March 7, 2012

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volume 131, number 33

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012

Student mechanics repower doubledecker buses Compressed natural gas engines replace the old

By DEVON BOHART Aggie Associate Editor

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

A London double-decker gets a makeover, courtesy of student mechanics.

UC Davis has a reputation as the “bike school,” but there is another icon that sets it apart: its vintage double-decker buses.

Built in the late 1940s and 1950s, these buses were retired from the streets of Great Britain in the 1960s, when ASUCD decided to buy them for transportation of students.

Since then, the fleet of four buses (with three currently in service) has been rebuilt and repaired countless times, the most recent accomplishment being the replacement of an old engine with a new compressed natural gas (CNG) engine in a double decker called 2819.

“Technology has come so far and environmental and emission restrictions have become much more aggressive that we couldn’t run [the old] engine anymore,” Andy Wyly, Unitrans maintenance manager said.

“We wanted to go for something that helps us breathe a little bit better and helps our water stay a little bit cleaner. CNG is an alternative fuel and it’s the same stuff that comes from your stove at home.”

Wyly has worked with Unitrans since he was a student driver in 1998. He later began to work in the shop and has been the maintenance manager for

Pepper-spray task force results delayed, trial to be held on March 16 Aggie Campus Editor

The UC Office of the President announced Monday that the results of the task force investigating the pepper-spray incident would be delayed once again due to legal action by a union representing campus police.

The results were to be announced Tuesday at 3 p.m. However, on Tuesday morning the union representing campus police requested a court order from the Alameda County Superior Court to halt the disclosure of the task force findings to the public.

The judge granted the order, and

said that UC Davis would not be able to disclose the findings at least until a hearing on the subject which will be held March 16.

“We are obviously disappointed that public disclosure of the findings and recommendations of the task force chaired by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso has been delayed. The work of the task force represents a crucial step forward for the UC Davis campus as it attempts to move beyond the events of Friday, Nov. 18.,” said UC General Counsel Charles Robinson in a press release.

The task force was originally requested by Chancellor Linda P.B.

Katehi after campus police pepper sprayed student protesters on Nov. 18. The task force was put together by UC President Mark Yudof, with former California Supreme Court Associate Justice Cruz Reynoso heading the group.

“I was very frustrated to receive this news today. However, let me assure you that I am undeterred in my commitment to release the complete and unredacted work of the task force, a view shared by President Yudof,” Reynoso said in a press release response to the recently announced legal action.

Various programs available for underrepresented students Aggie Staff Writer

Since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996, California public institutions are prohibited from observing affirmative action. In eradicating raceconscious policies, the University of California (UC) system saw a decrease in the percentage of underrepresented minority students admitted to UCs. Recently, diversity has increased through programs targeted at assisting underrepresented minorities consisting of African American, American Indian and Latino students.

Some programs include the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program and a Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and

Today’s weather Sunny/windy High 64 Low 36

Leaders.

The ELC program takes the top 9 percent of qualified seniors in participating high schools. The UC said the program allows for UC admissions to recognize and reward the academic accomplishment of students.

On Jan. 24, the unveiling of the Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders was announced as a partnership between the UC and historically black colleges and universities.

Twenty-five first-year students will participate by rotating annually among the UC’s six businesses schools.

According to the press release, of UC’s 18,000 graduate and professional school students, 12 percent are underrepresented minorities,

Irisa Tam / Aggie

with African Americans making up less than 4 percent. The summer institute is a means to increase diversity under Prop. 209.

A UC fact sheet depictForecast

After the wind blows itself out of Davis, we should be in good shape for some calmer weather the next few days. The classic symptoms of “Davis bipolar weather” will stick around until further notice as more cold weather and clouds move in this weekend.

Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

Two-thirds of UCDPD to be certified bicyclists

See RESULTS, page 5

UC tries to increase diversity post-Proposition 209

By CLAIRE TAN

See UNITRANS, page 2

UC Davis gears up for arrival of new bike cops

Police union court order halts release of findings

By HANNAH STRUMWASSER

the past year. He said that after the success of the first repowering, they plan to do the same on the “3123” double decker. The plans are in the process of getting approved and the bus has already been partially dismantled to prepare for the massive undertaking.

Junior biotechnology major Rebeccah Warmack has been a student mechanic for over two years and with her interest in alternative fuels, she looks forward to being involved in this project.

“Since I am going into alternative fuels, or want to, it would be a great experience to get the mechanical side of it and also so [I] better understand how the machine works,” Warmack said. “Having the opportunity to rebuild an engine is pretty awesome.

It’s a useful skill and it’s also just really interesting to learn how things work and how to fix them, more importantly.”

Wyly said that he likes Unitrans because of the student involvement and he considers this to be a good learning opportunity for any student.

“Most of this work is done by our student employee staff. We couldn’t survive without their help,” Wyly said. “They come in not really knowing anything and they leave with some very unique skills and abilities.

One of the only things they have most in common is that most of the time, they don’t know much coming

ing the university-wide application, admissions and enrollment of California resident first-year stu-

See PROP, page 2 Thursday

Friday

Sunny

Sunny

High 66 Low 37

High 70 Low 40

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

UC Davis will now have 11 new bike cops on campus.

By ALICIA KINDRED Aggie News Writer

The UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD) has hired 11 new bike cops who will be patrolling UC Davis by the end of the month.

The UC Davis interim Chief of Police, Matt Carmichael, opened up the bike position to whoever wanted the job. This will mean that two-thirds of the UCDPD will be certified to ride bikes on campus.

“The chief of police thought it was better for the community relationship,” said Bike Officer Ralph Nuno. “There will be more contact with the public, and ultimately, we wanted to see more officers on a bike.”

The bicycles and gear were provided by the ASUCD Bike Barn. It cost around $10,000 to $15,000 to provide the necessary equipment for the new bike cops, said Robert St. Cyr, general manager of the Bike Barn.

Student fees did not in-

crease because of the new bike cops, Nuno said.

“It is a very nice partnership, we are pleased that they wanted to work with campus organizations to improve their services,” St. Cyr said.

There have been two bicycle training courses for the new bike cops, Nuno said.

This is the first time UC Davis ran a state-sanctioned class for new bike cops, which was made possible after Nuno was certified as a bicycle cop, a press release stated.

On Sunday, March 4, there were three bike cops out patrolling. There will be two to three cops working each shift.

The new bike cops were further employed to enforce education and safety for students riding bicycles.

The new bike cops will also be involved in an existing program that offers a decrease in citation fines if the cited party attends a bike safety course.

See BIKE, page 2

Congratulations to the ARC Business Center for creating the most frustrating experience in my time at UC Davis. I look forward to giving your unsympathetic employees the stink eye when I try to get a passport for the third time this week.

