December 6, 2012

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

www.theaggie.org

volume 131, number 114

News iN Brief

Finals study session hosted at Mondavi Center A study session during finals week will be hosted at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts lobby on Dec. 10, from noon to 5 p.m.

Free coffee will be offered all day, along with tables and power outlets. A ticket raffle will also be held.

This will be the first time the Mondavi Center has hosted an event like this.

According to Aggie Arts intern Maizy Enck, the idea came about at the summer orientation for interns.

“We have worked to create an event that caters to students’ study needs by providing free coffee and a comfortable study space,” Enck said in an email interview.

Enck said that classical music will also be played, because it has been shown to help maintain focus while studying.

“We know that finals weeks is an especially stressful time for UC Davis students, and as a part of the UC Davis campus, we here at the Mondavi Center feel it is our duty to help ease this stress any way we can. We hope that by providing an additional study space students will experiences less stress and have a more pleasant finals experience,” she said.

This event also offers UC Davis students the chance to interact with the Mondavi Center in a new way, according to Enck.

The Fusion Fresh Café, a food truck located right outside the Mondavi Center, will also be available to students.

Memorial Union adjusts hours The Memorial Union (MU) will adjust its hours for finals week and winter break, according to Building Services and Risk Management with Campus Recreation and Unions.

The MU will be open Dec. 15 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 17 to 21, Dec. 26 to 28 and Jan. 2 to 3 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Coffee House (CoHo) will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Bookstore will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on these days as well.

The MU, ASUCD Coffee House and Bookstore will be closed Dec. 22 to 25 and Dec. 29 to Jan. 1.

The MU will resume usual hours Jan. 4.

— Muna Sadek

thursday, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Davis works to meet vegetation height standards for Burrowing Owls Burrowing Owl Preservation Society claims city failed to meet standards

courtesy of William H. Majoros

Burrowing Owl Preservation Society CEO Catherine Portman claimed the city is failing to uphold the management plan for the Burrowing Owl reserve. The land was illegally tilled in 2000, disrupting the Burrowing Owl habitat.

By KAMILA KUDELSKA Aggie News Writer

In 2000, the Mace Ranch Community Park was illegally tilled, affecting the Burrowing Owl habitat. As a result, in 2004, the City of Davis agreed to a conservation easement to protect 33 acres of the Burrowing Owl habitat at the Yolo County Grasslands Park. It was intended to replace the tilled, or disked, habitat at the Mace Ranch Community Park.

The City of Davis hired an independent company, Albion Environmental, Inc., to write up a management plan as part of the mitigation agreement for the new reserve to protect the Burrowing Owl habitat.

CEO and co-founder of the Burrowing Owl Preservation Society Catherine Portman claimed the city is failing to uphold the goals of this management plan.

“Grasslands is just one local example of a statewide failure of the current California Environmental Quality Act provisions. The public thinks mitigation for a taken habitat is happening,” Portman said.

According to the California Office of Historic Preservation, the California Environmental Quality Act requires that state and local public agencies identify any environmental impacts caused by projects and reduce or eliminate these impacts.

One of the main objectives of the plan is to uphold vegetation height and density in a range suitable for the year-round occupancy of Burrowing Owls. Another objective is to maintain a sufficient amount of burrows for Burrowing Owls to use as safety and for nesting in the reserve.

To ensure that these objectives are met,

the management plan calls for biannual reports, in which the vegetation height is measured and the numbers of burrows are deemed sufficient.

In the first half of April, the height of vegetation should be no taller than five inches, and the number of burrows should maintain a minimum of five suitable burrows per acre. The second report occurs in July, in which the vegetation height should be no greater than four inches. The number of burrows should stay a minimum of five per acre.

“The central issue is that vegetation [height] has not been maintained in the standards of the plan,” said Jack Barclay, the independent biologist who wrote the management plan under Albion Environmental, Inc.

See OWL, page 8

Student Assistants to the Chancellor host Prop. 30 forum

Athletics department hires dog for football games

Students and administrators discuss UC Davis budget

Pint picks up football tees, becomes new face of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

By LAUREN MASCARENHAS Aggie News Writer

The celebration over the passage of Proposition 30 has died down, and now many students are left with burning questions about what happens next. In Griffin Lounge this past Tuesday, Kelly Ratliff, the UC Davis vice chancellor for Budget and Institutional Analysis, answered these questions.

Organized by the Student Assistants to the Chancellor (SAC), the event, titled “Prop.

30 Passed … Now What?,” provided students with a forum where they could learn about the school’s budget and get their questions about the UC’s budget and the proposition answered.

Many saw Prop. 30 as far from being the silver bullet for the UC’s financial problems.

“What Prop. 30 did was prevent the next cut. It did not allocate us any more money. It gave us a chance to stabilize where we are,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff also discussed what is being done to fix UC Davis’ $56 million budget shortfall for 2012-13 and what it means for students.

According to Ratliff, talk

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of budget can often feel like an overwhelming amount of numbers, but the numbers tell a story.

“This is the story many of you have been living,” Ratliff explained as she began going through the ins and outs of tuition costs and budget allocations.

Students in attendance wondered how all of this will affect their tuition costs.

“This year there [were] no increases in tuition,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff explained that UC Davis organized a tuition agreement with the state this year. In return for keeping tuition costs the same this year, the state will give the school money next year.

The passage of Prop. 30 means no mid-year tuition increases for students either. If the state carries through with their deal, the same deal may be made next year, meaning no tuition increases then as well.

The projected revenue for this year is $3.6 billion, with 40 percent coming from the medical center, 11 percent coming from tuition and 8 percent coming from state unrestricted funds.

The university’s funds will go to academic salaries and wages (18 percent), staff salaries and

wages (33 percent), benefits (16 percent), supplies and equipment (25 percent) and scholarships (seven percent).

According to Ratliff, the shortfall in the UC Davis budget has caused class sizes to increase. It has also prompted an increase in ladder faculty who are actually teaching classes.

The University has been looking into strategies to fix the budget deficit. The campus plans to try to increase the enrollment of out-of-state and international undergraduate students, as they pay nearly $7,000 more than what in-state students pay per quarter, according to the Student Fees Fact Sheet by Budget and Institutional Analysis.

They also hope to save energy through efficiency efforts.

While the campus has grown in the past five years, energy consumption has gone down.

The UC Regents also made a budget proposal in mid-November. The governor’s budget proposal will be released Jan. 10.

“Our whole campus is in anticipation for January,” said ASUCD Controller Melanie Maemura.

Students are encouraged to get involved in this process that

Forecast For those of you who like the sun, great weather is on its way and at least through the next week it will be, “Not too bad.”

Tyson Tilmont, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

See SAC, page 2

Shazib Haq / Aggie

Pint, a two-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, picks up tees after a kickoff during the Sac State game.

By RITIKA IYER

Aggie Features Writer

UC Davis sporting events boast many crazy things, including interesting costumes, wild fans and lots of blue and gold. But when most Aggies go to a home football game, seeing a dog running on the field is at the bottom of their list of

Friday

Saturday

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expectations.

However, since the end of October, UC Davis football home game attendees can see Pint, a two-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, picking up the on-field tees after kickoffs.

When UC Davis Assistant Athletic

See PINT, page 8

Last publication of the quarter! I know you’re sad, but we have to take finals too.

Good luck studying!

Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 thursday, DECEMBER 6, 2012

Watt’s legal?

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

TODAY Pastries for Preemies 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Moss Room, third floor of the UC Davis Memorial Union If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth before finals begin, attend Pastries for Preemies, a baked-goods extravaganza by UC Davis March of Dimes. One ticket gets you a bag to fill with any of the delicious cupcakes, brownies, cookies and more.

Milk and coffee also provided. Tickets are $3 presale, $4 at the door. Contact ucdmod@gmail.com for tickets.

Championing Beckett: Ruby Cohn and Her Legacy with Samuel Beckett 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Main Theatre, Wright UC Davis ITDP presents “Championing Beckett: Ruby Cohn and Her Legacy with Samuel Beckett,” a panel discussion examining the writing of the late Ruby Cohn, UC Davis professor emerita and renowned theater scholar and Samuel Beckett specialist. For more information go to theatredance.ucdavis.edu.

penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes (you name it) and join your fellow musicians for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer, and world music over the lunch hour. All skill levels and listeners welcome. For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

Lecture-Recital 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

115 Music Attend this free recital and lecture with Brittany Huynh playing the harp.

Voice Recital 4 to 5 p.m.

115 Music Watch this free performance of tenor singer Andrew Hudson.

University Chorus 7 to 9 p.m.

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center Watch the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Boychoir in this concert.

Tickets are $8 for students and children and $12 to 17 for adults.

ALotta Capella

12:05 to 1 p.m.

115 Music Watch this free performance of Gamelan Ensemble with director Henry Spiller.

8 to 10 p.m.

123 Sci Lec Attend this concert featuring a variety of local a cappella groups. Tickets will be available at the Aggie Ticket Office and prices are $5 pre-sale and $7 at the door.

Orientation Leader & First-Year Experience Information Session

SATURDAY

Shinkoskey Noon Concert

3 to 3:45 p.m.

1065 Kemper If you want to share your Aggie pride, consider applying for orientation leader or first-year experience peer adviser positions in Student Housing. This info session will outline the positions, selection process and application instructions.

BME Seminar Alumni Series 4 to 5 p.m.

1005 GBSF, Main Floor Auditorium Join Dr. Scott Hazelwood, associate professor of Cal Poly SLO, in his seminar entitled “Career Path to Academia and Bone Research.” For more information, contact bmealumniseminar@ucdavis.edu.

Kirtan Night 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Cal Aggie Christian House, 433 Russell Blvd.

Anybody and everybody is welcome to join Sikh Cultural Association’s last Kirtan Night of the quarter. Free food is always available after singing of hymns is over.

Women’s Basketball 7 to 9 p.m.

ARC Pavilion Watch the women’s basketball team play against Saint Mary’s.

Poetry Night Reading Series 8 to 10 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St. The Poetry Night Reading Series welcomes Joshua McKinney. For more information, email Rachel Riley at rgriley@ucdavis.edu or visit the website poetryindavis.com.

FRIDAY Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins,

Blue-Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage 1 to 3 p.m.

ARC Pavilion Get a preview of the women’s gymnastics team in this split-squad event.

DECEMBER 12 Walk With Warren — West End Gardens Noon to 1 p.m.

Meet at Gazebo Join Warren Roberts, the Superintendent Emeritus of the Arboretum and famous storyteller and punster for an alwaysengaging noontime exploration of our West End gardens. For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

DECEMBER 15 Guided Tour: Crazy about Conifers 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Arboretum Headquarters, La Rue Road Explore the UC Davis Arboretum evergreens — pines, cedars, firs, junipers and cypresses — in the Conifer Collection, and learn how they enhance the landscape. The tour leaves from Arboretum Headquarters on La Rue Road. This event is free and so is parking on the weekends. For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

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.

voice of students is necessary to aid the UC’s budgetary state.

“Students telling their stories is the best way, I think, to influence the process,” Ratliff said.

A recorded version of Ratliff’s presentation can be found atustream.tv/ channel/prop-30-passednow-what.

SAC

Cont. from front page will be deciding many of their futures.

“We are trying to inform people so they have the correct information if they decide they want to reach out to their legislators and advocate,” said Student Assistant to the Chancellor Artem Trotsyuk.

LAUREN MASCARENHAS can be reached Ratiff agreed that the 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.

