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volume 131, number 110
wednesday. NOVEMBER 21, 2012
Vacant Senate seat filled for remainder of term
News iN Brief
Carly Sandstrom confirmed as interim senator
By MUNA SADEK Campus News Editor
Former ASUCD External Affairs Commission Chair Carly Sandstrom was confirmed as a senator at Thursday’s Senate meeting. Sandstrom applied for the position of interim senator online at the ASUCD website and then attended an interview with ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling on Nov. 13. She currently works with University Outreach and International Programs.
Only 11 senators filled a Senate table intended for 12 after former Senator Yara Zokaie resigned from her position. Zokaie, who graduated from UC Davis in the spring and enrolled at law school at the University of San Diego, said she was unable to keep her position due to her falling short of her duties as senator because of the demands of law school. Though Zokaie held her position as senator in the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year, she was unable to physically attend the weekly meetings.
With less than two weeks left in the current Senate term, Sandstrom said she felt that it was necessary for the empty seat to be filled regardless. "This seat] is supposed to represent the student voice, the fact we have had a seat empty for seven weeks now has been a hindrance to our association since that is one less person representing the student body," she said in an email interview. All interviews were conducted Nov. 13 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. in the Executive Office. According to Internal Affairs
Commission Chair Sergio Cano, approximately 16 individuals applied for the position. "This was ultimately [Sterling's] decision of whom she would want to appoint," Cano said in an email interview. Cano explained that because of her previous position with ASUCD, Sandstrom already had a relationship with Sterling and many other ASUCD officials. A countback election was carried out to determine if there were any eligible candidates to
See SENATE, page 2
Memorial Union closed for Thanksgiving According to Building Services and Risk Management with Campus Recreation and Unions, the Memorial Union (MU) will adjust its hours for the Thanksgiving holiday. The building will be open Wednesday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be closed Thursday to Sunday. The ASUCD Coffee House and the UC Davis Bookstore will be closed all four days. — Muna Sadek
West Village inspires creation of Dubai’s Sustainable City Construction of city to begin in late 2013 By PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie News Writer
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
Middle Eastern housing developer Faris Saeed’s plan for a sustainable city was inspired by his visit to West Village.
After visiting UC Davis West Village during its initial development in 2010, Faris Saeed, a Middle Eastern housing developer, was inspired to create a sustainable city near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Saeed is CEO of Dubai-based company Diamond Developers. He visited Davis because he supported and donated to the university’s Middle East/South Asia studies program. That was when he first saw West Village during its initial planning stages. UC Davis West Village is known as the nation’s largest zero-net energy community. It opened to the public in October 2011. On Nov. 9, Saeed traveled to Davis again to sign an agreement of cooperation between Diamond Developers and the Regents of the University of California on behalf of UC Davis. The agreement stated that the University and Diamond Developers will collaborate in terms of research and training for the Sustainable City. “The plan is a collaboration around the
establishment of an environmental research institute and a social research center,” said Suad Joseph, UC Davis professor of anthropology and women and gender studies, in an email. “The idea is for that research to be turned back into the development of the Sustainable City. There is also a plan for UC Davis faculty to participate in training professionals and future students in a future college to be built in the Sustainable City.” During his latest visit to UC Davis, Saeed and his colleagues toured the campus and met faculty and staff, including Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. They visited innovative, eco-friendly places around campus such as the student farm, the LEED Platinum Brewery, Winery and Food Science facility and West Village. According to Phil Dunn, design manager for Diamond Developers, West Village served as an inspiration for the Sustainable City because it was one of the first tangible examples of a zero-net energy community they had seen. “Dubai can be a harsh place to live
See SUSTAINABLE, page 5
CSU delays vote on proposed fee increases
Cybercrime vs. cybersecurity
Proposals intended to increase student enrollment
Hackers fight hackers to maintain online security
By MEREDITH STURMER Aggie News Writer
On Nov. 13, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees indefinitely postponed a vote on three proposed fee increases for the CSU system. The fee increases, which were removed from the agenda to be considered at a later date, would have gone into effect beginning in fall 2013 if they were passed. The fee hikes are intended to increase new student enrollment in the CSU system by encouraging students to graduate in a “timely manner,” accordAmiel Chanowitz and Irisa Tam / Aggie ing to a CSU press release. According to the press release, the three proposed increases include a graduation incentive fee, a third-tier tuition fee and a course repeat fee. The graduation incentive fee would charge an additional cost per unit for students who have already taken 160 units. Starting in 2014, this cap would be lowered to 150 units. Eighty percent of CSU majors
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require 120 units, so these fees would apply to “super seniors,” or students who do not graduate in four years. The third-tier tuition fee would place fees on each additional semester unit taken beyond 18 units. The average CSU student unit load is 12 units per semester. CSU tuition is set not per unit but by “tier,” with students taking less than six units a semester paying the first tier of tuition fees, and all other students taking more than six units per semester paying the second tier, or standard tuition. As it stands, a student taking seven units will pay the same tuition as a student taking 18 units, but the proposal would add a “third tier” after 18 units with an additional charge for every unit thereafter. The course repeat fee would charge an extra fee for students who are repeating a course. According to CSU estimates, 10 percent of undergraduates are repeating a course each semester, which translates to about 40,000 seats in classes statewide being held by students who have already taken the course. Students who fall into these categories will only be charged one of the three fees, not all of them at the same time. The implementation
See FEES, page 7 Forecast
Rain today, then morning fog, then sunshine tomorrow and Friday, just in time for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the four-day weekend!! Dial Hoang, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
By VICTORIA TRANG Aggie Science Writer
Many people rely heavily on the internet for running their daily lives. And every day, the number of internet-dependent people increases. From studying, socializing or shopping, many technologically savvy individuals use their computers or mobile devices to run errands and to entertain themselves. While technology has vastly improved our lives, countless dangers lurk on the internet. Cybercrime is on the rise and has already affected many individuals and companies. Stu Sjouwerman, founder of KnowBe4, a site dedicated to cyber security awareness and training, stated that it has been a challenge to compete with the dynamic “industry” of cybercrime, but it is a challenge that Sjouwerman welcomes. “There are people in Eastern Europe who go Thursday
Wednesday
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Cybercrime is on the rise and already affects many individuals and companies. to work, punch the clock, work all day, get health benefits, leave at 5 p.m., and what they do is steal your identity or hack into your network,” Sjouwerman said. Cybercrime has professionalized over the last few decades, in contrast
to when only a handful of individuals had the time and money to hack into systems. While cybercrime evolves into a larger industry, some people have yet to adapt. They are not
See CYBER, page 5
There’s a 30 percent chance it’s already raining.
Allison Ferrini
page two
2 wednesday, november 21, 2012
daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org
TODAY
FRIDAY
Pre-Thanksgiving Market
Canned Food Drive
Noon to 6 p.m. Central Park, 4th and C streets Find everything for your Thanksgiving table but the turkey! Over 60 farmers, bakers and crafters will be selling organic produce, farm-fresh fruits and veggies, dried fruit and nuts, fresh crab, bread and baked goods, pies, flowers, table decorations and more! There will be live music by the Putah Creek Crawdads at the Market Shed from 1 to 4 p.m.
8 to 10 p.m. Davis Musical Theatre Co. Davis Musical Theatre Co. (DMTC) has partnered with the Food Bank of Yolo County to bring you Food Drive Fridays. Just bring in four or more non-perishable food items and receive a ticket to see DMTC’s production of Alan Menken’s A Christmas Carol for half the price of regular admission. Offer valid for tickets purchased at the door only.
Lama Gursam’s Meditation Class 7 to 9 p.m. The Lofts, 105 E St., #3G Tibetan Buddhist Master Lama Gursam will be teaching a class on Prajñāpāramitā (the Heart Sūtra). For more information, call Sunny at (530) 756-2671.
THURSDAY
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.
Thanksgiving Day
SENATE Cont. from front page fill the vacancy. A countback uses results and information from a choice voting election in the past when an official resigns or is terminated. Charlie Colato, the candidate who was not elected during last school year’s elections, was contacted to fill the vacant seat at the table. According to the ASUCD Elections Committee, Colato indicated his willingness to fill the vacancy, but later said that he could not due to his nonenrollment status. The ASUCD President is given responsibility for filling the vacancy at the table on an interim basis if a countback candidate is not able to carry out the duties. According to Cano, Article 2, Section 11 of the ASUCD Bylaws stipulates procedures for managing vacancies in the Senate. “The president shall exclusively appoint a successor from among applications received during a one week advertising period,” the Bylaws state. According to Sterling, the posting for the vacancy was posted on the ASUCD jobs website for two weeks and no other applicants were considered outside of those who applied through the website. “We had many applicants express interest in the position, many of whom had been involved with ASUCD in some regard and had heard about the position. I know multiple commissions did outreach for the position as well as my office,” she said in an email interview. Any individual appointed by the ASUCD President requires a majority vote of the Senate to be confirmed to the position, according to Cano. The Senate can also remove confirmed individuals by a two-thirds majority vote, though this
is not possible for elected officials, who can only be removed by recall. Sterling said that because it is the responsibility of the Association to represent the student body, allowing for a continuing vacancy on the Senate would be a “failure and neglect of that duty.” Unlike Sandstrom and Sterling, Cano said he did not think that filling the vacancy was urgent, with less than two weeks left in the term. “There were no crucial issues or change that would come from such an appointment. The table still remains largely divided and the division is even greater with [Sandstrom] on the table,” he said. Sandstrom said that her being confirmed as senator will not hinder her other duties, such as her work on the ASUCD Scholarship. “My senate title for this short amount of time won’t change that in any way,” she said. Sandstrom said she does not intend to request pay for her two weeks as a senator. “I think it will be much better to roll back into Capital Reserves and act as an investment for something else. My term is so small, I can’t accomplish that much to really deserve pay. The senators elected worked hard for their positions, and I don’t think I should earn the compensation they do,” she said. Senators Jared CrisologoSmith, Justin Goss, Anni Kimball, Erica Padgett, Patrick Sheehan and Sandstrom will offer their farewells at the final Senate meeting of this term. The meeting will take place on Nov. 29 at 6:10 p.m. in the Mee Room of the Memorial Union. MUNA SADEK can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
accuracy The California Aggie strives to ensure that all of its facts and details are accurate. Please bring any corrections to our attention by calling (530) 752-0208.
