January 31, 2013

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

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volume 132, number 15

thursday, january 31, 2013

Four UC Davis alumni granted CCST fellowships Fellows advise California State Legislature

courtesy

UC Davis alumni Annabelle Kleist (front row, first from left), Neela Babu (front row, second from left), Laura Feinstein (front row, third from left) and Gregory Gambetta (back row, third from left) were selected for the California Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program for 2013.

By PAAYAL ZAVERI Aggie Staff Writer

Four UC Davis graduates were selected for the California Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program for 2013. The fellows are appointed as advisors to the California State Legislature for one-year terms. They aim to provide policy makers with unbiased scientific and technical advice on

issues put before the state senate and assembly.

The four UC Davis alumni awarded the fellowship are Neela Babu, Laura Feinstein, Gregory Gambetta and Annabelle Kleist. Information on the candidates was gathered from a press release by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST).

Neela Babu is assigned to the Office of Assemblymember Nancy Skinner.

She received her master of science and doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Cornell University, and her bachelor of science in the same field from UC Davis. Her research focused on reservoir design in the face of climate uncertainty.

Laura Feinstein received her doctorate in ecology from UC Davis and she

See ALUMNI, page 6

Education Abroad Center stresses importance of international education Aggie News Writer

The University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) announced that it will be doubling scholarship funding to $1 million for 2013-14.

UCEAP will be giving scholarships to students of all majors and programs, according to a press release from UCEAP. It will also award scholarships for returning students who are selected to be Student Ambassadors.

The Education Abroad Center provides opportunities through four types of programs — the UC Education

Abroad Program (about 26 percent of UC Davis study abroad participants); UC Davis Summer Abroad (51 percent), UC Davis Quarter Abroad (18 percent) and independent, third-party programs (5 percent), according to the UC Davis EAC office.

“We know from surveys and advising that finances [or] lack of financial aid is the number one reason given by UC Davis students for not participating in a study abroad program. These are students who want to study abroad but do not have the resources to make it happen. For those who do study abroad, over 60 percent are

See EDUCATE, page 6

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences holds town hall Monday The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will hold a series of town hall meetings on Monday to discuss the qualifications that should be sought out for the next dean of the College.

Four town hall meetings are scheduled throughout the day in the Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) Room at the Buehler Alumni and Visitor Center. The meetings will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to noon, 1:30 to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m.

People who are unable to attend one of the four meetings can send comments to caesdeansearch@ucdavis.edu.

The search for a new dean comes after former dean of 13 years, Neal Van Alfen, resigned last August.

— Muna Sadek

UC Davis Student Recognition Awards open nominations Upperclassmen can nominate themselves or other upperclassmen for the 2013 Student Recognition Awards.

The awards aim to publicly recognize students who serve to improve the University and campus community.

More information on the selection criteria and the application/nomination form can be found online at the Student Affiars website at sa.ucdavis.edu/studentawards.cfm.

Nominations will be open until 5 p.m. on Feb. 19.

— Muna Sadek

Surface water project forum on Saturday

UC Education Abroad Program to give $1 million in scholarships this year

By NATASHA QABAZARD

News iN Brief

Abigail Alcala / Aggie

The UC Davis Education Abroad Center provides opportunities for students to study in different countries. The University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) will be doubling scholarship funding to $1 million for 2013-14.

The People’s Vanguard of Davis and Davis Media Access will sponsor a roundtable forum on the Woodland-Davis surface water project, or Measure I, on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Davis Community Chambers.

Proponents and opponents will participate, with three of each side on the panel. Three technical experts on hydrology, financing and water policy, respectively, will be present. Proponents of the project include Mayor Joe Krovoza and Alf Brandt. Opponents include former city councilmember Sue Greenwald.

The public is encouraged to attend the forum.

The purpose of the event is to allow the community to hear both sides’ opinions of the water project, as well as allow the community to ask any questions. Measure I will be on the March 5 Special Election ballot.

— Claire Tan

Worms eat my garbage

Davis Stampede on Sunday

ASUCD Unit Spotlight: Project Compost

By ALICE LEE

Aggie Features Writer

Most of us cringe at the sight of worms, especially long red ones, without realizing just how important those red wrigglers are to our environment.

Since worms eat large quantities of organic material and can digest up to their body weight every day, they are perfect candidates for making compost.

Project Compost is an ASUCD student-run, student-funded unit with two significant focuses: educating students about the agricultural benefits of compost and taking action by picking up composts from various places on campus and providing it to those who can use it.

“Project Compost diverts about 30,000 pounds of disposable waste from campus each year with the help of our four staff members, interns and volunteers,” said fourth-year environmental policy analysis and planning major

Today’s weather Sunny High 63 Low 36

and Unit Director Haley Proehl. We pick up compostable material on campus such as [at] the CoHo, botanical conservatory, pomology lab, Salad Bowl garden and coffee kiosks. We also provide guidance for educational compost programs to high schools, colleges and the community.”

Every quarter, there are free events, such as the Backyard Composting workshop and Worm Bin workshops, for members of the community and students who wish to learn about their respective styles of composting. Several methods include vermicomposting, or composting with red worms. There are also educational outreach at events such as Farm to College, Picnic Day and Whole Earth Festival.

“Future endeavors we have planned include fixing up our demonstration site at the Tri Co-ops, including building a three-bin system for people to drop off their food scraps or garden clippings to be composted, and displaying vari-

ous other structures that are useful for home composting,” Proehl said. “We also plan to have a greater presence at the downtown farmers market come spring time.”

Project Compost is also involved in an event called Recyclemania, which educates students about the university’s zero-waste goal as well as how to reduce the university’s consumption.

“I remember learning about the benefits of compost when I went to one of their meetings early on this quarter,” said third-year animal science and management major Lauren Tseng.

“They always inform us about the big events such as Recyclemania and field trip opportunities for the volunteers and interns to places like the Davis recycling center.”

Compost is decomposed organic matter in its various states, but what makes it so useful? Those involved in Project

Forecast Expect mostly sunny weather today; this weather pattern should persist into the beginning of next week.

Enjoy the weekend, Aggies!

Brian Rico, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

See COMPOST, page 6 Friday

Saturday

Sunny

Mostly sunny

High 63 Low 38

High 62 Low 40

The annual Davis Stampede will take place on Sunday starting at 8 a.m. at Central Park.

The event will temporarily close off Third and B streets around the park for the runners.

The Davis Stampede is a race that occurs on the first Sunday of February. Individuals can participate in 5K, 10K or half-marathon routes.

The routes go through downtown, the East and South Davis greenbelts and neighborhood streets.

Online registration will be open until 8 a.m. tomorrow. In-person registration will be available until 7 p.m. today at Fleet Feet Sports located at 615 Second St. Individuals can also register at packet pickup on Saturday from 9 to 5 p.m. at Fleet Feet Sports. Individuals may also choose to register the morning of the event.

