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Column: Labor pains

Opinion

Opinion

May 1, 2012

From here ‘til retirement, our lives are run by work. Bye, summer vacays! But with the high unemployment and college retention rates, there are fewer jobs and more people looking for them. Nut up, get competitive and fight for a paycheck no matter how big or small.

Though Craigslist may lead to legit jobs, they’re mostly scams or seeking girls for a “film shoot.” Get into career listing websites (Monster, Indeed, SimplyHired and LinkedIn, all “.coms”). Make sure to do your research to see which ones have resulted in success for others. Sign up (the small fee may be worth it) and submit those lovely resumes that stand out from people who used a template. Don’t forget those obnoxious cover letters. They’re irritating but can make the difference between getting a call or not.

Nowadays, it seems the only way to get a worthwhile job is through connections. There are way too many weirdos in the world and I wouldn’t want to hire them, either. A referral from a trusted employee makes a boss more likely to consider the candidate. Network and keep up with people who have jobs to offer us. Hey, that’s the world we live in. Better to spin it to our advantage.

Keep files of your resume, references and cover letters on your phone at all times. Meet someone at a bar who would like to pass your resume along? Make a couple of edits and it’ll take five minutes for you to send over your info. Thank Steve Jobs and the iCloud he resides in for the accessibility afforded to us by modern technology.

But there’s a smack-of-reality twist, y’all! With it being this easy to get applications out there, more people have access to the same jobs. If you’re not working, make searching for employment your career. That means spending most of your day on those websites and pounding those grimy streets looking for work. Shoot for 25 (!) job applications a day, and not just for those jobs that need a degree. If you get something to tide you over, keep applying for 10 a day ‘til gold strikes.

Employers understand the current job market and will be more critical. If you’re asked about the company you’re seeking work from, you’d better damn well have an answer. How in the fuck are we supposed to remember each one and research their history? We’d have no time for “Modern Family” marathons! Spend the time to get well-versed in each company’s reputation.

Or, cheat and use the internet during sporadic phone interviews. Thanks again, Steve!

Just like being in the stirrups at a gynecologist’s office, interviews are sweat-inducing nightmares that leave us exposed for strangers to examine. They can and will ask the most asinine inquiries known to man. My personal favorite: “What do you like the least about yourself?” Resist the urge to say, “My inability to answer stupid fucking questions!” Employers are looking for qualified candidates to help solve the internal problem they have. Sell yourself as the asset they need. If we go in with the mindset of alleviating our financial problems, they’ll smell it from the waiting room. Striking the proper tone of confident and assertive is key. And don’t forget to smile your way through the fear. But not like a crazy person. Keep all kinds of crazy locked away at home, and deodorant at the ready in your car.

We enter a new place at the bottom of the ranks and build ourselves up to the top by working our asses off. In school, we eventually become student body president or the head of a production company, so the inevitable drop-off back into the entry-level (or worse, unpaid intern) position produces a bruised ego. Don’t let that become destructive and don’t slack off after getting the job. Human resources is constantly looking for ways to cut labor these days. Instead of letting our knowledge of our overqualification turn us into ungrateful monsters, prove to employers we’re deserving of more dignified work. Buy a jar of patience and wait it out.

There’s no place for lazy these days. We have to be active in making the job opportunities available for us. Perfect your CVs and do the grunt work now to get to the high-paying gigs later. Once we’re comfortable and can pay the bills without worry, then we can watch “Modern Family” all we want.

JAZZ TRICE thinks you is kind, you is smart and you is important. Ask him why at jazztrice526@gmail.com or twitter.com/Jazz_Trice.

Unite Women protest brings hundreds to State Capitol

City Editor

April 30, 2012

Hundreds gathered in Sacramento on April 28 as part of a nationwide demonstration to stand up for women’s rights and pursuit of equality.

The protest was targeted at recent legislation participants said would set women’s progress back after decades of development.

“The amazing thing about the event is that it’s happening in every single state,” said Unite Women Media Representative Suzy Silvestre. “Republicans are denying this is happening, yet they are implementing bills that influence women and our lives.”

“The GOP has written nearly 1,000 pieces of legislation just in this last year, all of them designed to set women’s rights back 40 or more years,” said Susan McMillan Emry, founder of Rock the Slut Vote (RTSV) United, in e-mail.

RTSV is a small group aimed at fighting the GOP’s efforts against women. The organization tabled at Saturday’s rally, providing a place for people to get up and talk as well as implementing its own awareness campaign.

RSTV also raffled off $500 college scholarships in a drawing dubbed “Rush Limbaugh thinks I’m a slut,” one of which was won by UC Davis junior linguistics major Rachael Delehanty.

“Our goal is to galvanize women to get informed, get involved, get registered and vote,” Emry said.

“It’s about voter registration, but it’s also an awareness campaign, with dog tags and t-shirts to create awareness about what’s going on legislatively,” said Somer Loen, who helped organize RTSV’s tabling event. Loen is also an active member of the Bay Area Coalition for Reproductive Rights (BAYCOR).

“It is particularly important that we reach younger women who may have taken women’s rights for granted until now,” Emry said.

Incidents of younger women being affected by the GOP’s efforts have showed up recently in the media, such as the Rush Limbaugh fiasco, which is partly the origin of RTSV’s name.

