at odds for fundsights on the low end, ing. A recent development, however, convinced lest they receive no funding at all. On top of that, me that this is no longer Kickstarter takes 5 perthe case. cent of the money raised, Kickstarter is a weband Amazon takes an adsite that helps artists and ditional 3 to 5 percent for entrepreneurs fund not providing the infrastruconly the fine arts, but all ture to donate. The comkinds of creative projects by soliciting the larg- pany must, after all, susest collective of people in tain itself financially. Generally speaking, art the world — internet usis abused on the web — ers. Commoners like you thrown around and copand me can become venture capitalists with a few ied with little respect to bucks and a click of a but- attribution or copyright — but it’s also cultivatton. ed by sites like Kickstarter Carl Franzen of Talking and, before that, Etsy, and Points Memo recently reeven before that, eBay. ported that Kickstarter is slated to contribute more Etsy and eBay provided a marketplace for artists to funding to creative endeavors than the National sell their work. Kickstarter now provides a means to Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this year. It’s a huge create it. It appears as though revelation, considering that the NEA is the feder- youth culture is beginning to value artisanship and al agency responsible for ingenuity over mass-mansupporting artistic excellence, not to mention the ufactured cheap goods made by cheap labor. In most prominent funding the Kickstarter network, source for arts organizathe projects that people tions in the nation. believe in are the projects Our dire economic and that get funded. It’s a simpolitical situation could ple model, really, but a be the reason why NEA’s model that keeps up with budget is so limited. Cash-strapped Americans changing times, one for a modern world that can and small government hopefully save time-honadvocates haven’t been ored traditions. kind to the humanities, which is why music and arts education have dwin- Support the arts at the UC Davis Downtown dled to a trickle. But the Store this Friday where NICOLE NGUYEN crux of the matter is that and fellow printmakers will be selling Kickstarter could serve to their work. More shameless promotion at niknguyen@ucdavis.edu. fill that void. Then, per-
The state of the arts
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sented by Richard P. Hiskes, Senior Political Theorist & Associate Director of University of Connecticut Human Rights Center. This will be held in Voorhies 126 from 4 to 6 p.m. It will highlight the impact of the environment on human rights. “The Relational Foundations of Emergent Environmental Rights: From Hobbes to Human Rights to Water,” written by Hiske, will be analyzed during the session. Thursday welcomes the First Annual Graduate Student Symposium. Scholar John Nguyet Erni, chair of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, will be the keynote speaker. According to Watenpaugh, there will also be students flying in from Japan for this symposium. An all day event beginning at 10 a.m.,
the Graduate Student Symposium is in the Andrews Conference Room of the Social Science and Humanities building. Friday’s event is an academic symposium, in which international scholars will gather to discuss the origin of human rights. There will be scholars from Scandinavia and Canada in attendance. Watenpaugh is the keynote speaker for the symposium, which begins at 10 a.m. in the Founder’s Board Room in the UC Davis Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center. He said that he believes that UC Davis will be a leader in the field of human rights in the next decade.
as they are the stakeholders. We can troubleshoot together.” Meanwhile, Pon is working on making solar lighting available in homes in lower-middle-class communities in Zambia. “Most of our target customers live in small cinder block houses, with poured cement or dirt floors and a corrugated metal roof,” Pon said. “They make $2 to $5 a day and spend $4 to $8 a month on kerosene lamps or candles to light their homes.” The proposed solution is to offer small lights powered by solar panels the size of a credit card that emit twice the amount of light of a candle. Through partnership with Zambia’s Disacare Wheelchair Center, Pon’s group was able to offer the solarpowered light, called the SMART Light, for $15 to $18. However, after conducting market research, they found that the price point was still too high to be affordable. “There was a ton of demand; we just have to work on making it cheaper,” Pon said. “That’s a huge part of making it accessible.” Generally, many organizations tackle this problem by finding out-
side funding via donations. However, both of these projects, like all D-Lab projects, aim to create businessbased solutions in order to promote sustainability. “Many people cringe when they hear the ‘for-profit’ part, but the idea isn’t to profit off of poor people,” Myles said. “The purpose is to create a financial mechanism that will make it more sustainable.” Pon added that in the last 10 years, there has been a big shift from philanthropic-oriented projects to marketbased. “The thing is, everything that is donation-based will eventually run out,” he said. PIET’s work seeks, in part, to promote economic development within its target communities, helping to combat the inequality that has been increasing across nations for decades. “When we do work abroad, we’re not going to help out because we’re smart,” Kornbluth said. “We’re going because they can learn a little from us, but also because we can learn a little from them.”
DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
LANI CHAN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
monday, march 5, 2012
The california Aggie
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De Vere’s holds first ever biking event Bike ride brings Davis and Sacramento even closer By ANDREW POH Aggie News Writer
This Saturday marked de Vere’s Irish Pub’s first foray into the biking scene with the launch of the first annual de Vere’s to de Vere’s bike ride. Rick Houston, the regional liaison for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, proposed the event. The ride began this past Saturday morning starting at the de Vere’s 1531 L Street location in Sacramento. At 9 a.m. the riders set out to the Davis de Vere’s loca-
tion, spanning a roughly 17-mile trip from Sacramento to Davis, in under an hour. Among the first arrivals was Team Madcat member Sam Gusman. Team Madcat is a local racing team in Sacramento. “Group rides are always fun. On a road bike you can meet new people,” Gusman said. “In a big group like this it’s just fun to ride with everybody.” Gusman is a new member of Team Madcat, but he’s been racing competitively for two years now. “I race year round, pretty much,”
Gusman said. “I work at a desk so I gotta make sure I stay fit.” Team Madcat also supports local events like the de Vere’s bike ride. The riders from the team split up to lead the waves of cyclists heading out from Sacramento. Paul Durenberger, another one of the early arrivals, also spoke about his experience with both the event and cycling. “I started [cycling] 10 years ago, I was 40 at the time and I had cholesterol that was almost 300,” Durenberger said, “So I took up bike riding, lost 15 pounds, cho-
lesterol is now at 190 ... It’s really kinda changed my life.” Waves of bikes trickled in at a steady clip. There were people of all ages. Families, couples and friends all came together to participate in the event. The headcount for those who registered clocked in at a whopping 115 riders, according to Mari Tzikas, who does publicity for the pub. Even employees of de Vere’s readily participated. Teddy Burns, the pastry chef at de Vere’s and a UC Davis senior English major, took part in the event, biking
from Davis to Sacramento and then back to Davis. “It was really fun to do, and it was a good promotion for de Vere’s,” Burns said. “It was easier coming from Sacramento to here than Davis to Sacramento.” After enjoying a beer or two at the pub, some proceeded to head to Davis’s own Bicycle Hall of Fame. The owners hope to make this bike ride an annual tradition of the restaurant. ANDREW POH can be reached city@theaggie.org.
Cal Aggie Camp looking for student volunteers Camp provides underprivileged youth with fun summer activities
courtesy
Cal Aggie Camp, hosted at Camp Gold Hollow in Nevada City, is a twoweek summer camp for foster and inner-city youth.
By GHEED SAEED Aggie News Writer
Cal Aggie Camp is currently looking for volunteers as camp counselors, cooks, medics, or life guards for its July 8 to 21 summer camp. Cal Aggie Camp is a two-week summer camp for foster and inner-city youth in the greater Sacramento area. The camp is at Camp Gold Hollow in Nevada City, according to camp director Madelaine Soriano, known as “Tink” at Cal Aggie Camp. As an ASUCD unit, Cal Aggie Camp receives subsidies from
ASUCD, and students pay $0.50 per quarter from their student fees. Founded in 1961 by UC Davis students, Cal Aggie Camp is ASUCD’s only philanthropy, and aims to create an unforgettable summer camp experience for underprivileged youth in the Yolo County area. Cal Aggie camp draws approximately 200 kids each year, according to Cal Aggie Camp Co-Director Jennifer Reick. “Cal Aggie is near and dear to my heart, and this is my 13th year being a part of it. Most kids that attend camp are in the foster care
