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Column: GOP ad suicide

Opinion

Opinion

March 1, 2012

BREAKING: OBAMA DEFEATS [CHOOSE ONE: SANTORUM/ROMNEY/GINGRICH/PAUL] IN LANDSLIDE VICTORY.

This is the headline I believe will run on the eve of November 6, 2012, when all polls for the general election have closed and enough precincts have reported. Granted, the “choose one” portion definitely won’t be a part of it, but, quite frankly, by the time election day rolls around, it won’t matter who the GOP nominee is.

You might be wondering why I’ve made this bold claim. Is it because I’m a diehard Obama supporter? Is it because I, like many college kids (according to older generations), am a jean cutoff-wearing, angry sign-waving liberal? Could it even be possible that I have some kind of ulterior motive to writing this column behind all the riffraff and obscure baby jokes?

The answer to all three is no. Yes, I support Obama. Yes, I plan on voting for him come Nov. 6. Yes, I wear cutoff denim short shorts as underwear, but only because I’m a never-nude (big props to you if you get this reference). But the real rationale behind my claim is that given the extreme level of ad attacks by the current GOP contenders against each other, I don’t see Obama needing to do much campaigning once a Republican candidate stumbles out of the rubble.

An ad attack is a pretty straightforward concept. It’s a negative advertisement produced by one candidate’s campaign that has the sole purpose of making another candidate look absolutely terrible. If you turn on your TV now you’re likely to catch one, seeing as how we’re currently in the midst of possibly the most intense primary season the nation has ever seen.

Prior to the Florida primary last month, Mitt Romney’s campaign spent over $15 million on negative ads directed at fellow GOP contender Newt Gingrich. The ads assaulted Gingrich on a variety of issues ranging from his past with former President Ronald Reagan to his 1997 ethics violation while serving as Speaker of the House. In comparison, Gingrich spent roughly $3 million on ads directed in the exact opposite direction. The result? Romney won Florida by 14 percent.

Now, when a candidate overspends his adversary 5-1 on lethal advertising, it’s pretty clear what’s going to happen before the ballots are even cast. Historically, attack ads have been quite successful, dating as far back as Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 commercial against Barry Goldwater. The ad depicted a young woman picking daisies while a man with a southern accent (similar to Goldwater’s) counted down to a nuclear explosion, suggesting that electing Goldwater would push the Cold War into a nuclear crisis.

It’s unlikely that such a ridiculous commercial would sway voters in 2012, but the advertising teams behind current attack ads are well aware of that fact. Operating in the information age certainly has its advantages, as no politician can keep his past entirely secret anymore.

Since the effectiveness of attack ads has been established, it doesn’t seem as if they’ll stop anytime soon. However, their continued success will come at a very steep cost. Jerry Della Femina, a longtime ad man and dedicated Republican, said in a recent article for The Daily Beast that the current onslaught of negative ads is a “war” and “every side suffers from a war. Every side is weakened.”

Basically what he was getting at is that Obama doesn’t have to hurt the four remaining GOP candidates — they’re doing it for him. When Mitt bashes Newt, Newt barks (or burps forth whatever sound amphibians make) back, Rick slanders Mitt, and Ron belittles all three; no one is winning except for the man currently kicking his legs up in the Oval Office.

While I’m of the opinion that it’s more the candidates’ actual ideas, personalities and pretty much everything about them that predetermines Obama’s victory, the reality is that the GOP is flopping largely due to the outrageous sums being spent on attack ads. If the party stands any chance of electing a president in 2012, it needs to stop destroying itself from within. You and I both know that won’t happen, and since you’re probably also wearing your cutoffs right now, join with me as I say, “good riddance.”

VICTOR BEIGELMAN hopes a series of attack ads are launched at him for writing this column. Or an angry e-mail will be just fine. Contact him at vbeigelman@ucdavis.edu.

U.S. debut of Blanche Neige at the Mondavi

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 1, 2012

Ballet Preljocaj’s Blanche Neige
March 17 at 7 p.m.
March 18 at 3 p.m.
General admission: $75 | $64 | $40, student admission: $37.50 | $32 | $20 (prices vary depending on seating)
Tickets can be purchased at the Mondavi Center Ticket Booth
Hours: Monday to Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts will host the U.S. premiere of world-renowned Ballet Preljocaj’s Blanche Neige on March 17 and 18. Ballet Preljocaj, pronounced prezh-oh-kahzh, is France’s leading contemporary dance company.

Ballet Preljocaj’s version of Snow White will deviate from the Disney classic that many of us know and love so well. Instead, this contemporary romance — which was choreographed by famed choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, who will be at the pre-show gala on March 17 — is derived from the original story told by the Brothers Grimm, which is more graphic than its cartoon counterpart. There will still be an evil queen, a beautiful heroine and dwarves, but this grown-up re-telling of Snow White touches on more mature themes and contains a bit of nudity as well.

