November 8, 2012

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 131, number 108

thursday, november 8, 2012

Students cheer as Barack Obama is named the 44th president of the United States. The ASUCD-sponsored event was held in the Student Community Center on Nov. 6.

—Brian Nguyen —Photo by Abigail Alcala

Red Cup Cleanup gains momentum in Davis Initiative facilitates recycling of red Solo cup

By JOE STEPTOE Aggie City Writer

Students will now have a way to keep their environmental consciences clear when throwing parties by recycling red cups through the Red Cup Cleanup campaign.

The campaign, multilaterally coordinated by the Campus Center for the Environment (CCE), the Dining Services Sustainability Office and the ASUCD Environmental Policy and Planning Commission, will en-

able students to easily recycle red Solo cups by disposing of them at the South Silo drop-off point every Monday between 9 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.

The scheme operates with TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling products that are not usually recycled and would otherwise be sent to landfill.

“TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste. We do this by creating national recycling systems for previously

See RED, page 2

PG&E funding helps Davis track greenhouse gas emissions Program to benefit Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

By PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie News Writer

The City of Davis will be able to track its greenhouse gas emissions with the help of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

PG&E committed $15,000 to the City of Davis to invest in bringing their energy and greenhouse gas inventories up-to-date.

Benefits of the program include analyzing and tracking the city’s energy consumption, transportation, fuel use and waste production. It will also put efforts toward finding ways to reduce local energy consumption.

“Our partnership with PG&E’s Green Communities Program is a pioneer initiative in the state and essential for the city of Davis to understand the true carbon footprint of our facilities,” said Mitch Sears, sustainability programs manager of the City of Davis in a press release.

As part of their Green Communities Program, the updated inventory and forecasts will be included in the city’s existing Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, adopted in 2010.

The Green Communities Program is an incentive for communities to start working to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is a starting point for local governments to address and take action toward climate and energy issues.

A community intern, hired by the city and paid for with the funding, will complete the work for this project. Therefore, there will be no cost to the city. Additionally, by working with a researcher from UC Davis, the City of Davis will make sure they are meeting state goals. The updated greenhouse gas emissions inventories are scheduled to be released by the end of this fall.

“PG&E’s work with the City of Davis through the utility’s Green Communities Program is especially exciting because Davis was the first city in the nation to voluntarily inventory its greenhouse gas emissions,” said Lisa McNally, senior program manager for the Green Communities

Today’s weather Showers High 60 Low 49

Forecast Hope you’re enjoying this weather. It’s definitely a change, but it’s about time it got cool, cloudy, and rainy (even if it will just be showery). Plus you have now made it through half the quarter, WOO! Tyson Tilmont, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

Friday

Saturday

Chance of rain

Clear

High 56 Low 48

High 61 Low 48

Irisa Tam / Aggie

Program at PG&E, in a press release. “This made PG&E all the more eager to partner with the City of Davis, providing the opportunity to update the city’s emissions measurements and incorporate them into its existing Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.”

California is required to lower its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020

by Assembly Bill 32, signed in 2006. In 2008, Davis conducted a community-wide inventory and made action on climate change one of its priorities.

The city directed staff to create a greenhouse gas emission reduction plan for the city itself and the community as a whole.

Davis was the first city to voluntarily commit to complete the measurement under the Climate Registry protocol, which outlines how to properly report greenhouse gas emissions.

“This update to the 2008 Davis greenhouse gas emissions report will help the community understand where we’ve made progress and what steps to take next to move toward our net-zero carbon goals,” Sears said.

Now more than 200 communities in Northern and Central California have conducted a greenhouse gas inventory with the help of the Green Communities Program and funding by PG&E. “It’s wonderful the city received this grant so it can track its progress towards it goals,” said Professor Susan L. Handy, environmental science and policy department chair of UC Davis.

PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Have a happy long weekend!

Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 thursday, november 8, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY UC Davis Energy Institute Fall 2012 Seminar Series 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

1065 Kemper Join Craig Hartline, senior geophysicist for Geysers Technical Services, Calpine Corporation, as he discusses “The Geysers Geothermal Field, with a Focus on Seismicity Analysis and the Northwest Geysers Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstration Project.” There is no cost and all are welcome to attend.

Scholarship Workshop 3 to 4 p.m.

16 South Here’s your chance to get your questions answered about receiving scholarships at UC Davis. Attend this workshop sponsored by the Transfer Reentry Veterans (TRV) Center.

Conversations with Writers series talk featuring SacBee journalists 4:30 to 6 p.m.

126 Voorhies Three Sacramento Bee journalists will gather to talk with students and faculty as part of the University Writing Program’s Conversation with Writers series.

Salsa Adicción Meeting 6:40 to 8 p.m.

Northeast Corner of the ARC Pavillion Salsa Adicción is a student-run Latin dancing club that offers free lessons in salsa, bachata and more. Join for a quick beginners review, followed by an intermediate salsa lesson with guest instructor Clayton Rodriguez. No partner is necessary.

FRIDAY UC Davis Energy Institute Fall 2012 Seminar Series – Late Addition 10 to 11 a.m.

2028 Academic Surge Join Vishwanath Deshmane, Ph.D. Candidate, North Carolina A&T State University, as he discusses Catalysis and Sonocatalysis for the Synthesis of Biofuels.

There is no cost and all are welcome to attend.

Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes (you name it) and join your fellow

musicians for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and world music over the lunch hour. All skill levels and listeners welcome. Parking is available for $7 in Visitor Lot 5, at Old Davis Road and A Street. For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

SATURDAY Treasures & Treats, Holiday Sale 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

EMQ FamiliesFirst, 2100 Fifth St Go to this holiday sale, which will include handmade jewelry, greeting cards, knitted and crocheted items, preserves and foods, and also gently used holiday decorations.

The event is presented by Soroptimist International of Greater Davis, benefitting foster children at EMQ FamiliesFirst.”

SUNDAY “Let’s Rendezvous by the River” — a Napa Solano Audubon community event 2 to 4 p.m.

Napa Valley Yacht Club, 100 Riverside Dr., Napa Join Napa Solano Audubon members to learn more about the birds of Napa & Solano Counties. Enjoy this special location with its unique, serene view of the Napa River, meet Nancy McEnery with her newly released book: The Napa River and meet & chat with others who share similar interests. This is a free community event and refreshments will be served. For more information go to napasolanoaudubon.com.

Discover Israeli dances 7 to 10 p.m.

Studio E, Davis Art Center, 1919 F Street at Covell The Davis International Folkdancers will be teaching four Israeli dances — Ya Abud, Darkeinu, Hashoter Azulai and Beleylot Hakayitz Hachaim as part of their ongoing class. Bring grit-free, non-marking shoes.

Free for first-timers.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, email 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.

Campus Judicial Report We’re all in this together Several students in an upper-division science class were referred to SJA for stealing work from another group during a team project.

Upon further investigation by the professor and a judicial officer, it appeared that only one of the students in the group had been responsible, and the other group members claimed that they had not been aware of the dishonest conduct. However, the part of the project that the culpable student had stolen from the other group was a significant part of the overall project. Thus, even though this student was the only group member to be found in violation of University policy and received disciplinary sanctions, the entire group received a zero for the project, causing some group members to fail the class. The directly culpable student also agreed to be placed on Deferred Separation status and to do community service.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle A senior was sent to SJA by his professor for re-submitting a paper that he had previously turned in for another class.

In his meeting with a judicial officer, the

student stated that since the assignment was on a similar topic, he believed that he could simply turn in his old paper.

However, submitting a paper that was written for another class (whether in high school or college) is explicitly forbidden by University policy. The student agreed to Deferred Separation status and community service, and had his graduation delayed by one quarter.

Good as new A student with two previous violations was referred to SJA for plagiarism after submitting an essay that was written by another student several years ago.

The professor’s paper database search returned a suspiciously similar piece of writing, and upon closer examination, it was determined that the student had simply made a few changes here and there. After significant investigation and consideration, it was decided that he would be dismissed from the University of California due to the fact that it was his third violation of the UC Standards of Conduct for Students.

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.

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief

Zenita Singh Opinion Editor

Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

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Jonathan Wester Business Manager Caelum Shove Advertising Manager

Brian Nguyen Photography Editor Janice Pang Design Director

Muna Sadek Campus Editor

James Kim Asst. Design Director

Claire Tan City Editor

Amanda Nguyen Night Editor

Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor

Allison Ferrini Asst. Night Editor

Devon Bohart Features Editor

Irisa Tam Art Director

Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

David Ou New Media Director

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor One Shields Ave. 25 Lower Freeborn, UCD Davis, CA 95616 Editorial (530) 752-0208 Advertising (530) 752-0365 Fax (530) 752-0355

UCMeTalk goes live for system-wide UC community UCMeTalk gains hundreds of users in its first week

Women’s Basketball Game 7 to 9 p.m.

Arc Pavilion Watch the women’s basketball team play against Pepperdine.

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The California Aggie is printed on recycled paper

The california Aggie

By LAUREN MASCARENHAS Aggie News Writer

UCMeTalk, a new social networking site for members of the UC community, went live Oct. 21 and is quickly gaining traction among students.