system or are living in non-traditional family situations. Camp is truly an opportunity for kids to get away from their everyday life and just enjoy a week being a kid.” Reick said. Campers are divided in two groups by age; five to 12 year-olds attend the first week, and 13 to 17 year-olds attend the second, Soriano said. “Counselors are teamed up with one or two other co-counselors and are in charge of a cabin of eight to 10 campers. They also sign up for one trail activity to lead everyday, so they’re definitely not just limited to their respective campers. A lot of camp is not set in stone, so we always look to our counselors to bring in new ideas and trails that the campers will enjoy.” Soriano said. In addition to interacting with and providing campers with an exciting camp experience, counselors have the opportunity to partake in leadership-based tasks by leading trails and bringing forth new camp ideas (arts and crafts, trails, etc.) primarily for the enjoyment of their respective campers. Cal Aggie Camp counselor Dale Arvy Maglalang emphasizes that Camp counselors are extremely flexible, and, moreover, are provided with a great deal of responsibility given that counselors assume roles beyond “typical” camp counselor expectations. “There is a lot of flexibility that we, as counselors, have in camp. For example, we’re always wel-
come to lead our own trails; some counselors have done trails on yoga, nature walks, dance workshops, etc. Moreover, we’re always welcome to bring our own camp songs, skits and other activities for the campers. For many of the returning counselors, we’re always asked about possible themes for camp and we’re also asked to sit in the hiring committee of prospective counselors for next year.” Maglalang said. Camp counselors add to the fun-loving atmosphere at Cal Aggie Camp by assuming camp names, in an effort to provide campers with a safe, exciting environment meant to relieve foster children of day-to-day challenges and experience being a kid, emphasized Maglalang and camp counselor Jenny Choc. Counselors rave about their individual experiences at Cal Aggie Camp, and even state that they wish they could continue their efforts at Cal Aggie Camp for forever, in Choc’s view. “By the end of camp I realized that I ended up gaining so much from the campers. I remember thinking when we dropped off the kids that I wanted them to all come back next year and every year after that so I could see them grow and be part of something this big,” Choc said. Counselors emphasize their diverse styles and always maintain a positive and goofy outlook with campers, no matter how embarrassing. “The primary goal of Cal Aggie
Camp is to provide underprivileged youth with the opportunity to not only experience the outdoors, but also to have an amazing week to forget about all the possible troubles they may be experiencing at home.” said camp counselor Melissa Huynh. Reick said that being a camp counselor was extremely rewarding. “Prospective staffers should love kids, be enthusiastic, creative and willing to make a difference in a kid’s life. The campers often teach their counselors just as much as the counselors teach the kids. It is definitely a life-changing experience that won’t be forgotten.” Reick said. Maglalang agreed. “Being a Cal Aggie Camp counselor is one of the most defining moments in my college experience so far, spending two weeks with the campers and my fellow counselors in the middle of the woods with no cell phone reception, internet and other technology made me realize how society takes for granted face-toface interaction. Getting to know the campers and providing a safe space for them to escape reality is worth every mosquito bite,” Maglalang said. Applications are due on March 25. Applications are available in the third floor of the MU. Questions can be directed to Madelaine Soriano at mmsoriano@ucdavis.edu. GHEED SAEED can be reached at campus@theaggie. org.
Pigs galore at the Davis Farmers Market Residents and students spend Saturday celebrating pigs By CLAIRE TAN Aggie Staff Writer
On Saturday, the Davis Farmers Market hosted its 21st annual Pig Day in Central Park. In accordance with the event, pig decorations were strewn throughout the park. People of all ages attended the celebration. Besides the Farmers Market, there were various food vendors, live music and pig-related activities available. Vendors present at the event were Sutter Davis Hospital’s Live Cooking Station, Upper Crust Bakery, Caffé Italia, Davis Creamery, Hotdogger, Fat Face and the Yolo County Food Bank. Food varied from pork to non-pork products, as provided by the Farmers Market, as well. “One of the signature elements of the event which Upper Crust Bakery came up with is the Pig Pop,” said Market Manager Randii MacNear. “Bread is in the shape of a pig on a stick.”