Besides the breathtaking dancing that will take place, Blanche Neige will also feature giant and intricate sets designed by Thierry Leproust, a prominent set designer. The costumes, worn by the 26 dancers in the production, are created by Jean Paul Gaultier, the same person who designed Madonna’s infamous cone bras. The music is a selection of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies, well known for their extravagant sounds. The entire production is a collaboration between some of France’s most celebrated artists, all of whom are masters of their individual fields.

It took nearly three years to bring Blanche Neige to the Mondavi, according to Don Roth, executive director of the Mondavi. He had originally seen a video of the full-length ballet in 2009 when he was in France and was captivated instantly. He immediately started discussing with Ballet Preljocaj’s management the possibility of having Blanche Neige performed at the Mondavi. Roth, who has seen the live production of Blanche Neige, describes it as a “dark Snow White.”

“It’s like Oedipus in reverse. Instead of a child who wants to kill a parent, the Evil Queen is the parent who wants to kill Snow White,” Roth said.

On the technical aspects of the production, Roth noted that the dance still contains elements of traditional ballet dance techniques.

“They don’t dance in toe shoes,” Roth said. “The Evil Queen dances in these heels and it’s just amazing to watch. Gaultier did an amazing job with the costumes, and the ways the costumes move on the dancers are just incredible.”

Roth isn’t the only one who is raving about how astounding Blanche Neige will be. Zak Stelly-Riggs and Daniel Golden will be putting together the sets for Blanche Neige the week before its premiere. Stelly-Riggs is the master carpenter and head rigger, whilst Golden is the master electrician who coordinates with the artists to make sure that the lighting design is incorporated into the venue. Together, they both make sure that Mondavi has the right equipment and enough power necessary to put on a show that meets all the performers’ criteria.

“It’s a technically challenging piece to put on,” Golden said about the production. So far, the two have only corresponded with Blanche Neige’s set team via e-mail and phone calls about the space necessary for the sets. They haven’t seen the sets in real life yet, but they have a good idea of how they will look when they arrive because they have a lot of photos and blueprints by which to judge them.

“The show will take place on the Jackson stage, the main stage, which is 50 feet by 100 feet wide and it is 120 feet by 50 feet deep, so it’s a pretty big stage. It seats about 1,800 people,” Stelly-Riggs said. “There will be a number of drops and one big set piece. There will also be black curtains to split certain sets.

“Lighting-wise, it seems to be a dark show. This ballet is very complicated in contrast to other ballets that use muted lights and simple scenery,” Golden said.

However, the two are excited about the show.

“The Mondavi Center’s stage is huge, so it can definitely accommodate a production as big as Blanche Neige. But we’re really excited to work on something like this as we both love challenges, and this is definitely one of the more technically-challenged shows we’ve worked on,” Golden said.

Blance Neige will only have two performances at the Mondavi before going on its U.S. tour. Roth encourages UC Davis students to take up the chance to watch this once-in-a-lifetime performance, as it’s not likely in the near future that Blance Neige will be touring the U.S. again.

“I can’t imagine anybody who won’t enjoy this. It’s an incredibly accessible piece. I guarantee that everybody will love it.”

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

Arts Week

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 1, 2012

MUSIC
The Honeybadgers and The Twanglers
Today, 7:30 p.m, free
Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St.
The Honeybadgers, Watermelon Music’s all-star band, will headline a show tonight at the newly remodeled upstairs hall at Odd Fellows Hall. The band is a mix of rhythm and blues, and is made of Jeff Simons, Ron Cowden, Leo Adamian, Scott Morris and Al Qahhar. Additionally, The Twanglers will add their own Neo-Americana-Euro-Latin-Blues fusion as the opening act.

Ganglians, A Classic Education, G. Green
Saturday, 8:30 p.m., $5
Luigi’s, 213 E St.
Before heading to the SXSW tour, Ganglians will be performing at Luigi’s for an all-ages event. Joined by A Classic Education, having come all the way from Italy, and G. Green, the night will be packed with musical performances. As KDVS radio DJ and head of Crossbill Records Michael Leahy puts it, “Luigi’s brings a much-needed, all-ages music venue in downtown Davis.”

THEATER/MONDAVI
Angélique Kidjo
Tomorrow, 8 p.m., $24.5 / $18.5 / $12.5 (student)
Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center
Angélique Kidjo, a four-time Grammy-nominated artist, is celebrated for her traditions of bringing American R&B, funk and jazz influences from Europe, Latin America, and her childhood in West Africa where she was brought up. There is a charm and an indescribable energy experience through her voice and music.

ART/GALLERY
Bryce Vinokurov
Mar. 6 to Apr. 7, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Tuesday to Saturday), free
Alex Bult Gallery, 1114 21st St. Suite B
Bryce Vinokurov is currently a teaching art lecturer and long-time faculty member of the art department. Starting Tuesday, Vinokurov will have his own exhibition to display his series of work. Come support a local artist and join Vinokurov for the opening reception next Saturday (Mar. 10) at 6 p.m.

