A week after student protestors attempted to block a freeway at UC Davis, questions remain about what actually happened in the clash between protestors and police. The group of about 250 students mobilized in support of education funding and access. They advanced through two skirmish lines of police on Old Davis Road before being stopped. The confrontation resulted in a number of minor injuries as police physically beat back protestors who tried to advance past the third and final skirmish line approximately 30 yards from the freeway on-ramp. The question of Taser use

In light of recent hate crimes that have swept UC campuses, the UC Office of the President (UCOP) has rolled out a program intended to help employees maintain a healthy work environment. The compliance briefing, titled “UC Ethical Values and Conduct,” was officially introduced online on Mar. 3 through the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services (ECAS), a subdivision of UCOP. The newly revised program will be implemented systemwide, although the individual campuses are allowed some leeway in determining such provisions as whether or not undergraduate student employees will be required to take the survey or what the consequences for non-compliance will be.

Colorful almond blossoms have been in bloom for the past two weeks, which means it’s time for the 95th Capay Valley Almond Festival. On Sunday, Esparto, Capay, Brooks, Guinda, Madison and Rumsey will all collaborate for a celebration spanning 22 miles throughout the region. \

Mark Payne wasn’t at the Pavilion on Feb. 10, 2010 when UC Davis beat Pacific for the first time in 70 years – a win that snapped a 49-game losing streak against the school. Instead, he was sitting in a hotel room with his mom just blocks from both his home in downtown Davis and Hamilton Court, watching UC Davis’ historic win unfold on television. \

Artist and former UC Davis art professor William T. Wiley has been honored by the Smithsonian Institution with a collection of his former works. The exhibit, entitled “What’s It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect,” will feature approximately 85 of his works from the late 1960s to the present, borrowed from public and private collections as well as from the artist. The exhibit will provide a serious overview of Wiley’s career while exploring important themes and ideas expressed in his work. On Mar. 20 at 10 a.m., NELSON ARTfriends members and students will have a unique opportunity to have a guided tour of the exhibit by Renny Pritikin, director of the Richard L. Nelson Gallery and Fine Art Collection. Student tickets are $20, and there is a limit of five students for this tour.

If you live in a third Third World country, have bad credit and need a loan, UC Davis’s very own Microlending Club just might be able to help. Founded in spring of 2009, the Microlending Club sends microloans to third Third World entrepreneurs who do not qualify for bank loans to start up their business. The philosophy is that by helping out one individual out of poverty, it may lift the entire community out of poverty as well. Microlending is defined as the provision of small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries at zero or close to zero interest, said Avinash Mohanani, a senior managerial economics and communication double major.

Event: Big West Conference Tournament Teams: UC Davis vs. TBA Records: Aggies, 13-17 (8-8) When: Tonight at 8:30 p.m.

Teams: UC Davis vs. Texas Woman’s; California Where: The Pavilion When: Sunday at 2 p.m. Who to watch: Senior Christine Tao was the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation co-champion on balance beam in her sophomore season. This year, the Maple Valley, Wash. native averages a 9.425 on beam with a season-high score of 9.725 against Air Force.

Students and members of the community criticized methods used in last week’s Mar. 4 protest, such as blocking bus terminals and pulling fire alarms. Yet, these disturbances should not overshadow the purpose of the protest to restore funding to higher education. In fact, it was the protestors’ ability to cause this discomfort that made the protest a success. In causing so much disruption, protestors intended to force a response from people in power, such as state legislators or UC regents. Even though we do not support breaking the law and endangering lives, attempting to block a freeway is one action that officials cannot ignore.

Many characterize Davis as the ideal college town, part of which includes students’ satisfaction with apartment renting. ApartmentRatings.com ranked Davis as 2009’s best college town in the country for renters in a list that showcases the popularity of various college towns around the nation. Davis came out on top of 85 other towns in the running, far outranking Harvard University’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, which finished last. In 2009, the US News & World Report college charts listed Harvard University as the best college in the world.

If you haven’t heard already, Band of Horses is playing at Freeborn Hall on May 27. Students can purchase pre-sale tickets at the Freeborn Ticket Office for $25.50 with a student ID tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. That’s pretty cool. This is all in addition to the upcoming Passion Pit show, which is still scheduled for April. 14. Tickets for that show are $15 (go figure). Let’s see if they pull a Crepeville-and-run like Bloc Party did last year.

People sometimes get the impression that feminism at its foundation means hating white, heterosexual men. I’ve discussed before how the patriarchal structure of our society tends to favor people with these characteristics over those without them. Unfortunately, with this tiny bit of misinformation, people then draw the conclusion that I have it out for straight, white men in general. This is wrong. I happen to be in a long-term relationship with a straight, white man. Many beloved friends and family members of mine are straight, white men. My problem is not with individuals, but with a system that benefits them at the expense of others.