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Campus Chic

Campus Editor
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Jenn Im, fourth-year communication major

The Aggie: What are you wearing?
Im: “I’m wearing a thrifted jean jacket, a thrifted top with a bunch of cats on it, a circle skirt from Forever 21, Shoe Mint boots and that’s it!”

How did you decide what to wear today?
“I didn’t want to wear pants today. When I’m in a rush, I go for skirts. I felt like browns and blues today. And I just threw my hair up since it was out of control!”

Where do you find inspiration?
“Inspiration comes from the environment, my mood of that day, everywhere.”

What pieces are you looking forward to wearing during the colder months?
“Definitely coats and layering sweaters. Oh, and beanies of course.”

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC Davis sends delegation to Student of Color Conference

Campus Editor
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Last year, UC Davis hosted the Student of Color Conference (SOCC) The year, an expected 120-student delegation  from UC Davis is being sent to UC Riverside, where the 2012 conference event is taking place Nov. 9 to 11.

SOCC is an annual event put on by the University of California Student Association (UCSA) in which students of color and allies can participate in workshops, open forums and lectures about the various issues which people of color face. SOCC is UCSA’s largest and longest-running conference, and takes place at a different UC campus each year over the course of three days.

The main objective of SOCC is to promote a sense of leadership in participants in hopes of creating a community of people who want to encourage progression of students of color in the future.

This year’s theme is “R’Stories: Embracing our Struggles as Tools for Transformation.” The theme focuses on the idea that all students have their own identities and that they must acknowledge the struggle that people of past generations have gone through. Open dialogue and discussion about race and racial issues are intended to serve as a catalyst for change, empowering attendees to create more opportunities for the next generation.

Each student from UC Davis who wanted to attend the event had to submit an application, and although there is only enough space to send 120 students, preference is usually shown for people who have never attended the event.

“Since it’s at the beginning of the year, it’s a space where students can learn early on that they can be active, involved members of the campus in whichever way they choose,” said Emmanuel Diaz-Ordaz, Ethnic and Cultural Affairs commissioner and former ASUCD senator.

At last week’s Senate meeting, Diaz-Ordaz presented Senate Bill 14, a bill he authored to allocate funds to register and send students to the event. The bill went briefly into the history of the conference and called for a $2,000 allocation of funds from Senate Reserves to Aggies of Color to help alleviate costs of transportation and housing for the conference.

Though the bill eventually passed in the Senate, it was not without some hesitation. Diaz-Ordaz explained that sometimes when bills have the words “ethnic,” “culture” or “race,” people have a tendency to become slightly wary.

“I feel that the day that ASUCD stops giving Student of Color Conference money is the day that they sever their support for students of color. Through money is how ASUCD shows its support and shows these types of events have merit. I never want to see the day where ASUCD doesn’t have to fund SOCC,” he said.

Kriti Garg, ASUCD Ethnic and Cultural Affairs commissioner, added that there are many students who are requesting fee waivers.

“We’re providing fee waivers to about a fourth of our delegation, because of financial concerns. This is another reason why funding is really important,” she said.

The three-day conference serves as a networking opportunity, a chance to be able to find others who relate to your issues as a student of color, and is a learning opportunity for those involved.

“There’s a lot of education that happens among ourselves that we are not able to access normally in the University … We educate ourselves because clearly the media and other mainstream places won’t teach it for us,” said Jaki Joanino, ASUCD Ethnic and Cultural Affairs commissioner.

An important aspect of the event is that it is not only for students of color, but also allies who support the issues that their peers are going through.

For more information on the conference visit ucsa.org.

SASHA COTTERELL can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Tahoe’s petite pest

Science Editor
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People call pest-removal companies every day to rid their homes and yards of small creatures that have become a nuisance. Gophers tear up manicured lawns and cockroaches skitter along floors spreading germs. Most people are unaware that Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe has a similar but much larger problem.

Corbicula fluminea, more commonly known as the Asiatic clam, appeared in Lake Tahoe around 2002. While small, these aquatic mollusks can self-fertilize and release 2,000 juveniles per day, amounting to over 100,000 in a lifetime. Their numbers increased exponentially in Emerald Bay and now these tiny clams are a big problem.

“Typically, when a non-native species is introduced, the native species begin to die… When the clams appeared, they basically overtook the native [Tahoe] species,” said Geoffrey Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The repercussions of introducing a non-native species on an established food web of an ecosystem can be significant. Historically, many species have become endangered this way. In addition to the effect on the native flora and fauna, it has an impact on the aesthetic value of the lake, a process known as biofouling.

“Residents complained about how the lake looked. Usually Tahoe has clear water and nice, white, sandy beaches but they did not look like that anymore …The [clams] take in particles …and they [excrete] nutrients that help green algae grow, making the water in Emerald Bay look green … People are worried [that] the tourist economy, which is huge at Lake Tahoe, might suffer,” Schladow said.