Entry fees are $33 for the 5K and 10K races, $53 for the half marathon and $13 for kids through tomorrow. At packet pickup and on race morning, entry fees are $35 for the 5K and 10K races, $55 for the half-marathon and $15 for kids.

— Claire Tan

When Alexander Bell invented the telephone he had three missed calls from Chuck Norris.

Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 THURsday, january 31, 2013

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

THURSDAY Panel Discussion 2 to 4 p.m.

Yocha Dehe Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center Come down for a panel discussion moderated by David Kyle, associate professor of sociology at UC Davis and faculty director of the UC Global Health Institute. Guest panelists from various expertises will participate.

SSFAAC General Meeting 3 to 4 p.m.

203 Mrak Join the Student Services and Fees Administrative Advisory Committee for their upcoming meeting featuring the Director of State Government Relations, Adrian Lopez, discussing the possibility of reaching out to our elected official and informing the committee about the process. Also, ASUCD Unitrans representative Katy Maloney and ASUCD Coffee House representative Brett Burns will be providing budget presentations for next year. All students are welcome to attend.

Biomedical Engineering Departmental Seminar Series: Dr. Brian Munsky 4:10 to 5 p.m.

1005 GBSF Join Dr. Brian Munsky for his discussion on “Integrating Single-Cell Experiments and Stochastic Analyses to Predict Gene Expression Dynamics.”

Kirtan Night 7 to 8:30 p.m.

CA House Come join Sikh Cultural Association for its second Kirtan Night of the quarter as we sing glorious praises of the Timeless Being in a congregation. There will be food for everyone afterward. We welcome everyone and please bring your friends.

Technocultural Studies Club Introductory Workshop 6 to 7 p.m.

TCS Mac Lab, Art Annex Join us for a workshop focusing on music composition for those who have little to no experience with music theory or music software. For further information, contact Steven Gordon at swgordon@ucdavis.edu.

American Red Cross Club General Meeting 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

146 Olson The ARCC is an on-campus organization dedicated to emergency preparedness and community service. Join them for their second general meeting.

FRIDAY

Folk Music Jam Session Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck Folk musicians are invited to play together informally during an acoustic jam session. Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes and squeezeboxes and join your fellow musicians for a little bluegrass, oldtime, blues, Celtic, klezmer and world music over the lunch hour. All skill levels welcome and listeners are welcome.

For more information, please call (530) 752-4880.

Yolo County Animal Shelter Adoption Sale 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed 1 to 2 p.m.)

Woodland Animal Shelter Celebrate My Furry Valentine with discounted adoption rates for all dogs and cats from the Woodland Animal Shelter.

Help save a life for the same price as buying a coffee — all adoptions are $5.

For more information or to see pictures of the adoptable animals, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/YCAS. Shelter.

The Art of Athletes 5 to 7 p.m.

Basement Gallery, Art Building Join us for the fourth annual art show featuring the work of current intercollegiate student-athletes enrolled in all four undergraduate colleges at UC Davis. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

SATURDAY The Art of Athletes Noon to 6 p.m.

Basement Gallery, Art Building Join us for the fourth annual art show featuring the work of current intercollegiate student-athletes enrolled in all four undergraduate colleges at UC Davis. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

SUNDAY The Art of Athletes 1 to 5 p.m.

Basement Gallery, Art Building Join us for the fourth annual art show featuring the work of current intercollegiate student-athletes enrolled in all four undergraduate colleges at UC Davis. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

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.

CAMPUS JUDICIAL REPORT While preparing for the upcoming midterms, it is helpful to also become familiarized with testing policies and the possible consequences of violating them. Student conduct during testing is a relevant topic that will be explored in the following scenarios.

Unauthorized materials A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for using an unauthorized calculator on a math exam. The proctor confiscated it within the first 10 minutes of the exam. When the student met with the Judicial Officer, she said that she did not hear the professor announce that calculators were not allowed during the exam and was therefore unaware that they were prohibited. In addition, she pointed out that she was using a scientific calculator, which cannot do complex calculations or store data.

After considering the circumstances of the incident, the Judicial Officer and professor agreed that although the student did violate the rules by using an unauthorized calculator for the first few minutes of the exam, it appeared to be a genuine misunderstanding on the student's part, and one from which no unfair advantage was gained since scientific calculators are very limited in their functions. As a result, the matter was settled by sending the student a non-disciplinary “administrative notice." This is a letter putting the student officially "on notice" about a specific university policy (in this case, the policy against using unauthorized materials during a test).

Copying during an exam

Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor

Rebecca Peterson Opinion Editor Joey Chen Copy Chief

Jonathan Wester Business Manager

Brian Nguyen Photography Editor

Caelum Shove Advertising Manager

Janice Pang Design Director

Muna Sadek Campus Editor

James Kim Asst. Design Director

Claire Tan City Editor Elizabeth Orpina Arts Editor Adam Khan Features Editor Matthew Yuen Sports Editor

Amanda Nguyen Night Editor Allison Ferrini Asst. Night Editor Irisa Tam Art Director 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

A professor referred a student for suspected copying during an upperdivision chemistry exam. The professor noticed the student constantly glancing at a neighbor's work during the exam, and later compared the two tests.

The professor noticed that several of the suspected student's answers were quite similar to the neighbor's exam but tended to be incomplete.

When meeting with a Judicial Officer, the student admitted to cheating and explained that she had panicked during the exam. She agreed to deferred separation, which means that if she is referred to SJA again, she gives up her right to a formal hearing, and if she is found in violation in an informal hearing, she will likely be suspended.

Wandering eyes A student was referred to SJA for suspected cheating during a math exam. Throughout the exam, the proctor noticed that the student was suspiciously looking at other students.

When the student met with the Judicial Officer, he denied to have cheated, and claimed that he was just fidgeting.

Later, however, he admitted to having wandering eyes and creating the appearance of dishonesty. He stated that he did not know that simply having wandering eyes, even if a student has no intention of cheating, is prohibited during an exam. The student agreed to accept a censure, which is a written notice informing the student that if he is found in violation on another case, the student will receive more severe disciplinary sanctions, such as disciplinary probation, deferred separation or suspension.

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Reproduction in any form whatsoever is forbidden without the expressed written permission of the copyright owner.

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ample of a unified ASUCD succeeding.