The student-founded website is a brand-new social network that is exclusively open to students, alumni and staff members of the UC system.

“At its core, UCMeTalk serves as a platform on which like-minded students can connect with one another within their college communities,” said project manager Nazir Katbi. “Simply put, our aim is to bring UC campuses together for the purposes of both social and professional networking.”

UCMeTalk hopes to stand apart from the myriad of social networking sites flooding the internet today by utilizing a video-interface system.

The system connects users who are online at the same time and allows them to meet each other via video chat. Users can filter the results of this matching process based on UC and major.

“Video-based communication creates extraordinary opportunities for the development of both personal and professional long-lasting relationships, and UCMeTalk looks to nurture that potential,” Katbi said.

The “reputation” feature allows users to add or subtract a point from each new user they are matched up with.

“Overall, we believe it adds a sort of balance to the site and gives all users perspective on the people they match with,” said Anthony Liu, another project manager.

Users with the greatest number of reputation points are displayed on the “top users” section of the dashboard and are given the opportunity to win prizes.

“We don’t think it will bring on cyberbullying because there is not enough incentive for users to rate other users down and also, we are brainstorming more ways to get reputation points instead of just getting points through matching,” Liu said

RED Cont. from front page non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste,” TerraCycle’s website stated.

Red cups are made of grade-6 plastic, deeming them non-recyclable within Davis up until the scheme was brought in.

Third-year nutrition science major Sarah Azari and third-year environmental science and management major Teresa Fukuda, the two interns in charge of the Red Cup Cleanup, initiated the campaign in 2011 by collecting cups from UC Davis fraternities and sending them to TerraCycle.

The cups are subsequently melted down and transformed into other usable products, which are sold in chains such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. Two cents per cup recycled is then donated to a charity of the program’s choice.

To date, over $500 has been raised by the CCE through the Red Cup Cleanup campaign. The hope is that by implementing the weekly dropoff, students can actively bring their used cups to be recycled in a sustainable way, increasing both the number of cups collected every week and the amount of money raised for charity.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the scheme [among] the fraternities. They’re really on board,” Azari said. “Hopefully it will be well-integrated into Greek life so that we can get it implemented into other campus organizations.”

The campaign initially targeted fraternities in Davis due to their largescale and prolific use of the cups

Courtesy: ucme

when responding to questions about the reputation feature possibly being abused by users.

UCMeTalk emphasizes its zerotolerance policy for cyberbullying as well as nudity and unauthorized advertising in the “about” section of the site.

The website also has a “shout-out” feature. A shout-out is like a status update, with a catch. Users are only allowed to make a shout-out (which can be seen by all users of the site) every 24 hours, forcing them to choose their message wisely. Users have been using it to express their first reactions to the site.

“This might be cool!” said UC Davis student and UCMeTalk user Araxya Movsisyan in a shout-out.

UCMeTalk’s user base is growing fast. As of Monday, they had 700 registered users — a 300-person jump from the day before.

Studying how these users interact with each other and react to the website is an important part of the site’s future development.

“We have many ideas and options that would help make this site even better, but we are currently seeing how our users use the site first, before we make any giant development efforts,” Liu said.

Some early ideas for future progress include broadcasting live debates on the site and developing a UCMeTalk mobile app.

As members of the UC communi-

when hosting social events.

“Fraternities are an important place to start because of the sheer volume [of red cups] consumed. It’s important to start in a place where you have a lot of returns when you want to put a scheme like this in place,” said Cameron Scott, a fourth-year international relations major and active member of the Theta Chi Fraternity.

Fukuda agreed fraternities could be influential in the program.

“They [the fraternities] set a great example for the rest of the school population,” Fukuda said.

The charitable aspect of the program, furthermore, is integral to the fraternities’ participation, as it helps them fulfill their philanthropic activities.

“There’s already a philanthropic element to the scheme in that you’re working [toward] a more sustainable future, so I think it’s a double-edged sword where there’s two positive aspects to the effort,” Scott said.

Given the positive response among fraternities, the CCE hopes that momentum for the program will grow throughout Davis.

“There’s a lot of potential to get individuals outside the fraternities involved in the scheme,” said Tessa Artale, a fourth-year sociology and Spanish double major and CCE director. “Eventually we want to use our Facebook campaign and distribute flyers to roll out the scheme to the broader public. We feel individuals will be incentivized by the charitable element.”

The CCE is also hoping to attract grants from private organizations in order to provide further incentives for individuals to get involved in the

ty are beginning to discover and get involved with the site, the project managers at UCMeTalk hope that the site will fulfill the purpose they envisioned during development.

“I had been (and still am) frustrated with the political climate in the country, especially in California, and the neglect both political parties seemed to harbor towards college students,” Katbi said.

When Katbi found he was not alone in his frustration, he and friends set to work creating UCMeTalk so students could share their ideas while making connections with the UC community at large.

“Now more than ever, our careers literally depend on who we know in what field. But how do you just go about meeting people?” Katbi said. “It’s difficult, and we think UCMeTalk helps you meet people in a less awkward, more organic way.”

A multicultural night is planned for Tuesday at 8 p.m. when different organizations will use the website to promote their culture and different events.

“This event really epitomizes the diverse environment we’re looking to foster, and should be beneficial and fun for everyone who attends,” Katbi said.

Anyone with an approved university email address is able to join UCMeTalk at UCMeTalk.com.

LAUREN MASCARENHAS can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

program. The grants will be used to purchase items — such as trash cans resembling red cups and reusable cups — that will be distributed in exchange for used cups.

The trash cans, which will be designed by first-year art student Carmel Dor, will help students distinguish between recyclable and nonrecyclable waste.

“Our biggest priority is getting the trash cans up and running so that students know where to recycle their cups,” said Issy DeMillan, a fourthyear wildlife, fish and conservation biology major and participant of the scheme.

The prospect of reusable cups, however, has a split opinion among the fraternities, with some more willing to embrace the departure from red cups than others.

“The problem with buying our own set of cups is that it’s expensive. The fact we have this scheme, which we’re more than willing to help out with, and that we could get a set of reusable cups will save us money and saves waste,” said Juan Chavarin, the sustainability chair of Sigma Nu, one of the first fraternities to embrace the scheme.

Scott, on the other hand, said that the appeal of the red cups is the very fact that they are disposable.

“There’s comfort in the fact that someone wasn’t responsible for washing that cup. It came out new. People know where it’s been. A more popular approach would be to carry on using the cups and disposing of them in a sustainable way,” Scott said.

JOE STEPTOE can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, november 8, 2012 3

editorials

ASUCD Elections

Senate endorsements Students will elect another round of senators to represent them in ASUCD next week. Voting starts Nov. 13 at 8 a.m. and ends Nov. 16 at 8 a.m. Results will be announced at noon that Friday.

Voters will rank candidates in order of preference through ASUCD’s choice voting system. If a student’s first-choice candidate either wins with extra votes or fails to meet a minimum vote standard, that vote goes toward the voter’s next-choice candidate. Six candidates will receive seats on the table.

There are 14 candidates this quarter, with the majority of candidates split between the SMART slate and the NOW slate, plus four independents. The Aggie editorial board interviewed 12 of the 14 candidates, as David Belcher and Gloria Chen did not attend interviews. Our endorsements reflect whom we feel will be most effective.

No. 1 – Olivia Brown (SMART): Involved in many communities on campus, Brown will be a strong voice on the table for underrepresented groups. As an intern for previous Senator Tatiana Moana Bush — one of the most successful and wellconnected senators in recent years — as well as a member of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, Brown has learned the ins and outs of ASUCD. She’ll be a passionate, well-informed addition to the Association.

No. 2 – Liam Burke (Independent): Burke boasts a sizable ASUCD career. He was a commissioner for the Academic Affairs Commission and has interned for Senators Patrick Sheehan and Kabir Kapur. As an independent candidate, Burke isn’t likely to let petty politics influence his voting. For his platform to implement mid-quarter course evaluations, Burke said he’s fully prepared to go to every department to see his plans

through, showing his commitment to the students.

No. 3 – Armando Figueroa (SMART): Another former intern of Senator Bush, Figueroa understands how ASUCD works well enough to get things done. He still provides a valuable outside perspective, though, as a current Educational Opportunity Program Peer Advising Counselor and intern at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center. Focused on advocacy, Figueroa knows the importance of communication between students and administrators.

No. 4 – Felicia Ong (NOW): Ong is one of the candidates with the most direct ASUCD experience. She is currently on the External Affairs Commission, serves as assistant to Vice President Yena Bae and used to serve as an assistant to former ASUCD President Adam Thongsavat.

Ong seems to be very familiar with ASUCD processes, in both the executive and legislative branches. She said she wants students to feel more comfortable approaching senators.

No. 5 – Jonathan Yip (NOW): Yip said, “My goals are simple: boba milk tea,” but he is also a serious candidate with serious qualifications. He used to serve on the Outreach Assembly and his experience on the Business and Finance Commission will be valuable come Budget Hearings season. Also, who doesn’t love boba?

No. 6 – Alyson Sagala (SMART): While Sagala has not had any direct experience in student government, her time with AggieTV and involvement in various groups on campus would help her act as an effective senator.