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center aims to prevent any long-term impact by eliminating the population of Asiatic clams using rubber mats. In 2010, the rubber barrier was tested, along with a suction method, and the barrier killed more than 90 percent of the clams.

“The rubber mats are each about 100 feet long … [The researchers] will lay down a bed of [organic material] and put the rubber mat over it. The decomposition from the [material] will cause a decrease in oxygen and the clams will suffocate,” said Chris Wheaton, an undergraduate in civil and environmental engineering who is involved in the project.

The rubber mats are made by undergraduate students Civil and Environmental Engineering. They work on unrolling each pre-cut rubber mat and installing grommets along the sides to allow researchers to tie the mats down.

“We [also] make holes, or ports, in the mats so that divers can go down and collect water samples,” said Brandon Wang, a civil and environmental engineering undergraduate.

Schladow expressed confidence in the success of the project, and hoped to use it in other areas affected by the Asiatic clams. However, there is a disadvantage to the rubber mat treatment.

“The treatment will kill some of the native species along with the [Asiatic clams], but what we have found is that the native species can survive much longer than the non-native one,” Schladow said. “Once the [Asiatic clams] are eliminated, the native species will re-populate.”

The Asiatic clam is currently found in 38 states, and many different lake communities around the country are trying to find solutions to the biofouling. In some places, the larvae of the clams are drawn into water intake pipes and clog raw-water service pipes, firefighting equipment and condenser tubes, costing millions of dollars a year to remove. Researchers hope that with the success of the project, these issues will be resolved and put these pests to rest.

NICOLE NOGA can be reached at science@theeaggie.org.

Ask Doc Joe and Katy Ann

Campus Editor
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Doc Joe is a psychologist and attorney who has consulted with and advised people of all ages. Katy Ann is a licensed marriage and family therapist, who, like Doc Joe, has counseled and advised people of all ages.

The discussion and advice offered in their column is not offered as a clinical recommendation or as a substitute for clinical treatment. Rather, Doc Joe’s and Katy Ann’s comments are intended to stimulate thought, often with a sense of humor. Sometimes they agree; sometimes they don’t. So, read on…

Dear Doc Joe and Katy Ann,

I am willing to admit that I don’t understand women very well. I’ve been with Penny for two years, and I still don’t know what to say when she’s upset.

So last night she came home from work, and started crying. She came over to the couch, sat down next to me, and began telling me about her conflict with a co-worker, “Paula.” Well, she began by telling me what time she got to work, how Paula was dressed and what Paula said when Penny commented about her shoes. She then described the project that they were both working on, and how they couldn’t agree on the budget figures. This eventually led to some harsh words being spoken by both of them.

Well, after listening to Penny’s story for 15 minutes, I told her that I had a suggestion. I suggested that she sit down with Paula and attempt to compromise on some budget issues.

WRONG! She jumped up, and yelled: “You don’t care how I feel!” I was trying to help. But Penny hasn’t spoken a word to me in two days.

Doc Joe and Katy Ann, I need your help — urgently!

Sean, in Nevada.Dear Sean,

Doc Joe: You interrupted her story? Bad move, Sean!

Katy Ann: I have the impression that she wanted you to hear the story.
Doc Joe: Yep. Dates back to early times. Story telling was the earliest form of therapy.
Katy Ann: …and communication, I find that, often, people who tell a story to a loved one are not
looking for solutions; they just want to be heard.
Doc Joe: Katy, you know that guys like to solve problems.
Katy Ann: Sometimes all that is needed is listening, not solving.
Doc Joe: Are you saying that a good listen is worth a thousand words (of suggestion)?
Katy Ann: You’re catching on, Joe.
Doc Joe: Sean. Apologize for not listening.
Katy Ann: I’m guessing that she can solve her own problems. She just wants you to understand the situation … to understand her.
Doc Joe: Well, there you have it.If you’d like to get Ask Doc Joe & Katy Ann advice, please contact us at askdocjoeandkatyann@aol.com. Include your name, state of residence and your question, along with a brief description of the situation.

Column: Porn 101

Opinion
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In my anthropology class, I sit directly behind someone who, instead of taking notes on the dental structure of primates, watches porn. As the amount of students sitting behind him grows, so does my curiosity about porn. Does it hold any serious value?

Pornography has always carried the social stigma of “appealing to baser needs.” The Kama Sutra was banned in the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century. Erotic literature is important as it increases both sexual knowledge and confidence. Although the Kama Sutra is the favorite of many bibliophiles and sexual beings today, it is still considered to be a slightly taboo text in contemporary America — quite impressive for an almost two-thousand year old book.

Today’s erotic images are similar to those uncovered in the ruins of well-preserved Pompeii. The first century city was similar to our modern day Vegas, except what happened in Pompeii truly stayed in Pompeii. The images painted on bathhouse walls of nude people engaged in sexual acts were designed not only to excite but to incite. These images most likely served as advertisements for the services that the legal prostitutes and courtesans offered.

