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Editorial: Attendance is mandatory

Opinion

Opinion

November 23, 2011

Over the past five weeks, UC Davis has held four athletics town hall meetings to discuss the hiring of a new athletic director (AD). These gatherings were organized with the goal of allowing concerned parties to voice their opinions over the Dempsey Report, which proposed, among other things, cutting as many as five sports.

The idea was for the Athletics Advisory Committee — the group charged with advising Chancellor Katehi in her search for a new AD — to gain a better understanding of what the university wanted out of its athletic department.

Over the course of the town hall meetings, however, many of the committee members failed to attend. At the final gathering on Nov. 16, only seven of the 16 committee members were present, with several of them leaving before the meeting finished.

It is understandable that gathering a group of 16, made up of faculty, students and alumni, at the same place at the same time is a difficult task. However, such a low turnout sends the wrong message to those concerned with the future of UC Davis athletics.

Not having a majority of the committee present perpetuates the already prevalent mindset that the university predetermined which direction it wanted to go before it even scheduled the town hall meetings. Furthermore it lends support to the notion that the town hall meetings are being held simply to allow frustrated parties to blow off steam, with the hope of lightening the backlash against the university if it ultimately chooses to cut sports.

If UC Davis is truly interested in having input from outside sources, it should have ensured that at least a majority of the committee members attended every meeting.

With this in mind, we call on the university to hold another town hall meeting, with the full committee present so that the opinions of those concerned can be heard by the all of the group’s members — not just a small portion.

Environmental hazards threaten San Joaquin Valley residents

Science & Technology

Science Editor

November 23, 2011

Breathing is something people should be able to do without having to think about what they are inhaling. Unfortunately, this is not the case for some San Joaquin Valley residents. The San Joaquin Valley is an integral part of the nation’s agricultural output, but according to a recent study by UC Davis titled “Land of Risk/Land of Opportunity,” it is also an area of great risk when it comes to environmental hazards like air pollution and water quality.

“The San Joaquin Valley has many sources of air pollution in it. It has freeways and industrial agriculture that, combined with the topography of the valley being a big bowl and the hot weather, causes problems,” said Jonathan London, director for the Center for Regional Change at UC Davis.

According to London, the air in the region does not have the chance to circulate. He said the smog becomes trapped as a result of the heat and the topography of the region, which means the pollution gets progressively worse.

“It creates an intense oven of pollution,” London said.

With all of this pollution, London and his colleagues mapped and identified areas in the valley that are more prone to feeling the effects of the pollution.

“We did community mapping, where we identified areas in neighborhoods that needed help, sites which the government was not working on,” London said. According to the report, nearly one-third of residents are in highly vulnerable areas.

He said that public agencies need to work together across various kinds of issues and need to be able to focus their efforts to solve these problems.

“They need to be much more collaborative not just amongst themselves, but they need to be much more collaborative with communities,” London said.

According to London, the primary implication of the study is that communities that are affected by environmental hazards tend to be affected by multiple sources.

“We need to pay more attention to these places and more attention to monitoring the situations,” London said. “There needs to be investment in clean technologies, as well as in human and social infrastructure, so that the communities have more of a voice and aren’t just passive.”

Tara Zagofsky, a doctoral student in human geography at UC Davis and collaborator in the report, said that the study can help prioritize the communities that need the most help and find ways for better collaboration.

“This is the land of opportunity; it has some of the most productive agricultural lands on the planet, but many of the people in this region have to confront environmental contamination,” Zagofsky said. “This report is about moving forward and doing things about it.”

She said that there is a common understanding that everyone is affected equally, which is not the case. According to Zagofsky, the report is important because it allows for distinction and understanding for who is most affected.

“People of color, people in poverty and people who have low formal education, low English fluency or low medical support are the most vulnerable,” Zagofsky said.

Zagofsky said that the study revealed that 82 percent of people in areas of high vulnerability are non-whites. People who are socially vulnerable have the least resources to communicate their problems.

“People might not have the resources to seal their homes, or lack the language proficiency to advocate for their communities,” Zagofsky said. “We’re hoping that this report will lead to coordinated action.”

Sarah Sharpe, of the Fresno Ministry and coordinator of the San Joaquin Valley Cumulative Health Impacts Project, said that the results are alarming in terms of how many people are at elevated risk.

Sharpe said that the San Joaquin Valley Cumulative Health Impacts Project plans to create an online, more accessible monitoring and reporting system of environmental hazards. She said that she is pleased that UC Davis and Jonathan London figured out a way to do the research.

“There aren’t many researchers who want to focus on this region. We were lacking the research and exploration to make a change,” Sharpe said. “This gives us academic, rigorously-tested tools that prove that there are pockets that are more vulnerable.”