cramer Cont. from page 5 students graced the sidelines. So I have a proposal that could allow the Northern California schools to have some fans at their tournament games, at least once in awhile: the Big West should play its basketball tournament in Northern California at least once every four years. This proposal may seem far-
As attendees milled around, The Peter Franklin Band and Regal Beezers added their upbeat Americana music to the mix. Kids could participate in activities sponsored by the Davis Parent Pre-School, Davis Community Church Nursery School and University Covenant Nursery School, such as creating their own pig faces, or sets of pig ears, a tail and a nose. They could also interact with people dressed as three pigs, a wolf and a rendition of Miss Piggy. There were separate booths to create clay piggy banks, obtain pigtails and receive face painting. In addition, piglet-petting and pony rides were offered to children. The local 4H youth clubs were also at hand with animals and education material about farm animals. “This was a concept that grew into an event because of one of my bakers from Upper Crust Bakery,” MacNear said. “She was listening to [National Public Radio] and the
person announced that March 1 was National Pig Day, and for some reason, a light bulb went on in her.” MacNear said it was a whimsical combination of agriculture and being able to “pig” out on the food at the Farmers Market. “We came up with this totally random, wacky idea to create this event called Pig Day that combines bringing the farm to the market,” MacNear said. Davis residents were in agreement when it came to the enjoyment of Pig Day. “I love Pig Day and I plan on coming again next year,” said local resident Erin Conboy. “It’s a nice activity and my daughter was able to pet pigs. It’s a great family fun day.” Another resident came only for the Farmers Market and was surprised to see pig paraphernalia. “I didn’t really know what Pig Day was, but it’s a nice gathering,” said local resident Julie Roggli. “It’s great to see a sunny day and
fetched — and implementing it would certainly take several years — but it would not be impossible to make this time-split work. The Big West tournament is no stranger to changes in venue. This weekend marks just the second time the conference tournament will be held at the Honda Center. Since the tournament’s inception in 1976 it has been played in seven different arenas, including the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, the Lawlor
men’s Cont. from page 5 Empty offensive possessions for UC Davis carried over to the defensive end of the floor as the Mustangs shot 46 percent from the field in the first half and held a 33-18 lead at the break. The Aggies were 0-11 on three point attempts in the first half and finished just 4-20 in the game. Four three pointers tied a season low for UC Davis. Cal Poly lead by as many as 25 points with 11 minutes reaming before the Aggies
wonderful to see all the kids.” According to MacNear, Pig Day is a popular event the Davis Farmers’ Market puts on. “It’s one of those days where we try to invite some community people to participate,” MacNear said. “The pigs are brought in by Jim Neilson who raises pigs in Woodland.” UC Davis students were also present at the pig celebration. “As an animal science major, Pig Day is important to the culture of Davis,” said sophomore animal science major Arisa Hammond. “I look forward to a Cow Week or Poultry Afternoon.” By closing time, the event was still in full swing. “Usually, we have 5,000 to 7,000 people on Pig Day,” MacNear said. “Basically, we’re having fun and letting little kids see what little pigs look like, while big people eat bacon and ribs.” CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
Events Center in Reno as recently as 2000 and even once in Northern California in the tournament’s inaugural season of 1976 when the tournament took place in Stockton. So if the move is possible, the question becomes: where in Northern California could the tournament be held? The Honda Center is a first-rate facility, unparalleled by any of Northern California’s arenas, but that fact could change in the near
future. Tuesday’s Sacramento City Council vote could allow the Sacramento Kings to construct a brand new facility, which would be state-of-the-art and could eclipse the Honda Center. The arena (if approved) would be completed in late 2015, just in time for the Big West to begin negotiating on the potential of holding the tournament their for the first time in 2017, when their current deal with the Honda Center runs out. My proposal for change will
Davis 43 The Aggies were beat up for 40 minutes in the season finale at the home of backto-back Big West tournament winner UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos started their five seniors in the final game of the season in the Thunderdome, and that group quickly jumped out to a 12-4 lead against the visiting Aggies. UC Davis was down by seven with 12 minutes remaining in the first half when UCSB went on a 29-2 run, stretching the lead to 43-15. The Aggies would never reSaturday — UC Santa Barbara 90, UC cover, and the deficit was never less than 30 made some field goals down the stretch, lowering the final deficit. Freshman J.T. Adenrele was the lone bright spot for UC Davis, scoring a careerhigh 16 points and blocking four shots before fouling out with just over two minutes remaining. “As a team defensively we were a shell of what we were at our place against Cal Poly and a shell of what we were [in our last win] against Fullerton,” Head Coach Jim Les said. “This was disappointing and a step back across the board.”
Evan Davis / Aggie
Many children enjoyed petting piglets at the annual Pig Day this past weekend. probably come to nothing, and the Big West may never seriously consider splitting time between Northern and Southern California, but it could certainly benefit UC Davis if they did. So for now we should just enjoy what we have: Tuesday’s opening round women’s basketball game against Pacific at the Pavilion. TREVOR CRAMER would like to congratulate Matt “the man” Yuen on becoming th-Editor. You can reach both Trevor and Matt at sports@theaggie.org.