POETRY
Christopher Sindt and Kitty Liang
Today, 8 p.m., free
John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St.
This week, Poetry in Davis (organized by Professor Andy Jones) presents Kitty Liang and Christopher Sindt. Liang was born and raised in Beijing, China. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Creative Writing at UC Davis. Sindt is the director of the MFA creative writing program at St. Mary’s College. Sindt has recently published a collection of poems entitled The Bodies. Tonight, both will give stirring readings and presentations of their works.

SickSpits Open Mic
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., free
Griffin Lounge, Memorial Union
It’s finally here again. SickSpits monthly Open Mic night has finally made its regular rotation back to the first Tuesday of each month. Join students in a fun and unexpected night of live performances. Everyone is encouraged to sign up and share their talents of singing, poetry, spoken word, etc. Be sure to bring your harmonica, guitar, bongos, etc. and be ready to go! Otherwise, you can just be a spectator.

UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Column: Farewell

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 1, 2012

This is it. After five years of college and four years spent in the lower dungeon of Freeborn, otherwise known as “The Basement” of The Aggie, my last column has arrived. And as my words find their way onto this page, I can’t think of many other instances more surreal than this moment alone. So many years and moments of struggling to find the right words to say, this will be the last time.

This year has been a whirlwind. After changing my major from landscape architecture to art studio at the end of my fourth year last spring, I can’t remember a time where I’ve been busier with deadlines, dirtier from all the ink stains and Gamsol-soaked clothes, more tired, more sore … and more happy.

It’s pretty shocking to see the difference when you fully commit yourself to something you wholeheartedly love to do. Within eight months, I have created work that I am actually proud of producing and labeling as my own.

And as all these sentiments come to play, I can’t help but think: “College, you’ve been one hell of a roller coaster ride!”

I came into this system as a shy Asian girl full of insecurities, trying to hide among the crowd. Now, I can’t help but look into the future with big beaming eyes knowing that the world really is my oyster.

My parents, like many Asian parents, wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer. Unfortunately for Mom and Dad, I was never good at math or sticking with plans.

Growing up, I would watch my dad build things that would provoke my endless imagination. Whenever something needed to be done, my dad would do what was necessary to build or fix it. He would somehow, time after time, figure things out on his own. He never went to mechanic school but he taught himself how to fix cars; he never went to music school but he taught himself how to read music; and finally, he taught himself English when he first came to the U.S. to support my family. I’ve always aspired to be like him because he showed me that willingness to learn alone is enough to get you far in life.

With English being my second language while growing up, I never imagined that I would get the opportunity to be an editor at my college newspaper or a contributing writer for an international fashion magazine. I had never taken a formal painting class until my freshman year of college, and I never thought I would be commissioned to three public murals within a year’s length. Once again, the word “surreal” comes to my mind.

Anything is possible, really.

By the time I graduate, I’ll be over 20 grand deep in debt. With interest, I’ll probably be paying off this debt for the next decade of my life. Would I say it was all worth it? Hell yes.

There are some things you can’t learn in the textbooks but rather in the actual experience of being in the moment and letting things transpire in the course of time. Combined with this willingness and hard work, everything just “magically” comes together. In the context of these few years in Davis, I have gained experiences that are invaluable and utterly irreplaceable.

Well, things have gone full circle in this singular chapter in my life. I am going to Spain on April 1. By March 24, all of my belongings will be moved out of Davis. And by next fall, I hope to end up in New York to take on the art world. These years to come as a post-grad in the real world will be interesting and I welcome them with open arms.

This is the final goodbye. Thank you for keeping up with me on this journey since September. So long, sweet, sweet Davis and all of the wonderful friends I’ve made; all the great experiences I’ve been blessed with, both the good and the bad. I’ll never forget these wonderful years.

With all that said, I would like to introduce you all to ELIZABETH ORPINA, the new arts editor for The California Aggie. MUSE has been a close project in my heart and I am certain she will do an incredible job.

UYEN CAO would like to know what has been your most memorable experience of college thus far. Let her know by e-mailing her at arts@theaggie.org.

Letter to the Editor: Responses to Feb. 27 presentation by Israeli speakers

Opinion

Opinion

March 1, 2012

On Feb. 27 at a presentation at Wellman 106, I witnessed behavior that has no place at UC Davis. A presentation, “Defending the Israeli Image,” sponsored by Chai-Life Club at UC Davis, Chabad of Davis and StandWithUs and led by two Israelis was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers and individuals whose intent was clearly to disrupt the proceedings.

One individual planted himself at the back of the room and continuously shouted slurs (“rapists, murderers”) and refused to allow the event to proceed. Although most of the individuals who could be described as opposed to the ideas presented confined their behavior to occasional hooting and jeers, six to eight individuals felt empowered to prevent any collegial exchange of ideas. Under the circumstances, the Israelis, a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces and a Druze woman showed grace and courage.