Let’s go back further to 2009. Then ASUCD Senator Jack Zwald (who would latJustin er become president) balked when the University Rate Goss Group sought to levy a 4.56 Sandbox politico cent tax on all credit card transactions made at the ASUCD Coffee House, while exempting Sodexho, who runs the Silo and the dining f you attended my farecommons. well you heard me talk Zwald called for a fairer, about why the mantle of proportional tax in Senate senator was one I bore with Resolution 25, but was opsome amount of disdain. If you missed my farewell, then posed by the contemporary executive office of Joe you forsook comedy gold Chatham and Chris Dietrich, and should immediately go who wanted the fee entirely on Facebook and watch all nullified. Too much infight17 minutes of it. ing led to breakdown in the The message was this: I talks and the tax has stood was uncomfortable with my ever since. title because when people If ever there was an exuttered it, it was as though ample of political infighting they raised me up or had costing the student body this some heightened expecwas it. tation of me. “But that’s So you see, the biggest batwrong,” I thought. I’m just tles ASUCD fights are fought like any other student. And with school, city or state adbecause of this mindset, my ministrators — and these friends, I was a mediocre fights are primarily won or senator at best. lost based on the degree to You see, titles matter. which our student governASUCD has an odd obsesment properly internalizes its sion with outreach and proown title swag, and protects gramming. When we’re in ofthose of us with less glamorfice we get lonely and we ous monikers (“columnist” think because we have a fandoesn’t have the same ring). cy title people should de facI’ve given you two examto know who we are. This too ples of ASUCD being in tryis the wrong mindset. or-die scenarios, where their Who’s your state senasuccess or tor, your failure could member of Think they would have tangibly, and Congress, your aslistened to any student? Think monetarily, impact the semagain lives of the blymementire camber? How pus. Compare many of that to my own program of you got all three? Point beMeatless Mondays (which ing, we barely pay attention I’m still damn proud of). to real politicians, so why Saving student jobs versus should sandbox politicians slashing the price of tofu? expect the world to know us?

Which do you think is more Titles matter because they important? give respect where previousWhat’s more, most “senate ly there was none. It’s a barprojects” can be implementgaining chip to the admined without actually being on istration and to real governSenate. I could have feasibly ment officials in Davis, Yolo requested an audience with at large (if you just screamed Darin the CoHo director as a “YOLO” we are no longer normal student, I most cerfriends) and Sacramento. It’s tainly could not get myself these officials who have acon the fourth floor of Mrak tual power and this is why without one … at least not the most important work without a police escort.

ASUCD does stems from our ASUCD, you talk frequenttitles. ly about your elected station Let’s go back just a year being a privilege, but I wonto the UCOP tax and Shared der if you truly know what Services. The University that means. Your station of California President grants you access and presFormerly Known as Yudof tige other students do not wanted to levy a fairly hefty have. It is your job to repretax on all ASUCD transacsent them because your titions. Further, he wanted tle grants you a voice in the to consolidate our business presence of normally deaf practices into a joint office called Shared Services. These ears.

I thought my title was a moves would have cost students and career administra- burden, but I was wrong. The expectations it comes with tors their jobs and forced the should not be thought of as Senate to cut services across an embarrassment, but as the board. a gift.

Outgoing ASUCD So ASUCD, reassess what President Adam Thongsavat the thrust of your job truly and his successor, current is, and what it truly means to President Rebecca Sterling, help students. Because a title entered into negotiations with UCOP and our own uni- can make up for a lot in this world, even with a name as versity administration to decommonplace as Justin. lay and decrease the tax.

Think they would have lisJUSTIN GOSS is just some ordinary guy who tened to any student? Think you probably have no interest in talking to. again. They got the job done If you’d like to, however, you may do so at because of their titles, an exjjgoss@ucdavis.edu.

Titles matter

I

Daniel Watts

Watts Legal?

Q: Facebook sent me an email last week saying I’m entitled to $10 because they might have used my pictures in a “sponsored story” without my permission. Was that for real, or is it spam?

A: It’s not spam. When you “like” something on Facebook — whether a business, band or movie — the fact that you “liked” it could appear in your friends’ news feeds. That’s why you always see those sponsored stories telling you that your roommate likes Chipotle (not a surprise) or your mother likes The Hangover (weird).

These companies pay Facebook to display the stories. Facebook profits, and so do the companies, if the advertisements are successful. Market research suggests peer pressure is a powerful way to change consumers’ buying habits.

In these ads, you are the the celebrity endorser.

But think about the ads you see on TV. Brad Pitt doesn’t make those lame fragrance commercials for free, and Nike had to pay Tiger Woods to stare forlornly into the camera.

Did Facebook or Chipotle pay you for your “celebrity” endorsement? No. And in

some states, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Not in California.

California law protects your right of publicity, under both the common law and codified state law: California Civil Code section 3344. (“Common law” is the magical traditional law handed down to us from our legal forebears in England. It’s still binding law in California unless the legislature says otherwise.)

The right of publicity means companies can’t use your name, voice, signature, photo or likeness to sell products without your consent. If they do, you can sue them for at least $750 in automatic damages.

That’s what a group of people did in Fraley v.

Facebook, Inc., a class action lawsuit filed in 2011.

They sued Facebook for themselves, and on behalf of all similar people — the “class” — whose photos were used in ads.

You are probably part of this class. But you don’t have to be.

Just like I wished the pepper spray protesters would opt out of the class action settlement, I hope the members of the Facebook class will opt out. While each of the people who filed the lawsuit will get $12,500 in the settlement, everyone else will get $10 — if there’s enough money left over.

One more time: They’re trying to pay you $10 to

The california Aggie

illegal except in the cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk.

Marisa This stance sounds like Massara a compromise on paper, Sex & Society but is completely impractical — even dangerous — in the real world.

If the last election taught us anything, it is that people have vastly different opinions on what constitutes (dare I ast October, Savita say “legitimate”) rape. and Praveen “Life-threatening” is a Halappanavar were similarly ambiguous term; looking forward to startshould doctors be giving a family. After marryen the choice of abortion ing, they’d moved from morality instead of the India to Ireland to have woman at risk, situations their first child. like this can, have and will Unfortunately, when continue to happen.

Savita was 17 months Supporters of this pregnant, she began to “moderate” stance on miscarry and was admitabortion usually justify reted to University Hospital strictions on early-term in Galway. Doctors exterminations because of a plained that the neck of certain theoretical womthe womb had opened, an. This woman uses her and that they would not right to choose as an exbe able to save the fecuse to ignore birth contus. Savita and Praveen trol. She has promiscuous, were heartbroken, but reunsafe sex, then heads to assured that the ordeal the local clinic to casualwould be over in a matter ly scoop-n-flush the pesky of hours. zygote of the week.

The next morning, the This woman does not fetus still had a heartbeat, exist. But even if she did, but the doctors’ prognothe decision would still be sis remained grim. Savita her’s to make. requested that they terSo instead of trying to minate the pregnancy. dictate when women are Despite the fact that the morally “allowed” to have fetus had an aborno chance tion, why of surviv- Here in the U.S., many people take don’t we ing, doca so-called “moderate” stance on focus on tors repreventing abortion fused her the need request. to make “It’s a such a difCatholic country,” they ficult decision in the first said. place?

Taken aback, Savita This means doing away replied, “I am neither with abstinence-only sex Catholic nor Irish.” education. This means The doctors still refused showing your kids the to act. condom-on-the-banana As the hours passed routine. This means enand her pain became uncouraging openness and bearable, Savita’s requests communication, and putturned into pleads for ting an end to the shame mercy. Three agonizing so often associated with days later, the fetus finalfemale sexuality. ly died.