Ancient Grecian and Roman religious imagery depicted gods and demigods engaged in sex acts that are currently illegal in the United States. Half-goat Pan had sex with both humans and animals, while Zeus seemed to impregnate everyone. In myth, Zeus’ lovers often assumed the form of constellations, and his offspring — like Helen of Troy — changed human history. Eroticism provided people with an explanation for natural phenomena and historical events.

During the French Revolution, political pornographic imagery played a large role in the decimation of the monarchy. Radical political cartoonists drew images of Marie Antoinette engaged in sex acts with members of her own family and even animals, illustrating the corruption of the monarchical system. When Marie was executed in 1793, she was accused of incest along with other crimes against France.

In 1873, United States Federal Comstock laws prevented anyone from owning, circulating or printing anything of an “offensive nature.” This included photographs or paintings of naked bodies, erotic literature and almost anything coming from France. The postal service had no problem seizing and going through mail, and the titillating 1748 novel Fanny Hill was the number-one seized piece of literature.

After the invention of the camera, porn quickly adapted. Short silent films, such as the 1915 film A Free Ride, were illegally circulated. Yet, porn stayed fairly under budgeted until the pornographic golden age — the swinging 70s. Chest-hair, moustache-hair and hair-down-there films like Deep Throat and Debbie Does Dallas became the first big-budgeted, large-audience porns.

The United States “obscenity laws” haven’t changed a great deal since Fanny Hill was seized; they just aren’t always enforceable. In 1963, during Hugh Hefner’s self-described “quest for a new morality,” Hugh was arrested for violating obscenity laws. Today Playboy may seem vanilla, but in the 1960s Hugh was pressing society’s buttons — and not in a “good naughty” way.

Modern porn has evolved to accommodate new technologies and in the 1973 Supreme Court case Miller v. California, obscenity was given a new definition. A work can now only be labeled obscene if it fits three categories: it is of an arousing nature, depicts sexual conduct and is utterly without serious value. But we must have something left on television, so few things are actually banned.

Erotic media isn’t anything new and our current generation isn’t the most depraved — we just have the internet. Porn isn’t valueless; it bolstered a revolution, held religious meaning, served as advertisements and taught people how to pleasure themselves as well as each other. These are not small achievements; as art, porn deserves respect.

Banning a work may have worked in the past, but in its anonymous enormity the Internet has essentially abolished “obscenity laws.” We have access to everything, and as such must learn to dictate our own morality.

Porn viewership increase has been linked to major election wins, so get prepared for a lot of bandwidth activity in early November. Rather than visiting a cave wall or illegal movie theater for porn, stay on campus and remember that legal porn websites are not censored at UC Davis. Don’t violate copyright laws and you will have nothing to fear campus dwellers — your professors shouldn’t care what you’re watching, as long as you aren’t doing it during their Anthropology 3 lectures.

KATELYN RINGROSE would love to know if you too have seen this elusive anthropology voyeur. Email her at knringrose@ucdavis.edu

Students mixed up in scam posted on Aggie Job Link

Campus Editor
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Sarah’s boss requested that she send $1,770 of her own money to a business partner in early October. Sarah did. Her boss provided a money order of $1,870 — $100 for Sarah to keep. Ten days later, Sarah learned that the money was fraudulent.

Sarah, a junior transfer student whose real name will be kept confidential for privacy reasons, was a victim of a job scam from the beginning: a well-described job post on Aggie Job Link (AJL).

After searching for “in Davis” and “paid position” on AJL, Sarah applied for an office assistant job, which appeared in the top five results. After emailing her cover letter, resume and references to the job poster’s personal email address, she got the job in August before moving to Davis for the school year.
“I saw the job on Aggie Job Link, and it paid $150 a week for me to do the basic office things. [The boss] said she was in Sweden and [that] she was an international consultant,” she said. “She didn’t email me back for a really long time, and I started to look for another job. About a week and a half [later] she told me she was in the hospital and had a heart attack and wanted to meet me in the nearest coffee shop.”

Sarah said this made her more sympathetic toward her employer, but the meeting never actually happened. Then Sarah received the money order and instructions to mail off nearly $2,000 from her boss, and learned from her bank that the money was fake.

According to Marcie Kirk Holland, project manager at the UC Davis Internship and Career Center (ICC), less than five frauds were posted in AJL in late September and early October of this year. About 10 students were involved in a similar situation, with one actually sending money to the scammer.

Holland said that the job postings themselves do not appear unusual at first.

“It does mention taking customer/account payments. That is a standard part of many legitimate jobs. Only fraudulent employers would expect this to be accomplished through an employee’s personal bank account,” she said in an email interview.

Mary Garcia, officer with the UC Davis Police Department, said types of fraud vary, but all scammers just want a personal signed check in the end.
According to Garcia, a common indicator of a fraudulent posting could be a medical emergency, being out of the country or a family emergency.

“They often claim themselves as doing international business and avoid [meeting] you in person or [talking] on the phone,” she said.

Sarah recalled a similar situation as her “boss” never showed up but only contacted her via email, and emails were often delayed, as if they came from other time zones outside of the country.

