UC Davis Student Housing will be guaranteeing a bed for all second-year students beginning Fall 2012.

This can benefit students and create a more lively campus life. Finding housing as a second-year can be stressful for students, and having the opportunity to fall back on the dorms could provide students with peace of mind. Furthermore, transitioning from dorm to apartment life can be complicated, from picking out which apartment to live in to learning how to cook your own food.

Second-year on-campus housing is guaranteed at many private schools and other UCs. With the dining commons and classes close by, living on campus has the potential to make life easier for students.

Of course, this is primarily a business decision. Living on campus is expensive, with a bed in a shared room costing upwards of $12,700 for 3 quarters. While having a place to live on campus may be beneficial, students should be aware that student housing can be much more expensive than living in an apartment.

The City of Davis has many apartments that are student-friendly, and many are cost-friendly as well. Students should consider the benefits and costs of living on campus for a second year, and be aware that living on campus is significantly more expensive.

However, providing second-year housing could make UC Davis a more campus-oriented school. This shift could bring the campus closer together, and provide students with a less stressful living option for their second year.

Students should strongly consider all of their options when choosing where to live after their first year.

We apologize to the Educational Opportunity Program, those students whom EOP serve and the general student body for taking over the EOP building.

We appreciate the hard work EOP does on campus, and we envision a day when EOP and Occupy can work together.

The General Assembly did not plan the takeover. As such, the majority of the members of Occupy were, like the rest of the student body, surprised at the takeover.

The autonomous group that planned the takeover told us that the university had abandoned the building. We did not know that EOP was slated to move in. Once we learned that, indeed the building was not in disuse, everyone except for the group who planned the takeover quickly vacated the building.

Media reports claiming that Occupy UC Davis continued to occupy the building are misleading, since the UC Davis General Assembly neither approved of nor supported the occupation; the media used the name of our movement to label an action that the majority of us were opposed to.

However, we fully recognize that taking part in a movement also means taking responsibility for that movement when it goes astray.
We have addressed the immediate problem. All members of Occupy UC Davis have now vacated the building, and we have cleaned and vacuumed the building for EOP’s arrival. If you permit us, we will help EOP move in next week.

Furthermore, we are currently addressing the structural problems that allowed the EOP building takeover to occur. Occupy UC Davis must become substantially more transparent and accountable.

To this end, increasing student inclusivity is vital if we are to claim to represent student interests. Yet, we recognize that not every student can sleep on the quad, attend daily meetings or navigate a complex political web to have her voice heard. As such, we will start hosting a weekly UC Davis General Assembly. This weekly assembly will be central. It is where we will make our major decisions. Everyone, even having never participated in Occupy, is welcome to attend.

We also recognize that those who participate in Occupy put their reputations on the line when they do so, and shameful autonomous actions such as the EOP takeover hurt everyone associated with our movement. So along with a stronger focus on inclusivity, we recognize that those who act as participants of Occupy must be held accountable for any harmful autonomous action they may choose to pursue.

As such, participants of UCD General Assemblies will be asked that when they act as part of Occupy UCD, they remain non-violent, respect General Assembly decisions and not break the law without prior GA approval. We believe that these changes will not only prevent future issues like the EOP building takeover, but will make our movement more effective and inclusive as a whole.

While we were addressing the issues surrounding the EOP building takeover, the University of California administration continued to privatize, militarize and exclude. It continued the practices and policies that create the need for EOP in the first place.

We must join forces to face our shared struggles.

In Solidarity,
Some of the Many UCD Occupiers

I found the Jan. 31 article “Apocalypse Now?” about the 2012 end of the world scenario a little bit lacking because in my opinion you failed to interview anyone who might know what they’re talking about. The quote attributed to John Hall was particularly misleading because, although he remarks that the fact that “the calendar ends a particular cycle is significant,” he fails to explain why.

The long count Mayan calendar will flip from 12.17.19.19.19  — the last date possible — to 0.0.0.0.1. In other words, Dec. 21 2012 will be the new Day One. This isn’t just a mathematical phenomenon, however. This day is associated with prophecies inscribed into the walls of dozens or hundreds of separate Mayan and Aztec temples, which claim that this will be the day when the gods come back to Earth and bring about the next stage in humankind’s developmental history. The 2012 event is not just the start of a new calendar but the start of a new 5,400-year period of human history.