points in the final 15 minutes of the game. Forty-three points was the second lowest scoring output for UC Davis this season, and the 47-point loss was the worst of the year. “[UC Santa Barbara] is playing well here at the end of the season,” Les said. “That’s a good basketball team [and] I’m not sure our best effort would have got it done.” Adenrele was again the high scorer for UC Davis, tying his career high from earlier in the weekend with a second 16-point performance. CAELUM SHOVE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
4 monday, march 5, 2012
The california Aggie
women’s Cont. from page 5 advantage of a slow UC Davis start and built up a double-digit lead to begin the game. The Aggies played a consistent ball game and did not let the early struggles affect their outlook. The Mustangs had a 15-5 lead before it looked like UC Davis would make its move. “We came out and kept our composure nicely and possession by possession we battled back and we were right there in the game,” Gross said. “Teams are going to bring it for the first couple minutes and that establishes a tone.” UC Davis battled back and pulled ahead 36-33 by halftime. We then shut down the Mustang offense to a 29.6 shooting percentage in the second half to pull away with a very close 65-61 victory. Senior Samantha Meggison continued her string of strong performances with a 15-point game, going 7-8 from the free-throw line. “It was our defense, we stayed focused on executing our game plan,” she said of the Aggies’ victory. As Gross said, along with its defense, UC Davis shot a consistent
41 percent over both halves and got 23 points from their bench en route to the win. “I was really pleased with our effort, we came up with stops and it was different lineups at different times in the game that got it done for us defensively today,” she said.
“Right when we needed that stop to tie it up or pull ahead, they’d hit another one,” Gross said. “Today I felt like we weren’t getting that pressure on the ball, and we rely on our defense to create turnovers,” she said. “With that pressure, we turn that into offensive points.” UCSB shot close to 50 percent in the game, with a stellar 52 percent in the first half, while the Aggies shot below 40 percent. “UCSB came out and made shots, but our pressure could have been better, I felt like it was a lack of focus and there were a few breakdowns we don’t usually have,” Gross said. UC Davis had 29 of its 56 points come from the bench. French had 11 points that included a clutch three-pointer that kept the game within reach near the end, and freshman Sydnee Fipps’ 10 points also kept the Aggies in the game. The Gauchos needed all the cushion they could get from that first half to hold off the late game charge from UC Davis to pull out the victory. The Aggies dropped to 17-11 overall and 9-7 in the Big West.
Saturday –– UC Santa Barbara 60, UC Davis 51 The Aggies started the final game of the season against the Gauchos much like they had on Thursday. A sluggish start translated into an early deficit that, this time, proved to be insurmountable for UC Davis. UC Santa Barbara put up 14 straight points from opening tip-off before the Aggies would get on the board. UC Davis had strong performances from juniors Cortney French and Blair Shinoda off the bench to spark some life into their offense, but could not even the score by halftime. They went into the break down 32-22. The Aggies would come out battling in the second half, but was unable to tie the game or take a lead. At times, it looked like they would pull even, but for every UC Davis basket the Gauchos had an MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@ theaggie.org. answer.
gymnastic
was the highest team total of the night for UC Davis. Yamamura and junior Michelle Ho tied for second on the event with a team-high score of 9.775. The successful floor rotation helped the Aggies maintain their three-round lead on conference rival Alaska Anchorage to take third in the meet. San Jose State finished first with a score of 194.125 that barely inched past Arizona’s secondplace total of 194.100. The meet brings UC Davis’ season record to 4–11. Though the Aggies took a moment to reflect on the careers of the graduating seniors, they recognize that their season is far from over. “The reality is we have three weeks left in the season,” Head Coach John Lavalle said. “You stop and pause for a second, but the reality is we’ve really got our hardest work ahead of us finishing up the season in the last few weeks.” UC Davis returns to action on Sunday at Sacramento State.
Cont. from page 5 evening on vault where they put forward the strong routines that have characterized the team’s performance in the event this season, scoring a team total of 48.125. Junior Katie Yamamura led the squad with a 9.775, which captured the second place individual title. Notable performances by sophomores Anna Shumaker (9.700) and Madeline Kennedy (9.625) also helped to push the Aggies over the 48-point mark. Though the vault performance started the night on a high note for UC Davis, two falls on the uneven parallel bars in the following round sat the Aggies with a disappointing 47.125 on the event. The team also counted a miss on balance beam in the third rotation, dashing what looked like a strong start on the event. The team was led on beam by Shumaker’s 9.750. The Aggies were able to break the 191-point barrier in the fourth rotation thanks to a solid performance on the KAITLYN ZUFALL can be reached at sports@ floor. The squad total of 48.375 theaggie.org.