ERIC C. LIPSKY can be reached science@theaggie.org.

Aggie runner represents

Sports Editor

November 23, 2011

Senior Jonathan Peterson finished his collegiate career in the top third of runners in the NCAA Division I championship race on Monday afternoon. His time of 30:34.5 was good for 71st place out of a competitive pool of 252 runners.

Peterson received an at-large bid to the meet after his 29:30 time and 10th place finish at the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 12th.

The meet was hosted by Indiana State at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The first place finisher was freshman Lawi Lalang from the University of Arizona who completed the 10K course with a time of 28:44.1.

Peterson’s time was 25 seconds shy of his visit to the championship race last season. His previous 30:09.1 time and consequent 14th place finish earned All-American recognition for the Clovis, Calif. native in 2010. It was the first time that a runner in the UC Davis men’s cross country program had received the honor.

Despite a successful season in which he led the Aggies in nearly every meet, he was unable to surpass the success that he achieved in 2010 at the final meet of the year.

“There’s no room for error at the top and battling some health issues this weekend made it hard to put all the necessary pieces together for a repeat of 2010,” said Head Coach Drew Wartenburg. “Nonetheless, it’s always better to end a season and cross country career at nationals instead of watching from home.”

With the graduation of Peterson, UC Davis will enter the off-season with the challenge of finding new runners to lead the team in 2012. The Aggies hope that the success that the senior has brought to the program will provide a foundation to build upon in future years.

“[Peterson] has ended his season at the national meet two years in a row, an achievement that means a lot in terms of getting the UC Davis name out there,” Wartenburg said. “The challenge now is to move the next individuals, and a team, to that level.”

KAITLYN ZUFALL can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Column: ‘Tis the season

Opinion

Opinion

November 23, 2011

Guess what time of year it is again? Yes, that’s right. It’s shopping season. So dust off your credit cards, put on a pair of comfortable shoes and get ready for some capitalism binging.

In recent years, it seems to me like Black Friday has jostled Thanksgiving and Christmas out of the way to take first place in popularity. What was once the warm and leisurely spirit of the holidays has become a sort of chaotic, material-hoarding affair.

I don’t mean to paint the holidays in pessimistic colors, but if it were not true, then we wouldn’t find long lines of people waiting at 11 a.m. in the freezing cold of November just so they can max out their credit cards on HDTVs and fancy game systems.

Admittedly, I too fall prey to the consumerism culture around this time every year. The sales at the mall lure me in and at midnight on Thanksgiving, I will find myself trapped in the center of a mosh pit pushing, shoving and riding the crowd to reach the sale item of choice.

I wander the mall with gleaming eyes, swearing beneath my breath, with a suspicion of all consumers boiling within my breast. The unlikeliest of peoples could be the very person coming after the very treasure I am after. In this way, I have every incentive to fight anyone who gets in my way.

And this is what humanity has come to. It is a bit ridiculous to witness such uncivil and barbaric behavior displayed at these sales. If any one of the consumers would step outside the box and look at their manners, I have reason to believe that much embarrassment will be felt.

The man rummaging through the bin of 75 percent-off sweaters looks much like a dog digging a hole for his bone – which sometimes makes me wonder how I appear to the outsider during Black Friday.

Greed, gluttony, envy and all the deadliest of sins emerge from the depths of our being when a “Sale” sign goes up on the store window. It’s a bit ironic that such characteristics come to mind during the holidays, when we should be spreading love, care and good cheer.

But, unfortunately, news always pops up every year about a poor consumer being trampled beneath the masses of frantic shoppers, or about moms engaging in UFC-like sparring on the floor of Toys “R” Us just so they can get a Cabbage Patch doll for their child.

As much as the child would appreciate such a gift, I’d like to believe that she would appreciate it much more if her mom was alive for Christmas dinner. So have we forgotten what the holidays are all about?

Shouldn’t we be giving thanks and sharing our generosity? Why then are we wrestling people at the store and shoving our way through the crowds with irritation and anger? I suspect all this pathetic behavior could be attributed to our need to buy the perfect gift.

We risk life and limb to purchase an expensive present thinking that it’ll show how much we care, but in reality, it only shows our superficiality. No matter how expensive or extravagant the item, remember that a gift is nothing more than an object to the receiver unless the giver wraps it in sentimental love and care.

After all, gift-giving should be enjoyable for both the giver and the receiver. It shouldn’t be a duty like we have made it out to be. I find that what makes a gift truly wonderful requires no thought, plan or painstaking effort. It just flows from the heart.

After all, nothing sentimental could ever be found in a price tag or in the gaudiness of a present. What makes a present special is the person who has bestowed it upon us, not the item itself. And, while it is arguable that material things are indeed enjoyable, we should keep in mind that they don’t last forever.

