February 14, 2013 by The California Aggie

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volume 132, number 22

thursday, february 14, 2013

Sprout Up brings environmental education to Davis Organization teaches kids importance of environmental conservation By GABRIELLA HAMLETT Aggie News Writer

courtesy

Sprout Up, a state-wide environmental education program, is now active in Davis elementary schools.

Sprout Up, an environmental education program, is now active in Davis elementary schools. The statewide, nonprofit organization is aimed at promoting environmental awareness in first and second graders through hands-on learning. “[The students] don’t get enough exposure to environmental education. Sprout Up’s program is completely applicable to the science curriculum of living things that we’re required to teach,” said Jeff Nelson, first grade teacher at Cesar Chavez Elementary School. It is currently running an eight-week program in first grade classrooms at Cesar Chavez Elementary. Its first program ran at North Davis Elementary last year. There are 11 active instructors in the program, all of whom are UC Davis students, though the organization, which is based in Santa Barbara, is unaffiliated with the school. Megan Ryan, the Davis chapter director and a third-year environmental studies and sociology double major, brought the environmental education program to local elementary schools. “I have huge passion for environmental

Former UC student launches travel business E-Fund gives support to student generating new travel site

By KELLEY DRECHSLER Aggie News Writer

While a full-time undergraduate student at UC Davis, fourth-year economics student Robert De Forest launched his own company in August 2012. De Forest created travel site Bagonize, which features a search engine to plan full vacations. “I’ve always wanted to be in charge of my own company but always thought it was necessary to graduate first. I saw a problem with the online travel industry and decided to dive in and tackle it,” De Forest said in an email interview.

According to De Forest, his goal for his business is to maintain a more “customer-friendly” travel site than the older travel sites on the internet that are usually outdated. He launched a preliminary site for Bagonize in August 2012, which was replaced in October 2012 with the current site that reflects customer feedback. He received monetary and advisory support from the ASUCD Entrepreneurship Fund, also known as E-Fund, which is an organization that encourages students to develop business ideas, not only under the motivation of earning profit but also

for making a positive influence on the surrounding community. “We wanted to reward Ryan for his immense passion and commitment toward Bagonize,” said Kate Lin, a fourth-year environmental policy analysis and planning major and chair of E-Fund, in an email interview. To receive support from E-Fund, De Forest had to complete an online application during one of the funding cycles, Lin said. He was selected as a finalist from the group of applicants and was asked to give a 10-minute pitch presentation in front of the Selection Committee, which determines who

education,” Ryan said. She said that the program gives first graders a new excitement to learn. The organization has seen massive success since its creation in 2009. “Our mission is to provide college-led environmental education to six through eight-year-old kids in public schools. We try to inspire parents to take action from the knowledge and excitement their children gain,” said Ryland King, Sprout Up’s founder and executive director, and a recent UC Santa Barbara graduate. Sprout Up is now at various college towns and has made its way to Davis, where it is beginning to show potential in forging a bond between college students and children. “I think the dynamic of elementary and college students is important and it’s what makes the program successful,” Ryan said. The curriculum for each classroom throughout California is the same across the state. “We want to make sure standards are being taught. Everything we teach is enhancing [the curriculum] from an environmental viewpoint … first grade is all about the natural system where they get a

See SPROUT, page 7

News iN Brief

KDVS seeking questions for Measure I panel Concerned about how the surface water project — Measure I — will affect you? Don’t know what surface water is? Want to know if you can shower in better water? KDVS will be hosting a panel discussion with proponents and opponents of the surface water project on Feb. 22 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Any questions for the panel should be submitted to news@kdvs.org before Feb. 20. — Claire Tan

See TRAVEL, page 7

Davis sees 41 residential Gun violence prevention burglaries since January forum to be held in Davis Local organizations strive to address pressing issue

Burglaries continue, no noticeable pattern

By PAAYAL ZAVERI

By SYDNEY COHEN As of Feb. 11, there have been 41 residential burglaries in Davis since Jan. 1. This is a noticeable increase from 36 in 2012 during the same time of year. According to Lt. Glenn Glasgow of the Davis Police Department, these crimes are a combination of forced entries and thieves seizing the opportunity of open windows, doors and gates. “We’ve gone through all of our residential burglaries with our crime analyst, and as of right now, we have not been able to predict a pattern or use crime predictions to determine where they’re going to hit

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Aggie News Writer

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James Kim / Aggie

next,” Glasgow said. The crimes have been evenly dispersed throughout Davis and have been completely random, according to Glasgow. Jessie Colonna, a fourth-

year sociology major and resident of North Davis, became a victim of property crime when a birthday gift from her mother was stolen from a UPS de-

See BURGLARY, page 2 Forecast

Happy Valentine’s Day! You can expect a breeze this afternoon but no worries! It won’t be strong enough to blow away that love letter you wrote for that special someone just as you’re giving it to them. Raymond Chan, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

The City of Davis is hosting a community forum on breaking the cycle of gun violence. The event will feature renowned gun violence researcher Dr. Garen Wintemute, and Amanda and Nick Wilcox, legislative and policy chairs of the California Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The forum will be held on Feb. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Community Chambers in City Hall, at 23 Russell Blvd. It is also hosted by Saving California Communities (SCC), an organization dedicated to making sure California communities have adequate resources. The Yolo Local Mental

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Amiel Chanowitz / Aggie

Health Board is co-sponsoring the event. “We felt the community was ready to organize for this issue and want to be informed of efforts currently underway,” said Susan Lovenburg, a member of the Davis School Board and co-founder of SCC. “It is a

topic relevant to everyone. The forum will educate people on research and legislative efforts underway, and how they can connect with the issue.” Wintemute is an emergency room physician at

See GUN, page 2

Happy day of love! Someone once told me that timing is everything ... so remember to take some chances and don’t be ashamed to act especially cheesy today! Amanda Nguyen

page two

2 THURSDAY, february 14, 2013

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

THURSDAY Black History Week Presents: Black Research Symposium Noon to 2 p.m. Student Community Center, Meeting Room D UC Davis researchers from various fields will share their research during the interactive symposium.

Shinkoskey Noon Concert: Trio 180 12:05 to 1 p.m. Yocha Dehe Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center Come for a free afternoon of music with Ann Miller, violinist, Nina Flyer, cellist, and Sonia Leong, pianist, as they perform a Mendelssohn classic.

Biomedical Engineering Departmental Seminar Series 4:10 to 5 p.m. 1005 GBSF Join Dr. Sharon Aviran from UC Berkeley as he discusses “Modeling and Highthroughput Analysis of RNA Structure Mapping Experiments.”

FRIDAY Athanasius Kircher and the Death of Heavenly Harmony 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. 203 Music Come for a free lecture by Eric Bianchi, an art historian and musicologist specializing in music theory from the period 1550 to 1800. His research explores the intellectual and scientific contexts of music during the Early Modern period, with particular focus on the musical writings of the Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher.

Infectious Disease Seminar 12:10 to 1 p.m.

1005 GBSF Join Dr. Julie Magarian Blander as she discusses “Vita-PAMPs: Signatures of Microbial Viability.” Dr. Julie Magarian Blander is an associate professor of medicine and clinical immunology, and is the director of the Innate Immunity Research Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The laboratory focuses on elucidating the innate immune mechanisms controlling inflammation, host defense and adaptive immunity.

Davis Live Music Collective Presents: Camper Van Beethoven 7 to 8 p.m. Davis Odd Fellows Hall Come for an evening of music with Camper Van Beethoven. $18 advance tickets are available at Armadillo Music or davislivemusic.com. Tickets will be available for $20 at the door. The show is open to fans of all ages.

SATURDAY Davis Live Music Collective Presents: Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer 7 to 8 p.m. Veterans Memorial Theater Come for an evening of music with Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer. $16 advance tickets are available at Armadillo Music or davislivemusic.com, or you can purchase tickets at the event for $20. 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.

checks for all those who purchase guns. She said this will keep weapons out of the hands of people who are at risk for violence. “Shootings can happen anywhere and to anybody,” Amanda said. “No one is immune from gun violence.” Additionally, Amanda said that on a state level, California’s firearm homicide and suicide rates are declining more rapidly than elsewhere. The goal now is to close loopholes and make sure dangerous people don’t have dangerous weapons. SCC is an organization made up of Yolo County community members who coalesce to advocate for state and local governance. Don Saylor, Yolo County supervisor and member of the SCC, said the SCC noticed the toll gun violence had taken on the country and felt the issue demanded attention. “[The forum] is a chance for the community to discuss the importance of firearm violence and what can be done about it,” Wintemute said. “I’d like to hear their concerns, their ideas and in particular, actions they would like to take.”

gun

Cont. from front page the UC Davis Medical Center and also conducts research on the prevention of firearm violence. He will present current research on reducing gun violence and public opinion on gun control. Additionally, he will address the ways in which California has taken a lead role in developing policies and programs to prevent firearm violence, and some of what might be done this year. “There are more than 30,000 deaths from firearms in the United States every year. With less than 5 percent of the world’s firearms, we control more than 40 percent of the firearms that are in civilian hands,” Wintemute said. Amanda and Nick Wilcox are parents of shooting victim Laura Wilcox. Her death in 1999 by a shooter in Nevada City inspired the creation of “Laura’s Law.” They will be speaking on state and federal efforts to increase gun control in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Amanda said one federal policy being pushed PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at city@ is requiring background theaggie.org.

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ers who stole Monsanto’s seed packets for their own use. Justin Some might call this class Goss unnecessarily cruel. I call it Sandox the world’s most profitable Politico field trip. Win-win. Even imagining one of my political science classes sponsored by the NRA fills me with an excitement thus far unmatched. Sure the lectures might be a little bit more rightleaning, but you can’t beat uch to my chaauthenticity. grin, my editors Midterm: What are the forbade me from answers to questions one writing about elections through infinity? Gun, and the relevant candigun and gun? Sounds like dates this week. I’m disAmerican governance at appointed, but rather its finest to me. than pretending there’s And can you picture some other ASUCDgame theory classes? related topic I’d rather Prisoner’s dilemma? Who be writing about, I’m gocares, I have a gun now, I ing to leave the sandbox ain’t never going to jail. and do something entireSo you see, privatizaly different. tion is not the enemy, Let’s talk about the rather it’s an extremely privatization of the UC. efficacious solution to a When we talk about critical lack of resources privatization, the word facing our school. means what it seems to Take this very publiimply — selling off concation, struggling finantracts, be they research cially for no good reaor advertising, to private son. Now imagine if corporations in exchange it were sponsored by for large sums of cash to Rupert Murdoch, owner fund our school. of Fox News and Forbes’ In this columnist’s 26th most powerful peropinion, too much fuss son. At first you may balk has been made bemoanand think of all the cataing the privatization of strophic scenarios which our dear school. may result, What but I would choice do Free beer, sustainability and remind we have? funding sounds like a win any you of two As the things. California way you slice it First, Fox legislature News ancontinues chors, deto redispite being completerect General Fund dollars ly unintelligible and unfrom higher education to watchable, are happy. other apparently more worthy sources, privatiza- Why? Because they have money. Money is the great tion seems like one of the satisfier. Don’t you want most expedient solutions money, California Aggie? to keeping the UC afloat. All it will cost you is your If anything, we haven’t dignity, and how much is gone far enough; let’s exthat worth anyway? plore some ideas. Second, Murdoch is Davis has a world-renowned (I’m talking inter- Australian, and pop culnational recognition) beer ture tells me Australians and brewing program. But are cool. There is a high percentage chance that just imagine how profMurdoch, being the cool itable it could be were it guy he is, would throw in sponsored by Anheusera care package of kangaBusch (Budweiser). roos pro bono. How cool Students would walk into would that be? I’d name the first day of class and mine Clyde. find a thirty rack on each The point is privatizadesk, thereby experienction is only as bad as you ing firsthand the joy of make it. I myself choose binge drinking — I mean to don a pair of rose-colbrewing. ored blinders and skip Not only would the adgleefully across the Quad vertising be a net gain whilst “making it rain,” in funding, but think of and I encourage you to all those empty cans bedo the same. ing sustainably disposed If anything I think we of (I’m looking at you, RecycleMania). Free beer, can see our student government pioneering sustainability and fundprivatization and taking ing sounds like a win any the lead for once. They way you slice it. would appear to be reWhat about ceiving sponsorship from Agricultural Resource the California Legislature. Economics (ARE) classHow else could they es brought to you by waste so much time talkMonsanto? I’m thinking ing about so little, and a triple-dip GE breadth appear completely out of class. Combine an ARE touch with their respecclass with ROTC, load’em tive constituencies? all up into black heliASUCD, you almost copters and go stealthily had me fooled but now sprinkle Monsanto seed I say kudos. The copycat packets on the first Mom job you’re doing is spot and Pop farm you can on. And please inform me find. Only counting two sub- when the check arrives in the mail, I’d like a piece ject areas in there? (agof that action. riculture … and uh … army) You’re forgetting about the aftermath JUSTIN GOSS wrote this and does all his where the class partners computing on an Acer Laptop. If you’d like with the UC Davis Law to purchase such a machine of unparalleled School to litigate the crap quality you may do so at jjgoss@ucdavis. out of those evil farmedu.

Throwing sand

burglary

neighborhoods better, but I also realize that is unlikely.” Lynn N. Simon, a local Davis resident, lives in a neighborhood in South Davis which has organized a neighborhood watch. The neighborhood watch circulates emails and phone calls to all the residences to make sure everyone is aware of any activity that is out of the ordinary. Simon said she has been more vigilant about setting the alarms in her home, and locking the dog door in addition to precautions she took before the recent spike in burglaries. “More eyes on the street is the key issue,” Simon said. “It’s about seeing something and not ignoring it.” According to Glasgow, community members can protect each other by being aware of their surroundings and looking for things that just don’t look right. Things to look out for include unfamiliar vehicles, parked cars with people in them, people loitering and suspicious solicitors. “If you see anything, call us, because that’s our job,” Glasgow said.

Cont. from front page livery outside of her home. Colonna returned home from a weekend in San Francisco to find an empty box on her doorstep and her gift stolen. “I never thought that someone would be like, ‘Hey, a package’ and rip it open,” Colonna said. “It’s just mean.” Colonna didn’t report the incident because she had little faith that the Davis Police would be able to do anything to recover her stolen property. Her first instinct was to search Craigslist to see if her gift was being sold online, but she was unsuccessful. “As of now, there’s nothing I can do, and there’s nothing [the police] can do,” Colonna said. Previous to the theft, Colonna and her roommates were cautious about locking doors and windows. For additional protection, Colonna put up fabric over her windows, blocking anyone’s view into her room, which is located at the front of the house. “I definitely feel like there should be more cops in Davis,” Colonna said. “I wish SYDNEY COHEN can be reached at city@ the town of Davis monitored theaggie.org.