“The word ‘slut’ is one of the GOP’s favorite attack words used to silence women,” Emry said. “We deliberately chose to embrace this word, to shine a spotlight on it, and wrest all the power from it.”

Many recently publicized events have sparked calls to action. For Silvestre, the straw that broke the camel’s back was the Susan G. Komen’s Foundation attempt to deny funding to Planned Parenthood.

“They eventually retracted their decision and gave back funding,” Silvestre said, “but there were new board members that aligned with Republicans, and they didn’t want to give back funding because they [Planned Parenthood] provide abortions.”

Silvestre, previously not one to take to the streets, was inspired by the passage of legislation in other states that diminished women’s rights.

“When I saw what was happening with the foundation, and then Virginia, and all these things started coming out, there’s no way I could let this happen,” Silvestre said.

Virginia passed a piece of legislation earlier this year that would force women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound by vaginal probe.

More recently, Arizona legislators are trying to pass a bill that would allow employers to fire women for using birth control for purposes aside from health reasons.

While California doesn’t necessarily abide by this nationwide trend, recently trying to pass a bill that would enable nurses to provide abortions, Silvestre pointed out that sticking up for women in other states is essential.

“We’re a part of the U.S. and we have to stick up for women that can’t,” Silvestre said. “Women that are oppressed by men, women in rural areas; we have to stand up for them.”

The march in Sacramento, explained Silvestre, was predominantly in solidarity with these women.

According to Silvestre, the march and rally were a great success.

“We had three to five hundred people come out,” Silvestre said. “The speakers were great and very motivational.”

Loen reported an impressive and diverse turnout as well as a positive atmosphere at Fremont Park’s tabling event.

“It was probably one of the most positive rallies I’ve ever been to,” Loen gushed. “People were really responsive. We shared a lot of information about legislation that people had not known.”

“All of the real work is done and now it’s about educating people and keeping them informed,” Silvestre said.

EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.

News-in-brief: Work It! Week begins today

Features

Features Editor

April 30, 2012

Health, Education and Promotion (HEP)’s first physical activity campaign, called “Work It!” Week, begins today and lasts until Friday. Held in honor of Physical Activity Month, which runs through the month of May, Work It! Week encourages students to get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day. For a complete list of events, visit shcs.ucdavis.edu/workit.

Monday

“Work it!” Week Kick Off
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MU Patio/Quad
Kick off “Work it!” Week with 10 minutes of fun activities and earn a T-shirt, pick up a free flying disc and get a workout band, too.

“10+10+10” How to Fit It In Workshop
12:15 to 1 p.m.
Group Exercise Studio at the ARC
Learn how to get the most out of your 30 minute workout. Personal trainers will teach you effective 10 minute workouts involving cardio and weights that you can split up and add into your life three times a day.

Wednesday

Jeopardy: Physical Activity Edition!
Noon to 1 p.m.
MU Patio
How many calories do you burn taking the stairs versus the elevator? Think you know the answer? Test your knowledge for a chance to win some sweet swag. Sponsored by the Exercise Biology Club.

Eat Well Live Healthy Series
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Student Health and Wellness Center, Third Floor, Conference Room 2
“Let’s Get Moving!” This motivational presentation will help get you started on your physical activity plan. Learn about body composition, fuels for activity and what activity is right for you. Sponsored by Student Health & Counseling Services.

Thursday

“10+10+10” How to Fit It In Workshop
1:15 to 2 p.m.
Group Exercise Studio at the ARC
If strength training is not your thing, then come learn how to fit three 10-minute dance sessions into your day. A group exercise instructor will teach you fun Zumba moves, so that you can dance anywhere!

Friday

Gardening Activity Day
9 a.m. to noon
Segundo Resident Garden, Harvest Garden at the Student Health and Wellness Center and Salad Bowl Garden at the Plant and Environmental Sciences building.
Come spend some time getting active in one of the beautiful campus gardens planting and learning about gardening techniques.

— Erin Migdol

Column: Drawsome

Opinion

Opinion

April 30, 2012

It was high noon on Picnic Day and there we were: strewn about the living room, escaping the sweltering heat outside. Those who weren’t watching the Sharks lose to St. Louis were fully invested in their phones, smirking as they dragged their fingertips across the screen, giggling at horrendous drawings. I was among them and I have no shame. We were playing Draw Something and we were loving it.

The addictive mobile Pictionary-esque game has exploded since its debut a couple months ago — thanks to its appeal to users of all ages and artistic abilities. Draw Something is certainly a bright spot in a sea of copycat apps and naysayers. Its refreshing uniqueness is a reminder that not all hope is lost in a sector that seems to have hit a dead end.

There are a handful of tech reporters spreading apocalyptic visions of a doomed industry whose glory days, they claim, are far behind it. Their writings contend that innovation on the web and in mobile have reached its peak and the only direction these technologies can go from here is down.

It’s a jaded perspective — one that’s informed by bored, weary-eyed journalists, exhausted and uninspired by the interminable coverage of Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft — but not necessarily untrue.