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THE BACKSTOP The california Aggie
monday, march 5, 2012
5
Road woes continue Trevor Cramer
Let’s move
T
hursday night at the Pavilion the atmosphere was electric. UC Davis women’s basketball was going down the stretch in a close game against rival Cal Poly, and the Aggie Pack was willing them to win. The arena was loud when the Aggies were on defense, the referees knew the fans’ displeasure with contentious calls and the stands erupted into a chorus of cheers with each Aggie basket. It was a perfect homecourt advantage — the kind that UC Davis men’s and women’s basketball have come to expect when they take to Hamilton Court — and it’s part of the reason that women’s basketball is 9-3 at home this season compared to 7-7 on the road. But following women’s basketball’s final home game Tuesday, that homecourt feeling will be gone and very few UC Davis students will have the chance to see their basketball teams until November. The Big West Conference basketball tournament is held at the Honda Center in Anaheim — which sits centrally between Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine and Long Beach State, and within reasonable driving distance for all of the Big West’s Southern California schools, including UC Santa Barbara. By contrast, the Honda Center is over 350 miles from Stockton (home of Pacific) and more than 400 miles from Davis — meaning that fans of the Big West’s two northernmost teams will have to drive upwards of six hours each way in order to see their team in action. With the tournament beginning on a Thursday and taking place during a key time in UC Davis’ academic calendar, it is easy to see why the Aggie Pack will no doubt be significantly outnumbered when men’s basketball coach Jim Les and company take the floor in Anaheim. During last season’s Big West Championship run — which granted UC Davis women’s basketball its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history — only a handful of UC Davis
See CRAMER, page 3
Aggies falter in final two games of regular season
Men’s basketball By CAELUM SHOVE Aggie Sports Writer
The UC Davis men’s basketball team was handed two tough losses in the final weekend of the regular season, putting the Aggies on the back foot as they prepare for their first postseason contest in two years. The Aggies could not dig out of an early hole on Thursday night at Cal Poly and lost 69-56. It was a similar story, though to a greater extent, in Saturday’s season finale 90-43 loss at UC Santa Barbara. The two contests were the 10th and 11th in Southern California for UC Davis this
season; and the Aggies have lost all 11. UC Davis had a single road victory this regular season, Feb. 18 at Northern Arizona. The Aggies finish the 2011-12 regular season with a 5-25 record, 3-13 in Big West Conference play. The men’s basketball program last finished a season with five or fewer wins in 2006-07 when under previous Head Coach Gary Stewart. The Aggies have never previously lost 25 games in a season. Despite the season’s struggles, UC Davis will have a postseason contest on Thursday night for the first time since 2010. The eighth seed Aggies will take regular season champions Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament in
Anaheim, Calif. Winners of four out of their last six tests before the weekend, the Aggies were looking to gain some momentum heading into the postseason tournament. Instead, the Aggies were shown what it takes to consistently succeed in the Big West. Thursday— Cal Poly 69, UC Davis 56 When the Mustangs visited the Pavilion in January, UC Davis played one of its most energetic defensive halves of the season, leading to a 14-point halftime lead. On the road Thursday, it was completely different effort from the Aggies.
Shazib Haq / Aggie
Freshman J.T. Adenrele scored a career-high 14 See MEN’S, page 3 points in UC Davis’ loss to Cal Poly.
Aggie UC Davis to host Big West first round Digest Lacrosse The Aggies opened their week with a 22-14 loss to High Point on Wednesday. Junior attacker Elizabeth Datino tallied five goals while freshman Charlotte Morris added four assists, but the High Point Panthers were able to come away with a win due to an overwhelming second-half performance and 17 total steals. Datino’s performance marks the third straight game she has led the Aggies in scoring. Juniors Stephanie Guercio and Hannah Mirza each chipped in two goals, while Anna Geissbuhler added a goal and two assists. The loss was the highest scoring contest that UC Davis has played since its victory against Colorado State in 2004.
The Aggies’ woes continued with a 15-10 loss to Davidson on Tuesday. Freshman Annie Lehner scored her first career hat trick while sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Majka saved 9 of the 26 shots she faced. The Aggies closed a rough week with yet another loss on Sunday as they fell to Virginia Tech 18-14. Geissbuhler scored four goals while Datino contributed three goals and two assists. Elizabeth Landry posted a hat trick with five shots and Guercio picked up a teambest of five draw controls. With the three-game skid the Aggies fell to 2-3 on the season. They will return to action Sunday for their home opener against Long Island at 1 p.m. — Veena Bansa
Aggies split with coastal opponents to end regular season women’s basketball By MATTHEW YUEN Aggie Sports Writer
Head Coach Jennifer Gross had said that the final two games were going to have “a high level of intensity and urgency.” This ended up being a drastic understatement. The UC Davis women’s basketball program came into its final two games of the regular season vying for a spot in the top four in the Big West Conference. Of the many outcomes that were possible from the tight race to the finish, the Aggies ended up splitting the two crucial games of the week and closed the regular season fourth in the conference. The fourth-place finish gives the Aggies a first-round home game in the Big West Tournament against Pacific on Tuesday. Thursday –– UC Davis 65, Cal Poly 61 On Thursday, visiting Cal Poly took
Aaron Juarez / Aggie
Senior Samantha Meggison scored 15 points See WOMEN’S, page 4 in the Aggies’ win over the Mustangs.