There is a difference But by then, it was too between being prolate to save Savita. She choice and being prodied of blood poisoning abortion. Supporting the after another four days right to choose does not of suffering. Praveen was obligate you to terminate stunned. a pregnancy. It gives you “They just left her to the right to make your die,” he said in an interown decisions. I have the view with Dailymail.co.uk. utmost respect for wom“All their focus was on the en who choose to keep fetus … how can they put their accidental pregreligion before someone’s nancies, but I also recoglife?” nize the importance of Savita’s story will be the freedom to make that made all the more tragchoice. ic if we do not learn from Roe v. Wade turned 40 Ireland’s mistake. Irish last week, and despite law dictates that aborthe Supreme Court’s tions are only legal if the landmark decision to alwoman’s life is in danger, low abortions until vibut Savita’s case shows ability, the debate surthe precarious nature rounding access to aborof this exception-based tion in this country policy. still rages on. I encourHere in the U.S., many age you to think about people take a so-called how restricted abortion “moderate” stance on rights can affect you or abortion. They do not your loved ones, and to want to see an all-out get involved. ban, but also feel that there should be restricMARISA MASSARA is a pro-choice tions. These people beaccident. You can reach her at mvmassara@ucdavis.edu. lieve abortion should be

Dangers of

moderation

L

settle a case that should be worth at least $750, while paying the three original plaintiffs $12,500 each. The lawyers will get $7.5 million. Even more damning: in Facebook’s original settlement offer, which the court rejected, Facebook offered no money at all to the individual victims.

To opt out of the settlement and preserve your right to sue Facebook for more than $10, go to fraleyfacebooksettlement. com/opt and fill out the online form.

Maybe you don’t want to sue Facebook, but you think the $10 settlement is weak sauce. In that case, you might want to object to the settlement. You have to write a letter that meets certain requirements, which you can find here: docs.fraleyfacebooksettlement.com/docs/notice.pdf Q: It costs 50 cents to use a credit card at the coffee shop near my house. Arco charges 50 cents to use a debit card, but refuses to take credit cards. Mishka’s says they’re offering a “cash discount” that disappears when I use a credit card. Are these things legal?

A: Some of them. There was a proposal to ban debit card fees a few years ago. Arco’s trade union mobilized to defeat it in the legislature, so it never happened.

Credit cards are different.

Merchants can’t charge

a fee when you use a credit card — it violates California Civil Code section 1748.1.

If they charge you a fee to use a credit card, keep your receipt. Then write them a letter — using certified mail — and demand a refund of the fee. Include a copy of the receipt in your letter. If they don’t give you a refund within a few weeks, you can sue them for a triple refund plus attorney fees.

Merchants can offer a discount to customers paying with cash. Not many merchants set this up correctly, though.

Mishka’s, for example, lists its regular prices on a large signboard behind the counter. Nearby is a small sign stating “these prices reflect a 50-cent cash discount” or something to that effect. That’s really not a “discount” as most people use the term. Those are the regular posted prices, which happen to increase by a couple quarters if you use a credit card. Sounds like a fee to me.

There are very few published court opinions on this topic because the potential payout is only a couple bucks. The dearth of controlling cases makes it difficult to say with certainty whether the sneaky Mishka’s sign is legal. So don’t go suing Mishka’s.

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.

OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, january 31, 2013 3

editorials

Community Survey

Take it Do you feel comfortable emailing your professor to ask for an extension on an assignment? Would you be okay telling your boss that there is a pain in your knee? How confident are you stating your culture, religion or sexual orientation on campus?

The systemwide Campus Community Survey is available today and invites you to answer questions such as these, with the aim of increasing inclusiveness and the sense of community on campus by identifying members of the UC community who do not feel adequately represented.

The results will determine the distribution of funds designated to make changes based on the survey’s findings.

Everyone should take the survey. Disregarding it would be forgoing your right as a member of the UC Davis campus and UC community. A survey on the UC logo was made available before the UC’s brief identity cri-

sis. Everyone knows where that led.

Each campus is given the opportunity to insert questions that campus officials feel should be asked. What is perhaps a bit unnerving is the lack of questions pertaining to student comfort in the presence of UC Davis campus police. This is a point that should have been included in the survey, provided tumultuous events of the past two years in the UC and at UC Davis specifically.

Fortunately, there are spaces where participants can state their concerns on any topic.

Along with the opportunity to air grievances, students can also take the survey in the hopes of winning an item from a long register of prizes, including thousands of dollars, electronics and various types of gift cards.

The survey — sitting in your email inbox right now — will be available for the remainder of February.

Dining commons

Tell the truth We here at The Aggie are all about low expectations; it leads to an overall better experience. Imagine a reader’s pleasant surprise when they discover the 15-inch article you’ve been touting is actually 30 inches with two large photos and a gorgeous byline. A thick stream of happiness is sure to ensue.

As such, we hold all facets of UC Davis under the same strict standard of excellence, with a somewhat questionable reputation. The dining commons are no exception.

If a specific dish is slated for a particular meal, it is the responsibility of the dining commons staff to follow through with their promise.

Last-minute menu changes are unacceptable without proper addendums to the website as well. Otherwise, unsuspecting students dole out precious (and expensive) swipes for dishes they never wanted to suffer through in the first place.

Sure, the menus remain accessible to students of all backgrounds for every meal. But if a (hypothetical)

dashing young Muslim editor reads “almond chicken” on the menu only to discover “pulled pork sandwiches,” he’s not likely inclined to happily settle for Blue Onion’s “seitan salad” just because a higher power won’t smite him with a bolt of lightning for it. He’s going to bike to Raja’s Tandoor and grumble about how his only option that night was a dish that both sounds and tastes like it’s made from the devil’s asscrack.

It is the DC’s responsibility to keep the thousands of students who utilize their facilities each day updated and informed. We are depending upon their word in order to make educated decisions about our dining options.

After all, if one plans to waste $14 on shitty food, they should at least be able to savor the shitty food they originally wanted.

Dependability and low expectations. At least McDonald’s holds true to the saying that a bad surprise should never end up in your mouth.

Editorial Board Janelle Bitker Editor in Chief Hannah Strumwasser Managing Editor Rebecca Peterson Opinion Editor

Muna Sadek Campus Editor Claire Tan City Editor Adam Khan Features Editor

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Letters to the editor Response to Brian Moen’s Jan. 24 column “A dose of capitalist poison” Just read your story in the opinion [section] of The Aggie. Before you

jump into the socialism bandwagon, try living in a socialist country! It will change your perspective. The reason so many people migrate legally or illegally into this country is because

of the socialism to which they were born in.