“I wish there [had] been a disclaimer on the Aggie Job Link because I would assume that everything is legitimate, and your school will protect you and never give you the opportunity [to fall victim to fraud],” Sarah said.

Holland also noted that students should be alert, as no employers should ever ask an intern or employee to write a check for a transaction that relates to their company’s operations. Students are encouraged to only communicate with potential employers through AJL, not through personal email addresses, and to keep in mind that employers do not send large sums of money to people that they do not know well.

In response to the fraudulent job postings, AJL has posted a notification on its webpage to warn students of fraud that can be associated with writing a check through a personal account, and it has removed positions of possible fraud from student view in the search results.
“We archive fraudulent postings for ICC records,” Holland said. “We will sometimes leave fraudulent postings accessible to students with the term ‘fraudulent posting’ in the position title so that students that refer back to the position while they are completing a resume or cover letter or applying through the AJL system will see the notice.”
UC Davis students are not the only victims in these cases. Similar situations have happened throughout the UC system. AJL has began working with other universities to keep job links clean and free from scams by notifying job link administrators to pull positions that were posted for multiple campuses and label them as “fraudulent.”MENGSHI SHAO can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Column: Enough shit

Opinion
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My heart is beating frantically.
Sweat beads profusely on my brow.
There’s an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
My asshole puckers to stay shut.
I rush through a door and make a mad dash to the nearest rectangular stall.
Once inside I pause and inhale a long draught of respite. I’m stopped mid-breath by the ghastly spectacle before me. My eyes widen in an odd combination of sheer terror and amazement.
Like two koi fish in a lily pond, I see two extremely large shits floating languidly in the toilet bowl. The piss in the bowl is on the brink of overflowing. It’s the kind of color that can’t be achieved by a single person’s urine, oh no.
I know what you were expecting.
You were expecting a fistful of spine-tingling Halloween-related horror stories.
Alas, I am unfortunately a fucking pussy and am deathly afraid of anything even vaguely tangential to ghosts, demons, poltergeists, leprechauns, squids, flying saucers — you get the idea.
But who said I didn’t have horror stories?
I, in fact, will be covering horror stories that are much more pertinent to your everyday lives and are much more likely to happen to you on any given day.
Yep, you guessed it.
Public restroom stalls.
Some of us never set foot in one. Others only reserve a trip for those select few days they run out of cash and are forced to dine on Taco Bell’s Bell Grande fiesta adventure burrito with zesty authentico cheesy sauce.
There are yet others, brave souls, who utilize public restrooms on a regular basis. Hey, when nature calls, duty answers. I don’t think that’s a saying, but whatever.
Oh, and finally, let’s not forget those who use public restroom stalls for the potential promise of glory holes.
No matter which group you hail from, I’m sure that you’ve all had varying degrees of public restroom horror stories.
Touching back to my opening tale, one can easily surmise that a lot of people pissed in that toilet before me, steadily raising the water level. Each and every one of them had to pee into that horrifying debacle, whilst looking up at the ceiling and conjuring thoughts of rainbows, breasts and unicorns.
So much suffering.
So much pain.
And it all traces back to the first guy who clogged the damn thing in the first place.
But hey, I can’t blame ya, guy. Last time I checked, most restroom stalls didn’t come with plungers as standard-issue. And really, who wants to be the guy that goes to the poor janitor asking them to unclog their honking shit, which was a result of eating too much all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue the other day?
What I’m calling for is a tacit agreement between all the different public restroom users. Be a little more considerate to the person/people that will be using the stall after you. Try to reserve your massive, whopping shits for your home or at least pack a foldable plunger if you’re a frequent big shitter. Maybe try flushing in between every turd?
Oh, and don’t try to flush down heaping wads of toilet paper or tampons or condoms in a public restroom. One or two are OK, I guess. I’m not a doctor.
We’re all in this shit together.
I know that dealing with shit can be difficult, but stay strong.
After all, it’s shitty to be so selfish.
If we all united under one banner we may just be able to make the world a less shitty place.
Okay, okay I’m done with the shitty puns.
Set aside your differences, social sex solicitors and prudent I-don’t-want-surfaces-that-touch-other-people’s-butts-to-be-in-contact-with-my-butt people, and together we can make tomorrow a better place.
Hah, you thought I was going to say “a less shitty place,” huh?
Tough shit.

ANDREW POH will be getting shitfaced (not really) since it’s Halloween so don’t contact him at apoh@ucdavis.edu.

News in Brief: Tour the City of Davis Wetlands

City Editor
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On Saturday the public is invited to attend a free guided tour of the City of Davis Wetlands from 3 to 5 p.m. Guides from the Yolo Basin Foundation will be on hand to teach the importance of the habitat as well as its importance to seasonal and resident diving ducks.
November is when diving ducks such as Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes and Ruddy Ducks are seen diving underwater to feed.
People planning to go on the tour should meet at the gate in front of the City of Davis’ wastewater treatment plant, east of the Yolo County landfill on Road 28H, a few minutes before 3 p.m. It’s recommended that people bring binoculars, water and a field guide.
Most of the tour will be by car, with a few optional short walks. Tours will occur rain or shine.