The california Aggie

pink whistles, pink fields ... all while donating very little to the actual cause. Marisa Similarly, Ford began Massara the Warriors in Pink camSex & paign to counter bad pubSociety licity after they’d laid off tens of thousands of people (who ironically also lost health insurance). Other companies spend more on pink adn 1970, one out of evvertising than on actuery 10 women in the al donations. In 2005, U.S. was diagnosed for example, 3M spent with breast cancer. Today, it is one in eight. $500,000 promoting pink ribbon Post-It notes. This already alarming figure is made even more Even though customers bought almost twice frightening by an apthe expected amount of parent lack of progress. notes, the donation was Though mortality rates still $200,000 short of the from breast cancer have money they’d spent on dropped since the ‘70s, ads. American Express the number of new cases and Eureka vacuums is rising — and fast. were caught in similar Still, the risk of breast situations. cancer isn’t an easy thing Yoplait’s hypocritito forget. Pink ribbons adorn the hats of Band-uh cal “Save the Lid” promotion asked people to members, pink uniforms send in their used yobedeck our sports teams, gurt lids for a 10-cent and pink products fill the donation to breast canshelves of every supercer research. At the same market and department time, their manufacturstore imaginable. er was using milk that It would appear that contained bovine growth breast cancer has behormone (rBST), a subcome, dare I say it, stance that had already trendy. been banned in Canada, And this really comes Australia, New Zealand, as no surprise. Breasts Japan, Israel and the enare symbols of femininity, tire European Union bemotherhood and — you cause of its ties to breast guessed it — sexuality. cancer. This is Even camnot to say Breast cancer is an attractive paigns awareness is in- cause because it is low-risk and which no herentdeals with a “sexy” body part have ties to big ly bad. In corpothe 1980s, rations the stigare inappropriately exma attached to female ploiting the sexualisexuality made breast ty of breasts. Bracelets cancer a hush-hush issue. Awareness programs and T-shirts bearing silly phrases like “Save the lifted the taboo, and in Ta-Ta’s” and “I Heart so doing raised federBoobies” may seem al funding and spread harmless, but are perknowledge about early petuating the idea that detection. breast cancer is tragic Today, however, you’d because it affects breasts, be hard-pressed to not because it affects find someone who isn’t women. According to “aware” of breast canthese slogans, a womcer. Awareness should be an who has undergone a a means to an end, but is double mastectomy retoo often being treated ally has nothing left to as the end itself. save. In many of its manifesSpeaking of language, tations, the breast cancer the Susan G. Komen movement has lost its focus, and women’s lives are Foundation has spent over 1 million dollars sutaking a backseat to the ing other charities for money-making machine using the phrase “for that is cause-marketing. the cure.” This emphaSuddenly, “sex sells” sis on “curing” breast has become a bit more cancer is another pitdisturbing. fall influenced by monBreast cancer is an atey. Increasing survival tractive cause because time for patients is betit is low-risk and deals ter for marketing, so the with a “sexy” body part. longer process of finding Corporations would the cause receives only 3 much rather support to 5 percent of cancer rebreast cancer than, say, search funds. AIDS or lung cancer, beThough there is still cause it is not tied to value in the hope, posicontroversial “lifestyle tivity and awareness perchoices,” has an easily petuated by “pink ribrecognizable brand and can integrate lots of pret- bon culture,” we need to beware complacency. ty models in push-up Gestures of “slactivitsm” bras. like posting your bra colIt is unsurprising, or on Facebook may feel then, that big business good, but do no good would abuse this posion their own. We must tive association, exploitmove beyond awareness ing both the fear and the and toward activism, and hope of consumers for start seeing breast cancer profit. for what it is: a serious In the ‘90s, football disease, not a chic marplayers were involved keting opportunity. in a slew of domestic violence and sexual assault cases, and the NFL MARISA MASSARA encourages you needed a way to improve to check out BCAction.org to find out its image. So, they went more about prevention research and pink. Pink gloves, pink pinkwashing. She can be reached at cleats, pink sweat towels, mvmassara@ucdavis.edu.

Pinkwashing

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OPINION

The california aggie

thursday, february 14, 2013 3

editorials

ASUCD

Election endorsements The ASUCD Winter Quarter elections are next week, Feb. 19 to 22, Tuesday through Thursday. Students will vote to elect the next crop of senators to the Senate table as well as ASUCD President and Vice President. Votes are cast through a choice voting system, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. All voting is done online at the ASUCD elections website, elections.ucdavis.edu. This year there are three executive tickets and a strong total of 19 senatorial candidates. The Aggie Editorial Board interviewed all executive candidates and 18 senatorial candidates for endorsements. The following list reflects which candidates the Editorial Board believes will be most successful and qualified, if elected. Presidential Endorsement: Migz Espinoza and Lane Lewis Espinoza and Lewis offer many commendable platform goals, such as increasing ASUCD accountability and transparency, improving the ASUCD and AB 540 scholarships and advocating for gender neutrality on campus. They explained that they will not compromise their own intentions or beliefs for what they believe may garner the most votes. Espinoza worked at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center for years, is a former senator and currently acts as a Student Assistant to the Chancellor. Lewis serves as a Gender and Sexuality Commissioner and is a former director of Experimental College. Our only concern is that Lewis is unsure about whether or not graduation or a study abroad trip will interrupt their term in office, which would be detrimental to the Association. While we are endorsing Espinoza and Lewis, the other executive candidates — Paul Min and Sergio Cano as well as Carly Sandstrom and Bradley Bottoms — have demonstrated an admirable commitment to their roles as student leaders. However, Espinoza and Lewis hold diverse experiences from many angles of campus and will commit to being voices for underrepresented communities. Senate Endorsements: No. 1 — Miles Thomas (BEST) Thomas has enough ASUCD experience to avoid a steep learning curve — he

is the current chief of staff for Senator Maxwell Kappes and was a member of Outreach Assembly. He’s also involved with clubs on campus and will be a passionate and effective voice on the Senate floor. No. 2 — Pamela Nonga (NOW) Nonga is highly involved with various student organizations — the Black Student Union, Davis BlackBook and Davis College Democrats, to name a few. She knows her facts and will serve as a logical voice on the table. Even though she has no direct prior ASUCD experience, she holds an understanding as to how she can accomplish her platforms, which include expanding Aggie Reuse to include a textbook subdivision. No. 3 — Roman Rivilis (Independent) Rivilis has been involved in ASUCD along with some of its units. He was an intern to former Senator Justin Goss, is a commissioner for Internal Affairs, is a Lobby Corps intern and more. Knowing the ASUCD bylaws as well as he does will make him an effective senator quickly. No. 4 — Joanna Villegas (SMART) Villegas demonstrated a strong desire to advocate for transfer, re-entry and veteran student representation. She has no prior ASUCD experience, but she’s highly involved on campus at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center along with other organizations. We believe she will be an ardent addition to the table. Her goal of establishing office spaces for every student club seems highly unlikely though. No. 5 — Chandler Hill (NOW) Hill displayed a very finance-oriented mindset with his past experience as a Business and Finance Commissioner. His platforms, like establishing a student-run, cooperative credit union, demonstrate this mindset. However, his desire to represent student workers and low-income students was what we found to be most commendable. No. 6 — Amrit Sahota (NOW) Sahota would represent a large percentage of the student population that is rarely seen at the Senate table — the biological sciences. Sahota has no ASUCD experience but is an eager and bright candidate, with goals such as improving the interview facilities in the Internship and Career Center.

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

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.

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Letters to the editor Letters to a mother Editor’s note: The following is an exchange of letters between UC Davis first-year psychology major Cameron Mosier and his mother. Mosier asked to publish the letters to reach out to other students who might relate. Cameron, I am really hurt that you forgot my birthday. I did set myself up for disappointment, but I thought when you asked for my birthday for your appointment with Dr. [omitted] that you would care enough to remember it because I meant something to you. When you put in little effort into any relationship, you make a person feel insignificant and unimportant. Maybe birthdays don't have much meaning for you and I shouldn't have gone out of my way to make it special for you all these years, but after living with me for 19 years of your life, I would think you would know that it is important to me to be remembered. You know that I am over-sensitive. It doesn't even take much effort on your part to make me happy ... a little word of kindness, a nice gesture, noticing little things I do to make your life nicer (even if you don't want it) and acknowledging it with some kindness and gratitude goes a long way. Even small talk of insignificant things are important to a parent. It makes them happy when their children share a little piece of

Brian Moen The Anarchist

Abandon the Democrats

s I have argued over the last few weeks, and as common sense would dictate, groups naturally do what is in their interests. Since a small elite class owns most of the mechanisms which distribute information, they have the most selective pressure over information. They shape the way we talk, and they do it in such a way as to uphold and increase their power. Once again, this is no conspiracy. It is a natural institutional phenomenon. The case of the two-party ideology is the best evidence. I want to do two things here. One — I want to use the prevalence of the twoparty-ideology to illustrate how the elite class manipulates public opinion via discourse imposition. Two — I want to show that the two-party ideology should be abandoned, along with the two corporate/statist parties. The “two-party ideology” refers to either the “Republican versus Democrat” or the “liberal versus conservative” framework of discussion. The framework includes, as a major assumption, that a person is either one or the other, necessarily. It also assumes that if you are not either, you are somewhere in between them. It is a linear spectrum. There is nothing outside of it. This leaves no possibility for any other view. How very convenient for powerful groups. All they have to do is exclude a view from this framework, and it becomes impossible to address. What about the things that the two parties overlap on? They simply must be

themselves every once in a while when you see them without having to ask questions to draw them out into conversation. I really don't care how awkward you feel talking with us, it's worse when you don't even try. This is what I meant by effort in my previous email to you. It is hard for me and your dad. Most of the time, I feel we are in a one-sided relationship with you going nowhere. It would be nice if you would make some effort so we would know if family is important to you, because it makes us sad to think it doesn't. -Mom Mom, I'll be honest: I don't have an excuse that I forgot your birthday. The past few days in particular have been the roughest of my life. [Name omitted] finally responded after two months of no contact in a text basically saying that I need to leave her alone and that I should have got the message a long time ago that she didn't want to talk to me. I spilled my guts to her. I told her all I wanted to know was why the girl I fell in love with, and best friend, did this to me. I just want closure. I just want to move on. Please give me the opportunity to talk to you so I can put all of this behind me. She never gave me a response. Being a naive kid, I think I know what everything is, including love. But love isn't treating someone like an insignificant piece of shit.

Love is raising a selfish child for 19 years and still caring for them after all the bullshit they have put them through. I'm sorry Mom. For everything. I don't know why I act the way I act around you and the rest of the family. I swear I just don't know. I beg of you not to interpret my distance as me not loving you and the family. Trust me, I love you and the family more than any abused cliché I could just write here. I love you more than life itself, I love you more than you could ever know, I love you more than milk loves cookies. It’s all just bullshit. I just love you. I have the raw love that a son has for his mother because at the end of the day you're the only one I can really depend on. Don't ever think I take you for granted because you're the most valuable person I have in my life. Love is not measured in the number of birthdays you remember. Love is the innate and natural feeling that you would go to the ends of the earth for someone and that is what I have for you. If I had a time machine I wouldn't only go back to yesterday to wish you a happy birthday. I would go back to every morning you made me breakfast and I didn't make conversation with you. I would go back to every silent car ride. I would go back to every time you said you loved me and tell you that I love you too. I'm sorry Mom. I love you Mom. -Cameron

correct, according to the two-parcial. The parties do not get their ty ideology. It could not be that speech or ideology from their votboth are wrong. ers. Their voters get their speech On foreign policy, they overlap and ideology from their party. nearly perfectly. They may differ in The corporate candidates of rhetoric. That is, the Democratic the corporate parties are simply Party may speak a slightly less mouths made to speak the speech hawkish line, but if we look at the that we are supposed to adopt. history of the Democratic Party, The two-party ideology is the we will see that they impose U.S. trap that keeps us from challengcorporate interests just the same. ing power. Many liberals make What about banks? Democrats, the major mistake of voting for like Republicans, the Democratic can’t even menParty, thinking All they have to do is exclude a that it is the more tion bank regulation. The main view from this framework, and it pragmatic oppuppet-masters tion. Many libbecomes impossible to address erals realize that of the two parties would never tolerthe Democrats ate such defiance. represent elite The banks would pull funding iminterests, but think they are a betmediately from that candidate ter choice than the Republicans. and give it to their opponent, and They’re not. Both parties reprethe opponent would win. sent, for the most part, the same After the second bailout, corporate interests. They are realObama made a passing comment ly two factions of one party. Voting about banks acting irresponsiDemocrat is just a slightly slowbly. What happened? A few banks er descent down the same hole, made statements about how this the abyss of a despotic state, conconcerned them, and Obama trolled only by the elite class. made a public apology the very Of course, voting third party has next day, including an explanadrawbacks. A Republican might tion of what heroes these “job cre- get elected. This is not as bad as ators” were. many liberals think. Of course, We could go on — issue after is- Republicans say bizarre and sue — the core political concepfrightening things about women tions that keep the powerful, pow- and science, but if we look at the erful being the most protected. actions of both parties, they are Even when a large segment of the nearly equal in frightening-ness. population holds one view, it can We have to start voting third be successfully ignored. party now, just to increase pubFor example, extensive polllic confidence. If third-party caning was done after the U.S. War didates were to get even 10 perAgainst Vietnam (a more accucent of the vote, this would force rate name for that war). Most the mainstream discourse to adAmericans felt that involvement dress it. It would send a clear sigwas the wrong choice. More imnal to everyone that they are not portantly, many of that group the only ones who have no confelt that it was not only a stratefidence in the corporate parties. gic mistake; they felt that it was People don’t want these parties. morally wrong to ever send forcThey feel stuck. es there. We have to create parties that The idea that American miliare not slaves to campaign contary intervention could be moraltributors. We have to abandon the ly wrong and based on upholding Democratic Party immediately. economic interests of some powVoting third party is not a wasterful groups is far too dangerous. ed vote. Voting for the DemRep The Democrats had to keep their Party is a wasted vote. “opposition” in safe bounds, calling the war a “strategic blunder,” Brian Moen has voted third party in every election failing to follow their constituency. since he was 18. He can be reached at bkmoen@ ucdavis.edu. These show something cru-

volume

7, number 6

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

Adam Khan

Fuck Maroon 5

like to consider myself the Dark Knight of The California Aggie, and not just because I have a deep brown complexion. Like the Caped Crusader himself, dear readers, I live by one simple rule that has come to define my suave, brooding existence — if the song you’re listening to can be enjoyed by a 14-year-old girl at a middle school dance, turn that shit off and never look back. It’s not that I don’t trust the taste of prepubescent postmodern piles of progressing progesterone. It’s that I’ve come to understand the inner workings of an industrial machine preying upon a terrible trifecta of parasitic interactions between artist, producer and audience. Somewhere in recent history, bigtime producers and corporate executives realized they can make a killing on the marketing of carefully carved piles of steaming shit to teen audiences and the unwitting parents that buy it for them. Every facet of blockbuster artists such as Ke$ha, Bieber and Chris Brown is crafted with the intention of selling millions of records, appealing to the raging hormones and underdeveloped brains of innocent young adults, only to be forgotten fast enough for the next big name to come along and top the charts. Think about it — who remembers any of the lyrics to “Don’t Stop the Party”? Exactly. You’re not supposed to. You’re just supposed to dance hard enough at the junior prom to buy the song on iTunes, third on a list of filler tracks you’re supposed to brush over. After you’ve forgotten about it, you repeat the cycle when the next Pitbull song comes out and the producers are laughing at your ass all the way to the bank. Who remembers the words to “Rolling in the Deep”? Everyone. What’s worse is seeing great artists with the potential to produce brilliant work succumb to the temptation of major success. Let’s take my favorite example — the fallen angel of a musical act that is Maroon 5 (or Adam Levine feat. those other guys, as they now are). Enter 2002, when the fab five of fresh-faced Berklee College of Music graduates debuted with their tour de force Songs About Jane, an album so filled with musical creativity, ingenuity and experimentation that to this day their anthems still grace much of popular contemporary radio. You can hear the passion behind every refined strum in a funky guitar riff, searing solo and bombastic bassline. Each song had complex structure, interesting melodies and sultry vocal performances by a then-unknown lead singer. Sure, most of the lyrics had a sensual overtone, but so did Al Green. He even became a reverend. Make note of the album artwork — a red cartoon of a woman with voluminous hair holding Pandora’s box. Fast forward to 2011. The original drummer of the band has jumped ship and marketing has realized the sex appeal of Adam Levine (and the prosperity to be found in the teenage niche). Enter Hands All Over — a naked woman draped in white sheets masturbating with 10 hands on the cover of an album so watered down they had to re-release it with a song made famous by CBS’s “The Voice” in order to generate more sales. And teens ate it up. This isn’t like the music scene of the 1980s, where everything was unintentionally terrible and the general population simply didn’t know any better. There’s an endearing innocence to the monstrosity that is Olivia NewtonJohn’s “Let’s Get Physical.” This is a calculated effort to propagate the hypersexualization and dumbing down of our media for outrageous profit. Ke$ha releases a photo of herself smiling amidst a pool of sparkling semen and yet she still sells out arenas to a teenage demographic. Chris Brown beats an innocent and talented young woman. Now he’s making more money than I ever will hope to. Look what he did to Rihanna, people. Look at her goddamn hair. You might read this as the crabby ramblings of an old soul, demanding youngsters to “get off his lawn” as he listens to Abbey Road on his gramophone.