She seems to fully support the ideals of the SMART slate and wants to help communities that feel marginalized on our campus.

Vote Nov. 13 to 16 online at elections.ucdavis.edu.

courtesy newsday.com

Benjamin Chang

Spouting off

I

t’s always interesting to hear from readers, regardless of what they have to say. By saying “great job,” “what the fuck, son” or something in between, it shows they cared enough to pick up a paper and formulate an opinion. And their opinions in turn lead me to formulate opinions of my own, regarding what I’m doing and how I do it.

Last week, I received an email from “E$” (E-Money). E$ respectfully told me that he found my writing distasteful, citing “The ability to manipulate interactions and words is like having a second cock. Anytime you unleash your linguistic load, it’s the best” as particularly offensive.

E$ stated there were more sophisticated ways of expressing ideas, and I agreed. “Second cock” was an exceedingly crass way to phrase it, and I might have been better served with “ancillary penis” or “supplementary shaft.” Kidding aside, I took some time to carefully consider the issue at hand.

I don’t want to alienate readers, but I also don’t want to write in a way that’s not self-representative.

High school journalism involved writing articles like “Football team

Regents tour

Where are the students?

Student Regent Jonathan Stein and Student Regentdesignate Cinthia Flores went on a UC-wide tour to educate students about Proposition 30 and what it means to the UC system this past month.

The two came to UC Davis on Friday as part of this tour.

The turnout was abysmal. Less than half of the seats were filled for the conference. Of those seats filled, most were members of student government. This is not acceptable. It is more important now than ever to be informed of the issues that directly affect us as students.

The regents rarely come to campus. When they do, ASUCD must make a bigger effort to publicize these events. Simply providing a venue for the regents to speak is not enough.

ASUCD has the resources at its disposal to reach students on

a mass scale. A campus-wide email to the student body informing them that the regents were coming could have dramatically increased student turnout.

On Tuesday, Prop. 30 passed with a vote of 53.9 percent to 46.1 percent.

While this is a step in the right direction, state investment in higher education has decreased to unacceptable levels in the past 10 years.

The student regents are one of the best ways we can fight further cuts to education.

They represent us on the UC Board of Regents, and we must take the chance to learn and be informed.

We cannot feign surprise and anger when tuition and fees increase in the future if we do not make the effort to educate ourselves. We’re all in this together.

Editorial Board Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor Zenita Singh Opinion Editor

Muna Sadek Campus Editor Claire Tan City Editor Devon Bohart Features Editor

Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor Brian Nguyen Photography Editor

Editorials represent the collective opinions of The California Aggie editorial board. The Opinion page appears Tuesdays and Thursdays.

feeling strongly about something? submit a letter to the editor to have your opinion printed in

Jimmy Recinos

Pike’s piece

W

hat is history?

Is history always told by the victor?

And can history be overcome, despite its repetitiveness?

In George Orwell’s 1984, the author wrote that “Who controls the past now controls the future. [And] Who controls the present controls the past.”

So then is the triumph over oppression just about control?

And are we simply to overthrow one power and its violence to replace it with our own?

I ask these things because tomorrow, the University of California will stand a year from its assault of the Golden Bears at Berkeley. Only nine days after that, it will stand a year from its assault of our fellow Aggies right here at Davis.

And I’ll be honest, at first I wanted to write a column ripping the administration apart.

But that’s already been done, and it got little done.

Then I wanted to write an article simply asking people to remember, but I wondered, how much do people really care?

Class continues.

The day will come and it will go.

So will this article.

But still, I am an optimist.

And then even if it means nothing — like “voting” the other day — I’m going to give it a shot.

finishes 0-16, but everyone’s a win- speaks to immaturity. E$ implored ner.” As a columnist for The Aggie, me to regard readers as “intelligent I actually have an opinion. But the adults and not 18-22 year old chilreality of writing in a less-insulatdren.” And I see where E$ is comed world is that people also get to ing from. College is serious busifire their opinions back at you. And ness. The work is harder, the stakes that’s just the way it goes. I made are higher and only a short span a few penis jokes, and those peof time separates most students nis jokes became lightning rods for from the rat-race. Davis students criticism — journalistic boners that are intelligent and driven, but grated against people’s sensibilities. they’re also human. Being serious 24/7/365 burns you out, and life In high school, people used to is about balance. ask me: “Why are An atmosphere you so obsessed The second cock simile worked that calls for hard with penis jokes? work and matuIs it because you for some people and was just rity is also an atdon’t have one, or offensive to others mosphere that because the one calls for levity you have is like and immaturity. two inches long?” Disregarding the part that’s a little bit racist, this Ventilation through vice is raises some fair questions. Why something people need from time am I so obsessed with phallic huto time, and one of my vices is mor, and why might that rub some phallic humor. In my response readers the wrong way? to E$, I acknowledged that I am prone to being incredibly imma For starters, phallic humor is hiture. A girl once told me that she larious. While it’s undeniable that played the flute, and I reflexivethere are more clever and sophisly thought, “Lol. That’s the most ticated brands of humor, I’d argue that there’s virtually no brand more phallic instrument of them all, exaccessible than the traditional dick cept for maybe the trombone and the harmonica.” joke. Accessibility is often a linchpin in humor, as people laugh at However, I understand that what they understand and identiphallic humor isn’t everybody’s fy with. Most people can attest that flavor. The second cock simile inside jokes make for some of the worked for some people and was best humor, but within the context just offensive to others. Despite its of a newspaper column, there’s no apparent crudeness, the simile still such thing as an inside joke. illustrated my point in a way that was memorable, if nothing else.

Phallic humor is special in that Ultimately, it comes down to being it’s humor everyone understands, mostly a stylistic choice. Different even if it’s not humor that everyone enjoys. When a single word can strokes for different folks, different rubs for different scrubs, different set a roomful of people snickering loads for different chodes, and dif(regardless of whether they’re 16 ferent crafts for different shafts. or 69), you know you’re invoking a versatile brand of humor.

Spout off to BEN CHANG at bcchang@ucdavis.edu.

Additionally, phallic humor First, history is an idea preserved. less-report-savvy friends, relatives, And it’s important to preserve the sons and daughters, etc. memory that on Nov. 9 and Nov. 18, Secondly, I think that even if his2011, UC officials decided to vio- tory is told by the victor, the future lently silence peaceful protests at belongs to those who can listen and UC Berkeley and UC Davis. I en- make the best out of what’s heard courage all parents, students and — even if what’s heard is a lie. In acanyone else connected directly or cepting that there’s no ultimate truth indirectly to simply YouTube the but fighting for one we believe in, we revolting police assaults. Officials find something worthy and help othhave cited the reason for the at- ers find something worthy too. tacks as a lack of proper commu- Third, of course history can be nication between overcome. I am the administrawriting to the tion and police ... in a future of more budget cuts world instead of forces, but regard- with more protests, many students falling to statisless of how true tics that would will have to make a choice that is, those consee me flipping cerned should be burgers for a livasking the administration where it ing or calling out numbers in a prisstands with communications now. on jumpsuit. Old friends of mine are I also encourage those con- doing these things, but now they are cerned — or interested — to also memories which encourage me to Google the Robinson-Edley report, encourage others to defy history. a May report one can learn from Finally, as a student, my main to question where the administra- concern is gaining knowledge to tion’s progress lies on the most re- better the world, not to control it, cent recommendations for poli- but to free it from control of powcy changes today. Robinson-Edley ers hostile to it. I believe the stucontains data gathered from stu- dents and faculty who peacefully dents, administrators and even po- stood their ground last year did so lice regarding protest and its com- for that same aspiration in the very ponents at UC. face of that hostility.

And while I’d argue that reports I also understand, however, that ultimately fail at their purpose, as we all have different ways of going did the “Brazil Report” following about that bettering of the world. I protests at UC Berkeley in 2009, think this is important to consider, reading them at least informs argu- but it’s even more pressing to conment. It would be particularly wise sider how powers can and have refor students to read the report as in acted to the aforementioned aspigetting lost in the fervor of move- ration. If the memory of last year’s ment — especially that of civil dis- events is not preserved, if it does obedience — we can easily over- not bring forth new questions and look costly repercussions. criticisms, those Golden Bears and And in a future of more budget fellow Aggies might not be the only cuts with more protests, many stu- students met with hostility when dents will have to make a choice. trying to stand up for something The individuals faced with that they believe in. choice should be informed about the options. It’s important to learn JIMMY RECINOS is still reading; you can send him some of those choices to share with our useful links at jrecinos@ucdavis.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GUEST OPINIONS

The California Aggie welcomes guest opinions from its readers. Guest opinions must be typed with an approximate word count of 600 to 800, or character count around 3,000 to 4,000. The same standards of letters to the editor apply to guest opinions.

Guest opinions may reflect a variety of viewpoints. Any member of the campus community is eligible and encouraged to highlight issues regarding UC Davis, regional or national issues.

Address letters or guest opinions to the Opinion Editor, The California Aggie, 25 Lower Freeborn, UC Davis, CA 95616. Letters may also be faxed to (530) 752-0355 or sent via e-mail to opinion@theaggie.org.