Becky Peterson

page two

2 wednesday, march 7, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY

T-shirts, food and more are available to those who participate.

VDAY UC Davis 2012 VMen Noon to 2 p.m.

SCC Room E This presentation was compiled by dedicated V-Men to engage men- identified individuals in a dialogue about ending gendered violence. Learn more at vday.org.

Mij@ Stay out of el Sol: Colorism within Xican@ Communities 3 to 4:30 p.m.

SRRC How do you define colorism? Do you recognize colorism in your everyday life?

The goal of the workshop is to come together across differences and move toward a new mestiza consciousness. Part of the SRRC Mujeres y Jot@s Series.

Circle K International 6 p.m.

6 Olson Join Circle K to participate in community service.

Woman-Centered Birth: Supporting a Woman’s Right to Reproductive Justice 6 to 9 p.m 26 Wellman Join us for clips from the film The Business of Being Born, followed by a critical and empowering discussion on womencentered birthing and reproductive justice. Panelists include a doula, midwife, physician and person who is currently pregnant.

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

Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road Free yourself from excess weight and/ or obsessive thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Meetings are open and free to the public.

Shakespeare reading group, Macbeth in March

Campus Judicial Board Info Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Fielder Room, MU Get information about open positions on the Campus Judicial Board and how to apply.

International Womyn’s Day Celebration Noon to 1 p.m.

MU Patio A celebration to acknowledge and honor the strength of womyn throughout time and in our lives. Join us for fun, music, free silkscreened posters and free food!

Shinkoskey Noon Concert 12:05 to 2 p.m.

115 Music Watch Poppea Dorsam on the cello and Katy Luo on the piano perform works by Bach, Boccherini, Cirri and Vivaldi.

VDAY UC Davis 2012 Congo Teach-in 1:30-3:00pm SCC Room E This presentation is designed to educate about the historic and current sexual violence against women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rape and sexual torture are extensively used as weapons of war to torture and destroy families in villages in the war zone.

“Every Newton Hertz” Seminar 1005 GBSF, Main Floor 4:10 to 5 p.m.

Dr. Stefan Duma will be giving a presentation about the overall research goals of the Center for Injury Biomechanics, and will focus on his recent publication in ABME entitled “Head Impact Exposure in Youth Football.”

Peace Corps Info Session 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

118 Olsen Launch your international career and discover the benefits of Peace Corps service at this informational meeting.

7 to 8:30 p.m.

“Learning Center” Upstairs, Pence Gallery, 212 D St. Broaden your knowledge of Shakespeare by reading and discussing a different play every month; this month is Macbeth.

No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is necessary. It costs $8 for students and $10 for adults.

To RSVP, e-mail davis.shakespeare@gmail. com or call (530) 802-0998.

American Red Cross Club (ARCC) Meeting

UC Davis Jazz Bands Performance

The House of Bernarda Alba

7 to 10 p.m.

Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center Watch the Davis Jazz Bands perform with director Delbert Bump. Tickets cost $8 for students and children, $12 for adults.

THURSDAY Donor Appreciation Day

7:15 to 9 p.m.

230 Wellman Go to the ARCC’s last general meeting for food, games, guest speakers and election speakers. For more information, check out the website: www.arccdavis.co.cc or Facebook page: American Red Cross Club at UC Davis.

8 to 10 p.m.

Main Theatre, Wright Hall UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance presents a production of The House of Bernarda Alba, directed by Granada Artistin-Residence Juliette Carrillo whose work has been praised in The New York Times.

This production is rated PG-13 for sexuality, adult language and violence. General tickets are $17 to $19 and tickets for children and seniors are $12 to $14.

Noon to 1 p.m.

The Quad You can show your Aggie pride and help your peers who are struggling with the fees of college through a new, student-led initiative called We Are Aggie Pride. Learn how you can help your fellow students (or yourself) get through financial emergencies.

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.

BIKE

around $70.

Even those who have not received a bike citation may go onto the website and watch the video.

Those who watch the video without a citation will be placed in a raffle. Prizes are still being decided on, according to Nuno.

Nuno is excited about the addition of the new bike cops.

“This can save so much gas, our carbon foot print will be so much smaller.

The chief will be completing a study soon on how much it will save,” Nuno said.

Cont. from front page The website bikesafety.ucdavis.edu, which was created by a partnership between UCDPD and Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), contains a 45 minute online training course about traffic laws and regulations that apply to bike riders.

Currently, a bike citation for running a stop sign is an estimated $200.

However, if students with citations log onto the website and watch the video on bike safety, the cita- ALICIA KINDRED can be reached at tion fine can be reduced to campus@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.

Jason Alpert Editor in Chief

Amy Stewart Science Editor

Becky Peterson Managing Editor

Melissa Freeman Opinion Editor

Alex Tervo Business Manager

Kamry Zhang Copy Chief

Grace Sprague Advertising Manager

Joey Chen Asst. Copy Chief

Hannah Strumwasser Campus Editor Angela Swartz City Editor Uyen Cao Arts Editor Erin Migdol Features Editor Trevor Cramer Sports Editor

Jasna Hodzic Photography Editor Michelle Huey Design Director Janice Pang Asst. Design Director Mimi Vo Night Editor Amanda Nguyen Asst. Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director

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of Defense. What’s more interesting about the term is that it served to edge out another term used frequently in military and government settings — ad hoc.

Rajiv Most contexts that now Narayan use “task force” would probably have used “ad hoc” prior to the 1940s. It’s not hard to see why. In Latin, “ad hoc” translates to “for this.” As a term, it’s far more direct than “task force” in its etymology.

When you wanted to assemble a group to do something, it made sense for decades n Nov. 28, 2011, to assemble it “ad hoc,” for UC President whatever “this” you had. “Ad Mark Yudof carhoc” is still in use today, but ried forward the request of with a very different connoChancellor Katehi to form tation. Now the word reflects a task force. Chaired by a sense of improvised, makeCruz Reynoso, former asshift or spontaneous action, sociate justice of the state like it does in wireless ad hoc Supreme Court, the charge networks. of the task force is to “... ex- All of this makes me wonamine the UC Davis Police der why the Reynoso Task Department’s use of pepForce is named so. I think per spray on the deprotesters.” cision to At the time of In other words, where “ad hoc” name it, if writing this reflected a goal, “task force” ever there column, the a debenefits from an actor and a goal was task force liberate hasn’t redecision, is leased its findings yet. What symptomatic of the culturinterests me before-the-fact al shift away from “ad hoc” is the intentionality behind and toward “task force.” the term “task force.”

One reason why “task In the introduction to his force” is so widely used book Going Nucular, UC could be precisely because Berkeley linguist Geoffrey of its military history. That Nunberg asserts that is to say, not only is “ad “words usually have some- hoc” now known for lacking thing to hide.” I don’t know planning, but “task force” that “task force” has somehas this extra sense of discithing to hide so much that pline pegged to it from the it’s been used so frequently naval etymology. In some in so many settings that its ways, “task force” is still original purpose is lost at very much a part of the milthe bottom of a sock drawer itary discourse from which somewhere. it arose.

