May 31, 2012

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serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 131, number 75

thursday, may 31, 2012

Proposed budget plan takes a toll on Cal Grants Proposal would change eligibility requirements for grant aid By MUNA SADEK Aggie Associate Editor

Under a newly proposed budget plan by California Governor Jerry Brown, many students would be left with little or no Cal Grant aid. In Brown’s revised budget

Director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) Diana Fuentes-Michel. The revision proposes that Cal Grants, which has provided over $1.6 billion in aid to students, be connected to Pell Grants. This would make the amount that a student qualifies for in Cal Grants

plan, known as the May Revise, about 37 percent of students who plan to apply to a University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) in the fall of 2013 will be affected. “Student eligibility toward Cal Grants would be based on Pell Grant eligibility,” said Executive

about the same in Pell Grants. Many oppose this, as Pell Grants eligibility considers familial factors such as income and family size, while Cal Grants considers a student’s grade point average. This year, the maximum award that can be received in Pell Grants is $5,500, a $690 dollar in-

Davis Dirt’s Street Food Rodeo brings unique treats to Davis food.

Aggie Staff Writer

Do you enjoy food? Or music? What about both at the same time? Can you handle that concept? This weekend, folks at The Davis Dirt will put on the Street Food Rodeo, which will take place Friday, June 1 from 4 to 10 p.m. on 6th and G street. Nine food vendors will be serving their own fresh-cooked and affordable culinary creations, five local bands will be playing reggae, folk and jazz and there will be opportunities for rodeo-themed face painting. Best of all, admission will be free. “We are anticipating a crowd of at least a thousand people,” said Annie Meckstorck, one of the cofounders and editors of The Davis Dirt, a monthly publication that brings news of local music, food and art events to the community. “We know the town wants good

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This is a way for us to bring something delicious to Davis to benefit a good cause.” The proceeds from the event will go toward the Davis School Garden Program which aims to educate youth — through gardenbased learning — about how food choices can connect with personal health and their community.

Measure D under debate Parks will undergo maintenance if passed By SARA ISLAS Aggie News Writer

“Every school in Davis has a garden program. It helps kids keep in touch with where their food comes from,” Meckstorck said. “We wanted to benefit a program that involved food so it sort of happened all at once.” Providing the context for all the the culinary excitement, five local bands are lined up to play 45-minute sets, including Jenny Lynn & Her Real Gone Daddies, Tha Dirt Feelin’, Belle Francisco, Zuhg and The Souterrain. Consistent with the goal of bringing tasty and unusual food to Davis, Rodeo will serve items such as tacos made from fresh, handmade tortillas, pizza baked on a mobile brick oven, hand-

See FOOD, page 2

Psychology professor seeks the science of gratitude

The maintenance and improvement of parks in the City of Davis remains a possibility after the debate about Measure D, which took place on May 22. The upcoming 2012 Davis City Council elections will decide the fate of the measure which, according to city-officiated text, “extends for six years the existing Parks Maintenance Tax of $49 per year of residential units and on non-residential units in amounts specified in the Ordinance, to fund maintenance of parks, street trees, greenbelts, bike paths, medians, public landscaping, urban wildlife and habitat, swimming pools and recreational facilities.” Davis parks make up a large portion of the city and activities that take place within it. Measure D, or the Parks Maintenance Tax, which was first approved in 1998, has provided much of the funding to upkeep, improve and expand the Davis parks that have become so integral to the community. The special Measure D tax has acquired two prior passages, which have kept it intact since its origination 14 years ago. It was approved by 78 percent of the voters in 1998, renewed by 79 percent of the voters in 2002 and renewed by 70 percent of the voters in 2006. A failure to pass the Parks Maintenance Tax would have a $1.37 million impact on the City’s budget starting in July 2012. “I couldn’t imagine Davis without the Farmers Market, and the Farmers Market wouldn’t be the same without Central Park,” said Susan Villanueva, Davis resident. “Measure D has made sure I don’t have to.” Publicity in favor of passing Measure D claims that it will make a “cleaner, greener Davis.” Such advertisement is supported by groups including the Sierra Club Yolano Group, Yolo Clean Air and the Davis Chamber of Commerce. Pro-Measure D publicity reminds Davis residents that the measure will not increase but continue the same tax that they have been paying since 1998.

Editor in chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, author of three books on gratitude and UC Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons received a $5.6 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a three-year research project on gratitude. According to its website, the John Templeton Foundation identifies itself as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries that relate to human purpose and ultimate reality. It supports research on subjects such as free will, creativity and evolution. “Gratitude is actually considered to be a Christian virtue, but instead of having a theological explanation for why we should feel grateful, [we] also have a scientific one just like when they supported research on meditation and how meditation can have positive psychological consequences,” said professor of psychology Dean Keith Simonton. Emmons, who has been working with the foundation on developing a research initiative on gratitude, said that the core spiritual theme of gratitude was a central life principle to its founder, Sir John Templeton. The study of gratitude falls under the area of positive psychology that focuses on human thriving, unlike disorders and traditional psychology. “[Researchers] try to see what happens if you put more emphasis on those human virtues. And one of the things that Bob Emmons found was that gratitude is not only something you should do; you should be grateful for things. It has a positive impact not just on other people that you’re grateful [toward], but on you when you feel gratitude. In the early stages of this classic study, he showed that if you ask people to think of things that they should be thankful for, they feel happier,” Simonton said. Researchers from UC Berkeley, California State University, Dominguez Hills and Hofstra University will be working with Emmons on this project. Research on the development of gratitude in adolescents and children is being conducted by Emmons and his colleagues as part of the research project. In his research, Emmons is interested in the interaction between gratitude and spirituality, the influence of gratitude on

