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‘Get Some Jerky,’ because Aggies do business too

Features

Features Editor

October 2, 2012

When one hears about UC Davis, one thinks about its world-class agriculture program or the extensive research facilities and faculty that have made it one of the greatest public universities in the nation. However, one recent grad and two seniors have committed themselves to create a new reason to be proud to be called an Aggie.

Founded and spearheaded by senior political science major Alex Lane, Get Some Jerky is “what freedom tastes like”: an all-American, high-quality beef jerky company located in Davis. Lane, as an unsatisfied jerky lover, decided to create a company that would offer a meat lover-worthy, preservative-free jerky because he said people deserve better.

With only two and a half months since the company launched, Lane and his fellow founders, 2011 graduate Sarah Hellesen and senior history major James Panabaker, have artfully crafted their way to produce four distinct flavors of jerky – hot beef, sweet and spicy, homestyle pepper and a sweet teriyaki turkey jerky – and interest three investors. But Lane said these achievements have not come easy to Get Some Jerky.

Lane tells of the sacrifices the company has demanded from him and his co-founders in order to grow as entrepreneurs, including the almost complete eradication of their social lives, stress and extra time invested in learning small business management due to working 100-hour weeks.

“To sum it up in one sentence: The company is my life,” Lane said.

UC Davis prestige is not particularly associated with business and entrepreneurship; a company like Get Some Jerky, however, proves that Aggies can do business as well. It is vital to notice that Get Some Jerky is not the first company to arise from innovative students from this university.

Companies such as Aseptia, a food processing technology company, and Solera, a company created to develop small electricity-generating systems, were founded by Aggie impresarios with a true spirit of innovation.

Evidently, the entrepreneurial interest of UC Davis students is increasing. Lane has been attending meetings of a Davis startup club focused on mentoring and helping new entrepreneurs in the city. Davis in general has been truly helpful for Get Some Jerky’s success.

“We’ve been receiving much support from local Davis citizens; our investors are actually local as well,” Panabaker said.

Panabaker said that Davis locals encourage and care for students’ business ambitions.

Appealing to Davisites is one of Get Some Jerky’s primary goals; thus, what better way to attract locals’ attention than by having a bear meander around the town’s biggest events?

Get Some Jerky’s mascot is, indeed, a bear by the name of Jerk. Co-founder and handyman Panabaker wears the bear costume to the farmers market, on-campus activities and occasionally to downtown Davis to take pictures with locals.

But Get Some Jerky has other priorities as well. The three founders, a CPA, a lawyer and informal support by Chase bank in Davis are the only influences and minds in the corporation. Although Lane is the “mastermind” behind Get Some Jerky, Hellesen said she realizes that an addition of other professionals into the business will increase the efficiency and growth of the company.

“As we grow, we’re planning to bring in somebody from marketing, because while it’s something we can do by ourselves, it could be much better done by a professional,” Panabaker said.

However, a low budget and the relative freshness of the company have not made this possible just yet, exposing Lane, Panabaker and Hellesen to more responsibilities and situations they said they are not entirely savvy and well-versed for.

Lane plans to start selling the jerky at the Coffee House in the Memorial Union soon. After that, he plans to expand to other campuses like UC Berkeley, where he expects that Get Some Jerky’s mascot bear will become popular and widely accepted by the locals.

Ultimately, Get Some Jerky – and in essence Aggie pride – should be available in store counters throughout the nation.

As of now, Lane must continue to exploit his intellect, innovative talent and unique charisma to attract new investors to the company and thus slowly grow as an entrepreneur.

“Starting the company is like having a baby,” Lane said. “You’re always stressed, broke [and] too busy, but it’s worth it.”

DANIEL RIESGO can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Guest Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

October 2, 2012

As the people who cook, clean and care for you and your campus, the work we do is essential to UC’s ability to provide you with a world-class education. Our work isn’t glamorous, but the purpose of our work is to support you – our future – and we take real pride in that. Today, we are engaged in a struggle with the UC administration over issues that affect us and our families deeply: retirement with dignity, wages and jobs that sustain us, and the ability to advocate for ourselves and the people we serve — like all of you.

At age 60, after 20-plus years of hard work, we will retire with permanent injuries, unaffordable
healthcare and an average retirement income of $18,000/year. By contrast, UC President Mark Yudof can retire after just seven years of service to UC on more than $350,000/year, with decreased health insurance costs.

We pay for our retirement benefit each month of our working lives so that we can afford to stop working when we are old, and we have foregone hefty raises for the promise of healthcare when our bodies are too broken to work. The UC Regents, however, have proposed changes to these benefits that will leave us impoverished: We would retire at age 65, well past the point of physical ability, and for some of us, the increased cost of our health insurance would exceed our monthly retirement income. Yet our risk of work-related injury is only increasing.

UC now hires fewer custodians, maintenance workers and gardeners to clean your restrooms, fix the lights in your classrooms and make your campus clean and safe. Increasingly, this work is being done by people who work for outside contractors, make poverty wages with no benefits and have no rights at work. This creates unsafe working conditions for us, and poor conditions for your education.

