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volume 132, number 8
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013
Governor declares California’s Yudof named one of the most budget deficit-free
influential forces in higher education
Announcement calls for more education funding By WENDY CHAO Aggie News Writer
Irisa Tam / Aggie
In January, Gov. Jerry Brown revealed that California now has no budget deficit, which once was $25 million two years ago. Gov. Brown released a Governor’s Budget Summary which includes plans to increase educational funding. The spending plan, which derives from a $97.6 billion yearly fund, calls for certain advancements in education. This includes an extra $250 million — a 7 percent increase from this year’s budget — for each state university. Some students have expressed their optimistic feelings toward the aspect of more money, citing more resources as a positive result. “I guess it [the $250 million] would make a difference because in the past couple years, [there’ve] been class subjects that have been cut,” said first-year environmental and science management major
Jennie Hoang. Hoang continued to advocate for the spending plan by reasoning the argument with her own experiences. “A larger budget would possibly mean more class sections being opened up so people wouldn’t be stuck on the waitlist for a [chemistry] lab section, for example, but already be added into the [chemistry] lecture section which isn’t really fair,” she said. In addition to monetary increas-
es, Gov. Brown has also implemented a unit cap which will continue to decrease after two years, limiting the number of classes a student may enroll in. Students are still allowed to enroll in extra classes, but are required to pay full price, or outof-state tuition, for the courses. The goal of this policy is to encourage students to efficiently complete their degree requirements,
See BUDGET, page 6
Wine and beer tastings benefit local organization Tastings held by Davis Food Co-op projects, low-income housing courtesy
University of California’s president Mark Yudof was named one of the 12 most influential forces in higher education by The Huffington Post.
Mark Allinder / Aggie
Davis resident Chuck Robbins samples beer at the Davis Food Co-op. The Davis Food Co-op is hosting a wine-tasting series through March to raise money for the Yolo County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center.
By MEREDITH STURMER Aggie News Writer
From January through March, the Davis Food Co-op is hosting a series of wine and beer tastings to raise money for the Yolo County Sexual
Assault and Domestic Violence Center (SADVC). According to the SADVC website, the center aims to minimize sexual assault and domestic violence through prevention, intervention and treatment.
“One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime,” said SADVC Director of Community Relations Diana Stantz in an email interview. “One in six
See TASTING, page 2
In The Huffington Post’s “12s of ’12” series, University of California President Mark Yudof was named one of this past year’s most influential forces in higher education. Yudof was among a diverse range of forces in education highlighted this year. Included were law student Sandra Fluke for her outspoken beliefs about birth control, student activists for their ability to influence real change in their environments and others who helped shape the face and climate of higher education this year. The Huffington Post even put pop music on the list, citing singers like Carly Rae Jepsen, Gotye and PSY for sparking a sensation of parody videos across college campuses. Yudof was recognized for presiding over the UC system as it held onto its reputation for excellence despite facing a myriad of obstacles this year. “Despite enormous challenges from state funding cuts, rising tuition, criticism over the mishandling of student protests, multiple University of California campuses remain world-class public re-
search universities rivaling Ivy League schools in top rankings,” stated The Huffington Post. “[Yudof] presided over that and saw voters reward the schools by electing to raise taxes to fund them through Prop 30 — a ballot initiative.” Steve Montiel, media relations director at the University of California Office of the President, agreed with The Huffington Post. “Clearly he has faced a host of challenges since he became president of the University of California, but he has guided the universities through difficult times without sacrificing quality,” Montiel said. Yudof has also been involved with the Working Smarter Initiative, which includes a combined effort of campuses and leaders to reach a level of administrative excellence equal to that of the UC’s academic and research facets. “It’s the campuses who ultimately ensure quality, but Yudof has been a strong leader during difficult times,” Montiel said. — Lauren Mascarenhas
News iN Brief
President’s plan to reduce gun violence revealed
Hit-and-run at South Davis intersection On Tuesday, a hit-and-run collision occurred at around 11:10 p.m. at Richards Boulevard and Olive Drive. Chisoo Song, 21, was biking eastbound on Olive Drive through the intersection when a vehicle traveling westbound on Olive Drive made a left turn in front of him. The vehicle hit Song’s front tire, which proceeded to eject
him from the bicycle. The vehicle stopped momentarily before fleeing the scene. Song sustained minor injuries from the hit-and-run. The suspect’s vehicle is described as a white old-model, four-door passenger vehicle, possibly with a circle logo on the rear of the car. — Claire Tan
UC Student Regent, Regent-designate to visit campus Friday UC student Regent Jonathan Stein and Regent-designate Cinthia Flores will visit the UC Davis campus Friday to speak about the 2014-15 student regent application. The event, scheduled to take place in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Student Community Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m., will address how to apply for the student regent position, as well as challenges fac-
Today’s weather Sunny High 57 Low 34
ing the UC. Friday’s event will also include free pizza. The student regent is a voting member of the board of regents. Serving a one-year term, he or she establishes policy in various areas including student fees and admissions. The appointee is given the regent-des-
See REGENT, page 6 Forecast
Today’s cold and dry weather should persist through the weekend and into next week. Enjoy the long weekend, Aggies! Thank you Dr. King. Brian Rico, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
Yesterday, the White House issued President Obama’s plan to minimizing gun violence in the nation. Titled “Now Is the Time: The President’s Plan to Protect our Children and our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence,” the plan lists four “commonsense” steps: Closing background check loopholes to keep guns out of dangerous hands; banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and taking other common-sense steps to reduce gun violence; making schools safer and increasing access to mental health services. The plan’s first step would require criminal background checks for all gun sales, and a call on private sellers and licensed dealers to run background checks on buyers. Additionally, the background check system would be strengthened to allow it to have reliable data on prohibited users. The plan’s second step would elimi-
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nate military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines by strengthening the ban on such weapons, limiting magazines to 10 rounds and getting armor-piercing bullets off the streets. The step also calls for the passing of stronger laws that would stop those from giving guns to criminals, keeping 15,000 police officers on the streets and eliminating restrictions that prevent law enforcers from doing their jobs. It would also designate a director to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, allow information on lost or stolen guns made available to law enforcement and provide training for active-shooter situations. In addition, the prohibition on gun violence research would be lifted and the development of gun-safety technology will continue to be encouraged. Health care providers would also report any
See GUN, page 6
You know you are addicted to coffee if ... You have to watch videos in fast-forward. Your eyes won’t stay open when you sneeze. The only time you’re standing still is during an earthquake. Amanda Nguyen