— Anthony Bordas, reader

at the top of the institution is that bombarded with information that they are forced to do so. is filtered through these self-inBasically, the administration terested systems ensures that we Brian was afraid. And they should have will see our victories, and how they been. Their ability to run the insti- happened, far less frequently.

Moen tution in their own interests was That is why it is so easy to forThe Anarchist threatened. The people who are at get. When there is an ocean of corthe top of the administration are porate media, it is easy to get lost, there because they uphold that adrift in it. When something gets system. If they did not act in that reported extremely infrequentway, then they would have never ly, we are likely to think of it as been selected for by that system. less significant. This is a myth that Of course, they power groups think of themuse to their adselves, most likely, More protests mean more challenges vantage to an exas noble upholders to these systems, these systems that treme degree. of public educaThe adminoperate in their own self-interests istration tion, and they may did omehow, it’s hard to rebe, to some denot send out an member that UC Davis stugree. It is not plausible to think that email telling us how effective prodents successfully kicked these people are consciously under- test was and how we really put U.S. Bank off of our campus last mining the goals of the California them in a tough spot. They want to March. Somehow, it’s just so hard Master Plan for Higher Education. play that down. They do not want to remember so many things — The evidence that their actions more of that. They want to keep things like victories against pow- are not in the interests of students, operating in their own interests. er. It’s hard to recall what tactics though, is overwhelming enough This is what all power groups do. succeeded in undermining unthat there is no need to list it.

As Gil Scott-Heron put it, the revjust authority.

Clearly, administration memolution will not be televised. The Obviously there is a reason. bers are selected by the system elites own and run the systems of Ideological manipulation is not to uphold the power of the sysinformation dissemination, and subtle. I want to try to illustrate tem and the power of the interthey are certainly not going to juthis lack of subtlety. est groups that have control over bilantly announce the weapon of UC Davis students won. They things that the administration their own destruction. sent a clear message: They don’t need (such as the corporate invesWe have won this way before so want privatization (they sent a few tors in the university, who have many times, and we can only win messages, and I will not pretend power because they can cancel or this way. So many people have fallen to speak for them, but “anti-priva- move their contracts). for the false notion of progress that tization” seemed to be the central The administration was forced is presented in the corporate media: theme). Furthermore, the adminto yield to the students so that Progress happened because some istration had to use completely the students would not take fursmall group of wise men at the top different tactics against the Davis ther action that would threaten the had some good ideas. It was never Dozen than in previous protests –– power of those at the top of the hi- that. It was protest and direct action a much more subtle, yet dissenterarchy. That is the only reason every time. stopping approach. Why did they that they did not forcibly remove This is not going to change do that? They did it because the the Davis Dozen, which would soon. We have to protest and take protesters have power. have been a more attractive option direct action against these self-inProtesters have power. if it were available. But they interested hierarchies in order to The administration did not want stead sneakily tried to nullify them force them to operate in our into stir up more dissent by removwith a lawsuit. terests. As much as we take acing those students. More dissent So, in this case, a hierarchical in- tion against the system, it will play means more protests. More prostitution was forced to act in ways down our effectiveness. tests mean more challenges to contrary to its power interests in UC Davis students kicked out these systems, these systems that order to keep further threats to its U.S. Bank. UC Davis students limoperate in their own self-interests. power at bay. ited fee hikes. This is how we can They operate, insofar as they This should tell us something, win. Don’t forget. can, solely in their self-interests, something that institutions of powand the only reason that any hierer try to suppress. We won, and this is BRIAN MOEN wants to see hella protests all the time, archy ever functions to serve the how we win. like, a lot … seriously. He can be reached at bkmoen@ ucdavis.edu. interests of anyone beside those The fact that we are constantly

Victory against power

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thursday , january

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

31, 2013

Elizabeth Orpina

Show etiquette

ELIZABETH ORPINA can be reached at arts@ theaggie.org.

7, number 4

5

New music genres

for

T

he scene was set: I had press tickets to the L.A. Dance Project in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center. I was dressed up. I was with my gay best friend. I was prepared to be blown away by a dance group created by the man who choreographed Black Swan. I was already live-tweeting my experience, excited to gawk at 90-pound ballerinas prance across the stage.

Yeah, I was more wrong than I was right. The entire show was experimental, modern and not what anyone was expecting.

Three separate performances with two 15-minute intermissions baffled everyone in the audience; even the rare young attendees were shocked at the weirdness of it all.

But this column isn’t going to be me whining about how I didn’t attend an actual ballet this weekend. It will be me whining about the ridiculous people in the audience.

First of all, during the second dance — mind you, each performance was about 25 minutes long — audience members actually left their seats to exit the theater. Sure, the “music” was unbearable (it was screeching noises for 30 minutes) and the dancing was smothered by the darkness that took over the stage, but to get up out of a $40 seat midperformance? This wasn’t a community-theater holiday performance, people.

Second, every single intermission, some students would rush over to the girls sitting next to me, eager to dissect every movement, noise and element of the show thus far. It wasn’t until about two minutes into the first intermission that I realized that these were drama students. They were probably forced to attend the show for a theatre class, but because they were in fact drama majors, they thought they had some sort of legitimate opinion on the show.

Little did they know, they were sitting next to the biggest deal on campus: me. My guest and I remained silent, taking mental notes of all the ridiculous comments we were hearing.

“Oh my god, do you think that the lighting was influenced by the same lighting designer our professor mentioned that time in class? I should email her and impress her. What are you writing for the assignment?”

“Yeah, I did a show like this back in high school. Did you know that I was in 30 musicals? I was a big deal. I’ve always been the lead in every show I’ve been in. This stuff that we’re watching? Not even a big deal.”

I was seconds away from turning toward them and laughing my ass off. I went into the show ready to write a review of the actual performance and ended up changing my mind due to the people I sat next to.

The second dance was purely silent for the first 10 minutes, it seemed. And of course everyone in the effing theater had to cough during it. The girl next to me, completely healthy during each intermission, had no problem hacking up a lung during the silent parts of the show. Oh, and the snacks she HAD to unwrap DURING the show? Everyone could hear you, sweetie.

And one last thing, in a pitch-black theater, let alone the Mondavi Center, a cell phone has no reason to be out during a performance. But no.

The girl next to me suddenly decided that she was the lighting director and had to light up the audience with her Nokia brick of a phone with a popout keyboard.

Do people not understand respect? How to pay attention for freaking 90 minutes? The people on stage have more talent than you probably have or will ever have. If you’re so cultured in the world of drama, shouldn’t you understand how an audience should be acting?

Who do you think you are?

You know what? At least share the snacks.

volume

By ANDREW RUSSELL Aggie Arts Writer

Every decade in music seems to have a flurry of new genres that can seemingly rise and fall overnight, but leave behind a sonic record of the times we live in. Some stick with us for quite awhile, like grunge or post-punk revival, and others evaporate into the nostalgic ether to be later discovered and treasured by music junkies. For instance, do you or anyone you know regularly listen to grebo? Big beat? Nurave? Jangle-pop? No Wave? If not, then perhaps it’s time for them dig into music’s near past and pick their favorite flavor of musical time travel. Here’s some of the sounds that have been quietly defining our current decade.