So, this holiday season, instead of holding onto the discounted set of speakers, hold onto your dignity and your family. These things, although not on sale, last a lifetime.

MICHELLE NGUYEN can be reached at michellen1990@yahoo.com.

CSU approves 9 percent tuition hike

City News

City Editor

November 23, 2011

On Nov. 16, the California State University (CSU) board of trustees agreed to increase tuition for Fall 2012 by 9 percent.

“The 9 percent fee increase for most full-time undergraduates will be about $498 for the year,” said CSU spokesperson Erik Fallis. “The number one reason for this increase is from a steady disinvestment of state support.”

Fallis said in the past year, the state reduced their budget by $650 million and there’s a potential $100 million cut. He said some of their buildings are beginning to need immediate maintenance or may not even be usable.

“We have equipment for research that is a decade or more old which does not provide for quality educational experience,” Fallis said.

CSU Spokesperson Liz Chapin said the CSU Board of Trustees voted on the budget and included in it that the CSU ask the state of California for $333 million. She said because of continued state cuts and a funding support that has reduced by 27 percent, there were some protests at the board meeting at the Chancellor Charles B. Reed’s office at CSU Long Beach.

“Most of the protesting, including the violence that occurred, was associated with a group [ReFund California Coalition] who basically came here just to protest,” Chapin said. “Their goals and affiliations are not in line with the CSU.”

Chapin said many of the protesters were not CSU students.

“There were four students from the group who were arrested,” Chapin said. “Three of them were CSU students and one was a University of California (UC) student.”

According to Fallis, the ringleader who shattered the glass door to the board meeting room and caused injury to four police officers was the UC student. One officer suffered severe injuries and was taken to the hospital.

“They had the intention of actively disrupting legitimate business,” Fallis said. “Frankly, it is deeply disappointing the outside group chose to hijack the meeting in which we were covering essential topics.”

The California Faculty Association (CFA), a union of CSU faculty members, said it disapproved of fee increases.

“We are angry about curriculum and policy changes that dumb down education,” said President of the CFA Lillian Taiz in a statement. “We are angry about students paying more and getting less — bigger class sizes, fewer class offerings.”

Fallis said if the CSU system doesn’t receive additional state revenue, they have to begin addressing critical needs in the system as well as possibly considering bringing in more students than they normally accept.

“The problem is the hole has been dug so deep for us,” Fallis said. “We’re in this hole because of budget cuts by California and we’re $1 billion less in state support than we had in 2007. Unfortunately, even with the [tuition] increase, we are nowhere near the resources we had before.”

According to Fallis, there are a couple of reasons as to why it appears the CSU system is more negatively affected by budget cuts than the UC system.

“With the exception of a couple of universities, most do not have significant research or outside operations,” Fallis said. “For the UCs, their core academic functions are highly subsidized by the state and their research function and hospitals are supported be federal or private grants or by charges of that operation.”

Fallis said the CSUs also don’t deliberately adopt a policy of offsetting state enrollment with higher international or non-resident enrollment.

“Our international and non-resident enrollment has stayed roughly the same percentage as our student population,” he said. “Essentially, our student population has shrunk a little since 2007.”

In general, the CSU system will not pursue this policy because it doesn’t want to offset California resident students for international and out of state students.

“Our hope is there are no more fee hikes,” Fallis said. “Our hope is the state decides to prioritize higher education.”

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

City-UC Davis student liaison commission proposes changes to noise ordinances

City News

City Editor

November 23, 2011

At the last City of Davis-UC Davis student liaison commission meeting on Nov. 9, the commission submitted a proposal to change the current noise ordinance policy. The commission will reconvene again on Dec. 14 to discuss the matter further.

Currently, the permit process requires people to apply for a party permit 16 days in advance, which the commission would like to change to seven days.

The commission would also like to change the radius of neighbors that party-throwers have to notify from 200 to 150 yards, and would like to reduce the time ahead neighbors would have to be notified from 12 to five days.

“This allows people to get a permit in a shorter time while still notifying neighbors,” said Stacy Winton, a staff liaison from the City Manager’s office.

They would also like to change the decibels of sound that parties can produce from 80 to 85.

Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD president and chairperson of the commission, said that the noise ordinances have been one of his platforms as president.

The proposal has since undergone several drafts.

“The first draft included a grace period,” Thongsavat said. “If police come to your door, you’d be given a 10-minute grace period to break up the party and avoid a ticket. This turned out to not be feasible because of the number of calls police receive.”

Thongsavat said he is still happy with the drafted proposal.