The california Aggie

By DANIEL WATTS Question: My car got towed while I was parked next to a coffee shop. From my seat inside, I saw the tow truck drive up and hitch itself to my car. I ran outside and told the driver I’d move the car. He said he wouldn’t stop, since he already started the tow. I started opening my car door, and he said I could get my stuff out, but only if I “moved faster than him”. Now my car is sitting in an impound lot, accumulating $80 per day in ransom fees. As a student, I can’t afford to pay the fee, and I’m worried I’ll lose my car. Is it legal for a tow truck to tow my car when I’m practically sitting inside of it?

— Melinda A., UC Davis student living in San Francisco, CA Answer: It depends on whether you were on private property or public property.

You’ve got a lot more rights when parked in a private parking lot that’s open to the public and free to park.

In a free, private lot open to the public, if you or your agent (a friend or family member) tell the driver to stop towing the car, the driver must immediately and unconditionally release your vehicle as long as it hasn’t been removed from the property yet. It’s against the law for them to refuse to release it when you’re standing right there in the parking lot, telling

them to stop.

Also relevant: How long had you been parked there?

Because regardless of what the posted signs say, a private property owner can’t tow your car from a private lot open to the public unless it’s been sitting there for at least one hour.

There are a few exceptions. Among them, the lot must be free to park in. For example, the lots behind Jamba Juice, in front of the Vietnamese restaurant on First Street, or next to Bank of America in Davis are free to park in.

The lot near Baskin Robbins is not.

You could get towed from the Baskin Robbins lot immediately (if the signs say so), but you cannot be legally towed from the others unless you’ve been there for an hour. However, if you park in a disabled space, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, in a fire lane or block the property’s entrance or exit, they don’t have to wait an hour to tow you.

But if you were parked in the parking lot of a residential apartment complex or in a hotel parking lot (in a space marked for a specific hotel room), you can be towed immediately.

And finally, the property owner cannot tow you unless a sign is posted saying that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. This sign, by the way, must measure at least 17 inches by 22 inches.

Penalties against the property owner are severe.

Potentially, you can get a lot of money if you sue them for violations.

For towing your car when it’s been parked less than an hour, the property owner is liable for twice the towing and storage charges, under California Vehicle Code Section 22953(e). The towing company itself may be liable for four times the towing and storage charges if they don’t try to determine whether the property owner has complied with the one-hour requirement [according to] CVC Section 22658(l)(5). The company also owes you quadruple damages for failing to accept Visa, Discover, Mastercard or American Express cards as payment for the towing and storage.

You can sue either the tow company or the property owner in small claims court, which isn’t too difficult. (Avid Reader in downtown Davis has a great section on legal self-help books by a company called Nolo).

But if your car was parked on the public street and towed for having more than five parking tickets, you’re mostly screwed. But even then, you still have rights against the towing company if they damage your car, charge more than one day’s storage fees if you pick it up within 24 hours, fail to accept American Express or commit a half-dozen other common violations.

Check the California Vehicle Code on the DMV’s website for more information.

Question: I read your last column about Facebook’s Terms of Service, and it got me thinking. What’s to stop Facebook from making you agree to give them your first-born child?

— Carl R., Santa Clara, CA A: The Thirteenth Amendment.

Seriously, though, slavery is unconstitutional. You cannot sell yourself into slavery, and you cannot sell other people into slavery.

And not all contracts are valid, regardless of whether both parties agree to their terms. The courts will not enforce unconscionable contracts or contracts that violate state or federal law.

This applies to all contracts, not just online terms of service.

For example, though your landlord might think otherwise, that lease you signed cannot waive your right to a habitable apartment, which California courts have defined as one that includes a deadbolt lock and a functioning heater, among other things. If your apartment does not have a deadbolt or if the heater is broken, there’s a good argument you don’t owe rent until the problem is fixed.

You can check out caltenantlaw.com for more examples of unenforceable provisions in lease agreements.

Daniel is a Sacramento attorney, former Davis City Council candidate, and graduate of UC Davis School of Law. He’ll answer questions sent to him at governorwatts@ gmail.com or tweeted to @governorwatts.

Meet Vanessa Correa, UC’s Creative Director Correa shares her approach to the new visual identity of UC

By STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN Aggie News Writer

Vanessa Correa, creative director for the University of California (UC), led the design team that unveiled the rebranding of the UC system last month. With a background in graphic design, Correa is a force in the art world. In an email interview, she provided insight into her job, her goals in creating the UC logo and how powerful good design can be.

The Aggie: What does your job as creative director of UC Office of the President entail?

Correa: I work closely with UC’s creative team and other creative partners to set the overall tone and look of our systemwide materials. I often act as the primary advocate to internal and external audiences for the concepts and work that our group produces. I’m both the coach and the cheerleader.

What was your vision for the new visual identity of the UC? When we started, our goals were twofold: first, to reinstate the systemwide seal’s authority and gravitas after years of casual, indiscriminate use; and second, to create a coherent

identity that would help us tell the UC story in an authentic, distinctive, memorable and thoughtful way.

We knew that to be successful, we’d have to capture the essential qualities of California — qualities that are also essential to UC, such as being pioneering and innovative. We kept in mind the distinctive visual culture found here in California. Our state is not only a national leader but an international leader as well, so our focus on expressing the “Californianess” of the university meant thinking about how we could lead with our visual identity, too.

What are three adjectives you would use to describe the look and feel of the UC system as a whole?

Optimistic. Visionary. Essential.

In 2010, a book you designed to present to then Gov. Schwarzenegger led to restored funding of $305 million to the UC system. Can you tell us about the concept and design behind the book?

The design work we did was just one piece of very complex, long-standing and deliberate work done on the part of not just UC’s administrators, but also the students, faculty and staff.

That said, we can engage decision-

makers with great design, and it’s a powerful tool for changing hearts and minds.

The 2010 brochure we developed was on behalf of all three segments of California’s public higher education system, and it was created on a shoestring budget. Nevertheless, it was greeted enthusiastically by state lawmakers and went on to receive regional and national design accolades.

It proves that good design doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. It just needs to be thoughtful.

In general, how do you think good graphic design works with today's communication and technology to influence decisions?

Design is the driver and the motivator. Design is the shape of our cares.

It signals our values. Some argue that design is the icing on the cake, the “make-it-pretty” moment. But this ignores the fact that shaping “content” is an expression of your (or your organization’s) point of view. It’s the language of priorities, and it influences everything from politics to commerce to personal relationships.”

Tell us a little about your back-

See CORREA, page 6

Yolo County Archives receives “People’s History” donation Restore/Restory Project helps archives expand

By PAAYAL ZAVERI

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief

Zenita Singh Opinion Editor

Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

Joey Chen Copy Chief

Jonathan Wester Business Manager Caelum Shove Advertising Manager

Brian Nguyen Photography Editor Janice Pang Design Director

Muna Sadek Campus Editor

James Kim Asst. Design Director

Claire Tan City Editor

Amanda Nguyen Night Editor

Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor

Allison Ferrini Asst. Night Editor

Devon Bohart Features Editor

Irisa Tam Art Director

Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

David Ou New Media Director

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

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Aggie Staff Writer

The Yolo County Archives is aiming to preserve the unique history of Yolo County by pushing to make the archives more digitally accessible and relevant to the community. The Restore/Restory Project that was donated to the archives has put them a step closer to that goal.

“Yolo County Archives is an amazing resource for all things Yolo and we encourage the public to come in and explore,” said Patty Wong, Yolo County librarian and chief archivist, in a statement.

“Restore/Restory: A People’s History of the Cache Creek Nature Preserve” provides a collection of perspectives on the history of Yolo County.

Jesikah Maria Ross, the director of the Art of Regional

Change program at UC Davis, collected the material with the help of students, scholars and residents from Yolo County. It was a collaborative effort involving over 200 people over the course of two years.

“I think it's important to preserve and share local history generated by those who lived it for posterity,” Ross said in an email. “The county archives belongs to us, the people of Yolo County. It is our cultural and historical commons. I tapped into that commons to create Restore/ Restory and always planned to give back and add to it.

That's how a commons grows and develops.”

Ross started her research by talking to local historians Joann Larkey and Shipley Walter from the Yolo County Archives. She then worked with others to collect audio clips, photographs and documents.

A variety of people were interviewed to get many different perspectives on the Cache Creek area. Among those interviewed were members of the Cache Creek Conservancy, Yoche Dehe Wintun Nation, UC Davis Humanities Institute, UC Davis Center for Regional Change, Yolo County Historical Society, Capay Valley Vision, Tuleyome and Putah Creek Council.

The records Ross collected were used to create many innovative art media pieces, including a story map of community memories, an audio tour presenting multiple perspectives on local history, digital murals combining archival and contemporary images and an illustrated historical timeline of the preserve.

“I hope that the work I gathered and donated will help future artists, scholars, teachers and cultural work-

ers who are doing community history and memory projects,” Ross said. “I hope it's a useful resource for anyone who wants to know more about the history of our county from a people's perspective.”

According to Don Saylor, Yolo County supervisor for District 2, one of the exciting aspects of the Restore/ Restory Project is that it provides a complete collection of materials in digital form so the records are more easily preserved.

“It’s an ongoing collection of material and artifacts that define the unique history of Yolo County,” Saylor said. “The mission of the archives will be to preserve those materials for future generations and to assist the interpretations of the materials.”

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

OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, DECEMBER 6, 2012 3

editorials

Private support

Where’s the state?

According to the 2011-12 report on the UC system’s private support, funding from private donors has risen over the past decade. In 2008-09, UC received $1.3 billion in private funding.

In 2010-11, it received $1.58 billion.

This is good news for the UC system for obvious reasons. Support from private donors can help the UC provide funding for undergraduate, graduate and research programs, along with funding for UC-wide infrastructure. It is heartening to know that there are those who still believe in the UC system and want to support it.

However, there are some serious issues that could arise from the UC becoming dependent on private funding.

First, private donors can dictate how the money is spent. If an individual wants a specific building built with their money, the UC will build that building. If a company donates to a certain project, this could sway what

researchers choose to study.

Furthermore, while it is great that private funding has increased, we would rather see state funding increase. UC should not depend on a small number of individuals; rather, the state should make more efforts to continue to provide funding to the system.

The passage of Proposition 30 was important for the UC system, but it did not provide more money for schools, it merely stopped further cuts.

We would like to see increased state funding for the UC system. As a public institution, UC should be receiving the majority of its funding from the people of California and the state should be rethinking California’s priorities when it comes to spending. Education should be regarded as a top priority.

Although state legislatures have cited the UC Regents’ mismanagement of funds as a reason for disinvestment in the UC, we still feel nothing can change without state funding.

Home for the Holidays

Survival guide In a matter of days, young adults everywhere will be free from torturous finals and projects only to be released into the open arms of overbearing family members.

Although winter break is only three weeks, it definitely feels like a lifetime. We all leave school wanting to be home and realize within a few hours of returning to our hometowns that we need to be back at Davis.

Here at The Aggie, we specialize in avoiding the real world and have tips for weeks of being surrounded by people who make you want to choke on your own food.

We’ve compiled a list of foolproof tips to help you return to school without swearing off going home for the holidays ever again.

1. The first step in surviving the holidays with your family is oversleeping. Claim that you’re still exhausted from finals; show your parents that their money went to a hard-earned education.

2. Your new best friend is in liquid form. More than ever before will you crave to exist in a constant state of drunken bliss.

3. Make sure to catch up on all of your appointments: doctor checkups, haircuts, dentist visits, etc.

4. Take advantage of being home and having private, fast internet and television with a TiVo or DVR. Spend your hours “acquiring” music and catching up on television shows that you weren’t able to watch on your laptop due to the crappy internet connection at your apartment complex.