-Claire Tan

Column: Universe: The Musical

Science Editor
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Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust — we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper. — Albert Einstein

Einstein had an ability, rare among physicists, to convey the hardcore science he was so passionate about in a poetic way that struck a chord with anyone who listened. Similarly, Mozart had an ability, also rare among composers, to create a musical work of mathematical perfection that wooed physicists and poets alike. Perhaps there is a relationship between the numbers and the notes. We could call the relationship the wave structure of matter, resonant frequencies or Pythagorean scales, and we would be technically correct. But we can also do what Einstein and Mozart did — look past the divergence of music and math, and call the relationship what it is: a universal, cosmic harmony.
If the modern ideas of string theory are to be believed, then anything and everything is comprised of vibrating parts. Atoms, quarks, photons, alternate dimensions, piano strings and the air from a flute all take their individual properties from how they vibrate. Ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, Greeks and Indians (not American) called this philosophy “Nada Brahma,” or “The World as Sound.”
String theorists can take a leaf from the Nada Brahma book. If we look at the universe like a giant piano, everything begins to resemble notes on a scale. A piano’s frequencies range from 27.5 hertz (vibrations per second) to 4,224 hertz. If we analyze the background vibrations of cosmic dust left over from the Big Bang, they vibrate extraordinarily close to F sharp. The fundamental element in the universe, hydrogen, has an infrared frequency of 1,420 hertz, an F. And the magnetic resonance of cesium, the element we use to calibrate the world’s atomic clocks, vibrates at 9,193 hertz, a C sharp several octaves above the far right of a piano.
About 10 years ago, astronomers at NASA actually disproved the conjecture that no one can hear you scream in space. You just have to yell loud enough. The astronomers actually recorded images of sound waves propagating through the hot gas cloud surrounding one of the largest known black holes in the universe, located in the Perseus Cluster. The vibrations’ frequency is a C, albeit 57 octaves below middle C.

The daily Earth cycle is a G, and the yearly Earth cycle is C sharp. The Moon cycle is a G sharp at 421 hertz, the key just below A, which Mozart tuned to 421.6 hertz.

As we get closer to Earth, we continue to see these correlations. The electromagnetic hum of our ionosphere, called the Schumann resonance, is a B. The American power supply, 60 hertz alternating current, is somewhere between B and B flat, and the European power supply, 50 hertz direct current, is a G sharp.

These vibrations continue down to microscopic scales (pun intended) as well. If we look at the infrared frequencies of the components of DNA — adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine — we get one of the most pleasant sounds to the human ear, D sharp.

We truly do live in a musical universe.

HUDSON LOFCHIE can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Doubling down on genetic change

Science Editor
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In many ways, biological evolution at the molecular scale is a series of small steps. But scientists have not agreed on exactly how those steps add up to create entirely new genes, the molecular sequences on DNA that code for an organism’s vital functions.

By conducting controlled evolution on a strain of Salmonella bacteria, a team of researchers from UC Davis and the University of Uppsala in Sweden have shown for the first time how this process can occur when existing genes are duplicated and subsequently diverge into two separate genes — the original and the new variant. The results were published in the Oct. 19 issue of Science.

“It seems pretty clear that genes duplicate, that new genes evolve, and that they evolve by duplication of old genes, and then divergence of the two copies,” said John Roth, a UC Davis microbiology professor and co-author of the study. “People have suggested that this problem of duplication and divergence is simple, but it actually raises serious problems.”

Unlike evolutionary events caused by the mutation of single genes, duplication can lead to the creation of an entirely new gene while leaving the original unaltered. Convention holds that the initial duplication is a chance event, leaving the new copy free to pick up potentially beneficial mutations that could eventually lead to a new function. The problem, says Roth, is that the rough and tumble of molecular interactions along the genome tends to eliminate duplicate genes before they can be enhanced through mutation.

“You need to hold that extra copy long enough for the slow process of giving that gene an extra function to occur,” Roth said.

To get around this dilemma, Roth and his colleagues proposed in 2007 a model of gene evolution they call Innovation, Amplification, and Divergence (IAD). The model was based on laboratory evidence that had established two key findings: that genes can acquire mutations for weak secondary “side activities” in addition to their main function, and that duplication is the most common way to increase gene expression when the new side activities are favored by natural selection.

Enter the IAD model, where an initial gene mutation prior to duplication adds a slight secondary function (the “innovation”). This marginal modification is then amplified through duplication when a change in environmental conditions makes it suddenly beneficial. This process continues until there is a gene copy that has been sufficiently improved — has “diverged” from the original — to perform the new function without needing further amplification.

“It’s a real maelstrom of interactions that lets the sequence improve,” Roth said. “But you get a bigger target for mutations when you get lots of copies, any one of which can pick up a beneficial mutation.”

