Features

This past Friday night thousands of students buzzed around the Quad, riding mechanical bulls, flipping upside-down in the air, playing carnival games and receiving free stuff, while listening to live concerts by U-N-I and Natural Roots.

TODAY

Herb Harvest

9:20 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Good life Garden at Mondavi Center Institute for Wine and Food Science

Do you enjoy fresh herbs? Then come join the Good Life Garden to harvest lavender, sage, chives and thyme! RSVP to goodlifegarden@ucdavis.edu . Please bring a bag for your herbs, scissors or pruning shears and wet paper towels.

Noon Concert: Davis Summer Symphony

12:05 to 1 p.m.

Rumsey Rancheria Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center

Come join the Summer Symphony for a wonderful concert led by David Moeschler. The program includes the Super Nintendo game Plok song!

Poetry in the Garden: Thomas Centolella

7 to 9 p.m.

Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road

Poet Thomas Centolella reads his work in the beautiful forestry surroundings of the Arboretum.

ASUCD? What does that mean? If you are new to UC Davis, this is a question that you too may soon be asking about this acronym.

ASUCD, or the associated students of UC Davis, is like your high school's student government - only bigger and with more people, jobs and money.

A new school year at UC Davis can mean a lot for a new student: a new bed, new classes, new friends and new eating (and drinking) habits. Aside from all the changes on campus, students often forget the new town waiting to be discovered, just blocks away. So once the new-school jitters settle down, here is something to point the way once the Quad is out of sight.

The more seasoned UC Davis students know that in order to get around campus, one needs a bike. Not only is it convenient, but as the largest campus in the University of California, it has become a necessity for many students.

Some incoming freshmen, like Paari Kandappan, are more excited about biking to class than intimidated.

As you walk through campus, look around: Greek letters are everywhere. Glued onto wooden signs, arching across the backs of t-shirts and short-shorts, or perched atop houses on Russell Boulevard. You might be able to decode a few of the letters, but you might still wonder, "What do they really mean?"

Like most UC Davis students did either last year or even three years ago, the class of 2013 moved in and settled in to the dormitories this past weekend.

First year student enrollment is slightly lower than in the past, with around 4,600 students. Of those, about 97 percent choose to live in the dorms, said Branden Petitt, associate director of Student Housing.

Safe Party Tip #1: eat a high-protein meal before and during partying. This will help you moderate your alcohol consumption and slow your absorption rate. Just a helpful hint from the Safe Party Initiative, a collaborative effort between the city of Davis and the University of California, Davis whose purpose is to reduce the problems related to college drinking and large-scale social gatherings.

1. Avoid looking like a freshman. Do not wear your ID around your neck - dead giveaway. Don't walk down Russell Boulevard with more than two people at night. People will yell "Freshman!" out their car windows. Try not to carry a map with you at all times, and just FYI: most people don't wear a bike helmet (although it is safer).

Linda Katehi joined the UC Davis family just last month as chancellor after previously holding the position of provost at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne.

Born in Greece, Katehi studied electrical engineering throughout her academic career, going on to merit 16 U.S. patents for her research in electrical engineering and a chair in the National Academy of Engineering.

TUESDAY, Sept. 8

Library tools for BioAg lab staff

Noon to 1 p.m.

165 Shields library, instruction lab

Come learn about key resources and search tactics for lab staff including major life science methods and protocols research and quick tips on how to search PubMed.

Students looking into? applying to next year's academic programs at the University of California Center Sacramento (UCCS) may have to look elsewhere. UCCS' two academic programs - the public policy program and public affairs journalism program - will experience a suspension due to recent California budget cuts. These programs, made available to any UC student, are the only academic programs offered through the UC Office of the President.

Davis Farmers Market is considered the best farmers market in the country - and it now has the official title to prove it.

America Farmland Trust awarded the market with one of three "America's Favorite Farmers Market" awards last month for the best large market in the nation. Over 30,000 people nationwide voted for the different categories; 3,000 of those voters chose Davis.

With summer almost coming to a wrap-up, and the fall quarter just around the quarter, one can't help but wonder what Davis students have been up to all this time.

MONDAY

Iranian Women Speak

7 p.m.

I-House Community Room (10 College Park)

Iranian women will speak about various aspects of Iranian culture. UCD visiting scholar Dr. Sara Ruebelt, Ph.D. will talk about multiculturalism in Iran, and Sac State religious studies grad student Leva Zand will discuss the 2009 election's effects on Iranian women's roles.

Bus for Aggie football

Aggie Stadium

1:30 p.m.

Reserve your spot on the Aggie bus to Fresno State for the football game Sept. 5. Bus will leave from Lot 56 adjacent to Aggie Stadium at 1:30 p.m. and will arrive in Fresno at around 4:30 p.m. Call Chelsea Jameson with Athletics Development at (530) 754-7548 to reserve a seat or for more information.