For this, you are paying higher fees, yet the training and research you do while at UC is the foundation for what is a highly profitable university system. We think that UC can and should do better.

The UC system is the third-largest employer in the state, impacts one out of 46 jobs in the state and reported an increase of $414 million in net assets last year. The University of California is an economic engine that can either help drive the state’s economy forward our help drag it down, but the administration is making further and deeper cuts to your education and our livelihoods. How will workers be able to retire if the UC continues to cut our pensions? How will you be able to earn your degree if the UC continues to raise fees and cut classes? How will California recover and grow if UC’s workers and graduates are living in debt?

As you see us on the picket line this month, please understand that we are putting our greatest effort into reaching a fair agreement with the UC administration — one that honors our dignity, safety and livelihoods, and that can help to restore the excellence that you deserve and should expect from the University of California.

Women’s Volleyball 2-1 in conference

Sports Editor

October 2, 2012

The UC Davis women’s volleyball team has opened their run at the Big West championship on a strong note.

Although the Aggies endured a rocky start at the beginning of the season, they have come away with strong wins against powerful teams, yielding a boost of confidence and energy in the team’s dynamic performance.

UC Davis (8-8) opened its season with three matches at the Blue Raider Bash tournament in Tennessee, losing two against Furman and Alabama-Birmingham and winning one against Middle Tennessee State. Subsequently, in the next four games, the Aggies went 2-2 in matchups with Utah, Middle Tennessee State, UAB and Furman.

“During non-conference, we played with a lot of different lineups,” said coach Jamie Holmes. “We tried a lot of different personalities to figure out the best group for the Big West conference play.”

The results of the variance and experimentation in lineups shone through in the Aggies’ first Big West Conference match against fierce competitor Pacific. Junior outside hitter Devon Damelio tallied 15 kills while sophomore middle blocker Victoria Lee posted a career-high 10 blocks, resulting in a four-set upset.

As the progression toward the optimal lineup for Big West competition continues, the women have focused their attention on core elements of their game. One of the Aggies’ focuses is to improve their serve and receive and first-ball contact. An improvement in the reception line and being able to receive serves would boost the women’s overall performance and allow the top players to take control of the plays.

Last week, the women focused on the defensive side of the game, the results of which were displayed in the strong defensive success against Pacific on Saturday night with five blocks.

Although the Aggies’ overall record currently stands at 8-8, the team showed no signs of weakness against Pacific. Damelio tallied 15 kills while sophomore middle blocker Victoria Lee hit 0.500 and posted a career-high 10 blocks to lead UC Davis to a four-set upset over Pacific in a match at the Pavilion last Saturday night.

Subsequently, the Aggies improved their conference record to 2-0 in a thriller against UC Riverside. Damelio tallied a team-leading 18 kills while senior Allison Whitson added 15 kills and a career-high 23 digs to help UC Davis hold onto a five-set win over the Highlanders on Friday night.

Unfortunately, the women fell to Cal State Fullerton in yet another gripping five-setter. Although they maintained a 2-1 match lead, the Aggies struggled in the fourth set with a 0.062 average. Whitson and sophomores Valerie Rain and Victoria Lee each tied or set career highs in kills.

Next, the Aggies will embark on a two-game road trip against Long Beach State and UC Irvine this weekend. UC Davis faces off with the 49ers on Friday and then the Anteaters on Saturday. Both games are at 7 p.m.

“There are no teams in the conference that we will be able to take lightly. It’s really going to be about us continuing to improve and find our personality on the court,” Holmes said.

One of Holmes’ primary goals for the season is very simple and fundamental to her idea of success of the women’s volleyball team.

“My goal for this season is for us to play to our potential,” she said. “If we play a tremendous game and leave with a loss, that’s still a victory in my book.”

VEENA BANSAL can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies split weekend

Sports Editor

October 2, 2012

The UC Davis women’s soccer team kicked off Big West conference play with two games on the road this weekend. The Aggies took down UC Santa Barbara in overtime, but could not pull out a victory over Cal Poly and split the weekend matchups.

Friday — UC Davis 2, UC Santa Barbara 1 (OT)

The Aggies headed down to Santa Barbara on Friday and managed to earn a 2-1 OT victory against the Gauchos.

The first half was scoreless but it was certainly not due to a lack of action. UC Davis tallied 13 attempts on the goal during the first half but the offense was unable to find the back of the net until the 76th minute when senior Allison Kelly booted one in for a goal.

UC Santa Barbara struck back 10 minutes later when sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Jern was unable to block a header shot by Gaucho sophomore Madison Beckley. Junior Hannah Hicks took another shot on the goal during regulation but was unable to get past UCSB’s goalkeeper.

The Aggie offense continued to attack during the extra frame and eventually freshman Sienna Drizin was able to send one past the Gaucho goalie for the game winner at the 98-minute mark.