The California Aggie welcomes letters from its readers. Letters must be typed and no longer than 200 words. As The Aggie attempts to represent a diversity of viewpoints on its letters page, we reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed, and letters become the property of The California Aggie.

All correspondence must be signed with the author’s name and telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication, although names may be withheld upon request.

4

volume

6, number 7

thursday , november

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

8, 2012

ITDP presents ‘Nectare’ Elizabeth Orpina

Dance performance to serve as a prelude to MFA theses

Music videos

O

ne Direction has done it again. They’ve already fostered such an obsession in my heart for them, but no. They release another heart-stopping and swoon-worthy music video for me and the rest of the 13-year-olds out there to cry over.

I mean, sure, the threeminute and 38-second blackand-white video is set in a recording studio and is just of the boys sitting and singing, but it’s already a masterpiece in my head. I forgive them for never truly putting much thought into their music video ideas; they’re beautiful enough to sit around and be filmed. Just like Adele.

These beautiful men will be able to get away with pointless videos for the rest of their careers — they’ll have the Kids Choice Award for Best Video as long as they keep their hair high and their faces fresh.

As for the rest of the entertainment industry, it unfortunately doesn’t work that way.

Perhaps it was Lady Gaga who set the standard in terms of having complex storylines and costume changes in music videos. Every video she produces seems to be a short film, and we’re not complaining.

It’s nice to see that artists put in some thought (or money to pay for these thoughts) toward music video ideas.

Even though they’re not required to have a successful career, there are a few legends who realized that if done right, videos can define an artist.

Beyoncé will forever be known as the best “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” dancer, Michael Jackson influenced the music industry like no other with his video for “Thriller” and Madonna was just Madonna with “Express Yourself.”

Artists can also get away with absolutely pointless videos that have no direction or purpose besides entertaining an audience. OK Go trended online with “Here It Goes Again.” Nicki Minaj is entertaining enough to look at in a picture, but in video form?

Nothing else I’d rather watch.

And then we have the music videos that are a huge waste of money. Like, after watching three minutes you realize that you could’ve come up with ANY other idea and it would’ve been better than what you just watched.

I mean, I love me some T-Swift videos every once in awhile … but seriously? A whole video while you walk around in Paris when the song had nothing to do with Paris? Dressing in expensive dresses to dance upon a rooftop? How about her recent video for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”?

Conceptually pointless.

But I have to commend one video of this year that I’m absolutely in love with. “Some Nights” by Fun. is the most inspiring and smart music video I’ve seen in a while — that is, besides Beyonce’s “I Was Here” United Nations Humanitarian Day performance video. That video will make you cry, sign up for the Peace Corps and cry some more.

Perhaps I should go into the entertainment industry and shake some sense into popular musical artists. You have the money. You have access to genius brains. Make a difference, inspire and fascinate your audience. Don’t just look pretty and run around for three minutes.

Want to join ELIZABETH ORPINA in making her own rendition of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” music video? Email her at arts@theaggie.org.

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Nectare, presented through the Institute for Exploration in Theatre, Dance and Performance, aims to address the immigrant experience, touch and rhythm and visual perception through a series of dance vignettes.

By JOHN KESLER Aggie Arts Writer

The UC Davis department of theatre and dance’s ITDP (Institute for Exploration in Theatre, Dance and Performance) program presents Nectare, a prelude to the choreographers’ Master of Fine Arts theses, to be presented in spring.

Nectare aims to address things like touch and rhythm, visual perception and the immigrant experience. It is also a series of dance vignettes and can be categorized as experimental, given that the first 25 minutes require the audience to stand.

Christine Germain and Jarrell Iu-Hui Chua, MFA students in UC Davis’ department of theatre and dance, choreographed the vignettes with the dancers, who include Nicole Casado, Deidre Morris, Veronica Haro and Andrea del Moral.

“Nectare refers to a physical web that connects things and brings them together,” Chua said.

The performance is comprised of a series of vignettes which Chua and Germain created independently of each other.

The audience is invited to walk around the dancers, becoming active spectators.

Your weekly dose of video games

“The performances will start in the gallery, move to the hallway, then to the University Gallery kitchen and then back to the start,” Germain said.

Chua explains that though the work represents a collective project, each piece maintains its own sense of individualism and meaning.

“We created these pieces separately,” Chua said. “They only share a similar space and time. We also wanted to see how people working on several completely different things could bring them together.”

Their sole collaborative effort consists of a short video named “Nexus.”

“It’s about moving from sedentary life and accepted social structures into discovering oneself in the world,” Germain said.

Germain, who was born in Quebec, was inspired by her experiences as an immigrant.

“I am interested in the Other, how we perceive the Other and how we are perceived.

I’m also interested in transformation, how the Other becomes ourselves in cases such as when we move, learn a new language or have to adapt a new identity,” Germain said.

Several of her vignettes also force an unconventional perception on the audience, such as a piece which is viewed from above.

“I want the audience to embody and experience the adaptation to a new theater experience,” Germain said.

Chua likes to explore touch and rhythm and how an emotional narrative can be formed out of those, as well as cultural expectations based on gender and race.

“Eighty percent of my work depends on who I’m collaborating with. I ask my dancers how they can work on the theme and then work in their contributions,” Chua said.

Germain and Chua are currently working on their thesis performances, which will premiere in February 2013.

“We wanted to get feedback on our work,” Germain said. “We also wanted to do it in a different environment than what we’re used to in the dance world.”

Chua was excited about the reception of Nectare.

“I don’t know how it will be received or what it will look like. I like the sense of unknowing,” Chua said.

The performance will take place at the Nelson Gallery and the University Club.

“We’re really excited to have them perform here,” said Katrina Wong, the assistant to the director of the Nelson Gallery. “We’re proud to bring art and dance together.”

Nectare will be held at the Nelson Gallery and the University Club on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

This is a free event.

Remember The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the 2011 release that gamers poured hundreds of hours into? As if that wasn’t enough, developer Bethesda has announced new downloadable content (DLC) for the highly acclaimed RPG title.

Titled “Dragonborn,” the new DLC will feature dragon mounts. I can already imagine flying dragons over snowy terrains ... there’s no way that won’t be awesome.

The plot involves an antagonist named Dragonbeast who attempts to retain his previous power as the first Dragonborn by consuming the souls of dragons. More importantly, the DLC will take place in a familiar environment — the island of Solthseim. This locale first appeared in the “Blood Moon” expansion for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

“Dragonborn” will be available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on December 4 for 1600 Microsoft Points. No plans for a PC or PlayStation 3 release have been revealed yet.

JOHN KESLER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

ANTHONY LABELLA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

By ANTHONY LABELLA Aggie Arts Writer

Game of the week I have a confession to make: I’m not a fan of the Halo franchise. Despite a handful of fun online-play sessions with friends, I’ve never quite understood the appeal of spending countless hours with Master Chief (despite personally playing every entry in the series in an effort to get hooked).

Sometimes you have to give into the masses though, and that’s exactly the case with the game of the week: Halo 4. For the first time in the franchise’s history, development duties have shifted to a brand new studio – 343 Industries. There are sure to be skeptics due to the absence of former developer Bungie, but reviews seem to indicate yet another strong entry in the wildly popular first-person shooter series.

Master Chief makes his return as the main protagonist four years after the events of 2007’s Halo 3. Additions include a new enemy threat, new weapons and expanded multiplayer modes.

Most notably, a story-driven “Spartan Ops” mode will replace the former co-op driven “Firefight” mode.

I imagine I’ll end up playing Halo 4 at some point, though I’m in no rush. But based on feedback so far, fans of the series will likely be satisfied.

This week in news

Shakespeare’s Globe Brings Hamlet to Davis Interview with Ophelia actress Carlyss Peer

By EMMA LUK Aggie Copyreader

I’m squirming in my seat in anticipation of one of my favorite exchanges in all of Hamlet — the scene where Hamlet greets his old friends Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. I pause to look around and observe the faces of my fellow audience members. Given that the lights are still on inside the theater in an effort to replicate the Globe Theater’s Shakespearean tradition of open-air performances, I can see everything going on around me: the elderly couple in front of me is enraptured by Michael Benz’s (Hamlet’s) beautiful, talented face. A few of the high school students across the aisle giggle to each other as they translate Shakespeare’s dirty jokes into modern English. My friend nudges me to turn around and pay attention.

“Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favors?” Hamlet queries his friends about their relationship with Fortune.

“Faith, her privates we,” Guildenstern snickers conspiratorially. “In the secret parts of Fortune? Oh, most true. She is a strumpet!”

Hamlet shouts, before he, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz begin dancing and bust out some pelvic thrusts worthy of the elevator scene in the “Gangnam Style” music video.

Trust me — if you had been in the audience with me, you wouldn’t have needed a “No Fear Shakespeare” SparkNotes translation of the script in order to find scenes like these — with their snippy little add-ins and provocative gestures — utterly hilarious.

Of course, Hamlet is largely known as a serious drama filled with madness, incest, royal intrigue and brooding university students suffering from extreme indecision, but that didn’t stop the cast from adding in pithy little oneliners here and there (such as when Polonius wandered off set to find the “Memorial Union Bar” to find some strong aqua vitae) to liven the mood and steal a laugh from the audience when appropriate.