“What we have come up with is very moderate,” Thongsavat said. “Students are more than willing to be flexible. It’s not a fight, it’s really tame.”

Thongsavat encourages students to come forward and engage in the discussion.

“This is a controversial topic in the community because it’s a very polarizing issue,” said Davis City Councilmember Sue Greenwald. “Essentially, if we go through the process, we’ll have to have community input. It’s a fairly substantial process.”

“This will open up other enforcement issues. You don’t know what’s going to come out. If ASUCD can come in with suggestions, than anyone can, including neighbors,” Greenwald said.

“Whichever side of the fence you sit on, people have very strong opinions about this issue,” said Deputy City Manager Kelly Stachowitz.

“The proposed changes make it easier for people to throw parties on paper, but it doesn’t deal with the problem of holding students accountable,” said Steven Lee, former chair of the ASUCD External Affairs Commission and ASUCD’s former representative to the student liaison commission. “My problem is that students don’t usually give any notification at all. If they want to have lower restrictions, then students have to comply.”

“During my time as a student, it was important to me to improve relations between students and neighbors. This effort seems to undermine that,” Lee said.

Broader community discussion will be required for the proposal to move forward.

“Public changes to our city code done through an ordinance require a public hearing and at least two readings for administration,” Stachowitz said.

EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Davis Collegiate Panhellenic Association goes green

Campus News

Campus Editor

November 23, 2011

The Davis Collegiate Panhellenic Association (DCPA), currently comprising of 10 social sororities, has pledged to maintain a “zero waste” initiative at all philanthropic events — a bold step forward toward the creation of an even greener and environmentally friendly UC Davis campus community.

“The program is about increasing environmental awareness. Making events zero waste is an excellent choice in diverting waste from landfills and educating people on sustainable actions,” said Campus Center for the Environment (CCE) Sustainability Coordinator Samantha Rubanowitz.

Initially introduced by former ASUCD Senator Andre Lee, the project was directed mainly toward sororities due to the fact that they hold large-scale philanthropic events involving food and drinks, whereby plates, cups, utensils, napkins and other easily recyclable and compostable items can be made of use. In Fall 2010, Lee ran on a platform that included the initiative, meant to increase sustainability in the greek community, encourage all campus organizations to adopt policies warranting zero waste and promote composting.

“The initiative makes it feasible for student organizations to become environmentally conscious, and it’s a win-win situation: it’s good for the community and the environment,” Lee said.

Ordering compostable items either for events or everyday use is a relatively easy and simple process, involving the help of the CCE. Individuals or organizations simply order materials through CCE, and organize pick-up from Project Compost, a student-run organization encouraging greater involvement in composting.

Project Compost’s Alisa Kim has contributed greatly to the progression of the program, working alongside the ASUCD Senate and CCE to gain ground in providing DCPA with compostable materials. CCE also provides students with the opportunity to learn more about composting and encourages an environmentally-friendly campus community educated on the importance of sustainability.

“UC Davis strives to stand as a progressive institution — which today goes hand in hand with being environmentally sustainable. This is a huge step toward achieving sustainability. Furthermore, the model DCPA has taken on may serve as a model to other campus groups of how they can make their events sustainable, as well,” said ASUCD Senator Rebecca Sterling.

In addition to on-campus convenience, compostable items are price competitive and considering no tax is implemented on the purchased compostable materials, which are acquired directly through the ASUCD Coffee House, the plan is cost-effective as well.

“It’s important that we start re-evaluating our actions to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. Every action counts and reducing waste, especially diverting landfill waste, is a huge step in the right direction,” Rubanowitz said.

The DCPA’s zero waste plan is compatible with the UC-wide goal for zero waste by the year 2020. The DCPA’s participation in composting will not only aid the community in becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, but it will also help UC Davis in general to gain ground in achieving the 2020 goal, according to Rubanowitz.

“As a community that represents approximately 10 to 15 percent of the undergraduate student body, greeks could set a great example for other student organizations by establishing this zero waste trend,” said DCPA President Leticia Cheng.

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

True or False

Science & Technology

Science Editor

November 23, 2011

I get sleepy just thinking about my family’s Thanksgiving feast, and I know I’m not alone. There seems to be a general consensus that turkey especially causes drowsiness. To think, after all these years, my sleepiness was a direct result of the toothy, almost excruciatingly smiley conversations with great Auntie Martha is now but a debunked theory.

According to the TLC Cooking website, turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, an essential component that helps the body produce both the B-vitamin niacin and serotonin — the key chemical activated during sleep. Given tryptophan is so important to our bodies, we cannot manufacture it ourselves. Therefore, the body has to garner tryptophan and other amino acids from food nutrients, kind of like how Uncle Pete grabs all the biscuits before everyone else. This chemical process led many scientists to conclude that eating more turkey causes the body to produce more serotonin, and in turn, feel more inclined to take a nap.