Head coach MaryClaire Robinson was happy with her team’s performance during Friday’s game. She praised their youth and their continued determination to improve the offensive attack.

“We’re young and we’ve got a lot of spunk,” Robinson said. “We’ve also got a lot of fresh faces in new roles this year which is something refreshing.”

Sunday — UC Davis 0, Cal Poly 1

The win over UCSB moved UC Davis to 6-4-1 overall with a 1-0 conference record. They traveled to Cal Poly on Sunday to face their conference rival Mustangs.

Cal Poly’s offense struck first when the Mustang’s lead scorer, Elise Krieghoff, managed to put one past Jern during the 12th minute.

Jern and the Aggie defense managed to prevent Cal Poly from earning more goals but UC Davis’ offense was unable to even the score.

The Mustangs held a 14-7 shot advantage during the match and Cal Poly’s defense managed to hold off UC Davis’ late offensive rally to give the Aggies their first conference loss of the season.

Despite the loss, Robinson remains encouraged about the trajectory of her team.

“Our legs were a little heavy from Friday night but we rallied late … we’re on the right path.”

The Aggies have one more road match to complete before they can return to Aggie Soccer Field to enjoy home field advantage. UC Davis holds a 6-5-1 overall record and is 1-1 in the Big West.

The Aggies will head down to Stockton on Friday to face off against another conference rival, Pacific.

KIM CARR can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Inside the Game with Terrance Tumey

Sports

Sports Editor

October 2, 2012

Terrance Tumey is a business man. That much is clear. He’ll ask calculated questions to further his understanding of any situation. Tumey seems to comprehend relational dynamics and is the sort of person that will spend the time doing his research to get things right in the long run. But the model he will be working on is that of UC Davis athletics, a task that will require all of his years of experience.

He has spent considerable time getting to know the Davis community since he assumed his post in August, attending UC Davis sporting events and taking the extra steps to understand the ecosystem here in Davis. He has a history in academics and athletics in the UC system, as well as coaching and managing football.

Tumey has been asking a lot of questions, as he is still adjusting and getting to know the unique environment we have here at UC Davis. He played a little role reversal and took the time to answer questions from Aggie Sports Editor Matthew Yuen, to let the Davis community familiarize itself with the new head of Aggie Athletics.

What attracted you to UC Davis when you first heard of the Athletic Director job opening and what has been your first impression of the school and community thus far?

Anybody who looks at Davis can say it’s a “Sleeping Giant.” It could be great but why has it been a sleeping giant for so long? What are the issues, the obstacles, the things that are stopping it from growing as an athletic entity? That 2005 year was a tremendous year, but after that there hasn’t been [a] lot of press coverage.

Academically, UC Davis has never wavered but it isn’t really recognized for that and we need to push that. It led me to look at Davis as an institution and not just as an athletic entity. And that made me look at how it all relates to athletics.

Did the incidents that took place in November, amidst all the budget cuts, etc. affect your desire to pursue this position?

I felt as though it was typical of an institution that has very progressive people that understand rights and want to express them.

Everyone here is so student-athlete-oriented, that when you do things that affect student-athletes everyone gets concerned. It did not dissuade me one bit.

I was happy to see people were so passionate about athletics. In an elimination situation, nobody wins. One of my goals here is to never have to experience the elimination of sports.

What are some goals you have for the near future for UC Davis athletics?

In terms of athletics and the community my first goal is to listen and embrace what the mission of this institution is, and how we can support it through the conduit of athletics. Athletics is just a mirror image of the institution.

Davis is a strong academic entity and a strong athletic entity that needs to grow in concert and move forward.

Understanding what foundation that is and how to get that working is what I need to do in my first year.

At your last position as the Athletic Director for Dominican University, you headed their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. How will that experience help you here at UC Davis, which recently completed the switch from Division II to Division I?

Every position I’ve been in has been in a transition-type role and every institution has benefited from it. Even when I was with the 49ers, they went through a development curve when they were on a non-salary capped environment; then it dipped because of the salary cap issue.

Dominican was mostly known for its nuns and the penguins but they wanted to move past that and become a select institution of choice in that region. Athletics was going to help them do that, and it wasn’t just an NCAA transition, but it was a transition of the institution.

There are a lot of elements on this campus that are doing that and I’m going to be looking out to learn from them as I’m hoping they’ll be learning from me as we try to move this institution forward.

One thing you’ve stressed is that athletes and coaches must fit into the framework we have here at UC Davis. As for yourself, how do you fit into the UC Davis mold?

One of the greatest compliments I received in this process is when people said, ‘Terry, even though you did not go to UC Davis, you feel like an Aggie already.’

That meant to me that the principles and the things I hold dear in terms of academic integrity, striving for athletic excellence and putting the business and academic principles into place to make us flourish, all those aspects lead into what people see as the Aggie athletic experience.

I think it is from being a student-athlete in the UC System, playing football down at UCLA and going to school there. Then I struggled through business school, but having the opportunity to be around that surrounded me with excellence.