I had to stop myself from inappropriately screaming “Yes. YES. YES!” in public while reading Alexis Madrigal’s piece in The Atlantic, “The Jig Is Up: Time to Get Past Facebook and Invent a New Future.” My eyes typically roll out onto the floor at articles like these — written by people disappointed that the new millenium came up short of the impossible plans “The Jetsons” drew out for us. But Madrigal was on the money. He was so right about the lack of innovation in energy, healthcare and education — areas that actually need it! — due in large part to the herd mentality among startups to reproduce and fixate on a popular idea (like, cough, social networking) until it’s dead.

Madrigal’s look at the state of technology today is a sobering one. He echoes again and again that we’re doing the same things we did five or 10 years ago — staring at web pages, writing documents and uploading photos — just at higher resolutions.

The essay is basically a 2,000-word plea to end the tech giants’ stronghold and for SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE to do SOMETHING new. His claim is a blanket statement to which there are exceptions, obviously. But we’re talking about trends here and the truth of the matter is: there are too few technologies on the web or in mobile that grab us by the shoulders and shake us with inspiration to create or do new things.

Which brings me back to that delicious little game Draw Something. The mobile app was an unlikely success for OMGPOP, a multiplayer gaming site that basically rips off popular games like Connect Four and Mario Kart. The online versions of these games, however, are driven by coin incentives, or currency with which users can buy “upgrades” like protractors and fancy pens for Draw My Thing, the original version of the popular mobile game. It’s this generation’s Neopets, if you know what I mean.

Draw Something for iOS and Android is a watered-down edition of Draw My Thing, wherein users illustrate words for fellow gamers and earn coins based on the difficulty of those words. You have an incentive to draw clearly articulated pictures because if your partner guesses correctly, you earn more points.

How can you hate a game where everyone wins? You can’t. That’s why Draw Something has caught on with the masses. The game’s popularity is a different kind of success for mobile — one that I hope will inspire similar kinds of apps. The game forces people to create moments with their friends and families, rather than constant reflections into the past. It compels gamers to tap into their right brain and share the way they see the world with others. It’s not often that a silly game will offer such a unique perspective on someone’s way of thinking. The highly personal interaction between Draw Something users has the power to nurture more direct and deeper relationships — and I think that’s pretty drawsome.

NICOLE NGUYEN wants to draw things with you. Invite nicolemnguyen to play or send a sketch to niknguyen@ucdavis.edu.

Column: Keep on Walker-ing

Sports

Sports Editor

April 30, 2012

If you follow sports on the UC Davis campus, it’s probably hard for you to wrap your mind around the idea the in the near future an Aggie team could contend for a national title.

With all of the struggles in football and men’s basketball — not to mention the disappointing end to the women’s basketball season — it’s easy to get lost in the negatives that seems to surround major sports on the UC Davis campus.

Maybe it is fitting, in this sense, that the Aggies’ most likely title contenders never play on the campus at all.

After taking its third straight Big West Conference title last week, the UC Davis Women’s Golf team is setting its sights on yet another NCAA Regional appearance — and if a few things fall in their favor, a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament.

With a team ranked 22nd in the nation, it is easy to say that the Aggies are a long-shot at best, and to be fair, they are by no means favorites to take home hardware in upcoming weeks.

But if you’re counting the Aggies out, you better think again. UC Davis has a team of gamers — golfers that step up in big moments to shoot impressive scores.

Take freshman Beverly Vatananugulkit, who took the Big West title this season. The Cerritos, Calif. native faced off against seniors in the final day of the biggest tournament of her life (so far) and she stepped up to birdie the final two holes to put the tournament out of reach.

Possibly even more impressive, according to head coach Anne Walker, Vatananugulkit kept herself loose the entire time.

And while the Aggies are led by a several young golfers, and the team doesn’t feature a single senior, UC Davis is far from lacking experience.

Juniors Amy Simanton and Demi Runas may not have a full three years of collegiate golf under their belts, but in the two full seasons they’ve played the two have gotten more experience than most collegiate golfers get in a career.

The duo has experience in NCAA Regionals, and they both learned about UC Davis golf from some of the universities all-time greats: Chelsea Stelzmiller, Lauren Dobashi (both of whom graduated in 2010) and Alice Kim (who graduated last season). With Dobashi still on the coaching staff and the influence of Stelzmiller and Kim still clearly felt, Simanton and Runas have the ability to play like seasoned veterans despite their lack of official experience.

And yet it’s that lack of official experience that makes this team so impressive. The Aggies will return their entire team next season (I’ll take a moment for you to think about that).

That means that even if UC Davis doesn’t make a serious title run this season, there is a whole additional year for the Aggies to make their move.

And with an extra year of experience for sophomore Jessica Chulya, along with Vatananugulkit and fellow freshman Blair Lewis, next year’s team has the potential to be the strongest in school history.

While the players are certainly doing their part to ensure that UC Davis has one of the premiere women’s golf programs in the nation, as with all collegiate sports, the success begins with the head coach.

UC Davis Walker has created a culture of winning around the Aggie program. Most impressively, however, she has done it in her first ever head-coaching position and in just her fourth year as top-brass at UC Davis.

When she talks about bringing fresh talent into the UC Davis team she makes it sound so simple.