Disgracefully, campus security and the UC Davis Police did nothing to prevent this behavior. I was told that they were following orders to do nothing unless there was violence. They also refused to take the names of the disruptive individuals. Clearly this sets a chilling precedent for future campus public events where one individual could disrupt the event without any fear of consequences.

To me, this represents the antithesis of what should occur on a university campus. I call on the campus administration, particularly Chancellor Linda Katehi, to investigate what occurred at this event and take appropriate actions against those who behaved outside of the UC Davis code of conduct. I further call on Chancellor Katehi to take appropriate action to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

David Siegel M.D., MPH
Professor of Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine

Column: In memory of Barney Rosset

Opinion

Opinion

March 1, 2012

Barney Rosset, the publisher behind Grove Press, died at age 89 last week. Throughout his life, Rosset was a strong defender of First Amendment rights. During his tenure at Grove Press, he fought and won obscenity trials all over the country to establish the right to publish sexually explicit novels like Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller and Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. While his victories were won in the 1950s and ‘60s, I believe Rosset’s commitment to free speech still has something to teach us today.

It’s true that these sensational cases won Grove Press publicity and boosted sales, but Rosset defied censors out of principle. According to S.E. Gontarski, when an interviewer in 1959 suggested that sexually explicit literature should be restricted if it goes too far, Rosset shot back, “I feel that personally there hasn’t been a word written or uttered that shouldn’t be published.”

It’s easy to forget that was a radical position at the time. While the U.S. prided itself as a beacon of liberty, it still convicted booksellers and authors for distributing “obscene materials,” which were considered outside the protection of free speech.

Even what many consider classic works of literature often had to be smuggled in from Paris. Ulysses by James Joyce was banned in the U.S. for over a decade! It wasn’t until Memoirs v. Massachusetts and Attorney General v. A Book named Naked Lunch in 1966 that the nation saw the end of legal harassment and censorship of literary works.

Thanks in part to Rosset, authors can now write freely about sex without euphemism or obfuscation. This is a historic achievement, but we have yet to achieve Rosset’s full ideal: anarchism of expression. While obscenity law is now rarely applied to literature, it’s still invoked for pictorial, photographic and cinematic works.

Beyond obscenity, authors still face state repression for speaking out. In Rosset’s day, Grove Press took a serious risk in publishing subversive material, including books by Malcolm X and Che Guevara, and government exposés like the memoir of Soviet spy Kim Philby. Consequently, the press was carefully monitored by the CIA and hounded by death threats. After Rosset published an issue of the Evergreen Review celebrating Fidel Castro’s rebellion against Fulgencio Batista, a group of Cuban nationals threw a fragmentation grenade into their New York editorial office. (Luckily, no one was injured.)

Now, whistle-blowers like Bradley Manning are jailed for daring to speak government secrets. Like Rosset, Manning and his comrades at Wikileaks have an anti-authoritarian vision of a world with full transparency, one in which nothing is unspeakable or hidden from view. In other words, absolute freedom of speech.

Like Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, however, Rosset also had a problematic relationship with women. While Rosset did great work in popularizing black and queer liberation, there’s a great deal of masculinism in his editorial choices. With a few exceptions like Susan Sontag, women are largely absent from the Grove Press catalog during the Rosset years. The sexual freedom of men seemed to be the publisher’s primary concern.

This failing led Robin Morgan and a group of feminists to occupy the Grove Press offices, demanding reparations from men. At one point, Valerie Solanas, author of the “Society for Cutting Up Men (SCUM) Manifesto,” even lurked outside Rosset’s offices with an ice pick.

We can’t excuse Rosset (or, for that matter, Miller or Lawrence) as creatures of their age. Clearly, they were out of sync with history in many other ways, looking forward to a freer and more inclusive culture.

Nevertheless, Rosset provides an inspiration for us at a time in which the conservative culture wars have returned. He was a man with a “whim of steel,” refusing to compromise his editorial integrity to appease prudes or cater to the mass market. If our own generation is to continue to fight for artistic freedom, we will need more people like Rosset.

JORDAN S. CARROLL is a Ph.D. student in English who can be reached at jscarroll@ucdavis.edu.

Column: Bad news first

Opinion

Opinion

March 1, 2012

Today’s international news stories refuse to settle into binary logics that would code them as either “cheerless” or “cheerful.” Rather, almost everything we read in the headlines is depressing and then maybe slightly less depressing.

From a choice of 12 international stories from The New York Times published Monday, for example, the least tragic was about Nelson Mandela being sent home from the hospital. It is a shame that as readers we must scour for these blood diamonds in the rough, if only because there is an abundance of other rarely reported, conflict-free stories.

Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela, most famous for his anti-apartheid efforts and now 93, spent Saturday night undergoing a diagnostic procedure to ease his longstanding abdominal pains. His investigative laparoscopy, Defence Minister Lindiwe Sislu confirmed, did not indicate anything serious. Doctors, therefore, discharged Mandela the next morning.