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is brutal. Stay indoors 99 percent of the time, only going out to take in moderate amounts of sunlight to keep your vitamin D up. Stock up on Spam, inAndrew stant ramen and Twinkies. Poh I mention Twinkies because they will be the currency of our post-apocalyptic future. Everyone goes ham for Twinkies. I also plan to keep a variety of eggs handy. Salmon, sturgeon, chicken, ants, etc. That way, should I survive and disheveled hobo emerge into the postroams the streets apocalyptic wasteland, I bearing a sign with can easily repopulate the a single, solemn mesworld’s animals by hatchsage: “The end is nigh.” ing the eggs! In fact, I’ve By day, this man may already started by orderlook like some crummy ing salmon roe from a bum that you’d be loath Japanese restaurant and to give change to for fear tucking away a fistful of of him using it to purthem in my pocket. I ginchase copious amounts gerly put them in a napkin of crack cocaine — but for protection, don’t sweat when darkness falls, he it. dons an ever-shifting ink The one thing you blot mask to simultaneously strike fear and con- shouldn’t do in the midst of these end-of-the-world fusion into ne’er-doshenanigans is to start wells and rapscallions. panicking and defenes Yeah, it’s a scene trating your roommates, straight from the openneighbors and pets. Keep ing pages of the comic, calm and eat a cupcake if Watchmen, but this may you must sate your murvery well become a reality derous urges. There’s no in the approaching days need to do anything hasty as we round the bend tohere. ward the highly antici Throwing an end-ofpated end of the world — the-world party is alcoming to theatres near ways a good idea, though. you Dec. 21, 2012. People’s inhibitions will It’s a harrowing occabe at an all-time low besion for most. Couldn’t the cause they’d figure “YOLO, Mayans have Imma die been a little more lenient Much like a candle in the wind, anyway, as with their mankind’s glorious flame will might well live predictions? never burn out. the rest At least let of my life us ring in to the Christmas and the New Year before we maxxx.” Make peace with your enemies, make love get apocalypsed on. with your crush, make a And what exactly does cake. Thank Drake latthis catastrophic event er, should you survive the consist of? I’d like to know what I’m up against here. Is apocalypse. I have resolute faith in it another planet crashing humanity. We are a strong, into ours? Will it be a series thriving, beautiful speof devastating natural dicies. After all, “God don’t sasters launching a timed, like ugly,” as my dearsynchronized five-pronged attack on all the continents est mother always says. We’ve survived the junmasterminded by Mother gles, braved the depths of Nature herself? The rise of the oceans and even overa bath salts-induced zomcome killing each othbie army? Or maybe even er on a myriad of instancsomething as humdrum as es. Even when mankind’s a nuclear war. greatest hope, Steve Jobs, We can steel ourselves died — we clung onto the for what’s ahead. Take the dregs of his might and precautions and necesraised ourselves out from sary measures. Gird ourthe utter precipice of total selves with the proper collapse. tools and knowledge to overcome our swarthy de- And should we all actually succumb to our unstroyer. Zombies got you known plight in the comdown? Pick up the latest ing month, remnants of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, our people shall regale strategically released to the halls of whatever suctrain us for the ensuing ceeds us. Thousands of zombie war. years from now, sentient Are planet-like objects cockroaches will unearth shooting laser beams our buried remains and that can disintegrate laud us for our technolyour friends and family? ogy, ingenuity and rich Don’t sweat it bro, Halo culture. Much like a can4 was also recently redle in the wind, manleased, again thanks to kind’s glorious flame will the sanctioned and combined efforts of Microsoft, never burn out. I can do nothing now the U.S. government and but sit and wait with bated the Illuminati. Yeah, the breath and an eager heart Illuminati are on our side for next month. Bring it on for this one. How else Dec. 21, 2012 … Bring. It. would they be able take On. I’m in there like swimover a world-less world? wear, son son. For those of us that aren’t gamers, there are ANDREW POH is looking to buy Twinkies still plenty of other pracat $50 a pop, so if you’ve got any you’d tical tips and tricks we like to unload contact him at apoh@ could follow. Always carucdavis.edu. ry pepper spray. That shit
The End is nigh
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should be able to understand and appreciate the sensual without taking offense: “we are not children, not illiterate juvenile delinquents, not English Katelyn public school boys who Ringrose after a night of homosexual romps have to endure the paradox of reading the ancients in expurgated versions.” While concern remains over adult readings, the true battle rages around children’s literature. J.K. Rowling’s Harry reetings, biblioPotter series is numphiles: have you ber one, in the past deever wondered cade, for being the subject about the history of of book burnings, book naughty literature? Fifty challengings and angry Shades of Grey isn’t the only text to ever be banned pitchfork-wielding mobs. Opponents cite Rowling’s in American public lidepiction of wizardry, hobraries. Let’s take a look mosexuality and childat some others that have hood disobedience as reabeen deemed too spicy for sons for taking the series public consumption. off of shelves. These kind Homosexual plot, sexucensors are just protecting ally explicit narration and children from an agonizoffensive language are the ing realization — not all top reasons given for ban11-year olds get Hogwarts’ ning books in schools. acceptance letters. The 1748 novel Fanny The Hunger Games, a seHill, by John Cleland, was ries designed by the evil the number-one seized Suzanne Collins to mapiece of literature from nipulate children into a United States mail during the height of the Comstock lifestyle of glamorous infanticide, has become a era. Comstock supporters believed that an author subject of contention in our schools. Should it be who described breasts as placed in the adult section, “two hard, firm, rising hillthe children’s aisle or the ocks” shouldn’t be allowed to pervert America’s youth. bonfire? Currently, Patricia Cleland’s descriptions Polacco’s children’s book, of Fanny’s hills (and her In Our Mothers’ House, is advenbeing chaltures into Freedom of speech remains lenged in a prostitution) didn’t an illusion unless citizens Northern Utah only shock learn to support the validity school dis18th centrict. To tury readof expression. check out ers, but this book, about a famimore contemporary readly headed by two mothers, ers as well. When Fanny children must have signed Hill was challenged again permission from their in the early 1960s, the deparents. cision was overturned by the Supreme Court — who Parents who disapprove of the book have comruled that the book wasn’t altogether offensive. Fanny plained that the text is an “advocacy of homosexualiHill might have been the ty.” It’s legal to restrict your last novel to be federalown child’s reading, but ly banned in the United taking a book out of pubStates, but it certainly lic circulation infringes on wasn’t the last book to be the rights of others. challenged or censored. Last year there were 348 E.L. James’ Fifty Shades reported book challengof Grey has become a subes, but the ALA estimates ject of censorship by lithere was a lot more — brarians, who probably “for every reported chalthink phrases like, “Jeez, lenge, four or five remain he looks so freaking hot” aren’t appropriate, linguis- unreported.” Book burning may seem like a thing tically or otherwise. of the past, but institutions The Color Purple, writare still censoring inforten in 1982 by Alice Walker, mation, not only through is often subject to scrutiny books, but also through because of its descriptions the internet. of incest and rape and es Be aware that the First pecially explicit incestuous rape. What challengers don’t Amendment isn’t allinclusive and our acseem to realize is that bancess to information isn’t ning Walker’s novel won’t completely unlimited. put an end to rape, but inFreedom of speech restead silences the voice of a mains an illusion unless literary rape survivor. Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 citizens learn to support the validity of expression. novel Lolita, the story of a The books most often pedophile and his young banned don’t inspire malsubject, is under constant ice, but imagination. All attack because its characbooks require us to look ters are just too damn beat the world from the lievable. Nabokov’s novel confuses traditional sen- perspective of another. Nothing gives us the right sual ideals — “Humbert to destroy another person’s was perfectly capable of viewpoint, just because intercourse with Eve, but it doesn’t agree with our it was Lilith he longed for.” own. Censoring information won’t stop the world from KATELYN RINGROSE, who can be reached being its sexual, violent at knringrose@ucdavis.edu, discourages and offensive self. you from burning this column — The Aggie In his afterword recycles. Nabokov writes that we
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Square Tomatoes Crafts Fair on Sunday On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Square Tomatoes Crafts Fair will take place in Central Park. In addition to the fair, vendors and volunteers will be participating in a parody of “Gangnam Style” by PSY, called “Square Tomatoes Style.” Founder of the fair Sally Parker and volunteers will begin
singing and dancing at 1 p.m. to their own lyrics. Organizers are still looking for people to spoof PSY and the man in the yellow pantsuit from the music video. A practice session will be held in Central Park on Friday at 1 p.m. and everyone is welcome to participate. The fair will feature live music and
food vendors such as Kathmandu Kitchen, Pachamama Coffee Cooperative, Purros Churros and Thai Recipes. The crafts fair is usually held once a month. The December fair will be on Dec. 16. — Claire Tan
Ask doc Joe and Katy Ann Doc Joe is a psychologist and attorney who has consulted with and advised people of all ages. Katy Ann is a licensed marriage and family therapist who, like Doc Joe, has counseled and advised people of all ages. The discussion and advice offered in their column is not offered as a clinical recommendation or as a substitute for clinical treatment. Rather, Doc Joe’s and Katy Ann’s comments are intended to stimulate thought, often with a sense of humor. Sometimes they agree; sometimes they don’t. So, read on… This question is one of the most challenging types of questions that we get. It’s one in which there are many layers. It’s a question of truth and honesty. DJ & KA
Dear Doc Joe and Katy Ann, Is honesty always the best policy? I am 23 years old, working at the Capitol in my first post-graduate job. Last February, while doing an internship, I met Dan. A week after we met, we began dating. It seemed to be going really well. My relationship with Dan was the first real relationship that I had since my sophomore year in college. After a couple of weeks, we agreed that we would be exclusive. In March, after dating Dan for a month, I really messed up! This is what happened. At that time, I thought that I had gotten over Brad, who was my boyfriend during my sophomore year in college. That relationship ended quite abruptly when we had a big fight over commitment,
as he was not willing to make future plans. About anything. So, we broke up. Well, one afternoon while I was at work, Brad called me and asked if I wanted to go out for a drink after work. I agreed, and we met at a downtown restaurant. Big mistake! We spent the night together, which brought up many confused feelings. So, after a week of avoiding Dan, I called him and told him that I was not ready for a relationship or serious dating and that I hoped that we could stay friends. He let me know that he was really sad, but also really glad that I was honest with him. (But I hadn’t been honest about my recent time with Brad).