See KANH, page 7

thursday , february

14, 2013

Faculty Spotlight: John Iacovelli

things that happen. I will have fun and work my ass off at the same time.” Kerr has worked with Iacovelli on shows at John Iacovelli has gone from graduating art the Pasadena Playhouse, the Aurora Theatre school to working on the number-one show and the Odyssey III. on television to becoming a stage design pro“This summer, we were working at the fessor at UC Davis. Shakespeare Santa Cruz festival. We built the Iacovelli’s interest in art design began at a show up here and we were constantly going young age. back and forth. John would draft even more “When I was a child, I played with puppet shows, apologize to me and then say that it theatres. The whole family helped me out,” was for my own good,” Kerr said. “He’s a fanIacovelli said. “I was interested in the actutastic mentor, facilitator and friend all in one. al space of the theater. My father was also an Basically I feel like he’s often going to bat for artist so there were a lot of art me.” materials in my home.” In addition to working with Iacovelli graduated from stage and art design students, NYU’s Tisch School of the Iacovelli teaches a couple of Arts in 1984, alongside such classes as well. people as Ang Lee as well as “The thing I enjoy the most Tony Kushner, who wrote the about UC Davis is the actuscreenplay for Lincoln. al interaction with the students. “It was a very good class, Undergrads have a unique hunand the alchemy of the stuger for learning that graduate dents is as important as students sometimes don’t have,” the quality of the teachers,” Iacovelli said. Iacovelli said. This quarter, Iacovelli is teachWhile attending school ing an advanced film study class there, Iacovelli took classes for undergraduates, Drama 115. from people like Broadway “He has a lot of hands-on exdesigner Oliver Smith (West perience and knowledge of how Side Story, My Fair Lady), the film industry works and how causing him to become into make a movie,” said Danilo terested in stage design. Becerra, a third-year film studZach Land-Miller / Aggie Since graduating, Iacovelli ies major who is currently taking has worked on many projects Professor John Iacovelli teaches his Drama 115 class. Iacovelli is a stage Drama 115. on television, film and stage. design professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Becerra takes the class with His stage shows have played Cameron Congdon, another at the Pasadena Playhouse, third-year film studies major. the McCarter Theatre and the Mark Taper ize the opportunities he has created and how “I think he has one of the most imporForum. many will now miss out on them. tant characteristics in an educator, and Some of his film and TV credits include four “It’s really sad and difficult to see John em- that is passion,” Congdon said. “He realepisodes of “The Cosby Show,” all five seasons brace students because the paths he made to ly enjoys what he teaches, and it’s cool to of cult sci-fi show “Babylon 5” and art direction help them are dissolving,” said Travis Kerr, a get that perspective from someone in the on Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. graduate student in scenic design who works field.” So how does someone go from Hollywood very closely with Iacovelli. “Whenever I work to teaching in Davis? with John, it’s always a whirlwind of exciting JOHN KESLER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

By JOHN KESLER Aggie Arts Writer

“I worked at UC Riverside for 10 years and I have been working here for 13. I was headhunted to design the design component of our MFA program,” Iacovelli said. “Some of my students from this program have worked on ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’” Iacovelli goes on to comment about the demise of the program. “Sadly, we’re graduating the last of our specialists now. It’s sort of sad for me because I came here to design that program, and now it doesn’t exist anymore.” Those who have worked with Iacovelli real-

Ballerinas for the Environment Environmental organization to host ballet performance fundraiser event

By CRISTINA FRIES Aggie Arts Writer

Ballerinas for the Environment, a charitable organization founded by UC Davis alumna Cinthia Conlon and graduating fourthyear David Werner, is hosting a Gala event featuring the Davis Ballet Company, DJ Darkness and DJ MaTaterTots at Odd Fellows Hall on April 11 as a fundraiser for their stray-animal rehabilitation project in Ecuador. The overpopulation of stray animals in Ecuador has caused various interrelated environmental problems, such as diminished ecosystem health and water contamination, which leads to the spread of diseases to the human population. As an Ecuadorian citizen, Conlon has seen the overabundance of stray animals and their harsh living conditions, and understands the dire need for animal population control. “There is a very large stray

SOFTBALL Cont. from page 8 Although the Aggies’ schedule for the upcoming weekend includes tough competitors, Yoder stressed her confidence in her team’s ability to handle the pressure and to remain focused on their goals as a team. “It really doesn’t matter who we play, we are just trying to focus on Aggie ball and preparing for our

POLO Cont. from page 8 women are a dominating force at home. Preview: The Aggies will look to bounce back from a grueling and disappointing loss against Stanford University this weekend at a two-day home tournament. The tournament features Cal Lutheran and CSU Bakersfield in Saturday’s round-

BASKETBALL Cont. from page 8 Davis will have a very taxing road trip this weekend. They first travel to Hawaii to play the Rainbow Wahine on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., which is 9 p.m. on west coast time. The Aggies dropped a 71-63 de-

animal population in Ecuador. These animals pose a higher threat to human health as a result of their overpopulation, and are always at risk for being abused,” Conlon said. “Animal care is not a priority in a thirdworld nation like Ecuador, so spaying and neutering are not common practice.” Werner, a fourth-year environmental policy, analysis and planning major, discussed how their organization will help mitigate these environmental issues. “By offering free spays and neuters to the community we have a better chance of effective population control, and in turn disease control,” Werner said. Last year, Ballerinas for the Environment raised funds for International Veterinary Outreach, a nonprofit organization run by UC Davis Veterinary School students that provides free veterinary care to underprivileged communities. This year’s goal is to get directly in-

volved with underprivileged communities in Ecuador. Conlon, who was a ballerina before starting college and studied environmental science and management at UC Davis, believes it is beneficial to merge the worlds of art and science. “They are two very different worlds, and it is great when they can mesh together in a way that makes sense,” Conlon said. Jacqueline De La Rocha, a UC Davis alumna, recently joined Ballerinas for the Environment and is enthusiastic about applying what she has learned in her major to a real-world issue. “Within their mission is the idea that everything is connected in some way. You cannot just help the stray animal population without having an effect on the ecosystem or humans,” De La Rocha said. “As an environmental policy, analysis and planning major, this was the same idea used behind policy-making. I find it great that I am seeing this

concept that was emphasized in my classes in action and also that I am playing my small part in the bigger system.” The gala will be held at Odd Fellows Hall, located at 415 Second St., on April 11, and will feature a silent auction, a performance by The Davis Ballet Company (directed by Galen Groff, Briana Hamamoto and Yuka Matsuyama) and a DJ’ed reception featuring DJ Darkness and DJ MaTaterTots, which runs until 2 a.m. Student admission tickets are $30, and regular admission tickets are $40, the cost of a spay or neuter. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward funding the stray animal rehabilitation project in Ecuador. For further information about Ballerinas for the Environment and to purchase gala tickets, check out their webpage at ballerinasfortheenvironment.tumblr.com.

next competition,” Yoder said. The plan is to do just that as they will need to muster all of their combined strength in preparation for their final game of the weekend against tournament host and twenty-second ranked Stanford. Just this time of year last season, the Aggies upset the then eighth-ranked Cardinal to set the tone for a successful season to follow. However, all history aside, both teams will come into the matchup at the end of the weekend focused

on the present and not the past. “It really doesn’t matter the opponent, it’s just making sure that that the players are ready to step up in key situations,” Yoder said. Although the Aggies will take on the Cardinal in their final game of the tournament, they will need to first stand off against the Santa Clara Broncos and the Roadrunners. Although, both the Broncos and the Roadrunners currently display losing records, the Aggies know that they are not teams to overlook.

The Aggies’ opening weekend of games allowed the team to display their offensive prowess; however, if the team intends to compete with the best of the best in their upcoming schedule, they will need to remain defensively strong. With the Aggies’ impressive offense more than under control, the key to victory will just be to lock it down defensively. Though this is always easier said than done.

robin, followed by CLU, Pacific and Sonoma State on Sunday. “These are all really good opponents who, if we don’t take care of business, can make us go 2-2 or 1-3 for the weekend,” said head coach Jamey Wright. “Our goal is to go 4-0 but we have to take this one game at a time because they all present different challenges.” That being said, the Aggies plan to take each game at a time and look to condition them-

selves mentally for the impending challenge. They will seek to allot their time and energy efficiently throughout the course of the two-day battle. I want to feel more comfortable about changing our extraman,” Wright said. “We went to a 3-3. It’s like starting in a shotgun in football. It’s a different way to start your 6-on-5. You’re more spaced out and you can move from there. I felt more comfortable with it in practice last

cision to Hawai’i the last time the Rainbow Wahine came to Davis. Hawaii is in a three-way tie with Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara for second place in the conference with a 7-4 record. Shortly after the game in Hawaii, UC Davis will travel back to the mainland for a matchup against Cal State Northridge. The Aggies will be forced to recover from Thursday’s game and ad-

just back to the time difference all before playing a crucial game against the Matadors. CSU Northridge is 6-5 in the Big West and holds a 12-11 overall record. Still, the Aggies took them down by a 61-46 beating when the Matadors came over to the Pavilion back in midJanuary. Depending on how games go this weekend, wins over both

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

— Alli Kopas week and in Saturday’s game, notwithstanding how good Stanford is. So I want to feel better about our 6-on-5 offense and our counterattack. I thought we created some good opportunities against Stanford, and I want to continue working on that.” The women’s water polo team will head to Irvine a week from Saturday to face an opponent that is yet to be announced. — Veena Bansal teams this weekend could propel UC Davis into as high as second place in the conference, a substantial jump from their seventhplace standing. The middle six teams in the Big West are all locked in a tight battle, adding pressure to the tight conference race where every game matters. — Matthew Yuen

thursday , february

14, 2013

the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine

The Davis Cemetery’s grateful dead Alumnus Bob Bralove brings art show to Davis By TANYA AZARI Aggie Arts Writer

What brought Bob Bralove to Studio 1855 at the Davis Cemetery? Before his show, dubbed by the studio as Cross Pollinating Music with Paint, Bralove was playing piano at the Chapel of the Chimes Crematorium’s Summer Solstice celebration, an annual event featuring simultaneous performances by famed composers and musicians. His presence there was due to what he referred to as his “continuing association with the Dead” — not just those buried in the ground and ground up into ashes, but those that were soaring through the psychedelic ’60s: The Grateful Dead. Before Davis, Oakland, Gualala and all his other solo shows, you could barely pin Bralove on a map, because he was playing Oz for the Grateful Dead as their resident “MIDI Wizard” keyboard man. Before that, he was collaborating on the score for the soundtrack for “The Twilight Zone.” And even before that, synthesizing and sound designing for Stevie Wonder. But let’s pull things back to Davis. Bralove was in town this past Sunday for the opening reception of his solo show, featuring works from three different series. Dressed in grey tones and a smart sports coat, there was a contrast between the artist as presented in person and as presented in his paintings. In his words, however, were revealed the tie-dye-colorful nature of the whole situation. “The first one of these that I did where I was experimenting with the ink, it happened when I was on a 13-hour acid trip,” Bralove said, gesturing to the surrounding paintings. “And it’s much wilder, and it doesn’t have the kind of composed feeling that these do.” The compositions of the pieces in question differed wildly from series to series. The strongest focus was on his Psychic Tattoo works; the first ones seen when walking in the door. They’re figure-focused, with human figures in the foreground and geometricities evoking buildings in the background.

“The idea that I was pursuing is, to some extent, is that all the curved lines are in the people, and the natural things,” Bralove said. “And all the right angles, they’re the manmade things that are empty.” The fullness of the people can be found in their detail — each character is covered or made up of tens of tiny little beings, from cats to conjoined heads, all done in India Ink over the vibrant acrylic base. “I think of all of our personalities as being made up of these creatures,” Bralove said, describing how they all function to create a flow, with a few resonating with individual observers based on their personal reflections. “We usually just see the scars,” Bralove said. “But there are positive things also to make permanent impressions.” According to Bralove, heavy impressions were also made on his series of color studies. Sets of close-ups made up of only three colors — call them wood, call them grass, call them hellfire, because Bralove sure as hell doesn’t know. “They’re non-literal,” he said. “They’re not telling … what are they? You can’t even say what they are; there isn’t a word for them. They’re less literal in the literary sense of having words, and yet the people who respond to them really respond to them.” Responses could also be seen in his “tubed texture” pieces, where one almost has to physically restrain their own hands from not reaching out to touch them. Similarly to Psychic Tattoo, these also have two layers, the base being acrylic. But the upper layer has less influence of the hand — it’s entirely controlled by the tube. The texture pieces are painted-on spirals and swirls then overlaid with spikes of paint dropped directly from a paint tube. “I bounce through extremes in all my work,” Bralove said. “I got to this kind of obsessive dimensionality and wanted to flip the coin. And so a piece of it is just letting go of the control.” This surrender is just one of Bralove’s many inspirations, the others encompassing everything from a dichotomic self-control to “the way Louis Armstrong phrases a little trumpet line.” “I’ve gotten to a place where I see what being an artist in

this day and age means to me,” Bralove said. “And that is really just inspiration coupled with discipline.” Yes, discipline is a virtue for this psychedelic figure. As so much of his work deals with technology, Bralove is acutely aware of the dangers of our electronic age. “We are constantly struggling with the issues of convenience and surrender,” he said. “And ultimately, convenience means surrendering power. The only thing that really combats that is discipline. Like meditation discipline; some sort of discipline where it becomes about you.” His meditation can be found in his paintings, which he “kind of trance[s] out on,” and in his keyboarding collaborations with another member of the Dead in their duo, Dose Hermanos. (Note that “dose” is not a misspelling of either Spanish number, rather, “dose” as in the English word. “Oh you’ve never had a dose?” was Bralove’s comment on my quasi-bilingual confusion). For now though, Bralove needs a break. “I’ve just been through a whole bunch of shows so I’m needing to ground now,” he said. However, he seems grounded enough — humble yet proud in the face of his achievements. “I feel so lucky to have written a song that has lyrics by Bob Hunter … amazing. But to have been worked on a Stevie Wonder album is … phenomenal. To have done a Drums and Space event with the Grateful Dead where 60,000 people are breathing at the same time because you’ve done something … it’s phenomenal, I’ve been so lucky to work with these amazing people,” Bralove said. “But I want people to feel that I have an individual voice. That that voice is what attracted those other people. That they wanted to work with me as much as I wanted to work with them.” Bralove’s voice can be heard through his musical work online, or in his artwork displayed throughout the month of February at Studio 1855 at the Davis Cemetery District on 820 Pole Line Road. For more information on the exhibit, go to daviscemetery.org, and to find out more about the man himself, visit bobbralove.com. TANYA AZARI can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

KDVS seeks new venue Radio station to establish permanent location for shows By BRETT BUNGE Aggie Arts Writer

KDVS is expanding. The student-run radio station, which broadcasts throughout Davis, is currently considering using the former Dimple location downtown as a permanent venue for smaller shows. The building has remained dormant ever since Dimple Records departed last year, with the notable exception of housing a Halloween store during the Fall months. Christine Hong, a fourth-year psychology major and KDVS programming director, explained some reasoning behind the decision. “We can expect to see more all-ages shows. I think it’s important that every city has an all-age venue,” Hong said. Now, KDVS wants to use the building to not only establish an off-campus location, but also establish the former record store as a venue for smaller bands. Renner Burkle, general manager of KDVS and a fourth-year biochemical engineering major, mentioned the goal of the expansion. “The ultimate goal is to turn into an all-ages venue,” Burkle said. “There are no small to mid-

sized venues in Davis; there’s nowhere for bands to come and play. The mayor has been a huge proponent since day one.” KDVS has a long and rich history. According to the station’s official website, kdvs.org, the station — operating from the laundry room of Beckett Hall — began life as KCD on Feb. 1, 1964, with the words “Watson! Come here! I need a quarter!” KCD officially became KDVS on Oct. 18, 1967. Since that time, the radio station has grown and expanded, with major renovations occurring in 1999. KDVS continues to fundraise and receive sponsorships, and even founded its own record label, KDVS Recordings. Luke Weidner, a second-year economics major and assistant news director, talked about general expectations. “KDVS is always looking to provide opportunities for groups. At the same time, I would expect the new KDVS recording studio to have a loose structure in terms of scheduling.” The venue is expected to open very soon. “We can actually start booking shows there. We’d like to start booking shows within a month or two,” Burkle said. BRETT BUNGE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Davis Live Music Collective present Camper Van Beethoven Indie-rock legends to perform at Odd Fellows Lodge By ANDREW RUSSELL Aggie Arts Writer

On Monday, Camper Van Beethoven, one of the pivotal groups of ’80s alternative rock, will perform at The Odd Fellows Lodge on 415 Second Street. The group, whose inventive blend of genres such as psychedelia, folk, and surf forged a path for the eclecticism of indie rock over the past two decades, will begin playing at 8 p.m., following an opening set by local rock act The West Nile Ramblers. This show will also mark the first time in 25 years that the band has played a concert in town, an event made more significant in light of several close connections they have to Davis. To begin with, their debut album, Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985), immortalized in the annals of college radio for its iconic single, “Take the Skinheads Bowling,” was recorded locally in East Davis.

