As Picnic Day approaches, local businesses prepare for students, families and alumni to swarm the campus and downtown areas. For Soga’s, there will be an increase in staff, and the restaurant will open 11 a.m. on Saturday instead of its usual 5 p.m. opening time. “It’s the Mother’s Day for the bar,” said Soga’s manager Cliff Mohr. “If you know what Mother’s Day is like for restaurants, that’s what it’s like for the bar.” Since 90 percent of customers are college students coming into the bar, business will be extremely busy, Mohr said. For businesses such as Soga’s, the Graduate, Chipotle and other bars and restaurants alike, “that’s one of the busiest days we have of the year,” Mohr said. The Davis Downtown Business Associationconducted a survey among its membership a month ago to find out more about the Picnic Day experience. “We did the survey in hopes of having an impact,” said DDBA administrator Joy Cohan. “We are having a dialogue with our members to continue to enhance the impact Picnic Day has upon downtown.”

The UC Davis men’s tennis team started strong but could not keep up the pace. The Aggies’ triple-match weekend started with a sweep over Portland State. However, after a promising start, UC Davis (9-12, 1-4) was then edged by Nevada (5-13) and Big West Conference foe UC Irvine (10-12, 3-1). Friday – UC Davis 7, Portland State 0 History does repeat itself, and the Aggies proved it Friday. UC Davis defeated Portland State by the same score as their previous meeting on Feb. 2 in Portland, Ore., 7-0. Although the Aggies swept the Vikings, match play was closer than the final scores appear. “They made us earn it, and we definitely did that,” senior Henri Landes said. The Aggies began the afternoon at the Marya Welch Tennis Center by sweeping the Vikings in doubles to earn a 1-0 lead. Domination in doubles was followed by a superior singles display, as UC Davis took all six singles matches, dropping a total of only two sets.

For the past 12 weeks, this column has attempted to avoid the appeal of commenting on global and national affairs. However, this week I have decided to step off the proverbial soapbox and reserve my endless supply of regent-bashing comments for columns to come. In the past months, the world media has been made very aware of the political turmoil surrounding the upcoming Beijing Olympics, and reports of protests and unrest have littered the route of the symbolic Olympic flame. Upon hearing such reports, some people are appalled at the way in which the Olympic Games, arguably the largest spectacle in world sports, have been infiltrated by the several political agendas of participating nations. Talks of potential boycotts only further highlight the fact that the 2008 Beijing Games will serve mainly as a political arena, rather than an athletic one. However, what some people fail to realize is that the tradition of the Olympic Games has been consistently spoiled by politics for close to 100 years.

You know, I’m really over this whole friend zone idea strictly being a boys-only club. All these movies, songs and blog entries that paint girls as shallow cockteasers with a penchant to oversight their male friends over gorgeous yet asshole guys are completely inaccurate. They fail to mention that we like them to be mind-numbingly rich too. Honestly, what’s with this “nice guys finish last” shenanigan I’m hearing about, as if guys were never guilty of committing the same crime? Some say that most guys simply aren’t. Apparently, due to some ridiculous notion roaming out there, a girl can get any guy she wants (given that she’s within a relatively appropriate spectrum of attractiveness) – especially if he’s a friend of hers. A guy who has female friends will basically whip his penis out for any of them per request, depending on when the little lady wants it. It’s a common myth that’s been numerously elaborated from Chris Rock and Woody Allen, to the ever-intricate “ladder theory.” Well I’m here to say nay! If girls can bonk whomever they want, then my unsuccessful love life means that I’m some sort of exceptional boner murderer. Girls fall into the friend zone all the time, so here’s what you can look out for:

Kurt Rohde, assistant professor and resident composer in the department of music, was awarded a prestigious fellowship for music composition from the American Academy in Rome on Apr. 10. Rohde also serves as the co-director of the Empyrean Ensemble. He will be conducting research in the Italian capital on the Venetian Puppet Orchestra for 11 months beginning this September. The Academy, known primarily as a research and arts institution, houses American scholars and artists to whom they have awarded fellowships. Rohde, who has just joined the music faculty in fall 2008, is the first UC Davis composer to win the Rome prize. “This is a hugely prestigious and well-merited award to a distinguished young composer of apparently limitless promise,” said UC Davis music professor D. Kern Holoman.