PBR&B

Probably the most marketable genre on this list, it has also been given the most ironic (and unfortunate) name. It seems to have started as a backhanded description for the more independent-minded, emotional hip-hop and R&B exemplified by Frank Ocean and the like.

Because of its crossover indie appeal, people have taken to tacking on the “PB” in reference to the alleged affinity hipsters hold toward Pabst Blue Ribbon. The term is too tacky for the atmospherically produced, lyrically thought-provoking music, and also too dismissive, because this would-be microgenre could be heralding a larger change in hiphop and R&B, ushering out the era of ringtone club-rap and replacing it with the bursting floodgates of Indie rap, glitch-hop, ambient juke, experimental hip-hop, Tumblr-Wave and more (much in the same way Alt-rock replaced Hair Bands in the early 90s.)

Best Examples: The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Kindness, How to Dress Well

Vaporwave

A fairly recent buzzword on music-uploading sites such as Soundcloud and Bandcamp, Vaporwave is a particular brand of electronic music that often sounds like a dusty floppy disc containing a variety of sexy computer-game menu tracks. Like other blog-centered genres, such as seapunk and witch house, it is often accompanied by intriguing digital artwork, of-

Tegan and Sara Heartthrob

1 2 3 3.5 4 5 Heartthrob, the newest album from twinsister indie rockers Tegan and Sara, presents an artistic evolution for the two.

It’s not a crazy move like Lil Wayne picking up the guitar; it’s more like Madonna picking up the guitar. It’s also pretty much par for the band.

I should note here that I consider myself to be a Tegan and Sara fan. In high school I discovered their 2004 album, So Jealous, and fell in love with it. I’d recommend it as the combination of vocal harmonies, songwriting and new-wave-revival sounds cannot be beat, as Heartthrob proves.

Heartthrob defies immediate comparison with their earlier work, however, as it is more based around synthesizers than guitars. It’s very easy to imagine songs like the bouncy “Drove Me Wild” or sex anthem “Closer” on mainstream top-40 radio. At first, I thought that this was Tegan and Sara selling out, but the music has their signature feel about it.

The songs are all good, with nice hooks and pleasurable melodies. However, none stuck out in particular. This struck me as strange because when I first listened to So Jealous, many songs hit me as memorable.

Hell, even their 2009 album, Sainthood, had one or two songs that wowed me on my first listen.

If you love pop music, you’ll like Heartthrob. It isn’t Tegan and Sara’s best work, but it is satisfying nonetheless.

UC Davis Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) presents: The Art of Athletes, the fourth annual ICA student-athlete art show held at the Basement Gallery in the Art Building. The show runs Friday to Monday and will feature over 40 pieces of student-athlete art pieces. There will be a “meet the artists” reception tomorrow from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This show is free and open to the public. The Gallery will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday.

— Elizabeth Orpina

Future Garage / Post-Dubstep

This genre includes a plethora of former UK dubstep acts, hip-hop beat makers that have gone instrumental and cutting-edge producers manufacturing the latest incarnation of nocturnal headphone music. Much of it is infused with subsonic, whirring bass and heavily syncopated beats, over which pitch-shifted vocals careen like an ecstasy-fueled ghost. This is the music of choice for audiophiles who prefer electronic music but with the innovative styles of classic jazz.

Best Examples: Flying Lotus, James Blake, Sepalcure, Burial ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Your weekly dose of video games

By ANTHONY LABELLA Aggie Arts Writer

Game of the week Devil May Cry and Ni No Kuni have kept plenty of gamers busy over the past two weeks, but this week sees a return to the typically quiet January release schedule.

Luckily that provides me with an opportunity to highlight some smaller indie games that hit the Steam platform in the past couple of days.

The first of those titles is Proteus, a minimalist firstperson experience set in a vibrant world. The player controls the game's soundtrack by exploring a mysterious island and encountering a myriad of unique creatures along the way. As the Steam page description states, “think Doom meets Brian Eno.” The second game to come to Steam this week — today in fact — is Antichamber, a first-person puzzle game that has received its fair

share of attention over the past few years with numerous indie game awards and nominations. Now that the official release has finally come, even more gamers can have their minds twisted into pretzels.

I'd go into more detail, but I'm not even sure I can describe Antichamber after seeing gameplay videos. Let's just say the puzzles are incredibly complex and deal with Euclidean space. Fans of the Portal series should definitely take a look at it.

This week in news Last week's THQ auction resulted in noteworthy developers and franchises changing hands, but one company that was not picked up was Vigil Games. The makers of the Darksiders franchise did not appeal to any potential buyers, but some staff members from the company now have a new home.

German video game com-

Empyrean Ensemble: Art of Migration Friday, 8 p.m.; tickets: $20, available online or at Mondavi Ticket Office Mondavi Center

The Empyrean Ensemble of the UC Davis Department of Music, which consists of seven extraordinary musicians, is to present an engaging, eclectic program at the Mondavi Center.

For Fans of: Passion Pit, Lady Gaga, ’80s Madonna, Robyn

— John Kesler

BRIEF

ten incorporating images of computers, dolphins, palm trees and 8-bit city skylines. There is a heavy influence of ’80s and ’90s soundtrack music, which makes this growing scene perfect for those with a taste for video games, but want something a little more sophisticated to listen to than the Mario theme.

Best Examples: Esprit, Macintosh Plus, Blank Banshee

By CRISTINA FRIES Aggie Arts Writer

Salome Opera HighDefinition Screening Monday, 7 p.m.; tickets: regular $20 / student $10 Mondavi Center

The Mondavi Center is to screen Richard Strauss’ sexually-charged one-act opera set in Biblical times, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play, by the San Francisco Grand Opera Cinema Series. The opera screening, sung in Italian, includes English subtitles along with a behind-the-scenes interview during intermission.

Shinkoskey Noon Concert: Worlds of Discovery and Loss: The Art of Migration Today, 12:05 p.m.; free Mondavi Center

Calder Quartet, Rootstock Percussion Trio and Mayumi Hama (marimba) perform during the lunch hour.

UC Davis Symphony Orchestra Sunday, 7 p.m.; tickets: $17 / $15 / $12, available online or at Mondavi Ticket Office Mondavi Center

The UC Davis Symphony Orchestra is to perform a variety of compelling pieces for the program, featuring a concerto for two marimbas.

Migration and Other Projects: A presentation

by MFA candidates in the Department of Theatre & Dance Today, 8 p.m.; free Mondavi Center

MFA Candidates in the Department of Theater & Dance are to present their projects at the Mondavi Center. Come enjoy dance performances, The Migration Project / Le Projet Migration and Crawl, and two Extracts from Today I Live — a full-length play.

pany Crytek recently opened a new studio called Crytek USA in Austin, Tex. The team includes 35 former Vigil employees, including former co-owner and general manager David Adams. The Darksiders intellectual property remains up in the air, though the possibility of Crytek snatching up the franchise exists.