See ASKDOC, page 7
The california aggie
Science &Technology
wednesday, november 21, 2012 3
Stem Cell researcher sounds cautionary note UC Davis study highlights potential challenge for regenerative medicine By OYANG TENG Aggie Science Writer
It remains one of the great hopes of modern biomedicine: the prospect of using a patient’s own cells to renew and rejuvenate virtually any diseased tissue in the body. Such hopes rest in part on the success of a relatively new class of stem cells that could one day give doctors the ability to grow healthy new body cells — perhaps even entire organs — as if from scratch. First developed in 2007, these socalled induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have given researchers a new window into the critical processes governing cell development as well as a new tool for studying disease. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are undifferentiated, capable of specializing into any kind of tissue; unlike embryonic stem cells, they are taken not from a developing embryo but from normal muscle or skin cells and genetically reprogrammed to revert to an embryonic, or pluripotent, state. Their importance was highlighted last month by the 2012 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology, awarded to two scientists who were instrumental in the discovery and development of iPSCs. But despite the promise they hold for treating ailments such as diabetes, heart disease and organ failure, it is unclear how long it will be before the clinical use of iPSCs can herald a new age of regenerative medicine. A recent study from UC Davis has underscored one part of the challenge by pointing to the apparent similarity between the process used in the production of iPSCs and the process used to make specific types of cancer cells grown for laboratory studies. In other words, says UC Davis Medical Center researcher Paul Knoepfler, iPSCs and cancer cells are “close enough to be called siblings,” which he says may contribute to the potential for iPSCs to become cancerous. Knoepfler and his team published their results in September, after conducting the first-ever direct comparison of gene expression between the two types of cells. “We really feel that there are a lot of positives that could come out of this,” Knoepfler said. “It could really be helpful in making better, safer iPS cells. It’s definitely a case where the more you know, the better.” The team began by producing iPSCs and cancer cells from a common parent cell taken from mouse tissue. They then analyzed each type of cell’s transcriptome, the array of RNA molecules that indicate which parts of the genome are turned on or off in any given cell. The comparison revealed similar patterns of expressed and repressed genes in each of the two cell types, which Knoepfler and his colleagues be-
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A UC Davis researcher highlighted potential issues with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The stem cells’ similarity to cancer cells may contribute to their potential to become cancerous.
lieve reflects the similarity underlying pluripotency and cancer formation. The idea that there might be some kind of relationship between the two processes is not new. In fact, one controversial theory proposes that cancerous tumors are caused by small populations of adult stem cells, though studies on the subject have been inconclusive. Gerhard Bauer of the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures said the fact that similar transcription factors were found in iPSCs and cancer cells doesn’t surprise him, given the methods used to create the cells in the laboratory. But he says that this in itself doesn’t prove that stem cells would be prone to cause cancer if used in treatment, since it is out-of-control growth that distinguishes cancer cells from other cell types, including iPSCs. “It is very good that people look into iPSCs, but I would caution anybody against using hype to compare iPSCs to cancer cells,” Bauer said. Knoepfler says that while the “functional meaning of the connection” between iPSCs and cancer cells remains to be elucidated, the specific connections his team reported have important implications for furthering stem cell research. The results not only potentially suggest new ways to “tweak the biotechnology” currently used to produce iPSCs, he said, but could also point to improvements in cancer treatment. For example, the team was able to reprogram some of the cancer cells to become less cancer-like and more stem cell-like. This suggests that future patient-specific treatments could involve cellular reprogramming as an alternative to cancer cell eradication, which often involves debilitating side effects such as nausea and weakness. “Some of the things we found may
be inconvenient, but if on the other hand this helps make better versions of cells, then I think it’s important to really explore,” Knoepfler said. UC Davis molecular and cellular biology professor Frederic Chedin said that one of the challenges in such work is translating conclusions from a laboratory to a clinical context, given that cells behave in different ways depending on their environment. For example, regenerative therapy would not involve injecting the stem cells directly into the body, but rather growing iPSCs into differentiated cells before transplantation. These iPSCs could be taken directly from the patient, or, more likely, from a common “bank” of iPSCs. “The more we understand about pluripotency processes and cancer formation — both their similarities and differences — the better, and in that sense this is a useful study,” Chedin said. “The study does not show that stem cells are cancerous. What they’ve done is something you’d only do in a lab, while what we do in therapy is very, very different.” Though he advocates greater caution in moving ahead, Knoepfler said he hopes to see iPSCs eventually used in clinical trials on humans, once further research is done to clarify the potential risks involved. Japanese researchers have reportedly already sought permission to carry out such trials as early as next year. “One of my labs’ area of focus is to better understand how stem cells sometimes do things we don’t want them to do, and we want to figure that out,” Knoepfler said. “I think [stem cells] are great. But in science, and particularly in medical applications, you have to be realistic.” OYANG TENG can be reached at science@theaggie.org.
Sad hearts are bad hearts New study shows direct connection between depression and heart health By KELLY MITCHELL Aggie Science Writer
The saying that laughter is the best medicine may have garnered some legitimacy in a new medical discovery related to heart failure. Psychiatrists and cardiologists at both the UC Davis and Duke University schools of medicine have found that controlling depression in patients can lead to better success in their treatment of heart disease. Heart failure is characterized by the heart’s decreasing ability to pump blood. This condition has been well-studied so there are very advanced treatments for this issue, but those treatments do not include treating depression simultaneously. This the first study showing that reducing the symptoms of poor mental health can directly be connected to the improvement of physical health. Glen Xiong, associate clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UC Davis and the study’s lead author, used secondary analysis on data that came from the 2008 Sertraline Against Depression and Heart Disease in Chronic Heart Failure (SADHARTCHF). Using this data, Xiong and his colleagues were able to find the connection between heart disease and depression. The focus of the SADHART-CHF trial was
ful bacteria happen to survive the Purell bath, they will then go on to produce a new generation of bacteria that are completely immune to the original antiAlan bacterials. Lin Bacteria have a number of things going for them that makes the study of their genetics and evolution interesting. They have large populations and short generation times. When the above two factors are compounded, the result is a series of genetic changes that occur over a relatively small timeframe. Bacterial evolution can occur on the scale of hours to minutes, whereas humans have acteria are everyto wait decades. where! They’re even in geothermal vents Another source of genetic and other extreme convariation in bacteria comes ditions of hot and cold. from horizontal transfer. They’re responsible for Even though bacterial popmany terrible diseases like ulations exhibit objectivecholera and the bubonic ly rapid changes from muplague. Staphylococcus au- tation, their lack of a nureus, a species often assocleus allows for bacteria to ciated with food poisonshare DNA amongst theming, has a size close to 0.6 selves. In human terms, it’d microns be like bein diameing able to ...we also kill many bacteria that catch blue ter, small enough to are potentially beneficial to our eyes, red fit approxhair, or any health. imately other trait 1,000 indifrom one’s vidual cells neighbor. on the point of a pencil. For bacteria, it means passWhat’s the takeaway mesing the blueprints for new sage? Bacteria are abunproteins, which could allow dant, hardly detectable and for things like virulence or wildly dangerous — we drug resistance. should kill as many as pos- While not all resistant sible to protect ourselves! bacteria are harmful, and Or should we? not all harmful bacteria are resistant, as we increase the Not all bacteria are population of one group, pathogens. In fact, if one the chances that they’ll were to consider the progain the other trait increase portion of harmful bacteas well. Through excessive ria that the average person interacts with per unit time use of antibacterial agents, compared to the total num- we artificially increase the proportion of the resistant ber of bacteria encounpopulation. As the resistered, the overwhelming tant population grows, the majority of bacteria could chance of a resistant strain be considered harmless. Many hand sanitizers ad- developing virulence gradvertise to kill approximately ually changes from a dan99 percent of bacteria living gerous possibility to a statistical inevitability. on any surface. People frequently use hand sanitizers Don’t get me wrong, anto combat the spread of the tibacterials are useful. They common cold and the flu. play crucial roles in fightHowever, these antibacterial ing infection and preventagents are arguably ineffec- ing the spread of many distive against the pathogens eases like tetanus and syphthat cause the common cold ilis. However, there needs to and influenza because these be an understanding of their maladies are caused by vifunction and use. While judiruses, not bacteria. cious and measured application of antibiotic agents has Through the excessive improved the general qualuse of antibacterial prodity of patient care and inucts, not only do we fail to creased life expectancy, their kill the virus that causes abuse could lead to dangerthe common cold, but we also kill many bacteria that ous consequences. are potentially beneficial to our health. Furthermore, ALAN LIN can be reached at science@ should any of the harmtheaggie.org.
courtesy
Psychologists and cardiologists at UC Davis and Duke University have found a connection between depression and heart disease.
