Opinion

The number ofherons and egrets populating the arboretum in recent years has become unmanageable; between2005and2007,the number of egrets in the arboretum has increased more than fivefold.

After 24years of dedicated service to UC Davis,Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef announcedMonday he will be stepping down at the end of next year.

I’ve written a lot of columns this year – 27, actually, including this one – and I’m proud of every damn one of ’em. Very proud. I’m proud of them because, let’s be honest, they were pretty damn good.

UC Davis and the UC system,likeSan Franciscoand dozens of other communities acrossCalifornia,includingL.A.,Fresno,Oakland,Santa Cruz,Berkeley,Palo Alto andMarinCounty have adopted the goal of Zero Waste.

There is something profoundly human about adramaticsporting loss,particularlywhen itbefalls a teamon the brink of victory thatyou wholeheartedly support.

Election coverage

When I finally abandoned my dream of becoming a history professor a year-and-a-half ago,I decided my last column would be a proud declaration of my immediate intention to join the Army.

Life, Liberty and Love. You’ve heard many of the sayings conceptually tying the Ls together. “Give me liberty or give me death,” “A life without love is no life at all,” etc. I believe it is rightfully so. Each one has a distinct identifiable characteristic, yet to separate one from the others makes the remaining empty.

It’s been a fun year being a columnist, all. I’ve enjoyed pounding out these columns of mine every Monday night, mere hours before I had to go in and edit. I kind of like having a byline and getting my picture in the paper.

Students often neglect to realize how much of an impactthe Davis City Councilhas ontheireveryday lives.Every week,the council makes decisions that affect how difficult it is to find affordable and quality housing inDavis,how boring or exciting the downtown is,how much we must pay for our utility bills and how far we have to drive to purchase a pair of socks.

In an effort to mitigateCalifornia’s looming$15billion deficit,state lawmakers have been forced to look in unconventional places for money.State RepresentativeCharles Calderon (D-Montebello) has proposedAssembly Bill2914,which would place a25percent tax on the gross revenues ofthe adult entertainment industry.

Well the end of the year has finally approached and I have to bid farewell.I must say it’s been quite a ride for my column.This year was my first time I split a column into two parts (big deal,I know),my firstreal hate mail and my first (and failed) attempt at meeting readers.