Additionally, original band member and multi-instrumentalist Johnathan Segel grew up in Davis and is also the son of Professor Emeritus Irwin H. Segel. “When I was growing up, I saw a huge amount of great music in Davis ... it had a big impact on me,” Segel said. “I’m happy to play in the town.” Camper Van Beethoven seems to have taken to revisiting old Northern California haunts of late, both literally and thematically. Their latest album in nine years, La Costa Perdida (released Jan. 22), draws stylistically upon the region through songs like “Northern California Girls” and through evocations of psychedelic West-Coast pop. This is quite fitting for the band, whose members met while attending UC Santa Cruz and were influenced by vestiges of ’60s counterculture, among various other styles and aesthetics over the years (ska, country, spaghetti westerns and narcocorridos) that have

contributed to the group’s unreplicable sound. Kyle Monhollen, graphic artist for Davis Live Music Collective, explained some of CVB’s multifaceted appeal. “My true love musically is Americana — that wide, jangly umbrella that catches the sort of California gypsy funk CVB helped invent.” Kelly McCrory, who is running show on behalf of the DLMC, was able to supply a final word on the CVB experience coming Monday. “Camper Van Beethoven has been at it for over 25 years, and if you're a fan of modern indie rock, you need to see one of the groups who paved the way and are still at it.” For more information, visit the DLMC website at davislivemusic.com. Tickets for the show are now available online and at Armadillo Records on F Street. ANDREW RUSSELL can be reached at arts@theaggie. org.

By BEAUGART GERBER Aggie Arts Writer

Artist: Pure Love Title: Anthems Rating: 3.5/5 Check out these tracks: “Handsome Devils Club,” “Anthem,” “The Hits” Similar Artist: The Fratellis, Razorlight, Maximo Park Happy Valentine’s Day to all, don't let the grumbling loners keep you down. Celebrate! I have eloquently chosen an album by the artist Pure Love. No, their vocals don't solely wax on the nature of love. If you require such paltry fair, I'm sure T-Swift can provide the whole spectrum of relationship angst. This week my offering is an interesting cross of genre. Harkening back to bolder days, Pure Love has an infusion of British underground a la 1999. It’s punk-inspired but does not embrace that moodier genre. Instead, it’s crafted into lessrebellious sorts to suit our coddled 2013 disposition. I can tell you it's good. For, at the very least, my ears enjoyed the experience. I would not say any one song grabbed my attention but I was entertained throughout. Perhaps the monotonous homogeny of the al-

bum is what soured my heart. In my youth, growing wiry and misshapen among the thistle, I learned a powerful lesson that an album has to “check yourself before you wreck yourself." I also learned to wear stunna glasses at night but alas, all that glitters is not gold. Pure Love’s vocals are what drew me close. Their lead singer, Frank Carter, has a voice that pulls you in, embraces you, and maybe brushes that tube grit off your shoulder. Sadly, due to the "garage rock” subgenre they freely associate with, his voice is periodically stifled by instrumental flair. I'd say this band has potential, but there are ailments they should quickly address. It does not fall into the two camps of alt rock clones that plague the genre; that of the sleepy man-boy technobabble or the heavy-handed Fall Out Boy callback. There is always room for more shout anthems, and they appear to have a few. I encourage you to listen — though unvaried, this could be your new sound. This band has more than enough room to improve. I will patiently wait. — Beaugart Gerber

classifieds

6 thursday, february 14, 2013

Going Nuts

smheady@ucdavis.edu

by Sara Mae

Notice to Readers 25 Lower Freeborn Hall, UCD One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616 Editorial: (530) 752-0208 Advertising: (530) 752-0365 Fax: (530) 752-0355 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

House for Rent 5 Bedroom 2 Bath House for Rent on Menlo Drive; $2,550/mo. Please call 415-948-8278 for more info. 4 Bedroom 2 Bath House for Rent on Sycamore Lane. $2300/mo. Please call 415-948-8278 for more info. SPACIOUS 2 BEDROOM 2 BATH, HOUSE FOR RENT NEXT TO CAMPUS TO CAMPUS: $1400/MO. PLEASE CALL 415-948-8278 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Help Wanted EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS. Get paid $10-20 for completing easy 60-90 min. experiment. Perform group decision-making task. Payment determined in part by individual success. Register: www.experimetrix2.com/ ucdesp. One time participation only. You must be at least 18 years old.

CLASSIFIED AD RATES* Students: 20¢ per word/day General: 25¢ per word/day * Minimum 5 words LOCAL OPEN AD RATES $10.00 per column inch DEADLINES Publication Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Display Ads 4 p.m. Wed 4 p.m. Thu 4 p.m. Fri 4 p.m. Mon

Classified Ads 1 p.m. Thurs 1 p.m. Mon 1 p.m. Tue 1 p.m. Wed

Events Attend the reading series that we’ve developed with the Avid Reader in downtown Davis called “THE WORD OF MOUTH” It will take place from 7:30-9:00pm with an “open mic” segment at 8:30pm. Address is 617 Second Street. It will feature Davis locals and students: CJ Morello; Chris “Whitey” Erickson; Nicole Pomeroy; and Joe Wenderoth. Inquires: www. absurdword.com and absurdpublications@gmail.com

Travel To my favorite OKC darlings: Happy V Day riootgrrl, masondixonjar, and Beyoncesaurus, Love Journogrrl.

The California Aggie reserves the right to, without notice, classify all advertisements, delete objectionable words and phrases, and edit or refuse advertisements. Categories will be strictly adhered to. The Aggie reserves the right to change, without notice, deadlines for advertising copy, rates, rules, and regulations. The advertiser will not hold The Aggie liable for any claims resulting from publication of the advertisement. Further, the Publisher will not be responsible for any claim resulting from an agreement made between the consumer and advertiser. Copy should be checked for errors BY THE ADVERTISER following the first insertion. Errors

Meetings Are you interested in a health related field? Join C.H.E. and learn more about our pre-health organization! Meetings every Tuesday at 7:10pm to 8:00pm. For more information, contact Fabiola Sanchez at fsanchezmartinez@ucdavis.edu. See you soon!

Travel SUGAR BOWL SKI PACKAGES Day Trips & Overnights Direct to Lifts 4x4 SUV www.knightskitours.com

in advertisements must be reported before 1 p.m. for correction in next issue. Credit for Publisher error(s) will only be given for the incorrect portion of the advertisement for the first publication date. All phone numbers appearing in classifieds will be in the 530 area code. Only area codes outside the 530 area will be printed. For placement or questions e-mail classifieds@theaggie.org. There are no refunds/credits for cancellations.

Employment Sports Medicine & Rehabiliation Internship Hands-on experience, career development UCD Athletic Training staff accepting applications from dedicated individuals interested in becoming Student Athletic Trainers. Apply at Athletic Training Facility, Hickey Gym (752-0647) or Pavilion (752-7515) http://ucdavisaggies.cstv. com/school-bio/ucda-ath-train.html Deadline March 1, 2013

FOR RELEASE MARCH 13, 2010

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle The california Aggie Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 “Scram!” 10 Orly sight 15 Got very sore, maybe 16 Eva of “57Across: Miami” 17 If often requires a bedroom set 18 Montana motto word 19 Seventh-century date 20 Cooper’s creation 21 Accepted without question 22 Pines 25 Kung __ chicken 27 Group that “had decayed to a mere beautiful futility”: Wells 28 Features of some hotels 29 Effort 30 King deposed in 1964 31 Go along with 34 Vane reading: Abbr. 35 Sudafed alternative 38 Sight from Marie Byrd Land 40 Took off 41 Singer in the 1954 film “Secret of the Incas” 43 Like the Kalahari 45 Town inland of the IJsselmeer 46 Actress Gershon et al. 50 It may be chased by un perro 51 Lake Thun feeder 52 Studio renamed Paramount Television in 1967 53 1986 N.L. batting champ Tim 55 R&B group __ Hill 57 Show with DNA testing 58 __-garde 59 Team with a flaming ball in its logo 62 Paramecium features 63 All in all 64 Test track challenges

3/13/10

By Robert A. Doll

65 Living end DOWN 1 Know-it-all’s taunt 2 Long-legged shore bird 3 Body armor fiber 4 Poet’s preposition 5 Things to zap 6 Bumpkins 7 __ fixe 8 Top dog 9 Hiver’s opposite 10 Chop House Originals brand 11 Societal concerns 12 “This American Life” host 13 Rustic place to go? 14 “Very clever!” 21 Duff 23 Inlets 24 Cold and rainy, say 26 Anatomical cavity 29 “Gracias” reply 32 Just like, with “the” 33 Truman Dam river 35 Contest that’s usually over in less than 20 seconds

Wednesday’s puzzle solved Friday’s Puzzle Solved

36 One in a million 37 Approves, in a way 39 Some H.S. courses 42 Certain rush hour commuter, metaphorically 44 “__ Darko”: 2001 sci-fi film 47 Christianity’s __ Creed

3/13/10

48 French region along the Rhine 49 Bach compositions 52 “The Count of Monte Cristo” author 54 LAX postings 56 Broccoli __ 59 Hit-making group? 60 Kind 61 Solo in space

Sudoku

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thursday, february 14, 2013 7

The california aggie

Searching for the perfect fit ASUCD’s Housing Day to help students find living options By MARIA MARCELINA CRYSTAL VEGA Aggie Features Writer

Whether you’re a lowerclassman about to leave the dorms or an upperclassman unhappy with the fruits of your labor in apartment searching this past year, ASUCD hears your calls for help. Housing Day, put on by ASUCD Office of City and County Affairs, will be held on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Freeborn Hall. “Housing is one thing all students need in their time at Davis, but access to information can be limited and difficult for students who do not have the resources or time to seek housing. Housing Day alleviates that problem by bringing the information to the students,” said Housing Day coordinator Sabrina Dias in an email interview. Over 4,800 first-year and transfer students will be leaving the dorms this year, according to Ramona Hernandez, director of financial and business services for Student Housing. That number doesn’t even include the multitude of students living off campus now beginning their search for a place to live

next school year. “Students should check out all their options regarding where they want to live next year,” Hernandez said. With over 60 apartment complexes at the event, students will get the opportunity to do just that. Some complexes will offer free food, activities or promotional prizes, like T-shirts, Jamba Juice and a photo booth. An informational area devoted to helping students learn about their rights as renters will also be incorporated into the event as well as what sort of things they should look for when attempting to find the right apartment for them, according to Joshua Gelfat, director of ASUCD Office of City and County Affairs, in an email interview. Additionally, U.S. Housing, a company that runs a printed and online resource to college students regarding housing, will be at the event passing out its local publication, DavisHousing. "DavisHousing is an apartment guide for the Davis market, but we put the book together in a way that's usable for readers. It's not just a big book of ads. Each listing offers an apples-to-apples

comparison between apartments," said David Sachs, marketing and sales executive at U.S. Housing, in an email interview. Students who attend this event will also be given a chance to win raffle prizes simply by visiting some of the apartment complexes’ booths. “This year, if students pick up a stamp card from the front of the event, receive stamps from all of the listed complexes, and return it back to the City and County Affairs Staff, they will be in the running to win a brand new iPad Mini donated by West Village,” Gelfat said. This annual ASUCD tradition has even directly benefited some of its coordinators. “My search for off-campus housing was much easier to do after I used the tips I received during my first Housing Day. You need to know what you are looking for in terms of location, price, amenities and other offerings of the apartment complexes in order to find one that fits you, ” Dias said. MARIA MARCELINA CRYSTAL VEGA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

khan Cont. from page 4 But our music is our culture. Like art, cuisine and dialect, what we we listen to is a vital part of our identity and plays a critical role in the shaping of our society. I’m just a 20-year-old editor frustrated with the hijacking of his cultural identity. Just as Harry Potter revolutionizes adolescent reading, promoting strong young female characters taking on the forces of evil, Stephenie Meyer comes along to anal fist the fantasy genre and convince a new generation of teens that all you need in life is to find a man. Something is very wrong with what we’re spoon-feeding our youth. It’s heartening to see Mumford and Sons’ Babel take Album of the Year just this week as the popularity of organic artists like Adele and The Black Keys continues to rise. I commend the Entertainment

sprout Cont. from front page greater appreciation of the natural world,” said Sprout Up’s director of operations Tanya Heravian, a UC Santa Barbara graduate. And indeed, their curriculum does have day-to-day impact.

travel Cont. from front page will receive grants based on the pitch presentations. E-Fund offered $150 to De Forest to assist him in publicity costs. De Forest said he read about a past recipient of E-Fund’s help in The California Aggie and thought the program would be a good experience for him. “E-fund proved to me that my company is a legit idea and I wasn’t suffering from a dream that can’t be successful,” he said. The idea to generate a travel site grew from a boring Saturday afternoon, according to De Forest. He and his friends decided to do an online search of “things to do in Davis” but found few results. “I knew there were other things to do, but without a lot of refinement and searching through hundreds of results, good results could not be found. That’s when I knew some-

Council for bringing similar artists to the hallowed halls of Freeborn this April. But for every Jack White out there today, there are too many One Directions to drown out the faint signal in a whitewash of gregarious noise. For every Alicia Keys and Florence and the Machine, you have the next Bieber waiting on the wings to fuck it up for everyone. For every Macklemore and Frank Ocean, there’s a post-“Degrassi” Drake spouting on how much he’d love to stick his Lil Wayne in your daughter. For now, I’ll continue to turn on the radio and listen to the diarrhea that spurts all over my face from the speakers. I might even hum along to it as I flick the specks of fecal matter from my lips. If we’re being honest here, “Moves Like Jagger” is rather catchy. Then again, so is herpes. ADAM KHAN will continue to tap his feet to Maroon 5 and hate himself for doing it. Chastise him in tempo at features@theaggie. org.

“Almost every day there is a breakthrough moment … I think the biggest challenge is that these kids are still learning the basics of school and we are trying to pull them in,” Ryan said. As for the future of Sprout Up in Davis, Ryan feels there is sure to be a continuation of the influence college students can

have on young kids. “It’s really special getting kids excited to learn about science and excited to be in a classroom. The fact that we bring in college students brings a whole new perspective to learning,” Ryan said.

thing could be improved here,” he said. Currently, he has a total of four UC Davis students working for him in the business that sprouted from a simple Google search. Darlene Megino and Jesse Garcia are responsible for destination gathering and entering, Melissa Uzes is the marketing outreach coordinator and Arjun Bharadwaj is the lead app developer. Melissa Uzes, a communication and psychology double major, said she wanted to become a part of the Bagonize team when she first heard about it. One of her jobs is to maintain the Facebook and Twitter pages for Bagonize. Uzes said the most significant benefit of working for Bagonize is the experience she will gain that will help her prepare for graduate school and a career in marketing. “I am gaining experience in the field of marketing and I am gaining experience working in a team,” she said in an email inter-

view. “The Bagonize team is great — every person contributes a lot and everybody works very hard.” De Forest attributed much of his progress with his business to the work of his interns. Managing a business and being a student was hard in the beginning, according to De Forest. However, he said that by developing a routine of constantly planning ahead and making checklists, he realized that balancing his business with schoolwork is relatively simple. De Forest said that undergraduate students are in their prime time for starting a business. “Don’t have any excuses. If you say you don’t have enough time, then you are lying to yourself,” he said. “The majority of startups fail because they stay as ideas in someone’s head. Just dive in and do it.” De Forest’s website can be found at Bagonize.com.