But in reality few tasks could be more difficult — especially when you consider that national powerhouses like California, UCLA, USC and Stanford all play in the same state.

Still, Walker continues to put a team on the course that can compete with the best of them, despite the fact that she will probably never get the credit that she deserves due to the fact that her team competes off campus.

But even with the lack of credit, if you’re betting on the next UC Davis team to win a national title, my advice would be you can’t go wrong with Aggie women’s golf.

TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggie Cash to be a meal plan requirement

Campus Editor

April 30, 2012

Aggie Cash to be a meal plan requirement

Class of 2016 first-year students are in for a significant change in the Dining Commons meal plan options for the upcoming 2012-13 academic year. Meal plans will now include Aggie Cash, a supplemental cash plan to the regular “swipes” meal plan, which can be utilized at convenience stores located on campus, the Silo, and participating restaurants and businesses in downtown Davis.

“By adding Aggie Cash to the meal plans, this will allow the students more flexibility with their meal plan. Currently we have 50 percent of our students purchasing Aggie Cash,” said Director of the Office of Student Development Branden Petitt.

Purchases with Aggie Cash are both tax-free and said to be discounted by 10 percent off the purchase price.

“We are hearing from our students that they like the ability to have Aggie Cash available to spend as they are on or off campus and just cannot get back to the dining commons for meals. They like the fact that they can use it on campus to grab a snack or coffee at Starbucks while waiting for class or studying,” Petitt said.

Aggie Cash rolls over from quarter to quarter and year to year, whereas for students that opt only for the regular “swipes” meal plan, leftover swipes are converted to Aggie Cash at a rate of $2.25 per swipe. Entrance to the dining commons for dinner is usually $12.75 for people not on a meal plan.

Due to general budget constraints, a projected 4 to 6 percent cost increase is set to hit UC Davis Student Housing for the 2012-13 academic year, aside from the cost increase tacked on to the new meal plan.

Some students response to the change in meal plans is one of a negative nature.

“It’s unfair for students because it’s an unnecessary product and guaranteed revenue for the school, students should be given a choice about whether or not they want to include Aggie Cash in their meal plan,” said first-year pre-managerial economics major Daniel Connor.

Many students said that the Dining Commons should allow students a choice in meal plan options.

“I think that what Student Housing is doing is not necessary, nor is it fair. It’s not fair for students to be forced to pay for something that they don’t need. Personally, I don’t have Aggie Cash and I have never felt that I needed it,” said first-year biological sciences major Elizabeth Hanrahan.

Student Housing maintains that the proposed change in meal plans is a positive one, considering the convenience

“I like having Aggie Cash because there are a lot of restaurants that participate in the program, and it’s very convenient, forgetting my wallet is not a problem as long as I have my ID card on hand,” said first-year biological systems engineering major Michael Perlic.

GHEED SAEED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC Davis falls to rival

Sports Editor

April 30, 2012

Losing to Sacramento State is never fun, but UC Davis’ bus still carried a lot of winners back over the Causeway Friday night.

Although the Hornets topped the Aggies in points, UC Davis’ men and women claimed nine event wins apiece during the Causeway Classic Track and Field Duals.

The women were bested 102-86 but juniors Kayla Carter and Melanise Chapman managed to produce some highlights for Aggie fans.

Carter blazed through the 100m hurdles, finishing first with a time of 13.6s. She followed that up with another first place performance in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.73 — good for third in UC Davis history. Sophomore Kellie Grigg joined Carter in the 400m hurdles and the two combined for a 1-2 Aggie finish.

As usual, the Aggies could depend on senior Sarah Sumpter to walk away with an award. She dominated the 3,000m for UC Davis, finishing in a time of 9:33.40 which beat former Aggie Kim Conley’s meet record by 12s. The feat also earned Sumpter the fourth place slot on the Aggies’ all-time list for the event. Sumpter was trailed by sophomore Kristine Lozoy who came in third for the Aggies.

UC Davis’ women also earned a win from freshman Katie Barber in the high jump who cleared 1.66m to claim the victory.

Senior Lauren Radke continues to dominate the women’s pole vault. She won again on Friday after clearing 3.80m. Fellow senior Ashley Hearn joined Radke in the winner’s circle after placing first in the discus.

UC Davis’ men were busy at work as well.

Sophomore Nathan Strum continued to standout for the Aggies, claiming victories in the 800 and 1,500m on Friday. He finished his 1,500m in 3:50.37 which broke the meet record set by teammate and standout, senior Jonathan Peterson.

Freshman Trevor Ehlenbach was hot on Strum’s heels during the 800m, claiming another 1-2 finish for UC Davis.

Other Aggie winners included freshmen Corey Hobbs who won the 100m and Jason Chandler who closed the 400m in a time of 48.36s. Sophomore Karl Moran won the 400m hurdles and senior Robert Neely claimed the long jump after clearing 6.97m. Seniors Igor Seriba and Ethan Ostrum also pulled in wins for UC Davis after taking first in the triple jump and pole vault respectively.

The men’s 4X400m relay closed the meet and brought the last win for the Aggies.

“We [had] some folks really step up and perform well,” said head coach Drew Wartenburg.

“You like to have performances that are getting toward peak levels at season’s end.”

