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volume 132, number 31
News iN Brief
Man arrested for marijuana possession On Friday after 8 p.m., Davis Police arrested 27-year-old Brenton Dumas of Davis for possession of marijuana with the intent to sell and for carrying a concealed weapon. Officers were patrolling the area due to recent vandalism when they discovered Dumas at the bike tunnel behind Davis Commons. Dumas was found with 5.6 ounces of cannabis and a fixed-blade knife. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of more than one ounce of pot and possession of concentrated cannabis. It is not yet known whether Dumas has any relation to the vandalism. — Claire Tan
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013
Exercise biology major could combine with NPB Committee reviewing possible outcomes By KELLEY DRECHSLER Aggie News Writer
Admissions to the exercise biology (EXB) major will be suspended for the 2013-14 school year, and the major will potentially be combined with the neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) major. In the spring of 2012, a committee formed within the department of NPB to reorganize the exercise biology program in the face of budget cuts, increasing enrollments and declines in the number of faculty members. The committee includes professors Dave Furlow, Mark Goldman, Tom Hahn, Samantha Harris, Gaby Nevitt and Marty Usrey. The goal of the committee is to find a way to combine the increasingly popular exercise biology and NPB majors into a combined program. The committee hopes that through the reorganization, the school will be able to use limited resources for the exercise bi-
ology major more efficiently, promote increased collaboration across departments and offer courses to students who are interested in research, graduate school or careers related to integrative biology. “Either it needs to be an impacted major or combined with another major,” said David A. Hawkins, professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior. Currently, the NPB major has approximately 950 students and the EXB major has approximately 650 students. Approximately 60 percent of the students in biological sciences majors declare an emphasis in NPB. “I think the exercise biology major involves a lot of what is not offered outside of the other biology majors,” said Megan Barrett, an exercise biology peer advisor. The committee unanimously decided that combining the available resources for both majors into one program with the option of emphasizing in specialties within the combined program would be the most effective and efficient action.
Human Gross Anatomy class offers unique experience Undergraduates work with cadavers in unique experience By RITIKA IYER
Aggie Features Writer
Working with real human body specimens as an undergraduate student is a rare opportunity at most universities across the nation. But here at UC Davis, all students have the chance to learn by doing in Cell Biology and Human Anatomy (CHA) 101, also known as the Gross Human Anatomy class offered this Winter Quarter. “The overarching goal [of the class] is to give students a very thorough understanding of how the human body is put together and how it works,” said professor of cell biology and human anatomy Dr. Douglas Gross, who teaches CHA 101. Introduced 40 years ago, around the time the UC Davis Medical School was established, Gross Human Anatomy has been taught by Dr. Gross for the past 17 years. “There are probably maybe three or four other courses somewhat like it in the entire country,” Dr. Gross said. “It’s very rare to have human gross anatomy taught with human cadavers and there’s very few, if any, that teach it at the level we teach it at.” The class is split into a four-unit lecture and a three-unit laboratory section, totalling at seven units. Both exercise biology and anthropology majors are required to take both parts in order to graduate. During Pass 2, the course is open to upperclassmen of all majors. In a typical lab section, about 50 students are divided into four groups, each group complete with a specimen for examination. Undergraduate and graduate students who have previously taken the class act as laboratory aids, teaching the material and managing students handling the specimens. “Gross anatomy is anatomy that you can see with the naked eye, anatomy that you can see and feel, touch, handle,” Dr. Gross said. “What you want to get out of it is an appreciation for the organization and three-dimensional structure of the human body and how that relates to how the human body both functions and dysfunctions.” The specimens that students work with go through a lot of careful dissection and examination before coming to the laboratory facilities in Haring Hall. Bodies are donated to the university through the UC Davis Body Donation Program. Professionals are then able to use the bodies in various ways, including using them for instruction in the School of Medicine, using them in the CHA 101 class and for research purposes. Current the university has 250 body parts. When the class first started, Dr. Gross and his teaching staff received two full cadavers every year to prepare new specimens from. But about five years ago, a $3,500 fee was placed on each body by the donation body program, resulting in the class receiving only one body every alternate year.