Every element of the production was pared down and streamlined in order to speed the production along to a brisk two-and-a-half hour running time. The minimalist wooden set resembled an overgrown treehouse — a whirling tornado of planks, curtains and benches that rearranged themselves ever so slightly to fit the mood of each different scene.

While waiting for their cues, various actors would wait partially out of sight within the shadowy cubbies built into the interior of the set, singing softly and playing various instruments to accompany the action on stage. Each act seamlessly segued into the next, yet it was always clear to the audience what exactly was taking place.

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Shakespeare’s Globe presented Hamlet at the Mondavi Center on Nov. 1 and 2.

This sense of extreme efficiency even extended to the cast; each actor, save for Benz, who played Hamlet, multi-tasked and inhabited several different characters. Benz’s performance, to my delight, not only captured the obsessive and maniacal elements of Hamlet’s character, but also provided the audience a sense of what the Prince of Denmark must have been like before his father was murdered and his life was turned upside down.

These glimpses into Hamlet’s previous characterization were most evident in his interactions with his former friends Guildenstern and Rosencrantz and his former flame Ophelia.

The other actors also offered exceptional performances. Miranda Foster, who plays Queen Gertrude, among other roles, stole the show with her crudely hilarious performance as the queen in the play-within-a-play scene.

Carlyss Peer’s Ophelia was just as beautiful as she was tragic. In her final scene, she enchanted the entire audience with her sweetly sirenic voice as she wandered about the stage in the throes of a passionate fit of madness. At the end of the show, I was fortunate enough to have some time with Ms. Peer to talk a bit about the performance, the Globe’s world tour and her future plans as an actress. Although the Globe Theatre troupe left the Mondavi Center last Friday night, they will continue

to perform in Southern California for the rest of November. If you know anyone in the area who would enjoy a quick, witty and streamlined rendition of Hamlet done in the traditional style of Shakespeare’s original Globe Theater, don’t get them to a nunnery ­— get them to their nearest theater!

Interview with Carlyss Peer: The Aggie: How has the tour been going for you so far?

Carlyss Peer: It’s been absolutely amazing; we’ve had a wonderful time. We did three months in the UK before we started, and then we’ve come over to America in September, which has been amazing, and the reception over here has been great — everyone’s really enthusiastic, so we’ve been having a wonderful time. Here in Davis, we’ve been looked after particularly well. We’ve got wonderful food and lovely people so we’ve been having a great time; I wish we were here for longer.

Just out of curiosity, do you or the other cast members have any particular rituals like before you go on stage or after?

See HAMLET, page 6

thursday , november

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

the california aggie

8, 2012

The thrill is (almost) gone B.B. King at the Mondavi Center in review

B.B. King

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By ADAM KHAN Aggie News Writer

America bleeds the blues.

It is the music rooted in our country's struggles and vindicated by our resolve.

It is the encapsulation of hope and loss in three short chords, an art form that serves as the bedrock to our rich and ever-expanding musical history.

There are few men more formative to that art than B.B. King, who performed before a sold-out audience in the Mondavi Center on Sunday. A titan of his time, King revolutionized electric blues guitar with his lush vibrato, melodic phrasing and expansive library of classic songs. His work is a window to history, his influence present in every guitarist to have ever followed.

Well … they tell you not to meet your idols.

At the noble age of 87, King simply lacks the physical ability to perform on a level that such a large-scale show merits. While forgivable, the addition of shoddy production value on virtually every level added

insult to auditory injury in what unfolded as a night of bittersweet disappointment.

First and most surprisingly, a muddled house-mix in Jackson Hall destroyed any sense of harmony between King and the individual members of his talented ensemble. Trumpet tripped over tenor sax as keyboard strokes flooded over everyone else in an awkward orgy of sonic sadness.

In the most rookie mistake of the century, King's amplifier was placed onstage without a sound check, too close to the drum kit. Subsequently, every time B.B. plucked a note in the middle and upper registers of his beloved ebony guitar Lucille, the snare drum rattled behind him involuntarily and dirtied his already indecipherable tone.

It might seem petty to gripe on the stagehands' lack of inconspicuous apparel, but when a large man in a neon green T-shirt strolls down to the performers in the middle of "Every Day I Have The Blues" to distribute sweat towels, it's difficult to determine whether or not you are capable of punching a baby seal in the face.

KDVS Celebrates Freeform Radio Experience what FM radio was like in the early days as KDVS joins forces with former air staff of legendary Sacramento radio station KZAP to celebrate freeform radio.

KDVS will dedicate 48 hours of continuous programing to featuring former KZAP DJs. They will play the music of the late 1960s and early 1970s and tell stories about what it was like in the early days of progressive FM radio. The special pro-

Andrew Russell

50 years of 007

L

et’s take a break from the prevailing political concerns of the week to examine something of a cultural milestone. Friday’s opening of Skyfall, the 23rd installment of the world’s longest continuously running film franchise, also marks the 50-year anniversary for the series.

In 1962, a fairly successful Dr. No was released to mixed reception. The story was a short and brutal space-age thriller, based on one of a series of novels written

by Ian Fleming. Fleming had developed his star character in a romanticized atmosphere of sex, well-made cocktails, cold-blooded murder, fine dining and exotic locales, all out of step with and yet intoxicating to the ’50s generation of salesmen and homemakers.

The Vatican denounced the initial film’s unrepentant sexuality, while the Soviet Kremlin attacked it as an epitome of Western capitalist decadence. Such sensational publicity ensured a larger budget for successive adaptations, and by 1965, Bond was shattering box office records while simultaneously coming into stride with the times, leading one critic to remark that, “The Cinema was a duller place before 007.”

Indeed it was. James Bond became a model for the new action genre as well as a ’60s icon using

I'm also willing to bet good money the lighting technician for the evening was attempting to make the audience drop it like it's hot. For whatever reason, he resolved to switch between dramatically dimmed colors to a full, illuminated house several times for each song without regard to the mood of the piece. Either way, it just made me sleepy and I'm sure some small child in the second row almost had a seizure.

Statistically speaking, it's possible.

King is a master minimalist, effortlessly expressing complex emotions with simple string bends and sparse, lyrical phrases. However, despite many of the evening's classic tunes, including fast-paced boogies like "Rock Me Baby," King continued to play as lethargically as ever, off the beat and often out of tune.

But in the most grievous of offenses, King continuously refused to do what his crowd of devoted fans came from far and wide to see him do — unleash a barrage of face-melting, gut-wrenching guitar solos like a motherfucking Mississippi boss.

Instead, King chose to use his solo time to dance in his seat, make several threats at his bandmates in what was hopefully a joking manner, make sexual statements about his lost vitality and tell witty stories from his rich musical past. The latter might not have been so bad had the microphone been placed close enough to hear exactly what he was trying to say. Most of the time, all the audience managed to hear was, "Down … Missisp … used to … them girls … and sometimes … man didn't come back."

I'll bet they did, B.B. I'll bet they did.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy watching a childhood idol make masturbatory motions on stage from the grand tier. I'm more upset with the fact that, as I sat listening to my long-time musical inspiration complain about his inability to engage in deep and meaningful coitus, he didn't at least provide a tissue.

Also, I totally don't enjoy watching a childhood idol make masturbatory motions on stage from the grand tier.

It was some time between counting the number of people in my tier reading their

programs mid-performance or leaving to the restroom (six and five, respectively) that I completely lost faith in the show.

Yet for one brilliant moment, in his penultimate song of the night, something unusual happened. The ensemble turned down their instruments to optimal levels.

The snare drum ceased to rattle. The lights dimmed down to an appropriate blue hue and stayed that way. And suddenly, B.B. started to do his thing.

It was the most beautiful four minutes of my life. His notes soared gracefully over the chord changes, brilliantly executing jazzy, soulful licks that both delighted and surprised. He told a story with his sound, a story that everyone in the audience could relate to. In his sonic expressions was the pain of a man unemployed, the remembrance of a forgotten lover and the struggle of the American people.

There was B.B. King, in his magical way putting my worst childhood memories, romantic frustrations, and shit grades in a sound that both mourned and understood. This was sadness and hope.

This was the blues.

Couples embraced, heads nodded and the small child seated next to me sat hushed and full of wonder.

But nothing gold can stay. Soon, the strobe lights returned, the band blasted away at each other, and King resumed his pining to some woman in the front row.

Yes, the evening didn't go as planned.

Yes, my roommate turned to me in a look of betrayal three times throughout the night. Yes, a personal idol played "just the tip" with my childhood memories.

Yet as I stumbled out into the cold, mourning my loss and listening to the little boy next to me ask for his first guitar, I realized something.

B.B. King had given us the blues.

Not in the way we anticipated, surely.

But we could feel it in our bones, nonetheless.

Maybe the master still has a few tricks up his sleeve after all.

ADAM KHAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Review: Wreck-It Ralph

gramming began today at 6 a.m. and ends at 6 a.m. Saturday.

KZAP was the pioneering Sacramento FM station that, along with a handful of innovative alternative radio stations across the country such as KSAN in San Francisco, KMET in Los Angeles and WNEW in New York, transformed radio in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Tune in at 90.3 FM. — Elizabeth Orpina a framework of highly stylized espionage to turn the spy into the modern anti-hero, a smirking killer whose idea of doing good is getting the job done and getting as much pleasure out of it as possible. This suave, hedonistic image made an impression, and early Bond films boosted everything from tourism to bikini sales and a curious obsession with the manner in which martinis were made.