the antidepressant medication sertraline and its ability to reduce depression and cardiac symptoms in men and women 45 years of age or older. Over the course of the 12week SADHART-CHF study, standardized evaluations were administered with the purpose of measuring both depression and the general health of patients. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale questionnaire was used to measure the severity of the depression symptoms in heart patients, and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire and the Short Form Health Survey were used to determine cardiac and general health. Surprisingly, the initial results found that sertraline did not differ from a placebo in the effectiveness of reducing depressive symptoms. “The placebo effect is powerful … knowing that
there is a possibility of getting better can help reduce feelings of hopelessness, initiating a cascade of improvements,” said Dorje Jennette, coordinator of the Stress and Wellness Clinic at UC Davis. Therefore, the current study will differ from SADHART-CHF in that it will focus on participants' depression and health status, independent of medication. The question remains, however, whether it is the improved mental health or the improved physical health that more directly affects the patient. Researchers are looking to see if it is improving the psychological situation that makes the patients feel better emotionally or if it is that the patient’s body is able to focus more on the heart problems and physical improvement. This is a very complicated idea to try to decipher,
and medical professionals have yet to reach a consensus. Xiong believes that the poor health of patients was caused by both poor mental and physical health, and therefore the healing process was caused by mending both the mind and body. Body and mind are difficult to separate, and this research shows that by improving the health of one, you improve the health of the other. "Our new study is just the tip of the iceberg, since the relationship between the body and mind is extremely complex," said Wei Jiang, senior author of the study and director of the Neuropsychocardiology Laboratory at Duke University Medical Center. Xiong hopes that with this study now proving there is a connection between mental health and heart health, cardiologists and other physicians may be more likely to screen patients for depression before deciding on a treatment for chronic diseases, especially chronic cardiac diseases. By screening for depression, the physician is more prepared to treat all issues with his patients. The study is available in the print issue of Circulation: Heart Failure released Wednesday. KELLY MITCHELL can be reached at science@theaggie.org.
Better odds for lung cancer patients UC Davis researchers study effective treatments By NICOLE NOGA Aggie Science Writer
Medical scientists are constantly looking for a cure to the world’s deadliest diseases. One of these diseases holds the Center for Disease Control’s number two deadliest disease title: cancer. Of the different types of cancer, lung cancer is one of the most common and has a death rate of more than 150,000 people per year. UC Davis researchers aim to change that. Recently, a team of UC Davis researchers found a protein on the surface of lung cancer cells that could prove to be useful in developing effective cancer treatments. “We have been studying proteins on the surface of leukocytes for years,” said Dr. Joseph Tuscano, coprincipal investigator of the study and professor of hematology and oncology in the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine. “We developed antibodies against [the protein] to treat cell lymphomas.” Leukocytes are white blood cells that defend the body against diseases. There are five different types of leukocytes, including B cells. Lymphomas are cancers that affect the immune system, most commonly found in lymph nodes. The protein the researchers found is called CD-22, a
sugar-binding transmembrane protein. This means it binds to specific sugar molecules and goes from one side of a membrane to the other. CD-22 is typically found on mature B cells. Initially, researchers thought CD-22 was only found on B cells, but they recently discovered that it also appears on lung cancer cells. Additionally, they found other lung cancer cell lines expressed CD-22. The discovery was even more exciting and significant because there was already an antibody developed that targeted CD-22. The monoclonal antibody, HB22.7, was tested in mice and found to treat nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, the cancer of lymph tissue. Monoclonal antibody therapies are very effective because they destroy cells containing the antigen, in this case, CD-22. “Currently, lung cancer is most commonly treated in a ‘stage-dependent’ manner. More recently, there has been a push to develop targeted therapies. Targeted treatments are directed towards specific genetic or molecular defects found on cancer cells,” said Dr. Raj K. Batra, an associate professor of medicine and researcher for the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center.
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wednesday, NOVEMBER 21, 2012
The california aggie
Reports question UC’s financial practices following passage of Proposition 30 University of California criticized for interest rate swaps By LAUREN MASCARENHAS Aggie News Writer
Amid celebration over the recent passage of Proposition 30, which prevented a trigger cut of $250 million to the University of California, there has been an outcry about the UC system engaging in interest rate swaps that could allegedly lose the system much of the money it stood to retain. The passage of Prop. 30, which increases taxes on California’s highest earners and prevents planned spending reductions to education programs in the state, allowed for a sigh of relief from many UC students who were worried about the possibility of a $2,400 increase in tuition. However, a report written by UC Berkeley students Charlie Eaton, Jacob Habinek, Mukul Kumar, Tamera Lee Stover and Alex Roehrkasse, titled “Swapping our Future: How Students and Taxpayers are Funding Risky UC Borrowing and Wall Street Profits,” criticizes the UC’s handling of finances, al-
though it is also raising eyebrows. The report alleges that the interest rate swaps that the UC Board of Regents have been engaging in with banks have already cost UC almost $57 million, with losses of an additional $200 million expected. Among the criticisms made against the UC Board of Regents is the claim that outstanding swaps are held by banks with close ties to UC regents and executives. In an interest rate swap, the borrower — in this case, the UC Board of Regents — pays the bank a fixed rate, and in return the bank pays the borrower a variable rate based on the current interest rates of the market. If the interest rates rise, the borrower pays less than they would have if they had not taken the swap, but if they drop, the borrower pays more. In this case, the interest rates did drop and UC ended up paying the price. Three swaps in particular, made on funds borrowed to expand university medical centers, were identified as being unsuccessful by the report. While some equate these
campus judicial report Gotta be good for something A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for attempting to sell his notes to other students in an upper division class. Students who wish to make some money taking notes can sign up as an official note taker with Classical Notes, but using superior notetaking abilities as a business is against university policy. After talking with a judicial officer, it was decided that an administrative notice would be issued, but no further action was necessary given that this was the student’s first violation.
Cite your sources! A student was recently referred to SJA for plagiarizing from Wikipedia. Properly citing sources according to the instructor’s policies is a standard that always applies. If a Wikipedia article has particularly helpful information, one might consider consulting, then citing the sources that the article itself
was based off of. This is usually found at the bottom of the Wikipedia page. After meeting with a judicial officer, the student received community service and a zero on the assignment, and was put on disciplinary probation.
Just some minor adjustments A student was referred to SJA for altering a quiz and submitting it for a regrade. Dissatisfied with his performance in a lower division science class, he had decided to change some answer values in an attempt to garner some extra points. Upon comparing the original scanned copies of the quizzes to the quizzes being considered for a regrade, the professor quickly found that there was an alteration to this student’s quiz. After meeting with a judicial officer, the student was found in violation of the Code of Academic Conduct. He was put on disciplinary probation and assigned community service. The student also received a zero on the quiz.
swaps to gambling deals, UC insists that the swaps were the wisest financial decision under the circumstances. “UC has used swaps only when the advantage is significant. When this comparison is done correctly, it shows that UC has saved more than $40 million through the life of the bonds through swaps,” said Peter Taylor, chief financial officer in the UC Office of the President, in a Nov. 14 oped in The San Francisco Chronicle. The drafters of “Swapping our Future” offered recommendations to UC given their findings. The recommendations include renegotiating current swap agreements, pursuing litigation to hold banks accountable for alleged illegal manipulation, and increasing transparency in the governance of its financial decisions. “UC still has an opportunity to renegotiate and save precious dollars for reversing devastating tuition hikes and cuts,” the report states. The UC will not be taking the recom-
mendations of the report authors. “Their miscalculations are outrageous,” Taylor said. “Indeed, if this level of ‘research’ were produced for a class on finance, it would merit an ‘F.’” Opinions about the University of California’s financial practices remain split, but many UC students and California taxpayers question if the practices have any effect on them. Shelly Meron, media specialist at the UC Office of the President, said that the UC Board of Regents did not consider any tuition increases at the Nov. 13 to 15 meeting. “They did approve a proposed budget for UC for the 2013-14 school year … As always, if sufficient state funding doesn’t materialize and/or UC suffers additional cuts, all options will be considered for how to bridge the resulting gap. But right now, it’s much too early to speculate about future state funding or any potential tuition increases,” she said. LAUREN MASCARENHAS can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
Vote on proposed fee increase for 61 UC professional programs postponed Regents to reconvene with Gov. Jerry Brown at month’s end
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
The UC Board of Regents tabled discussion regarding raising tuition for graduate programs to allow Gov. Jerry Brown additional time to consider the fee hike.
By NATASHA QABAZARD Aggie News Writer
On Nov. 13, the UC Board of Regents postponed discussions to raise supplemental tuition for select graduate programs. This was done at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown, who serves on the Board of Regents by virtue of his office. Brown requested additional time in order to better understand the policies and methodology involved in the setting of fee levels at individual graduate professional programs charging Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST). “Recommendations for [PDST] levels come from UC professional schools and campuses after extensive consultation and study. The UC Office of the President (UCOP) then presents these recommendations as a group for review and approval by the Board of Regents,” said Shelly Meron, UCOP media
specialist. The UC has a base tuition of roughly $13,000 per year. Each graduate program develops a fee that tops the base tuition and is set up by the dean of each graduate school. If a dean wants to increase the PDST, they must present a plan and explain the reasoning behind the increase. In recent years, graduate programs at the UC have reached record-high tuition fees, reaching private-school levels. "The administration is OK with having private school-like fees because they feel that once students graduate from schools like law school or dental school, they will be making salaries that could pay off their debt without much of a burden,” said Jonathan Stein, UC Student Regent and Goldman School of Public Policy and UC Berkeley School of Law student. “However, they don't take into account those who want to go into public service and social jus-
tice work who won't be getting compensated as much and still have to pay off that same exorbitant amount of debt." The board had initially planned to vote on increasing professional degree supplemental tuition at its meeting last Wednesday, but delayed talks on the fees to a later date after Brown’s request. “The fact is, most of us law students are already swimming in a pool of debt and most of us don't even know if we'll have a job after we graduate. As if law students weren't already facing enough pressure in this current job market, the very real possibility of a tuition hike is seriously alarming," said Belet Lazar, a second-year student at the UC Davis School of Law. The board is set to reconvene by the end of the month, according to Meron. NATASHA QABAZARD can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.