I just wanted to point these things out because I felt that the article lacked in this content. People should also know that UC Davis is home to one of the foremost experts in the world on the Maya language, culture and religion. I hope that if you do a follow up to this article you will consult Professor Martha Macri, who has been instrumental in the decipherment and cataloging of Maya inscriptions throughout her 40-plus years in the field. I hope you’ll also consult an astrophysicist on the very real dangers of solar storms and other phenomena, especially given that we are at this very moment being bombarded by radiation from the biggest solar storm in near history, which is expected to continue to get worse throughout the year.

I don’t know if I believe in this apocalypse, but I think an article on the event deserves at least a bit of actual research rather than just speculation.

True Hatch
UC Davis student, linguistics

UC President Mark Yudof wrote a letter to the UC chancellors in January to ask each campus to form a committee to implement a tobacco-free policy by 2014.

In his letter, Yudof wrote, “The enforcement of the smoke-free policy should be primarily educational, with an emphasis on cessation resources.”

As the UC Davis committee begins to shape our own campus policy, they should follow this educational model of enforcement. Punishing those who continue to smoke on campus will not be an effective way of promoting a smoke-free environment.

The committee should be weary of implementing any policies that would restrict the individual’s right to consume carcinogenic toxins via both cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

A smoke-free campus policy would be difficult to enforce and punishing offenders with a fine or penalty would result in inconsistent enforcement and a hostile relationship between smokers and the administration.

There already exists an anti-smoking culture in California that does not encourage non-smokers to pick up the habit. This type of environment is far more useful to promoting non-smoking than a campus-wide ban.

Promoting education on tobacco use and providing resources for quitting is a positive way to address the issue of tobacco on campus and should be our campus committee’s main way of implementing the UC policy.

We all know the cliché surrounding “role-playing.” The wife, at the suggestion of a certain brightly colored women’s magazine, surprises her hubby by wearing a cheerleader outfit. Hubby is pleased. But the outfit is something “special,” used only grudgingly for birthdays and moments when the marriage needs “spicing up.” As with so many sex clichés, this image gives an unfair spin to a wonderful activity.

Role-plays, or “games,” are an excellent way to add new elements to your sexy-times. A main reason they are useful is that they are a safe space to test out sexual activities that you are curious about but hesitant to try. For example, you, the mild mannered college student, may want to try spanking, but don’t want to somehow contradict your image. But you, the naughty secretary in need of discipline, may not feel such inhibitions. By putting on a different persona, you leave yourself open to new sexual adventures.

As with any fantasy, there is a conversation that needs to happen before a role-play can become reality. Let’s say that you have a Sherlock Holmes-based fantasy. Before you don your deerstalker, you need to feel out your partner’s thoughts on that scenario. Do this prior to being really in the mood, just so there is no pressure on you or them. Try a phrase like, “Honey, would you be willing to play Sherlock Holmes tonight?” If they say no, don’t pressure them. If they say maybe, talk about a way to do it that you’d both enjoy. If they say yes, then go for it.

There are two key aspects of a satisfying role-play: power dynamics and build-up (yes, costumes are important, but bear with me). Think of the classic games and count how many hinge upon an unequal balance of power. Some are obvious, such as secretary/boss or teacher/student. Others, such as cheerleader/rebel, rely on differentials of experience. Milder games rely on the interactions of very different personalities, such as Holmes/Watson. Regardless of the specifics, having an unequal dynamic makes the parts of the fantasy involving domination or submission feel more natural (not all fantasies involve those factors, but they tend to be the most popular).

The dom/sub aspects of role-play can be fun because they can offer release; if you are someone who has to maintain an image of control, it can be exceedingly pleasurable to let someone else take the reins. Just make sure to set clear guidelines for what kind of behaviors are or are not allowed.

Build-up in role-play is necessary because, in most cases, the appeal of the characters is not just attached to the clothing. Not to say that you in a hot outfit won’t get a lover going, but a large part of the fun is pretending to be someone you’re not. So change up your mannerisms, move with more or less confidence than normal, change the pitch of your voice. You can try an accent, but the scene may become Pythonesque rather quickly, so proceed with caution.