Over the years, 007 has reached many high and low points without ever stopping for more than a few years at a time. It has collected myriad fans, while altering its format to reflect changing times.

The inclusion of Judi Dench as Bond’s first female boss in 1995’s Goldeneye marked one of the more radical changes in the narrative. In her first on-screen conversation with the storied agent, she cuts him down to size as a womanizing, dinosaur relic of the Cold War. Since that moment, the series has been toying with ways to make the final jump into contemporary self-reflectiveness without sacrificing its classic appeal. The latest film will no doubt take cues from some of the more serious genre exercises of the past few years such as The Dark Knight, and will benefit highly from the inclusion of an acclaimed dramatic director, Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition).

The official acceptance of 007 as a transgenerational hero, who is undoubtedly here to stay, is an exciting thought for longtime fans. It’s also a reason for everyone else to take a second look at this fictional universe, either as a historical curiosity or a voyage into our changing ideas of politics, sex, culture and heroism.

ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.

Wreck-It Ralph

courtesy

By JOEY CHEN Aggie Copy Chief

You know you’re watching a movie aimed at the familieswith-kids demographic when animated flicks dominate the previews, as was the case when I saw Wreck-It Ralph with someone special in a cozy Elk Grove theater (which was, in fact, filled with families and kids). I’m not complaining, though: Upcoming DreamWorks fare Rise of the Guardians (opening Nov. 21) and The Croods (opening March 2013) looked promising, the latter even more so.

My point: Wreck-It Ralph will make it painfully obvious that you’re watching a movie created in the “kids will love it and parents will get the references that go over the kids’ heads” vein. It also adds an extra-sugary vibe to its mix, which many people won’t expect. If that makes you sick,

you might want to avoid WreckIt Ralph. But if you’re OK with that, then you’ll find a well-crafted animated flick — yes, one you can enjoy sans family or kids.

Wreck-It Ralph isn’t mainly a film of video game references, even though it’s peppered with them in a living, breathing arcade world. Rather, its meat and potatoes is a story of a guy wanting to be loved.

The movie has a unique take on the concept, since its main character isn’t a good guy who’s a loser, but a bad guy who’s a loser — a double whammy that makes us want to root for the emotionally bullied Ralph (John C. Reilly, who is arguably the best person the filmmakers could have cast for the role). But as Street Fighter’s Zangief says, Ralph’s not really a bad guy. He only plays one in his day job, which requires him to be the villain in Fix-It Felix, a game

in which he’s perennially overshadowed by his colleague Felix (voiced dynamically by Jack McBrayer).

Ralph sets out to become loved and admired. Along the way, he meets Vanellope von Schweetz (you’ll swear she’s the kid version of Sarah Silverman, by whom she’s voiced), a girl whose ambition mirrors Ralph’s. You can describe the relationship between Ralph and Vanellope as “heartwarming with an edge,” and it’s a relationship that propels the film through an engaging and twisty plot. I think the filmmakers did a great job unfolding the surprises, expertly refraining from foreshadowing too heavily.

The non-video game references (mostly to sweets) are a bit forced at times, but they’re far more welcome than not, and they’re presented in a lighthearted manner. And the video game references are well-timed and superbly rendered. The filmmakers obviously did their homework, and their attention to detail will be much appreciated not only by video game fans, but also by people who simply love desserts.

The sweeteners top off a stellar offering aimed at families and young kids. Will that audience enjoy the film? For sure.

But the viewing coalition should be broader than that. Wreck-It Ralph is a quality animated flick, and the other sort of kids — us college kids — will find much to enjoy as well.

JOEY CHEN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGG RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE IE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE AGGIE RECYCLE THE

SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES DO NOT WORK

6 thursday, november 8, 2012

HAMLET Cont. from page 4 Well, not rituals per se, but I suppose everybody has their own warm-up. So people do different things to get into the zone, as you say. Vocal warm-ups are really important in particular in a place like this because it’s massive. About articulation and diction and all of that stuff — so, lots of connecting with your breath and warming up your mouth and all of that.

Other than that — rituals, I don’t think so. I guess because with this production, we’re changing characters quite quickly. There’s not the world of the play as with that of putting on a plan. It’s not the same intense preparation if you were in a Presidium Arts theatre

The california Aggie

where you were only playing one it becomes about communicating still, which is much nicer than character. just speaking to black. And I think I’ve noticed this play is very dif- it’s really nice because it becomes ferent from a lot plays I’ve seen. a collaborative experience that For one thing, the lights were the audience generally feels a bit kept on in the theater, and that more involved and sit back in the was very interesting for me be- same way, like “Oh, we can see evcause I’m used to seeing plays eryone, and you can see us.” And where it’s dark but the stage is lit it’s part of the story which I think up. How does that affect you and is great and makes it a lot more the other actors on stage — when fun for us. Because people’s reacyou can see the audience just as tions form how you do the next bit of the play. Because some peowell as they can see you? ple sort of squirm and other peoI think it’s brilliant; it’s really fun ple are doing it with you. And you — because when you’re acting know, it’s very different, so I think in complete darkness, you have it’s really good. to pretend that there’s someone to talk to, but whereas with Yeah, your company did give us this, there’s people, there’s fac- that warning in the beginning: es. I think particularly when you “You can see us, just as well as we have a soliloquy or monologue, can see you.”

I think it’s unusual, but it’s really fun, and it’s in the manner of the Globe. Because obviously it’s an open air theatre in London so you can see everyone. There’s natural light and we’re sort of trying to take that with us on tour.

small company?

It’s quite — what’s the word? Like a little family. Because you get to know everyone.

Have you worked with any of the actors previously?

What are your future plans after Hamlet is finished touring?

I worked with Peter Brae, who plays Rosencrantz and Fortinbras [in Well, I hope to continue acting. I addition to] doing A Midsummer don’t really know what that would Night’s Dream earlier this year be, I guess. The tour is so intense. with the Globe. And we toured I’d love to work love to work at the in the Middle East. We went to Globe again. I’d love to do more Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai, theater. I’d love to do film. I’d love which was amazing too. So thank to do TV. I’d love to work in the you, Globe, who traveled with us U.S. again. I just want to keep act- around the world this year. It was ing, and keep doing this stuff that very cool; I liked it! we do.

How’s it like traveling with such a EMMA LUK can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 11, 2010

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Instruction Attn: pre-meds and all undergrads!

Welcome to the Annual “Health Care to Undeserved Populations” Lecture Series (FAP 195) sponsored by the UCD School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Offered on Wednesdays during Winter Quarter, from 12:10-1:00, in MSI-C Lecture Hall 180, Davis campus. First class is January 9th, 2013.

One unit of credit available. P/NP grading. CRN 54849. For more information, call (916) 734-2063.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Holy pilgrimage 5 Kids’ getaway 9 “Gimme a break!”

14 Nobelist Wiesel 15 “This looks like trouble” 16 Leonard Marx, familiarly 17 *“Get going!”

19 Peyotes, e.g.

20 She played Donna in the film “Mamma Mia!” 21 Sinus specialist, briefly 23 Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker 24 *1986 Pulitzerwinning Western novel 28 Feel the heat 31 Food critic Sheraton 32 “Bingo!”

33 X-Games bike, briefly 35 Run at a red light?

38 1968 Troggs Top 10 hit, and a hint to the hidden puzzle theme in the answers to starred clues 44 Jeans joint 45 Yield to gravity 46 Sportage maker 47 Fresh response 50 Serious-andfunny show 53 *Gunpowder, e.g.

57 They’re not returned 58 Bosox great 59 Comforting comment 63 Parts partner 65 *Duffer’s thrill 68 Native Alaskan 69 Treater’s words 70 Persian Gulf land 71 __ and all 72 Prime minister before Rabin 73 Ancient British Isles settler DOWN 1 Bridge position 2 Burn balm

2/11/10

By Nancy Salomon

3 Fashionable Christian 4 Stevenson physician 5 __-de-sac 6 Yellowfin tuna 7 Changes places 8 Rising star 9 N.C. State’s conference 10 “Who, me?”

11 Tiny 12 When Brutus sees Caesar’s ghost 13 Hullabaloo 18 Big-time 22 “I didn’t need to know that,” informally 25 Birds’ bills 26 Humorist Bombeck 27 Islamic leader 28 __ soda 29 Grinch victims 30 Place for Christmas lights 34 Tee choices 36 Gospel writer 37 Camelot lady 39 Removes gently 40 Eye-opening theater

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

41 Fellows 42 Rural prefix 43 Beatles’ “A __ in the Life” 48 Security threat 49 Course for weavers?

51 Fired up 52 Like some weights 53 Bochco series 54 City NW of Orlando

2/11/10

55 Brand on a patio, maybe 56 Hole site 60 Foal’s parent 61 Rink, often 62 Canterbury’s county 64 Some NFL linemen 66 Feature of a two-ltr. monogram 67 Neighbor of Aus.

Sudoku

Very hard

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit.