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The california Aggie
MUSE speaks with One Man Star Wars An interview with actor/writer Charlie Ross
Courtesy
Charlie Ross will perform the One Man Star Wars Trilogy on Nov. 30 at the Mondavi Center.
By BEAUGART GERBER Aggie Arts Writer
One Man Star Wars Trilogy is the brainchild of Canadian native Charlie Ross. Since its conception in 2001, the show has been on tour across the globe, taking notable stops off Broadway, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and a short stint in Hong Kong. Along the way Star Wars fans, as well as Lucas Films, have been supportive of Ross’ creativity. The solo performance is a 60-minute portrayal of George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy embellished with hu-
morous anecdotes and impersonations. Though the source material is over 30 years old, Star Wars still resonates with fans around the world, and Charlie Ross has only added to that diverse galaxy far, far away. MUSE had a chance to catch up with Mr. Ross and figure out what it takes for one man to create his take on this beloved trilogy. One Man Star Wars will be performed by Ross at the Mondavi Center Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. MUSE: What was your original inspiration for One Man Star Wars?
UC Davis Book Club Aggie Arts Writer
This winter will mark the first full year of the UC Davis Book Club, a group that offers a setting in which to enjoy both new and classic literature — The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Unbearable Lightness of Being have been among their diverse choices — in a relaxed and pressure-less environment. The club, founded in early 2012 by third-year environmental science and management major Alyssa Obester and third-year biological sciences major Annelise Olivero, aims to provide an enjoyable alternative. Once every month, members gather for a short meeting to casually discuss the book they’ve read and vote to determine what the next one will be. All members, even newcomers, may bring book suggestions, and all the possible choices are written on a board. After weighing the options and looking over synopses as a group, the final choice is selected through a vote. This past month’s winner was the The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a best-selling novel that has been compared favorably to the works of Neil Gaiman and J.K Rowling. “I think this book was chosen over the others because the summary sounded intriguing and one of our members highly recommended it,” said cofounder Olivero. In the past, when a book with
a film adaptation is chosen, members of the club organize an informal movie night to socialize, enjoy snacks, and discuss the differences between the book and film. Although the regular meetings are relatively brief (a plus for those with a busy schedule), the club also serves as an ongoing resource for connecting people who love reading and discussing books from all genres, without the stress of making a grade or being tested. “The atmosphere is very low key, and even if members don't have the time to finish the book, they are still welcome to come and partake in discussions,” Obester said. Those who have already joined the club find this laidback, undemanding atmosphere to be a great part of its appeal. “I joined because I enjoy reading a book a month, then talking about it — not analyzing, but just reflecting,” said fourthyear biochemistry and molecular biology major Raina Patel. “Honestly, it would be a good way for me to be motivated to read a book and keep to it.” This month’s meeting will be held a week from Thursday, on Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in 207 Olson. More information about the club can be found on their Facebook page, or by reaching them at bookclubatucd@gmail. com. ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.
CYBER Cont. from front page aware of Sjouwerman’s number one rule in cyber security, “There is no security.” Additional layers of good security can alleviate an individual’s stress regarding cyber-attacks, but security is no good replacement for human vigilance. It only takes one human error to let criminals into the system. Professor Sean Peisert, a research computer scientist from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a faculty member of the UC Davis Computer Security Lab, said that most anti-virus or anti-malware software only protects from known threats. As long as a hacker has enough time and resources, he or she can crack through any security system by creating something that security programs have not been programmed to deal with yet. However, various computer and internet security companies and programmers adapt quickly in response to the challenge, studying from past hackers. Some computer security programmers work directly with hackers to improve security. For example, KnowBe4 has worked together with infamous computer hacker Kevin Mitnick. Mitnick was one of the first true computer hackers, breaking into company networks belonging to Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, Fujitsu and Siemens. As for UC Davis, the busy people of the UC Davis Cyber-safety Program and the UC Davis Computer Security Lab work for better internet security. The professors involved in the UC Davis Computer Security Lab explore and research various areas of internet security. Some, like Professor Hao Chen, work with mobile computing
shows evolved; it began much longer and I’ve cut it down to be more engaging and memorable. How has your interaction with the Star Wars fan base been? Going into the project I didn’t know how the fan base would react to my work. Originally I didn’t know what I was going to do with the concept and over time ended up finding out what I was doing. I’ve always been happy to have them. I’ve gotten to know certain groups, most notably, the 501st — a group of people who dress up like stormtroopers and have been extremely supportive of my work. It has helped that Lucas Films has been on my side from the very beginning. How do you feel about Star Wars being purchased by Disney? It is amazing that Disney will be looking after the Star Wars universe. I feel they’ll keep it going and expand it with new life. I’ve always paid a licensing fee so I see no problem with my personal work in the future. How did you decide to choose Davis? Northern California is the heart of Star Wars. With the Lucas ranch just around the corner, unlike anywhere else, Northern California knows Star Wars. To see the trailers for One Man Star Wars, visit onemanstarwars.com. Tickets are available at the Mondavi box office for the Nov. 30 show, or you can purchase them online at mondaviarts.org. BEAUGART GERBER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
Review of ‘An Evening with David Sedaris’
Upcoming quarter marks first anniversary By ANDREW RUSSELL
Ross: Back in 1994, I worked for a series of actor troupes that did tours around Canada. My buddy, who would later become my director, also worked in one of these companies. We realized the most successful shows always turned out to be the solo performances. One in particular, run by a friend of mine, performed a one man Captain Kirk from “Star Trek.” At that point we were all fans of Star Wars and one day all three of us were playing frisbee and we decided that before you could throw the frisbee you had to say a line from one of the original movies. Before someone could catch, they’d have to say the next line. We went on playing this for a few hours and were unable to stump each other. That’s when I realized Star Wars was really ingrained in our society. If I wanted to truly interact with an audience Star Wars was ideal. How did you decide to organize the movies into three minutes? I sat down at a computer and felt whatever I could remember a general fan would remember. Depending [on] where I am in the world I’ve had to adjust certain things. In some countries words or jokes might not mean the same or have the same impact with the audience. No matter what I’ve done the fans have always been supportive. How did the show develop over the years? We’ve performed the show over a thousand times across the globe. In that run the core of the show has stayed relatively the same. I have swapped jokes and had to adjust depending on where I’m performing. The
Best-selling author entertains the Mondavi Center By CRISTINA FRIES Aggie Arts Writer
Best-selling author David Sedaris spent an evening at the Mondavi Center Friday reading humorous short stories from his upcoming book Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and several entries from his diary, consequently making the entire theater shake with laughter at his extreme absurdities. Few authors can make reading from a book into a riotously comedic show, but Sedaris, with his keen observations of the ridiculous moments of everyday life, absurd written persona and contrastingly deadpan exterior, is able to out-do the best of stand up comedy. Sedaris records everyday moments, family tensions and his encounters with strange characters, and describes them with sharp wit and eccentric humor to shed light upon the ridiculous nature of humanity. He mocks his suicidal sister, he tells his father he has cancer when he’s actually perfectly healthy, he says, “Only needles have ghosts as friends” in a Greek lesson and he describes his colonoscopy as a dizzyingly happy moment. Sedaris treats life with irreverence, but this is what makes his stories so powerful and so humorous. We feel all kinds of tensions, but he allows us to channel our energy into laughter. It’s
and mobile app security, while others, like Professor Karl Levitt, work on a variety of projects from intrusion detection to network tracking, and even election security. Professor Peisert helped with the cyber attacks on the San Diego Supercomputer Center perpetrated by “Stakkato,” the alias of a group of hackers who broke into systems belonging to the U.S. Military, White Sands Missile Range, NASA and multiple universities. In particular, Professor Matt Bishop of the UC Davis Computer Security Lab detects weaknesses in security systems. “I look for vulnerabilities, break into things and try to fix them,” Bishop said. He often looks at certain aspects of internet security, such as how people hide personal information. In addition, he is interested in computer security education, which includes teaching robust coding, a class of software in which the program can respond elegantly to unknown situations instead of crashing. “Campus folk are good with security,” Bishop noted when asked about UC Davis’ status. In the frontline for UC Davis’ cyber security is Robert Ono, IT security coordinator of the UC Davis Cyber-safety Program. Currently, the campus staff upholds the adopted Cybersecurity policy of 2005 through governance models and stringent security standards for campus network devices. While maintaining the program’s website and handling security risks, Ono oversees campus security training. “A biennial security symposium [hosting] hands-on training and lecture seminars for technologists,” Ono said, is one of the methods for training new staff. Along with the symposium, training includes log management, threat management and coding techniques.
Jesse Costa / Aggie
David Sedaris, comedian and best-selling author, performed at the Mondavi Center on Nov. 16. a relief. Somehow, he ingeniously converts a sad, sentimental moment — like a conversation with a depressed sibling who is contemplating suicide — into a painfully hilarious story. He discusses his strained relationship with his father, how he once forgot he was still alive and how he hopes his father won’t be the first to live to 200, but describes it with painfully sharp humor. He forces you into an uncomfortable situation in which your moral and civil conscience questions your laughter, but there’s no way of suppressing your mirth.