The demise of Vigil Games came as a surprise to many considering the critical success of the Darksiders series. I was especially fond of last year's Darksiders II, a game that improved upon its predecessor in nearly every way. Sadly, both games did not sell well and video game publishers seem to be focused on sure bets at this point.

So we may never see a third Darksiders game, but any project from the former employees of Vigil Games is worth keeping an eye on.

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

Davis Dance Project 2013 Friday, 7 p.m.; general admission $12, children 12 and younger are free In-House Theater Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop, 2720 Del Rio Place

This year’s Davis Dance Project focuses on the concept of form follows function in the world of the choreographer, with an interest in how dance is created. A multitude of local and regional dance companies are to perform, and Davis Dance Project will allow opportunity for audience participation.

Continuing performances on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Stranger, Beware … A Night of European Cabaret Saturday, 10:30 p.m.; free Mondavi Center

Bella Merlin, actress, singer-songwriter, author of five books on acting, and professor of acting in the UCD Department of Theatre & Dance, is to put on a European Cabaret performance at the Mondavi Center.

Love Lingers: Pence Gallery Group Valentine's Day Show Friday, exhibit opening (reception Feb. 8, 6-9 p.m.)

Pence Gallery

Celebrate the season of love at the Pence Gallery for its Valentine’s Day show. Come enjoy playful sculptures, mixed media pieces, handmade Valentine cards and other works by over 25 artists — and not to mention plenty of candy.

THE LINEUP 6 thursday, january 31, 2013

The california Aggie

MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Track and field prepare for all-comers meet Athletes compete before heading up to Washington

Lucas Bolser / Aggie

Junior Tyler Les scored 12 points against UC Riverside.

Teams: UC Davis vs.

Pacific Records: Aggies 8-11 (4-4); Tigers 12-8 (6-2) Where: Alex G. Spanos Center — Stockton, Calif.

When: Saturday at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: Junior Tyler Les brought electricity to the Pavilion when the Aggies faced off against UC Riverside last week. He was called up to fill in for sophomore Corey Hawkins and played a phenomenal game.

Les scored 12 points and doled out a career-high seven assists to help UC Davis earn a 79-72 victory over UC Riverside. The Peoria, Ill. native has earned national recognition for his accuracy on shooting, but he has made true progress as a defender.

“I’ve been pleased with the defensive intensity I’ve seen from him,” said head coach Jim Les. UC Davis is facing three incredibly tough road games in the next week and they may be without Hawkins for some or all of them. In that case, players like Les have to continue to step up and fill the void so the team can stay in contention for the Big West Conference tournament.

Did you know? Pacific is currently ranked second in the Big West and they have not lost a home game against a conference rival this season. They also left Davis with a 74-64 victory

when they faced the Aggies in December.

Preview: This season’s mantra is “stick to the process.” Coach Les is pleased to see his team improving every single day.

“These guys, they’re working hard in the gym and games and we’re getting better every day,” Les said.

The Aggies need to keep the momentum up when they head down to Stockton this Saturday because Pacific is one of the best teams in the league.

“We have a big week of preparation coming up and we’re just going to continue to focus on the process,” Les said.

The process involves defensive improvement. The Aggies want to continue to win the rebound battle and contest more shots on defense.

Pacific is averaging 69.2 points per game and UC Davis’ offense can easily match that. During the last game against Pacific, the Aggies were let down by a flailing defense in the final minutes of the game.

“It’s frustrating to have so many late game losses. We’re working hard to turn that around,” Les said.

Pacific’s biggest threat is Lorenzo McCloud who is averaging 10.5 points per game. The Tigers’ roster is not stacked with a single threat on offense, which

will challenge UC Davis’ defense because they spread the ball and every player is fairly productive from the perimeter.

A win over Pacific would allow UC Davis to pull to 5-4 in conference play which would keep them comfortable in the hunt for a spot in the conference tournament. They are focusing on big defense and firing on all offensive cylinders.

If Hawkins is out for this game, the Aggies will need senior point guard Paolo Mancasola to start taking a few more shots.

Mancasola battles to get the ball into the paint and he is always looking for the kick out to the open man.

However, sometimes his looks are too good to pass up and he needs to start capitalizing on them.

“We will need Paolo to be a bit more aggressive in the coming weeks. If he becomes a threat they start crashing in to guard him in the middle which leaves shooters open in the wings,” Les said.

There are a lot of factors for the Aggies to keep in mind this Saturday, but Coach Les wants them focused on what it will be like to walk away with a win.

“There’s nothing better than earning a great win,” he said.

—Kim Carr

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW Teams: UC Davis vs. Long Beach State; vs.

UC Irvine Records: Aggies, 8-10 (3-4); 49ers, 11-8 (4-3); Anteaters 4-15 (0-7) Where: The Pavilion — Davis, Calif.

When: Thursday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.

Who to watch: As the Aggies continue their quest to back up sophomore Sydnee Fipps’ shooting, freshman Aniya Baker has emerged as a consistent scorer for the UC Davis women’s basketball team.

Baker dropped 16 points in the Aggies’ destruction of Cal State Fullerton, then followed that up with five points in UC Davis’ victory over UC Riverside.

The Perris, Calif. native has scored in every game she has appeared in except the matchups against Stanford and UC Santa Barbara, and has been credited as one of the quickest players on the team by head Aniya Baker coach Jennifer Gross. freshman Did you know? UC Davis has three veteran players eating up minutes for the Aggies. Fipps, along with seniors Cortney French and Blair Shinoda have been leading the young team.

Yet, aside from these three players that make up the tripod for the team to stand on, the Aggies have also been leaning on the young talent of the freshmen. Celia Marfone and Molly Greubel have appearances in every game, and have started most of them. Baker has missed just one game.

Greubel, Marfone and Baker have the next most minutes, in order, behind Shinoda, Fipps and French.

Preview: With two recent victories under their belt, the Aggies have momentum on

their side entering the weekend games.

UC Davis catapulted themselves up two spots from ninth in conference to seventh after victories over the Titans and the Highlanders. This weekend will not be easy, but being at home can’t hurt. Despite the Aggies’ 2-5 record at home this year, they were 9-4 at the Pavilion and can be depended upon to play well.

First against Long Beach State, UC Davis will have quite a challenge. The 49ers are currently in fourth place in conference with an 11-8 overall record.

Last season when the Aggies hosted LBSU, they took them down by a 16 point margin.

Still, when UC Davis traveled over to Long Beach, they dropped a 67-55 decision. There are no guarantees going into this game, as the Aggies only have six players returning this season who saw action against the 49ers in last year’s game at the Pavilion.