5. Save time and avoid the frustration of interacting with relatives by handing out note cards that summarize your year as well as your recent accomplishments.

6. Plan for the future. Apply for summer internships and jobs to guarantee that you have a reason to leave the house when spring quarter is over. If your holiday has already gone to shit within the first day or two of being reunited with high school friends and relatives, book those plane tickets or vacations for next year’s break now. You’ll thank yourself later.

This holiday season, stay sane and realize that you are done. With. Finals.

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

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

Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

Hudson Lofchie Science Editor Brian Nguyen Photography Editor

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GUEST OPINIONS

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

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

The California Aggie welcomes guest opinions from its readers.

Guest opinions must be typed with an approximate word count of 400 to 600. The same standards of letters to the editor apply to guest opinions.

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

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

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

The California Aggie.

editor@theaggie.org

courtesy newsday.com

Benjamin Chang

Seaweed

D

uring Summer Session II, I took ENL 178 with Professor Stephen Magagnini. The class description was dry, but it ended up being the most enjoyable, enlightening class I’ve taken at Davis.

This speaks volumes, because I generally do not like things.

On the last day, our class met at the professor’s house, where we took the final and had a potluck.

Over dinner, we realized just how much we would presumably miss one another, and someone commented that we should create a Facebook group to stay in touch. I volunteered to make the group, which is ridiculously out of character for me. For some reason I was feeling the good vibrations and the usual cynicism just wasn’t there.

But within a week or two, I acknowledged that the group was fucking dead, and that none of our “Kumbaya” dreams were going to come true. We don’t pretend that we’re all great friends, and it’s generally understood that

Jimmy Recinos

Here now

K

endrick Lamar once said, “Life is a traffic jam.”

Pedaling through the Davis Quad, as just one of over 32,000 students on this campus, I see traffic.

But raised from the concrete of Los Angeles, whose cracks swallow life every day, I know a jam bigger than a busy intersection.

Here’s how.

In a country deeply troubled by borders, Los Angeles is the pinnacle of turf warfare. Dubbed “Gang capital” of the nation, the streets of my city are claimed by over 45,000 “homies” in over 450 “hoods.”

The hood’s history goes back a long way, but a good starting point would be the “Zoot Suit Riots” of 1943, where LAPD sanctioned the beating of Latino and other youths by white sailors in a classic case of U.S. government-backed violence against “others.”

Almost 70 years later, war against “others” continues, but it’s not merely mindless “beef”

we’ve come and gone from each other’s lives.

Seaweed friendships are different, however.

They happen in life’s littoral zone, in shallow waters where it’s easier to leech sunlight. Seaweed friendships are those “friendships” you develop with the people you’ve reluctantly touched base with over the course of your college career.

Seaweed friendships are not particularly good or bad. They’re just there, limp green wrappers on your shitty sushi. You live in the same building as some random guy, and he insists on saying “hi” even though you don’t give a fuck about him, and he doesn’t give a fuck about you. He might break the monotony by suggesting “hanging out sometime.” And you’ll say, “Yeah, sounds good,” with absolutely no intention of following through, because what sounds even better is silence and solitude, away from seaweed friends.

That’s courtesy, I guess.

When you’re just walking around campus, it’s nice to see a friendly face.

But when you’re studying in the library and a seaweed friend goes out of their way to say “hi,” it’s pretty annoying.

You miss out on epiphany moments and you’re forcibly reminded of how pointless and shallow most college friendships actually are. Then you reflect on your existence as

a misanthropic butthole. in your college experience.

Seaweed friendships You don’t want to spend become especially palpa- four years surrounded by ble during ASUCD Senate only fake bitches and peoelections. Competition ple who don’t give a shit can get fierce, and your about you. vote truly does matter.

If you’re still a freshWith that in mind, candi- man, start building from dates stretch themselves the ground up. It’s not gothin to appeal to poten- ing to get any easier than tial voters. They’ll add it already is, when you you on Facebook. They’ll live in a dorm, have DC spout platitudes like “It swipes and don’t have as was great meeting you many personal and acatoday!” Whatever. demic responsibilities.

I get that candidates If you’re not a freshcan’t realistically befriend man, figure something every potential voter. The else out. Join some most efficient way is to clubs. Rush a fraternity. subscribe to a “standard” Talk to the people you of friendship, where you like and forget about meet the minimum re- the people you don’t.

Don’t let your existence quirements and move on.

I’m not saying this to become steeped in cyni c i s m , criticize any can- ... you’re forcibly reminded of where you wake up didates.

It’s good how pointless and shallow most and think, politics, college friendships actually are “Fuck the w o r l d . and I Nothing wouldn’t act any differently if I I do actually matters. I were running for Senate. hate everyone. Suck a Campaigning is just em- dick, reflection.”

That’s my life, gray niblematic of the shallow friendships that abound hilism interspersed with in college, and it’s a re- the occasional ray of minder that life is bu- sunlight. Writing for The Aggie has been one of reaucracy.

In the end, you can’t those rays, and I sincereexpect to be much more ly thank everyone who’s than a unit in a political made this experience a numbers game. That’s memorable and thoughtprovoking one. I’m not just the way it is.

Which makes it all the good at this sentimenmore important that you tal crap, so I’ll wrap it up. figure out your real friends Fuck your fake friends, and appreciate them for find your real ones and everything they are. It’s don’t be like me. That’s it. a sermon straight out of Elwood City, but it’s one of There’s no longer any point in contacting the most important factors BEN CHANG at bcchang@ucdavis.edu.

between descendants of those beaten youths. In 2012, the descendants of those white sailors are still attacking black and brown skin, but in badges; sanctioned.

Because in L.A. the police are also a gang — the most brutal one, as they shed the most blood on L.A.’s concrete but with immunity. On July 22 for example, 35-year-old Alesia Thomas, a mother of two, was beaten to death despite already being handcuffed by police in South Los Angeles.

In October, 3.2 million taxpayer dollars were awarded to Valerie Allen, a patient of bipolar disorder, for being shot three times in the chest, stomach and arm by police in East Hollywood.

In the former case, police reports initially omitted information about Thomas’ stomping. In the latter case, the shooter, officer Houlihan, is also responsible for fatally gunning down another L.A. citizen 30 years prior.

To this day, none of these cases have seen convictions. They are few of many.

But Los Angeles is more than just gangland.

In 2012, with over 51,000 people without shelter, L.A. is also the homeless capital of the nation.

The cracks continue when the Vera Institute of Justice reveals “... the Los Angeles County jail is the largest jail in the

United States, with ap- around the globe also proximately 171,000 peo- hustling past oppression, ple booked annually....” we all struggle.

Rest assured, those I see it every time I homies and homeless walk through the CoHo know it. looking around; it’s evThis shows that the erywhere.

Zoot Suit beatings never It’s not easy for anyended, they just changed one. It’s a traffic jam. forms.

But I have fought traffic And yet despite that, all of my life to get here, as here I am. my mother fought the jam After growing up in for over 20 years to raise me one of those same hoods, and my brother to the task having gone to school despite L.A.’s madness. with those same homies; I am bigger than my after facing that same vi- time; we all are. cious LAPD with them, What’s done today is time and again, still I’m all about tomorrow. here with you.

And going to school I now is about share the m o r e D a v i s This shows that the Zoot Suit than just Quad with ool, beatings never ended, they sit’sc habout you, after just changed forms a lifetime histoof sharry; about ing L.A.’s the future subways with only a few you start here now. of its 51,000 homeless, Consider this, as 2012 even despite the cracks of comes to a close, before my city continuing in an any obstacle standing L.A. Unified school district between your peace after that saw only 48 percent of a tough day, week, year. its 2008 class graduate on Consider my story as time. only one other reason of Like 2Pac’s poetry in over 32,000 at Davis to “The Rose That Grew give it all that you’ve got.

From Concrete,” even For your family and “when no one else ever your friends, but also for cared,” I still walked out only one “stranger” you of my high school with a walk past. diploma in hand.

For the future you both To tell you that even share. after all of this, you and Do it because you can; I are still not so differ- you have done so all your ent; none of us are. That life. like the millions of others I’ve bustled alongside in JIMMY RECINOS thanks you for your L.A.’s traffic, and the bil- time; he can be reached at jrecinos@ lions of metropolitans ucdavis.edu.

4

volume

6, number 10

thursday , december

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

6, 2012

Arts Week dailycal@theaggie.org

Elizabeth Orpina

Holiday musicals

E

veryone is a fan of the flash mob. No matter how many times we’ve seen one online, for some reason our fingers click the button to see the next performance. And once flash mob performances at weddings became a thing, it was like everything great wrapped into one entertaining show.

Today I came across a Les Mis wedding flash mob video in which many wedding party members rose throughout their rendition of “One Day More” at the reception. Each and every performer was a personal friend of the bride or groom, and each had a voice to brag about.

At the end of the song, everyone burst out into cheers and rose to embrace the performers and couple of the evening.

Music, especially when personalized, can shake one to the core. And I’ve never experienced anything less when rising from my seat every time I’m given the chance to see a show.

This couple admired musical theatre, which is perhaps the reason why they had so many talented friends who were able to pull off such a beautiful piece of work. One can only wish to have a life filled with such talent, love and mutual admiration for classic entertainment.

Speaking of this classic musical, I urge you all to experience it in theaters this winter break. It’s set to occupy theaters starting Christmas Day, so you can already guess where I’ll be spending every dollar of my paychecks in a few weeks.

I’ve already addressed my excitement for this movie in a previous column, but I’m taking the time to reiterate the importance of experiencing this classic performance. It’s totally worth the 12 dollars to watch some of Hollywood’s most talented actors work together to pull off a challenging show instead of forking over hundreds to see it in person.

I’m so blessed to have a mother who embraces musical theatre as much as I do and who is a season subscriber to San Francisco Broadway shows. This evening, I’m actually traveling back home to the Bay so that I can attend my first The Lion King musical performance.

I’ve already learned about and researched the puppetry in this show in a drama class I took last year, and I was even fortunate enough to see War Horse this year, another show that won awards for the astounding puppetry created and utilized to tell a story.

And what I’m looking forward to the most is traveling to San Francisco in a couple of weeks with one of my best friends from my high school musical and my mother to see Tony Award Winner for Best Musical Book of Mormon. Book of freaking Mormon, people. Yes, I have tickets. No, they aren’t in the nosebleed section.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you need to orient yourself with this smart and fascinatingly hilarious musical. The main character from “The New Normal” on television starred in the original Broadway cast of Book of Mormon. And he’s awesome.

At least watch “I Believe” on YouTube. You’re guaranteed to be questioning how Broadway let them get away with the jokes they use in this show.

I could go on and on about how much everyone needs to experience at least one Broadway show in their life, but I’m taking the time now to urge you to get started soon — because an obsession will begin, and you’ll thank me later for getting you hooked so early on in the season.

This holiday season, I hope you are surrounded by people you love and who love you and those who amaze you with their talent. I hope you’re dazzled by the lights on the streets, the warmth of home or the stiffness of a Broadway or movie theatre seat.

ELIZABETH ORPINA will most likely be sobbing later this evening as she reacquaints herself with a childhood story set to beautiful music. Email her at arts@ theaggie.org.

POETRY Joshua McKinney Today, 8 p.m., free John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St.