Although there are companies, professors and staff all working hard to improve cyber security, they provide steps and advice to help the general public to protect themselves. “Make sure you patch your computer and applications. If there is an update, do the update. Last but not least, use strong passwords and for god’s sake don’t use the same password all over the place,” Sjouwerman said. Bishop gave an apt analogy regarding passwords. “Use common sense. Realize that there are nasty folks on the internet.You wouldn’t give your car keys to someone you didn’t know very well, and you shouldn’t do the same with your password.” Peisert said computer owners don’t need to buy loads of security software, since most end up ignoring the security alerts anyway. “So, rule number one is back up your systems: Time Machine, CrashPlan, BackBlaze, Mozy, Dropbox and others are simple, inexpensive means for doing this.” Ono suggested that the public “identify files on [their] computer that contain personal identity information (e.g. your name, Social Security number or credit card/financial account number) and remove the files if at all possible. There are free tools for personal use, such as IdentityFinder, that are available for scanning your Mac and Windows computer(s) for identity information.” The overall lesson is this: practice caution and be wary, but do not be too paranoid since the internet is still a wonderful tool. For more information go to knowbe4. com, seclab.cs.ucdavis.edu and security. ucdavis.edu/cybersafety.html. VICTORIA TRANG can be reached at science@theaggie.org.
After reading stories from his upcoming book, he read some excerpts from his personal diary. These were short and hilarious descriptions of people he’s seen and talked to on tour, with several jokes of his own devising about pissed-off snails and sex with Willie Nelson thrown into the mix. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls will be released in 2013. Listen to his original pieces on National Public Radio’s “This American Life” series, or find his bestsellers at a bookstore. CRISTINA FRIES can be reached at arts@theaggie. org.
Sustainable Cont. from front page in. It can get up to 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit],” Dunn said in a press release. “If we’re going to continue to develop and populate that part of the world, you have to look at creative solutions to make it more sustainable.” The Sustainable City is designed to house 2,500 residents on 120 acres, which is similar to West Village’s design. According to Joseph, the city is planned to have 500 homes, a K-12 school, a university, a resort, an equestrian center, gardens attached to each home, a central area with no cars and an alternative transportation system. “All the world is going to environmental developments,” Saeed said in a press release. “The rulers in Dubai have envisioned green developments for all the city.” Traditional settlements of the region also served as a model for the Sustainable City. The plans include low-tech, energy-efficient features, such as a passive solar building design, which distributes and diminishes heat based on the season. This design has been used for thousands of years. The planners aim to have the Sustainable City save 60 percent more energy than other structures in Dubai. Construction will start in late 2013. “It is one of the most visionary plans for a sustainable city in the Arab world. UC Davis has played a pivotal role in inspiring this vision and informing its development,” Joseph said. PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
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6 wednesday, november 21, 2012
The california Aggie
Obama seeks replacement for Clinton as Secretary of State By Sarah Peters
Daily Collegian (Penn State University)
President Barack Obama has an opening to fill in his presidential cabinet, since Hillary Clinton announced that she plans to step down as secretary of state during Obama’s second term. The qualities the president will look for in a secretary of state depend on how involved he wants to be with foreign policy, said Dennis Jett, a Penn State U. professor of international affairs and former U.S. ambassador. In general, a secretary of state should have broad international experience, familiarity with government and an understanding of the U.S. role in the world that is similar to the president’s, Jett said.
The secretary of state should have an air of seriousness and a high degree of public recognition, both in the U.S. and world, he said. Those qualities are important, since the secretary of state is fairly consistently the highest profile person in the president’s cabinet, Jett said. Those are qualities Jett said Clinton demonstrated. Clinton’s previous experience helped make her a successful secretary of state, he said. “She’s also considered to be a very serious person who’s thought a lot about government policy and knows how it’s made,” Jett said. “That experience as a senator, as a first lady, gave her a depth of experience that not many people have.” Clinton showed she was skilled at bipartisan work as a senator — which Americans have seen current legislators struggle to do,
said Scott Gartner, Penn State professor of international affairs. Gartner said Clinton skillfully balanced being a strong voice and leader while carrying out the president’s foreign policy initiatives. Michael Mahon, president of the Penn State Political Science Association, said it’s important for the secretary to understand how other nations’ desires interact with domestic priorities, too. “Even though the State Department focuses on foreign policy, any good diplomat, particularly secretary of state, will have a good working knowledge of domestic issues in this country, Mahon said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and U.S. Senator John Kerry are two top contenders who have the characteristics, leadership and management skills for the job, Jett said.
Republican senators have been critical of Rice for her response to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, Jett said. That could make her confirmation process more difficult, he said. Presidential cabinet members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, Jett said. Jett said the Senate could delay a nomination or vote it down. With a Democratic majority, it’s unlikely Republicans in the Senate will have enough votes for that, he said. He said he expects the president will want to announce his nominee sooner rather than later. “It could come at any time, because [Clinton’s] made it clear for a long time that she’s not going to stay,” Jett said. “This is no surprise. The timing is really up to the president.”
Puerto Rican voters approve first step to join United States By Charles O’Brien
Iowa State Daily (Iowa State University)
Recently, the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico voted for the opportunity to become a state. This is the first time that the citizens of Puerto Rico had ever approved this step towards statehood. Three times in the past, they have failed referendums like this. Puerto Rico, which has been a commonwealth since 1917, voted 61 percent for statehood, 33 percent for sovereign-free association [which would allow for more autonomy], and 5 percent for complete independence. The question before the statehood question on the ballot asked voters whether they wanted change or wanted to keep the status quo.
54 percent of voters voted for some type of change and were told to move onto the next question and to mark what type of change they wanted. 46 percent of voters voted to keep the status quo and were not told to move onto the next question. Some people say that this 61 percent is a false number. Approximately 500,000 voters left the second question blank at the urging of the Popular Democratic Party as a way of protest to delegitimize the process. “The numbers are inflated. Only about 43 percent of people really wanted to be a state,” said Laura Centeno-Diaz, an adviser to the Puerto Rican Student Association. If Puerto Rico was added to the United States, it is projected that they would bene-
fit from an extra $20 billion per year in federal funds and access to more U.S. government programs but would have to start paying federal taxes, and companies doing business in Puerto Rico would have to start paying corporate taxes. Other issues have been raised in the discussion if they were to be added. It has been disputed that Puerto Rico would take congressional seats from other states. English as a second language in Puerto Rico and cultural differences between Puerto Rico and the United States are potential issues as well. “There are voices out there that say Puerto Rico will lose part of its culture if added to the [United States],” said Brian Behnken, professor of history. “Some think it has been degraded and eroded by American society a lot
already.” To be made a state, the vote has to be legitimized by the Puerto Rican Congress. If passed they would then have to submit a constitution to the U.S. Congress and be approved. Then, it would take a two-thirds vote by Congress to make it a state. Afterwards, the president would have to sign off on the law. It is projected that this whole process could take anywhere from seven months to approve to a couple of years. Behnken expects a lawsuit to appear at the Puerto Rican Congressional level to block this referendum, eventually stopping the process at this level because of all the resistance it will encounter. “I think the status quo will remain the same; if they push for change there will be too many legal entanglements,” Behnken said. FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 22, 2010
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Surgery marks 6 “Hawaii Five-O” setting 10 Heist target 14 Sully 15 Whirled, as a top 16 Opposite of windward 17 Impressive display 18 Kids’ plastic brick maker 19 “What’s in a __?”: Juliet 20 Sales agent, briefly 21 Dangerously uncontrollable type 24 Taken by a shoplifter 26 Pub order 27 Weekly dressdown times 34 Requests 36 More than asks 37 Detroit-based labor gp. 38 Supportive sound from the crowd 40 Sidekick 41 Best-seller list datum 43 Sch. near Harvard 44 Ukrainian seaport 47 Dover flatfish 48 Music genre heard in elevators 51 Slithery swimmer 52 Letter-shaped shoe fastener 55 Chemically treated tresses 61 Gallery display 62 All done 63 Honey spirits 64 Still-life fruit 66 Whimper 67 Puzzle with only one way out 68 Old anesthetic 69 Artist Warhol 70 Greek god of war 71 Cowboy’s rope DOWN 1 Clear-night twinklers 2 Insertion symbol 3 Causes of in-flight “bumps”
By Jennifer Nutt
4 Protein synthesis molecule, for short 5 Salon dos 6 Norway’s capital 7 Gibbons, e.g. 8 Extremely big 9 It may direct you to skip, draw two, or reverse 10 Forbidden 11 Astronaut Shepard 12 Nautilus captain 13 “Peachy-__!” 22 “Movin’ __”: “The Jeffersons” theme 23 Elite invitee roster 25 Cut with a surgical beam 28 European peaks, to Pierre 29 “It’s the __ I can do” 30 Spurious 31 Celebrity signatures 32 Southern pronoun 33 Popeye’s __’ Pea 34 Very top
2/22/10
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35 Denomination of Islam 39 Wimbledon’s official timekeeper 42 Stevie Wonder’s “__ She Lovely” 45 Perplexing problem 46 Against 49 Annual 50 Six-Day War country
2/22/10
53 Setting for van Gogh’s “The Night Café” 54 Wing: Prefix 55 Fontana di Trevi city 56 Tied, as a game 57 Lascivious 58 Darling 59 Mist 60 Fruity summer drinks 65 Educ. support gp.