Researchers in Dan Andersson’s laboratory in Sweden induced a strain of Salmonella bacteria to evolve a new gene for a specific enzyme involved in amino acid synthesis. The experiment allowed the researchers to observe gene evolution in real time.

“What’s nice about their paper is that it’s one of the first experimental approaches to the problem,” said Michael Lynch, a biology professor at Indiana University who researches gene evolution. “It’s premature to say that this is the only mechanism that leads to the expansion and preservation of duplicate genes, but they’ve made a pretty good case that this is one of the mechanisms.”

Andersson said they hope to try experiments with yeast next.

“The difficulty is finding suitable enzymes … that we can select for, but we think we might have solved that,” Andersson wrote in an email.

Ultimately, says Roth, this work may lead to practical uses in making enzymes with novel functions. But many questions remain concerning the basic biology behind gene evolution, including the extent of the similarities between bacteria and the rest of the living world.

OYANG TENG can be  reached at science@theaggie.org.

Robert Mondavi Institute debuts Honey and Pollination Center

Campus Editor
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This past Saturday, entomologists and honey enthusiasts alike came together to celebrate the debut of the Robert Mondavi Institute’s (RMI) Honey and Pollination Center at the “Bounty of Pollination: More Than Just Honey” event.

Saturday’s event featured guest speakers, including award-winning cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg who directed and produced The Beauty of Pollination, as well as various demonstrations from the Davis Co-Op and Whole Foods. In addition, guests enjoyed honey tastings.

The independent center was approved earlier this year by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and aims to promote the use of high-quality honey in the market, to help ensure the sustainability of honey production and to showcase the importance of honey and pollination in California.

The center is funded primarily through donations and grants, with initial seed funding from Whole Foods, CAES, the Department of Entomology, the Office of Research and Z Specialty Food in Woodland.

The center differs from the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility in the Department of Entomology, which is a state-supported facility that focuses on honey bee breeding, genetics and native bee biology.

“The Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility’s focus is honey bees, bee biology, health and related areas,” said Amina Harris, executive director of the Honey and Pollination Center. “Our focus is a bit broader. We bring together beekeepers, researchers, agriculture and the consumer.”

Still, the two entities are closely aligned.

“[The vision is to] make UC Davis the nation’s leading authority on honey, honey bees and pollination by combining the resources and expertise of RMI and the Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility,” RMI Executive Director Clare Hasler-Lewis said in a press release.

Harris believes that the center will have an impact on several levels.

“We seek to help build a healthy, sustainable population of beehives to support a vigorous, high-quality honey industry in California,” Harris said. “We plan to be proactive in the development of improved labeling — there are few standards in place to define varietal honeys.”

In addition, the center hopes to facilitate and support ongoing research of the health effects of honey, royal jelly, pollen and propolis through writing grants since little is known about the health benefits.

“The center should serve as a central clearinghouse for inquiries from anyone about honey bees, honey, native bees and bees used in commercial crop pollination,” said Eric Mussen, the extension apiculturist in Agriculture and Natural Resources under the vice president of agriculture, located in Oakland.

For more information on the Honey and Pollination Center visit rmi.ucdavis.edu/centers/honey.

STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Ride to Know group bikes from SF to Sac for Prop. 37

City Editor
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This past weekend, a group of Bay Area cyclists embarked on a two-day ride called The Ride to Know from San Francisco to Sacramento in support of Proposition 37. Prop. 37, the California voter initiative to require labeling of genetically-modified (GM) foods, has been a debated item on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The cyclists included members of the Biosafety Alliance, California Right to Know, Sustainable Living Roadshow and various other people who support Prop. 37.
“During The Right to Know March on Oct. 3 in San Francisco, I asked attendees if they would ride their bikes to Sacramento in support of Prop. 37; there was a lot of interest and we decided to do it,” said Miguel Robles, a member of the Biosafety Alliance, and one of the ride’s organizers.
Riders started their journey on Saturday from the Ferry Building in San Francisco. They took a ferry to Vallejo and began cycling from there. The riders met people along the way and stayed overnight in Davis, hosted by a group in Davis that supports Prop. 37.

On Sunday they rode to Sacramento, first to the Downtown Sacramento Farmers Market and then to the State Capitol.