What does Aggie Pride mean to you?

Constantly moving forward is what we want to see in Aggie Athletics. And that’s what people talk about when they’re saying Aggie Pride, they mean moving forward, which is what always happened at the Division II level.

We need to do that in Division I. Just like you do it on the academic side, that’s what we need to do on the athletic side. And we’re all going to get it done; we have great people here.

— Matthew Yuen

Letter to the Editor

Opinion

Opinion

October 2, 2012

The inflated budget of the California Department of Corrections is at least indirectly related to the lack of funds available to higher education. The exorbitantly expensive death penalty is one of the reasons why there isn’t more taxpayer money for the University of California. Students and their parents end up paying for higher tuitions because funds are not allocated to the university yet it is to programs such as the death penalty.

By voting YES on Proposition 34 UC students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to replace the death penalty with life without the possibility of parole. The California death penalty has cost more than $4 billion since 1978 and there have been only 13 executions. Just the expense of death row housing is $100,000 more per year per death row inmate than for those serving life sentences.

And just in case you think that the death penalty makes us safer, please know that 46% of murders and 56% of rapes go unsolved each year in California. Wouldn’t it make you feel safer if we spent our hard-earned money on crime detection and prevention as well as on education?

Please register to vote if you are not registered. And when you vote, vote as if your education or job depends upon it, because it just might. Please start by voting YES on Proposition 34.

Carol Crabill
UC Davis Alumna
Business Officer of UC Davis Mathematics

Police Briefs

City News

City Editor

October 2, 2012

THURSDAY
Wedding crashers
Someone had friends and family stay over after their wedding at their residence on Clemson Drive, only to discover that once their guests had left, much of their belongings were gone.

SATURDAY
Not-so-silent treatment
A male and female were heard having a loud verbal disagreement in a treatment room on West Covell Boulevard.

Office party
Someone drank two bottles of champagne in the bathroom at OfficeMax and then was suspected of taking a few items on Cowell Boulevard.

No Nudz Plz
Someone was seen walking naked toward Safeway on Cowell Boulevard.

Totally fried
Somebody was passed out in the drive-thru at In-N-Out on Olive Drive.

SUNDAY
Fowl play
A suspicious person was spotted sitting in the middle of a plot with a shopping cart full of junk and two very expensive birds on Research Park Drive.

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

Absurd Publications pushes full steam ahead

City News

City Editor

October 1, 2012

In May, the new student-run press Absurd Publications had yet to print a book. Four months later, it’s sitting on a monthly reading series at The Avid Reader, a self-printed anthology titled “All the Vegetarians in Texas Have Been Shot,” two prints of a small creative journal titled “The Oddity” and radio airtime on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight.”

“When we first began, we had grand plans: a final printed book to be sold in bookstores, a place in which to host our own readings, a connection enough with the community to publish a monthly journal — a sort of ‘mini-anthology,’” said Evan White, co-founder of Absurd Publications. “And, in every case, we’ve been successful. I don’t pretend to know how any of it happened.”

Other co-founder of Absurd Publications Corey La Rue said the press was conceived at UC Davis.

“It was a community project really — born in the hot halls of Voorhies last year in a poetry class taught by Dr. [Andy] Jones,” La Rue said. “That class really changed everything, and we took away a lot with us. One day I approached Evan after class at a Starbucks and was like, ‘Hey you wanna start a press?’ and the rest is history.”

The entire process has not been an easy one, according to White and La Rue. They realized early on that making the books would be taxing, both mentally and financially. In fact, after all the equipment had been bought, the company only had $20 left of their seed money.

Absurd Publications is currently run entirely in the apartment that La Rue and White share together, with a steady stream of friends helping to smooth out any bumps they may encounter along the way.

Though White and La Rue had come into the business imagining that they wouldn’t turn any profit, time has shown that there may just be a little gold in it after all.

“In the beginning we told ourselves, ‘We’re making a book of short fiction, which there’s almost no money in. We’re also going to include poetry too, which there is no money in,’” White said.
Much of the money is going toward continuing the publication.

“[We] haven’t made enough to pay rent,” La Rue said. “Rather, we’re using all resources to re-invest and to continue to publish and cause some chaos.”

La Rue and White haven’t been doing it alone, however. In terms of staffing, Absurd Publications also has Valerie Palomo as secretary and CFO, Joe Nijmeh as an official photographer and Eric Crowl as outreach. Another source that has been helping them every step of the way has been Dr. Andy Jones, whom White calls his mentor and La Rue looks to as his therapist.

“Obviously, as a doting uncle, I’m really proud of them and impressed with how much that they’ve done,” Jones said. “And they may call me a source of mentorship or therapy or whatever the case may be, but largely it comes out of the drive of these two folks.”

Jones goes on to credit Davis’ unique climate in which student’s are endowed with a greater degree of autonomy to pursue their own goals.

“There’s an important sort of self-reliance that we really expect from our students at UC Davis,” Jones said.