However, the amount of tryptophan in turkey is similar to that found in other meats, making it just as likely to put you to sleep as chicken or beef, for example.

It isn’t a surprise that the 1980s saw an increase in the purchasing of tryptophan dietary supplements. Consumers incorrectly believed it would treat insomnia — and for the most part, it was a reasonably effective sleeping aid. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of tryptophan supplements in the early 1990s due to an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia, a muscle pain and death-inducing syndrome, found in contaminated supplement bottles.

Even when used on healthy people, though, tryptophan has shown mixed results with respect to sleep enabling characteristics. Perhaps this is because nutritionists argue that the amino acid works best on an empty stomach. In a Thanksgiving dinner situation, turkey must co-mingle with other foods and amino acids the body is trying to uptake. And just like trying to get to the biscuits before Uncle Pete, tryptophan loses the battle to its other counterparts.

CHELSEA MEHRA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Column: Homesickness

Opinion

Opinion

November 23, 2011

Maybe it’s Thanksgiving. Maybe it’s the fact that most Americans in Europe are semester kids, getting ready to go home in a few weeks. Maybe it’s the soon-to-be legendary pepper spray travesty, videos of which literally brought me to tears.

But for the first time since I’ve been in Belgium, I kind of sort of wish I was back in the States.

Advisors have warned me and the other Americans about the emotional stages we will inevitably go through as study abroad students. It starts with pure excitement — everything is new and beautiful and wonderful. The honeymoon phase continues for a while, but then we go through a period of frustration. We realize our new country isn’t perfect and that these language barriers are, indeed, challenging. We miss our friends. We miss our families. We miss the ease and comfort of knowing ourselves.

Then we move on. We begin to feel more local, settled down. Life is pretty good. We can handle this.

Then we realize we are almost at the end. We get nostalgic for both our old homes and our new one, but ultimately, knowing we have to leave makes us ready to leave.

My American friends are ready to leave.

They have three weeks left, and they can’t stop talking about their families, holiday plans and what their first meal back in the States will be.

I saw my roommate go through all of these distinct phases. She was utterly enchanted the first two weeks. Then she was disappointed — the magic was already slipping. Then she was angry — no one understands her, she can’t figure out something as simple as mailing a package, and it rains so damn much. Then she settled in. Brussels became home, but only for a few weeks. Now she longs for New Jersey. She’s ready to return to her boyfriend’s arms, to her sorority sisters and to her mom’s cooking.

For the most part, I haven’t felt any of this. I’ve been happy. My honeymoon period moved into one of ease and comfort. I’ve missed people at home, sure, but I haven’t missed home.

But I’ve been missing things. Significant things. Significant things that I regret missing, that I feel guilty for missing.

Two months ago, I missed a death, which shook my best friends from my high school for days and has changed a loved one forever. I couldn’t be there for her. I couldn’t be at the funeral. I couldn’t, and I still can’t, be there for her while she attempts to manage. E-mails do so little in such important situations.

That was the first time I felt the guilt and homesickness. Last week’s pepper spraying was the second.

Like most, I was utterly shocked and appalled. I re-watched the video several times, completely affixed to the fuzzy purple hat of one of my best friends, kneeling before the system and paying for it.

The video is brutal. Period. Knowing the faces being attacked makes it much more painful. The pain is heightened by the fact that I’m across the globe, unable to do anything except send out e-mails.

If I were in Davis, I know I’d be a stressed, emotional wreck. I would be caught up in the tidal wave on the Quad, with my friends and colleagues here at The Aggie, obsessing over quotes, phone interviews and objective adjectives. Thinking about this, about how my normal life would be right now, makes me feel bizarrely guilty. That’s how my life should be.

While I was parading through Amsterdam’s Red Light district, my friends at home were suffering and I should have been suffering as well.

There’s a lot of opportunity cost with studying abroad. My sister deliberately chose not to go abroad because she felt she couldn’t handle missing things. It’s understandable. A lot can happen in a year. A lot has already happened in my few short months away thus far. It’s part of the inevitable sadness that comes with life as an expatriate, but it’s also part of the necessary growing process.

You aren’t always going to be around for the things you want. You can’t always be around for the people you want. Your relationships, your current life and your mental health will have to continue on anyway.

JANELLE BITKER has seen UC Davis headlines plastered across laptop screens of her classmates — American, Belgian and German alike. The world is really watching, and firsthand accounts would be enjoyed at jlbitker@ucdavis.edu.

Column: Pepper spray

Opinion

November 23, 2011

The pepper spraying of student protestors in UC Davis is a story that has gone from local outrage to international condemnation. Since the story broke, news outlets from The Guardian to the BBC have offered their commentaries and opinions.