The group consisted of about 12 riders, which was a much lower number than initially expected. However, this did not discourage the ride organizers.
“We traveled in one day about 55 miles and then the other day about 35 miles. We were expecting more people, but we also realize a lot of people aren’t really ready to ride 55 miles in one day,” said Becky White, musician and activist and one of the ride’s organizers.
The No on Prop. 37 campaign argues that passing the proposition would require the repackaging and relabeling of everyday food products. This would result in an increase in food prices, frivolous lawsuits and cost taxpayers and the government unnecessary money.
“Legally mandating such a label can only serve to mislead and falsely alarm consumers,” said the Board of Directors for the American Association for the Advancement of Science in a statement issued on Oct. 20 called “On Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods.”
If Prop. 37 passes, California would be the first state in the U.S. to implement such a law. However, 61 other countries already require the labeling of GM food.
“We have the right to know what is in the food we purchase and eat. That’s a basic right,” White said in a press release. “We want to support farmers that prioritize keeping our families and our ecological communities healthy.”
Robles said the main goal of the ride was to encourage people in the areas they rode through to continue the work they have been doing for the past year and a half. He felt that people will vote “yes” on Prop. 37 regardless of the allegedly misleading information put out by corporations on TV and in newspaper ads.
“The largest pesticide and junk-food companies in the world are spending $40 million to try to buy this election, to keep California mothers and fathers from finding out whatʼs really in their childrenʼs food,” said Stacy Malkan, media director for the Yes on Prop. 37 California Right to Know campaign, in a press release.
Robles was optimistic that even if Prop. 37 doesn’t pass, people would at least be informed of GM food.

“We can see how the anti-GMO [genetically-modified organism] movement has gained support in the past few years and are sure that in case we los[e], we already have educated millions and millions of Californians about this issue,” Robles said in an e-mail. “The marketing for non-labeled GMO food as well as the perception that people have about it will not be the same.”

PAAYAL ZAVERI can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

California may lose 100 dairy farms

City Editor
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California may lose 100 dairy farms

Most people know the old slogan: “Happy cheese comes from happy cows, and happy cows come from California.” For the past few years, however, dairy farms have been struggling to keep afloat.

The California dairy industry produced over 2 billion pounds of cheese in 2011. In fact, California ranked second in the nation for highest cheese production, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). However, that may change in the near future.

In Yolo County, there are only two dairies, including UC Davis’ own. Merced tops the list for the highest amount of California dairies at 258, with over 268,000 head of cattle.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who studies agriculture and air quality, says that there are a few reasons for this.

“California has a milk and cheese market that’s separated from the rest of the United States and the prices for milk and cheese are determined by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It’s a very complex system that’s not really understood,” Mitloehner said.

According to the CDFA’s website, many different components of the milk market are taken into account by monitoring milk, butter, cheese and other products at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Then they take economic factors into account such as feed, labor, utilities and veterinary care. Each class of milk product has a different price, with “fluid milk” ranking the highest. However, when fluid milk production peaks during the summer, the chief consumers — school children — are absent, resulting in low prices.

In an email, UC Davis professor of animal science Ed DePeters, who studies cattle and milk production, spoke of low milk prices.

“High supply of milk must be met with high demand for milk and dairy products,” DePeters said.

Because of the extreme variability of milk prices, the CDFA creates a “milk pool” by combining the total amount of money of different milk products, and paying them out to dairy farmers.

“What’s clear is that California dairymen receive much less for their milk than other states,” Mitloehner said.

But dairy owners contend with another challenge — the price of feed for cows. Although the price of milk remains stable, feed prices have gone up in the last few years.

“Approximately 40 percent of today’s corn produced in the U.S. isn’t going to animal feed or human food, but into fuel — mainly ethanol,” Mitloehner said.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), corn grown for ethanol is predicted to compete with feed over the next 10 years. In 2010, corn grown for ethanol began to seriously compete with corn grown for feed when ethanol production surpassed feed production at 5 billion bushels. The USDA claims that in the next few years, the cost of corn and other crops used for ethanol will be at “historically high levels.”

However, ethanol isn’t the only reason for corn prices increasing.

“Corn and soybean prices affect the prices of other feeds. Plus the drought in the Midwest this summer also impacted price of corn and soybeans,” DePeters said.

The increased price of corn also means the increased price of alternative feed.

“The reason that’s such a problem is that the feed costs are by far the most important cost — more than 70 to 80 percent of the cost is on feed, and when these prices go up then your revenue goes down,” Mitloehner said.

These problems force out smaller, less competitive dairies, although some larger dairies have been hit too.

“There are predictions that we will lose 100 dairies here in the next month,” Mitloehner said. “Personally, I think that although we’re losing dairies, I don’t think we’ll lose cows.”

The USDA’s most recent report on rising costs in agriculture suggests the same thing. The report talks about record-high costs for milk for the country, while the number of dairy cows has declined.

The USDA Agricultural Predictions to 2021 report suggests that large dairy operations are on the rise, while small operations will fade out.

“The decline in cow numbers slows somewhat toward the end of the projection period as the transition in most regions from smaller, diversified farms to larger, specialized dairy operations matures,” the report states.

According to the report, this means in the next 10 years, big farms will overtake small farms. Small farms may not have the ability to withstand the future of dairy costs.

“Costs of environmental regulations continue to increase for dairy producers. Banks are also tight with money so loans are difficult for dairy farmers to obtain during times when things are bad. [Agriculture] is often cyclic with good and bad times,” DePeters said.

Mitloehner believes that the only real solution is a reevaluation of the U.S.’ priorities.

“A long-term solution is to think really critically if we should grow food crops for fuel. I’m very skeptical of growing corn for ethanol,” Mitloehner said. “For example, if you get rid of a 20-, 30-, 40-acre dairy [and replace it] with a development — if you look at the environmental impact, it’s really a question of which landform is more helpful to our land use.”