See DEBATE, page 4

See GRATITUDE, page 7

Today’s weather Sunny High 95 Low 58

Robert Emmons receives $5.6 million from John Templeton Foundation By LILIANA NAVA OCHOA Aggie News Writer

Forecast Yowza! Be prepared for hot hot heat (not the band) to be sticking around for the next few days! Remember, hydration is the key to success! Matthew Little, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

See BUDGET, page 4

Statistics show slowdown in burglary trend

Funnel cakes, paella, tacos and more to support Davis School Garden Program By LANI CHAN

crease from last year. The maximum Cal Grant that can be received for UC students is $12,192 and $5,472 for students at a CSU. “This proposal changes the way we determine financial need and the governor is proposing in

Number of burglaries in Davis now match “The main trends were that they were during the day when people weren’t home. A cou Though Davis experienced ple of people were home; the somewhat of an influx in res- suspect just didn’t know it,” idential burglaries earlier Doroshov said. “These were this year, Lt. Paul Doroshov homes, forced entries, ranof the Davis Police sacked for valuables, Department (DPD) with a more or less says the numbers exclusive signature to have mostly returned them.” to normal. Now, what January saw a total Davis is seeing, said of 11 residential burDoroshov, is its typglaries. In February, ical run-of-the-mill the total spiked to 30; burglary activity. in March, 21; and in “We still have April back to 20. burglaries, we had What do these Kyle Frank one over the weeknumbers mean? convicted burglar end at an apartment According to complex. It doesn’t Doroshov, February appear to be related and March were considered a to any of the ones we had been spike, but April’s numbers are seeing,” Doroshov said. “These consistent with the number of are more just your standard, burglaries reported the previ- what happens in Davis on a ous year. regular basis.” Doroshov explained a couple The trends had been taking of likely causes of the spike. place primarily in South, West “That’s during the period of and East Davis, in the new area time in which we had a cou- around Mace Ranch, and the ple of burglaries going on,” residential area around where Doroshov said. “One was Kyle the police department is locatFrank, in which he was primar- ed. Davis usually sees most of ily taking prescription drugs.” its crime around freeways, as is Frank, a 37-year-old man typical of most cities, Doroshov from Placerville, was arrested said. by the DPD on March 29 when Doroshov’s analysis is in acthey responded to a call from cordance with updates giva 12-year-old boy who was in en by the Old North Davis the house while the burglary Neighborhood Association was taking place, stated the (ONDNA) and the Oeste Manor press release from the DPD. Neighborhood Association, Updates on Frank’s case are which said to not have been currently unavailable and his notified of any recent activity. lawyer could not be reached Steve Tracy, vice president of for comment. ODNA, said the burglaries the “We also had other folks neighborhood has been seewho were actually ransacking, ing are well within statistical breaking into people’s homes range. and taking their valuables,” Dennis Dingemans, board Doroshov said. member and Vice Chair of The DPD addressed these ODNA, said that according to two major trends in burglar- the city police crime mapper, ies by putting together a task only one grand theft and one force. robbery have occurred within “Kyle Frank was caught, the last 90 days. and we arrested some of the “The data show that crimes people from a car stop made are very uncommon in OND,” by the Sacramento Police Dingemans said. “The perDepartment,” Doroshov said. ception of crime and the fear “Back in the beginning of the of crime are correspondingly year, they had come across low.” some property taken by one Sarah Boone, member of the of our burglars and they just Oeste Manor Neighborhood didn’t know it. They knew the Association, said that she while property was shaky, but they she was not privy to any recent didn’t know it had been stolen. crimes, many crimes in the We later matched the property neighborhood go unreported, and arrested those folks.” as students who live there are But for May, the burglaries less likely to report. no longer match the trends “Students who lose things, seen at the beginning of the See BURGLARY, page 4 year, Doroshov explained.

By EINAT GILBOA Aggie Staff Writer

News iN Brief

Davis BeerFest is this weekend Citizens Who Care will host the eighth annual BeerFest Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be tastings of more than 100 microbrews from over 30 breweries at 2001 Second St., Sudwerk Restaurant and

Friday

Saturday

Sunny

Sunny

High 95 Low 57

High 88 Low 56

Brewery. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door and $10 for designated drivers. For tickets, call 758-3704. You can also get them in person at Sudwerk or at the Woodland Citizens Who Care office.

Got any old electronics? Bring them to Save Mart on Anderson this Saturday from 12-3. Free recycling! Who doesn’t like free events? Michelle Huey


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