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

Government sues publishers, Amazon lowers prices

City News

City Editor

April 30, 2012

In mid-April, the Justice Department sued five major book-publishing companies on antitrust charges for allegedly colluding to raise e-book prices. Simultaneously, Amazon.com announced it would lower its e-book prices, pushing major titles from $14.99 to $9.99.

The government’s decision has put Amazon in a position of power; the company, which already controls 60 percent of the e-book market, may now be able to set the prices for e-books.

Three of the charged publishers, the Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, have already agreed to a settlement that will most likely overturn their pricing model. Macmillan and Penguin Group USA, were also named in the suit but have not settled yet.

Members of the book world are worried about the potential consequences of the settlement. Publishers and booksellers argue that any victory consumers might gain from Amazon’s lowered prices will be short-lived and that the eventual effect of the antitrust suit will be to exchange a perceived monopoly for a real one. Amazon, already the dominant force in the industry, will have the ball completely in its court.

Amazon, which has eluded collecting sales taxes in more than five states, said that the settlement was “a big win for Kindle owners,” and added that “we look forward to being able to lower prices on more Kindle books.”

The Consumer Federation of America called the settlement “a slam-dunk of collusive, anti-competitive behavior.”

Amazon’s introduction of the Kindle in 2007 resulted in skyrocketing e-book sales. They sold 2 percent of all book titles in the nation that year, and have risen to 25 percent of sales this year. In 2011, about 114 million e-books were sold at a cost of $441.3 million.

In comparison to bestseller list prices of $17 to $20, Amazon offers them for $9.99. It is widely believed Amazon is selling the e-books at a loss as a way of attracting more customers and forcing competitors to lower their prices. Amazon also has been demanding higher discounts from publishers and stopped offering e-books from the Independent Publishers Group, a Chicago-based distributor, after they couldn’t agree to terms.

“I went out of business because of Amazon,” said Amy Sand, former Southern California independent bookstore owner. “Business was really profitable before Amazon started getting big in 2007, but after that we just couldn’t compete with their lowball prices.”

Sand, along with many other independent bookstore owners, said she worries that Amazon’s potential monopoly will negatively impact the literary world on a grander level.
“If they can decide prices of books, what can’t they do?” Sand said.

SARA ISLAS can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

News-in-brief: Davis Dozen arraignment moved to May 10

Campus Editor

April 30, 2012

The arraignment of 11 students and one professor who allegedly initiated the closing of U.S. Bank on the university campus has been continued to May 10.

On Friday, over 50 people were present for the arraignment at Yolo County Superior Court in Woodland. Due of the size of the courtroom, about half could not gain access to it.

Many supporters of Occupy UC Davis wore shirts that read “Free the Davis Dozen.”

The group is being charged with over 20 counts of obstructing movement in a public place, which is grounds for up to six months in prison, as well as conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of one year. According to the Yolo County District Attorney’s office a plea deal will be offered. Should they plead guilty they would receive a sentence of 80 hours of community service.

In a press release issued Friday, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and Provost Ralph J. Hexter said the University is adhering to their obligation to ensure that the rights of one person or party do not interfere with that of another’s.

“We fully expect the district attorney and his staff to balance the rights of all the parties involved and to pursue remedies that are appropriate, fair-minded and just in the full context of what occurred on this campus,” stated the release. “… We have every expectation that the students involved in this case will learn from this experience and as they do, will apply their energy and passion in positive and productive ways.”

– MUNA SADEK

Senate Briefs

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 30, 2012

ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the April 26 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings.

Meeting called to order at 6:14 p.m.

Rebecca Sterling, ASUCD president, late, left early at 8 p.m.
Yena Bae, ASUCD vice president, present
Kabir Kapur, ASUCD senator, present
Jared Crisologo-Smith, ASUCD senator, present
Bradley Bottoms, ASUCD senator, present
Justin Goss, ASUCD senator, present
Anni Kimball, ASUCD senator, present
Paul Min, ASUCD senator, present
Don Gilbert, ASUCD senator, present
Joyce Han, ASUCD senator, present
Erica Padgett, ASUCD senator, present
Beatriz Anguiano, ASUCD senator, present
Patrick Sheehan, ASUCD senator, pro tempore, present
Yara Zokaie, ASUCD senator, present

Presentations
Emily Koruin, Raka Ray, Suzanne Lewis and Ricardo Barajas were confirmed to the Gender and Sexualities Commission.

Bihter Ozedirne was confirmed as Lobby Corps Director.

Lauren Menz was confirmed as University Affairs Director.

Consideration of old legislation
Senate Bill 101, authored by Goss, co-authored by Rombi, Moosavi, Chin, to allocate $36.00 for Aggies at the Pub: Trivia Night. Padgett said she wanted the actual quote from the Entertainment Council added to the bill. Justin was unable to get the quote until after the event, which is why the bill is being seen then. Sandstrom agreed, she didn’t want to do reimbursements. Sheehan and Goss say they have reimbursed people in the past. Bottoms thought that it doesn’t hurt adding a few sentences. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 102, authored by Cano, introduced by Kapur, to allow appointed ASUCD officials to serve on Administrative Advisory Committees. Cano said he wants more student involvement on campus. Sandstrom said she wants to hear more about debate on conflicts of interest, states that basically it is practice and feels scared of perception. Sheehan said that senators and commission chairs are still restricted and thinks they should discuss whether or not they want that as an association. Sheehan said he was scared that people can get on big committees and decide where fees go, but do not know about campus. Goss says it is better to have an undergraduate voice. Sheehan said that a lot of committees have things to do with stuff that ASUCD wants to do. The bill is unanimously passed.

