The Aggies will face a tough task as they take the course in 2011-12.

As one of the main organizations to bring entertainment to campus, the Entertainment Council, which is part of ASUCD, aims to supply the student body with accessible avenues to enjoy.

It is easy to feel helpless in this current state of affairs. Every good thing in government is blocked by a committed minority and, otherwise, austerity rules. Corporate fat cats and their lobby cronies get fed champagne and caviar while the rest are left scraping old tuna cans.

For me, these past few summer vacations have been almost too much of a break from the stress of the academic year. The amount of idle time I’m left with typically leaves me to sit, pondering my life, thinking about what I’m doing with it and where it could go in the next year. By the time fall comes around, I’m always bordering on neurotic and more than happy to start classes and have something to occupy my mind again.

How did I spend my summer 2011? I taught swimming lessons by day and explored Japan by night. My summer was filled with beautiful beaches, hot sun, and enticing new cultures and customs – all thanks to a program run through UC Davis called Camp Adventure Youth Services.

Water gun fights, food truck Fridays, parties with chimpanzees, celebrity sightings and a lot of time spent with a certain talking sponge. This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, CA as an animation development intern.

The University of California has decided not to pay merit increases owed to its union librarians because librarians are currently in salary negotiations. Although all UC librarians benefit from periodic cost of living adjustments negotiated by the librarians’ union, the paychecks of union librarians are the only paychecks affected by this unusual punitive and divisive move. By not paying previously earned merit increases, the university is attempting to penalize union librarians for exercising their right to collective bargaining.

Once college students leave the dorms, they become modern versions of hunter-gatherers. Whether they are content with keeping their kitchen cupboards full of easy, boxed meals of the instant variety, or prefer to have them stocked with essentials to create Food Network-worthy creations, every meal starts at the grocery store.

Typical sources for greeting and grubbing on a budget include fraternity parties for alcohol and pizza at club meetings. Read on to discover more unique Davis institutions that provide both food and fun your wallet will thank you for later.

If you want a one-stop place to learn about the doings of our student government (ASUCD), UC Davis administration, Aggie athletics, the Davis arts scene, the latest technology tips or an excuse to not pay attention in your first lecture of the quarter, The Aggie is here for you.

Students just starting at UC Davis are about to be shocked by the instability of the UC system.

Turn up the stereo and listen to the beats amplified a million times over and over again. Keep turning it up and watch the speakers thump and synchronize with the sound of your heart. Cheap wine, warm summer nights, J Dilla beats, splattered paint on walls and pavement – all remnants of a summer that’s come and gone too quickly.