While it is certainly a relief to hear our modern-day Ghandi is in better spirits, Mandela’s latest health scare reminds us of our mortality.

Until science catches up with God, we are all eventually going to face that final curtain someday. To paraphrase Emily Dickinson, Death very kindly stops its carriage for us when we cannot — or do not want to — halt it ourselves. And if there is a single common denominator between living things, it is precisely the reality of the life cycle.

The media, of course, exploits this universal principle, enough so that the sterile texts and voices of our various news sources make sure we don’t forget our looming, undisclosed expiration dates. “Watch out,” reporters seem to caution with accounts of “Suicide Bombs in Nygeria” or “Blast Wounds in Afghanistan.” “You’re lucky,” correspondents might suggest by posting “Names of the Dead,” and “G.I.’s Remains Recovered from Iraq.”

When stories do err on the side of prosperity, though, they tend to have qualifying, and likely equally despondent, messages as any other piece. “Democracy in Senegal” easily turns into “Discontented Senagalese Vote for President.” The U.S. teams with the new Yemen government, but on a strategy to combat Al Qaeda.

That news is more often pessimistic than optimistic isn’t necessarily journalists’ fault. A 1996 study at the University of Chicago found that humans were more willing to pass along bad news than equally believable good news, contradicting our general tendency to want to see the world as a place where good things happen to good people. Another study from the same report found that people do not display a simple preference for bad news. They instead transmit information that matches the same “emotional valence” of the conversation topic — bad or good news depending on whether the preceding topic is negative or positive.

Tragedy, however you look at it, sells for two of reasons: Humans are inherently, as Freud would argue, sadomasochists, or analogically wired. For the sake of not making this yet another demoralizing diatribe, let’s go with the second argument.

Our vantage points are set up in direct view of another; that is to say, we construct opinions and positions by comparing our situation to an opposite. Reading and watching the kind of morbid things we do is a way to confirm that no matter how unfortunate a day it has been, things could be — and are — worse. If anything, it’s a narcissistic way of reconciling with the world, yet it may be the only way we know.

Nelson Mandela offered an alternative direction to position ourselves in when he said, “Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

Instead of turning away or to another, we are well advised to face onward, in the direction of our very first step. Ahead. Unlike pages in a newspaper, progress doesn’t simply unfold.

Contact CHELSEA MEHRA at cmehra@ucdavis.edu if you have any happy news stories.

Yolotales show becoming a big hit

City Editor

March 1, 2012

We all know of famous children shows such as “Sesame Street” and “Dora the Explorer”, but another one is becoming more popular.

A new local show called “Yolotales” is about a few puppet friends having adventures, while also trying to educate the audience.

With five main characters in the show and a whole crew needed to write, shoot and edit the episodes, it may come as surprising that the entire show is done by just two people, with no other help.

Art and Angie Davis never thought their show could reach the success level it has, and have come far away from their original jobs.

Art was running a small record company in Boston, Mass. His now wife Angie was a worker in the store. They wrote books and comic strips independently. The books were going to include a cartoon, which led to an epiphany of creating a children’s show.

Angie sewed the puppets from socks, one of which was based on a sock monkey she found in a market. The puppets were tied to ‘50s television characters, a theme Art wanted to connect the show to.

“We wanted any one of any age to watch it,” Angie said.

Last October they came out with the first of what ended up being five episodes of Yolotales Express, which were 15 minute segmented shows.

The name of the show is based on how they fell in love with Yolo County, according to Angie.

“We had a vision and honestly we followed our gut,” Art said. “As we followed our hearts and the more we created, the more success we had.”

They had a hard time believing how successful the show was becoming, with increasingly more channels on public television picking up the show.

“We thought we were crazy,” Angie said.

Recently a full episode of “Yolotales” was released, which is 21 minutes long, opposed to the 15 minute long episodes of Yolotales Express.

Every two weeks a new episode will come out. There are already over 100 cities across the country playing their show.

However, according to Art and Angie it is a tough schedule having only two people create every aspect of the show by themselves. They made the puppets, provide voices, do all the camera work and edit themselves. Art composes and plays the music and writes the script himself. They do admit that it might soon be time to get a larger staff, especially as the show reaches more success.

The current viewership coverage of the show is now almost two million households and the show can be found all cross the internet, including their website, yolotales.com. They also have been distributing DVD’s for the show and their books throughout Yolo County.

Art and Angie do not plan on getting the show to the major networks, due to many regulations and copyright issues. They do not want networks to censure the show. However, they still hope to increase the number of channels it appears on throughout the country.

Being an independent business, the show depends heavily on sponsorship and has local sponsors as well as an opportunity for anyone to donate who wishes to.

The couple only hopes the show continues to grow as more episodes come out, and they hope to stick with similar themes throughout the episodes connecting them in a better way.

For now they can only continue being amazed at how much success they have reached and how they have come a long way to making their very own children’s television show.