Senate Bill 104 authored by Martin, co-authored by Sheehan, introduced by Sheehan, to allocate $40, 431.28 from Capital Reserves to purchase one 2011 Ford 12-passenger van for STS/ Tipsy Taxi. Sabastian Belser presented about changing wording of bill, like to change will to STS reserve from capital reserves. Sheehan stated that there may be a small deviation. Goss asked why they only last for 60,000 miles. Belser says that each of the old vans had over 75,000 miles. Padgett said that Unitrans Director Anthony Palmere agreed that is the proper place to pull money from from ASUCD specialized transportation reserve. Han wanted to know if there is a rough estimate when second vehicle will be replaced. Sheehan said that it’s around 5 to 7 years, and being replaced because vehicles are so old. Min suggested reaching out to other car companies, but Belser said Ford is the best. The bill is passed unanimously.

Status of Legislation previously passed
President Sterling vetoed Senate Bill 95, authored by Goss, to establish committee of volunteers under community of university volunteers. The president said that it is unacceptable to establish a unit. When this was written there was not a current director. She said that they need to rectify student body atmosphere before reaching out. Motion to override passed.

Public discussion
Cano said he is working on writing a Bylaw chapter about Archives.

Sabrina Diaz said she went to a meeting about the Memorial Union (MU) renewal project, they are going to remodel the MU, and thinking about adding a Pub to the MU, but in order to fund the project one option thrown out was a student referendum. They are looking at 2015 completion.

Public announcements
Montelongo said there will be a screening of a movie about Chicano studies and said there will be free food on Monday May 7, in the Student Community Center, meeting room E.

Min said that his Campus Lighting Walk has been postponed to May 16 due to rain.

Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Open positions within ASUCD can be found at vacancy.ucdavis.edu. DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN compiles the senate briefs. She can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC Davis ends season with a blowout

Sports Editor

April 30, 2012

The UC Davis Lacrosse team’s last game had no bearing on the outcome of this season, but they still put forth an impressive effort.

The Aggies were already deprived of a chance to play in the postseason when they lost to Stanford two games before. It seemed UC Davis had lost its edge when they were handed a disappointing loss by Fresno State.

But the Aggies silenced its critics with a 24-10 blowout win over St. Mary’s. The 24 goals tied the record for the most goals scored in a single game in UC Davis history.

Although the game was close in the beginning, the Aggies took a commanding 15-5 lead going into halftime after a 12-minute stretch where the team scored 10 goals. From there, UC Davis cruised through the second half and put up nine more goals before the final game of their season would come to a close.

Junior attacker Elizabeth Datino put together a masterful performance, ending the game with eight assists and four goals. Her 12 points in the game brought her season total to a school record of 101 points, the highest of any player in NCAA Division I.

Datino’s 47 assists this year shattered the previous UC Davis single season record of 29. Despite the fact that they were named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as first team, Datino stressed the importance of the game for the entire team.

“Winning the last game of the season sets the tone for the start of next year and it also shows that our team will never quit,” Datino said.

Junior midfielder Hannah Mirza also played a huge role in the offensive explosion with a career high eight goals. Mirza, who was a consistent contributor for the Aggies the entire year, was named to the all-MPSF second team.

Elizabeth Landry, an MPSF first-teamer and Newcomer of the Year, also made six goals in the destruction of the 3-12 St. Mary’s team. The freshman also had four caused turnovers and five groundballs.

The win marked the end of a season that featured some struggles for the young Aggie team.

Still, with many key contributors returning next year, UC Davis will be looking to return to the MPSF Tournament in 2013.

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

“Work it!” brings exercise into the busy university student schedule

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 30, 2012

UC Davis’ Health Education and Promotion center (HEP) is kicking off a week long physical activity campaign today entitled “Work it!”.

The campaign is trying to promote the idea that being physically active does not exclusively entail becoming a gym rat or running an ultra-marathon. “Work it!” is encouraging students to adopt a 30-minute workout a day that can broke up into 10-minute bouts.

“We’re showing that you don’t have to be in a gym setting to get some kind of physical activity in,” said senior exercise biology major and Wellness Student Assistant at HEP Jerrico Crisologo. “We want to bring a chill approach to it.”

HEP focuses on disseminating information to students that pertains to nutrition, physical activity, sexual health, wellness, stress management, and alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues. They also manage the mobile Love Lab, a safe party website, and host health-centered jeopardy at group functions.

“It’s been in the making for a few years,” Crisologo said about “Work it!”.

After taking numerous student surveys and having focus groups, HEP concluded that there was a serious problem of inactivity on campus.

“The percentage of students not exercising regularly or not at all is not where we’d like to see it,” Crisologo said.

“Work it!” is stressing the concept of working in short bursts of physical activity throughout a busy school day.

