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volume 131, number 64
MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012
Davis Dozen pleads ‘not guilty’ to U.S. Bank blockade charges Group rejects plea bargain, trial date to be set in June By MUNA SADEK Aggie Associate Editor
The Davis Dozen, 11 students and one professor who allegedly instigated the closing of the U.S. Bank in the Memorial Union, pled ‘not guilty’ at their second arraignment, Thursday, May 10. A trial date will be set during a trial setting conference on Friday, June 1. The case was assigned to Judge Reed in Department 6 at 1:30 p.m. at Yolo Superior Court, said Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney, Michael Cabral.
The Davis Dozen were offered a plea deal of 80 hours of community service, should they have pled guilty. Over 20 counts of obstructing movement in a public place and one count of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor were charged against them on March 30. “I think that the DA’s office knows it has a weak case and that is why they floated a plea deal, leaking it to the media well in advance of the court date. I think they wish this case would go away, but that they are being pressured by [Linda P.B. Katehi’s] administration to prosecute the
dozen,” said Jonathan Dettman, a UC Davis Ph.D. Candidate in Spanish and Portuguese. Dettman runs a blog that often comments on the Occupy movement and student protests. Dettman said that the District Attorney’s decision to continue charge the Dozen is upsetting. “It’s disappointing that the District Attorney’s office has chosen to continue to press charges at the request of UC Davis administrators who have made many poor decisions regarding the law and its application to protesters,”
Managing campus fire extinguishers is no easy feat Rocky Twitchell inspects, maintains 6,000 a year
Nathan Chan / Aggie
Rocky Twitchell inspects a fire extinguisher, one of 6,000 on campus.
By ERIN MIGDOL Aggie Features Editor
For Rocky Twitchell, every building at UC Davis has a number. The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center is 125, for example. Chemistry Annex? More than 200. Giedt Hall, a particular favorite of Twitchell’s, is a merciful four. “Meyer has way too many,” he says emphatically driving past the rectangular hall on a busy Friday afternoon. He’s no mathematician, but there is a common denominator in this numerical puzzle: fire extinguishers. As the UC Davis Fire Department’s only physical plant mechanic, it is Twitchell’s job to monitor and service the 6,000 extinguishers spread throughout campus, as well as teach students, faculty and staff how to properly use them in his fire prevention classes. It’s tedious work that he admitted
often goes unnoticed by students and staff — but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more enthusiastic about those cylindrical red canisters. “People say, ‘I’m not going to worry about [fire extinguishers]’, and that’s good — get out if there’s a big fire. But by the time we get there, people could be dead,” said Twitchell, a fast-talking guy with seemingly unlimited energy. He takes pride in his work — often referring to the extinguishers as “his.” “People don’t realize [extinguishers] are there for you. They’re the first line of defense.” For the past six years Twitchell has been the keeper of the extinguishers, so to speak; a job he earned after working for four years as a groundskeeper at the UC Davis Medical Center. He was encouraged to apply for the job by UC Davis Fire Inspector Mark Moreno and worked for a fire extinguisher company before starting in order to gain the
proper technical expertise. Next to his desk in the fire department offices hangs a campus map divided into sections that each correspond to a month. His goal is to inspect every fire extinguisher in every building in a particular group by the end of its month, which averages out to about 500 extinguishers inspected per month. Before setting out to a building to do an inspection, Twitchell loads up his truck with a box of new extinguishers and puts on a pouch filled with his necessary tools: a stack of green tags used to label the extinguishers, markers, a hole punch, safety seals and zip ties to hold the extinguisher’s pin in-place, and the keys to every door on campus. “People, I’m ready for combat — I’m doing special work behind the scenes,” Twitchell said. Next, he heads out to a building and begins making his way to each glass cabinet that houses an extinguisher. He checks to make sure the extinguisher is easily visible, hanging at the correct height and in its proper spot, not on the floor or buried behind a bookcase or lab coats. Finally, he inspects the extinguisher itself, making sure that the safety seal is not missing from holding the pin inplace, the extinguisher has a green tag on it and the yellow pressure gauge is “in the green”, the shell is not damaged, and that the instructions can be easily read. If it passes his inspection, Twitchell replaces its green tag, signs the date and scans its barcode with his scanner — that records the date of his visit and sends the data to his computer. If it doesn’t, he replaces the extinguisher immediately with one of the back-ups in his truck. He tries to fix as many of the the damaged extinguishers as he can and sends the rest to his supplier, River City Fire Equipment, for
See FIRE, page 4
UC Davis files complaint against U.S. Bank Lawsuit cites early termination of contract By GHEED SAEED Aggie News Writer
On Friday, May 4, UC Davis filed a complaint against U.S. Bank for its alleged breach of contract. The suit claims the bank “assumes all responsibility for the protection of the Bank, its agents and invitees from acts of third parties... the Lease does not obligate the Regents to indemnify the Bank for the costs of providing security.” There has been no news of U.S. Bank filing a countersuit. The bank announced it was closing its doors on the UC Davis campus on March 1, subsequent to student protesters blockading the entryway and exit of the bank. The bank allegedly suffered significant losses due to the disruptions caused by the protests. U.S. Bank collaborated with UC Davis in 2009, signing a ten-year contract that granted the university campus with a U.S. Bank branch. The program was set to bring forth a significant amount of revenue for the University; in 2011 alone, $167,000
Today’s weather Sunny High 79 Low 50
in funding for student programs was generated through the proposal. In the contract between U.S. Bank and UC Davis, it states payments must be made in the event of an early termination (13.7). “Upon termination of this Lease … an equitable adjustment shall be made concerning advance payments under the Financial Services Partnership Agreement and any advance payments made by the Bank to University. University shall, in addition, return to Bank so much of Bank’s security deposit as has not therefore been applied to the University,” stated the contract. In concurrence with the Occupy movement, student protesters sat in front of the bank in January and February, ultimately leading the bank either to close its doors early, or not open at all over the course of approximately seven weeks. Eleven students and one faculty member are facing charges following the protests. All twelve pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on May 10.