As it turns out, “task To pre-empt a takeaway force” is not the antiquatthat seems obvious, I don’t ed term I thought it to be. think this means there’s a Its use dates back barely kind of collusion between 70 years to 1941, when the the military past of “task U.S. Navy coined it. What force” and the UC Davis posparse histories there are lice. Rather, the military of the term suggest that it past of “task force” reflects was a way to enhance “opan appeal to authority and erational flexibility.” In this organization somewhat abway, the original usage desent in the aftermath of the scribes a particular naval pepper spraying. In other formation with a single task words, where “ad hoc” reor goal. Today the U.S. Navy flected a goal, “task force” has over a hundred task benefits from an actor and forces, many of which are a goal. organized into smaller “task Or you could argue that groups” and “task units,” all this is just semantics. But each composed of “task elI would err on the side of ements.” NATO has also ad- Nunberg, who writes: “The opted the terminology into worst offense you can comits standards. mit against language is to While it’s not at all clear fail to listen to it too closely.” when the term came into popular usage, the linguisIf RAJIV NARAYAN is guilty of committing tic trail seems to indicate Montaigne’s cardinal sin of writing “words that the military term trans- about words,” feel free to write words about muted into government use words about words to him at rrnarayan@ by way of the Department ucdavis.edu.

What’s in a word?

O

PROP

tation plan of the Vision of Excellence.

“Our offices for Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Studies and the professional schools are cognizant of this as they reach out to students,” Easley said in the e-mail.

In addition, UC Davis has a Student Recruitment and Retention Center (SRRC) in which peer mentoring, tutoring, real life planning and other services are available. Easley said SRRC also participates in the effort to retain diversity.

“We’ve made some progress in enrolling higher proportions of underrepresented students, in particular, Latino students,” Meron said. “Many UC leaders, including President Mark Yudof, have expressed their support in the past for affirmative action.”

To increase diversity enrollment, the UC system targets students from lowincome families, students from families with little experience with higher education and students who attend schools that don’t traditionally send a large number of students to fouryear institutions.

“The university reviews applications in light of 14 different factors, including academic records and a student’s ability to contribute to intellectual life at UC,” Meron said.

Meron said this doesn’t give any preferential treatment based on racial or ethnic background. She said this is done because they value a student body reflecting the state as a whole.

“We are limited in what we can do because of Proposition 209,” Meron said. “We don’t want to think of it as a disadvantage; we’re certainly not where we’d like to be because we’re constricted in that way, but we do feel we’re making some progress.”

Cont. from front page dents from Fall 1989 to Fall 2010 shows 1,683 African American students were admitted in 1995. The year Prop. 209 was enacted, the number dropped to 1,628 and then to 1,556 the following year. From there, it was a downward trend until it began picking up again in 2001.

American Indian and Latino students experienced the same trend, with 392 American Indian students admitted in 1995, dropping to 360 in 1996 and 309 in 1997. For Latino students, 1,623 were admitted in 1995; 1,550 in 1996 and 1,499 in 1997. Similarly, the admittance numbers decreased substantially until 2001.

Enrollment numbers for African American, American Indian and Latino students experienced the same gradual decline post-Prop. 209 until it began to pick up in 2006.

“Since the implementation of race neutral admissions, the university has worked very hard within the primaries of the law to increase diversity in the ways we can,” said UC Media specialist Shelly Meron. “That includes academic preparation programs that are helping underrepresented minority students fulfill our admission requirements and compete for admissions.”

However, the number of underrepresented minority students in the UC system is still a smaller proportion of those admitted and enrolled in the UC system than it was before Prop.

209.

UC Davis engages in a plan called the Vision of Excellence. Senior public information representative Julia Ann Easley said in an e-mail that the diversification of the student body is a theme that runs throughout CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@ the goals and implemen- theaggie.org.

The california Aggie

fore bedtime, which will digest slowly. When you wake up, reaching for alkaline-producing foods like fresh fruits, vegetables and almonds can lower your stomach’s acidity.

Theresa Keep in mind that a traditionRichardson al American breakfast with milk, coffee, bread, eggs and meat further acidifies your gut, making food more difficult to keep down.

Unfortunately, alcohol intoxication not only acidifies your stomach but it also increases its permeability, leaking gut bacteria throughout ust like any reasonable your body and resulting in student, experiencing the an inflammatory response. aftermath of binge drinkYet again, you can be left with ing probably didn’t stop you nausea and headache, along from trying it again. Sure, alwith sweating. cohol damages many things. With inflammation in One is your body. But what mind, there are several things many of us care about is cur- you can do. If you are having ing that dreaded hangover, food, know that omega-3 oils, after the fact. rich in soy, spinach, salmon The problem here is that and walnuts, can reduce this alcohol overdose causes immune response. Before many things you hit the to happen, sack, there In the morning, have something are also a meaning one remedy you can stomach that is still rich few things won’t always you can pop. do the trick. in B vitamins and electrolytes ... The first is The solua multivitation? Learn why you are getmin, which, rich in antioxiting the hangover to combat dants, can help against the the symptoms. inflammation by prevent If you know that alcohol af- ing cell damage. Second, fects your nutrition, you are for something stronger, you on the right track. One simple can also take a painkiller. but important example is de- However, if this is your sohydration. Urination and dilution, I suggest you conarrhea caused by alcohol can tinue reading to consider thicken your blood, reducthe effects. ing its flow to your brain and While it is dangerous to contributing to a throbbing couple any drug with alcoheadache. Naturally, drinking hol, a painkiller can indeed water in between beveragtake care of your headache es and in the morning should and other pains. The probdo the trick. lem is that every pill is dif But with your fluid you also ferent, meaning they vary in lose vitamins and electrolytes consequences and toxicity. needed for energy, making it Acetaminophen, for examdifficult to concentrate and ple, does not prevent inflamget out of bed the next day. mation and is more potent Alcohol also disrupts vitamin than other common painkillabsorption, worsening the ers, bringing more damage to same dilemma. Key nutrients your liver. Unlike acetaminyou lose include B vitamins, ophen, aspirin and ibupropotassium, sodium and chlo- fen reduce inflammation, but ride, contributing to exhausthey also prevent blood clottion and dizziness. So while ting, provoking more stomyou are out, eat foods rich in ach bleeding as you drink. these nutrients, like a whole Of the three, ibuprofen can wheat sandwich with lean red be especially harmful to your meat or tofu and leafy greens. kidneys, while aspirin, with Salted nuts work, too. appropriate dosage, is typi Food and fiber in your gut cally the least toxic. is also good because it slows The key is to remember alcohol absorption, decreasthat alcohol affects your nuing your chances of having a trition and body in many nasty hangover. In the morn- ways, dehydration and ining, have something you can flammation included. So to stomach that is still rich in B remedy what you are feelvitamins and electrolytes, like ing, I suggest you keep these a banana with salted almond things in mind as you choose butter, an electrolyte beverto consume or avoid cerage or vegetable juice. tain foods, liquids and sup Alcohol also causes headplements. Of course, if all this ache and nausea by lowadvice still leaves you with an ering your brain’s fuel and awful morning, do rememraising your blood acidity. ber the only honest solution Luckily, this can be mitigatto avoiding a hangover: stay ed if you provide a constant drunk. flow of sugar to your brain THERESA RICHARDSON posts all of her sources with a fibrous meal as menand articles on Facebook. Just google The tioned above, or a few taFreshman Fifteen and her e-mail, terichardson@ blespoons of cornstarch beucdavis.edu.