Dr. Andy Jones, host and organizer of the Poetry Night Reading Series, is bringing Joshua McKinney to perform his work at the Natsoulas Gallery. A multidimensional man, McKinney not only has three awardwinning books and hundreds of journalistic publications, he also holds the rank of sandan in both kendo and Mugai Ryu Iahyodo.

McKinney currently teaches flash fiction, poetry and ecopoetics at CSU Sacramento.

MUSIC Children of Uganda Benefit Concert Saturday, 8 to 11:30 p.m., $10 suggested N Street Cohousing, 716 N St.

N Street Cooperative Housing is putting on a

benefit show to raise money for the school fees of orphaned Ugandan children. The featured artists are rock-cum-reggae groups Tha Dirt Feelin’ and Ital Souls, both family-friendly, good-vibes local bands. During the event, the cooperatives will also be selling snacks, drinks and Ugandan art.

ART/GALLERY ‘Organism’ Tuesday, 7 to 9:30 p.m., free UC Davis Art Building (Old Nelson Gallery)

‘Organism’ is an interdisciplinary art show that fuses art, science and technology to create science-based art, including entomological insect art and visual and sound performances. The show is put on by the UC Davis Art Science Fusion Program, a collaborative whose aim is to intertwine art and science to enhance learning and innovation for all ages. Artwork will be displayed starting at 7 p.m., and performances will begin at 8 p.m.

Free Tomás Fundraiser Tuesday, 6 to 9 p.m., free UC Davis Technocultural Studies Building (Art Annex)

As a fundraiser for UC Davis student Tomás Matzat, local artists have donated their screen prints, photography and various other artwork for a live auction. Matzat, who was also a member of the “Davis Dozen,” is being fined over $5,000 for alleged vandalism charges and court fees. All proceeds from the silent auction will go towards the “Free Tomás” cause.

THEATER/MONDAVI ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’ Today until Sunday, 8 p.m., donations suggested UC Davis Wyatt Pavilion Theatre

In the comedic play ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone,’ we see ordinary people’s lives unfold though the conversations that they have on their

cell phones, as one woman struggles to find human connection in the technological 21st century. The play is being performed by the Institution for Exploration in Theatre, Dance, and Performance and is directed by UC Davis student Kevin Adamski.

‘A Christmas Carol’ Friday and Saturday, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, 2:15 p.m. $18 general, $16 students and seniors, $14 in groups of 10 DMTC Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive The City of Davis is putting on its very own production of the classic tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ this upcoming weekend, perfect for the whole family or the few feeling nostalgic for their Christmases past. The holiday musical, directed and choreographed by Chris Congdon and Jan Isaacson, has been in production since the second week of November.

TANYA AZARI can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.

Your weekly dose of video games

By ANTHONY LABELLA Aggie Arts Writer

Today's edition of The Aggie Arcade is the last of the Winter Quarter and year, meaning it's time for a 2012 video game wrapup. I can think of no better way to mark the occasion than by counting down my top 10 games of the year.

10 – Hotline Miami For those who have seen the 2011 film Drive, think of Hotline Miami as the videogame equivalent. There's a largely silent protagonist, a slick retro look and a startling amount of violence.

Of course it helps that Hotline Miami is a blast to play with its breakneck pace that has players killing multiple enemies in a matter of seconds.

9 – Sleeping Dogs The success of an open-world game often correlates directly with the breadth and scope of its world. Just take a look at Sleeping Dogs to understand the logic — the bustling streets of Hong Kong feel expansive, from the neon-lit glow of signs to the interaction among everyday citizens. There are also numerous activities to take part in and secrets to discover. The result is an appropriately deep game that places its mark on the genre with outstanding melee combat and a distinctive actionmovie vibe. The fact that Sleeping Dogs was nearly canceled only adds to the allure of 2012's most pleasant surprise.

8 – Assassin's Creed III I found myself disappointed by Assassin's Creed III's brutally slow start. Players who can endure the

slog through those first six hours or so are in for a real treat, though.

In many ways the final entry in Desmond's storyline tries to do too much, but the positives can't be ignored. The Colonial America setting in particular is fantastic, providing a fresh and exciting new environment to explore.

Plus, who doesn't like hanging out with Ben Franklin and George Washington? Some of the new side activities are worthy additions as well, especially the naval battles. Captaining a large warship for the first time was one of my favorite video game moments of 2012.

7 – Fez This downloadable puzzleplatformer took a while to grab my attention. I beat the game and thought to myself, “That was pretty neat.” Then I realized beating the game is only the beginning. The secrets in Fez's world are staggering and require real commitment. I'm talking “pull out a sheet of paper and take notes” commitment. There's an entire language to decode, mysterious monoliths to discover and an endgame mystery that baffled gamers for weeks. How awesome is that?

6 – Borderlands 2 It's funny how one's attachment to a game can be influenced entirely by circumstance. The original Borderlands was certainly fun, but I didn't have a lot of time to play online with friends.

Borderlands 2 was an entirely different story — even my brother joined in on the fun with me.

I now fully understand the appeal of the Borderlands experience, and the various gameplay

improvements introduced in the sequel only helped matters. This is one of the best co-op games out there, first-person shooter or not.

5 – Dishonored Dishonored is all about player choice — less so in a narrative sense and more so in regards to the actual game mechanics. Each mission is like its own little sandbox, and it's up to players to use the game's many cool powers to sneak past enemies or take them down. Want to approach a guard head-on, use the cyclone ability to knock him against the wall and then light him on fire with an incendiary arrow? Go ahead. Want to transform into a rat and sneak past enemies in a small tunnel?

That works too. The level of freedom truly empowers the player.

4 – Mark of the Ninja In many ways Mark of the Ninja is the perfect stealth game — there are plenty of cool gadgets, smart design choices and everything doesn't completely go to hell when the player is discovered by a guard. Perhaps it’s the benefit of working on a 2D plane, but I feel like some ideas in this game should be used in every stealth release from here on out. That's about the highest praise I can give a downloadable gem like Mark of the Ninja.

3 – The Walking Dead Every installment of this episodic adventure left me on the edge of my seat. The emotional connection between characters played a large part, as did the meaningful decisions that shaped each individual player's experience. I loved going online and seeing how other people's stories

diverged from my own based on each of our unique choices. The game mechanics are admittedly archaic, but The Walking Dead shows that an emotionally resonating story can compensate for a lot.

2 – XCOM: Enemy Unknown The constant tension that looms throughout XCOM: Enemy Unknown is equally terrifying and thrilling. Soldiers will die, tough decisions will have to be made and some countries won't be happy with those decisions.

And yet when that victory screen kicks in at the end of each battle, the sense of accomplishment reigns supreme. The feeling only heightens 20 to 30 hours later when the player has finished the campaign. This is strategy gaming at its finest.

1 – Journey Journey is a video game and yet the only goal is to reach the top of a mountain. It's an online co-op experience and yet text and voice chat are absent. A series of foreign symbols represent the only form of communication — players must put some kind of meaning into the game themselves. It's a fascinating experiment in minimalism that works wonders on someone like me.

I love to see the video game industry move in exciting new directions, and Journey proves that the results can be truly astounding. And for those who appreciate this entertainment medium on a visually aesthetic level, there may not be a more beautiful game out there.

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

Improv comedy comes to Davis Birdstrike Theatre to hold show on campus

By JOHN KESLER Aggie Arts Writer

Improv comedy group Birdstrike Theatre is holding their end-of-quarter show at Kleiber Hall on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

According to Clint Gibler, a graduate student in computer science and a member of Birdstrike Theatre, the show will feature improvised comedy as well as pre-written sketches recorded on video.

“Our improvisation is long-form, which is

more based on characters and scenes than the short-form improv you see on Whose Line Is It Anyway?” said Gareth Nicholas, Jr., another member and a fourth-year political science and history double major.

“I think half of our humor stems from the fact that we have no idea what we’re doing, and every now and then it fails really hard.

There’s a lot of comedy that comes from five people wriggling their way out of awkward situations,” said Jamie Pierce, a member and a third-year English major.

Gibler commented on the improvisation and creativity the show demands.

“We like to be creative with our bodies and the space,” Gibler said. “Since you don’t have props or costumes, you need to make people believe that there is whatever it is without having the materials there. We like to test the bounds of what you can portray with just human bodies on stage.”

According to their members, a key aspect

See IMPROV, page 8

News iN Brief

Entertainment Council screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas

ITDP Presents: Samuel Beckett seminar

ASUCD Entertainment Council is holding a screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas tonight. The showing will take place at Rock Hall, and doors will open at 7:30 p.m. with the show to start at 8 p.m. This event is free.

The UC Davis department of theatre and dance’s Institute for Exploration in Theatre, Dance and Performance presents a panel discussion that examines the writing of the late Ruby Cohn, UC Davis professor emerita and renowned theatre scholar and Samuel Beckett specialist. Produced by designer and professor John Lacovelli and moderated by Professor David Lloyd, this event takes place today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Main Theatre in Wright Hall. From 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Barry McGovern is to read Beckett’s poetry and prose. The event is free and open to all.

— Elizabeth Orpina

— Elizabeth Orpina

thursday , december

6, 2012

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

the california aggie

A cappella group hosts annual ‘ALotta Cappella’ The Liquid Hotplates end quarter with campus-wide performance

By CRISTINA FRIES Aggie Arts Writer

UC Davis’ a cappella group The Liquid Hotplates will host “ALotta Cappella,” and will be joined by fellow a cappella groups The Spokes, The Lounge Lizards and The Afterglow, tomorrow evening. This year’s theme is “End of the World 2012.”

In this annual show, each group will perform music they have been arranging and rehearsing all quarter. The groups will show their unique artistic character through acoustically sung music, costume and choreography.

In an email interview, Jaimie Wu, business director of The Liquid Hotplates and a third-year exercise biology major, said the group will be singing pop covers and

decorating according to theme.

Rachel Riley, vice president of The Spokes and a third-year English major, confirmed that their group will be debuting their new Top 40 Mash-up while sporting their signature pink and black attire.

As the years pass, ALotta Cappella evolves and audience members increase with its growing popularity as a UC Davis musical event.

“Since I’ve been in the group, I’ve seen a cappella music grow every year.

The attendance at ALotta Cappella has also grown, so this year we moved to a bigger venue: Science Lecture Hall 123,” Wu said. “What’s most exciting for me this year is that we’ve been working more on incorporating choreography into our performance. I think adding

choreography will add another dynamic to our performance.”

The a cappella groups will showcase their talent through their unique musical styles and characters. The Spokes is an all-female ensemble, while The Afterglow is all-male, and The Liquid Hotplates and The Lounge Lizards are co-ed a cappella groups. ALotta Cappella is to be a dynamic interplay of differing musical styles and genres — from Top 40 to R&B to Alternative.

ALotta Cappella takes place tomorrow at Science Lecture Hall 123 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5, available at the Aggie Ticket Office, located at Aggie Stadium, and online at tickets.ucdavis.edu, or $7 at the door.

CRISTINA FRIES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Everything is Terrible comes to Davis Entertainment collective brings Yuletide extravaganza

Chevelle Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favorites

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By BRETT BUNGE Aggie Arts Writer

Chevelle, the famed alternative metal band formed in 1995, has consistently released highoctane songs over the years. With Stray Arrows, their new compilation album of greatest hits, many of those songs have been collected and remastered.

Described by iTunes as “a victory lap of sorts,” the album contains twelve tracks from Chevelle’s previous work, as well as the new track “Fizgig.” All of the songs emphasize Chevelle’s post-grunge sound and their driving beat. “Jars,” in particular, is a great introduction to the band’s sound, which is softer than bands like Metallica but louder and much more unapologetic than groups such as Carbon Leaf.