The final surprise is how well the books are doing themselves. The anthology “All the Vegetarians in Texas Have Been Shot” has sold 40 prints in less than a month. There are currently 10 prints left.

In the future, Absurd Publications is looking toward expansion. Their book is available at The Avid Reader and has recently been added to permanent stock. White and La Rue are also looking into selling it at broader outlets like Amazon, iTunes and Barnes & Noble.

The third edition of their creative journal, “The Oddity,” has been printed and is available free of charge on their website www.absurdword.com.

“In the case of ‘The Oddity,’ we didn’t want to put a price tag on it,” La Rue said. “It limits the audience because some people may not be willing to fork over a dollar and others may not even have a dollar.”

ANDREW POH can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

UC Davis Cross Country gaining experience

Sports Editor

October 1, 2012

UC Davis has developed into quite a prominent front-runner in cross country.

As the season enters full bloom, both the men and women runners have been gaining experience that will help them in the upcoming months of competition.

At the Pac-12 preview hosted by UCLA, the Aggies tested their might by sending down their more experienced runners.

Sarah Sumpter led the women by placing second overall and junior Alycia Cridebring finished fifth in the women’s 5k race.

Four other UC Davis runners finished in the top 30 of a strong field.

As for this past weekend, the Aggies put other runners to the test at the Stanford Invitational.

The women’s cross country team threw a handful of younger runners into the mix to gain some experience. The Aggies sent four freshmen, which included Venus Shabgahi who placed 30th, the highest of the UC Davis women.

Sophomore Melinda Zavala followed Shabgahi’s performance with a 22:21 in the 6k and junior Hilary Teaford finished three seconds after Zavala.

The women’s runners placed 10th overall on Saturday.

The UC Davis men’s cross country team showed considerable promise, despite sporting a less-experienced roster.

Sophomore Trevor Halsted led the Aggies with a 24:37 that was good for a 12th-place finish on the 8k course.

“On a day that saw the men’s course run considerably slower than in previous years, Halsted cemented himself as this team’s front-runner with his race,” said head coach Drew Wartenburg.

The men’s team, which finished eighth at the Stanford Invite, is comprised entirely of freshmen and sophomores (10 and three, respectively) as well as two lone juniors in Grayson Hough and Nathan Strum.

UC Davis will enter the season as underdogs in most races, seeing that the freshmen have not yet established themselves on a collegiate level, but they show no signs of backing off.

“Grayson did what we needed him to do, and it was good to see two freshmen step into scoring roles,” Wartenburg said.

Both the men and women’s cross country teams have much to prove as they continue to plow through the year. The women will be defending their first ever Big West Conference title, while the men must make a name for themselves on the NCAA Division I level.

The Aggies will split their squad into two groups on Oct. 13, one to go to the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet in Louisville, Ky. and the other much closer at the Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, Calif.

MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

An afternoon tea for two

Features

Features Editor

October 1, 2012

222 D St. Suite 3, behind Pence Gallery

Hours:

Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Food: ****

Ambiance: ***

Cost: $$$

Key

Food and ambiance quality

**** I’m dining here every day

*** Almost like eating at home

** Better than my roommate’s cooking

* Only if I’m starving

Budget

$$$$ chancellor $20+

$$$ professor $15-20

$$ graduate student/alum $10-15

$ undergraduate $5-10

The weather was quite pleasant in downtown Davis as my friend and I strolled down a small path that led us to Tea List. Nestled behind Pence Gallery and surrounded by other local shops and plenty of trees, Tea List is a tea room, a café with a large selection of teas. Tea List also offers tea services as well which is basically drinking tea whilst snacking on an assortment of sandwiches, fruits and pastries.

My friend and I had called ahead to make reservations for an afternoon tea service for noon. By the time we arrived, there was a small number of people sitting outside enjoying good conversation and fresh tea. Our table inside was already set with chinaware and a vase with fresh flowers in the center of the table. Our friendly and very helpful server handed us the tea menu. I ordered the Persian black tea and my friend ordered the Strawberry Long Island iced tea. The tea came in miniature teapots. Since I had ordered hot tea, it arrived with a tiny sand timer, which would let me know when to take the tea leaves out.

The wait for the food was a bit long — around 25 minutes, even though I had called ahead to make reservations. However, the owner makes everything fresh and by hand. Fifteen minutes into our wait, more customers arrived and ordered the afternoon tea service as well. The other customers were older professionals and local Davis residents. Some of the customers even personally greeted the owner with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

The atmosphere within the café was quite amiable and cozy, especially with the sunlight streaming through the windows. When our food arrived, it was on a silver three-tier plate. Our server explained what everything was and their ingredients as well.

On the top was an assortment of fresh fruits and berries. The second tier held scones, napoleons and cookies with a chocolate swirl on top. The third tier had an assortment of sandwiches. There were four different types of sandwiches cut into bite-sized pieces: smoked turkey, chicken salad, garden sandwich and cucumber. There were also small pots of strawberry jam and Devonshire cream to go with the scones. Out of all the sandwiches, I enjoyed the chicken salad most. It is a blend of chicken with walnuts and grapes inside savory bread. I’m not a meat person, but I couldn’t help scarfing down as much of the sandwiches as I could.