“Were helping people find what they enjoy in terms of a workout,” said junior exercise biology major and President of the Exercise Biology Club Courtney Chason. “There are little things you can do as you go about your day.”

The Exercise Biology club, Campus Recreation and the ASUCD Student Health and Wellness committee are all partnering with HEP to help promote their message of exercise.

“Throughout the entire week Campus Rec is hosting intro classes,” Crisologo said. “Everything we’re promoting is all free.”

Along with the intro classes, HEP is having different physical activity events starting on Monday at 11:30 a.m. in front of the ASUCD Coffee House.

Their first event will consist of different exercise stations and include promotional prizes.

“I think that it’s crucial that students form the habit of exercising,” said senior human development major and Student Physical Activity Assistant Haleigh Reichert.

Reichert has been co-planning “Work it!” with Crisologo since the beginning of winter quarter.

“We just want to promote education towards health and the seven realms of wellness,” Crisologo said.

MAX GARRITY RUSSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Column: Case of the stupids

Opinion

Opinion

April 30, 2012

You may remember my column from a few weeks ago, in which I mentioned the fact that it’s spring. Well, it’s still spring. And I’ve noticed that among our age cohort, spring seems to bring out certain … ahem … behaviors.

Don’t be coy, reader. You know what I’m talking about. Just check out the Quad on a sunny day and you’ll see clumps of canoodling couples — the air around them positively glowing with puppy love. It’s disgusting. It’s adorable. It’s dist-orable.

Ah yes, love. Amour, amore, al-hubb, or as my nana once called it, “a case of the stupids.” But what is it, exactly? Everybody likes to be in love, but people in love are too caught up to think critically about what they’re feeling and the rest of us losers are too busy with our Star Trek and herb gardening to care. It’s not so easy, therefore, to immediately define the darn thing.

But some scientists somewhere managed to find time in between falling in and out of love (hopefully with each other!) to figure out exactly what that evasive sensation actually is. And to no one’s surprise, it’s hormones.

To be more precise, the feeling of being in love comes from three hormones in particular and Radiolab fans can tune out this paragraph because I’m stealing it directly from the show. Meh, at least I cited my sources.

So first you’ve got your dopamine, which is the rush of happiness you feel around your sweetie. Then there’s norepinephrine, which is responsible for the physical attraction to one particular person. I like to think of this one as the Romeo and Juliet hormone, the one that turns you in to a dramatic teenager who is positive that if they can’t be with this one person forever then they don’t want to even live anymore so shut up, Mom, you don’t know anything about love!

OK, so those two hormones have kicked in and you’re a whirlwind of desire and affection. You and your boo are like two glorious deer, romping through the woods of romance. But hold up there Bambi because without the third member of the hormone party this relationship can’t last.

This final one is the hormone responsible for all kinds of feelings of affection — from the long-term love of married partners to the love you feel for your dog. It’s called oxytocin. It’s awesome.

Oxytocin is the hormone scientists credit for “pair-bonding” in all kinds of mammals — as well as parent-child and friend-friend bonds. Take a second to think about someone you love. Don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy? Wham! I just gave you a free hit of oxytocin.

Hey, speaking of things that make you feel great, have you ever read the Song of Songs? From the Torah/Old Testament? Now that is some good love poetry. It’s this long poem that narrates the courtship of a man and woman from both of their perspectives, with a chorus of maidens that pops in once in a while. And let me tell you, it is spicy.

Some scholars read the Song as an allegory for the divine love between God and the Jewish people or between Christ and the Church. That reading is part of a long tradition of eroticizing the relationship between the believer and the divine which is definitely not exclusive to Christianity. But if you’re interested you should look into medieval Christian theology some more because it gets raunchy.

Other scholars think it’s a super ancient Jewish wedding song that was accidentally included in the various texts that make up the Old Testament. A few even think it was written by Solomon himself or dedicated to him by some courtly poet. Regardless, it has inspired millennia of poets and it’s a pretty gorgeous piece of work.

Yes, love is all around you, from the Bible to the Quad to the inside of your own treacherous brain. Birds do it, bees do it, from time to time even awkward you’s and me’s do it. But if you find yourself in the throes of love, remember that as romantic as it seems at the time, like most good things in life, it all comes down to chemicals.

This column is dedicated to all the couples I keep seeing hooking up in the library. Really, y’all? The library?

If you’d like to accuse KATELYN HEMPSTEAD of being a love-hating harpy or bible-ruining infidel, you can reach her at khempstead@ucdavis.edu.

Whole Earth Festival volunteers patrol the karma

Features Editor

April 30, 2012

When volunteering for a festival, there are the standard tasks that need to be done, such as parking, food service, as well as helping to set up and tear down the festival’s activities. But what does it mean to be in the Whole Earth Festival (WEF)’s volunteer group called the Karma Patrol?

“I think there are three types of festival-goers,” said Willee Roberts, a senior international relations major and co-director of Karma Patrol. “There are festival-goers that enjoy the festivities for a few hours, there are those that take a couple days completely submerging themselves in all that the festival offers and then there’s Karma Patrol.”

The Karma Patrol holds meetings to train volunteers every Wednesday leading up to WEF. The next meeting will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Zinfandel Lounge at the Experimental College.