Recycle the Aggie.

GABRIELLA HAMLETT can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

KELLEY DRECHSLER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

THE LINEUP 8 thursday, february 14, 2013

The california Aggie

MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Lucas Bolster / Aggie

Sophomore Corey Hawkins, seen in this file photo, scored 40 points against Rainbow Wahine, breaking UC Davis‚ record for most points scored in a game. Teams: UC Davis vs. Hawai’i; vs. Cal State Northridge Records: Aggies 9-13 (5-6); Rainbow Wahine 15-9 (9-4); Matadors 13-12 (4-9) Where: The Pavillion — Davis, Calif. When: Thursday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 7 p.m. Who to watch: Sophomore Corey Hawkins is simply un-

stoppable. He returned from an injury to score 36 points through his first two games back. As UC Davis prepares to face Hawai’i on Valentine’s Day, the Goodyear, Ariz. native will be a key piece of the game plan. During the Aggies’ last match against the Rainbow Wahine, Hawkins’ shredded their defense, landing 40 points in the game. His incredible performance broke UC Davis’ record for most points scored in a game and it gave Hawai’i their first Big West conference home loss of the season. Did you know? UC Davis’ victory over UC Santa Barbara broke through a five-year barrier, giving the Aggies their first win over the Gauchos since 2007. Preview: As conference play dwindles to a close, the Aggies are not in the place they want to be. Fortunately, they have two chances to add wins to their record this week. Thursday night’s Valentine’s Day matchup against Hawai’i may be a chance for Hawkins to repeat his monstrous scoring achievement. However, the Aggies are suspecting the Rainbow Wahine to place a little bit more emphasis on Hawkins. If Hawai’i hones their defensive focus on Hawkins, it will leave junior Ryan Sypkens open in the wings to sink more three-pointers from beyond the arc. Sypkens has landed 83 three-pointers this season, tying UC Davis’ school record. If Hawai’i leaves him sitting in the wings, he will utilize his incredible accuracy from the perimeter to make them pay for it. A win over Hawai’i would allow the Aggies to pull to 6-6 in conference play and improve their sixth-place ranking. It would also give them some momentum to carry them into Saturday’s match-up against the Cal State Northridge

SOFTBALL PREVIEW Event: Stanford Invitational Teams: UC Davis vs. Santa Clara; vs. CSU Bakersfield; vs. Santa Clara; vs. Stanford Records: Aggies (3-2); Broncos (0-2); Roadrunners (0-3); Cardinal (4-2) Where: Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium — Palo Alto, Calif. When: Saturday at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Sunday at 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Who to watch: With an upcoming weekend of potentially intimidating opponents looming, the Aggies will look to sophomore Amy Nunez’ red hot bat to lead their offense to victory. Last season, Nunez made her mark as a freshman while batting .225 with a .357 slugging percentage, in addition to lead- Amy Nunez ing the team with four dingers. sophomore To add to her offensive accolades, Nunez led the team with a .507 success rate in advancing runners. Last weekend in Fresno, Nunez led her team to a 3-2 record batting .400 on the weekend with six hits. Nunez was so dependable in fact that coach Karen Yoder relied on her bat to be a force at the top of the lineup each game. “We rotated her in the heart of the lineup and she was very productive for us,” Yoder said. Look for Nunez to not only do some serious damage in the three hole, but also defensively at first base, where she only recorded one error last year. Did you know? Sophomore Cassandra

Ginnis, who managed to start a staggering 31 of 49 games as the Aggies’ leadoff table-setter last season, lists her ultimate sports hero as none other than Tim Tebow. Coincidence that Ginnis’ number 24 jersey adds up to six just like Tebow’s No. 15 does? Maybe, but probably not. Preview: Last weekend’s tournament in Fresno served to not only allow UC Davis softball team as a whole to become a more cohesive unit, but also to give the newcomers some much needed experience in game situations. “There were a lot of opportunities for the newcomers to be placed into intense situations, so overall I am pleased at this point,” Yoder said. With the season still in its infancy, the Aggie’s young composition of nine freshmen and four transfers is bound to gain more experience as the season progresses. Even with only a few games under their belts, key rookies have proved themselves to be essential both offensively and defensively in leading the team to victory. Coming off of this solid week of play, the UC Davis softball team will take on their next slew of challenging opponents as they travel down to Palo Alto to compete in their second tournament of the season, the Stanford Invitational.

See SOFTBALL, page 4

Matadors. During the last game against the Matadors, the Aggies were able to pull away with a 74-71 victory. The Matadors are coming off a loss against conference-leading Long Beach State, and they will be playing third-ranked Pacific on their way up to Davis. The Matadors are led by sophomore guard Stephan Hicks, who averages about 17 points per game for his team. Cal State Northridge will pose a threat from the field. They like to drive the ball to the hoop and go for the short shots and fouls. They do not have a Sypkens-like threat from beyond the three-point perimeter, but they have posed problems for the Aggie defense in the past. The same defense struggled in the team’s last game against Cal Poly. Head coach Jim Les thought his team lacked some of the intensity and aggressiveness they usually bring to the court. “I thought we were not as aggressive on defense as we needed to be. We needed to be the aggressor, step up on defense and set the tone for the game,” Les said. UC Davis’ defense has been a work-in-progress all season long, but the team is running out of opportunities to solidify their defensive play. These are two of the last three games they have before playing at home as part of the ESPN BracketBusters tournament. That game against Northern Colorado will be broadcast on ESPN2 and the Aggies need to find a way to marry their offensive spark with some defensive strength so they can play their best basketball when they take the national stage in a few weeks. — Kim Carr

WOMEN’S WATER POLO PREVIEW

Aaron Juarez Kong / Aggie

Senior Jessica Dunn put on a phenomenal performance against top-ranked and two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford. Event: Davis Challenge Teams: UC Davis (1-5) vs. Cal Lutheran; vs. CSU Bakersfield; vs. Pacific; vs. Sonoma State Where: Schaal Aquatics Center — Davis, Calif. When: Saturday through Sunday Who to watch: Senior Jessica Dunn ought to be thrilling to watch, as she put on a phenomenal per-

formance against topranked and two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford. Dunn scored her 23rd career hat trick against the Cardinals, hitting a pair of 6-on-5 goals in addition to a 5-meter penalty shot. She was able to capitalize on the opportunity when junior teammate Hanna Curran was fouled.

Dunn boasts an abundance of achievements, from ranking fourth in school history with 148 goals to becoming the second Aggie to hit the double-century mark. Expect a solid and impressive performance from the accomplished veteran. Did you know? Last year at the Aggie shootout, UC Davis came away with solid results. The Aggie women shut down eight teams consecutively, including the prestigious Harvard University. At one point, the team was on a ninegame winning streak before falling to California. The team also defeated their upcoming competitor last year, Sonoma State, 9-5. Then-sophomore attacker Carmen Eggert scored a total of six goals, as the Aggies improved to 7-5 for the season. Senior Ariel Feeney and junior Kaylee Miller both chipped in with several assists throughout the course of the game. As shown by the Aggies’ performance last year, the

See POLO, page 4

Baseball season finally arrives Aggies to start season against Washington

Aggies to be selected to the All-Big West Conference team last season, including Scott Kalush and sophomore Nick Lynch with Anthony Kupbens voted as an Baseball at UC Davis is finally underway as the team honorable mention. Only Politi and Lynch are returnis set to play against Washington over the weekend. The ing as Kalush and Kupbens have finished their college Aggies’ first game will be held at Dobbins Stadium at 2 careers. p.m. on Friday. Then they will play a double-header on After a 27-30 record last season, the team is focusing Saturday and finish off the four game series on on its strengths as the formula to its success. Sunday. “Coach Vaughn is very adamant about pitchEarlier in the week, Coach Matt Vaughn had ing, defense and he kind of pushes that on us a finalized the roster and can now focus more on lot. The ballpark that we play in is really big so the season. Infielder Paul Politi and the rest of we’re not going to be hitting home runs a lot and the team have been preparing for the season to it’s not really our game plan,” Politi said. “We’re begin and the upcoming series. more of a small ball, West-Coast-style-of-play “We’ve been practicing like we have been team. Pitching and defense gets you outs.” all Winter Quarter,” the senior said. “[We’ve The team hit a combined 22 home runs last been] preparing for the season and putting in year and only allowed 25 with the help of the our work and working on offense, defense, getbig outfield at Dobbins Stadium and solid deting the kinks out. We’re ready for the season Paul Politi fense. senior to start.” The Aggies had an impressive 17-11 record at Politi led the team in batting average, hits, home last year, but were 10-19 on road games. runs batted in and total bases last year, while Their conference record was even at 12-12. starting every game at third base. He was one of three The first two out of three series the Aggies will play

By LUKE BAE

Aggie Sports Writer

are against Pac-12 teams, Washington and Utah, with one game in between versus San Jose State. The Aggies have the advantage of playing their first nine games at home to start the season before they travel to Oklahoma State in the first week of March. “I think that without having to travel, we start off trying to get used to the season grind and being out on the field a little bit longer and wear and tear on your body,” Politi said. “You’ll be able to handle it and manage it better when you’re home, so I think that is going to help us out and get our feet rolling before we really start moving around and traveling.” The season is set up to play a weekend series every week and a single game series in the middle of the week. The Aggies’ geographic location allows them more of an opportunity to travel than other schools. Throughout the season, they will play against Seattle, Stanford, Saint Mary’s and Nevada. However, potentially the most appealing series will be when they travel to Honolulu for a series against Hawai’i in May. LUKE BAE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW Headline: Women’s Basketball Preview Teams: UC Davis at Hawai’i; at Cal State Northridge Records: Aggies 10-12 (5-6); Rainbow Wahine 11-11 (7-4); Matadors 12-11 (6-5) Where: Stan Sheriff Center — Honolulu, Hawaii; The Matadome — Northridge, Calif. When: Thursday at 9 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. Who to watch: The last time the Aggies played Hawai’i, they were out-rebounded by a 48-31 count. Freshman Alyson Doherty has provided some of the much-need-

ed height for the Aggies on the boards, grabbing 63 defensive and 39 offensive rebounds to bring her season total to a team-leading 102. Doherty’s 4.9 rebounds per game leads the team, who will need all the height they can get to be competitive in those second-chance opportunities. Did you know: It will be a grueling weekend for UC Davis, who will be traveling to two very different playing environments this weekend. The Stan Sheriff Center can house 10,300 fans and can serve as a multi-pur-

pose arena for other events such as concerts or other competitions or conferences. On the other hand, the Matadome has less than 2,000 seats, and doesn’t actually have a dome for a roof as its name would indicate. The stadium also serves its dual role as a classroom for kinesiology courses at Cal State Northridge. Preview: Though this season has seemed like one step forward, one step back every weekend, the Aggies haven’t lost their spirit. The UC Davis women’s basketball team stands in

seventh place in the Big West conference with a 5-6 league record. The season is coming to a close, seeing that there are seven games left to play including this weekend’s series. Yet, seven games can do a lot to shake up the conference standings. The Aggies recently displayed they can compete with any team in conference by collecting an impressive win over Cal Poly, the second-place team in the Big West. Looking forward, UC

Mark Allinder / Aggie

Freshman Alyson Doherty, seen in this file photo, has a See BASKETBALL, page 4 total of 102 rebounds this season.

YASH NAGDA // AGGIE

MISHKA’S CAFE 610 2ND STREET

COFFEE

ASUCD COFEE HOUSE FIRST FLOOR, MEMORIAL UNION

STARBUCKS MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Black Bear Diner, a well-known favorite of the Davis community, was voted as the best place for breakfast for its uniquely-sized plates and hearty menu. This small-town American diner is easily identifiable by its signature wooden black bear sculpture. Our breakfast is favorable since you get a lot

ABIGAIL ALCALA // AGGIE

BREAKFAST

BLACK BEAR DINER 255 2ND ST

CREPEVILLE 330 3RD ST

DELTA VENUS 122 B ST

“We are known for our big portions and friendly atmosphere. for your money and you are really stuffed by the time you leave,” said Carissa Brown, waitress and supervisor at Black Bear Diner. Their most popular dish is “The Grizz,” which consists of everything needed for an all-American breakfast: two pancakes, three eggs, bacon, sausage, a ham steak and hash browns. The diner gets a wide variety of customers, mainly large families, athletes and college students. “Of all the things I love about Black Bear Diner, their generous portions [have] to be number one on my list,” said Peter Tsou, a first-year exercise biology major. “Coming from someone that eats a lot, their food is definitely more than sufficient to leave you feeling satisfied. And with very reasonable prices, it’s especially a great place to get breakfast as a group after an early morning workout.” Runners up in competition for Best Breakfast included Crepeville and Delta of Venus. If you happen to pass that big black bear statue with a big appetite, go in and see what all the praise is about. — Melissa Gaherty

We all knew that Mishka’s Cafe would win the Best Coffee slot in this year’s Best of Davis contest. Again. There’s rarely a spot open to sprawl out study material, yet students still come in expecting an environment that will breed intellectual ideas. In the end, it most certainly does. “We are very happy to hear that we have been voted as one of the best coffee shops in Davis. I try to do my job and it’s really nice that people notice it,” said owner Sinisa Novakovic. Novakovic, who has owned the cafe since 1995, said all of their coffee beans are fair-trade and organic, coming to us from countries such as Sumatra and Ethiopia. These beans are fed into their in-house coffee roaster, which you can hear running on Tuesday mornings. Not only is the coffee amazing, but so are its baked goods — croissants, scones, truffles and the most gooey chocolate chip cookie you will ever encounter. Their ingredients come from many different sources but all within the Bay Area. Just recently, soup has been added to the menu to tap into the lunch scene. “The biggest complaint we get is that there’s no place to sit and the next is that there are no sandwiches or salads, so we are in the process

of fitting the kitchen appropriately to have a few basic sandwiches and salads,” Novakovic said. The most pleasant part about studying at Mishka’s would have to be its world-class music playing in the background, encompassing sounds from Argentina’s Gotan Project to Mexico’s Manu Chao. This ties into the cafe’s very international vibe — patrons can be heard speaking languages from Italian to Japanese to Persian. “I love the sense of community that is created at Mishka’s. I’ve run into old high school friends there, made new friends and chatted with professors. I see it as a place that is truly representative of the friendly environment and sense of camaraderie that characterizes Davis as a town,” says Maya Makker, a fourth-year history major. “Whether you want to study, discuss last night’s ‘Downton Abbey,’ or read a book, Mishka’s is accommodating and welcoming.” Not to mention there are new art pieces hanging up on the walls featuring local artists. It truly is a place where you can get away and study your material or just people-watch. For other places to enjoy a hot coffee, go to the ASUCD Coffee House or Dutch Bros. Coffee. — Natasha Qabazard

BUFFET davis sushi buffet 707 2ND ST

RAJA’S TANDOOR 207 3RD ST

UC DAVIS DINING COMMONS TERCERO, SEGUNDO, CUARTO MICHELLE TRAN // AGGIE

Who doesn’t love an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant? With countless dishes on the menu, excellent service and relaxing ambience, Davis Sushi Buffet has claimed the prestigious title of best buffet in Davis. Experienced Chef Huang Cui began his career in his early twenties, acquiring a great deal of knowledge and experience in his current expertise. Under the guidance of Sam Hui, Chef Daniel Khuu incorporates local and traditional Asian tastes into the art

of sushi-making. The fusion of Asian tastes and American styles makes this buffet one of a kind. Davis Sushi Buffet produces a variety of fresh and delicious sushi, as well as side dishes, at a reasonable price of $14 for lunch, including the Tiger Roll, Davis Roll and numerous types of sashimi. “My favorite is the California Spicy Unagi Roll. It has cucumber, eel [and] avocado and is to die for,” said second-

year sushi enthusiast Stacey Liang. Liang enjoys visiting the restaurant for a casual sushi lunch on any given weekend. “Whenever I have a relatively free weekend, I like to go — most of the time, I go for lunch which is nice and relaxing. The quality of all of the sushi is consistently good; I would call it my go-to Asian comfort food restaurant,” Liang said. Employee Ramon Montajez has been working for one to two months at the restaurant. Montajez prepares the rice, chicken and shrimp and other main dishes in the kitchen.

