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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
Today’s weather Rain High 63 Low 44
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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High 63 Low 46
courtesy
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