Two of these opinions have been from Fox News co-host Megyn Kelly and conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly. When describing the effects of pepper spray, Kelly made the comment, “It’s derived from the actual pepper. It’s a food product, essentially.”

While Kelly is correct that pepper spray is indeed derived from peppers, to call it a “food product” is grossly misleading. Pepper spray is actually considered a chemical agent — specifically a riot control agent. Pepper spray causes pain, loss of visual acuity (things get blurry) and sensitivity.

The reason for this distinction is dosage. When you eat a pepper, for example a Jalapeño pepper, the heat that you feel is from a chemical called capsaicin. When you eat that Jalapeño pepper, the capsaicin binds to a protein called TRPV1 that sits on top of pain- and heat-sensing membranes. The binding opens the heat-sensitive channel, creating a sensation of heat.

In relatively low doses, such as those found in spicy foods, people actually enjoy this sensation; chili peppers can add a pleasurable flavor to a dish.

In order to contrast chili peppers with pepper spray, we first need to know the Scoville Scale of Heat. The scale measures how “hot” chili peppers and other capsaicin-containing items feel. On the low end of the scale is the Red Chili pepper, containing 500-750 Scoville heat units; pure capsaicin contains about 15 million Scoville heat units. United States grade pepper spray, such as that used by the UC Davis police last weekend, contains about two million Scoville heat units.

Compare this level to the Jalapeño pepper, which contains 3,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units; or, if you’re more adventurous with your food, the Habanero pepper contains 200,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat units. This means pepper spray is about 10 times hotter than a Habanero pepper, and it is being aimed directly into the eyes and nose.

Pepper spray is made by finely grounding up peppers containing naturally high levels of capsaicin. What makes it different from a “food product,” such as ground cayenne pepper, is that the pure capsaicin is then chemically extracted from the plant to make a waxy resin, called oleoresin capsaicin. This resin is then mixed with a substance like propylene glycol to keep it suspended in liquid, then pressurized into an aerosol can. Since all that is being extracted from the pepper is the single chemical, calling it a food product is misleading.

Since the level of capsaicin is so high compared to something like a Jalapeño pepper, the familiar cures don’t really work. Cooling the burn of a pepper in a meal is easy, as long as you have milk (food tip: water doesn’t work; ask the waiter for a glass of milk if you think a meal is too spicy).

However, a study from 2008 had police officers exposed to pepper spray (a routine part of officer training, so that they know how it feels) and split into randomized groups to try different remedies. The remedies were Maalox, lidocaine gel, baby shampoo, milk and water. The officers rated each remedy with respect to difference in pain over time.

The only cure? Time. None of the remedies were significantly helpful, so bringing along gallons of milk to the next protest isn’t going to do anything to help.

The encouraging thing is that, though it hurts like hell, pepper spray does not cause permanent damage. The full effect (pain, sensitivity and loss of visual acuity) lasts about 45 minutes, with a smaller effect for a few hours (or reportedly, days) after that. The only permanent effect that I could see reported is that if someone is sprayed many times over a period of several days, their eyes will become more sensitive.

Breathing in the pepper spray doesn’t cause any respiratory damage, though the panic associated with being pepper sprayed can certainly make it feel that way.

I’d like to make a note here that this column is not meant to give specific medical advice; if you were pepper sprayed and are concerned about the health effects, please see your doctor.

AMY STEWART can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Letter to the editor: Demands for Chancellor Katehi

Opinion

Opinion

November 23, 2011

Dear Chancellor,

Your actions on Friday placed many students in danger. You casually sent in police in riot gear despite the horrendous example of Berkeley one week ago, while doing nothing to ensure that students would not be harmed. Sadly and predictably, several non-violent student protesters were hurt as a result of your actions. The care and growth of our students is our most sacred trust, and you have violated that trust.

Worse still, your actions afterword suggest no real remorse or efforts to fix the problem, but rather flailing around, trying to find a P.R. spin that will not make you out to be a monster for hurting your students. Your first communique after the incident mentioned that pepper spray was used in the passive voice, as if it just went off by itself and no one was to blame.

Now you are trying to blame campus non-affiliates, saying that the interaction between students and non-affiliates is dangerous. I wonder if, by your logic, the city of Davis itself should descend into dangerous chaos, what with the members of the city of Davis and students interacting constantly. I am sick of your spin and words. I demand to see decisive, positive leadership. Failing that, I demand your immediate resignation.

I demand to see the following immediately:

1) Police on this campus do not need weapons. Many fine institutions including Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, etc. have amazing police forces that do not carry weapons. They have not descended into anarchy. On the contrary, police and students have better relations on these campuses as students are less afraid of their police. I demand the removal of weapons from UC Davis police.