So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

THE LINEUP Thursday, november 8, 2012

The california Aggie

football PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Eastern the week prior. Meanwhile the Aggies had a bye week Washington Records: Aggies, 3-6 (2-4); last week to give some time for recovery.

Eagles, 7-2 (5-1) Where: Roos Field — Cheney, “The bye week was crucial.

WA. Guys get banged up When: Saturday at and it’s just the na1:35 p.m. ture of the sport.

Who to Watch: The It was nice to get Eastern Washington healthy,” said juEagles boast one nior defensive end of the top aerial atNick King. “We took tacks in college footsome time to start ball with a standover mentally and it out quarterback and was good to get our three wide receivers minds right more with All-American Aarynn Jones than our bodies.” honors.

The bye week also junior has given the Aggies Look for the secmore time for prepondary to try and slow down their passing aration in facing the Eagles. game under the leadership “In past years, we’ve nevof junior safety Aarynn Jones er had byes this late in the who led the Aggies with season, but it allowed us to 10 tackles in their loss two look at more of their preweeks ago to Portland State. vious games on film and Did you know? The Eastern try to break them [Eastern Washington Eagles are 14-2 Washington] down. Practices at home ever since they in- have been crisp and energetstalled the red turf on their ic and although we’re disapfield in 2010. The Eagles pointed about how we played have been undefeated this against Portland State, we year at home and look to ex- are ready to get back,” Biggs tend their record to 5-0 at said. home this season against the The Aggies will need to Aggies. be well prepared going up The Eagles also boast some against the Eagles offense of the best attendance num- that just came off a huge bers in the Big Sky and many week on offense, totaling fans are expected to come 542 yards last week against out for their final home game Cal Poly. of the regular season. With all Their redshirt freshman the odds stacked against UC quarterback Vernon Adams Davis, it presents the per- was named Big Sky offensive fect opportunity for an upset player of the week, throwthat would shock the entire ing for 288 yards and three NCAA football world. touchdowns while also runPreview: In what will be ning for 68 yards as well. the final away game of “They are definitely the Coach Biggs’ career, the UC best talent we’ve faced at the Davis Aggies are set to trav- wide receiver position with el to No. 5-ranked Eastern three all-league guys. Their Washington on the Eagles’ quarterback can also run the famous red turf field. ball which puts pressure on The Eagles, who boast a our defense to contain him record of 7-2, will be the fifth in the pocket and those big team ranked in the top 19 plays,” Biggs said. “They can in the Sports Network FCS run the ball as well so we just rankings the Aggies play want to limit our mistakes on this season. The Aggies have defense and hopefully cause come close against some of some turnovers.” the other top teams in the The Aggies’ offensive will nation, losing three of those have to keep pace against the games by one possession or high-octane Eagles offense. less.

“Their defense is really “If you look at the best solid. They are not going to teams we’ve played, our get beat deep,” said junior team has been really com- quarterback Randy Wright. petitive,” Biggs said. “We just “It’s going to take long drives want to go out there and play to score so we just need to be patient, hit the underas hard and fast as we can.”

The Eagles are coming off neath routes and run the ball a victory after losing their well.” top ranking in the FCS when

they lost to Southern Utah — Jason Min

women’s volleyball PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Cal Rather, it shows a gene Poly; UC Davis at UC Santa of resiliency and toughness Barbara that is embedded deep in Records: Aggies, 13-13 the core of this Aggie team.

(7-6); Mustangs, 3-21 (2-10); Some teams have it, others Gauchos, 13-14 (6-6) don’t, but it is safe to say it Where: San Luis Obispo, is not something that can be Calif.; Santa learned.

Barbara, Calif.

Some notable road When: Friday at 7 performances this p.m.; Saturday at 7 year include senior p.m.

Allison Whitson’s 19 Who to Watch: kills in the Aggies’ Although the Aggies win against UC suffered a home Irvine on Oct. 6. loss to the UC Santa Junior setter Jenny Barbara Gauchos in Woolway recordtheir last matchup, ed 36 assists in an junior outside hit- Devon Damelio impressive 3-1 victer Devon Damelio junior tory over Cal State had a noteworthy Northridge on Oct. performance that 26 while Damelio she will look to repeat this hit a spectacular .579 average weekend. against UC Riverside the fol Damelio recorded 12 kills lowing night. and 14 digs to complete an The Aggies will look to unimpressive double-double leash this road rampage they in her team’s 3-1 loss to the have been on and avenge Gauchos. their home loss to UC Santa The following night, the Barbara just under a month team pulled a quick 180 and ago. followed the lead of Damelio Preview: All right, Aggies en route to a 3-0 stomping of fans, take a seat in your revisiting Cal Poly. The junior spective corners and wait for outside hitter yet again re- the bell to signal round two. corded impressive stats with The Aggies will be facing op12 more kills to go along with ponents Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara back to back a .333 hitting average.

The Aggies will pair up for the second time this seawith these two teams once son, this time on the road. more this weekend in back- UC Davis will start off to-back fashion. Damelio the weekend taking on the puts up big numbers against Mustangs, who they have these two teams, so look for fared quite well against in a big couple of games from the past. But, don’t let last this force to be reckoned month’s sweep fool you. At with. this level, teams learn exDid you know? UC Davis is tremely quickly and can three games above .500 on change their approach faster the road this year, going a re- than you can correctly prospectable 9-6. nounce “libero.”

No, Aggies fans, this is no “Cal Poly is a team that insult to your steadfast loyalSee VOLLEYBALL, page 8 ty or unwavering enthusiasm.

7

Men’s Basketball PREVIEW

Abigail Alcala / Aggie

J.T. Adenrele scored 11 points against UC Santa Cruz. The Aggies will be playing the Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday.

Teams: UC Davis at Oklahoma State Records: Aggies 2-0, Cowboys 1-0 Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena — Stillwater, Okla.

When: Saturday at 6 p.m.

Who to watch: The game against Menlo on Tuesday made it difficult to pick just one player to focus on. The Aggies played with an aggressive intensity that has not been seen in the Pavilion for some time.

However, head coach Jim Les spotlighted the performance of sophomore J.T. Adenrele, and deservedly so.

The Roseville, Calif. native looks like a completely different player on the court this year.

“All the credit for his development goes to him. He wants to be coached and he wants to be better,” Les said.

Adenrele’s improved play stems from his newly developed physique.

“The weight room has really helped me develop during the offseason. We’ve been hitting it hard and it shows,” Adenrele said.

Did you know? UC Davis was winless on the road last season, a statistic that Les aims to turn around

starting this weekend in Stillwater, Okla.

“It’s a new chemistry this year.

We’ve changed the culture of this team and if we can buy into building a defensive identity we can use that and our explosive offensive to win anywhere,” he said.

Preview: The Aggies have won their first two exhibition games, the most recent being a 97-76 trouncing of Menlo College.

Fans, players and coaches alike remember the woes of last season but it was a new energy on Tuesday night. UC Davis led from start to finish and Aggie fans everywhere can rejoice because this team has some defensive game.

“It’s the carrot I’ve been dangling in front of them. If we can execute defensively then we can go on some explosive offensive runs,” Les said.

Every player was spectacular on Tuesday night and they’ll need to be even better if they want to fly home from Oklahoma with a victory.

UC Davis has an explosive offense that they showed glimpses of last year and again against Menlo.

However, they need a solid defense to help them survive road games.

Les is working hard to develop a squad that can execute both man and zone defensive schemes.

“I want these guys to buy into the idea that having a defensive identity is important. It’s not always about being flashy on offense,” Les said.

It seems like Les’ message is wellreceived by players.

Redshirt freshman Corey Hawkins is one of Davis’ most promising talents. Basketball is in his blood, seeing that his father is former NBA All-Star Hersey Hawkins, so Corey knows what it takes to lead a team.

“I want to come in and be a leader this year. It’s all about winning. I don’t care about scoring points as long as the team walks away with the W,” Hawkins said.

The game against Oklahoma will be the first real contest for UC Davis this season. More than anything, they want to win and Les is confident that the team will find a way to do so.

— Kim Carr

UC Davis heads to Big West Conference Finals Men’s soccer takes down Titans 2-0 “I think the difference between the two teams is our front six put the game on the Fullerton back four,” Shaffer said. “I knew we would eventually get in behind them on a counter attack and we did and scored a goal.”

This is the victory for the Aggies at the conference tournament in the Big West. On Saturday, UC Davis will play against the winner of the other semifinal between Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge, a game that took place late last night.

The Aggies lost the only game they played against CSU Northridge this season, and are 0-2 against the Mustangs on the season. The games against the Lucas Bolster / Aggie Matadors and Mustangs Matt Sheldon scored a goal in the 26th minute against CSU Fullerton. The Aggies account for the last three won 2-0 and will be hosting the Big West Conference finals this Saturday.

UC Davis losses.

Yet Shaffer is not had no time to relax. CSU Chopan left the game af- worried about the past

By MATTHEW YUEN Fullerton almost tied ter a collision. Freshman results.