“It’s very busy here — I’ve never seen so many people eat sushi. The busiest days are probably Friday through Sunday. The other dishes are popular, but the sushi beats them by far,” Montajez said. However, if you happen to be craving something different, head over to Raja’s for a fantastic, inexpensive Indian buffet, which came in second place, or our very own Davis Dining Commons, which came in third place, for a taste of every cuisine. — Veena Bansal

YASH NAGDA // AGGIE

With a plethora of Thai food options in Davis, UC Davis students chose Thai Canteen as the best. The restaurant, located on E Street, opened in 2010 and prides itself on its casual and student-friendly atmosphere. “We cater to UC Davis students,” said store manager Peter Sriboonreuang. “It’s not your typical Thai restaurant with a waiter — you order at the counter. It’s fast-paced.” Thai Canteen offers some of the lowest prices compared to other Thai restaurants in Davis. The most expensive item on the menu is the crab fried rice for $8.95. According to

Sriboonreuang, the Pad Thai and Pad Si Ew are the most popular dishes, along with No. 10 on the menu, which is a stir-fry cashew dish. All range from $6.95 to $7.95 in price. “The Pad Thai there is my favorite out of all the Thai restaurants in Davis,” said fourth-year chemical engineering major Kent Ly. “It’s a good place to come with a group of friends. They’re one of the only places that consistently open past midnight, which is good for a late night bite or a study session.” Sriboonreuang agreed. “We’re open late, so when students

are up studying, they can come in here and use our Wi-Fi,” he said. In the past, Thai Canteen has partnered with the ASUCD External Affairs Commission to bring unlimited Thai iced tea during finals week for UC Davis students. “We started that last year,” Sriboonreuang said of the event. “It’s a big old study session. It’s still up in the air for this year. We’re always thinking of ways to bring more students in and to get our name out there,” he said. Runner-ups for best Thai restaurant were Sophia’s Thai Kitchen on E Street and Taste of Thai on G Street, respectively.

THAI THAI CANTEEN 117 E ST

SOPHIA’S THAI KITCHEN 129 E ST

TASTE OF THAI 301 G ST

— Stephanie B. Nguyen

CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, KOREAN DAVIS NOODLE CITY 129 E ST #1D

THE DUMPLING HOUSE 129 E ST #B

HUNAN BAR & RESTAURANT 207 D ST NATHAN CHAN // AGGIE

SHAZIB HAQ // AGGIE

MIKUNI SUSHI 500 1ST ST

japanese

ZEN TORO 132 E ST

DAVIS SUSHI BUFFET 707 2ND ST

In the Davis Commons, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar is one of eight in this chain of high-end restaurants. It opened in Davis in 2009, and ever since has had a reputation for excellence in the local sushi scene, winning Best of Davis for Japanese restaurants multiple times since it has opened. Recent UC Davis graduate and self-proclaimed enthusiast for “partaking in the consumption of raw/ undercooked sea creatures” Anthony Santistevan particularly enjoys Mikuni. He called it a classy alternative to most dining options in Davis. “[What sets us apart is our] high standard for the quality of fish and superior focus on customer service,” said general manager Jay DeGuzman. When making their food, Mikuni stresses the importance of having the freshest ingredients available in order to ensure that their product is the best you can find.

The winner of the best Chinese restaurant goes to Noodle City! An authentic Chinese restaurant nestled behind Sofia’s and The Dumpling House, Noodle City offers delicious spring rolls, pot stickers, noodle broths, and of course fried rice as a few of their menu items. “We [have] had a Noodle City for about eleven years, and [the] noodle is very popular in our country. All the college towns have a lot of noodle shop, and I get idea [that] I should open [a] noodle shop in Davis, it’s good for [the] students too,” said Linda Liu, owner of Noodle City. Noodle City’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Sundays 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Student customer Molly Burke, a third year English major, is not surprised that Noodle City was voted the best Chinese restaurant in Davis. “They have very delicious food; I would definitely recommend this restaurant. The menu is comprehensive, the portion sizes are large, and the food is delicious!” Burke said. The restaurant offers authentic Chinese food for good prices,

such as their famous fried green onion bread for $3.99, vegetable dumplings for $5.95, or the wonton noodle soup for $5.95. Burke considers her favorite dish to be the chicken fried rice. “The [most] popular dish is beef noodle soup and also noodle salad, because noodle salad [has] no oil with sesame paste [and] has a lot of vegetables,” Liu said. The Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup, with its five spice, braised beef, and fresh veggies in the house special beef broth tastes like a sample of homemade culinary perfection. For only $6.95, customers consider it cheap and worth the quality taste. Even though Noodle City is a sit-down restaurant, the food does not take long to be served to the customers, either. “The service was fast and I enjoyed the quaint, casual atmosphere,” Burke said. Fans of great Chinese food can also treat themselves to The Dumpling House, located near Noodle City on E Street, or Hunan, located at 207 D Street.

—Alyssa Kuhlman

INDIAN

RAJA’S TANDOOR 207 3RD ST

NAMASTE NEPAL

“How [ your food] is served to you and your total experience there adds to everything, so we want to make sure that the guests are getting what they pay for when it comes to quality of service,” DeGuzman said. The open, new-age decor of the restaurant provides an eye-catching and social setting, complete with outdoor patio and a fully stocked bar. Though its price may discourage some students from regular dining, it is the perfect location for a treat or any special event. Also, every business day from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Mikuni offers happy hour specials, with rolls ranging from $3 to 6 and cocktails for $6. Coming in at second and third in the Best Japanese Food category are Zen Toro and Davis Sushi Buffet, respectively. — Kyle Scroggins

825 RUSSELL BLVD #30

KATHMANDU KITCHEN 234 G ST AARON JUAREZ KONG // AGGIE

If you’re looking for great Indian food, you don’t need to look very far off campus to find Raja’s Tandoor. Located at 207 Third St. in Suite 230, within a stone’s throw of the Social Sciences and Humanities Building, Raja’s Tandoor offers a lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, as well as dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The restaurant offers a variety of plates for low prices. The all-you-caneat lunch buffet costs only $5.95, while dinner entrees run from $7 to $9. “I come here on average two or three times a month because it’s a great price for lunch. It’s quality for the cost. I came here even more

often when I had Aggie Cash, because they accept that,” said Barry Greenbert, a fourth-year psychology major. Dishes include tandoori chicken, coconut curry, kabobs, tikka masala, creamy cashew curry and much more. Raja’s also has several vegan items, including naan bread, dal and okra. “Their food is good. It’s a great alternative to hamburgers and fries. Since it is a buffet, you’re bound to leave the restaurant with a full stomach,” said Victor Vu, a fourth-year economics major. Greenbert agreed. “The chicken tikka masala is my favorite, hands down. It just tastes great,” Greenbert said.

Raja’s also offers drinks, including soda, mango lassi and chai tea as well as a happy hour menu which offers discounts on the drinks. It is impossible to enter Raja’s Tandoor without meeting the owner, Taranbir Chowdhury. Chowdhury’s friendliness is memorable. He is known for shaking hands and hugging customers. Signs outside of the restaurant feature a cartoon Chowdhury smiling and waving at passersby. The owners of Raja’s Tandoor would not comment on this story. Namaste Nepal on 825 Russell Blvd. won second place, while Kathmandu Kitchen on 234 G St. won third place. — John Kesler

MARK ALLINDER // AGGIE

After tallying up the votes, the award for the best burrito in Davis goes to Taquería Guadalajara. Located on W. Covell, the restaurant is known for its regular, super, and super giant burritos. "It feels great that we're giving the customers good quality food at their liking, that they're voting for us as the best burrito," Hernandez said. Guadalajara customers have many favorites, and since there are 10 meats to choose from, there is more to like. "The most popular burrito is the spicy pork, meat wise. The super burrito with the works sour cream, cheese, guacamole and also the super-giant, almost a 3-pound burrito, are good ones," manager Rigo Hernandez said.

The casual dine-in style allows customers to drop in whenever they want for a quick meal. Passionate burrito blogger Chris Whang certainly enjoys the convenience of grabbing a carne asada burrito right before class. "The quality of food at Guads is the best in Davis and at only $5.89 for a super burrito, the value cannot be beat," he said. "Also, do not forget the horchata." Priced at $10.99, the 3-pound super giant burrito is a favorite of Whang's, but he struggles to get the job done. "I always have the mindset that I'm going to finish the giant in one

sitting, but as soon as I get halfway through, I ask for a to-go box," Whang said. Having access to the free chips and salsa bar, Guadalajara understands what students want and prides itself in satisfying them. "What I like about the Davis community is that it’s a different community. It's just different. It's more 'in' with the students. . .Being a student myself before, you kind of got that little attachment to them so you want to service them, you want to give them good pricing and service that they'll keep coming back," Hernandez said. Chipotle is also another burrito favorite located on E Street, while Taquería Davis is found on L Street. —Luke Bae

BURRITO TAQUERIA GUADALAJARA 640 W COVELL BLVD

CHIPOTLE 227 E ST

TAQUERIA DAVIS 505 1/2 L ST

MARK ALLINDER // AGGIE

yolo berry

SUGAR DADDIES

PINKBERRY

316 C ST DAVIS

113 E ST DAVIS

500 1ST ST #5

Forget chasing the ice cream truck, just swing by one of Davis’ fine frozen yogurt shops. Yolo Berry Yogurt has once again been voted Davis’ favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt shop. Yolo Berry opened in October 2008, and is owned by former Sudwerk manager Lee Pflugrath. Yogurt machines in the shop are self-serve, and flavors are rotated in and out daily. The most common flavors are original or tart and vanilla, with seasonal favorites such as pumpkin or raspberry among them. They also offer non-dairy sorbet for vegans and the lactose intolerant. “The one thing that we’re most well-known for is our toppings,” said manager Zachary Coleman. “Basic

math will tell you that we tend to have more.” The shop boasts over 100 different toppings ranging from cookies to candy to fruit to whipped toppings. Prices are calculated by weight at a rate of 39 cents per ounce. Yolo Berry is located at 316 C St., across from the Davis Farmers Market downtown location and near Burgers and Brew. “It’s a place where I want people to feel comfortable, and where they want to be to get some froyo and have a good time … I want people smiling and happy to be there,” Coleman said. If you’re looking for another frosty treat, check out Sugar Daddies which came in second place and Cultivé which came in third. — Nicole Noga

FROYO

YASH NAGDA // AGGIE

SHAZIB HAQ // AGGIE

BURGERS & BREW 403 3RD ST

IN-N-OUT 1020 OLIVE DR

BUrGER

TOMMY J’S 726 2ND ST

ZIA’S DELICATESSEN

NUGGET MARKET

BEACH HUT DELI

616 3RD ST

1414 EAST COVELL BLVD

109 E ST

The winning restaurant for best sandwich in Davis is, once again, Zia’s Delicatessen, an Italian restaurant located in downtown Davis. When asked why Zia’s is such a popular place among Davis residents and students of UC Davis, Anne Marie Crilly, Zia’s manager, said that it’s the combination of the quality of the food and service that attracts people the most. “I think it’s popular because we have really high-quality food and because of our customer service,” Crilly said. “We’re family run. I really do believe that we’ve come to know our customers since day one. We’ve had some of the same customers since 1985.”

According to Crilly, the most popular sandwich from their menu is the turkey smoked mozzarella with pesto, mayo and veggies. “It is by far the most popular sandwich. I believe [that] students like us and like our food,” she said. Student appreciation for Zia’s can be seen in the restaurant’s first-place ranking, followed by Nugget Market and Beach Hut Deli. Zia’s Delicatessen is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with their specialty sandwiches starting at $5.75.

SANDWICH

— Jessica Grilli

And once again, Burgers and Brew takes the award for bringing the Davis community excellent, mouth-watering burgers that have been recognized for the fifth year in a row. “Naturally, I think it’s great that we’re nominated for the Best Burger. I don’t want to say that it comes as a shock to me but I feel like we’ve been very competitive with our product and quality that we serve. We’re glad that the students respond to what we’re serving and really enjoy coming to Burgers and Brew. I think it’s really evident on weekends with the turnout of students and their families,” said Reilly Bennett, Burgers and Brew manager. The casual atmosphere at lunch and the fun, lively scene at night draws in a crowd that is ready to eat lamb burgers, chicken sandwiches, and all while sipping on some world-class beer options. The restaurant, which opened in 2007, has 28 beers on draft and

countless bottled options, which makes for a sumptuous night of culinary delights. “Succulent. Juicy. Large. Beef. These are the words that come to mind when one contemplates eating a burger from the excellent local establishment known as Burgers and Brew, and they're the reasons I keep going back. They also have a wonderful selection of brews, which is another plus,” said Ben Hiebert, a third-year political science major. It doesn’t hurt that the place is open until 3 a.m.! Makes for the perfect spot to feed those drunchy moods one finds themselves in every now and again. They also have nutella cheesecake, which is as rich, decadent, and delicious as you are imagining. The collection of burgers, brew and dessert make for a concoction of epicurean satisfaction. —Natasha Qabazard

ZACH LAND-MILLER // AGGIE

Either it was the luck of the Irish, or locals loves whiskey, because de Vere’s Irish Pub was voted the best bar in Davis. A Sacramento favorite since 2009, de Vere’s expanded to Davis in 2011, bringing along its unique pub atmosphere, a large selection of board games and an even wider selection of drinks. “Pub hours are all the time,” managing partner Josey McCarter said. “The pub environment is one where anyone from a construction worker to a student, to a lawyer, to the president of the United States can come in and feel at home.” In addition to a cornucopia of cocktails, de Vere’s boasts

an Irish coffee, with cream so thick (and hand-whipped!) you could sleep on it. Though their specials are Irish-themed food and whiskey, throughout the week they offer international bar staples, like $2 tacos on Tuesdays and chicken wings on Thursdays. Regulars are impressed by the warm, friendly atmosphere — dark, but not seedy like some other watering holes around town. It is this sort of comfort that McCarter credits with de Vere’s success. “We wanted to include the

students who don’t have a lot of money to spend and provide a good, clean, safe night. If they feel protected and safe and respected, they’ll come back,” she said. Sophia’s Thai K itchen was voted the second best bar in Davis. Sophia’s is known for its tropical theme and Tuesday night trivia. During the summer, guests can be found on the patio enjoying an indie music concert series. A fine dining establishment during the day, third-place winner Our House offers locally inspired drinks, as well as a bumping dance scene on Thursdays and Saturdays. — Becky Peterson

bar de vere’s irish pub 217 E ST

SOPHIA’S THAI KITCHEN 129 E ST

OUR HOUSE 808 2ND ST

MARK ALLINDER // AGGIE

Taqueria El Burrito

PANERA BREAD

PHO KING IV

223 F ST

609 3RD ST

226 3RD ST

For delicious late-night Mexican food, try the number-one choice for best new dining spot in Davis, Taqueria El Burrito. The restaurant just opened in November. Aside from the excellent food and service, their late-night hours contribute to their growing popularity. They are open until 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday, midnight Tuesday and Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, making it a great place to eat at before or after a night of bar hopping, or as a snack in the middle of studying. “People are studying and they want to get some food at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., up until 3 a.m., so it’s a good base for UC Davis students,” said Veronica Guzman, co-owner and wife of co-owner Diego Gonzales. “I think it’s a different perspective on a taqueria. We

have the modern twist, we have large-screen TVs, we have a sports bar and we have authentic Mexican food. The ambience sets us apart from any other taqueria,” Guzman said. They offer an extensive menu that is sure to satisfy all appetites, which includes tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas and combination plates, among many other choices. “I happened to first notice this place after a night out with friends. I really liked the food and even went back the next day,” said Jennifer Gong, a fourth-year communication and linguistics double major. Those wanting to try out the other new places to dine in Davis can go to this year’s second- and third-place winners, Panera Bread and Pho King IV, respectively.

new dining spot

MADISON DUNITZ // AGGIE

— Sasha Cotterell

BIJAN AGAHI // AGGIE

DOS COYOTES BORDER CAFE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

PLUTO’S 500 1ST ST

BEACH HUT DELI

AGGIE CASHFRIENDLY

109 E ST

IN-N-OUT

BURGERS & BREW

THE OLD TEAHOUSE

1020 OLIVE DR

403 3RD ST

825 RUSSELL BLVD

Late-night snacks are a staple of life in Davis. Many of the restaurants and stores, both on campus and off, stay open late specifically to accommodate students’ nightly eating. This year, In-N-Out Burger took the top spot among late night eateries. It’s no surprise. In-N-Out is all over California and is known for their fresh ingredients, solid prices and of course, their delicious milkshakes. In addition, the convenient location downtown just past the Davis Commons ensures that students can get a meal whenever they like. Who hasn’t stopped there for a Double-Double at least once? From their famous “Animal Style” fries to their delicious (if somewhat greasy) cheeseburgers, In-N-Out’s menu remains well-known among Davis students. In-N-Out’s hours also helped them cement their

place at the top among late-night snack locations. Open until at least 1 a.m. during the week and even later on the weekend, the restaurant continues to be a favorite haunt for after-hours moviegoers and latenight gatherings. On some nights the midnight line can stretch out the door — and that’s not even including the drive-thru, which is often five or six cars deep past 10 p.m. “Here, we definitely know that we have a late-night rush. It’s something that we embrace. We are very proud of the product we serve,” said Daniel Del Mazzio, assistant manager. Those who are looking for something different can go to second-place winner Burgers and Brew, located downtown, or third-place winner The Old Teahouse, located next to The Grad in the University Mall.