In a statement issued by Karen Ross, secretary of the CDFA, she announced the creation of the Dairy Future Task Force to address issues for dairy.

The announcement gave some background on failing dairies.

“Many dairies are still trying to recover from the 2009 crisis which saw record losses in the industry and they simply didn’t have enough equity to see them through this crisis,” stated the announcement.

However, the statement also lists some reasons to be hopeful.

“The minimum price [of milk] has increased approximately 30 percent since June 2012 and is now among the highest prices on record. Class 4b milk, which is used to make cheese, is also up in recent months by about 30 percent,” the announcement stated.

In the end, California may not lose its happy cows — just some happy farmers.

JULIE WEBB can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Police Briefs

City Editor
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FRIDAY
Parenting, you’re doing it right
A woman shoplifted a 30-pack of Keystone, put it on top of her baby in a stroller and walked out of the store on Russell Boulevard.

Pothead protocol   
Somebody reported people smoking marijuana and requested that the police advise people to close their windows on Pole Line Road.

SATURDAY
The Deathly Halloweekend
Over 100 people were drinking in their front yards and sitting in the street on Pole Line Road.

Coke, not cola
On Russell Boulevard, a man offered someone coke, but the person thought he was talking about soda until he gestured to the type you snort.

Swinging from the trees
People were passed out and loitering in the plot at The Trees on Lake Boulevard.

A meaty crime
On L Street, someone ordered veggie pizza only to find that it had chicken on it, and as the restaurant remade it with chicken again, the man thought the employees did it on purpose.

Police briefs are compiled from the City of Davis daily crime bulletins. Contact EINAT GILBOA at city@theaggie.org.

Column: On dying

Opinion
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Three parties, a football game and an AggieTV workshop I’m supposed to be in charge of — I had my plans set in stone for this weekend. On Friday, I’m supposed to go to a free yoga class at 2 p.m. and work on my honors thesis from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Things that I had been looking forward to for days now seem to lack their original luster. What would’ve been my last undergraduate football game doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore. Missing the three parties to be with my uncle is such an easy choice now, even though 45 minutes ago I was like, “Hell naw, I wouldn’t miss those parties for anything!”

Half an hour ago, I got a phone call saying that my uncle’s lung collapsed and that he might not make it past this weekend. As I pack my things to leave for Vancouver, I struggle in slight disbelief to formulate these sentences.

By the time you read these words on Tuesday, someone very special to me may no longer be alive.

As a person who tries to put her faith in God, I sometimes buckle under the pressure of these tribulations. What are we supposed to do when crying no longer alleviates the burden of a heavy heart? Where should we turn?

I encourage you to call your loved ones right now for no reason and tell them how much they mean to you.

Don’t waste your time on Earth crying over some boy or talking trash about that beezy on the bike path. In the grand scheme of your life, what do they matter?

Just because we’re in college, don’t inebriate yourself so often that drinking becomes a bigger part of your life than your family. Don’t let that be the only way you meaningfully interact with people around you. Create bonds that really mean something. Will those people be there for you when you’re stuck on the side of the road two hours away? Will they be there for you when your party has run out of alcohol and you’re cleaning up the mess they left?

Invest in the people who matter to you.

No matter how crappy things may be with your family, take it upon yourself to initiate change. Don’t wait for someone to die before you say all the good things you love about them.

And family extends beyond the biological. Repair your relationships now. Pride is the deadliest of all sins because it stops us from living full and truly happy lives. It’s what stops families from reconciling, what turns petty disagreements into years of bitterness and what keeps young people acting like they have all the time in the world.

But really, our parents are getting old.

Our siblings are growing up.

Our dads may only have a couple years of playing catch left in them. Our little sisters may be too cool for us by the time we finally call them back. We will never again be able to have the same kind of quality time with them that we could have right now.

My dad is one of 10 siblings. The only two times I’ve ever seen him cry were also on trips to Vancouver — once at his brother’s funeral. The other time on Christmas Eve when we were five hours away from reaching my grandpa and he received the call saying that we didn’t make it.

And now, we’re making the same trip.

My uncle has had cancer for three years, and we actually thought he was getting better. I think about my cousins — his children — and my heart starts aching when I try to imagine how they must be feeling. Even though all five of them are adults with their own separate lives — one lives in Singapore and was still on his honeymoon, another resides in the Philippines with his wife and three sons — they dropped what they were doing to be at their father’s side.

We have a limited time on Earth, but it’s hard to keep that in mind when we’re stressed out over midterms or frustrated with our significant other. I wish it didn’t take this trip we’re about to make for me to remember how valuable and precious every day is.

So I share this heartache with all of you as a reminder before you have to make a similar trip. Spend as much time as you can with the people you love.

JHUNEHL FORTALEZA knows that her family is not alone. Feel free to email her your own stories at jtfortaleza@ucdavis.edu.

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