THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915
VOLUME 132, ISSUE 49A | THURSDAY, June 6, 2013
AARON JUAREZ KONG / AGGIE
Star Ginger food truck will participate
Enjoy waking up before the birds do?
at June 7 Street Food Rodeo.
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Davis Dirt to put on Street Food Rodeo Event adds more food vendors, entertainment By GABRIELLA HAMLETT
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The Davis Dirt will put on a third Davis Street Food Rodeo on June 7. Sixteen food vendors will serve food between 4 and 9 p.m. on Sixth and G Streets. Part of the event’s proceeds will be allocated to the Davis School Gardens. Vendors at the event include Hawaiian food from Addison’s Originals, Addy’s Paella and vegan, gluten-free desserts from Bliss Creations. “Food trucks are not seen much in Davis and we like to promote and start fun events for Davis,” said Davis Dirt editorial board member Melanie Gentles. “We thought it’d
be a great opportunity to do a fun event and bring something we typically can’t have in town and benefit the community.” The event has been welcomed by the community and attracted some wellknown food trucks. Event organizers and The Davis Dirt’s editorial board members, Melanie Gentles and Annie Meckstroth, have taken steps to improve the event. “We introduced street performers at the second event to reduce line waiting. There’ll be live music and … community folk dancing. At the last rodeo, people young and old were dancing together … It’s hard not to laugh, you just have a good time,” Meckstroth said. They have increased the number of
City council approves Fifth Street redesign Project aims to improve bicycle, pedestrian safety
for the project, said the absence of bike lanes on Fifth Street, between A and L streets, creates a gap in the movement of cyclists along the Fifth Street/Russell Boulevard corridor.
By PAAYAL ZAVERI City News Editor
On May 28, the Davis City Council approved the long-awaited project to redesign Fifth Street. The final project is anticipated to cost $1.9 million. “The project is intended to make a safer street for pedestrians and cyclists between A and L streets,” said Kelly Stachowicz, deputy city manager for the City of Davis. “We want a safe path of travel going down the street.” According to a report by the City of Davis, the redesign will change the street from four lanes to two lanes with designated bike lanes on either side. Turn pockets, a dual left-turn lane and striped pedestrian crosswalks will also be added. Additionally, new traffic signals will be added to the F and G Street intersections and the existing signals at A, B and L streets will be modified to accommodate the changes. Pedestrian safety will be improved by adding pedestrian-activated crossing lights at the crosswalks of C and J streets. Roxanne Namazi, senior civil engineer
Administrators investigate reported incidents of anti-Semitism University works to increase Jewish student inclusivity
Amiel Chanowitz / Aggie
“The east-west corridor provides a continuous bicycle route from Mace Boulevard at the east city limit, all the way to the west city limit near County Road 98,” Namazi said. “This entire corridor provides an off-street path, except beBy MUNA SADEK Aggie News Writer
The now seven-month-old March in Solidarity with Gaza, which led to the occupation of Dutton Hall on Nov. 19, 2012, has been muddled with reported incidences of anti-Semitism. According to a Feb. 5 letter to UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi from the AMCHA Initiative, a nonprofit organization which aims to combat anti-semitism at American colleges and universities, Jewish students were reportedly “intimidated, harassed and bullied.” The event, originally organized as a rally, aimed to stand in solidarity with people affected by the Gaza bombings.
tween A Street and L Street, where cyclists must either share the road with motorists on Fifth Street.” This project has a long history in the City of Davis and it has taken many years for it to be recognized, said Steve Tracy, a Davis resident and member of the Old North Davis Neighborhood Association (ONDNA). In 1993, the City of Davis general plan was updated, and it included a proposed redesign of Fifth Street to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. “The city staff was very hostile to the idea at the time and didn’t do anything for about 10
trucks and vendors. This time there will be 11 food trucks and six other vendors, Meckstroth said. At the past two events, vendors were asked to donate 2.5 percent of the gross sales to benefit the Davis School Garden programs. So far they have raised over $1,000. This time, five percent of the gross sale proceeds will be allocated to Cesar Chavez, Fairfield, Patwin and Birch Lane Elementary Schools. A challenge with the event has been the expense, especially due to the challenges that come with food truck culture. “Whether you’re a mobile food vendor, a self-propelled wagon or cart selling food, you have to have a public health permit and a business license,” said Bob Bowen, promotions manager for the City of Davis. See FOOD TRUCK on 9
UWP looks to launch professional writing major Faculty calls for support through petition By MUNA SADEK Aggie News Writer
A Jan. 28 letter from the AMCHA Initiative to the Chancellor also stated that after a student expressed disagreement with one of the signs being displayed, “a protester grabbed his collar, raised a fist and forced the student to leave the building.” Other cases during the occupation included protesters chanting “leave our space” and “shame on you.” David Marias, president of Aggies for Israel, said that three pro-Israel students inside the building were also called out and verbally attacked. “All they were doing was standing in the back and quietly listening to other individuals voice their opinions. They
Students may be able to pursue a major in professional writing as early as fall 2014, instead of just a minor. Formerly the expository writing minor, the three-year-old professional writing minor will garner nearly 180 graduates by the end of this summer. Given the successful acceptance of the minor, the University Writing Program (UWP) faculty is looking into the possibility of offering a major in professional writing — this would be the first of its kind in the UC system, according to a June 4 press release. Requiring about 64 units, the major would be designed to accommodate double majors and would offer three concentration tracks, including scientific and technical communication, journalism and digital communication and writing in communities and organizations. Gary Sue Goodman, writing minor and internships faculty advisor, said that the proposal is in the process of being developed. “As you might expect, many writing minors enjoy writing and feel confident about their communications skills. However, a large number have elected the minor for the opposite reason: they feel that strengthening their inadequate writing skills is crucial to achieving their academic and professional goals,” the press release stated. According to Goodman, the program wants to make a more intensive study of writing possible on campus. “We seek to extend undergraduate training in the theory, history and skills associated with writing studies, thus preparing students to enter graduate programs, professional schools and a wide range of professions. In short, we seek to prepare students not only to work as professional writers but also to
See DUTTON on 3
See UWP on 9
years,” Tracy said. The ONDNA revisited the plan in 2003 and then presented the plan to city council and asked that the redesign be implemented. City council agreed to look into the matter and conducted several traffic studies. The only change implemented from these studies was new traffic lights at the F and G Street intersections, Tracy said. Emily Tracy, community outreach coordinator for Davis Bicycles!, said that in See REDESIGN on 9