Most recently, the 49ers took down UC Irvine by a 71-61 mark.

The Aggies will enter their contest with the last place Anteater team with caution, as they dropped both games against UCI last season.

When they hosted the Anteaters, UCI shocked them with a 68-59 flouncing at the Pavilion.

The Anteaters are 0-7 in conference but should not be overlooked, as they have played several close games in their Big West match ups.

The Aggies will look for two wins this weekend, which could propel them even higher in their climb in the conference standings.

—Matthew Yuen

After setting multiple school records over the weekend at the University of Washington Invitational, the UC Davis track and field team will have a week’s rest under its belt before the all-comers meet on Saturday. Head coach Drew Wartenburg and the rest of the coaches came out of the Evergreen State satisfied.

“We approached the meet hoping to set a positive tone both for the indoor and the outdoor season,” Wartenburg said.

“Starting Friday afternoon, with the early events continuing all through Saturday competition, the coaching staff was pleased across the board with the results that we got from the athletes, so it was a great weekend.”

Wartenburg also said this past week has been a good gauge of how the team is doing so far this year.

“In a general sense, we’re probably a little bit ahead of where we were last year at this time, which is always a good measure,” he said.

With a set roster, only a few athletes from the track and field team will be in action Saturday at Woody Wilson Track.

A variety of events will take place, including the 4x200 meter relay, the mile race, 55m hurdles, 400m and 550m runs, 4x800m relay and 4x400m relay for the track portion. The field events include pole vault, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put and discus.

“The all-comers meet is a good op-

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is assigned to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

“This fellowship will give me better understanding of how scientists can communicate better with policy makers,” Feinstein said.

Gregory Gambetta has a doctorate in plant biology from UC Davis and has various professional experiences, including being a FulbrightGarcia Robles Scholar.

He has been assigned to the Senate Office of Research.

Annabelle Kleist also received her doctorate in plant biology from UC Davis, and she has been

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self-reported financial aid recipients.

At the same time, we consider study abroad to be a core part of a UC Davis undergraduate education. Any student who has the resources to attend UC should also have the opportunity to study abroad, period,” said Zachary Frieders, associate director of the UC Davis EAC office. “To make this a reality, we are committed to increasing accessibility of study abroad for all students, and scholarships are a major component of this effort.”

According to the UCEAP website, costs for an average quarter stay are around $17,000. An average summer program costs about $10,000 and an average year long stay would cost about $20,000.

“As a former UCEAP participant, I can’t stress enough how crucial an international education is in today’s globalized world. The recently announced $1 million study abroad scholarship initiative and the recent increases in UC Davis Travel Awards ($80,000 for Summer Abroad and $40,000 for the Quarter Abroad program) won’t just help students begin their study abroad experience, but will also help build the global-minded leaders that our world

Cont. from front page Compost believe that composting will reduce the university’s waste production.

Furthermore, compost improves soil structure and minimizes the effects of toxic chemicals remaining in the soil, so composting will ultimately benefit the university.

“We hope that eventually, composting will be as common as recycling.

Up to 40 percent of all household waste is compostable, and those nutrients can be turned into compost that is useful for gardening and agriculture,” said fourth-year environmental science and management major and piles director Blake

— Luke Bae

assigned to the Office of Assemblymember Brian Nestande.

Current CCST fellow Matt Holland said fellows are placed in the legislature to work as staff or as a committee consultant.

They follow a bill from the time it is introduced to when it needs the governor’s signature.

According to the press release, this year’s fellows come from diverse academic backgrounds.

CCST was established in 1988 as a response to a unanimous decision by the California State Legislature to provide the senate and assembly with unbiased and accurate scientific advice.

The fellowship program is modeled after a similar program in the nation’s

educate

compost

portunity to get some competition in.

It doesn’t count as a team event, so the athletes will be competing unattached,” Wartenburg said. “They’re not in uniform, but it’s a great way to get a competition setting and a comfortable environment at our home track. And it’s a good chance to see the results of the training we’ve done up until now, especially for people who aren’t able to travel and compete indoors.”

Tickets will be $5 for spectators and coaches and $3 for children who are 12 years of age and younger.

After the practice meet, the track and field team will head up again to Washington for a three-day event. Despite the success of last weekend, the team is not worried about getting into the record books, but staying focused on what is ahead.

“Part of the way we really encourage to approach competition is to compete first, strive for best efforts, and in the process, records will come,” Wartenburg said. “ We don’t like to chase records, but I think as training continues to progress, we’re going to have people go up and have some performances that will be record-type performances. More importantly, we’ll be competitive with teams and the athletes we’ll get to see at the Husky invite in a couple of weeks.”

capitol. The CCST fellowship program was started in 2009.

“It’s a professional development program that brings them into the policymaking world,” said Doug Brown, CCST program director. “It aims to make better laws with good scientific data. Fellows learn the legislative system, and can contribute and use their knowledgeable skill set and ability to research to provide important policy decisions.”

CCST is holding a recruiting event at UC Davis on Feb. 1, with an informational session from noon to 1:30 p.m. in South Hall.

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

needs,” said Bryan Steele, a fourth-year international relations major and study abroad peer advisor at the EAC who studied in Barcelona, Spain for a year, in an email interview.

Many agree that UCEAP’s $1 Million Scholarship Initiative will broaden study abroad opportunities for UC students from all backgrounds and academic disciplines.

“Studying abroad is truly a one-ofa-kind, life-changing experience that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Many students cannot go because of the financial burden, so it’s amazing to know that this grant will help make the opportunity of studying in a different country a reality,” said Crystal Arnold, a third-year animal science and management double major who studied in Australia for Fall Quarter.

Summer Abroad enrollments have just opened and programs are available on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. The center boasts over 40 programs in countries all over the world for four weeks and a total of eight units earned.

For more information about studying abroad visit studyabroad.ucdavis. edu.

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

Fitzwater.

According to Fitzwater, Project Compost has been a student-run unit since 1999, created by a group of environmentally oriented students that wanted to divert waste from landfills to be put to good use.

It started as a recycling program to divert newspapers, cans and wood, but since UC Davis is an agricultural institution, composting seemed like a good way to divert the various organic materials.

In 2001, the idea was brought to the student government and with a subsequent bill, Project Compost became a reality to allow the university to be more environmentally friendly.

“I ultimately hope to accomplish more connectivity between Project

Compost and the residents of Davis. As UC Davis is now Sierra Magazine’s Coolest School, we need to live up to our title and not only preserve the composting programs on our campus and in the city of Davis, but also work to expand them,” Proehl said.

This quarter, the Backyard Composting workshop will be Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. at the Tri Co-ops. The Worm Bin workshop will be Mar. 9, same place and time.

If you are interested in becoming an intern, volunteering or learning about the benefits of compost, email Project Compost at projectcompost@gmail. com.

ALICE LEE can be reached at features@theaggie.org.