Opinion

A “New American Century” is a phrase often heard bandied about by both the Obama and Romney campaigns. What it entails is somewhat vague, but it is not difficult to guess the contours of such an idea. A New American Century would involve global dominance with regards to the economy, military and the standard of […]

Last week, a variety of food trucks graced Davis during The Davis Dirt’s Street Food Rodeo. This amalgamation of new food options and local band performances made for quite a popular display. Not only did this event present a marvelous opportunity to take a break from the usual midday meal, but it also served a […]

Today is election day. The June ballot in California this year isn’t terribly exciting; rest assured, Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President. But there is Proposition 29. Prop 29 imposes a $1.00 tax on cigarette packs. Thus, financially, it affects only those who smoke, and nobody else. California currently ranks 33rd in […]

OK, so they have this thing in France called l’esprit de l’escalier. Actually, we have it in America too, but we don’t have a pretty name for it like they do in France. Anyway, l’esprit de l’escalier literally means “the spirit of the stairs” and it basically refers to that feeling you get when you’re […]

In an effort to curb my serious case of senioritis, I am muting my social media accounts and minimizing my internet use until my undergraduate career has been put to rest. Only after the last answer is completed on the last scantron of my last final will I emerge. Starting today, I am (very begrudgingly) […]

My interest was piqued when I saw the front page article, “Groundskeepers speak about their heritage” last week. I was dismayed to see the article go off topic with misleading information. I want to dispel the idea that most of our five laborers are illiterate. To begin with, the reading and writing skill levels are […]

During a recent car ride I engaged in the cultural experience that is listening to the entire Skrillex set from ULTRA 2012. I’ve learned that it’s not polite to request a song-change when you’re not driving and have yet to contribute gas money; also, my friend who was driving needed to listen to something upbeat […]

During the month of May, the members of Yolo County California Youth Connection would like to commemorate Foster Care Awareness Month by sharing their experiences in the foster care system. Their stories aim to highlight the important role every community member can play to support youth who find themselves in foster care. While some youths’ […]

Dear UC Davis Community, The student organization Students for Justice for Palestine dedicated the week of May 7, 2012 through May 11, 2012 as Palestine Awareness Week. On the same week, on May 7, 2012, another student organization, Aggies For Israel, released a statement endorsing the US-Israel relationship. This endorsement included many Associated Students of […]

What little wisdom there is comes through experience of productive failure. Once you’ve screwed up enough, you might not know exactly what to do but at least you’ve learned to “fail better,” as Samuel Beckett put it. As a Ph.D. student, I might not be wildly successful or augustly ancient, but I’ve figured out how […]

People are different, and those differences are interesting. That’s what I’ve been trying to convey in my columns the past eight weeks. This column will cover issues that are more sensitive than usual, but it will still continue to explore how different American society is, and how other exchangees and I try to adapt to […]

Next Friday, Peter J. Shields Library will be filled to the brim with students celebrating their dead day. While the lack of classes in favor of study time is appreciated, the Saturday finals are not. For college students, Saturdays are sacred territory that shouldn’t be messed with. To take away a Saturday is to take […]