The Persian black tea was full of vibrant flavor and had a refreshing aroma. My friend liked her Strawberry Long Island iced tea as well, saying it tasted very natural. The blueberry scones were alright, as I prefer my scones less dry. The soft and powdery napoleon practically melted in my mouth. Time flew by really fast as my friend and I kept popping sandwiches and drinking tea while we discussed important topics of the day.

At first glance, there didn’t seem to be a lot of food since everything was bite-sized, but somehow both of us ended up being extremely full before finishing everything. The bill came out to around $20 per person. The afternoon service really isn’t for one who’s low on cash, which is why I only have it once a year. However, the other items on Tea List’s menu are a bit nicer to a lean wallet.

The lunch items, which are usually a sandwich of your choice and a side salad, is around $8 and the tea menu includes teas from around the world. I definitely recommend this as a great spot for couples as well as a place students should go to at least once before they leave Davis. Since the café is secluded, it gives off a completely different atmosphere. There is even French music playing inside, which will make even the most dedicated Francophiles swoon with delight. Go to Tea List once and you’ll definitely leave singing of its sophistication and great food.

MICHELLE RUAN can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Plastic bag recycling ordinance extended

City Editor

October 1, 2012

Plastic bags: In January 2011, UC Davis banned plastic bags on campus, encouraging its students to use reusable bags and charging 25 cents for single-use plastic carryout bags.

On Sept. 19, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a measure that prolongs Senate Bill (SB) 1219 until Jan. 1, 2020. It was set to sunset on Jan. 1, 2013.
SB 1219 by Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) requires California grocery stores to have a recycling program for plastic bags. Besides single-use carryout bags, plastic products such as plastic bags for bread, dry cleaning, shrink wrap and other types of plastics are accepted by the recycling programs.
In 2006, Assembly Bill (AB) 2449 was passed, requiring grocery stores to have recycling programs for single-use plastic carryout bags. However, it prohibited California local governments from enacting a fee on such bags, thus many local governments ended up outright banning plastic bags and charging for carryout paper bags.

According to the bill’s analysis, the extension repeals a preemption prohibiting local governments from implementing their own separate plastic bag recycling programs, additional auditing or reporting requirements and fees on plastic bags.

In support of the bill are 1 Bag at a Time, Command Packaging, Western Plastics Association, League of California Cities, California Association of Counties and the Regional Council of Rural Counties.

“One of the things that is helpful for local governments is that it provides a source-separated stream that can be recycled or kept out of the landfill,” said Kyra Ross, a legislative representative of the League of California Cities. “And for us, that’s a very important stream, so separate and apart from the discussions about banning plastic bags or local ordinances that have been talked about or done for that matter, we think having this continued take-back stream is still important in and of itself.”

Having plastic bag recycling programs diverts the bags from ending up in landfills and storm drains.

“We look at this bill as another tool to deal with plastic bags because they are a big problem,” said Cara Martinson, senior legislative analyst for the California State Association of Counties. “We see a lot of these bags and remnants of bags in stormwater drains and causing significant issues on that end.”

SB 1219 is seen as complementary to plastic bag bans.

“Even if you ban plastic bags, there’s still going to [be] a stream of plastic coming through, at least for a certain period of time,” Ross said. “Where it is used, we think this is an important part of the overall stream that keeps plastic bags source-separated. It’s an alternative to showing up in the grocery curbside container or showing up at the landfill.”

Martinson said she considers the bill part of the solution, but not the total solution.

“There are a number of cities and counties in California that have already either instituted bans on plastic bags or have imposed fees,” Martinson said. “I know the rates or the analysis of the bill I’ve read are pretty low for recycling, but I think that coupled with the fact that there are already some bans in place has something to do with it.”

To date, at least 42 California cities have adopted plastic bag bans. According to plasticbaglaws.org, there are still many proposed ordinances that are under discussion.

“SB 1219 provides cities and counties the flexibility to address the issue in a manner that meets the needs of their communities,” Wolk said in a press release. “I applaud the Governor’s decision to continue this successful program.”

Ross said the state will have to take another look at the bill as it gets closer to 2020.

“A lot of that will be dependent on what’s happened to the existing bag bans and whether there is a statewide version of that,” she said.

CLAIRE TAN can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Column: It’s a trap

Sports

Sports Editor

October 1, 2012

To all students, new and old: I’m not the best at introductions, so in the words of Eugene Fitzherbert: “I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say … Hi.”

Now, realistically, I’m pretty sure we can answer a couple of those questions right now. Who are you? If you’re actually reading this, you can only be either an athlete whose name deserves to be in this paper, or my parents. Hi, Mom! Also, it was not I who found you, but you who picked up the newspaper and stumbled upon this section of the paper.