Seniors saluted
Aggies finish third in final regular season home meet gymnastics By KAITLYN ZUFALL Aggie Sports Writer
Kristina Geddert / Aggie
The UC Davis gymnastics team came in third place at its final home meet of the regular season.
On Friday night the Aggies took on Arizona, San Jose State and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival Alaska Anchorage in a
competitive meet that coincided with Senior Night at the Pavilion. Seniors Erika Van Dyke and Lauren Eller were recognized alongside former gymnasts Betsy Lim and Jennifer Mueller who will both graduate this spring. Van Dyke and Eller serve as the squad’s co-captains.
“It’s … been such an honor to share these last four years with my class of seniors,” Van Dyke said. “It’s been so special sharing … this journey with them … they’re such special individuals.” The Aggies started the
See GYMNASTICS, page 4
6 monday, march 5, 2012
The california Aggie
Alumnus wins five Emmy awards for TV news reporting Brad Hicks brings the news to Milwaukee By ERIN MIGDOL Aggie Features Editor
Television news anchor and reporter Brad Hicks has UC Davis to thank for his first on-camera job. Hicks had earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography from UC Davis in 1986 and ‘88, respectively, and was coming off a stint at Texas A&M University as a Ph.D. student when he applied for a job at WGAL-TV in Pennsylvania anchoring the local farm report. A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Hicks had little knowledge of agriculture. But, no matter. “I explain to them, ‘I went to UC Davis, the premier agricultural and farming school in California, and I’d been at Texas A&M, the premier agriculture school in Texas. Clearly, I am the right person for this job,’” Hicks said. “And they offered me the job, even though I didn’t know if a heifer was a type of pig or chicken or what. The agricultural tradition and reputation of UC Davis was a home run for me.” Thus began Hicks’ career as a television news reporter, which by now has come to include three TV stations in three states and 13 Emmy awards — five of which he won this past winter. He is currently a weeknight news anchor and special projects reporter at WITI-TV in Milwaukee.
A self-described “National Geographic kid,” Hicks’ interest in journalism began with an appreciation of television’s ability to allow viewers to see the world in their living rooms, he said. While working toward a Ph.D. in geography at Texas A&M University, he took a few journalism classes and hosted a radio program called “Asia Weekly Review.” “That’s when I started realizing this is what I really want to do,” Hicks said. After a earning a fellowship that placed him at CNN in Atlanta writing and producing for the science correspondent, Hicks joined the news team at WGAL-TV. Though the farm report was cancelled after a year, within five years Hicks became the Monday through Friday evening news anchor. The writing and on-camera speaking and reading skills necessary for TV news anchoring came easily to him — which is as it should be, Hicks said. “It really is a matter of not trying. It’s probably not unlike a musician or athlete, where you have a certain base knowledge that you’re executing with the skill base you have, but you’re not thinking that hard about it,” Hicks said. “One of the biggest challenges people face when they get into this business is just being themselves, instead of
being what they think they’re supposed to be.” Dan O’Donnell, news director at WGAL-TV, began working with Hicks when he arrived at the station in 1990. He described Hicks as an intense journalist, skilled at finding angles on stories that others often don’t. “There was a story he worked on about people drowning in low-head vans. Brad had the idea to work with river rescue to find a way to send a camera over [the river],” O’Donnell said. “That was the kind of thing he was always doing.” In 2000, Hicks moved back to the Bay Area to anchor the KNTV broadcast in San Jose, during which time he covered the September 11 attacks. Since 2004, he has anchored and reported at WITI-TV in Milwaukee. When working on a story, Hicks says the first thing he does is listen to his “reporter instincts” about whether a story is worth pursuing. Then, the process becomes one of fleshing out all the information he can possibly get. Ultimately, the goal is to tell the story with the viewers in mind, drawing them in from the very beginning, he said. Though his recent Emmy wins for achievement as a news anchor, writer and features reporter, as well as for his hard news features “Freed to Kill,” about a woman killed in a
car accident caused by a man mistakenly released from jail, and his entertainment reporting on “Above a Tall World,” about dwarf pianist Chris Errera, will allow him to add five more trophies to his already extensive collection, Hicks is driven more by reporting the news than gathering awards. One of his most affecting stories, a feature about the spread of heroin to teenagers in the suburbs, continued to draw responses from viewers years after it aired. “A couple of years ago I was emceeing an event and a man came up to me and thanked me for saving his son’s life with that story. It made him aware of the things he was seeing with his son, and as a result his son ended up getting help,” Hicks said. “That’s pretty cool — being able to actually make a difference, in some way, shape or form.” Still, Hicks’ former roommate Daniel Gray, who graduated from UC Davis in 1985 with degrees in computer science and math, said that Hicks’ success as a reporter and anchor didn’t surprise him. “On TV he comes off very professional, but in real life he’s not at all like that. He has a great sense of humor,” Gray said. “I remember he liked the Ronn Owens radio show, and he used to emulate him all the time.”