LATE-NIGHT SNACK

— Brett Bunge

Cheap prices, enormous entrees and the savor of Mexican flavor have attracted students to vote Dos Coyotes “Best Place to Use Aggie Cash.” “There is something for everyone and it’s easy to use Aggie Cash,” said Bobby Coyote, the owner of Dos Coyotes. Serving dishes ranging from seasonal specials to vegetarian options, Dos Coyotes makes every effort to satisfy its customers with plenty of varieties. “We try really hard to serve food at fantastic prices,” Coyote said. Popular items include the Yucatan Chicken Salad, the Mahi Mahi Burrito and the assortment of burrito bowls. Dos Coyotes also serves fresh local produce, certified Angus beef and zesty seasonal salsas. “It’s really high-quality food for a fast, casual restaurant,” Coyote said. Inspired by the authentic Mexican food from West Los Angeles and

Santa Fe, Coyote spent years experimenting with ingredients in the kitchen. While testing new combinations for yummy recipes, he dreamed of building a business that served delicious food at an affordable price. “We’ve been in Davis for 22 years, way before a lot of other businesses in town,” he said. “We have a great crew. We’re a family.” Dos Coyotes is located in North Davis at 1411 W. Covell Blvd. at The Marketplace and in South Davis at 2191 Cowell Blvd. at Oakshade Town Center. Students have also enjoyed spending their Aggie Cash on the palatable wholesome food at Pluto’s, located at 500 First St. in the Davis Commons shopping center. Students looking for a casual lunch place can spend their Aggie Cash on the surfin’ sandwiches at Beach Hut Deli, situated at 109 E St. — Kelley Drechsler

MICHELLE TRAN // AGGIE

sugar daddies 113 E ST DAVIS

dessert

MADIZON DUNITZ // AGGIE

LET THEM EAT CAKE 310 C ST

CIOCOLAT 301 B ST

Davis residents looking to satisfy a sweet tooth need not look any farther than E St., Davis residents looking to satisfy a sweet tooth need not look any farther than E Street, which is where 2013 best dessert winner, Sugar Daddies, supplies delectable desserts to its hungry patrons seven days a week. In June 2011, Davis Creamery and the Sacramento-based bakery Cupcake Craving decided to merge businesses to create Sugar Daddies, bringing together freshly made ice cream and beautifully crafted cupcakes in the hopes of supplying everyone with some sort of treat that would hit the spot. “The merge has worked perfectly,” said co-owner David Robert. “The energy between the desserts is great and everyone has an option.” Sugar Daddies makes its ice cream fresh right in the back of the shop, and the cupcakes are delivered daily from Sacramento, inspiring the “sugar” in the name. The latter part of their title arose from the fact that the owners of both original stores are indeed dads. Dollar Scoop Monday and $3 Cowpie Thursday are just two of the popular daily specials offered every Monday through Friday at the store. “On special days we often sell out completely. There

are lines out the door some nights,” said operations manager Stacie Hoyt. Sugar Daddies gets business year round, whether it’s college students looking for something sweet to relieve stress before an exam, families looking forward to weekly treats at the store or patrons escaping the sweltering summer sun with a scoop of one of the store’s unique ice cream flavors. Seasonal cupcake and ice cream flavors are offered throughout year, like the popular pumpkin cupcake this past fall. Some customers may be a bit skeptical when first seeing flavors like avocado coconut and maple bacon on the menu, but these unconventional flavors have proven themselves to many a customer’s taste buds. They are also indicative of the experimental and adventurous attitude Sugar Daddies has taken to the sweet business — an attitude that has so far reaped a positive response from the community the store caters to. “We’ve gotten to know the Davis students and community. They’re so great,” Hoyt said. Let Them Eat Cake came in second place for best dessert, followed by Ciocolat. Students hoping to satisfy their next sweet craving can check out the ice cream and cupcakes at Sugar Daddies for themselves at 113 E St. — Lauren Mascarenhas

PIZZA VILLAGE BAKERY 814 2ND ST

WOODSTOCK’S PIZZA 219 G ST

ASUCD COFFEE HOUSE

RACHEL DU // AGGIE

FIRST FLOOR, MEMORIAL UNION

3rd & u cafe 223 3RD ST DAVIS

drink special

DE VERE’S IRISH PUB 217 E ST

OUR HOUSE 808 2ND ST

That hard-earned, after-class beer needn’t burn such a big hole in your already increasingly porous pocket. In fact, two beers at 3rd & U Café — the winner of this year’s best drink special accolade — will set you back a mere $5.25, which comes as a steal considering that the average price of a pint across the United States is $4.58. The bar, which has been open since March 2008, has given students the chance to save money on booze for almost four years now, and the price of the special, while fluctuating somewhat, has continually steered around the $5 mark. You can either find a drinking companion (acquaintance or otherwise) to rake the cash together, or go it alone and pocket a drink voucher to redeem later. Melissa Popnoe, employee at 3rd & U for a year, wasn’t surprised to hear that the bar had been nominated. “You can go downtown and buy one drink, or you can come here and get two beers for the same price,” Popnoe said. The bar’s proximity to campus, furthermore, makes it the ideal haunt for students looking to wet their whistles after a long day of lectures. “We’re just off-campus which is such a great location. It’s

awesome that we get to be this staple of student life in Davis,” Popnoe said. Punters taking full advantage of the drinks special wholeheartedly agreed the offer is great value for money. Chris Fasalo, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, particularly enjoys the longevity of the deal. “We’re here all the time because of [the special]. The fact that it’s not a happy hour deal and is offered around the clock, makes it all the more appealing,” Fasalo said. Fasalo’s partner-in-crime, fourth-year mechanical engineering major Alex Young, attributes his patronage to the variety of beers on offer. “The selection here is great, and they serve a few beers from local microbreweries. Some places downtown might have a broader selection, but for the price you’re getting here? Not a chance,” Young said. De Vere’s Irish Pub, where $6 will fetch you a shot-beer combo or $10 bottomless mimosas on sundays, and Our House, which offers a range of happy hour specials, came in at second and third, respectively. — Joe Steptoe

A small, unassuming building by the train tracks, Village Bakery takes the crown for having the best pizza in Davis. “We use simple, but quality, ingredients for our product. All the extra-virgin olive oil, vegetables and stuff that makes pizza good is organic,” manager Raul Cruz said. “We use a brick oven, one of the best ovens in town, and it really makes the pizza crusts better than other ovens.” Justin Woodjack, fourth-year PhD student and frequent Village Bakery customer, loves their cheese, delicious crusts and excellent combination of ingredients. “Their veggie pizza is my favorite. The feta cheese really adds that special kick you didn’t know you needed until you had it,” Woodjack said. “A huge component of what makes pizza good is just tasty cheese, and they got it right.” Pizza sold by the slice, with veggie, pepperoni and cheese being the usual offerings, provides instant gratification for walk-ins. Customers can also choose from the thirteen flavors of 16-inch whole pizzas for pickup or delivery. “Our brick oven bakes pizzas in just five minutes, so customers are usually surprised by how little they need to wait before picking up their orders,” Cruz said. Woodjack also praised some other popular flavors — Spinach and Margherita. The Spinach is made with white garlic/pesto sauce, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and goat cheese, while the Margherita comes with fresh mozzarella, basil, garlic and fresh tomatoes. Lunchtime tends to be busy because of their $5.50 lunch deal, which includes a slice of pizza, drink and salad. They also make artisan bread, pastries and desserts. Pastries are sold for $1 after 5 p.m., and they donate some of their bread to the homeless. “I love the character at Village Bakery,” Woodjack said. “It’s really casual. You just walk in, grab a slice and sit on the patio or go about your business. It’s really great for train-farers since it’s right by the Amtrak station.” Village Bakery opened the restaurant Village Pizza and Grill on G street, which Cruz assured serves the same pizza, but uses a different kind of oven. Cruz recommends going there if you want beer with your meal. Pizza lovers can also get their fix at Woodstock’s at 219 G Street in downtown (second place winner), or grab a slice between classes at the ASUCD Coffee House (third place winner). — Cristina Fries

MADISON DUNITZ // AGGIE

CLOTHING FOREVER 21 875 RUSSELL BLVD

TARGET 4601 2ND ST

THE GAP 500 1ST ST

MICHELLE TRAN // AGGIE

B&L BIKE SHOP 610 3RD ST

As one of the only clothing chain retailers in Davis, Forever 21 wins best clothing store for the second year in a row. The store, which opened in 2011, is conveniently located at the University Mall shopping center across the street from campus and next to other highly patronized stores. The store boasts an impressive 38,418 square feet of space and two entrances. “I think UC Davis students like Forever 21 for its location, its wide variety of styles and the prices,” said Nicole Lanni, a second-year textiles and clothing major and former Forever 21 sales associate who worked there during spring and fall of 2012. “Forever 21 is always a good option for college students on a budget as opposed to the boutiques downtown or the Gap,” she said. Students like the Davis location for its spacious and organized layout. There are often themed “rooms” for similar items. For example, past themes have included tribal

prints or neon colors. Furthermore, there are often markdowns on older pieces as new merchandise is frequently introduced. “This is my favorite Forever 21 so far because it has so many different style options,” Lanni said. “There is a room for club apparel, one for activewear and so on. This is often hard to find at other Forever 21 stores.” Third-year philosophy major Tifani Oaks agreed. “I can find things here I can’t find at other Forevers and all of the departments are organized and well-kept,” Oaks said. “It’s great for a quick shopping fix in the middle of the week or when I need a last minute outfit for a sorority exchange or a night out with my friends.” The store also has a department for plus sizes and men’s clothing. Students can also enjoy shopping for clothes at Target and the Gap, which were voted second and third, respectively. — Stephanie B. Nguyen

THE BIKE BARN

BIKE shop

BETWEEN THE SILO & CHEM BUILDING ABIGAIL ALCALA // AGGIE

APEX CYCLES 912 5TH ST #105

HOTEL Davis is the UC school known for bikes, so of course bike shops are a top concern for students here.

AGGIE INN 245 1ST ST

HYATT PLACE, UC DAVIS 173 OLD DAVIS ROAD EXTENSION

And this year B&L Bike shop won first place in its Best of Davis category. B&L has been in Davis for 48 years and has provided consistently friendly service and helpful advice to the commuters of Davis, and now they have been awarded the title of best bike shop. They have a range of quality bikes and accessories for the incoming first-years and newcomers, as well as a large arsenal of advice for professionals. Of course, Milo, the shop’s grey and very furry cat, is also a part of the staff, and he is quite a popular part of the business too. He is just as friendly as the staff members, but maybe not as helpful with bike problems as the others. After being in business for such a long time the staff is full of advice. “We are a commuter’s bike shop,”

Grundman said. “We try to give helpful advice ... especially to freshmen, about bikes — things like what type of bike to buy and [how] to use a U-lock can make a big difference for them.” This business understands most of their customers are college students who do not have money to spend on bike repairs. “It’s always fun to see the different generations come through, like a father bringing his kid to the shop for his first bike when he also bought his first bike from B&L,” Grundman said. “It makes you feel like the shop is really helping people and is a big part of the community.” Coming in second place for the Best Bike Shop was the Bike Barn, followed by APEX Cycles in third. — Kelly Mitchell

HALLMARK INN 110 F ST

The cozy, family-oriented Aggie Inn wins the title for best hotel in Davis once again. “Every time my family comes to visit me in Davis, we go to the Aggie Inn and stay in the cottage suites, which has everything from big, spacious living rooms to kitchens full of utensils and supplies,” said Lauren Tseng, a third-year animal science major. “They also have complimentary breakfast, which we eat every time.” The Aggie Inn is famous for its cottagestyle rooms, which, unlike normal hotel rooms, come with living areas with sofa beds, Jacuzzi tubs and patios. There are cottage suites with kitchens for those planning on staying for long periods of time. “The Aggie Inn is a part of a chain of hotels along with four other hotels. Two are in Sacramento while three are in Davis,” said Lenor Nunez, sales and marketing manager. “A family owned this hotel since 1969. The owner, at the age of 20, built it from scratch with his own blueprints. He wanted to make the hotel a place where people could feel at home. He wanted

the cottage-like feel so he surrounded the place with trees and outdoor patios. People can feel like they’re in Tahoe even though they’re in Davis. He really wanted people to enjoy nature.” The Aggie Inn provides a complimentary breakfast with an assortment of muffins, cereals, breads, fresh juices and coffee. Guests are provided with complimentary high-speed wireless internet access along with access to the hotel fitness center, fully equipped with machines and flat-screen televisions. “People say that they love the Aggie Inn because of the great customer service. Our manager, Janet Rangel, is a very friendly person. She always goes out of her way to help people. Also, the Aggie Inn is near the heart of downtown Davis and all the best restaurants are merely walking distance,” Nunez said. Other than the Aggie Inn, popular hotels include the second-place Hyatt Place UC Davis hotel, conveniently located within UC Davis, and the third-place Hallmark Inn, located right in the middle of downtown Davis. — Alice Lee

ZACH LAND-MILLER // AGGIE

DANCE the davis graduate 805 RUSSELL BLVD

OUR HOUSE HOME SWEET HOME

TRES HERMANAS 805 2ND ST

Restaurant and sports bar by day, the Davis Graduate at night is, and has been, the city’s best place to dance. “It’s probably the busiest place in Nor Cal on a Monday,” said Danny Ramos, general manager. “I mean, where else are you going to go for a good time on a Monday?” Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are country nights, and Tuesday is salsa, leaving only one evening of the week not designated for dance.

If line dancing and salsa are a bit out of your comfort zone, fear not. The Grad has a regular dance instructor and provides lessons. According to Ramos, the average attendee is 18 to 25 years old, and many are students. “At nighttime you’ll see about 90 percent students — they may not be UC Davis students though. We see people

from Solano, Woodland, all over,” Ramos said. The Grad is for the 18 and older crowd, except for Sundays, which are open to all ages. “We’ve been doing it for years, so the police are comfortable with it,” Ramos said. “There aren’t that many places where you can have 18-year-olds with over-21s and alcohol.”