2) Protesters need to be supported and listened to by the administration, not met with police in riot gear. Sustained occupation of university property does happen on many campuses and the university does not collapse. On the contrary, the university is made stronger.

3) The use of pain compliance techniques, like pepper spray on peaceful protesters, should be explicitly forbidden and a statement released condemning it. It absolutely should not be made possible by official UC Davis Police policy, like it is now.

4) An independent, external investigation separate from the University of California into the incident needs to occur.

Failing immediate action on these matters, please add my voice to those calling for your resignation.

Shaun Geer
Graduate student, sociology

Campus chic

Campus News

Campus Editor

November 23, 2011

Michael Hoye, sophomore political science public service major, human rights minor

The Aggie: What are you wearing?
Hoye: “Skinny jeans and a pleather jacket I got from Urban Outfitters. These shoes are from Urban Outfitters, too.”

Where do you find inspiration?
“I’m in a band, Finish Ticket, so I’m inspired by other musicians, I guess.”

How did you decide what to wear today?
“I wore these jeans yesterday, so they were just on top of my stack of clothes.”

What are you looking forward to wearing this season?
“I guess jackets. I don’t think about it a lot, I just buy whatever I think is cool.”

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

Letter to the editor: Give Katehi a chance

Opinion

Opinion

November 23, 2011

Does anyone else get the feeling over the past couple days that we as a community are making a huge mistake by bombarding Chancellor Katehi with demands for her resignation?

I will honestly say I have been.

When I look back at what happened on Friday, I can’t help but think that we are going after the wrong person here. True, it is a fact that Katehi ordered UCDPD to remove the tents, but it is also a fact that she ended the order there. Katehi never asked to have the protesters removed, nor did she ask the officers to go in riot gear — those were all decisions made by the police chief. Katehi was not the one who pulled out the can of pepper spray and dowsed students in it, and yet we are going after her like a pack of savage animals. Katehi was not the one responsible for making sure trash like Lt. John Pike didn’t make it into UCDPD — that was all on the Police Chief.

We all want a safer campus where an incident like what happened on Friday will never happen again, and Katehi has clearly voiced that she wants the same thing. Katehi has also publicly denounced the actions that were taken by officers on Friday. Even though she was not directly responsible for the pepper spraying, even though every one of those officers — and in fact, the Chief of Police — disobeyed her orders by attempting to remove the protesters, Katehi is taking the heat for all of them regardless.

Monday she clearly announced that if we as a community do not want to be part of the university we saw on Friday, then neither does she. She apologized publicly for actions that were not even directly her fault in front of THOUSANDS, even after having stood and listened to a crowd get primed against her over and over again by community members who chose to not speak civilly about their opinions, but yell and excite. Going up on that stage takes an incredible amount of courage and an incredible emotional toll which could be heard in Katehi’s voice, and seen in videos across the web in her tired face. On top of all this, Katehi was virtually chased back to her office by protesters demanding her resignation. How is that the civility she was promised? She clearly cares about us, about our university, and above all she has faith in us.

The bottom line is that, whether we want to accept it or not, Katehi cares about us as students. Unlike most faculty in charge of the UCs, Katehi has demonstrated immense courage by not only admitting that change has to be made, but also by making strides to accommodate such change which otherwise would have taken years. She is actively working to rebuild trust with our student body and faculty, and has demonstrated good judgement by placing both Lt. Pike and the Police Chief on leave.

I’m not saying that Katehi hasn’t made some critical errors in the past few days and weeks — she has, and she has admitted to them. What I am saying is that if our community really wants a shot at a better future for our university, we need to look at what the smart things to do are. Do we continue on our manhunt for Katehi’s resignation and possibly end up with someone far worse taking over her position? Or do we stop blaming the wrong people and give the one truly powerful faculty member on this campus who actually cares about the students a chance to prove her worth to us?

Think about it. Who would you rather have at the helm? A new by-the-books chancellor placed by the regents, who likely would have no past history with Davis, let alone a clue of our movement’s agenda?

The changes we are looking for don’t happen overnight, we all know that. So let’s give Katehi a timeline and a chance to really live up to making this our university. Part of me says that she is the only real hope we’ve got.

We need to give her the chance to be OUR chancellor, not Yudof’s or the regents’.

Our university, Our Chancellor!

Austin Greene
Sophomore, aerospace science and engineering

Students reflect on non-traditional Thanksgivings

Features

Features Editor

November 22, 2011

On Thursday, some students will sit down to a turkey dinner, some to a ham, and some to none of the above.