In addition, “Hats Off to the Bull,” which closes out the greatest hits, is perhaps the best example of why Chevelle has become so well known; their sound is unique. iTunes puts it best: “If you’re just coming to Chevelle, Stray Arrows: A Collection of Favorites makes for an unsurprisingly great place to start, with its 12 tracks just enough to hook you in without overwhelming you, and selection strong enough that it would probably stand up to most any mixtape a fan would put together.” These are more than just good songs; they’re the band’s personal favorites, and that’s more than enough to give it a listen.

Check out these tracks: “Jars,” “The Red,” “Hats Off To the Bull.”

For Fans of: Metallica, Coheed & Cambria, The Kreeps.

BRETT BUNGE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

courtesy

A video collage of horrible holiday videos will play on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. in the TCS Building. The presentation is part of everythingisterrible.com‚ December tour.

By ANDREW RUSSELL Aggie Arts Writer

This Sunday evening at 8 p.m., the good boys and girls of UC Davis are cordially invited to come down to the TCS building to kick off the X-Mas season with one of the most craptacular holiday specials ever conceived.

The evening’s festivities will revolve around an ingeniously edited video collage of the most abominable holiday clips in existence, described as “A millennium's worth of VHS memories of misplaced sentimentalities, fist fights over toys for tots, erotic Santas and an endless parade of singing kids.”

The hard-working elves behind this event belong to the Chicago-based website everythingisterrible.com, a video blog dedicated to resurrecting and revamping bargain-bin VHS content so bad it must be seen to be believed.

The organization began in the year 2000 as a group of college friends who would show their found content at parties. Later, to share their findings to the world, they formed a popular blog and staged a series of select live performances/screenings.

Now in the apocalyptic 2012, they are ag-

gressively expanding their business model with a feat worthy of Santa himself: the staging of two simultaneous live tours, traveling the length of the East and West coasts throughout the month of December.

According to one of the group’s main leaders, Commodore Gilgamesh, this special is “way bigger on its own than anything we’ve done before.”

Commodore took some time amid the stress of pre-holiday preparations to warn us of the group’s growing influence.

“EIT! grows everyday. We are now an enormous network of artists and contributors from around the country,” Gilgamesh said. “From friends who make the scores for our movies to the fans who mail us footage, we are a huge nation of facepainted hillbillies. We are going to continue to travel the country every year preaching the Terrible word and converting new followers.”

This unique show has made its way to our campus by happenstance: after a rescheduling from its original Sacramento venue, the tour was re-routed to the TCS Art Annex through UC Davis alumnus and KDVS DJ Simi Sahota, who has been setting up events

By BEAUGART GERBER Aggie Arts Writer

Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet

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I didn’t want to like Big Dipper’s Crashes on the Platinum Planet. I procured the album from a culling of the KDVS latest “top albums” list and sunk my teeth into it with the usual guarded interest. There were points when I despised the album. “Princess Warrior” seemed like a sad attempt by the vocalist to mimic some sort of edgy riff.

In the end the album had chops. It was hardly a music odyssey that captured my willful ears and strung them to its gallant trireme but by the end of its short singsong voyage my

for the station for the past six years.

“In addition to a screening of videos, they'll also be doing a live show with elaborate costumes and smoke machines,” Sahota said. “I'm really excited because I've been a fan of these videos for a while and it just worked out perfectly to bring them here.”

Other fans on campus have iterated their feelings about the holiday special, including fourth-year microbiology major Peter Eckes-Wahl.

“I’m excited to peer into that particular dark corner of the human imagination,” Eckes-Wahl said. “I pretty much have no way of predicting what could be in it.”

The entertainers at EIT would no doubt prefer it that way, as the best gifts aren’t meant to be opened until their time. In the meantime, those intrigued can look forward to what can only be described as “the tackiest winter wonderland imaginable.”

More information can be found on the Facebook event page or at the EIT website, everythingisterrible.com. The event starts at 8 p.m on Dec. 9, at the TCS Building on campus. $5 donations are strongly encouraged.

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

humors were soothed. If given two words to describe the album I would declare “easy listening.” This isn’t that new sound your cousin’s been looking for; on the contrary, hold the proverbial phone and understand it’s the usual regurgitation of soft-toned alternative vocals. With a few tweaks the blandness of this offering could mesh with most of your casual playlists and you’d be never the wiser.

It does have its lyrical moments; “Happy New Year” and especially “Lord Scrumptious” took the casual tempo and added some much-needed variety. It’s palpable gruel readywhipped for the barnyard

masses. Not the masses you were thinking of — they’re still downloading “Warrior.”* No, this album is the sort of stuff people who abhor the mainstream would tout like a Yavin Victory Medal. It’s a touch of the familiar, but sometimes the familiar keeps you warm at night. With winter fast approaching, maybe we need a little familiar. *deluxe version obvi duh Check out these tracks: “Happy New Year,” “Lord Scrumptious,” “New Machine.”

BEAUGART GERBER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Captain Murphy Duality

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By ANDREW RUSSELL Aggie Arts Writer

If you like your hip-hop with a good dose of sci-fi and downtempo breaks wrapped in a crackled and smoky cocoon of unmastered mixtape sound quality, then you’re invited to take a trip through Duality.

The style is reminiscent of other sonic explorers in the genre, such as Kool Keith on his spacey 1996 outing as Dr. Octagon, or MF Doom with his penchant for old B-Movie sound-bytes.

The technical rawness of Captain Murphy’s first mixtape is bolstered by the multifaceted production skills of Flying Lotus and Madlib, among others. Warped interludes featuring samples from The Dark Knight to recruitment tapes for cults mix well with the chopped lo-fi melodies and slightly deeper pitch-shifted vocals.

Speaking of our MC, the internet has been buzzing a bit lately about who is actually on the mic, and who is behind the project. Most sources have agreed to speculate that the artists are none other than Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt from OFWGKTA teaming up with Flying Lotus. In any case, the captain has our attention.

Give these tracks a listen: “Shake Weight,” “The Ritual” For Fans of: MF Doom, Flying Lotus, Dr. Octag ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.

6 thursday, DECEMBER 6, 2012

The california Aggie

A look at Senate platforms and goals Former senators reflect on platform aims, accomplishments

From left to right: Former senators Anni Kimball, Erica Padgett, Jared Crisologo-Smith, Justin Goss, and Patrick Sheehan

By JOANNA JAROSZEWSKA Aggie News Writer

The ASUCD Senate table said farewell to the fall 2011 senators one week ago. Former senators Anni Kimball, Justin Goss, Erica Padgett, Jared Crisologo-Smith and Patrick Sheehan discussed their year in office and the running platforms they have completed.

Former Senator Anni Kimball (email interview) Initial Platforms Work to create an ASUCD service fair Reduce plastic consumption on campus Accomplished?

“I did create the Volunteer and Service Fair. We held one in April and the second one earlier in November. I'm really excited that we were able to secure a line item in the budget for this event, because that means it will be institutionalized for years to come.

Unfortunately, in working with the CoHo, my ideas for reducing plastic consumption didn't pan out. However, I did work on other environmental projects such as getting the Bookstore to sell green books (testing books made from recycled materials) and working closely with EPPC and the Greeks to further our campus' sustainable efforts.”

Former Senator Justin Goss (email interview) Initial Platforms Work toward the UC Davis 60 percent Initiative

Expand KDVS Provide additional resources to the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) Improve student advocacy Accomplished?

“The 60 percent initiative mostly led itself as orchestrated by Assistant Vice Chancellor Sid England; the best I did was to call attention to it and maybe speed up lighting retrofits in the MU. [The] same goes for KDVS; they balanced their own budget and did the hard work to build their tower, I just helped vet and vote yes on the final bill … [which is] further proof our units do the heavy lifting. I totally dropped the SASC platform, it just wasn't feasible.

Student advocacy was one of my big ones in the first half of my term. I set up the UC Ambassadors Program in our unit, University Affairs (Senate Bill 96 from 2011-12), to try and better institutionalize contact between the UCs so we'd have a stronger response if we ever had a catastrophe like Nov. 18 happen again.

I also attended [events at] the capitol and did some lobbying both with Davis College Democrats and Lobby Corps.

Lastly, advocacy takes many forms, and I lobbied Student Housing when they were implementing mandatory Aggie Cash and got them to make some minor concessions.”

Former Senator Erica Padgett Initial Platforms Increase inventory in library reserves Development of more mobile apps and websites

Accomplished?

“As I’ve discovered through talking with the library, a lot of the problem is that the publishing companies are charging a lot of money for books to be purchased. Also, it’s difficult with new editions coming out.

There are also issues with readers, so it’s not a single-set problem and there are a lot of issues still standing within the industry as well as building awareness among the faculty on alternative forms of resources. There are more books in reserves as it currently stands, but there’s a lot more that needs to be done.

The mobile apps have been discussed a lot. Currently, Creative Media has a lot on their plate with a lot of the new responsibilities that it has. They’re making new websites for the different units, revamping old websites, creating advertisements for offers.

As it stands right now, it’s still in a long list of projects that are currently being processed

by Creative Media. I really hope that it ends up going through all of the red-tape.”

Former Senator Jared Crisologo-Smith (email interview) Initial Platforms Create more power outlets on campus Create a fundraising resource guide Lobby for affordable education within and outside the university Accomplished?

“While I was not able to complete all of my initial platforms, I am very proud of my work as a senator. As the adopted senator for Lobby Corps, I introduced the package of state legislation for official support by the ASUCD Senate and went

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

on numerous lobbying visits to the capitol. I fought for funding for the Filipin@, Black, Native, Lavender, Southeast Asian, Chican@/Latin@ and Muslim Community Graduation Celebrations and stood firm in opposing tens of thousands of dollars of cuts to grants benefiting students from historically underrepresented communities. My proudest accomplishment was helping to found the SMART slate, and in doing so ensure [sic] a voice for underrepresented students within ASUCD.” Former Senator Patrick Sheehan (email interview) Initial Platforms Reduce bike theft Advocate for change in academic policies (including strengthening the ASUCD and Academic Senate connection) Accomplished?

“I accomplished what I set out to do for reducing bike theft by working directly with the Bike Barn and the UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD). Unfortunately, I cannot yet discuss the details of the program.

As for advocating for specific academic change, I submitted two similar pieces of legislation to the Academic Senate to amend grading policies (to give A+'s higher weight). Both failed in the Undergraduate Council.

I will admit that my actions did not improve the connection between the Academic Senate any further than letting the body know which academic policies students disagree with.”

JOANNA JAROSZEWSKA can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Proposal drafted to better integrate international students On-campus courses offered regarding international students

By NATASHA QABAZARD Aggie News Writer

A new proposal was drafted by the Preparatory Education Committee (PEC) which outlines how to better integrate foreign and international students while attending UC Davis.

Recent statistics from the UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) on international students show that there are 967 at the undergraduate level, 223 in master programs, 804 in doctorate programs and 131 in exchange programs, which totals 2,125 new international students.

According to Moira Delgado, outreach coordinator for SISS, the recent lack of funding for English classes for international students has been one of the major detriments to this sector of the student body. Many are placed in English classes that have bilingual and/or native speakers. Some international students who are not native-English speakers require an intensive English program prior to starting at UC Davis.

“We are very concerned about the number of international students that are dismissed every quarter and we are currently compiling statistics as well as working with other campus units to determine the primary factors leading to dismissal. It is quite challenging for me, not to mention an international student, to understand the very decentralized way the university operates, from admissions, financial aid, deans’ offices, student housing to SISS,” Delgado said.