If your costume is not too outlandish, you can consider beginning the game while out on the town (something like boss/secretary would work). You may feel a little silly, but remember what I said about good sex and laughter? Of course, if you’re more self-conscious or your outfit is something overt like a maid costume, build the scene in your bedroom. You don’t need to construct a set or anything. A bed, a chair and your imagination is usually enough.

As far as selecting costumes go, you can buy whatever you/your partner likes. If you are going to splurge on something I recommend that it be either versatile, like a skirt that works for multiple games, or relate to something you play frequently. Since most of you reading this are college students (meaning broke), make your closet your first stop. Odds are there is something in there that’s close to a desired outfit. If something is missing, try a thrift store. You can also add stockings, lingerie (men’s or women’s) or high heels to make the ensemble scream “sex!” I suggest Aella Boutique here in Davis, which has a selection of stockings and shoes, plus a student discount.

So there it is, your role-play primer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go clean my deerstalker and magnifying glass.

SAM WALL would like to apologize to the ghost of Arthur Conan Doyle and ask that you send sex questions to sewall@ucdavis.edu.

According to Republicans, on Aug. 1, 2011, America faced a potential Armageddon resulting from years of fiscal irresponsibility. The United States was just one day away from defaulting on its debt because those same Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling, which stood at almost $14.294 trillion. Luckily for Americans everywhere, Republicans strapped on their shiny armor and saved the day at the last second, passing a bill that raised the debt ceiling by $900 billion, to $15.194 trillion.

Everybody knows the debt of our country is huge, but whether or not it matters is widely debated. How can owing $15 trillion dollars not be a big deal? Let’s find out by looking at what exactly the debt is and where it comes from.

A lot of people don’t know where our country’s debt comes from, but it’s actually rather simple. No, the president of the U.S. doesn’t give Hu Jintao (the President of China) a call and ask for a couple billion. The United States simply offers bonds with different maturity dates, and sells them to whomever has the money to buy them. When those bonds mature and need to be paid back, we simply get more money by selling new bonds and use it to pay off our old ones. It’s a never-ending cycle of using other people’s money to pay off other people who also gave us money — fiscal responsibility at its finest.

The United States debt is as old as our country. It was born out of debts incurred during the Revolutionary War and has been with us since, 236 years in the making. Despite the founding fathers’ warning against the accumulation of debt, it has steadily been increasing by a couple percent every year.

That was until the second George Bush came into office. Our fearless Texan inherited a debt of almost $6 trillion and in his two terms managed to come just short of doubling it, leaving Obama with a debt of over $10 trillion — an increase of over 185 percent. With multiple wars and a struggling economy Obama hasn’t done any better, producing about a 145 percent debt increase in his term.

So what’s going on here? Why are the men we elect to lead our country dragging us deeper and deeper into debt? The answer is that the U.S. debt doesn’t really matter.

Imagine a guy who keeps taking out loans and maxing out credit cards to pay for debts he already has. Theoretically this could go on forever as his debt just gets transferred from one lender to another. With an individual, however, all the fun comes to an end when the line of credit runs out and he is stuck holding the bill.

The reason our country’s debt isn’t really an issue is that our line of credit isn’t likely to ever run out. With our status as the world’s only superpower, we are always going to be able to borrow money. Countries that have money to invest know that, even with our debt, putting money into the U.S. is still an incredibly safe bet, arguably safer than putting it anywhere else in the world.

A more legitimate concern is the fact that if our debt continues to pile up, it may become more expensive for us to borrow money. This is actually a serious concern as when you owe upwards of $15 trillion, a 1% increase in interest rate equates to $150 billion. Yes, that’s right: Even the government has to pay interest when it borrows money.

This could prove to be a problem, despite experts’ warnings that this has not been the case yet. The United States has been able to borrow at a consistent interest rate even with increasing debt. This is due in large part to the fact that even with an increasing debt, the United States is still an incredibly secure and safe place for investors.

This security comes from a combination of factors, the two most important being our over $15 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — our country’s national income — and our military might, without a doubt the strongest and most advanced military in the world.

In other words, the United States isn’t going anywhere and we are always going to be able to pay back our debt. That isn’t going to change anytime soon, and as long as that remains the case we will always be able to borrow money.

If you want to lend DANNY BRAWER billions of dollars trusting him at his word to pay you back, let him know at dabrawer@ucdavis.edu.