Nourish the hangover

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unitrans

facets of their lives.

“You can troubleshoot a bus, but it also teaches you how to troubleshoot problems in life and there’s really so many aspects of the job that you can apply to your everyday life,” Warnock said.

Despite the fact that there are such challenges caused by the repairing of these 60-year-old buses, student are allowed and even encouraged to work on new projects to continue to learn.

“There’s nothing we don’t let students do or that we don’t teach them,” Wyly said. “The sky’s the limit.”

The vintage double deckers can only run certain routes, historically running on G, B, F and E due to height restrictions and the amounts of people that need to be transported.

“There are areas where there are dense apartment units, so instead of running two buses, we can send out a single double decker. It lets us be a lot more efficient,” Weintrab said.

This goal of efficiency makes the repowering of the 3123 very important, however it takes an estimated two years to complete the job.

“Because we are also maintaining the rest of the fleet while we are rebuilding it, we can’t devote all of our time to it,” Wyly said.

However, students and staff alike have said they have felt a sense of accomplishment after finishing such a project.

“You’re constantly accomplishing something, so it’s a great feeling,” Warmack said. “Having the pride to know that you are helping these buses run all over the city is pretty satisfying.”

Cont. from front page in.”

Unitrans Assistant General Manager Scott Weintrab has been a part of Unitrans for six years and sees the job of student mechanics as a great addition to what students learn in classes.

“We provide an important complement to the academic classroom education,” Weintrab said. “We’ve got students who are getting leadership skills, they’re getting work experience and they’re making money to help pay for fees that are going up. It’s really important to what the university’s core mission is. They are getting a lot of experience that they don’t get elsewhere.”

Another student mechanic, Nick Warnock, senior civil engineering major, said that students come in that don’t know the difference between a wrench and a socket and the mechanics on the floor teach them everything they need to know, which is especially important in regard to the double deckers, as they present a challenge with their old age.

“The most complicated jobs are the double deckers,” Warnock said. “The parts are really old and we don’t always have those parts in stock.”

This then leads to students prefabricating their own pieces for the buses. The double deckers are made of wood beneath the metal panels, leading to even more difficulty because the wood often needs to be replaced because it rots, Weintrab said. This, however, teaches students skills such as problem solv- DEVON BOHART can be reached at ing that help them in other features@theaggie.org.

The california aggie

Science &Technology

wednesday, March 7, 2012 3

HEALTH & MEDICINE EDITION

With so much stress and flow can also be dizzyso little gravity, how did her ing. When a person closes their eyes, they are still health fare? able to tell how their head “I don’t have anything is oriented in space. This from the spaceflight that is because fluid flow in the I wasn’t able to recover Amy inner ear sends signals to from,” Dyson said.

Stewart the brain on which way is Wait, what? How about up (think of how when you bone loss or muscle atrophy? Of the spaceflights that tip a glass of water, the water moves relative to have happened, bone and the glass). When you’re in muscle loss is one of the space, the fluid in the inmost common side effects. ner ear doesn’t flow and so “That was the one very surprising thing, I didn’t ex- it’s difficult to tell which way is up or down. To a perience any bone loss,” certain extent, it doesn’t Dyson said. “I didn’t even really matter which way is t’s easy to take for grant- have to supplement that down; one of the pictures with any medication or ed how well our bodDyson showed at her lecies work, at least most of anything like that.” ture was of half of the asthe time. Bones stay strong Dyson was lucky. When tronauts on the “floor” of people are in space, the and rigid for support, food body experiences a number the ISS and the other half flows through the digeson the “ceiling.” tive tract, and we constant- of extreme changes. Like I mentioned above, bone Becoming uncertain of ly breathe in and out withand muscle density loss how you’re oriented, howout conscious thought. ever, can present serious Obviously, any one of these is one side effect of being in space. Even when you problems when you need things and more can go to know where you are; for wrong if you’re unlucky, but spend most of your time instance, on for the most part, the body sitting at a space walk. stays together in an impres- a desk in class, your When a person closes their eyes, NASA tries to sive balance. bones and Of course, humans they are still able to tell how solve this by muscles training asevolved these traits over their head is oriented in space tronauts in still need hundreds of thousands of the Neutral years of life on Earth. What to be able to support Buoyancy happens when we’re miles the weight of your body Lab (basically a huge inaway from Earth itself, eiagainst gravity so that you door swimming pool with ther in orbit around the can sit or stand up straight. an ISS model on the botplanet or traveling elseWithout gravity to give retom), where astronauts put where? sistance, bones and muson their full suits and prac It’s hard to guess and cles may atrophy. Use it or tice how to maneuver while even harder to study. After lose it. floating. all, there aren’t any mi One side effect that This isn’t a perfect modcrogravity places on Earth el, since any dropped tools Dyson did experience, as that we can put people to or equipment will simply study them. All we have are seen in pictures and vidsink to the bottom ratheos of her stay on the ISS, the past and current aser than float away, but the is fullness of the face. This tronauts, both on shortpool combined with virtual is because of the redistriterm shuttle missions and bution of fluids around the reality helps prepare astrolong-term stays on the nauts for the other worldInternational Space Station body.

Right now, you are full of ly experience of walking in (ISS). water. However, you proba- space.

Tracy Caldwell Dyson, bly don’t feel it most of the How to prepare for the a NASA astronaut and UC time since you’ve become other problems of living in Davis alumna, has experiused to it over your entire space, such as anemia, low enced both. Dyson spent plasma levels and mental 12 days on a shuttle to trav- life. Gravity tends to pull that water down toward health of the astronauts? It’s el to and work on adding the lower body; when grav- hard to say without more instruments to the ISS in ity isn’t in the picture, the people to test.