This fall, the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) launched “American Cultural Values and the

University Experience,” a course specifically designed for new international students. SISS is developing a mentorship program that will begin next quarter, and mentors, both U.S. and international students, will provide social connections and referrals to academic resources, according to Delgado.

Some students agree it is a challenge to adapt to a new environment but, on the whole, they are happy with the academics.

“So far it’s been slightly uphill.

Finding other people on the same page, even in the same book, is tricky; it's easy to forget that the people you know from your home university are people you've known for years, that it needs a while,” said Alex Clark, a third-year sociology and anthropology double major on the exchange program from England. “Luckily the academics in UC Davis have been great for me, just because they've allowed me to focus more in on my research work, which is why I came in the first place.”

International students often come to the SISS office when they encounter difficulties and are experiencing a heavier workload with the increasing population. The campus has responded with funds for two new positions in the office and it’s predicted that more student advisor positions will be created in the next few years.

According to Julia MenardWarwick, an associate professor in the linguistics department and chair of the PEC, the International Advisory Committee asked PEC to write a response to a report that they drafted, outlining ways to better integrate international students.

“In our response, we strongly endorse their call for more support ser-

vices for international students and give some specifics of the kind of services we consider optimal. All of this is just a recommendation, and it will be up to the administration to decide when or if to implement these ideas. Recommendations include enhanced English instruction for those who need it, specialized advising and counseling services and an intensive summer program,” Menard-Warwick said.

According to Delgado, the issues the report outlines concern the entire campus, as UC Davis is recruiting and admitting more international students with increasing budget cuts.

Many believe that there should be a support system to assist international students in their adjustment to life in the United States and academics.

The Staff Development Professional Services (SDPS) is offering courses that address international student and scholar needs.

“I wish there had been more integration and immersion,” said Amy Fitzpatrick, a third-year food science major on the exchange program from Ireland. “I mean it’s great to meet the international students and have friends who understand the difficulties of being a foreigner in an American university, but at the same time I wish I had the opportunity to meet more Americans.”

The staff at SDPS is currently teaching two to three courses per quarter and will be teaching an introductory two-hour course on international students, as well as an advising course that focuses on intercultural communication, according to Delgado.

NATASHA QABAZARD can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

courtesy

Vanessa Correa where you are today.

My trajectory is a bit unconventional. I have a bachelor of arts degree in humanities and a master’s degree in design. I worked as a photographer, educator and designer at a small museum in New York, and then spent a few years in Chicago as vice president and creative director at a public affairs firm before starting my own design studio.

I’ve always been extremely motivated by working for cultural and educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations; design can be an effective avenue for prompting significant cultural and social changes. So, when I got the opportunity in 2009 to work with UC — the best higher education system in the world — of course I said yes.

With a recent feature in Rue Magazine, a collaboration with Moda Operandi, and over 500,000 followers on Pinterest, your influence as a taste-maker is impressive. How has your background in graphic design and creative direction allowed you to wield influence in other fields, such as fashion?

Successful creative direction is frequently an exercise in quick and accurate curation. Which ideas are worth pursuing? What is aesthetically successful? Honing my ability to answer these questions, educating my eye and exercising the curatorial skill on platforms like Pinterest has allowed me to think about design in a more holis-

tic way.

But while graphic design has been important in developing that “curatorial stance,” I’d also say that my background in the humanities has been even more important. Understanding the historical context of objects, being able to situate a design — whether fashion, architecture or graphics — provides a frame to evaluate work.

I’m more comfortable in a broader “curatorial” space than with the more limited title of “creative director.”

Where do you find inspiration and what/whom do you find inspirational?

As most people will say, you can find inspiration anywhere. Inspiration is simply a result of curiosity. Curiosity prompts creativity.

But if I must answer: Myrna Loy in the original “The Thin Man,” Axel Vervoordt’s interiors, Paris, Lucia van der Post’s style advice, Frida Kahlo’s self-presentation, fashion designer Jason Wu, Jane Austen, anything by Giacometti — and while we’re thinking about it — Brancusi, Agatha Christie, Marcel Duchamp, Antonioni, current “It Girl” Giovanna Battaglia (does she ever look bad?), everything made by Hermes, Man Ray’s photos of Lee Miller, Joao Gilberto’s music, Tilda Swinton, the novels of Paul Bowles, cellist Pablo Casals, desert explorer Isabelle Eberhardt.

And, of course, my family.

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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FOR RELEASE MARCH 5, 2010

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle THURSDAY, December 6, 2012 7 Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Bank statement no.

5 The Miners of Conf. USA 9 One way to attend a party 13 Lincoln feature 15 __ City: Baghdad suburb 16 Cook book 17 Suggestion to singer Lennox after a garlicky meal?

20 Half of the Brady bunch, to Carol 21 Clothes line?

22 Samuel Johnson portraitist John __ 23 Traitors 24 Jamaican group winding down after a gig?

28 “Yours truly calling” 29 Downed 30 “Ditto” 34 Warmup toss 35 City in Thessaly 39 “Oedipus __” 40 Sylvester’s problem 42 Hägar creator Browne 43 Roman moon goddess 45 Moocher at McDonald’s?

49 Acid neutralizers 52 Outer area of an escutcheon 53 Afternoon service 54 Fragments 58 Feared words from an accountant?

60 Frankfurt’s river 61 Canceled 62 Emcee’s job 63 Nos. divided by dashes 64 He played ObiWan 65 Strong taste

By Gary J. Whitehead

DOWN 1 “__ le roi!”: French Revolution cry 2 Tiny amount 3 Mr. Peanut prop 4 Surveyors’ tools 5 Online newsgroup system 6 Does lacework 7 Eponymous ice cream maker 8 Gets by special means 9 Roller coaster sounds 10 Senate apparel 11 Tickle pink 12 Fun partner 14 Pillage 18 “__ Out of My Head”: 1964 hit 19 Language heard in Karachi 23 Flies, in a way 24 Law in the works 25 Paris possessive 26 Writing points 27 17-syllable poem 31 Libyan, probably 32 You might get one right after being seated

3/5/10

Wednesday’s puzzle solved Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

33 Checkup 36 Ticket order?

37 Barbecue order 38 Long Island university 41 Sci-fi weapons 44 Words of atonement 46 Baldwin of “30 Rock” 47 Recent Zippo acquisition

3/5/10

48 Gumption 49 Oldest musketeer 50 It’s on the Aire 51 Carpenter with a soothing voice 54 Nintendo rival 55 This, in Tijuana 56 Make a right, say 57 Industrial pollutant 59 Cut

Sudoku

VeryHard

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.

8

thursday, december 6, 2012

The california Aggie

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis vs. Saint Mary’s; at Santa Clara; at USC; vs. Duke; at Washington; at Sacramento State; at Pacific Records: Aggies, 2-3 (0-0) When: Dec. 6 to Jan. 5 Who to Watch: You can dance or you can’t. You can paint or you can’t. You can shoot or you can’t.

UC Davis senior shooting guard Cortney French can flat-out shoot.

The Stockton native recently garnered Big West Player of the Week honors after posting career numbers in the first week of this young season. This is the first such award given to French in her long history here as an Aggie and a well-earned one at that.

French came out firing in the season opener for the Aggies, scoring a career-high 23 points en route to an action-packed overtime win against Navy.

The team would go on to win the Houston Baptist Husky Tournament later that weekend and French took home the MVP award, boasting a .471 three-point percentage, establishing herself as a team leader and a force to be

Nathan Chan / Aggie

Senior Cortney French (No. 13) averages 15 points per game.

French scored six points in the game against Stanford. reckoned with in the Big West.

As a team that is very young, having graduated several starters

from last year, the Aggies will be looking to French as one of their offensive leaders this season.

Did you know? All is jolly for the UC Davis women’s basketball team in the month of December.

Over the past three seasons, the Aggies have combined for a phenomenal .65 winning percentage in the month of December. Stats or superstition, it would seem that Santa has come early for the Aggies as of late, providing solid play for coach Jennifer Gross right from tipoff.

December is the first full month of competition for the Aggies. After intense training during the summer and fall, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing hard work translate to wins as a team.

The Aggies experienced their most successful season as a Div. I program two years ago, perhaps spurred by the confidence of a fiveand-two record during December.

Preview: This UC Davis team may be much younger and less experienced compared to last year’s squad, but their maturi-

GYMNASTICS PREVIEW After claiming their third Mountain Pacific Sports Federation women’s gymnastics championship in a row last year, the Aggie gymnasts are seeking to extend their title streak to four years straight.

The team, coached by MPSF coach of the year John Lavallee along with MPSF assistant coach of the year Tamara Ross, will be led by a new group of gymnasts as the two seniors on last year’s team have gone.

Senior Katie Yamamura is back to defend her MPSF gymnast of the year award as she tries to improve on a year during which she claimed three MPSF event championships and set the school all around record with 39.225 during last year’s road quad meet with Sacramento State, Central

Aaron Juarez Kong / Aggie

Senior Katie Yamamura will be defending her Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Gymnast of the Year award for the 2012-13 season.

Michigan, and Seattle Pacific. She broke the pre-

vious record of 39.200 set

by Flora Bare in 2003.

Yamamura also was named to the Capital One academic All-America second team, the first Aggie to do so since Poppy Major made the All-America third team in 2001.

Seniors Michelle Ho and Taryn West were named captains of the new gymnastics squad. Ho was allMPSF on bars (9.680) and floor (9.805) for two seasons in a row. West was allMPSF on floor (9.735).

The 2013 season will kick off this Saturday as the team will partake in a Blue-Gold intrasquad scrimmage. They will seek to return and repeat at the MPSF championship meet that is scheduled to be held on March 23.

— Jason Min

understand the elements that the job requires.”

Bannasch’s husband Cont. from front page and coordinator for the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Director for Marketing Program, Michael Bannasch, Scott Brayton was introsaid that Pint had a very good duced to the idea of involvfirst performance due to the ing a dog in football games in late August from a student training he did with Danika.

“I think my wife has done a ticket holder at Boise State really great job in training our University, he contacted the dogs,” Michael said. “She’s veterinary school to find a dog and owner who would be just been an exceptional animal breeder and trainer and willing to participate. each one of her dogs is a kid “We thought it would to her.” be a nice partnership with Pint and Danika did a few the School of Veterinary test rounds with fake tees at a Medicine and something that all of our fans would en- couple of the football team’s joy seeing,” Brayton said. “It’s practices. Pint is a champion and senior hunter — titles something that not all fans would see at a football game.” awarded to him based on canine competitions. Therefore, UC Davis School of Danika had a relatively easy Veterinary Medicine profestime training him. sor and Pint’s owner Danika “Because of his high-levBannasch heard about Brayton’s interest and imme- el training, it wasn’t hard to train him,” Danika said. “It diately thought of her dog as took me about five seconds a good fit for the job.

“I was interested in partic- to teach him how to pick up the tee.” ipating because I wanted to However, the duo did run try to promote the [UC Davis] into one problem while trainVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH),” Bannasch ing, something that caused a change in Pint’s game-day said. “I think the VMTH is a routine. fantastic place.”

“He retrieves ducks for a The UC Davis VMTH is living,” Danika said. “The one of the top-ranking onchallenge that we had is that campus veterinary hospitals the football looks a lot like a in the country, treating and duck. So I have to turn him saving thousands of animals around every time the footevery year. Bannasch said ball is kicked.” that Pint’s grandmother was Initially, Pint was only saved by the hospital when scheduled to come pick up she was sick with poisoning, the tee after the first kickmaking the cause more peroff, marking the start of the sonal for her and Pint. game.