“Students and non-students forcefully blocked the only entrance and exit of the bank. These same protesters put their hands on bank customers and assaulted them, pushed them away, grabbed at their arms and hands,” said senior women’s studies major and former U.S. Bank employee Hassan Shabbir. “I never expected the campus police to remain idle while these ‘protesters’ assaulted my co-worker, ripping bank documents out of his pockets and his hands as he tried to enter the office.” Under the Information on Rights and Responsibilities Concerning Peaceful Protest at UC Davis, protesters allegedly violated the Relevant UC Davis Time, Place, and Manner Requirements, disobeying the clause stating “Does not interfere with property entrances and or exits,” in addition to a disregard for several other requirements, including the “Disruption or Interference with
Forecast Welcome the return of the clouds! Thanks to them we finally get a little break from the heat. I don’t know about you, but I really missed looking up and seeing those fluffy guys. Raymond Chan, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
See LAWSUIT, page 2 Tuesday
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Dettman said. “In three years of intense political dissent on campus, not a single protester has ever been convicted of a crime, while Katehi and the police have made many mistakes that have injured students and/or caused them to suffer other kinds of hardship, both legal and academic.” Supporters of the Davis Dozen have been raising money for their legal funds on campus by asking for donations and selling t-shirts. MUNA SADEK can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
Open Door Art Studios brings artists together Organizers hope it will unite community as well
Ben Tuason / Aggie
The Open Door Art Studios first opened in April.
By Andrew Poh Aggie News Writer
The Open Door Art Studios held its second open door event in Downtown Davis on Friday, May 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. The studio is located on 231 G Street in the Court and Cedar Plaza. It spans several units and occupies a large portion of the second floor. Open Door is currently a collective effort between a group of artists looking to showcase their work and to create an interest in the procedure of making art. Each artist will be able to rent a space in the studio and subsequently work on and showcase their art in said space. The first opening back in April received positive support, including prominent local figures such as several city council members. The summer heat and Whole Earth Festival may have slightly hampered Friday’s turnout, the organizers said. Marieke de Waard, an art teacher at the UC Davis Craft Center, is one of the artists participating in the studio. “We want to be as diverse as possible, meaning photographers, quilters, painters, even sculptors,” de Waard said. “We hope it will evolve.” On display were a variety of works ranging from abstract paintings to photographs. In the future, the space will have actual artists working in them alongside displays of their work. People will be encouraged to not only admire the artwork, but to get a chance to ask the artists themselves about techniques, inspirations or anything else. “Everything is in Davis already, we have the art galleries, we have the art school, and this is not meant to be a competition, it’s meant to be a supplement,” de Waard said.
“Something kind of in-between, so if the art school would do something with us, we are here to cooperate with each other.” De Waard was also very open to students coming in and getting involved too. When the studio is fully underway, there will be plans to keep it open until 8 p.m. Students could come in after eating downtown and enjoy the art. Jamie Anderson, a veterinarian who runs a practice in San Francisco, is an abstract artist on the side. She has three degrees from UC Davis, but has never taken an art class. “In 2004, I went into an art gallery and I saw these beautiful abstract works. And something just clicked in me. I’ve never done art before. I’ve never purchased any art before, but after purchasing two works I became passionate about abstract art,” Anderson said. “There’s something really freeing about abstract art because anybody who looks at it may see something different.” For Anderson, art is more than an outlet, something totally separate from the circumstances she has to deal with as a veterinarian. She wants to see the art community thrive in Davis. “That’s what the world needs, some sharing and kindness and have it not be so serious,” said Anderson. Ben Tuason, a photographer who moved to Davis recently, showcased a different facet of art at the event. He previously had an art venture in Sacramento and has work featured at Crepeville. Tuason held a casual interest in photography since his college years. At first he would primarily do family or personal portraits, but with time his work became less focused on the people
See ART, page 2
There is currently only four more weeks of school left before finals. Everybody ... panic. Mimi Vo