Now, though it’s highly unlikely that you were interested enough to ask, I’ll tell you who I am.

I’m the sports editor for this publication. Yet I, like so many of you, was originally indifferent to UC Davis athletics, and made it out to a total of one sporting event my freshman year: the Homecoming football game. I got my Aggie Pack shirt and made it to halftime before leaving, which I’m finding is longer than most people.

One thing I’ve learned is that UC Davis sports truly have something special. And I’m not saying that because I have this job. I have this job because it’s true.

To all you naysayers: There is an inexplicable factor that encompasses UC Davis. The Aggies don’t seem to have the same awe-inspiring sheer power of big established sports powerhouses such as Cal or Stanford. Yet.

If you want to be proud of your school and your athletics, then you should look past the universally accepted statement that buzzes around campus, the one that says UC Davis sports are as good as your high school team. That is fallacious in many ways.

Don’t buy into that. Cue Admiral Ackbar’s warning. Take some time to do research and your school will probably surprise you.

We truly have something special here, a program that is unfortunately taken for granted and does not get enough recognition for its athletic and academic integrity. That itself is something that most schools cannot say.

I can speak from personal experience, from one who started out with absolutely no attachment to UC Davis athletics, that the Aggies have a unique feel to them, each team with its own personality and characters.

So do it. Go to a game. Stay the whole time. Cheer for your school. When you start going out to athletic events, you’ll get sucked in by the X-factor of UC Davis’ sports. Cue Admiral Ackbar’s warning.

I know I cannot convince you of this any more than Hagrid would be able to convince me that blast-ended skrewts are, indeed, safe creatures; it’s something you will find out on your own.

Now, this will not be one of those interesting weekly columns about pop culture, relationships or the social scene here at UC Davis. Partly because I don’t think the world needs another one, but in a much more real sense, because I don’t know a single thing about any of those.

UC Davis athletics has an almost unlimited amount of material to cover. What with 23 athletic teams and over 600 student-athletes, unless they’re all like me, there’s bound to be something interesting.

I apologize in advance for all the outlandish references to Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, Harry Potter, etc., but that’s the closest I can get to relating to society.

Now, I’m not one to predict the future, but just as the Fates knew indoor plumbing was going to be big, I think the same goes for UC Davis. The Aggies have been pushing the envelope in the recent past, and as the campus and UC Davis as an institution develops, it continues to become an attractive campus for the nation’s top students and athletes.

So now we go forth into the new year, charging forward (“They call me Mr. Pig” battle cry optional) and on for the ride as UC Davis makes its push to the top.

So much has happened this past summer, while the Aggies are in a very interesting crossroads in their developing legacy.

We had three athletes affiliated with UC Davis go to the Olympics, got a new Athletic Director that you may have seen at any of our NCAA sport competitions, had several coaching changes and had some shifts in the conference composition.

Interested in any of these things? Well, then I guess I’ll see you in next week’s column. That should buy me enough time to think of what to say.

MATTHEW YUEN just met you and this is crazy, but here’s his email (calaggiesports@gmail.com) so e-mail him … maybe.

Brief: Pepper spray settlement calls for ACLU to assist in UC campus reforms

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 1, 2012

Brief: Pepper spray settlement calls for ACLU to assist in UC campus reforms

Details of the settlement between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the University of California regarding the Nov. 18 pepper spray incident were released last Wednesday on the UC Davis Quad during a press conference at which some of the settlement’s plaintiffs and attorneys spoke.

A total of $1 million was distributed between the plaintiffs, the attorneys and the ACLU.

The settlement also details an agreement between the ACLU and the UC system, and UC Davis in particular. The ACLU will assist all UC campuses in a series of reforms that were decided on following the aftermath of the incident last November. The reforms will aim to reduce police involvement in on-campus incidents, garner increased student, faculty and university staff involvement and reexamine the UC’s Freedom of Expression guidelines. The changes will necessitate community involvement in major decisions.

“We are very, very optimistic about the upcoming year,” said Barry Shiller, executive director of Strategic Communications. “We know there are still potential concerns based on what happened in November … we’re going into the year well prepared to manage conflict.”

Students, including pepper spray plaintiff Ian Lee, agree that reforms must be made.

“I think the settlement is a step in the right direction, but we need to do more … If campus police are to exist, they must be accountable to the students,” he said.

— Rohit Ravikumar

UC Davis football gets First Win in Big Sky

Sports Editor

October 1, 2012

UC Davis football gets First Win in Big Sky

In the first-ever Big Sky Conference game played at Aggie Stadium, the UC Davis football team captured their first victory with a 37-13 win over the Weber State Wildcats. Sophomore running back Dalton Turay led the offensive attack with three rushing touchdowns, the first Aggie to do so since 2006.

UC Davis improves to 2-3 with a 1-1 conference record, while Weber State falls to 0-5 and 0-2 in conference.

“It was a team effort completely. I couldn’t have done it without the other 10 guys on the field,” Turay said.

