Shane Hanson has left the UC Davis men’s basketball team due to personal reasons, head coach Gary Stewart said Thursday. It’s a situation where there were some things going on that Shane wanted to address and focus on 100 percent, Stewart said. After meeting with him, it was obvious that it was in his best interests to leave the team and deal with those issues.

The next bald person you see might be trying to raise cancer awareness. St. Baldrick’s Foundation will be hosting a head-shaving event today at the UC Davis Cancer Center from 5 to 8 p.m. St. Baldrick’s is a nonprofit organization that raises money for children’s cancer research throughout the year. Participants raise money through donations and shave their heads to raise awareness for children who have cancer and may be going through chemotherapy. This year will be the fifth consecutive year that a St. Baldrick’s event takes place at UC Davis, organized by the Keaton Raphael Memorial.

Along with the warm spring weather comes the reappearance of baby smooth faces from behind months of winter hibernation. But not for everyone. Within the UC Davis community lie some individuals who are so devoted to their facial hair that the presence of their beards and mustaches will extend beyond the winter season. The process begins in December with Don’t Shave It December, which is followed by Just Grow it January, Facial Hair February and culminates with Mustache March.

Experts disagree as to whether the country is headed for a recession, but one thing is for sure: 2008 will be a slow year for the economy. The economist definition [of a recession] is three consecutive quarters of negative growth, said Paul Navazio, finance director for the city of Davis.

TODAY Nights at the Circus preview performance 8 p.m. Wyatt Pavilion Theatre This play is set in the dark world of Victorian freak shows. Recommended for mature audiences due to staged violence, sexual content and adult language. Tickets are $13/$14 general admission and $9/$10 for students.

Who to watch: Before UC Davis’ 18-8 pounding of Nevada on Wednesday, junior outfielder Ryan Scoma had been hitting the cover off the ball, batting .429 in 13 games. But even for the red-hot Scoma, Wednesday was remarkable.