2007. On April 2, 2010, she The only way to know for launched from Kazakhstan fluid redistributes so that it is about equally spread sure is for manned spaceto the ISS and lived on through the body. This flight to continue, slowly board for 176 days. In that causes fullness in the face but surely, into the future. time, she also performed of astronauts as fluid mithree space walks to comgrates toward the head. plete a crucial emergency AMY STEWART can be reached at science@ The different fluid theaggie.org. repair.

Health in space!

I

Birth control pills

courtesy

Hormonal birth control

By HUDSON LOFCHIE Aggie Science Writer

Editor’s note: due to the potentially sensitive medical nature of interviews, names have been replaced with pseudonyms of the interviewees’ choosing Many women, and men for that matter, want to be able to have sex without all the unfortunate side affects, such as pregnancy, but while condoms remain very effective at preventing pregnancy, they do nothing to alleviate the often extreme discomfort of menstrual cycles.

A National Institute of Health study showed that nearly 30 percent of sexually active women using birth control use a form of oral hormonal contraception (the pill). This is almost double the percentage of women insisting on male condoms during sex. Some women take the pill to prevent pregnancy, while many take the pill to reduce the discomfort of periods, prevent acne and reduce risk of medical conditions like anemia and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Birth control pills contain hormones that act on the female endocrine system.

Women take either a combination estrogen-progestin pill, or just a progestin pill.

“The presence of the supplemental estrogen in the pill trick the body into thinking it is pregnant, and in response, the

How it works, what it does, and if it’s right for you

body stops the release of eggs from the ovaries,” according to a representative at Planned Parenthood in Sacramento, who did not wish to give their name. “Without any eggs, fertilization is impossible.”

Progestin is a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, which is a signalling hormone released by female eggs and is thought to act as a “homing” hormone for male sperm.

“Progesterone also induces the production of a thick mucus layer in the uterus, and excess mucus buildup caused by supplemental progestin, makes the uterus impenetrable to sperm,” the Planned Parenthood representative said.

Women use birth control pills for a variety of purposes other than pregnancy prevention. Increasing estrogen levels from birth control has shown to control acne outbreaks and reduce cramping.

One interviewee, referred to as Jane for anonymity, has had nothing but positive experiences with her birth control.

“With the pill, my acne cleared up, my cramps lessened and my period was shorter,” she said. “I even went up a cup size!”

The pill has also been beneficial to another anonymous woman, Alexa.

“I’ve been on it [the pill] for a while and have had hardly any problems,” Alexa said. “My periods are pretty easy, cramps

See PILL, page 4

Nutrition in college “Never underestimate the power of the food you’re eating.”

Healthy choices versus unhealthy choices

By ERIC C. LIPSKY Aggie Science Writer

Pizza, burgers, ramen, burritos and pretty much anything that can be made instantly are part of many college students’ diets. Although these choices might not have immediate health impacts for students beside weight gain, they can lead to a wide variety of problems later in life.

Depression in college students: knowledge is power

“Many students don’t prepare foods for themselves. They get things on what looks and smells good,” said Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC Davis.

Applegate said that the reliance students have on eating heavily prepared foods is one of the biggest problems with their diets.

She said that people can barely get by on

Synthetic chemicals in food and health

Recognizing the signs and seeking help

By CLAIRE MALDARELLI Aggie Staff Writer

Among college students, depression is so common that it is often referred to as the “common cold of mental health concerns” by psychologists. A 2011 survey of UC Davis students, performed by the American College Health Association, showed that 20 percent of students acknowledged feeling so depressed in the last 12 months that it was difficult to function.

Although most students tend to avoid confronting this issue, most psychologists and health providers alike agree that depression in college students is a topic that commands our attention.

“Depression can be triggered by difficulties in life and there’s no shortage of opportunities for things to become difficult in college,” said Dorje Jennette, a psychologist at UC Davis’

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See NUTRITION, page 4

California Certified Organic Farmers

courtesy

Unproven claims made on both sides of debate

By BRIAN RILEY Aggie Science Writer

Sign of depression

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

According to the National Institutes of Health, depression is a common but serious mental illness typically marked by sad or anxious feelings. Other symp-

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toms of depression may vary, but commonly people feel empty, hopeless and guilty and often have a loss of appetite, lack of energy, problems concentrating

See DEPRESSION, page 4

The use of synthetic chemicals in the food and farming industries has been a growing concern since the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring.

The organic food movement began in the early and mid-20th century in reaction to the growth of industrialized farming that uses synthetic chemicals for fertilizing and pest control. The movement began to grow in intensity in the 1970s.

“We were started by three pioneering organic farmers in 1976,”

said Randii MacNear, the Davis Farmers Market manager.

Typically there are at least a half a dozen vendors at the Davis Farmers Market who are California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and are qualified to use both the CCOF and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program seals. The CCOF is a nonprofit, private certification organization that follows USDA organic standards. At least a third of the farm food vendors present on any given Wednesday evening or Saturday morning at

See FOOD, page 4

4 wednesday, march 7, 2012

The california Aggie

MCAT to face significant content changes in 2015 Writing sample portion of the test removed, other sections added

By ROHIT RAVIKUMAR Aggie News Writer

For 80 years, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has served as perhaps the most daunting challenge for pre-meds throughout their undergraduate careers, with 43 percent of medical school admissions officers considering the test the most important admissions factor.

Starting in 2015, this exam will be receiving a significant overhaul, with the addition of biochemistry and behavioral and social sciences, the removal of the writing sample, and an overall increase in length by 90 minutes.

An exam administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the MCAT has been periodically reviewed and revised since its creation in 1928; the upcoming revision will be its fifth, the last since 1991. “[This particular update was

food

made] in the context of the role of the MCAT and changes to the medical field,” said Kaplan Test Prep’s pre-health director Dr. Jeff Koetje.

While the addition of biochemistry is generally because the AAMC considers it important for medical students, the addition of behavioral and social sciences is meant to reflect a more holistic view of patient care, according to Koetje. The removal of the writing sample, which currently consists of two essays, stems from a general consensus from universities that its purpose is better served by the applicant’s personal statement or interview.

The length of the exam will be increasing from five and a half hours to seven, partially because of the increased content but also because on the current test, students’ scores on individual sections are not considered statistically significant.

When the exam was still on pen and paper, the test was roughly the

in the UC Davis department of human and community development. “Organic as a set of standards faces its own challenges and blind spots.”

“Organic does not necessarily mean safe, and vice versa, so even organic products need to be tested for health effects,” Galt said.

Sarah Hawkins, who graduated from UC Davis in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, owns Castle Rock Farm in Vacaville, California and sells goat’s milk at the Davis Farmers Market.

“People play the system, so the [certified organic] rules have to be written more and more specifically,” Hawkins said. If one of Hawkins’ goats gets sick and needs medicine, that goat then has to be placed in a different barn and cannot ever be used again for the organic milk that she sells.