“I’ve always been the weird creative kid,” Angie said. “You just put the puppet on and a character is created.”

ZANDER WOLD can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Women’s Basketball preview

Sports Editor

March 1, 2012

Teams: UC Davis vs. Cal Poly; vs. UC Santa Barbara
Records: Aggies, 16-10 (8-6); Mustangs, 15-12 (11-3); Gauchos, 13-14 (7-7)
Where: The Pavilion
When: Thursday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.
Who to Watch: Senior Kasey Riecks had a strong showing against Pacific on Saturday with 13 points, potentially marking the end of her recent struggles.

Riecks has been consistent for the Aggies and has 1,044 career points to show for it, placing her 14th on the UC Davis all-time career points list. She is chasing assistant coach Des Abeyta, who has 1,080 in 13th.

Did you know? Other seniors are also chasing milestones as the last season of their UC Davis careers wind down. Hana Asano has 281 assists in her career, placing her in 9th all-time. She also has 194 steals, seven short of 7th place all-time.

Closely trailing Asano in the steals column is Samantha Meggison, who is currently 10th in UC Davis history with 158. Two more steals would move her up to 9th.

One more Aggie is also on the record watch. Lauren Juric stands tall with 60 blocked shots, four short of 7th on the UC Davis career list.

Preview: It is senior week for the women’s basketball program, but beyond that, the Aggies know it’s all business. This week’s games, the final two of the season, will determine the Aggies’ fate in the postseason.

UC Davis is fighting for one of the top four positions in the Big West Conference, and with it, home-court advantage in the first round of the Big West tournament.

Yet, in its way stand Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, two teams that will provide more than enough adversity for the Aggies.

The Mustangs are riding a nine-game winning streak that has put them atop the Big West with an 11-3 league record. UC Davis was one of the teams that fell in the midst of Cal Poly’s rampage back in January by a score of 87-65.

Yet, head coach Jennifer Gross sees no reason to count this one out. The Aggies’ strong performance over Pacific this weekend was an encouraging game that will hopefully carry over into this week’s match-ups.

“We’re playing better; we’re playing with a lot of passion right now,” she said. “There’s a different level of focus and intensity, and we need to focus on our defense and come out with an energy and passion that we’ve had all year.”

On Saturday, UC Davis will play UCSB, a team that the Aggies edged by a narrow margin of 51-47. The Gauchos are also in the race for a home game for the first round of the conference tournament, in 6th place with a 7-7 record.

Both games will be testing for UC Davis, as both are must-win situations if the Aggies are to ensure they play at Hamilton Court for the first round of the Big West tournament.

“We have two home games and we’re going to bring everything we have to the table and see what happens,” Gross said. “It’s nice to be playing in front of our fans at Hamilton court … the players are really excited.”

— Matthew Yuen

Campus Judicial Report

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 1, 2012

Failed Learning Mechanism

A sophomore was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for altering a quiz and submitting it for re-grading in a physics course. After receiving his quiz, the student met with the professor to go over his mistakes. Then the student went home and made changes to the actual quiz, allegedly doing so as a personal learning mechanism. In the next discussion section, the TA for the course mentioned that some quizzes should have received more points if students provided a particular answer to one of the questions. The student saw that he had given that particular answer and submitted his quiz to be re-graded. The alterations to the quiz were found, and both the unaltered and altered versions of the quiz were sent to SJA to be reviewed. The student stated that he had forgotten that he made the changes, but also admitted that what he did is in violation of school policy. The student accepted Disciplinary Probation until Winter quarter 2013 and received a zero for the quiz from the instructor.

Plagiarism

A student was referred to SJA for plagiarism found in a research paper he submitted for an anthropology course. The TA noticed that some sections of the paper were copied word for word from an online source that was not cited. In a meeting with an SJA officer, the student claimed that he was having difficulty with the course and the research paper because English is his second language. The student agreed to accept Disciplinary Probation until Winter quarter 2013 and received an F for the research paper from the instructor. In addition, he was given an informational booklet on plagiarism to read prior to attending a mandatory meeting with a writing specialist in the Student Academic Success Center.

Unauthorized Collaboration

A sophomore was referred to SJA for unauthorized collaboration during an exam in an economics course. While administering the exam, the TAs noticed the unauthorized collaboration between the student and her friend and reported this conduct to the professor. In her meeting with a judicial officer, the student admitted that she should not have collaborated with her friend during the exam. She explained that she had done so because she did not want her friend to fail. She agreed to be placed on Disciplinary Probation status until Winter quarter 2013 and received a zero on the exam from the instructor.

CAMPUS JUDICIAL REPORTS are compiled by members of Student Judicial Affairs.

UC Davis “Therapy Fluffies” welcomed on Campus

Campus Editor

March 1, 2012

UC Davis “Therapy Fluffies” welcomed on Campus

At least once per quarter, the UC Davis Stress and Wellness Clinic’s Mind Spa, conveniently located at the Student Health and Wellness Center on the second floor Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Clinic, holds an event entitled “Therapy Fluffies.” The event, meant to help students de-stress and take a healthy break from the life of a college student, is hosted by the Yolo County SPCA.