“I wanted to try and “People wanted to see give back something to the Pint do more than just the VMTH,” Bannasch said. “At opening kickoff,” Brayton the games, they announce said. “After we heard that, Pint as the ambassador Pint went on every time UC for the vet school and they Davis scored.” say that his grandma was After nearly every kick, saved by the clinicians at the Danika and her family, who hospital.” stand on the field’s sideline Pint was unveiled to the UC Davis community during during games, line up Pint the Oct. 27 football game ver- in the direction of the tee sus Portland State. But before he is supposed to pick up. this, Pint had to go through However, the first kickoff some training to learn what that Pint was supposed to exactly his job entailed. be involved in didn’t go as “If anyone has seen my planned, as the other team dogs, they know I can’t train picked up the tee instead dogs at all,” Brayton said. “My of Pint. job was to help [Bannasch] “It was actually a very in-

teresting kickoff,” Brayton said. “We brought Pint out to pick up the tee, but the opposing team picked up the tee. So for the second kickoff, Pint came out and performed very well.”

Despite this minor setback, Michael said that the crowd showed appreciation for Pint’s involvement in the game. For although Pint has only been in two games this season — his most recent performance being at the Causeway Classic game against Sacramento State on Nov. 17 — his presence has been a crowd pleaser.

“We were surprised we kept hearing people yelling ‘Pint the dog!’ It was the first indication we got that people were enjoying it,” Michael said. “We are big Aggie fans — we both work at the university and are proud of it.”

According to Danika, Pint has been enjoying his new job too.

“He’s totally into it, and [during the Causeway Classic], he totally knew what he was doing,” Danika said. “[The football players] thought he did a good job; they really liked him being there.”

This link between the UC Davis vet school and athletics department is described by many as an example of building stronger connections within the university.

“We have one of the best vet schools in the country and it’s nice to combine that with the football team,” Danika said.

Even though this season has been short for Pint, Brayton and Danika are hopeful and confident that he will be back for years to come. “[Danika] and Pint seem like the perfect fit for the role. The feedback we have received has been nothing but overwhelmingly positive,” Brayton said. “We look forward to working with Danika and Pint for the next season. ”

Charlie Norton, a thirdyear evolution and ecology major, joked about the diversity of talents that make up the performing group.

“With our differing expertises, we could probably survive the apocalypse,” Norton said. “We’re like the Beatles. But we do stupid things in front of a room

instead of playing music,” Norton said.

To learn more about Birdstrike Theatre and to see some of their video sketches, visit birdstriketheatre. com. Tickets for the show are $3.

Pint

improv Cont. from page 4 to Birdstrike Theatre is the group’s diversity.

“Our members are all across the board,” Gibler said. “We have probably seven to 10 different majors within our group.”

RITIKA IYER can be reached at features@ theaggie.org.

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

gether a defense that not only minimizes opponent baskets, but also forces turnovers, which translate into UC Davis points.

“We play a very high-octane defensive, where we’re flying around and trapping the ball,” Gross said. “In order to do that you have to be very focused and play with a lot of energy.”

The Aggies scored 33 points off turnovers against Houston Baptist just over a week ago, totaling 19 steals to Houston Baptist’s eight.

UC Davis will face Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara University before moving onto the Women of Troy Classic, hosted by USC on Dec. 21 to 22. The Aggies will face off with USC and possibly No. 4 Duke later in the tournament.

“We know as a group, that if we are going to be as good as we can be, we are going to have to be great defensively and we are excited about that challenge,” Gross said.

bility in both methods and timing of vegetation management, primarily as it reCont. from front page lates to meeting the initial compliance point in April,” Since 2004, each biannual report has shown that the said John McNerney, a wildlife specialist for the City of vegetation height has not Davis. “However, we are still been met, except once. In working on a solution that April 2005, after the first redoes not require significant port, the vegetation height was not met, but the city was change to the document.” given four weeks to take cor- McNerney said that even rective action. When it was though it would be effective measured again within two to graze or mow prior to the weeks of the corrective acmonth of April in order to tion, the standards were met. ensure that the vegetation “This isn’t even speculaheight would meet the stantion. This is experts going dards in April, the soil is too out there [Grasslands Park] soft. to measure it [vegetation The result of mowing or height] and in 2009, you grazing when the soil is too can see that they say that it soft would destroy natuis not going with standards ral burrows. These burrows that they require,” Portman would then have to be comsaid. pensated by installing artificial burrows, which are con However, the city does sidered ecologically inferinot agree that they have or to natural burrows and failed to meet the manwould add cost to the management plan at the agement of the reserve.

Burrowing Owl Reserve at Grasslands Park. According “The soil is soft. The stanto a Grasslands Burrowing dards haven’t been met. So Owl Reserve Management to say that it is too wet is not Information document pro- the point,” Barclay said. “If vided by the city, the plan it had not been met, one was written for a single spe- would not have to go out cies without flexibility to ad- there when it is wet.”

dress management chal However, Barclay underlenges associated with clistands that it takes a lot to matic conditions, multicontain the vegetation in agency management objec- the conditions where the tives or occurrences of other owls might be expected to sensitive species. occupy it.

“The city would like the “It requires a consorting plan to acknowledge the type of effort to achieve this management challengstandard. It is not somees and allow greater flexithing that can be done once

Owl

Aggies seek another MPSF title

ty and basketball IQ appears to reach beyond their years.

Despite their age, the Aggies appear to have a style of play that is very efficient, showing great poise and resilience in several stellar efforts already this season.

“I have been so thrilled with all five of the incoming freshman,” Gross said. “We felt when we recruited them that they would have the opportunity to contribute right away and they have all proven that they are more than ready to do that.”

In a sport that loves to focus its attention on acrobatic offensive moves and unstoppable shooting sprees, the Aggies have concentrated on winning games through a well-executed team effort approach.

“That’s the fun part about this group,” Gross said. “Every single person has a different role from what it has been in the past.

It is amazing. This group of people we have on this team is 100 percent about the team first and that’s all we can ask for.”

Coach Gross has pieced to-

— PK Hattis and you achieve it,” Barclay said.

Barclay said he is willing to cooperate with the city to meet the standards of the management plan.

“Our primary focus at this point is to find a solution to allow for earlier vegetation management. The current plan is to seek modification to the management plan to allow the use of herbicides, if not greater flexibility in the early compliance standard,” McNerney said.

But the use of herbicides is the one thing that the management plan prohibits to use in order to meet the compliance standards.

“I suggest that maybe [the city] take a portion of the reserve and explore more intensive management issues in a smaller area to see what it takes to meet the standards in the smaller scale,” Barclay said.

The Burrowing Owl Reserve at the Grasslands Park’s main goal is to have a suitable habitat for Burrowing Owls. In order to maintain such a habitat, the reserve must support vegetation that is acceptable for the Burrowing Owls.

“If the citizens of Davis care about Burrowing Owls, they need to send a message to the Davis City Council, mayor and city manager,” Portman said.

KAMILA KUDELSKA can be reached at city@ theaggie.org.

thursday, december 6, 2012 9

The california Aggie

Male Freshman of the Quarter

female freshman of the Quarter

Ryan Gross The men’s soccer team’s solid defensive efforts for the entirety of the season would not have been as phenomenal if it hadn’t been for freshman defender Ryan Gross. In spite of being a freshman, Gross earned a starting position for the majority of the games and patrolled the backline for most of the Aggies’ playing time.

Gross was on fire early on in the season, par- Ryan Gross ticularly in the freshman matchup against Tulsa.

Gross scored two goals to lead the Aggies to a 2-1 victory. His first goal was off of a corner kick in the 17th minute to give the Aggies the lead.

In the middle of the second half, Gross lined up a direct free kick from 20 yards that sailed into the top left corner of the goal to seal the victory for the team.

In UC Davis’ 3-1 win over UC Irvine, Gross was cred-

Taylor Jern

ited with his third assist of the year after he launched one of his patented throwins into the penalty area.

Gross’s throw-ins and defensive play have been particularly remarkable throughout the course of the games. In the Aggies’ win over UCSB, Gross forced Gaucho goalkeeper Austin Mansker to come out and punch the ball away with this long throw.

In general, Gross’s strong defensive efforts have continuously forced opponents to perform at their highest level in order to score goals against the Aggies.

“It means a lot to me to get this honor,” Gross said.

“Even though the end of the season was rough, I’m glad with what we accomplished as a team. I’m excited for next season — I think we’ll have a lot of new talent on the team.”

— Veena Bansal

Freshman Taylor Jern had some big cleats to fill when she became the new goalkeeper for the Aggies this year. Her impressive season earned her the title of Freshman Athlete of the Quarter.

The Corona, Calif. native started 18 of 19 games for UC Davis this year and finished the season with 84 saves against 21 goals allowed.

Those numTaylor Jern bers meant she freshman had an incredible save percentage of .800.

UC Davis went 8-9-1 this season, but Jern was solid throughout, never allowing the opposing team to score more than two goals against her.

Jern’s talent helped the Aggies stay competitive this season and the young squad was fortunate to have such a strong presence in front

of the net.

UC Davis has some growing to do during the offseason but head coach MaryClaire Robinson can be confident that she has a strong goalie to help spearhead this defense for another three years to come.

“Taylor has been great for us this year.

She’s a fresh face and she’s been such a workhorse in the goal,” Robinson said.

U C Davis Women’s Soccer has big plans for next year. They want to top the Big West Conference and contend for the championship at the end of the year. Jern’s hard work and continued success will be a big factor in helping them achieve that goal.

— Kim Carr

Honorable Mention Allison Whitson Just call her the has ever seen. iron horse of volleyIn four years, she ball. This season, the galloped her way Aggies’ senior out- to second all-time side hitter, Allison in kills with 1,620, Whitson, cemented three All-Big West herself as one of the Conference First all-time great play- Team selections, one ers to come through honorable mention this UC Davis vol- and three Big West leyball program.

Player of the Week Among awards, inother things, cluding Whitson two in this e a r n e d past seathe honson alone. or of being As the called “The centerIron Horse” piece of due to the the Aggies’ fact that offense, she nevWhitson er missed Allison Whitson led the a sin- senior team to an gle match 11-7 Big throughout West reall her four years as cord, including an Aggie. a 7-2 run to finAs if enduring ish out the season. the intense phys- With Whitson as ical demands that their main offenfour years of Div. I sive component, UC volleyball can put Davis achieved the on the body wasn’t program’s best conenough, Whitson ference record in was also able to put years. together some of the best stats the school — PK Hattis

Athletes of the Quarter Male Athlete of the Quarter

feMale Athlete of the Quarter

Alex Henry

Sarah Sumpter

Junior forward Alex Henry ended the season with an abundance of achievements on his soccer resume.

Henry scored the game-winning goal to lead UC Davis to victory against their nemesis UC Santa Barbara.

Subsequently, he was d u b b e d Big West Offensive Player of the Week, marking his first career Player of the Week honor.

“It means a lot to me to be the Male Alex Henry Athlete of junior the Quarter especially with all the sports going on at the same time,” Henry said.

“Even though the end of this season was disappointing, I’m excited for what we will accomplish next season.”

Furthermore, Henry was named to the Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week after contributing to the team’s back-toback wins over UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton. In the 79th minute, Henry collected a clearance by

the Titan defense and, from around 35 yards out, struck a low, hard shot into the lower right corner of the goal.