It is at these meetings that old and new Karma Patrollers of all ages get to know each other through bonding games and interactive informational discussions about various events and positions, as well as the Non-Violence Communication Workshop.

Adam Smith, a former Karma Patroller, said that the workshop is basically a practice in effective communication.

“The idea is not to pacify people we’re talking to,” Roberts said. “Since there is a political protest element to the festival, the workshop familiarizes Karma Patrollers with the university’s rules, and some things that the festival is founded on, such as protecting freedom of expression.”

After completing the Non-Violence Communication Workshop, volunteers become officially certified, a skill they can add to their resumes.

However, the pre-festival training is just one aspect of Karma Patrol’s function and make-up within the Whole Earth Festivities. There are many volunteer positions that are uniquely characteristic to the event itself, adding the final touches to the festival atmosphere.

A position called “space-keeping” requires a pair of Karma Patrollers to walk around the Quad together, utilizing non-violent communication when needed, keeping an eye out for any potential conflicts and making sure everything is running smoothly with craft and food vendors.

When the sun goes down, the festivities don’t usually come to an abrupt close, so that’s where the Karma Patrol’s Night Ninjas come in.

Night Ninjas are WEF’s night-time security. They also help close down the festival for the day.

“Very interesting stories come from the night ninjas,” Smith said. “It’s definitely a rewarding experience.”

Another important position, which is somewhat of a combination of space-keeping and Night Ninjas, is stage-sleeping. Stage-sleepers bring sleeping bags and sleep on the stage so that nothing is vandalized.

“It’s very much like having an accountable slumber party,” said Anne Litak, a senior English major and co-director of WEF.

A fundamental WEF volunteering position is logistics. Logistics volunteers play a crucial role on Sunday night, the last night of WEF, when the campus must be completely cleaned up and put back to its normal appearance.

“This will give whoever decides to volunteer a foundation for doing other things,” Litak said. “It’s also a job that would potentially be a paid position at other festivals.”

If a volunteer has experience with kids and has a passion for simply making them happy then there’s the Kids Space. This is where patrollers watch out for kids in all aspects whether they’re playing with insects, crafting, playing in the kids dome, face painting and listening during story time.

In keeping WEF litter-free and eco-friendly, the Whole Earth Reusable Cooperative holds a “soapie party” in the ASUCD Coffee House dish room to wash plastic plates and utensils for reuse. Compost and recycling Patrollers stand near the trash bins, teaching people about compost and recycling and sorting the bins.

To find out more about Karma Patrol, visit: www.facebook.com/WholeEarthFestival.

DOMINICK COSTABILE can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Students advocate for bill package as Lobby Month approaches

Campus Editor

April 26, 2012

Beginning in May, the students of Lobby Corps will be traveling to the state capitol at least three times per week in order to lobby for their bill package.

Lobby Corps is an advocacy unit under ASUCD. The group works on behalf of UC Davis students at the state capitol to lobby for bills that will benefit the student body.

“All legislation is relative to higher education and looked at from a student’s perspective. They relate to three aims: transparency, affordability and accountability,” said Bihter Ozedirne, Director of Lobby Corps.

There are 10 bills that the students are lobbying for, all falling under the categories of corporation taxes, student financial aid, public postsecondary education and postsecondary education.

“Holding the UC Regents and respective administrations accountable will evaluate the quality of academics and services provided to students. Assembly Bill 2190 establishes a California Higher Education Authority which will monitor and report on the progress and quality of the postsecondary systems,” said Kevin Pascual, Internal Director of Lobby Corps. “The transparency aspect ensures that the public is made aware of all decisions made by the Regents including a public broadcast of all open meetings, and bridging the gap between campus law enforcement and students.”

Pascual said that two of the bills focus on providing more information on textbook sources and freezing administrative pay every time a tuition increase is approved.

Lobby Corps has been working on the bill package for the entire year. They usually choose around five to seven bills, but this year they are lobbying 10.

“I’m very happy with the bills we selected. The theme that all of the bills deal with are increasing higher education with students, bettering their experience by making it easier with tuition costs,” said Graciela Miller, Director of Publicity for Lobby Corps.

With Lobby Month quickly approaching, students are encouraged to get involved with Lobby Corps.

The proper training is provided and the group will be holding a forum on campus on May 1. Students are also provided with a Lobby Month training packet, which includes all of the bills and their descriptions.

“We meet every Wednesday at 7 p.m., in the Angelina Room in the Memorial Union (MU). Meetings are open to public. Anyone can come anytime and we accommodate with schedules. We have an open door policy,” Ozedirne said.

The other way students can be heard in support of reinvestment of higher education is through signing the current online letter campaign.

“The online letter campaign is a method for students to sign a letter to their state senators and assembly members representing their hometown and [urging] them to consider the importance of the UC system, not just to students but to the overall economy of the state. It is imperative that funding to public education must be restored to ensure that the best academic service is provided to all students,” Pascual said.

The letter campaign can be found on asucd.ucdavis.edu.

Ozedirne highlighted the benefits of getting involved with Lobby Corps.

“It is a great opportunity for any students interested in policy and government. Also, a great opportunity for networking. It’s really beneficial from the aspect of policy and professional networking,” Ozedirne said.

DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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