If you want some Aggie softball autographs, you need to get Jessica Hancock’s John Hancock. In the first two games of the week, Hancock (13-15) had an easy time shutting down the Titans. The senior right-hander allowed just three earned runs in 11 innings and struck out six in 148 pitches to earn a pair of wins on Saturday. For UC Davis, it was their third win in the last six games, showing a huge turnaround after going 5-16 during the month of March. Saturday –Game 1: UC Davis 5, Cal State Fullerton 2 Who is Bianca Castillo? The freshman right fielder for the Aggies belted her second home run in only her third collegiate game for UC Davis. During the stretch, the Bakersfield native is batting .500 with three extra base hits, including the two homers. “Right now, Bianca is just really stepping up and taking advantage of her opportunity,” said softball head coach Karen Yoder. “She is coming through and contributing for us in a really big way.”

The mood at Emerson Jr. High’s Carnival at Cannery Park this weekend was especially jovial in light of the school board’s Apr. 3 decision to keep the school open. In order to help make the necessary $4 million in budget cuts for next year, the school board recently considered the option of reconfiguring secondary schools, which would have involved closing Emerson and redistributing its students. At the urging of Emerson parents and students, the school board voted 3-2 to keep all three junior highs open and maintain the same 10-12 grade configuration in the high schools. “Everyone was kind of tense and stressed before the decision,” said Frances McChesney, co-president of the Emerson Parent Teacher Association. “After [the decision], people were really enjoying themselves at the carnival.”

The state senate recently passed Senate Bill 1168 in order to aid sick college students. The bill, known as “Michelle’s Law,” will allow dependent college students to take up to 12 months medical leave with a physician’s signed consent. This even includes students who are covered by their parents’ health insurance plans. In addition, this effectively means that students can be absent from school or reduce course load to part-time and still be covered. This is important to students who, due to a medical condition, can no longer be full-time students. UC Davis students are covered by the Student Health Insurance Plan unless they opt to use another plan. Under SHIP, students who have to leave school or reduce their load are covered until the end of the quarter, at which point they can opt to extend their health coverage – at non-student rates.

TODAY Ice cream eating showdown Noon to 1 p.m. Memorial Union Patio Go cheer on your fellow students in the fastest ice cream showdown ever! This is a Picnic Day pre-week event. Davis Police Department planning meeting 3 p.m. 2124 Wickson The Davis Police Department is preparing to develop its new three year Strategic Plan. Help them brainstorm and prioritize community issues and problem statements. Information about this process and notes from previous forums can be found at www.city.davis.ca.us/police.

The fifth-annual Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event Celebrate Davis will take place May 15, as a means of informing the community of different businesses, nonprofits and services Davis has to offer. Between 4:30 and 9 p.m. at Community Park located at 14th and F streets, there will be approximately 150 business booths where the expected 8,000 community members will have the opportunity to speak to business owners about their services. “It gives Davis business a chance to get out in the community and talk to Davis residents and consumers,” said Celebrate Davis coordinator Nancy Cole. “Booths will have information on what they do, and it’s just for visibility so people can get to know what services and shops are available in Davis.”

It’s official. The Aggies can hit. UC Davis showed off its Big West Conference-leading offense at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium this past weekend in its first conference road series with UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos (22-11, 6-3) entered the three-game series with the top overall record in the Big West, but the Aggies (22-11, 5-1) leapfrogged them atop the standings as their white-hot bats ignited a second-straight league series win. Friday – UCSB 9, UC Davis 2 The Aggies aren’t used to losing this season, especially when their ace is on the mound. Opening up his team’s Big West road schedule, senior right-hander Eddie Gamboa lost for the first time this season as UCSB powered past UC Davis, 9-2. Gamboa (5-1, 2.64) gave up a season-high seven runs and 10 hits over five innings. The Merced, Calif. native struck out four and only walked one, but his defense committed four errors behind him. “That just wasn’t the Aggies out there,” said head coach Rex Peters. “Eddie wasn’t himself on the mound, we didn’t play well defensively and our bats were slow. We were just a tired team on Friday.” Three of the Gaucho runs came courtesy of senior outfielder Mike Zuanich, who homered twice. Sophomore right-hander Mike Ford pitched eight strong innings for UCSB, holding the Aggies to just two runs despite four walks. “He pitched well, no question,” said Peters of Ford. “But we were just asleep at the wheel and needed a good night’s rest to come back on Saturday.”

Teams: UC Davis vs. Louisville Records: Aggies, 5-8; Cardinals, 8-4 Where: U of L Lacrosse Stadium – Louisville, Ky. When: Today at noon Who to watch: After posting a measly .351 save percentage and allowing 37 goals during the team’s last two matches, senior goalkeeper Hilary Harkins looks to be back on track as the Aggies hit the final stretch of their season.