With that, Henry picked up his second consecutive Big West Offensive Player of the Week honor after scoring the gamewinning goal against UCSB on Oct. 13. In front of season-high 1,344 fans, Henry lined up a direct free kick on the right wing, which curled into the upper left corner of the goal.

Henry’s athleticism and passion for the sport of soccer are reflected in each and every game he plays and his professional attitude is an inspiration to the rest of his teammates.

“Alex took on a new position this season,” said coach Dwayne Shaffer. “He played in a defending position but attacked at the same time, which is what we needed from him.”

— Veena Bansal

honorable mention Matt Vowell Senior Matt Vowell helped of play time. He was a strong lead men’s water polo to a force for the offense, scoring fourth-place fin31 goals and dishing ish at the Western out 40 assists to his Water Polo teammates.

Association chamThe Lincoln, Calif. pionship tournanative is an incrediment this year. bly dedicated player Vowell was a team who has always led captain for the by example. He im2012 season and proved so much durhe finished his UC ing his four years as Davis career as the an Aggie and his permost successful Matt Vowell formance in the pool left-hander in pro- senior and his leadership gram history. on the deck will be This year, Vowell missed next season. played in all 29 games for the Aggies, tallying 630 minutes — Kim Carr

Looking to repeat as ute of her time. the Big West Champions, Unfortunately for the women’s cross coun- the Aggies, they were try team needed their edged by Cal Poly for top racer to perform as the Big West Conference she did last year. Senior Championship, deSarah Sumpter led UC spite Sumpter’s time of Davis in every race she 19:44.4. Sumpter was ran last year, and would complemented by juneed to repeat similar nior Alycia Cridebring, results this year. doing their part in the Sumpter second place didn’t get the finish at the same results league meet she did last for UC Davis. year. She was Ultimately, the better.

Aggies didn’t At the Pac-12 get the atpreview right large selection before fall quarinto the NCAA ter, Sumpter Championship placed second selection they with a 17:07 on Sarah Sumpter were hoping the 5k course senior for, but it canto lead UC not be said that Davis to a secSumpter didn’t ond-place team result in play her part. the strong field.

For all of her achieve Sumpter then fol- ments, Sumpter was lowed with a solid 12th named to the U.S. place finish at the NCAA Track & Field and Pre-Nationals meet in Cross Country Coaches Kentucky, improving Association All-Region from her 25th slot at team. It takes a lot of last year’s Pre-Nationals hard work and discimeet. Sumpter’s time of pline to achieve what 20:15.0 on the 6k course Sumpter did in a year. headed the Aggies’ But to do it consistenttenth-place finish ahead ly over the past couple of some of the top teams years takes devotion. in the nation. A second For all of this, The place finish at the Big Aggie is awarding Sarah West Championship this Sumpter the Female year was the same as Athlete of the Quarter. she did in 2011, but she shaved off a whole min— Matthew Yuen

honorable mention

honorable mention

Trevor Halsted

Jordan Glass

The UC Davis men’s cross the Stanford Invitational, country team graduated a sixth-place finish at the a couple of key racers and Bronco Invite and a 20thwere in need of a front-run- place finish at the NCAA ner for the squad.

West Regional They found it in rounded out the sophomore Trevor season for Halsted.

Halsted. The young

His perracer stepped up formances earned in a big way for the him a place on Aggies, after a very the U.S. Track & quiet freshman Field and Cross campaign.

Country Coaches Halsted was the Association Alltop UC Davis finRegion team. isher in every sin- Trevor Halsted

At the close gle race he com- sophomore of the 2012 season, peted in. This inHalsted established cluded his victohimself as the leadry at the Aggie Open and er for the Aggies, providing a his sixth-place finish at bright future for the young the Big West Conference UC Davis squad.

Championships.

A 13th-place finish at — Matthew Yuen

After winning a grueling game against rival Sacramento State to close the season, coach Bob Biggs and quarterback Randy Wright talked at the press conference about how senior linebacker Jordan Glass was the most valuable player on the team this year.

The senior communications major from Elk Jordan Glass Grove, Calif. trans- senior ferred to Davis after playing two years at Utah State and has made a huge difference for the Aggies.

In that one game against the Hornets alone, Glass led

the team with 12 tackles, a blocked PAT returned for a safety and the game-clinching interception.

Glass had numerous games where he continually made gamechanging plays, and for that he is named an honorable mention for Athlete of the Quarter awards.

His 83 tackles led the team, as did his three interceptions and three quarterback hurries. Glass also had 8.5 tackles for loss, third on the team behind two defensive linemen.

— Jason Min

10

The california Aggie

Thursday, December 6, 2012

What is your weirdest study habit?

What study habit helps you push through finals?

“I like to put in earphones but not listen to anything. I like the solidarity. I just like having something in my ear.”

“I like to start early so that during finals I’m not cramming. I also like to sleep early.”

Phuong Le

“For me, I like writing things out to help me memorize stuff.”

Hafsah Dean

Dana Atkins

third-year neurology, physiology and behavior major

senior-year cell biology major

fourth-year human development major

“Hmm, I like to be very spread out. The bigger the table the better and the less people the better. Also, I like to work with hot drinks, [such as] hot chocolate.

I get a chai latte from Starbucks, extra hot, no water and no cold milk, seven pumps chai … it helps me study. I like to study early … I will get up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. and go to Starbucks and then go to bed at, like, midnight.”

Text by Allyssa Kuhlman Photos by Brian Nguyen

“I spend my time in the 24-hour room, nothing too crazy. It’s nice and quiet and spacious and there’s good light over there. That’s what gets me through finals.”

“Eating stuff [like junk food] to keep me awake.”

Lina Medina fifth-year sociology major

Jason Wertheimer first-year post-bacc pre-med (graduated in exercise biology)

Jack Norman third-year statistics major

“I like to take a lot of walks. If I’m feeling really stressed out, I need to take time to go on a walk or talk with friends or call my parents from home. After a while, I won’t sleep until I’m done, but I do need to take certain breaks, like maybe an hour.”

“I don’t sleep until it’s all done. I like snacking, coffee, cuddling up with my blanket. I like studying by myself.”

Jenna Carter first-year psychology major

Vivian Truong

“I always ask a teacher to give me my test on white paper because I always study on white paper. And I always use the same pencil all the time so that I don’t mess up.

I always fold my study guides in half.”

Matthew Whittaker fourth-year neurology, physiology and behavior major

third-year nutrition science major

“Online shopping. And I always have a water, coffee and Red Bull right next to me [while studying].”

Christie Tu fourth-year neurology, physiology and behavior major

“I like to play guitar. Whenever I study for an hour, I’ll give myself 20 or 30 minutes to play guitar and relax.”

“Sometimes I like to study in my garage, with the garage door open, to get some fresh air.”

Max Russer

Derek Holden third-year exercise biology major

third-year international relations major

Davis holiday gift guide The Aggie explores Davis for unique holiday gifts

By JOYCE BERTHELSEN Aggie Features Writer

Getting a cow for Christmas might be bizarre, and it also might not be a very good gift. But don’t worry — there are other more useful non-mooing things or perhaps knick-knacks that say, “This gift is from Davis.”

Christmas is fast approaching, and yet, so are finals. There is really no time to think about what gift to get for Mom, Dad, brother, sister … or pet. But a short exploration through downtown Davis proved to have a few gift ideas unique to this college town, whether it is Preeti Girl’s green blouse popular with students or UC Davis apparel.

As Davis was originally an agricultural university in an environmentally conscious town, it only makes sense that the university grows and makes organic products. For instance, both the Memorial Union Bookstore and UC Davis Store downtown sell Russell Ranch Dried Tomatoes.

These are organically grown and their ingredients list consists only of “dried tomatoes.” These could be a delectable gift idea for the kitchen aficionados in the family.

Another popular UC Davis product is the University’s assortment of olive oil merchandise, priced at $12 a bottle. There are three olive oil flavors — Silo, Roasted Garlic and Gunrock — that also include a description on the label that says exactly what it goes well with, such as chicken or salads.

“I’ve purchased it for my grandmother, my mom and married friends of mine,” said Chad Ceccola, a fourth-year film major and UC Davis Store employee. “It really is the epitome of Davis, because it’s something that comes from our campus.”

Other olive oil products also include table olives, soap, lip balm, body butter and 100 percent vegan body lotion. Proceeds of UC Davis olive oil products benefit the UC Davis Olive Center in future research and education concerning the olive industry in California.

So, while you purchase a uniquely Davis Christmas gift, you can also take pride in helping research. Both the Memorial Union Bookstore and UC Davis Store also sell the body products in a gift pack for $24.95.

Funny enough, the UC Davis Store also sells mason jars with straws through the lids. The jars represent both Davis’ sustainability and environmentally friendly reputation, but also appeal to the college town status. Mason jars have recently become a trend among (broke) students with uses ranging from alcohol container to candy jar to decorative ornament, making it a perfect gift for family members of any age.

“As [sustainable as] the campus is, we’re trying to be a zero-waste university by 2027,” Ceccola said. “This is a great way of doing it. Instead of throwing out all these [mason] jars that we use to cook, we manufacture them as glass jars that people can

drink out of.”

For a classier (and more expensive) pick, De Luna Jewelers, located in Downtown Davis, sells a jade and 14-karat gold bike pin. “[The bicycle] is the symbol of Davis,” said Diego Rodriguez, a De Luna Jewelers employee. “The logo of Davis and what Davis is really known for are their bike ways and paths and greenbelts.”

Rodriguez explained that the jade represents Davis’ green areas and green community. This may be a less wallet-friendly gift, priced at $1,015, but it certainly symbolizes Davis.

For the students wanting to apply their hard-earned knowledge from beer-brewing class — or for any beer fans, in fact — the MU Bookstore online has the perfect gift. They offer three different beer-making kits, each for $40, to brew chestnut brown ale, a breakfast-flavored coffee and donut stout or an everyday IPA. Of course, the most evident gift that screams “Davis” is most likely UC Davis apparel. It may not be out of the ordinary, but it is safe and will certainly be used.

“I would definitely [get] either the Davis sweatshirt or the California Aggie sweatshirt,” said Harry Gebhardt, a fourth-year economics and political science double major and Davis Sports Shop employee. “Those are both really popular.”

The Davis Sports Shop also has bike T-shirts and Davis town hats for $11.99 and

$16.99, respectively.

However, unless you are not a UC Davis student, your entire family probably already has a UC Davis T-shirt, hat, mug, water bottle and sweatshirt.

If not, then a UC Davis sweatshirt might be the perfect gift for Dad in this cold weather.

Otherwise, why not get something for your pet?

The MU Bookstore sells a “dog outfit,” which is a jersey hoodie with “UC Davis Veterinary Medicine” written across the back, for $18.95. Whether it is the jersey part or the fact that it is dog apparel, it certainly is a bizarrely perfect — or perfectly bizarre — gift for our furry friends.

It does say it is from Davis.

For a less obviously-Davis gift, also nestled in the clearance table at the MU Bookstore is what looks to be a miniature beanbag chair labeled “mobile comfort.”

It is, in fact, a beanbag chair for your cell phone. Nothing says extraordinary or maybe just flatout strange like a gift that sends the message to make sure your cellular device is comfortable.

Plus it is only $5.89.

On the contrary, if you want to show UC Davis pride (or want to be the lucky receiver too), for $39.95 the MU Bookstore’s UC Davis gnome just might cut it to accent your garden, room or fireplace mantle. After all, its description on the Bookstore’s website said it is nothing short of extraordinary.

JOYCE BERTHELSEN can be reached at features@ theaggie.org.