Sudoku
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.
wednesday, NOVEMBER 21, 2012 7
The california Aggie
College campuses seeing double Delving into twin relationships at same, different universities By ALYSSA KUHLMAN Aggie Features Writer
Meet James Oakley, a fourth-year English major. John Oakley, an international relations major, also attends UC Davis. They share friends and an apartment, but what brings them together? They share the same DNA. James and John both attend UC Davis. But not all twins go to the same university. Identical twins tend to possess more similar interests, while fraternal twins may look and behave in completely different ways. However, each embodies a unique individual beyond the mere identity of a twin. “I suppose we’re the stereotypical idea of identical twins,” James said. “[As kids] we were always interested in the same things, always interested in teamwork; the two of us together to accomplish one goal.” Going to the same school was a benefit for the boys because they were automatic roommates and instant friends. “Just having a companion [is the best part], and I’m fortunate that he’s interesting, that he has a personality,” John said. Fraternal twins, on the other hand, customarily lead very different lives, and may not even consider choosing the same college. Such is the case with Naomi Rich, a third-year community and regional development major, said of her and her fraternal twin sister Sara Rich, an underclassman at Chaffey Jr. College. “We usually had different goals … we would jokingly say we’d go to the same college, but it was never serious,” Naomi said. Naomi and her sister epitomize a common conception of fraternal twins. Naomi sports dirty blonde hair and Sara has brown hair. Each twin is completely opposite in personality and life goals. John and James, on the other hand, exemplify the stereotypical idea of identical twins who choose almost the same path in every aspect. Originally, John planned to attend UC Santa Barbara, but later chose UC Davis like his brother. The boys said that when they were growing up, they always participated in the same sports, always had the same interests and always had been naturally inseparable. However, slight differences in their interests eventually led to the twins studying different majors in college. “I was always a better writer; John was always better at history,” James said. Even if they had chosen separate schools, the pair believes that they each would have still been happy. Yet the two agree that they do not regret both choosing UC Davis, despite the trials of attaining a reputation as an individual instead of the collective twin. “I guess there were a lot of drawbacks going to the same school, but now I have a pretty good sense of who I am. At the same time, I wouldn’t have been as close to John as I am now [if we had chosen sep-
FEES Cont. from front page of the fees would allow for 18,000 additional students to be enrolled in the CSU system each year. The proposals were met with protest by students in the CSU system. “I believe it’s unfair to raise tuition for students who are taking longer to graduate, while at the same time cutting funding for the classes and programs people need to graduate in their major,” said Michaela Mackenzie, a second-year biological anthropology major at San Francisco State. “Nobody wants to take extra time to graduate.” These “price signals,” according to the press release, are intended to lead to “better decision-making by students” when signing up for classes and therefore freeing up seats. This would allow more students to enroll. “The logic seems completely backwards,” Mackenzie said. Gov. Jerry Brown attended the meeting in Long Beach, according to a media advisory from the governor’s office. He thanked the board for postponing the vote and allowing further time for consideration, according to Laurel Rosenhall, Capitol Alert blogger for the Sacramento Bee. Brown also thanked those at the meeting for their help in passing Proposition 30, which will provide the CSU system with an additional $125 million. He acknowledged that the proposition is not a cure-all solution and that public education in California will still face challenges. In the University of California (UC) system, it does not appear that similar graduation incentive fees will be proposed anytime soon. “In my tenure with the UC, which goes back to 1998, I don’t think the Regents have ever taken this issue up,” said Chris Carter, director of budget operations and administrative budget for the UC Davis Budget & Institutional Analysis office. “I’m not aware of these types of fees going before the Regents in my tenure, and I also do not recall university leaders ever discussing such fees. The UC has not adopted differential tuition for students who are repeating a course.” A UC Davis student echoed the sentiments of CSU students. “Tuition fees are increasing exponentially,” said Douglass Taber, a fifth-year political science major. “I don’t think it’s fair to ask students to take more out of their pockets.” MEREDITH STURMER can be reached at city@ theaggie.org.
arate schools],” James said. “I can understand why other twins want to separate, but I can’t imagine meeting for a break and talking about individual experiences.” Those who do go to a different school than their twin tend to develop a greater sense of individuality among the public. “I would not have had to go outside of my comfort zone as much because she was generally the more outgoing one,” Naomi said of her sister. Third-year chemistry and psychology major Kelsey Cox said her experience living apart from her identical sister Kaitlyn Cox, a student at Copper Mountain College, was similar. “I’ll forget sometimes that I’m a twin, because people don’t come up and say, ‘Oh, you’re Katy’s sister,’” Kelsey said. Although she was first tempted by the benefits of having her twin so geographically close to her, Kelsey said that separation has been healthy for both her sister and for her. “I definitely think being separated is a lot better … I would feel guilty if she was going to the same school just to be with me,” Kelsey said. “The sense of independence you get on your own wouldn’t be the same as having that security blanket of having your twin here.” While Naomi said she always enjoyed more individuality from her twin due to their very different physical characteristics and distinct interests, Kelsey said she had a newfound independence from her twin’s identity upon entering college and grew closer to her sister after separating. “We were not very close; as soon as we got into separate rooms and separate houses, we became closer,” Kelsey said. After all, being constantly mistaken for “the other one,” or what’s known as the collective twin, Kelsey said, does not leave room for much normal experience of individuality. While twins share a close bond, they also endure the assumptions of people who don’t have a twin. “I used to get annoyed when people couldn’t tell we were twins … they just thought we were the same person who changed clothes throughout the day. That was really frustrating,” Kelsey said. John said that an aspect of having a twin is the inevitability of being categorized. “It used to really bother me, but I don’t care anymore. I think it’s just a matter of being around people enough. I mean, I’ll get twins mixed up sometimes, and that’s sucky when that happens to me,” James said. Although the worst part of being a twin might not stem from the bond with your twin but rather from the way others perceive you, twins conclude that there are many irreplaceable positive aspects of being a twin that overshadow the negative. “At the end of the day, you always have
Mark Allinder / Aggie
Identical twin brothers James Oakley and John Oakley attend UC Davis together. a friend; you can stand up for each other, [and] the goodness in her I can always defend [and vice versa] no matter what other people say,” Naomi said. Kelsey said her relationship with her twin is similar, despite their distance. “You can’t really put it into words. I really
mistake, and even more guilty for not being honest. But I don’t want to destroy Dan’s trust in me, and maybe even end my engagement Cont. from page 2 to the guy that I really love. Is honesty always Then a week later, I remembered the feelings the best policy? of insecurity I experienced being with Brad — Paula, in Wisconsin the guy who won’t commit to much of anything … So, I ended that. And then, I realized Dear Paula, how much I respected and cared for Dan. So, I called him up, apologized for my “random” Doc Joe: Yes. behavior, and told him that I never wanted to Katy Ann: No… lose him. (That was honest). He said, “Okay. Doc Joe: …Well, we’re off to a good start. Let’s try. At least it wasn’t about another guy.” Katy Ann: Joe, this is really complicated. (I just let that ride … ) Doc Joe: I agree. You have to balance out We got back together, and have had a great the “rightness” of truth and honesty with the relationship since that time. I am totally loyal damage that the truth can cause. That is unand committed. In fact, if any guy starts talking less the truth is always right … with me, I start with, “My boyfriend, Dan…” Katy Ann: Let’s look at the situation. Paula is Well, last week, Dan proposed to me. He said: very committed to Dan. She is, now, very loy“What I love about you most is your honesty al to Dan and Dan recognizes this. She loves him, and Dan recognizes this. The issue of and loyalty. Let’s get married next month.” I was stunned; all I could say was “Awesome” honesty relates to a past “mistake” that Paula … Yes. And then I cried. At first I cried out of made. It’s in the past. happiness. Then, I cried out of guilt. (I never Doc Joe: Yes, but he asked Paula to marry him, believing her to be honest and loyal. Does he did tell Dan about my affair with Brad). We are planning to have a small wedding have a right to know about her “mistake?” Was that just part of the “dating” or “hanging during our Christmas vacation. What should I do? Should I tell Dan about out” process? I know that this is a tough one. the affair that I had with Brad? Holding on to You’re big on loyalty. this lie is really hard! I feel totally guilty for my Katy Ann: You know that. It’s about faithful-
ASKDOC
CANCER Cont. from page 3 “There are three main targeted interventions currently approved for treating lung cancer … in general, these drugs occasionally or often yield a dramatic response, but unfortunately, these responses are of limited duration.” After testing HB22.7 on mouse models for lung cancer, the treatment reduced tumor growth in the treated mice by about 50 per-
cent. Lung cancer metastasis, the cancer cells’ ability to circulate through the bloodstream and implant in other organs, was studied as well, using the mouse models. There was very little evidence of any tumor growth and the growth that was spotted was insignificant. Also, the treated mice had a much higher survival rate than the untreated mice; 90 percent of the treated mice were still alive at the end of the 84-day trial. “It has been an exciting time recently for lung cancer research,”
appreciate being a twin … they just understand you, you understand them, there’s nothing that can compare,” Kelsey said. “Even if you annoy each other so much, you still just ‘get’ each other.” ALYSSA KUHLMAN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
ness and devotion to a person! But here, I am wondering if it’s a greater expression of Paula’s devotion to keep silent about rather than share her guilt and live up to his belief that she will be an honest and loyal wife. Doc Joe: I guess the question is, truth at what cost? Also, we do need to keep in mind that Dan might find out about the affair at some future time. You just never know for sure. Katy Ann: That would be worse. Part of the problem is that we don’t know how Dan would handle the truth … Doc Joe: … I’m thinking not well. But, in the end, I am coming down on the side of honesty. That way, if Paula and Dan can make it as a couple, they will be off to an honest start. Katy Ann: Hmm. I’m not there, yet. I don’t think that Paula needs to clear her conscience in order to be a faithful and devoted wife. In this case, I think that lovingness would be to let go of her guilt over the “big mistake,” and take good care of her man. Paula, follow your heart. Doc Joe: Two perspectives. And, there you have it. If you’d like to get Ask Doc Joe & Katy Ann advice, please contact us at askdocjoeandkatyann@aol.com. Include your name, state of residence and your question, along with a brief description of the situation.
said Dr. Edward B. Garon, assistant clinical professor and director at the Thoracic Oncology Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “We have been in a situation where we have been able to start working towards personalizing care for a percentage of patients … our ability to treat the disease is [overall] more effective.” In medical research, many fields of study overlap and together bring about solutions to common problems. Cancer research is no different.
“We are looking into prostate cancer and other cancer types,” Tuscano said. “Research in one area is often beneficial to many areas … [This] research may help us understand many cancers or many diseases.” The research will aid in the battle against life-threatening cancers of all types and will hopefully send cancer to the bottom of the Center for Disease Control’s deadliest disease list. NICOLE NOGA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.