“If you get pneumonia, are you going to stay away from the hospital?” Hawkins asked.

Clay Jenkinson, the author of Becoming Jefferson’s People: Re-Inventing the American Republic in the Twenty-First Century, makes the connection between the downside of conventional farming and our rising health care costs.

“We’re making the wrong choices and counting on the industrial [health care] paradigm to save us,” Jenkinson said. “This is clearly not a sustainable path. Health care is unaffordable. Costs are too high [and are] rationed for the privileged. We need to make the right [food] choices and use the industrial paradigm to help us with things we can’t control.”

Cont. from page 3 Central Park in Davis have these seals.

Michelle Rossi, who shops at the Davis Farmers market and works for the Upper Crust Bakery Company, likes to develop her food purchasing relationships with local growers.

“Some growers don’t use chemicals, but can’t say it, because they don’t want to spend the money to become certified organic,” Rossi said. “You’ve got to ask people, so you can put a face on the label.”

“Why do we want to put toxins into the soil and food supply?” asks Jim Eldon of Fiddler’s Green Farm, another Davis Farmers Market vendor. “That they’re bad is really a no-brainer from the perspective of health and ecology.”

Views on the benefits of organic compared to industrialized, also called “conventional,” farming methods are often polarized with some exaggerated claims on both sides, said Johan Six, a professor of agroecology in the UC Davis plant sciences department. He is also affiliated with UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute.

“I strongly believe that there is a ‘golden mean’ between those two [polarized views] and that is where our agriculture needs to move to,” Six explained.

“Conventional agriculture and food depends heavily on agrochemicals that are not strongly regulated and that have been shown to have many negative health effects,” said Ryan Galt, who is an assistant professor of agricultur- BRIAN RILEY can be reached at science@ al sustainability and society theaggie.org.

length it will be again in 2015; when it was changed to electronic form in 2006, the number of questions was reduced by almost a third.

While Kaplan’s press release described the new MCAT as “more challenging”, UC Davis pre-health advisor Linda Scott disagreed.

“Some people will be glad that the writing section is being taken away,” she said. “... students don’t need to worry about it being harder.”

She also said that the new scoring will help students’ achievements in a particular section stand out more.

Though the actual changes have been approved by the AAMC, medical schools have yet to decide whether they will accept old MCAT scores for Fall 2015 admissions.

As a result, it is currently unclear whether current first-year students will need to take the new MCAT. ROHIT RAVIKUMAR can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

Depression Cont. from page 3 and loss of interest.

Although most, if not all, college students occasionally feel sad or anxious, these emotions usually pass quickly — within a couple of days. But when these feelings don’t go away, depression is usually the cause.

“It is normal to feel run down every once in a while, but being down and out, not functioning, for more than a couple weeks would be a clear sign that it’s a good time to get to a health professional,” Jennette said.

Depression does not have a single cause and can be triggered by many different factors. Many of these factors are prevalent in college.

“Relationship issues, anxiety about school and increased stress level can all trigger depression,” said Jacqueline Horn, a UC Davis professor of psychology. “Also, depression involves loss, so sometimes just returning to school after a break can trigger feel-

pill

gymnastics PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis vs. Friday’s quadrangular meet Sacramento State, Central in the Pavilion, but they will Michigan and Seattle Pacific have a good chance to better Where: The Nest — that finish on Sunday.

Sacramento Although UC Davis has fallWhen: Sunday at 2 p.m. en in both of its match-ups Who to watch: Sophomore with Sacramento State, the Anna Shumaker was a key Aggies have fared well against performer for the Aggies in Seattle Pacific, who UC Davis last week’s home meet. has defeated twice this season — including once The Alameda, in the Falcon’s home Calif. native scored gym. a 9.700 on vault and a squad-high 9.750 Still, the Aggies on beam. are expecting Seattle Did you know?

Pacific to battle them Sunday’s meet will be tough. the third of UC Davis’ “We’re ranked four match-ups with very close to [Seattle rival Sacramento Pacific],” said coach State this season.

John Lavallee, “and Anna Shumaker they will be looking for The Aggies sophomore ward to meeting us.” are currently 0-2 against the Hornets And with only a in 2012 and will be looking to few weeks left in the season, get in the win column against Lavallee is excited about the Sacramento State this week. intensity Sunday could bring.

Preview: With just two “This will be a good test meets remaining before the for us to perform well on the Mountain Pacific Sports road,” he said. “This team Federation Championships, likes to be in a high-enerthe Aggies are looking to start gy environment. Getting out building momentum as they and running with the horses head down the home stretch. is greatly exhilarating.”

The Aggies are coming off — Trevor Cramer a fourth-place finish in last

ings of depression.”

Although depression can be very prevalent in college, many resources are available to students, and psychologists suggest seeking help as soon as possible before the problem gets out of hand.

“For many students, college is a time to learn how to cope with difficulties. An effective array of coping strategies can be key to preventing a setback from becoming a knockdown,” Jennette said.

Jennette explained that CAPS has professionals who know the proven ways to handle depression, and CAPS mental health staff is available by phone 24/7. Student Health and Counseling Services also have a free anonymous screening questionnaire on its website that helps to assess depression.

Most mental health professionals acknowledge that reaching out for help can be the hardest step. But the Davis community has made it easier by providing services that appeal to all students. The House, a confidential peer-counseling center af-

birth control range from none to extreme. While not everyone interviewed experienced every side effect, it is important to know what the possible side effects are. According to the Planned Parenthood birth control information website, the pill can cause weight gain, water retention and increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Women on the hormonal birth control pill should also not smoke cigarettes, as this can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke even further.

Every woman who is considering hormonal birth control should consult a doctor for a professional opinion, as well as talk to people who are actually taking it. Women should weigh the pros and cons carefully in order to decide if the birth control pill is right for their health.

Cont. from page 3 for one or two days, and they are not bad at all.”

Other women have not been so fortunate in their experiences. As with any medication, different people experience different side effects.

Some of these side effects are severe enough to forgo hormonal birth control all together in favor of other methods.

“It [the pill] made me an emotional wreck,” Janice said. “It made me an absolute crazy person. It completely changed my personality. I got terrible mood swings, had trouble sleeping and couldn’t get myself to do my schoolwork.”

“I was sickly — had nausea and fatigue on a daily basis,” Erin said . “I am a super busy college student so I am sticking to condoms and spermicide.”

HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@ The side effects of hormonal theaggie.org.

Movies influence teen drinking, research shows

By Sophia Dipaolo

The Dartmouth (Dartmouth College)

Teenagers who watch movies with scenes depicting alcohol consumption are twice as likely to begin drinking as those who are not exposed to on-screen drinking, according to a study conducted by researchers at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center.

