Campus News

Students living in the Cuarto dorms area may have to trek ita little farther to eat in May. Starting mid-May,the Oxford Circle Dinning Commons will undergo a complete renovation.It won’t re-open until January2010,sending students living in the Emerson,Webster and Thoreau dorms to the Castilian or on-campus DCs.

Another former UC Davis Police officer has filed a lawsuit against the department,alleging sexual harassment and racial discrimination. Chithien Le,28,is the second person of Asian descent to fileasuit against the department this year.The suit seeks unspecified damages for loss of income,benefits and attorney’s fees.

A group of UC Davis philosophy professors have signed a petition calling for the American Philosophical Association to stop advertising universities thatitclaims discriminate based on sexual orientation.Supporters of the petition argue that the APA is violating its own anti-discrimination policy byadvertising universities that ban homosexuality as part of their ethical standards for staff and faculty.

As spring quarter approaches,students will once again take part in the ritual of searching for the lowest possible textbook prices.What they might not realize,however,is that the UC Davis Bookstore ranks among the bestin the nation in affordability.

As Chancellor Larry N.Vanderhoef prepares to retire at the end of this academic year,the search for a new chancellor is currently underway. Approximately six candidates have been selected thus far by the Advisory Committee to receive invitations for preliminary interviews over a two-day period this month.

This ASUCD Senate meetingwas scheduled to begin Thursday at7:35p.m.Times listed are according to the reporter’s laptop computer at the Mar.5,2009meeting location,theCoffee House.

It’s atypical to see students dressed in indigenous clothing from various countries at an ASUCD Senate meeting,especially two in black ski masks.DuringThursday’s senate meeting,held publicly in the Coffee House,members of the public discussed a controversial topic that arose during the previous week’s senate meeting.

After the University of California Board of Regents approved the design plan last week, the construction of a new state of the art winery and Brewing and Food Science Laboratory is set to begin in June. Both the winery and laboratory aim to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design‘s (LEED) highest rating, the platinum certification. Achieving platinum certification through the U.S. Green Building Council will make this facility the first of its kind in the world.

Emeritus Professor Raymond Keefer,a long time facultymember at UC Davis,died on Feb.6from a brief illness.He was95years old.

Amidst the goal of a Zero Waste campus by2020,UC Davis struggles to keep up with its previous success in RecycleMania.After a little over one month of Earth-friendly competition,UC Davis has fallen from last year’s final standing of eighth place and is currently ranked174out of294universities in the competition division.

This year’s selection for the2009-2010Campus Community Book Project takes readers across the globe as author Eric Weiner shares a humorous and insightful look intoThe Geography of Bliss:One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World.

Nearly200faculty members across the country have signed on in support of an academic boycott of Israel. The United States Campaign for an Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel(USCACBI) was founded in response to a call from the Palestinian Civil Society to join the Boycott,Divestment and Sanction Movement against Israel.