“Excellent dogs like we have here today may not have passed prescribed ‘behavior tests’ at the shelter; [the animals] just need a warm environment where they can grow, and that’s where we come in and provide them with suitable foster homes. Our main adoption days are 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Davis Petco, adoptions include a two week trial period after an animal is adopted. We are always in need of volunteers and adoptive parents, our main goal is to help the animals,” said Yolo SPCA Volunteer Coordinator Anamarie Urrutia.

Students seem to appreciate the event as an opportunity to play with dogs and de-stress.

“I really appreciate the therapy dogs, since they remind me of my dog from home. I just love dogs a lot, so it’s really awesome when I can pet them without being embarrassed for asking,” said sophomore animal biology major Allison Royal.

For more information regarding “Therapy Fluffies” or on how you can get involved with animal rescue at the Yolo County SPCA, please e-mail volunteers@yolospca.org.

— Gheed Saeed

CAPS Mind Spa undergoes redesign

Campus Editor

March 1, 2012

Is the combination of exams and the upcoming finals week stressing you out? Are the week eight blues getting you down?

The Mind Spa, a service provided by the Stress and Wellness Clinic, a division under Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), has recently undergone a redesign.

The Mind Spa, located on the second floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center, offers an array of relaxing resources for students to enjoy, free of charge.

Now available to students are two state-of-the-art human touch massage chairs, a biofeedback machine, guided relaxation and meditation videos and self-assessment computerized screenings for anxiety and mood difficulties.

“We are trying to accommodate for more services,” said Tatum Phan, staff therapist and psychology intern. “We now have two massage chairs. We’re continuing to work on the space and to revamp it. The space isn’t perfect yet, but we’re always trying to find ways to increase privacy and make it more welcoming, as well as to attend to accessibility issues.”

According to Phan, the installation of a second massage chair has accommodated the traffic flow. In addition, the Mind Spa’s new hours of operation, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., have made it more accessible to students. Pham looks forward to adding even more resources for students to enjoy in the future, including a craft corner.

“The original idea for the Mind Spa came from the recognition that UC students experience significant levels of stress and would benefit from having resources to manage that stress,” said CAPS psychologist and coordinator of the Stress and Wellness Clinic Dorje Jennette. “About 40 percent of UC students reported that stress interfered with their academic success. Students can develop some resiliency through the Mind Spa. Knowing how to relax and cope with stress goes a long way toward keeping on top of the challenges of life on campus.”

The Mind Spa is hosted by student Stress and Wellness Ambassadors, such as junior English major Christina Lee, who introduce and guide visitors to resources that are suitable.

According to Lee, her role as an ambassador is to teach students about what the Mind Spa offers and how to use the resources.

“The Mind Spa developed through student involvement,” Jennette said. “Students were involved in the selection of resources.”

According to Jennette, while CAPS receives student funding, the Mind Spa itself was made possible through funding from the Andrew D. Donnell Memorial Fund.

For more information about CAPS services, visit shcs.ucdavis.edu.

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

News-in-brief: Pig Day is Saturday at the Farmers Market

City Editor

March 1, 2012

The day of the year every Davis foodie waits for is almost here. The Davis Farmers Markets 21st annual Pig Day will take place this weekend in Central Park. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, baby pigs, people dressed in pig costumes and pig-based foods will inhabit downtown.

The festival, which celebrates pigs, food and local agriculture, is the Market Executive Director Randii MacNear’s favorite market event. She has been managing the market since before Pig Day’s inception two decades ago.

Arts and crafts projects will be available for children. Pig ears, pig tails, pig noses, piggie faces, as well as painting piggie bank booths will be all be housed at the market.

There will be musical performances from The Peter Franklin Band and Regal Beezers. Regal Beezers will also host “Tots’ and Babies’ Dance” at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the Market Shed end of the market pavilion.

Food vendors from the market will offer piggie cookies and pops, along with other meat options such as pigs-in-a-blanket and corn dogs. The Food Bank of Yolo County will be serving a farm breakfast of pancakes, bacon and juice, with proceeds benefiting the local community.

— Angela Swartz

In review: Professor Grivetti presents an emotional lecture

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 1, 2012

We can all look back on our lives and pinpoint a key moment or decision that changed the course of our lives and led us to where we are now. This was Professor Louis Grivetti’s main message in his Last Lecture titled “From Dinosaurs to Chocolate: Taking the Road Less Traveled.”

His lecture on Tuesday was part of ASUCD’s Last Lecture Series, hosted by the Academic Affairs Commission (AAC). This honors the late Dr. Randy Pausch, the professor at Carnegie Mellon who gave his last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” which was subsequently turned into a book called The Last Lecture. This book is an inspiration to millions of people and has inspired UCD’s Last Lecture Series.