Aggie Sports Editor up the game just 15 sec- Lucas Mohageg finished “Last time we played In a high-intensity game onds later, in a situation the game in Chopan’s po- Northridge, we weren’t rollwith the season on the that found junior goal- sition and did a fine job ing the way we were now, line, the UC Davis men’s ie Omar Zeenni out of po- filling in for the regular and the second half of that soccer team shut out Cal sition. The Titans had an starter. The Citrus Heights, game, we played really well State Fullerton 2-0 at Aggie open look on the goal, but Calif. native will return to and that’s what propelled Soccer Field. their shot bounced off the the field on Saturday, ac- us into the season because The Aggies hosted the crossbar. cording to Shaffer. we proved to ourselves semifinal round of the Big “They had some dan- Among the many op- we’re capable of playing West Conference tour- gerous chances and so portunities and close calls, good soccer,” he said. “It nament, a privilege they did we,” said head coach there was bound to be an- doesn’t matter to me [who earned with their first- Dwayne Shaffer. “This is other score. Fortunately for we play]; whoever shows place finish in the North playoff soccer and I didn’t the Aggies, they converted up at our field we will play Division of the league. expect anything less from a goal in the 82nd minute as hard as we can.”

UC Davis kept its hot Fullerton — I knew they when Matt Wiesenfarth The Big West final game streak alive with its sec- would battle hard to move showed off his touch to set will be on Saturday at 1 ond straight victory and on to the final but it was up a ball in the middle. He p.m. UC Davis will host the eighth in 10 games. our day today.” passed to sophomore Ian the winner of Cal State The Aggies gained the The Aggies and the Palmer, who shot the ball Northridge or Cal Poly at lead in the 26th minute Titans exchanged blows, across the goal to add to Aggie Soccer Field. Tickets when sophomore Matt quite literally, resulting in the UC Davis lead, 2-0. are $5 for student admisSheldon headed in a goal six yellow cards and al- This lead proved to be sion and $10 for general that was set up by fresh- most 30 fouls between the out of reach for the Titans, admission. man Eric Budniewski’s two teams. and the Aggies held on for cross to the box.

In the midst of the physi- the duration of the game MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at Once ahead, UC Davis cal clashes, senior Mustafa for the victory. sports@theaggie.org.

8 thursday, november 8, 2012

The california Aggie

What do you think about the presidential election results?

Text by JOYCE BERTHELSEN Photos by Bijan Agahi

“I’m pretty stoked. I remember people [saying] it was just a close call. I was getting texts from my family members going, ‘who do you think is going to win?’ A lot of people I knew were voting for Obama. [And] I’m super jazzed [about Prop 30]. I do not want to have the tuition hike. I’ve got two more years.”

“I was kind of expecting President Obama to win, so I wasn’t very surprised. I [also] know a lot of people on campus were hoping [Prop 30] would pass. If it means a tuition decrease or at least tuition not changing, then it seems like a good thing.”

Danielle Torres

second-year evolution ecology biodiversity major

Bryan Nguyen

second-year geology major

“I kind of saw that it was going to happen. I kind of saw that coming. I at least had more hope in our nation than to vote for Romney. I mean it’s not like I like either one, but one’s less worse than the other. I was happy with the results.”

“I was extremely pleased with the results. Romney was just flip-flopping. He was not true to the Republican Party, why he chose to run on the Republican ticket. It was just not conceivable why he did that in the first place.”

Antony Fangary

Rachael Richards

third-year political science major

third-year communication major

“I was happy about it. I was happy about [Prop 30] too.

I was happy that Obama won.”

Lisette Reyes first-year microbiology major

“I wasn’t surprised. The polls said it was head to head, [but] as soon as the actual counts started and the precincts were reporting, as they moved to the West coast, we could already tell. California is a huge producer of democratic electoral votes. I wasn’t surprised by the results.”

George Silverio fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major

“I was happy, because Obama won and I was hoping for him to win. When I went to bed last night, [Prop 30] was not passing. I woke up this morning, and I saw that it won, and I was happy about that.”

Dominic Lamarche fifth-year civil engineering major

“I wasn’t that surprised. I kind of figured. I’d be more surprised if Romney had won. [Prop 30] was kind of touch and go for a while, because we didn’t know if it was going to get passed, but I think that California made a really good decision, and it’s cool that we helped in it.”

Marisa Gee first-year human development major

“I’m happy with [the results], as long as Obama won and 30 passed. [Romney supporters] weren’t very happy at all, but I’m glad they’re not. I’d rather them not be happy than us not be happy.”

Yecenia Rubalcava third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major

“I was really happy. At one point, Romney was in the lead, so I was really worried. Some people were like, ‘I’m going to go to Canada or Mexico.’ But I was hoping Obama would win, and I had a feeling he would just because some of Romney’s beliefs were a little bit extreme. I don’t think we’re ready to adopt, so I guess when [Obama] won, I was just kind of like ‘oh.’ I wasn’t as excited as some people were, making videos on Facebook screaming and happy.”

Diane Bai third-year economics major

“I’m happy that Obama won, [but] I’m not sure how much we’ll actually get done in four years. From what I’ve seen, Obama proposes a lot of things that don’t actually necessarily come through. And I think between Obama and Romney, Obama is definitely the one who’s going to actually take on issues that are important to me as a citizen.”

Caity Tremblay

“I was happy about it. I thought whomever won was supposed to win. I was [also] happy about [Prop 30] because I do not want to pay more for tuition. I already pay enough as it is.”

Breanna Martinst first-year biomedical engineering major

second-year comparative literature major

Davis Mural Team brings more color to city Sculptures and murals located around downtown

Brain Nguyen / Aggie

The John Natsoulas Gallery and the Davis Mural Team worked together to create murals throughout Downtown Davis.

By MEE YANG

Aggie News Writer

In partnership with the John Natsoulas Gallery, located at 521 First St., the Davis Mural Team presented to the City of Davis 35 new sculptures and murals.

The team is comprised of 12 artists from throughout

volleyball Cont. from page 7 has made a lot of changes in their player personnel and in their lineups,” said coach Jamie Holmes.

“So for us, we’re scouting them

California. It is one of the top mural teams in the country because of the amount of artworks completed in a short time period, said Kerry Rowland-Avrech, a local resident and artist of the Davis Mural Team.

All of the artwork is located within the Downtown Davis, allowing the public to easily walk from piece to piece. Each piece of art has a QR code which allows those with smartphones to view a video about the artists and their works.

Among the 35 works of art is “Splash” by RowlandAvrech. “Splash” is located on the Davis Ace Housewares back wall facing the Amtrak station at Second Street.

“It was a way of putting the paint and the artist together,” Rowland-Avrech said. “It’s about bringing painting to life.”

She also said in Davis Mural Team, a book about the pieces of art, that the concept behind the painting was to create the outlines of other artists on the team. She said the artwork gave a “highly personal yet universal approach to the mural.”

All art pieces are primarily painted or situated on private businesses, but two pieces are on public property. One of the works of art on public property is Charlie Schneider’s mural “Color Study for Cyclists” inside the Richards Boulevard bike tunnel.

“I used this idea of the speed of light to make the mural change. As you ride by, you [can] see the blue and the yellow creating a green,” Schneider said.

Schneider is a long-time resident of Davis and has had work featured at art shows at the John Natsoulas Gallery.

He was approached by the City of Davis, two hotel owners near the tunnel and Natsoulas to be part of the team to create a piece for the tunnel.

like it was the first time we’ve played them.”

While Cal Poly may be experimenting with their approach, Holmes continues to preach the same fundamental, aggressive volleyball that she has trained her players with all year long.

“Serving tough will be important to take them out of system,” Holmes said. “They generally don’t force their middle attack, which will allow our outside blockers to put up a solid block.”

As for the Gauchos, UC Davis will hope to achieve some redemption

According to Carrie Dyer, community services supervisor of the Recreation and Civic Arts Department of the City of Davis, in order to get an artwork on public property, a proposal must be submitted to a subcommittee that is composed of the Civic Arts Commission and city staff.

“The city was very excited that there was a group of people in town to do something beautiful with it [the tunnel],” Dyer said.

Each artist came up with an idea of what they wanted for their mural. With the help of fellow artists on the team, the murals were completed within two to three days. These murals were made possible through donations and fundraisers held by the John Natsoulas Gallery.

According to Davis Mural Team, Natsoulas wanted to make Downtown Davis an art destination. He got together with friends and artists to create art for private businesses. One of the first murals was created by RowlandAvrech in 2010 when she made “Windows” for the Anderson Bank building, located at 203 G St. The John Natsoulas Gallery has been in Davis since the 1980s. The gallery was originally a house that was purchased by Natsoulas, who later added two stories.

Today, the gallery has a small café with a deck in the front.

“It’s a labor of love. We’ve been doing it for free to put the community spirit back and to make Davis an art destination,” Rowland-Avrech said. “In the long run, it makes a happier environment for the artists and the public to enjoy them.”

MEE YANG can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

against a team that got the best of them in their last matchup.

“I would like to take a lot more risks when it comes to Santa Barbara — just to take them out of system,” Holmes said. “The first time around we didn’t serve as tough as we could have and as

a result they really forced their middles.”

An aggressive and frequent middle attack by any Division I offensive can cause a headache for the opposing team’s blockers, so let’s hope the game starts and finishes with a serve.