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Alum Brad Hicks has reported on T.V. stations in Pennsylvania, California and Wisconsin. Though he said it still surprises and flatters him when viewers recognize him “off-camera,” Hicks cautioned those interested in following in his footsteps that a passion and background in reporting is absolutely necessary. “Through my 21 years in this business I’ve met just a couple of people where the novelty of being on TV did not wear off. They are the most unhappy people in the business. They’re driven entirely by ego. And the reality is, big whoop,” Hicks said. “I can look at the window of this edit booth where I am right now, and there’s people running around and we’re executing a project, getting the job done and getting the news on the air. That’s what we do every day.” ERIN MIGDOL can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
Program for International Energy Technologies develops sustainable solutions Energy projects underway in India, Zambia
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PIET manager Bryan Pon gets feedback on the SMART Light from locals in Lusaka, Zambia.
By LANI CHAN
Aggie Features Writer
It’s hardly a secret that some underdeveloped communities around the world lack basic necessities that many take for granted: running water, electricity and lighting. The Program for International Energy Technologies (PIET) at UC Davis has been helping to tackle this persistent global issue right here on campus since its development in 2009. Created as a unit of the university’s Energy Efficiency Center by Kurt Kornbluth, a UC Davis graduate with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, the program aims to create sustainable and efficient energy solutions for local clients in developing countries. “People travel to other countries and see the pollution and the traffic, and are glad to get away from it when they return home,” said Kornbluth, director of PIET. “What they don’t realize is, that’s the future for everyone — it’s
just happening faster there. We’re looking at it right now.” PIET is a completely project-based program, connecting teams of motivated students with foreign clients with specific needs. Typically, five to six projects are taken on at a time, ranging from finding alternate means of charcoal production in Uganda to increasing agricultural output with solar fruit dryers in Chile. Students can take on projects in one of two classes, D-Lab I and D-Lab II, which are offered in the winter and spring. “D-Lab I students provide the feasibility assessment,” said Bryan Pon, PIET’s program manager who is also pursuing a doctorate in geography. “Clients will come to us with a problem, and the students serve as consultants and work to see which options are best.” In D-Lab II, on the other hand, students build prototypes and install them on campus so they can test them before going abroad to conduct field research. Despite the seemingly technical nature of the course, graduate students and upper division undergraduate students of all majors are eligible to enroll in both courses. “Kurt emphasizes four ‘lenses of sustainability’ — environmental, financial, social and technical,” said Jessica Myles, an international agriculture development graduate student working on developing drip irrigation systems in India. “The four dimensions emphasize the range of skills that are integral to the project.” For this reason, students pursuing degrees such as community and regional development, business and international relations can find a way to contribute to the D-Lab. “And, ideally, we’d have an ecologist, an-
thropologist and a translator,” Myles said. “It’s particularly useful, especially in development projects, when people specialize in one thing but are also competent in other things.” The dynamic teams working together in D-Lab I and II address needs brought to their attention by clients, who become their local partners in the target area. For example,
Myles and her colleagues are working with an organization called Mera Gao Power (MGP) to make drip irrigation accessible and affordable to farmers growing vegetable crops in Central Uttar Pradesh, India. “Drip irrigation systems are super efficient
See PIET, page 2