“We aim to provide students with the opportunity to get acquainted with and learn
from professors in an unconventional, no-textbook-required way and we strive to honor exceptional professors on the UC Davis campus,” said Annemarie Stone, chair of the Academic Affairs Commission and junior English major. “So my favorite portion of the event is when I see that both of these goals are being met. Since this university is so huge, I think that feelings of alienation and apathy are common, and this event strives to check that issue of a growing gap between students and professors.”

Professor Grivetti’s lecture was promising from the start. After the professor himself came down the aisle to thank everyone for attending, baskets of chocolate were passed around for everyone to take samples. Anything involving chocolate must be good so naturally this had audiences even more intrigued. After the AAC and a former student introduced Professor Grivetti, the lecture began.

Professor Grivetti began his talk by saying that there is nothing more important than the “willingness to take risks,” because that is how he has gotten to where he is today. He began the lecture by describing his childhood dream of studying dinosaurs and his efforts in his undergraduate years toward achieving this. His recollections about his college days were very entertaining. In particular, he described the importance of general education courses, saying to all the undergraduates, “Never underestimate the value of G.E. classes.” Of course we hear people say this all the time, but now Professor Grivetti has given a real example.

He then went on to talk about a job he landed in Egypt which changed the course of his life. This new job was not about dinosaurs — it had to do with nutrition and geology, something very different than what he studied. It just goes to show that we can never predict anything. During this portion of his career, Grivetti describes his experience of being an American in Egypt during the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel. He very smoothly tied in important historical events with the course of his own life so we got a real sense of his experience. This was just one of many instances that had an impact on his life. It gave a sense of how much we are impacted by the world around us.

After this, Grivetti elaborated on his career after he returned from Egypt and the path that led him to Davis. He initially came to Davis as a postdoctoral student in geography and was later hired as a professor in both the geology and nutrition departments. This path eventually led him to study the history of chocolate, and so the journey from dinosaurs to chocolate finally makes sense.

He showed a particular enthusiasm for presenting the work of his graduate students and presented several exceptional projects. This accounts for the nearly-full auditorium of the ARC Ballroom, where the lecture took place.

Just from hearing this Last Lecture, it is clear that Professor Grivetti is an exceptional professor with a passion for his work and students. His eloquence and sense of humor made the event very enjoyable and inspirational.

Professor Grivetti ended the lecture on an amusing note, in which he presented a dinosaur bone he found when he was very young and invited audiences to come and touch it.

“Professor Grivetti was so excited about his lecture and demonstrated so much enthusiasm for it and his work that I knew it was going to be a great event,” said Stephanie Johnson, sophomore political science major and a member of the Academic Affairs Commission.

Professor Grivetti’s last slide summed up the awestruck and inspirational sentiment of the evening: “We stand on the shoulders of giants; we owe our careers to those who went before us.”

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

Softball Preview

Sports Editor

March 1, 2012

Teams: UC Davis vs. Portland State; vs. Maine; vs. South Carolina
Records: Aggies, 5-12 ; Vikings 7-7; Black Bears 1-6; Gamecocks 10-4
Where: Harrison Softball Field — Riverside, Calif.
When: Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Who to watch: Rachael Miller has gotten off to a fantastic start this season. The senior catcher already has three home runs on the season and leads UC Davis with 11 RBI.

Miller is not just a slugger, however, as she is also composed at the plate with a team-high seven walks through two weeks of play.

Did you know? Freshman Cassandra Ginnis leads the Aggies in at bats (52) as well in hits (16). Ginnis has been a shining example of UC Davis’ great freshman class which has already made a strong impact on the team.

“It’s a really good group of women who continue to want to make an impact now as opposed to in a year or two,” said coach Karen Yoder.

Preview: The Aggies are in big need for some wins coming off a disappointing weekend in the Cathedral City Classic, in which they finished 1-4.

After yesterday’s game against Sacramento State was postponed due to weather, UC Davis now directs their attention to their fourth pre-season tournament of the year: the Highlander Classic in Riverside starting on Saturday.

Unlike the previous tournaments where UC Davis faced numerous Top 25 teams such as Stanford, UCLA, and Washington, the Aggies’ opponents in the Highlander Classic are all unranked.

Additionally, because South Carolina is the only team UC Davis will face that has a winning record, this will be a great opportunity for the Aggies to collect some wins.

The road to .500 will not be easy, however, with the Gamecocks winning five of their last six games to go along with the Vikings winning four of their last five. The game against Maine, who has been outscored 47-6 in their difficult early schedule, will also be a good test to see if UC Davis can pounce on an opponent going through offensive struggles.

The opener versus Portland State should give fans an early preview to how the Aggies stack up against other teams in the Big West Conference, as the Vikings have already blown out Big West members Long Beach State and Cal Poly in a 12-1 game and a 9-0 game, respectively, both in five innings.

— Doug Bonham

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