Campus News

Barack Obama may already be president, but in less than three weeks, UC Davis students have another important vote to cast.

ASUCD elections will take place beginning at 8 a.m. on Feb. 18 and 19 online and at the Memorial Union. Students will vote to replace half of the senate's twelve members whose terms expire winter quarter, as well as for the ASUCD president and vice president. In addition, students will approve or defeat three ballot measures: The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) and two constitutional amendment measures.

Former UC Davis Police officer Calvin Chang filed a lawsuit yesterday against the University of California Regents and UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza alleging racial and sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation, fraud and breach of contract. He is seeking $3 million in damages.

Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

Appointments and Confirmations

Thongxy Phansopha, a junior Spanish major, was appointed unit director of the Entertainment Council.

Jaciel Pacheco, a sophomore Chicana/o and communication major, was appointed commissioner of Academic Affairs Commission.

Hyatt Cummings, a senior economics major, was appointed chair of the External Affairs Commission.

In order to make their voices heard, UC Davis students will be carpooling to San Francisco this week to attend the University of California Board of Regents Feb. 3-5 meeting.

Participants will be attending the meetings on Wednesday and Thursday to speak during public discussion. ASUCD is organizing carpools and will cover gas costs.

UC Davis graduate student Margaret Lloyd could soon be President Barack Obama's personal White House farmer.

In the vicinity of Wellman Hall or the ASUCD Coffee House, an enthusiastic person with a clipboard approaches, talking a mile a minute while escorting a student to class. After their spiel, the only options are to either sign the form or duck into the nearest classroom.

The California Student Public Interest Research Group is always looking for new members to join its various campaigns. The student directed and funded statewide organization operates chapters at University of Southern California and all UC campuses, except UC Merced. Their objectives: Round up college students, spread awareness of today's pressing issues - and do something about them.

UC Davis students may soon have to pay a greater price for fitness.

UC Davis students currently enjoy unlimited access to courses offered by the physical education department as part of their university fees. That could change as early as fall 2009 as the department is currently in talks with Campus Recreation to implement participation fees for some of its classes.

Thank goodness it's voting season.

The Green Initiative Fund will likely appear on this quarter's ASUCD ballot, giving students the option of funding undergraduate sustainability programs.

Should the ballot measure pass in next month's ASUCD elections, TGIF will net approximately $124,000 in grant money from student tuition fees. Each student will automatically contribute $4 to the fund every quarter, starting fall 2009.

Plagiaris

A freshman student had a second referral to SJA, this time for plagiarism. The student copied sections directly from multiple Internet sites, altered them slightly to fit a writing assignment and did not cite the sources used. The student admitted dishonesty and accepted the disciplinary sanctions of deferred separation until graduation, community service, LSC tutoring, a writing assignment on plagiarism and a plagiarism workshop.

The University of California doesn't normally send students and faculty to countries on the State Department's travel warning list - but overwhelming interest has led both the system and Davis to give students that opportunity - even in light of the recent violence.

"We are offering a four week program through the UC Davis Summer Abroad Program and both a semester and year long program through the UC Education Abroad Program," said Diane Adams, associate director of UC Davis' Education Abroad Center.

At the beginning of every quarter, students flood the UC Davis Bookstore to endure long lines and crowded aisles to purchase textbooks. This winter quarter, the bookstore management had to consider closing down due to an unsafe amount of student shoppers present at the same time.

In response to situations like this, the Campus Unions and Recreation Board - a student advisory group - has proposed to renovate the bookstore, as well as other parts of the Memorial Union.

Due to mounting budget losses, The California Aggie has found it necessary to make several mid-year cuts. The most visible of these is our decision to cease having a print edition of the newspaper on Fridays.

As it turns out, TurnItIn isn't very popular with UC Davis professors.

TurnItIn is an online database that checks papers for plagiarized content. UC Davis subscribed to the service on a trial basis during fall quarter, but officials decided it was too costly and ineffective to warrant an institutional subscription.

About 900 athletes will congregate at the UC Davis stadium and pool this June, as UC Davis hosts the Northern California Special Olympics Summer Games.