The study has attracted attention from multiple national news outlets such as Fox News and U.S. News and World Report.

The study began in 2000 as a survey of teens in northern New England, according to James Sargent, a pediatrics professor at Dartmouth Medical School and one of the leading authors of the study.

“The thing that’s striking about our research is how strong the data is across studies and across study designs,” Sargent said.

The study — which surveyed 6,500 participants between the ages of 10 and 14 in the U.S. — regularly quizzed adolescents over a two-year

period about levels of alcohol consumption and potential sources of influence, including movies and marketing, home environment, peer pressure and personal rebellion.

The study’s authors randomly selected 50 movies from the top 100 U.S. box office hits in each of the past five years, as well as 32 films that had grossed more than $15 million in the first quarter of 2003, the survey’s first year, according to DHMC’s website.

Coders charted the number of seconds of on-screen alcohol use in each of these movies, as well as alcoholic beverage product placement.

The researchers found that the adolescents had viewed approximately 4.5 hours of on-screen alcohol use on average, with many viewing more than eight hours.

The participants who had been exposed to the most on-screen alcohol use were twice as likely as their peers to begin drinking, according to the study. They were also 63 percent more likely to progress to binge drinking.

Product placement in films plays a large role in motivating teens to drink, according to the study.

While product placement for cigarettes has been forbidden in the U.S., it is “legal and commonplace” for alcohol companies to promote their products in films, the study says. Drinking scenes, however, should be subjected to the same scrutiny as cigarette product placement, according to the study’s authors.

Dartmouth psychology professor Todd Heatherton said the researchers’ findings reflect the intentions of marketing, built on the premise that the portrayal of certain behaviors can influence consumers.

“I do think it’s very interesting, though, and a little bit scary, for parents especially to know how much the media can affect a child’s behavior,” Heatherton said.

In addition to documenting the effects of on-screen alcohol consumption, researchers found that teens with friends who drank, felt the need to rebel or owned

branded merchandise featuring the name of a beer, wine or spirit company were also more likely to begin drinking and then progress to binge drinking.

The study’s authors also found that parent drinking habits and availability of alcohol in the home were motivators for teens to drink, but did not necessarily cause them to progress to binge drinking.

Students interviewed by The Dartmouth said the results of the study were compelling.

“I think growing up and seeing parents have a glass of wine at dinner encourages kids to have an image of alcohol that leads them to think of drinking as something to be done in an adult, composed situation,” Bridget Shaia said.

Shaia said the results of the study are not surprising given the “powerful” role television and movies can play on influencing young people’s decisions.

The study was published on Feb. 20 in the online medical journal BMJ Open.

filiated with CAPS, offers a variety of free and confidential services to UC Davis students.

“We offer drop-in peer counseling from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. We also have classes on meditation and yoga and a biofeedback machine in which a computer program leads you through exercises that measure heart rate to help modulate your breathing and bring down your anxiety and stress level,” said Kong Lor, a senior psychology major and peer counselor at The House.

Horn also warns that seeing depression in yourself can sometimes be difficult. Thus, friends can often be a student’s best support system.

“Usually people are less likely to notice this in themselves, but their friends often will. I’d encourage [students] to listen to their friends, and if their friends express concern, then talk to someone who can help,” Horn said.

CLAIRE MALDARELLI can be reached at science@theaggie. org.

nutrition Cont. from page 3 their nutritional needs with the food they are eating.

“Sometimes students are really busy, so they skip breakfast,” Applegate said. “What students need to realize is that this affects how you think and how you perform.”

According to Applegate, one of the greatest problems with students’ diets is they do not consume enough fruits and vegetables and don’t select whole grains, along with the fact that fiber intake is commonly low. Fiber is important to keeping the lower digestive system regular, while whole grains are important to cardiovascular health and maintaining cholesterol levels.

“Older age groups’ nutritional habits are motivated by health. You try telling that to a 20-year old, and it sounds irrelevant,” Applegate said. “I try to relate it to performance issues, such as students’ performance on tests.”

Not consuming enough fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fiber can have more detrimental effects than just a poor performance on a test, though.

“Heart disease and erectile dysfunction can be caused by nutritional problems,” Applegate said.

Applegate does not believe the argument that students cannot eat more healthfully as a result of being on a budget.

“No, it doesn’t cost more to eat healthfully. I don’t buy that; you can buy beans and whole grains,” Applegate said. “It can be done; it just takes time and motivation, since we’ve fallen into a lifestyle of eating away from home.”

Applegate recommends that people make their own meals and incorporate as many fruits and vegetables into their diet as they can.

“Don’t skip meals, and don’t shift calories all to one time of the day,” Applegate said.

According to Applegate, students will be more tired from not eating well and not eating well enough.

“Food is very powerful. Never underestimate the power of the food you’re eating,” Applegate said.

Lucia Kaiser, specialist in the cooperative extension of the department of nutrition at UC Davis, believes that the nutritional problems are not just limited to students; according to Kaiser, only 5 to 7 percent of the U.S. population eats enough fruits and vegetables.

“We need to get doctors communicating well to people, and we need to get parents role-modeling good nutritional habits in the home,” Kaiser said.

“There’s a social influence with the family.”

According to Kaiser, many children don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables either, something she believes is worsened by the prevalence of fast foods and sweetened beverages. “[Sweetened drinks are] a factor influencing obesity in children,” Kaiser said. “Consuming calories and sugar in that form causes over-consumption.”

Kaiser believes that students should reduce the amount of sweetened drinks consumed, and notes that people would be surprised to find out how many calories are actually in their drinks. For instance, 16 ounces of a Starbucks Blended Frappuccino Coffee contains 240 calories and 49 grams of sugar.

“Maybe 35 percent of the [U.S.] population is on the way to diabetes,” Kaiser said. “One thing that can help is to have a balanced diet.”

According to choosemyplate.gov, an updated government resource aimed at helping people with their nutritional needs, people should have half their plates made up of fruits and vegetables. The government resource also recommends that people make at least half of the daily grains consumed whole grains and choose lean or low-fat meat and poultry.

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

The california aggie

wednesday, March 7, 2012 5

In response to the most recent delay, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent an email to the campus.

“I am tremendously disappointed by this delay and know that many of you will be as well. We requested this inquiry to learn precisely what happened last Nov. 18, utilize that knowledge to ensure that our campus is a safe, tolerant and inclusive community and help us move forward together.”

Katehi said.

Katehi also said that the campus was continuing internal investigations into the event.

“Hopefully, this delay will be brief and we will receive the task force’s findings soon. Meanwhile, work continues as we near completion of the campus’s own internal affairs investigation into complaints of officer misconduct, which would be the basis for any personnel actions concerning the accused officers,” she said.

RESULTS

Cont. from front page The results from the task force were originally set to be released the last week of January or the first week of February this year. However, the results were pushed back to “early march” on Feb. 16 so that the task force could fully investigate the incident, according to Reynoso.

