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volume 132, number 3
News iN Brief
Summer Abroad program enrollment opens today Education Abroad Center’s (EAC) 2013 Summer Abroad enrollments begin today. Over 40 programs, taught by UC Davis faculty, are available for undergraduate students and alumni who have completed over 15 units and are in good academic and disciplinary standing. Participants will earn eight units during the span of the program. 2013 programs are available in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania and various living accommodations are open to participants, including dorms, apartments suites, hotel, hostel or a host family, according to the EAC website. A full program list can be found at summer-abroad.ucdavis.edu/programs. The EAC is located at 207 Third Street, Suite 120. Enrollment is scheduled to close April 5. — Muna Sadek
wednesday, january 9, 2013
Q&A with Mathnasium New Davis business concentrates on students’ understanding of math at Davis? Rene: Our goal is to help the students from first grade to 12th grade to understand math, for it to make sense to them. To get the lifelong skills and concepts. Rebekah: Math is a conceptual skill so we want everyone to develop that. Our goal is not to get everyone to calculus but to make sure that they are comfortable and that they are ready. Many kids are afraid of math. Math is simple and if you talk about it in different ways it can be simple. We have different ways we teach them, not just homework. We are a supplemental educational program.
UC Davis students work there as tutors. The Aggie sat down and talked with both Rene and Rebekah about the goals of Mathnasium and its differences from other educational programs that are available to students in Davis.
What is the Mathnasium method? How is it different from any other methods? Rebekah: It’s different in the sense that it is a consistent program that they come to twice a week. The power of the program is rested in that it is the material the instructors use and the different ways we try to explain the concept so that they understand. Other programs are purely based on homework. The power of our program is that we just focus on math and since we focus on one thing we teach it well. The key is to make sure the kids understand what they are doing. It can be a very mechanical process. But we want to make sure the student can understand what is happening in those processes.
The Aggie: What is the goal for Mathnasium
See MATH, page 2
Zach Land-Miller / Aggie
The Mathnasium tutors children from first to 12th grade to help them understand math. Three UC Davis students work there as tutors.
By KAMILA KUDELSKA Aggie News Writer
Mathnasium, located at 618 Fourth St., opened December 2012 in Davis. Rene Tsang, the center director of Mathnasium, works with his daughter Rebekah to help students learn and understand mathematics. Currently, three
UC Davis Meat Lab makes 2012 Best of Sacramento
The science of violence Struggling to predict violent acts
Facility considered “Best Locavore Find”
Courtesy
Bushmaster XM15 E2s A2 20in, similar to the rifle used at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Courtesy
By WENDY CHAO Aggie News Writer
In November, the UC Davis Meat Lab (UCDML), located at the Harold Cole Facility on La Rue Road, was featured in Sacramento Magazine's (SacMag) “The 2012 Best of Sacramento” issue for its exceptional produce. The “Best of Sacramento” piece, an annual list compiled by SacMag's editors, is a way to showcase especial aspects of the region, including style, food and drink, activities, home design, people and the arts. The meat lab, a branch of the UC Davis animal science department, is a meat processing plant on campus that serves the dual role of instructing students about hands-on food processing and selling fresh meat. The facility is equipped with resources such as a kill floor, coolers, cutting and processing rooms, a lab, freezers and a classroom. It is run by student employees and overseen by manager Caleb Sehnert, who supervises the lab's functions and instructs students. “All the students put in hard work with me every day and we're really lucky to have one of the five meat labs in California, thanks to the Regents and support from the animal science department,” he said. “If the customers weren't talking about it, then we probably wouldn't have made [the list]. It's a real honor and we're really
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excited to receive it.” When open for business on certain weekdays, the lab sells fresh, local meat, including beef, sheep, hog and goat. Most of the animals are bred and born on the animal science department's on-campus facilities in beef units and sheep barns. Meat sales have been hosted at the lab since the mid-’90s and meats are approved to be shipped anywhere in the United States. Some lab employees stated that the fact the animals are bred on campus is a helpful factor in producing better-quality meat. “We can keep an eye on what they've [animals] been eating, what kind of medication they're on, or if they've had any sickness or vaccinations,” Sehnert said. Animal science students have also said that they have positive reactions toward buying the meat, especially since they've already seen how it's handled. “There's a meat locker specifically used for aging meat which makes it more tender and flavorful,” said first-year animal science major Jessica Sousa. “Unlike shopping at other stores, I actually see where my meat is coming from at Davis and since I'm an animal science major, I know the slaughter process is completely humane.” Sousa continued to support the idea by listing the pros of buying from the lab. “Customers can choose between fresh
See MEAT, page 3 Forecast A cold trough will dive southward on Wednesday and bring scattered light showers late Wednesday. Cold and breezy, but dry conditions will dominate the weather on Thursday and Friday as a ridge builds over the West Coast. JONATHAN HUYNH, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
By NICOLE NOGA Aggie Science Writer
The tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut has been pervasive in recent media, and Adam Lanza is becoming a household name. In all the coverage, there seems to be one question on everyone’s lips: Why? News reporters seem to have scrambled for answers, featuring experts and using eyewitness testimonies of “warning signs.” Even more people are asking about what can we do to prevent this from happening again. Some researchers say the latest developments in science hold the answers, while others deem “predictive science” a myth. Predictive science combines many different fields of expertise to form a profile of an individual who is at high risk of committing a violent act. Currently researchers are searching for answers using patterns in behavior, brain activity, brain circuitry, genes and substance abuse. “The only absolute predictor of future violence is past history of violence. And there is no question that there is a big connection,” Thursday
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said Dr. Peter Yellowlees, a professor of psychiatry and developer of curricula concerning disaster preparedness responses at UC Davis. A more sophisticated approach being researched is faulty circuitry between the prefrontal cortex of the brain and the amygdala — the emotional arousal and regulation part of the brain. The amygdala is stimulated when there is a threat or perceived threat to an individual. In normal individuals, the prefrontal cortex sends a chemical message to cease the stimulation in the amygdala But in violent people, the amygdala never receives the message and thus inappropriate aggressive behavior is observed. Another technique that can be used is analyzing actuarials — statistical equations used by insurance companies. While patterns of behavior are very clear in large groups of people, it is difficult to use these techniques on individuals. Rather, a combination of risk factors are analyzed, and one factor has been more prominent in recent years due to sensationalized media cov-
erage: the desire for recognition and fame. “To me, the big issue is the glorification of violence that I think goes on in society. Part of that is seen in the media reporting but equally, part of it is the NRA’s inappropriate response to suggest teachers and armed guards have guns in schools,” Yellowlees said. “But again it is just glorifying the gun culture … the exposure to violence that occurs is something that is clearly likely to increase violence in the long run.” With the limitations of neuroscience, psychology and developing technology, most experts would argue that prevention should take the spotlight rather than prediction. There are multiple ways to reduce risk including better mental healthcare, harm minimization, stricter gun control laws and, ultimately, being better prepared mentally. Yellowlees described harm minimization as an approach that involves steps taken by a psychiatrist or psychologist to reduce or eliminate the risk of
See SHOOT, page 3
Q: How many Northern Californians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A: Hella.
The UC Davis Meat Lab was featured in Sacramento Magazine’s “2012 Best of Sacramento” issue. The Meat Lab was featured for its produce.
Allison Ferrini