Head coach Bob Biggs had good things to say about his second-year running back, not just about how he plays but also how he carries himself on and off the field.

“He’s deceptively quick, he’s strong enough to break a lot of hand tackles and he’s just very determined,” Biggs said. “When it’s all said and done, he is the heart and soul of the team. I think his personality and the way he plays dictates what type of team we are.”

The Aggies’ offense wasted no time putting points on the board as the team showed off their no-huddle offense, marching 62 yards on a drive that took less than two minutes to open the game.

The drive was capped off by an 18-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Randy Wright to redshirt freshman wide receiver Tim Benton, who hauled in the pass with a jumping one-handed catch.

“We had one-on-one coverage there so I just gave Ben a chance to catch it and he came up with a great play and a touchdown,” Wright said.

“I thought Tim Benton’s one-handed touchdown catch ignited the team and we were off and running from there,” Biggs said.

The Aggies’ defense also flexed their muscles as they forced four turnovers and also had four sacks throughout the game. Senior linebacker Byron Gruendl had two picks and junior cornerback Dre Allen led the Aggies with eight tackles.

“As a defense we came in just ready to play and we wanted to have our breakthrough game,” said junior defensive end Nick King.

“The defense bent, but didn’t break. They showed great resilience and it was a great effort on their part,” Biggs said.

King led the team with 1.5 sacks in a dominating effort by the defense line that was constantly forcing the opponent’s quarterback to scramble from the pocket.

“We came together in spring ball and we knew we had something special. We got a lot of young guys and we took that in. We’re just one unit, there’s not one guy and we just have fun out there,” he said.

Special teams also made a huge contribution as redshirt freshman kicker Brady Stuart booted in three field goals (44, 32 and 40 yards respectively). Sophomore linebacker Ryan Dimino also had a punt block that led to one of Turay’s touchdowns.

The game was the first home game for the Aggies this year with all the students back from summer, cheering on their team.

“We fed off the emotion and the energy from the crowd,” Biggs said. “We came down the tunnel and saw the stands full with all the students and that ignited the team and got everyone really excited. Yes, it’s a game, you’re playing for yourselves and your team, but you’re also playing for the student body and when you see that kind of support, it makes you want to play well. I thought they came out and entertained very well tonight.”

Wright felt this performance was particularly satisfying.

“Filled house tonight and it was just nice to get this win under our belt in front of our fans in our home opener in the Big Sky,” Wright said.

Next week, the Aggies face Big Sky powerhouse Montana State for the Homecoming game at 4 p.m. at Aggie Stadium.

JASON MIN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

24-hour room receives renovation

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 1, 2012

After a year and a half, the 24-hour study room on campus is getting the restoration needed for a more welcoming study space for students.

“It smells like sweat and defeat in that place. Maybe some plug-ins or working AC would be nice, anything to get rid of the smell,” said Krystal Gutierrez, fourth-year sociology and Chicana/o studies double major.

Former ASUCD senators Andre Lee, Rebecca Sterling, Bree Rombi and Yena Bae were involved in the project to renovate the 24-hour study room.

According to ASUCD Senate Bill 120, ASUCD — along with the Aggie Public Arts Committee (APAC) — began the project to beautify the 24-hour study room in fall 2010, but until now it was placed on hold due to “lack of communication.”

Along with the library’s funding of $1,043, the beautification of the 24-hour study room cost ASUCD $993 — $743 from Senate Reserves and $250 from APAC — according to ASUCD senator Joyce Han, who authored the bill.

“One reason behind the renovation was continuing collaboration between different groups on campus, for example ASUCD and the library. Also, so many people I know complain about the 24 hour study room. Although it isn’t directly under ASUCD, it is important for us to recognize what the student body wants and needs to help improve UC Davis as a whole,” Han said in an e-mail interview.

The renovation of the 24-hour study room began after Summer Session II on Sept. 17 and was scheduled to be completed Sept. 30, during which time students were not allowed to study in the room. According to Han, due to lack of proper funding, the room had not been painted in 20 years.

“I am an avid user of the [24-hour study room] and think it is a great part of campus, especially when you really need to cram … it could use some sprucing up, though: The desks are old and scratched up, the chairs could use cushions and the place always smells [like] funk,” said Malisa Meemari, fifth-year exercise biology and Spanish double major.

During its renovation, the 24-hour study room received a new paint job — mint green walls — along with artwork from multiple campus groups, such as APAC and Mustard Seed Ministry.

“The original idea is for it to be a rotating art gallery like the art gallery in the Coho. It’s another way of supporting the arts on campus and giving students the opportunity if they’d like to contribute to the campus,” Han said.

Han also said that she researched colors that are best for a study atmosphere and consulted professional painters and interior designers.

“Although this renovation doesn’t fix all problems of the 24-hour study room, it’s a first step in the right direction. I want to continue to work with the library to create a better atmosphere in this room for all of us,” Han said.

LILIANA NAVA OCHOA can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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