Amber Nelson, a fourth-year math and philosophy double major said The Grad has an active atmosphere with friendly patrons. “I went last Friday night for line dancing night,” Nelson said. “It’s a lot of fun because … I don’t know, you just line dance!” Those looking for different dance floors can walk down Second Street for the runners up, second-place winner Our House and third-place winner Tres Hermanas. — Naomi Nishihara

SHAZIB HAQ // AGGIE

DATE UC DAVIS ARBORETUM THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON CAMPUS

DOWNTOWN DAVIS EVERYTHING & MORE

DAVIS FARMER’S MARKET 4TH ST DAVIS

Dating in college can be a complicated endeavor. At a time when many students are sharing rooms with boisterous roommates and maintaining a Cup-of-Noodles kind of budget, it helps to have a quiet and inexpensive place to get away from it all on a date made just for two. For many students, that perfect place is the peaceful and scenic Davis Arboretum. One stroll through the Arboretum on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and it’s no surprise the beautiful getaway right in the middle of campus was named the best place to take a date. There is a seemingly endless amount of greenery, the calm water and

many secluded spots for couples to find a little privacy and escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world. The Arboretum was founded in 1936 and has since been home to a wide array of vegetation, wildlife and many cozy couples throughout the years. “I would definitely take a date here. It’s a beautiful place,” said Robel Ghile, a first-year mechanical engineering major who was taking in the sunshine at the Arboretum the other day. Aside from its stunning scenes and quiet atmosphere, the Arboretum has been providing a cost-

free date spot for starving college students for years. Especially now that Davis is experiencing some out of season sunny days, couples are flocking to the Arboretum to enjoy the sunshine, scenery, and of course, each other’s company. Downtown Davis and the Davis Farmers Market came in second and third, respectively, for date hotspots. Whether you’re on a first date, celebrating an anniversary or just taking a stroll with a special friend, the Arboretum is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for couples looking for a place to spend some quiet time together. — Lauren Mascarenhas

BRIAN NGUYEN // AGGIE

PEOPLEWATCHING

HAIRCUT COBALT SALON & GALLERY 132 E ST

UC DAVIS QUAD MIDDLE EARTH

THE AGGIE BARBER 724 2ND ST

DAVIS FARMER’S MARKET 4TH ST DAVIS

AVANT GARDE STUDIO 439 G ST

ASUCD COFEE HOUSE FIRST FLOOR, MEMORIAL UNION

ABIGAIL ALCALA // AGGIE

Growing up, children are often told that it’s rude to stare. However, in a town with as many colorful characters as Davis, sometimes it can be hard not to. There are a variety of places to watch interesting individuals in Davis — whether one considers people watching to be an interesting, inexpensive hobby or something everyone does unintentionally, there is no better place to people watch than our very own UC Davis Quad. Although on an average day many students can be found in the Quad taking a nap, reading a book or accidentally napping while attempting to read a book, other days there are more interesting happenings to be found. “There was this guy interpretive dancing without music,” said Neena Kashyap, third-year animal science major. “He was twirling around, just dancing to his own music, because he didn’t have headphones on.”

Other notable sightings in the Quad, according to Kashyap, include the infamous “whip guy” and students playing Quidditch. On a larger scale, events such as the Whole Earth Festival — perhaps the best 72 hours of people watching known to take place in Yolo County all year — also takes place in the Quad. Although some may find people watching to be creepy, Kashyap, who is a member of the women’s club ultimate frisbee team and often spends time around the Quad, sees nothing wrong with it. “It’s interesting. It’s normal,” Kashyap said. “When my sister and I are at the airport, we’ll even watch people and make up stories about them. Everyone observes everyone in the world!” Other top-notch places in Davis to people watch include the Davis Farmers Market, held on Saturdays at Central Park from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays from 4:30 to 8:30 pm between March 21 and Oct. 24 and from 2 to 6 p.m. the rest of the year, and the ASUCD Coffee House. — Meredith Sturmer

Most UC Davis students understand what a nice haircut looks like, and eventually need to scope out the best local barbershops to trim their locks. This year, the university population has spoken, choosing Cobalt Salon and Gallery as the best place to get a haircut in Davis. The salon, located in the downtown Davis Mansion Square Center on 132 E St., Suite 350, has been open for four years under the ownership of master stylist David Martin. This is the first year that the gallery has even been nominated for a Best of Davis category. “I think it’s awesome, we are really happy,” Martin said. “It’s really nice to know that we are making an impact, and I’m glad that we are getting more recognition.” With three extremely experienced stylists, including Martin, Tenaya Freitas and Sharon Jackson, Cobalt Salon and Gallery has attracted clients for many reasons since its opening. “Our stylists are extremely experienced, and I’ve been a stylist for over 25 years,” Martin said. “We know how to treat people, we just love dealing with people.” Martin also said that many others enjoy going to the salon because of its hip environment.

“The salon is very modern and fun, and there is always some new inspirational art,” Martin said.

“We really believe in 100 percent client satisfaction. So we are super friendly and have no drama.” In addition to cutting and styling hair, the salon offers education classes in hairstyling, taught by stylists from various hair product companies. Some study topics discussed in the past include hair color and men’s grooming. Overall, Martin said the salon is dedicated to helping people in the Davis community with any hair needs. “If you want one of the best hair experiences in town, come see us and you will be pleasantly surprised,” Martin said. “We just love what we do and are really good at it.” For other spots to get a new ’do, check out the Aggie Barber Shop, which came in second place, and Avant Garde Studio, which came in third. — Ritika Iyer

EVENING FESTIVITIES MONDAVI CENTER ONE SHIELDS AVENUE

REGAL CINEMA/VARSITY THEATER SHAZIB HAQ // AGGIE

420 G ST; 616 2ND ST

DE VERE’S IRISH PUB TRIVIA NIGHT 217 E ST

In the past year, the Mondavi Center has boasted many hard acts to follow; to name a few: Eddie Izzard, B.B. King, Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Shins. As a result, Mondavi was picked the best venue for evening entertainment in Davis. The Mondavi Center hosts a wide variety of artists in different disciplines in a state-of-the-art facility. Students are able to get discounts on tickets, making it extra-popular. First-years and first-year transfer students are able to get one free

ticket to any event during that year. The Mondavi Center was built in accordance to the UC Davis mission as a land grant university. It offers cultural programming to students in support of the university’s academic departments. Additionally, the Mondavi Center has a professional laboratory to train students in the performing arts. “The Mondavi Center is a great place for a night out to stimulate intellectual

discussion and brings a new unique entertainment value to the student campus,” said Max Hong, an undeclared second-year. As a great place to enjoy amazing talent, the Mondavi Center concentrates on the educational outreach respect as well. Artists that perform at the Mondavi Center also contribute to the arts education program at the center, which includes school matinees, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, open rehearsals and curriculum development. All of the programs offered at Mondavi are open to the entire community

of Davis, not just college students. “We look forward to all our events, of course,” said Rob Tocalino, director of marketing at the Mondavi Center. “But personally I am looking forward to Medeski Martin & Wood playing in front of an authentic 1960s psychedelic light show, Robert Randolph and The Slide Brothers, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.” Regal Cinema and Varsity Theatre tied for second place. De Vere’s Irish Pub Trivia Night came in third place. — Kamila Kudelska

PUBLIC ARTWORK THE EGGHEADS FIND THEM ALL

GRAFFITI BRIDGE STEVENSON BRIDGE BY PUTAH CREEK

BICYCLE STATUE RUSSELL BLVD

AARON JUAREZ KONG // AGGIE

Robert Arneson’s egghead statues, which are displayed in various parts of campus, have been voted as the number one best public art in the “Best of Davis” contest. Egghead sites include the Bookhead located in front of Shields Library, the Eye on Mrak which sits outside of Mrak Hall, the See No Evil Hear No Evil located at the Mrak roundabout, the Stargazer, which sits behind North Hall, and the Yin and Yang, located in front of Wright Hall. In 2007, students submitted photos featuring the eggheads as part of a digital photo contest, many of which portrayed humorous poses with the

GROCERIES

DAVIS FOOD CO-OP 620 G ST

SAFEWAY 2121 COWELL BLVD; 1451 W COVELL

TRADER JOE’S 885 RUSSELL BLVD

MICHELLE TRAN // AGGIE

eggheads and conveyed a connection of the campus community to the sculptures. Maureen Mai, a first-year film studies major, said that she enjoys the eggheads on campus. “I've seen a lot of eggheads around campus but my favorite one is in front of Mrak Hall. There is something mysterious about the eye and all of the eggheads,” said Mai. Other popular public art enjoyed by students of UC Davis include the graffiti bridge on the way to Winters, which came in second place, and the bicycle statue located on Russell Blvd which came in third place. — Jessica Grilli The Davis Food Co-op has won over the hearts and stomachs of Davis’ residents to claim this year’s Best of Davis title for the best place to buy groceries. The grocery store offers everything from yogurt to yoga mats and has occupied its current G Street location since 1984. “The food’s really delicious,” said fourth-year mechanical engineering major Dominic Gutierrez. “The Cowboy Cookies are the best. Mind-blowingly delicious.” That’s the sort of thing the market has to offer: extreme customer satisfaction, especially with students. “We make an effort to be very student-friendly,” said Julie Cross, the Davis Food Co-op’s marketing and education director. “We accept Aggie Cash and sell individual items of things like single sticks of butter and single eggs that are nice when you’re living in a small household.” Perhaps even topping taste and convenience as reasons why the DFC is worthy of this title is in the name itself. “It’s a co-op, so they’re not necessarily there for maximum profit,” Gutierrez said. “A lot of the groceries, like vegetables and stuff, are all locally produced. And then they just hold ethics to a higher standard.” The two other finalists for best place to buy groceries were Safeway, the 2010 winner, and Trader Joe’s, who held the title in 2012. — Tanya Azari

LUCAS BOLSTER // AGGIE

THE ARC 232 ARC, ONE SHIELDS AVENUE

EXERCISE BIKE FIX

UC DAVIS ARBORETUM THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON CAMPUS

DAVIS GREENBELT GO FOR A RUN

SHAZIB HAQ // AGGIE

UNITRANS BE KIND TO YOUR DRIVER

WORK

ASUCD COFFEE HOUSE YAY FOOD!

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE WE MADE IT

Your bike tire is flat and your housemates aren’t around to drive you to campus. Thankfully, the drivers of Unitrans have your back. With a bus system that covers almost the entirety of Davis, Unitrans is a reliable way to travel to and fro. Free to students (when presenting their ID card), nothing can beat the transportation cost of “free 99” when traveling within Davis. Even if you do have to pay, it is only $1. Not only is Unitrans a great resource for students, but it has also been ranked the best place to work on campus. “Unitrans provides an opportunity to have a job that I would never have otherwise. I get paid to drive a bus! It is a flexible job with great co-workers,” said David Vermeulen, a Unitrans driver who started this school year. “It’s a company full of people who love their jobs and take pride in achieving a very high level of customer service.” Run by students for students, Unitrans has

been in service since its debut in 1966. After realizing the need for an easily accessible public transport system, ASUCD and the City of Davis created Unitrans. The growth over the years has been remarkable. The service now not only boasts more than 3 million riders every year, but also has some of the highestrated safety records of any bus service in the nation — a reassuring fact when you must ride the bus every day. To try and retain the “sustainability” mindset that is prevalent throughout UC Davis, the fleet of buses is powered almost entirely by compressed natural gas, with only two buses that run on diesel. This is helping to lessen emissions and petroleum consumption. Other campus workplaces ranked highly as “Best Places to Work” are the ASUCD Coffee House coming in at second place, followed by our The California Aggie newspaper in third.

Anyone trying to get swimsuitready for the quickly approaching Spring Quarter need not look any further than this year’s Best Place to Exercise, the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). UC Davis students can enjoy the ARC at no additional cost, while staff, faculty, alumni and community members may purchase a membership. The ARC offers a range of fitness and group exercise classes from cycling and cardio kickboxing to yoga. There are basketball courts, an indoor track, four-wall courts for racquetball and an indoor climbing wall. For those who prefer to work out independently, there are plenty of cardio machines and weights to use. “We pride ourselves on having excellent customer service and topnotch professionalism. When you walk in this place and see these bright, shining faces, it helps put you in the mood to have a great fitness exercise,” said Tyler Scudero, informal recreation coordinator at the ARC. Not only is the ARC a place to get in shape, you can also meet other like-minded people, make friends

or catch up on your favorite shows with the many state-of-the-art cardio machines that feature TVs. “I really like the ARC because it’s a great facility on campus, and there are a lot of fun, interesting people in there. I like being able to work out and watch ‘The Bachelor’ at the same time,” said Ryan Fox, a fourth-year biopsychology major. The atmosphere of the ARC extends beyond providing a welcoming place for those who utilize its services, but the employees, especially the students who work for Campus Recreations and Unions, are able to build upon their professionalism. “As employees and staff members, we pride ourselves on student development and we believe that at the department of Campus Recreation [and] Unions, our level of professional development that we provide to our students is top-notch,” Scudero said. The Arboretum and the Greenbelt serve as second- and third-place for this category, and are perfect for those who prefer an outdoor exercise. — Sasha Cotterell

— Allen Guan

AARON JUAREZ KONG // AGGIE

STUDY

INTRO TO BREWING & BEER FST 3

GENERAL ED COURSE

PETER J. SHIELDS LIBRARY 100 W QUAD AVE

HUMAN SEXUALITY HDE 12

CONCEPTS IN NUTRTION NUT 10

AT HOME HOME SWEET HOME

MISHKA’S CAFE 610 2ND STREET RACHEL DU // AGGIE

Peter J. Shields Library takes the top spot again for best place to study in this year’s Best of Davis. With a computer lab, millions of books and four spacious floors of study space, Shields Library offers students, faculty and staff resources not found at home or cafes. It has the wireless internet offered by cafes and a quiet study environment found at home, except the library will make you actually work instead of fall asleep. The library also offers the convenience of a 24-hour study room and a free, extensive collection of journals and databases that would otherwise be expensive. “We’ve got access to a lot of databases that students can use to search for articles,” said Melissa Browne, instruction and reference librarian. “We subscribe to a lot of journals and books online. [We also have] friendly librarians to help students with their research.” Shields Library accommodates different study environments as needed, in which privacy and noise levels vary as you ascend

floors. The basement offers a group study room for group work chatter, and noise levels only decrease as you go up in floors. The second floor offers single cubicles, while the third floor is dead silent. “I think part of [why it’s the best place to study] is just the variety of study space that we have here,” Browne said. “The other reason is just the location of Shields on campus. It’s so convenient. It’s in the middle of campus.” Computers are available to students on every floor to search the internet, databases and journals if the library’s approximately 2 million bound volumes aren’t enough for research. According to the university library website, Shields Library also has a seating capacity for 3,391. Excluding the 24-hour study room, the library closes at midnight from Sunday to Thursday, 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and even later during finals week. Coming in behind Shields Library in second place is studying “at home,” while Mishka’s Cafe finishes off the best place to study in third place. — Joyce Berthelsen

UC Davis is unique in the fact that it offers classes you wouldn’t encounter at many other schools. One of these is Food Science and Technology 3: Intro to Beer Brewing, which is considered to be one of the best general education classes. The class covers a variety of topics on beer, including the history of beer, the science of beer brewing, beer brewing from a business perspective and the social applications of beer. Students also get to learn a lot about various types of beer. “It’s fun, but also educational,” said Professor Charles Bamforth. “We have a lot of laughs but also good messages, so it’s a valuable learning experience, especially with the variety of guest speakers we have. Students get to hear from some legendary names in brewing science.” Students do not need a strong science background to take the class. However, Bamforth said the class does provide them with a solid background to take upper division classes in brewing.

Many students take the class simply because it’s something completely different from many other classes they have taken, and the subject matter is interesting and relevant. “It does not even feel like we are sitting in class sometimes,” said Neema Shah, a third-year biological sciences major. “It simply feels like a friend who is knowledgeable about beer is informing us about beer. This is because the subject matter is interesting, but also because the professor himself really knows how to keep the lecture interesting [and] informative at the same time.” Shah said she would recommend this class to anyone, even those who don’t drink beer. “Students get an inside view of the wonderful world of brewing,” Bamforth said. Human Development 12: Human Sexuality and Nutrition 10: Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition were voted second and third place, respectively. — Paayal Zaveri

The california aggie

GGIES GO AGGIES

uff We Davis! Ruff Davis!

Thursday, january 24, 2013 11

The california aggie

Thursday, january 24, 2013 12

Thank you for reading The California Aggie’s 2013 Best of Davis Issue *the pie charts are an accurate visual representation of the votes submitted to The California Aggie through the online poll

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