Campus News

After over a decade of research, UC Davis scientists have found five strains of grape rootstocks resistant to several strains of soil-born pests in California vineyards. The rootstocks were released to commercial nurseries on Mar. 31. Howard Ferris, professor of nematology at UC Davis and Andrew Walker, professor of viticulture at UC Davis, conducted the study along with assistance from staff research associate Liang Zheng.

In an effort to address campus cultural barriers, the Students of Diverse Affiliations are sponsoring anti-bias training in an all-day event Saturday titled “Lost in Colors.” The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Hart Hall. Students of Diverse Affiliationscoordinator Hanh Le said the program is a series of workshops to teach students how to properly communicate with all cultures and identities. The Women’s Resources and Research Center, Student Recruitment and Retention Center, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center, Cross Cultural Center, and Counseling and Psychological Services will make presentations during the event. UC Davis chemistry lecturer Bryan Enderle, the keynote speaker, will discuss how to communicate inclusively.

The national average graduation rate of African American and Hispanic students has decreased significantly in the last 30 years, according to a recent study conducted by Michal Kurlaender, an associate professor of education at UC Davis. According to the study, the number of graduating African Americans in 2004 dropped 33 percent, while the Hispanic student graduation rate dropped 34 percent nationally. The increase in dropout rates has grown in tandem with an enduring increase in enrollment to college by minority groups overall. Kurlaender said that there are several possibilities for this phenomenon. “There are many reasons for [students] to drop out: They may find employment that is more lucrative, have no taste for school or find they aren’t good at it,” Kurlaender said. Kurlaender also cites that some students may experience a lack of preparation due to a misalignment between high school academics and the intensity of college coursework, as well as financial constraints due to rising tuition fees. All of these factors may contribute directly to the dropout rate of minorities in college, who are more likely to come from low-income families and may be dependent on financial aid. She stressed that these reasons are not mutually exclusive.

On Mar. 31, three out of four UC Davis nominees were awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for excellence in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering. Helen Craig, Scott Himmelberger and Alexander Sutherland were three of 18 California residents to be awarded the scholarship. Of the UCs, Davis had the most awarded, with UC Santa Barbara boasting two recipients and UC Berkeley and Santa Cruz trailing behind with one recipient each. “The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year,” said Gerald Smith, president and a founding member of the institution. “The scholarship is a steppingstone to very prestigious fellowship programs,” Smith said. “Of the approximately 6,000 Goldwater scholar recipients, 67 went on to earn Rhodes scholarships and close to 90 have earned Marshall scholarships,” Smith said. “It is nice to be recognized for all of the effort I have been putting into my studies,” said Himmelberger, a sophomore chemical engineering major.

Researchers at UC Davis recently published a study on the short-term “working memory.” Professor of psychology Steven Luck and postdoctoral researcher Weiwei Zhang at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain found that adults store a limited number of high resolution images in the “working memory.” The brain uses working memory to piece together sensory information and store it. Instead of storing many fuzzy images, Luck and Zhang found that the working memory stores a fixed number of high resolution images for a few seconds. “The capacity of working memory is so limited, you have to be careful what is stored in working memory,” Luck said. They found that this system of limited storage cuts down on useless information, or visual “noise.” Easily compared to a digital camera, the “working memory” uses up valuable space when saving these high resolution images, but unlike a camera, the visual memory cannot be set to save a greater number of fuzzier images. Zhang designed the experiment used to test the working memory of adults. The researchers showed subjects a pattern of colored squares for one-tenth of a second. The subjects were then asked to click the colors of the squares by clicking on areas of a color wheel. The accuracy of the colors showed the precision of the test subject’s working memory. “High resolution would mean how precise the colors are,” Zhang said.

Stumbling drunk A senior was spotted stumbling on Howard Way. After stumbling for a while, he fell down and passed out. A concerned witness called the UCD Police and requested a welfare check on the student. The student could not walk without the help of others and reeked of alcohol. Unable to care for himself, the student was arrested for public intoxication and was transported to the Yolo County Jail. After meeting with SJA, the student agreed to a censure and counseling at the Alcohol, Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program. A censure is an official reprimand and warning given to the student from the university.

Senate Bill 1168, known as “Michelle’s Law,” was passed last week by the Senate Health Committee without opposition. Authored by state Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley), the bill will allow dependent college students to continue receiving health insurance for up to one year due to serious illness or injury. Michelle’s Law is named after Michelle Morse, a New Hampshire college student who contracted colon cancer. The doctor’s request that Michelle cut back her course load raised a dilemma: losing full-time student status meant she would need to pay monthly continuation premiums of approximately $550 to keep her policy in effect.

The Community Outreach Club is sponsoring a quarter-long campaign to raise awareness about the Solar Electric Light Fund, a non-profit organization that brings solar power to underdeveloped nations. The community service based club became inspired to work with SELF after learning that over 2 billion people in the world are living without electricity. SELF’s mission is to bring solar power and modern communications to developing worlds, said King Tong, president of the Community Outreach Club.

In the Apr. 4 issue of The California Aggie, the article “Bahá’í Club at UC Davis hosts Unity Concert” states that there are 9,200 Bahá’í in the Davis community. This is incorrect. The actual number is 90 to 100. The Aggie regrets the error.XXX

Student-led construction is ongoing for a new community center for the UC Davis Domes community. Construction of the new community center started approximately two months ago, and the builders anticipate the structure will be finished during the summer. The Domes is a cooperative living community located on the west side of campus. There are 28 students residing in the Domes, which was built in the 1970s. Currently, the builders are nearly finished with the floor and heating system. Today will mark a new stage in the project, as concrete will be poured over the existing structure.

Student Affairs Research & Information (SARI) released the results to a February survey that asked students how they prefer to be contacted in case of an emergency in March. According to the SARI survey results, the top three ways students prefer to be notified of an emergency are through a public announcement (PA) system, siren or text message. The survey was conducted from Feb. 20 to 28 via the MyUCDavis portal by a team of junior students in Davis Honors Challenge. The team was sponsored by Valerie Lucas of the UC Davis Campus Emergency. A total of 4,630 students, or 16 percent of all undergraduate and graduate students, responded to the Quick Survey. Quick Survey is an application in the MyUCDavis portal controlled by SARI that allows it to conduct student center research.

This month’s “Sexual Assault Awareness” theme is designed to open the eyes of many students with events around campus to raise awareness. Many organizations, such as Students Against Sexual Violence, the Campus Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) and the Women’s Resources and Research Center (WRRC), will be sponsoring the month’s events. A viewing of the film Searching for Angela Shelton will be shown today at 8 p.m. in 123 Science Lecture. The film reveals the journey of a filmmaker named Angela Shelton who travels the United States in search of other Angela Sheltons and discovers that 24 out of the 40 Sheltons had been raped, beaten or molested. “It’s really important for women to watch this film and that we create a community of women on campus where they feel comfortable enough to talk about these issues, like Angela Shelton did in the film,” said Courtney Laliberte, a volunteer for CVPP who helped organize the event.