Due the legal action by the union representing the police, the release of the results will have to wait until at least the trial on March 16.

Students have expressed their disappointment in the multiple delays of the findings of the task force.

“I think it’s disappointing, because we [ASUCD] wanted it to happen within a month,” said Bree Rombi, the out-going ASUCD Vice President. “... I understand, it’s just disappointing, because the more we prolong something like this the more we tend to forget why we wanted it to happen so HANNAH STRUMWASSER can be reached at badly in the first place.” campus@theaggie.org.

Fear can make items appear bigger than they are, study finds

By JOSEPHINE WOOLINGTON

Oregon Daily Emerald (University of Oregon)

The more afraid someone is of a spider, the bigger they estimate the spider’s size, according to new research from Ohio State University.

In a study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, a group of psychologists recruited 57 people who were clinically afraid of spiders to interact five times with tarantulas, which were in uncovered glass tanks. Participants were asked how afraid they were on a scale from 0 to 100 after standing 12 feet away from the spiders and after touching the spider with an 8-inch or shorter probe.

Afterward, they were taken away from the tarantulas and asked to draw a line on a sheet of paper representing how big they thought the tarantula was.

“Some people drew lines up to two times as big as the spider was,” said Michael Vilensky, co-author of the study and graduate student researcher at Ohio State University.

“The average fearful person did not overestimate the size of the spider, but the very fearful did.”

He said the new research shows there may be a link between the parts of the brain that control visual connection and the parts that control fear and anxiety.

“When you start feeling afraid, that fear system starts talking to your visual perception. It is telling the brain to get away from there,” he said.

U. Oregon psychology professor Paul Dassonville said the study is similar to previous research that found people who are afraid of heights tend to overestimate the height of a balcony.

“It’s not surprising that our emotions affect our perceptions,”

Dassonville said. “People have the general perception that when they look at the world, they see it how it is, but that’s been proven not to be true.”

He cited other studies that have found people overestimate the steepness of a hill depending on how tired they feel. With the new research on phobias, he said psychologists are finding more about how the brain can be fooled by context.

Vilensky said his team has already conducted follow-up studies; in one study, researchers found that people overestimated the size of a spider even while they were looking at it. He also said that fear made people overestimate the size of other objects, such as a block or a plastic flower.

“When someone’s afraid, it’s almost like this magnification effect happens, and they start seeing things differently,” he said.

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6 thursday, march 7, 2012

The california Aggie

Protesters from across the state rally at the Capitol Dozens of Occupiers arrested for failing to disperse

UC Davis students were among demonstrators at the Capitol on Monday.

Students from all over the state marched to the Capitol in support for higher education funding.

Students were arrested after refusing to leave the building.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom joined students and protesters at the Capitol to discuss issues concerning higher education.

Photos by Brian Nguyen

By RICHARD CHANG Aggie News Writer

Several thousand demonstrators converged on the state capitol Monday, calling on legislators to fund higher education and demanding an end to tuition hikes.

The rally, organized by student groups including the University of California Student Association (UCSA), drew attention to the increasing cost of public education in California.

“I know the people of our state are going to hear you today,” said Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, addressing the crowd.

The Los Angeles Democrat was joined on stage by several prominent state politicians including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.

Organizers said they had expected 10,000 participants, but roughly 3,000 showed up. Students, union workers and teachers were bused in to Sacramento from as far away as San Diego. Students from UC Davis attended the rally, including some members of ASUCD. The official rally ended around noon.

Afterwards, some groups returned to their

buses, while hundreds of others waited in line to enter the Capitol. Protesters associated with the Occupy movement had vowed to remain in the building overnight.

Security at the capitol was tight. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) brought in an extra 150 officers on top of the 60 that typically staff the building. Sacramento police were mobilized as well.

“We hope everything will remain peaceful,” said Sean Kennedy, a CHP spokesman.

Shortly before 1 p.m., Occupy protesters, many of them students, took refuge underneath the Capitol rotunda in preparation for a general assembly.

According to Kennedy, the protesters did not have a permit and would be subject to arrest.

After about 150 demonstrators had situated themselves, the CHP sealed off the area, allowing people to exit but not enter. Many protesters expressed their discontent with this action.

“We’re being kept out of the General Assembly,” said Samer Naji, external affairs vice president for the Associated Students of UC San Diego.

Most protesters eventually left on their

campus CHIC.

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

Julia Zucker, senior communication major The Aggie: What are you wearing?

Zucker: “A sweater I got at a thrift store in the Mission district in San Francisco, Gap pastel jeans, Forever 21 shoes and an Anne Klein wrist watch.”

How did you what to wear

decide today?

“I wanted to go for a neutral palette, since pastels are in this spring. I usually don’t go for a lot of color.”

Where do you find inspiration?

“Vintage clothes, the past, Audrey Hepburn.”

What are you looking forward to wearing in the spring?

“Skirts! And I guess peeptoe shoes.”

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

Julia Zucker

Stephanie Nguyen / Aggie

own accord as it became clear that police planned to make arrests. After 6 p.m., the time the building officially closes to the public, the CHP gave multiple dispersal orders. Fifteen protesters remained underneath the rotunda, while 50 or so occupied adjacent halls. At one point, news media outnumbered the demonstrators.

Several lawmakers stayed late to watch from the second floor.

“We gave them about seven or eight opportunities to avoid arrest,” CHP Capt.

Andy Meynard said. “We wanted to give them every opportunity to leave.”

At 7:30 p.m., police began to arrest protesters, and by 8:30 p.m., the building had been cleared. Sixty-eight demonstrators were arrested and charged with trespassing, the CHP said. Four others were arrested earlier, one for possessing a switchblade and the other three for creating a disturbance.

Gov. Jerry Brown, notably absent from the day’s festivities, released a statement in response to the protests.

“The students today are reflecting the frustrations of millions of Californians who have seen their public schools and universities eroded year after year,” Brown said.

Although the protest brought temporary media attention, some expressed skepticism about the long term effects.

“Rallies don’t work, but they do raise some awareness of the issue,” said capitol insider A.G. Block, who is the associate director of the UC Sacramento Center and former editor of the California Journal.

Official organizers of the rally were quoted in other publications saying they had feared that Occupy would overshadow the protest and made it clear that their message was to support higher education.

Meanwhile, with the campus Quad occupation re-established on Saturday to welcome protesters from other schools, UC Davis officials remained mum on what they would do next.

“We expect that protesters from the Bay Area will leave after the rally,” said campus spokeswoman Claudia Morain.

She also said the university is providing the protesters with two portable toilets, and that the UC Davis Police Department has made plans to “ensure the safety of the protesters and the campus community.”

RICHARD CHANG can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.