The california Aggie
8 wednesDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Sacramento State Records: Aggies 0-2, Hornets 3-0 Where: The Nest — Sacramento, Calif. When: Tuesday night 7:35 p.m. Who to watch: The Aggies have placed a huge emphasis on the importance of rebounding this season. Senior Ryan Howley has taken the message to heart, earning 22 rebounds through the first two games. Sixteen of his grabs have come on the defensive end of the paint, which is exactly what the UC Davis defense needs to do this year. The Flagstaff, Ariz. native was bested by his hometown Northern Arizona team in a 85-82 contest. The senior almost completed his second doubledouble of the season, managing 9 rebounds and 10 points. Did you know? Sophomore Corey Hawkins earned 30 points in his second ever collegiate game. He is the first Aggie to break the 30-point mark in a game since Eddie Miller scored 35 against UC Riverside last February. Preview: UC Davis is an incredibly dynamic team and while they are currently 0-2, that record should start to turn around soon. This is a new roster that is reliant on the talents and poise of younger players. This will be Hawkins’ third ever game for UC Davis and yet the expectations surrounding his performance harken back to the days of former Aggie Mark Payne. The loss to Northern Arizona was a disappointment, but it was far from a blow out. The Aggies had some defensive struggles early but they were able to turn it around and go on a run at the end that almost toppled the Lumberjacks’ lead. Sacramento State is another talented rival with an electric roster. UC Davis is headed to hostile territory, but they cannot afford to repeat the same first half mistakes they made on Sunday. This is not a team that can play from behind. Indeed, this is a team with enough offensive skill that it should not have to come from behind. Connecting that incredible offense with a strong defense has been their goal for the year and the Aggies have made improvements even though they have yet to walk away with a win. Coach Les has complimented his
News iN Brief
UC Berkeley football coach fired
Aggies. This group wants a win badly and they may be able to pull it off against the Hornets. In fact, a victory in Sacramento would give them the confidence they will need as they head on a road trip to Nevada and Idaho.
UC Berkeley fired its football coach, Jeff Tedford, on Tuesday after the Bears fizzled out to close a forgettable 2012 season. California concluded its season 3-9, which was Tedford’s worst record in his 11-year stint as head coach. The Bears had a strong optimistic outlook on the season, with the newly renovated Memorial Stadium that cost the Bears $321 million. UC Berkeley’s season didn’t look so bad seven games into the season, when it stood with a 3-4 conference record that included a 43-17 thrashing of then-No. 25 UCLA, who has since gone on to win the South Division of the Pac-12 conference and taken the No. 15 spot. The Bears proceeded to fall in their final five games, outscored 212-74 over that stretch. Oregon State put the Bears out of their misery with a 62-14 win to conclude the disappointing 2012 Bears campaign. California closed the season 2-7 in conference with a 3-9 record overall. This was the second of only two losing seasons for the Bears under Tedford, contributing to California’s 23-27 record over the past four years. On Tuesday, University of California Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour announced Tedford’s dismissal, indicating a change of direction for the Golden Bear football program. Tedford maintained an 82-57 record from 2002-11 and is the winningest coach in UC Berkeley’s history. His five bowl-game wins, 139 games coached and 50 conference victories are all school records. Under Tedford, the Bears finished the 2004 season — Aaron Rodgers’ final season at California — with a No. 9 final AP ranking and a 10-2 (7-1) record, while finishing 10-3 (7-2) in 2006 earned them a share of the Pac-10 conference title and a No. 14 final AP ranking. Players such as Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson are a couple of the bigger names that went through the UC Berkeley football program under Tedford. Tedford is still owed $6.9 million for the final three years of his contract, which consisted of a $2.3 million salary per year. Tedford was the highest-paid employee of the entire UC system. The disappointing season for the Bears closed on Saturday, and California will look for someone else to lead the team into the next era playing on the new Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley.
— Kim Carr
— Matthew Yuen
Bijan Agahi / Aggie
Senior Ryan Howley scored 10 points in the second half against Northern Arizona. The Aggies lost 85-82. team’s work ethic to date. “They’re here and they’re putting the hours in. It will come together soon,” he said. This is the second Causeway Classic in two weeks, since football matched up with Sac State last Saturday. It is now a matter of when for the
WOMEN’S volleyball PREVIEW WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis at Pacific Records: Aggies, 16-14 (10-7); Tigers, 20-10 (9-9) Where: Alex G. Spanos Center — Stockton, Calif. When: Saturday at 7 p.m. Who to Watch: Sophomore middle blocker Victoria Lee established herself as a legitimate force on this Aggies squad the last time these two teams matched up together. The 6-foot middle blocker not only posted a career-high 10 blocks in the match, but she also had a team-best .500 hitting average to go along with seven kills. Not only is this the final match of the season for the Aggies, but it will also be the final match in which Lee will play without heavy expectations on her shoulders. Lee and fellow sophomore middle Katie Quinn have both Victoria Lee established a precedent for Sophomore themselves this season and with senior outside Allison Whitson graduating, the Aggies will be looking to fill that offensive void elsewhere. Look for solid play from Lee on Saturday night and for years to come. Did you know? Attention Aggie fans. For those planning to attend the team’s season finale in Stockton this Saturday: Please be sure to make cheers as clear and specific as possible. Things may get a bit confusing as sisters Allison Whitson and Kimmy Whitson square off against each other for the second time this season. As many are probably aware, Allison is a fourth-year senior and has been a key offensive contributor for all the years she has attended UC Davis. However, what most do not know is that her younger sister, Kimmy, is a freshman setter at the University of Pacific and is a rising star in their program. As Allison finishes up her Big West career Saturday night, it seems only fitting that she face off against her younger sister and passes the torch on to yet another budding talent in the Whitson family.
Look for these two sisters to perform well against each other in a quest for bragging rights. Preview: And then there was one. UC Davis will travel to the University of Pacific this Saturday night to play their final game of the season. Last weekend marked a special moment for this year’s seniors, as they completed their final game within the friendly confines of the UC Davis Pavilion. However, this weekend will be a whole different animal, as this is, in fact, their final volleyball game as members of the UC Davis Aggies squad. As the final game approaches, coach Jamie Holmes is filled with nothing but great memories and admiration for her three seniors — Allison Whitson, Caroline Mercado and Kaitlyn Plum. “I can’t believe it. I am so excited and so proud of all their careers,” said Holmes. “Kaitlyn Plum has been at UC Davis my entire career. With her I think we are graduating such a mentally strong and competitive kid.” Caroline Mercado has recorded over 1,000 career digs while at Davis, placing herself among elite company in the program’s long history. “Caroline Mercado has really been the heart and passion of our team. In the offseason she is always establishing a strong work ethic as well as the excitement of getting better when no one is watching,” Holmes said. As for Whitson, Holmes preferred to let the statistics speak for themselves. “Whitson’s statistics will show you how much we are going to miss her. She has played in every single set since she has been here at Davis and has been our leading point scorer since freshman year,” Holmes said. So on Saturday night, it will all come to a close. Three of UC Davis’ finest will wrap up their careers, leaving behind a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten. — PK Hattis
Teams: UC Davis vs. Navy; at Houston Baptist Records: Aggies, 0-2; Midshipmen, 1-2; Huskies, 1-3 Where: Sharp Gym — Houston, Texas When: Friday at 3 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. Who to watch: UC Davis graduated five players last year, each of them with their own legacy. With some of the top-scorers in the Aggies’ history leaving, UC Davis needed someone to put points on the board. Enter Sydnee Fipps. The sophomore showed promise last year but never truly got the opportunity to display her full capabilities. Fipps has stepped up in big ways for UC Davis two games into the season, setting a career-high of 19 points scored in the season opener, then shattering that mark with 26 points in the ensuing games. UC Davis has dropped both of the games, but Fipps’ 45 points on the season is an encouraging statistic for the Aggies as they look for different ways to replace the holes left by last year’s graduating seniors. Did you know? UC Davis brought in five freshman this year, and each one of them has gotten substantial playing time in the season. Molly Greubel, Alyson Doherty, Celia Marfone, Heidi Johnson and Aniya Baker are all gaining valuable experience early in the season, and head coach Jennifer Gross is excited for the future of UC Davis basketball. “We recruited these freshmen to come in and be ready to play right away so we felt like they could have an immediate impact,” Gross said. “Getting them confidence and minutes in the games is really helping; we just have to give them time because they’re young.” Preview: The UC Davis women’s basketball team will be traveling to Texas on Thanksgiving Day, so the feasting will
have to wait. The Aggies will be competing in the Houston Baptist Husky Classic this weekend, matching up with Navy first, then Houston Baptist on Saturday. “Both teams bring different things, so it’ll be a good opportunity to see different defenses and offenses,” Gross said. “We’ve had a tremendous week of practices where we get to focus on ourselves and on improving and I’m hoping we’ll be ready to play this weekend.” The Aggies are 0-2 on the season, dropping their first game to Pepperdine at the Pavilion by a score of 83-68. UC Davis is still taking time to figure out some of the kinks in the team, as it also fell to San Francisco 72-65 in the next game. “Obviously we want to win games, but I think we’ve taken big strides for our team; everybody’s just getting better day by day,” Gross said. “We have players trying to figure out their roles on the team, figuring out how they can use their talents for this team in the system that we run.” Fipps’ performance in the two games was impressive, but the Aggies have gotten encouraging looks from several young players as well. Greubel knocked down 16 points in her debut in front of the Davis home crowd against the Waves. Senior Blair Shinoda, one of the top scorers for the Aggies last year, will almost definitely return to form and contribute more in the future. UC Davis will be hoping to put up their first win of the season and Gross is optimistic of the opportunities for the team. “I’m confident that we’re going to be better when more players are giving us different contributions every game,” Gross said. “I’m excited to see a bunch of different people to step up and we’re ready to win this weekend.” —Matthew Yuen