While Thanksgiving has received the reputation of being America’s “Turkey Day,” the student sitting next to you in organic chemistry may be looking forward to something other than the traditional Thanksgiving Day bird.

Midson Hay, who graduated in 2011 with degrees in Japanese and economics and identifies as Southeast Asian, said there was no sort of Thanksgiving tradition in his house until he was a teenager.

“Growing up I didn’t really celebrate Thanksgiving with my family until my older sister and I reached high school. We were pretty much independent at this point and we agreed that we wanted a real Thanksgiving,” Hay said.

When they were old enough, Hay and his sister tried to bring the tradition of Thanksgiving to his family.

“We went out to get groceries to cook a Thanksgiving feast, which my parents weren’t really fond of. They thought it was too ‘American’ and they would have rather had Chinese food,” Hay said.

Even if his attempt to create a traditional Thanksgiving may have failed, Hay said he definitely still gained something from the experience.

“It was a day with ridiculous amounts of food and not enough people to eat it. Friends and family came to stuff their faces and watch the football game, and it was probably the first time in a long time I felt any kind of real family bonding,” Hay said.

Hay does still have a love for Thanksgiving, however, for the same reason as many other students.

“Food!” Hay said. “It’s a socially acceptable ‘fat’ day. I love it.”

There are some families, however, that have adopted a traditional American Thanksgiving into their lives and changed it to adhere more to their own cultures.

For Mahshid Aimaq, senior psychology major with an emphasis in biology, the Thanksgiving lunch includes traditional American as well as traditional Afghani foods.

“We make all the traditional things like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and biscuits. We also make Afghani food like rice, spinach and kabob. For dessert we will make apple pie and firnee, which is an Afghani desert, kind of like pudding,” Aimaq said.

For Aimaq, it wouldn’t matter what the traditions were, as long as she would be with family.

“My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is that I get to spend time with my family,” Aimaq said.

Phaxi Yang, senior psychology major, also experiences fusions of American culture and her own culture, Hmong, on Thanksgiving.

“We cook a big turkey and make all kinds of other dishes, from mashed potatoes to eggrolls. For some reason, we always get a pumpkin pie but no one ever eats it. When the turkey is cooked, my brother-in-law will cut half of it and grind the meat up and make a Laotian dish called laab,” Yang said.

Yang’s family also has another important tradition after the Thanksgiving lunch.

“The ‘lunch’ usually last until almost 4 p.m. and afterward, we usually set up the Christmas tree and pick our Secret Santa. When everything is settled, we all usually sit around our TV and watch a “Friends” episode, our favorite show,” Yang said.

According to Yang, Thanksgiving a few years ago was especially memorable because the whole family sat down to tell stories.

“My dad told the story of how he carried my oldest brother and sister through the jungles of Laos and crossed the Mekong River to get to Thailand during the Vietnam War. He also told a story about my past grandmother and he was laughing and crying,” Yang said.

For Yang, it isn’t the food or the Christmas tree that makes Thanksgiving Day so special — it’s being surrounded by her big family.

“My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the family gathering. We usually have about five families total over at my parents, including my siblings’ families,” Yang said.

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

Goon Squad Classic brings entertainment to the Pavilion

Sports

Sports Editor

November 22, 2011

Goon Squad Classic brings entertainment to the Pavilion

NBA stars put on a show at the Pavilion Sunday night in the Goon Squad Classic.

Not surprisingly, the defenses took the night off, as fans were treated to a barrage of dunks and long range three-pointers.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant did not travel to Davis for the event, while Washington Wizards guard John Wall showed up, but did not play in the game.

Even with the game’s biggest stars not on the floor, a group of current and former Sacramento Kings, including Tyreke Evans and Jimmer Fredette, did their part to ensure that the evening was entertaining.

The teams flew up and down the court, bringing the score to 44-41 at the end of the first quarter.

The clock wound down with the score tied, and the game was ultimately resolved in overtime with a 167-164 win for the black team.

The atmosphere in the Pavilion was exciting, and was something that Kings center DeMarcus Cousins picked up on.

“It was a lot of fun to be here tonight,” Cousins said. “I really enjoyed the chance to play here.”

The game also gave players a chance to play competitive basketball during the current NBA lockout, which some believe may cost the players a full season of action.

This is especially true for Fredette, who has yet to play a game with the Kings, but was able to unite with many of his Sacramento teammates on Sunday.

“It’s good to be able to play with [my teammates] a little bit before the season starts,” Fredette said. “Getting to know their personalities is a good thing.”

The proceeds of the evening benefited multiple charities, including Circle of Success — the charity started by game organizer and Kings forward Donte Greene.

“It’s good to be able to give back to these charities,” Fredette said . “It really helps the community.”

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

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