Today’s weather Mostly cloudy High 63 Low 39
“If the program gets combined, many aspects of the major will go away. The degree will be limited in terms of the coursework,” Hawkins said. The committee emphasized the importance of continuing extensive competitive research in the area of organismal biology, including neuroscience, physiology, animal behavior and exercise biology. One of the committee’s goals is to provide an adequate exercise biology program for the students who are already in the major while continuing to organize an integrated NPB and EXB major for future students. “My experience with the EXB major has been excellent thus far, and it would be a shame if incoming students were deprived of the opportunities and options that the major offers,” said Shannon Harcus, a thirdyear exercise biology major. Harcus said she believes that the administration should try to find a way to combine
See EXB, page 4
Master gardeners emphasizes sustainable, waterwise gardening Program offers free classes, gardening advice By MEREDITH STURMER Aggie News Writer
Brian Nguyen / Aggie
Haring Hall is home to the anatomy lab, where CHA 101 is held. “We are under a lot of pressure,” Dr. Gross said. “We have become ultra careful about the care of the specimens to try and preserve them for longer, and we try to recover more specimens from the medical school and bring them over to our collection.” Specimens aren’t the only thing becoming harder to get. Since the course is fairly popular, seats fill up quickly, leaving some students with priority registration times unable to get in. For some people, waiting your turn in line is worth it. Fifth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major and current CHA 101 student Sunny Singh decided to stay at UC Davis for an extra year just so that he could take the class. “[My registration for the class is] mostly out of interest and to prepare myself for what I’ll be taking in the fall,” Singh said. “I’ve been taking physiology classes for three years, but I haven’t taken any anatomy to put all of them into perspective.” Dr. Gross said students in about 40 different majors take the class, explaining that there are many different academic disciplines that go into understanding how the human body works, such as physiology and biochemistry. “Our approach is from a structural standpoint — how is the body structurally put together that allows it to do the things that we know it does?” Gross said. “[We teach] at a level very similar to that which we teach our medical students.” Singh feels that the class is challenging, but worth the effort. “The content is great, you definitely have to spend a lot of time on it,” he said. “Once you know it though, you are just amazed.” As a fairly interactive class, the CHA 101 lecture often includes volunteer demonstrations of technical anatomical concepts. Some students have been able to take the skills they have learned from these presentations and
apply it to their own lives. “I have a friend in the class that I work out with, and he was showing me the proper way to work out,” said third-year biochemistry major Zishan Mohsin, who wishes he could find time to take the class himself. Dr. Gross said that students interested in healthcare-related careers such as physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry or medicine need to understand the structure of the human body in order to be successful. Contention of the class’s future lies in the fact that Haring Hall is under scrutiny, with the possibility of demolishing the ancient building from dangerous asbestos levels, according to Gross. Because the specimens are stored in Haring, the future of the class is also up in the air. As technical as the course can be, Dr. Gross makes it absolutely clear that a large focus lies in the utmost respect for the specimens provided for the students. “This is a very different kind of laboratory than any other kind of laboratory on campus,” Dr. Gross said. “You are not dealing with a beaker, or a chemical solution or a DNA extraction, but these are the remains of peoples’ mothers or fathers or grandparents, sisters or brothers, and they gave an amazing gift of their body to our students.” Students can pay their respects to the donors and their families at the annual memorial service held in Freeborn Hall in April. “It can be emotionally challenging for [students] to be dealing with an actual dead human body, some may have never even seen a dead body before,” Dr. Gross said. “The only thing they can do that is disrespectful, besides poor behavior, is not to learn — because this person gave their body to them to learn from, so they almost have a moral obligation to really use it and learn well and value that gift.” RITIKA IYER can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
Forecast The rain is back, and this one could be a good amount of rain. Some estimates show us getting .25 to .5 inches of rain overnight tonight. Enjoy it while it lasts. We need it, and now I won’t have to wash my car for a while. Tyson Tilmont, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team
Wednesday
Thursday
Rainy morning
Lingering showers
High 58 Low 37
High 57 Low 35
On Saturday, Davis residents had the opportunity to learn about cacti, succulents and other native California vegetation through free public classes held at the Central Park Gardens. Classes are offered between September and June, with a total of approximately 18 classes offered annually. Classes are taught by master gardeners certified by the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener program. According to the website of the California Master Gardener Program, the program aims “to extend research based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California.” “All the basic stuff is focused on teaching people how to do sustainable gardening,” said Peg Smith, master gardener. “We also offer more esoteric classes on topics such as orchids and bromeliads.” According to Smith, master gardeners train for six months before taking a certification exam. In exchange for the training and information received, they give back their time in the form of unpaid volunteering — including teaching public classes, such as those offered at the Central Park Gardens. Classes have covered topics such as basic vegetable gardening, soil care, mulching, composting and vermiculture — composting with worms. Water-wise gardening techniques are also emphasized. “We do try and teach people water conservation techniques,” Smith said. “Most people overwater their lawns. If you want to reduce your water usage on a lawn, extend the amount of time [the lawn is watered for] but lessen the amount of water. Even in the summer a deep soak once or twice a week is all you need.” Other water conservation techniques include more environmentally friendly methods of irrigation, such as using a more water-efficient sprinkler system, or water-wise plantings which require less water to thrive. According to Smith, another beneficial change is to make the switch from a lawn to a meadow with native grasses and flowers. “Many of the plants also attract beneficial insects,” Smith said. Many classes also focus on integrated gardening, a technique which not only allows for water conservation but also often leads to a more diverse and aesthetically pleasing environment than just a lawn. Smith said integrated gardening takes into account the microclimates which occur in almost all gardens, such as spots that receive direct sunlight versus semi-shade spots. “You define the microclimates and choose your plantings based off of that,” Smith said. “You mix everything together — the herbs, the flowers, the vegetables.” Evaluation forms are distributed at the end of each workshop to ensure that they are serving the interests of the public well. “A big part is getting the feedback,” Smith said. “We want to make sure the programs are appealing to people.” Some workshop attendees, such as certified nursemidwife and self-proclaimed succulent-lover Holly Moen, are in the process of transitioning from a lawn to a more drought-tolerant hardscape. “We’re tearing up a little bit of the front yard and all of the backyard,” Moen said. “We’re all looking for ways to conserve water.”
See GARDEN, page 4
So apparently, The House offers free meditation and yoga classes! Look into it, as it may be a temporary cure for the upcoming finals stress. Joyce Berthelsen