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The wait is over

Sports Editor
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The weight has been lifted — UC Davis cross country now has its first ever Big West Conference women’s title.

“It’s been something that’s been talked about in the program since we moved to Division I,” said coach Drew Wartenberg. “In the short term it relieves a lot of pressure, because now we don’t have to deal with the questions of ‘When are you going to win one?’”

The long-awaited win was a group effort for the Aggies.

UC Davis placed three runners in the top-10 and five runners in the top-14 of the women’s 6-K race. To Wartenberg, the team depth led them to victory.

“Anytime you place that well you’re going to have a good chance to win,” Wartenberg said. “The team is at a point where they really trust their fitness and trust each other and that’s what it takes to win.”

Junior Sarah Sumpter led the Aggies with a second place finish in her return to the Big West Championships. After missing all of last season due to her bout with brain cancer, Sumpter made her coach proud in this race.

“[Sumpter] ran hard and she ran from the front,” Wartenberg said. “Despite all the adversity she has gone through she hasn’t changed her style at all.”

Sumpter was followed by sophomore Alycia Cridebring and freshman Kristine Lozoya — who finished eighth and 10th, respectively.

On the men’s side, UC Davis was led by senior Jonathan Peterson, who finished fifth as he attempted to defend his Big West individual title.

While it is difficult to repeat in Division I athletics, this was not the result Peterson was hoping for.

“He just didn’t have gas in the tank late,” Wartenberg said. “There are some pieces to pick up, but also there is a lot of motivation that will come from this.”

With the conference championships now out of the way, UC Davis will focus its attention on the Doc Adams Invitational in Davis on Saturday and the NCAA Regionals at Stanford Nov. 12.

“Recovery starts immediately,” Wartenberg said. “Monday is a new week, so now it’s time to get fresh and hungry for our upcoming meets.”
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies enter “uncharted territory”

Sports Editor
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After their worst offensive performance of the season, the Aggies now find themselves in an unfamiliar position.

Saturday’s 34-3 loss at Southern Utah drops UC Davis to 2-6 on the season and 0-2 in the Great West Conference. The team has not started a season 2-6 since the switch to Division I in 2007, and is now assured of its first losing season since 2008.

“This is uncharted territory for us,” Head Coach Bob Biggs said. “It’s time to really test ourselves and challenge ourselves.”

UC Davis could not get anything going offensively against the Thunderbirds, and for the second week in a row turnovers are the story.

The Aggies fumbled three times in the game, and Southern Utah made them pay for their mistakes. Fumbles in the third and fourth quarter both led directly to Southern Utah touchdowns, putting the game out of reach for a UC Davis team that did not score until midway through the fourth quarter.

“We just couldn’t get any momentum going,” Biggs explained. “They were running a coverage to take away the pass, so we knew we had to run the football and we just weren’t able to do that constantly.”

UC Davis rushed for a season low 43 yards in the game and managed only nine first downs throughout the contest.

With the offense struggling to move the ball downfield, it was the Aggie defense was on the field for most of the game.

After giving up two long touchdown drives on the first two Thunderbird possessions, the defensive unit settled down and kept their team in the game.

A 10 yard sack by redshirt freshman Steven Pitts late in the first quarter forced a 51-yard field goal attempt by Southern Utah that they were unable to convert.

In the second quarter, senior Jacob Maxson blocked another Southern Utah field goal attempt.

“I thought we got back on our heels a little bit the first two drives, [but] we settled in with what we were trying to do,” Biggs said. “We bent but we didn’t break. The defense played their hearts out in my opinion.”

More often than not, however, after getting a stop, the defense would up right back on the field following quick UC Davis offensive possessions.

The Aggies had 12 offensive possessions in the game, with only three of them lasting more than four plays. Only one of the drives lasted more than three minutes and 30 seconds.

UC Davis ran 45 offensive plays, compared to the 75 of Southern Utah. The Aggies were 3 for 10 on third down conversions.

The lone bright spot for the UC Davis offense was the career-high 54 yard field goal hit by senior kicker Sean Kelley.

Kelley is now 5-9 on field goals this season and remains perfect on PATs — 20 for 20. With three games remaining in his career, Kelley needs eight more field goals to eclipse Eddie Loretto as UC Davis’ all-time leader in field goals made.

As a team, the Aggies must find a way to put Saturday’s disappointing loss behind them, as they face another tough conference opponent in Cal Poly this weekend.

The rivalry game will give the team a chance to rally around each other and put on a strong performance in front of their home crowd.

“They’re a good football team,” Biggs said of the Mustangs. “It’s a great rivalry and it seems to bring out the best in both teams.

“I guarantee we will be ready to play on Saturday.”

You can follow Caelum Shove on twitter @CaAggieFootball or you can e-mail him at sports@theaggie.org.

Second meeting reveals anti-Dempsey Report sentiments

Sports Editor
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The Dempsey Report came under criticism  on Wednesday at the second town hall meeting to discuss the hiring of a new Athletic Director (AD). A group made up largely of UC Davis faculty and parents of student-athletes expressed their concerns about the future of UC Davis athletics.

The evening began with Cedric Dempsey, the head of the firm that created the Dempsey Report, giving a brief explanation of his background and talking about his thoughts regarding the future of UC Davis.

Dempsey stressed the fact that his report was not meant to make recommendations — rather he asserted it was intended to provide options to the university.  While the Dempsey Report presents a path for UC Davis to move away from its current “educational model” toward a “business model”. Dempsey’s personal view may have been surprising to some.

“I am a strong advocate of a losing cause at the Division I level; that is, I am a strong advocate of the educational model,” he said.

Dempsey also commended UC Davis for its transparency with regard to the AD search.

“Of the 45 schools I have provided reports for,” Dempsey said, “this is the first campus that has allowed for open forums to discuss the results. This is the most transparent process I have worked with.”

Almost as soon a Dempsey stepped away from the podium, the criticism of his report began.

Of the 10 speakers at the open forum, nine spoke out against the reforms proposed by the Dempsey Report. The anti-Dempsey speakers were largely parents of student-athletes and UC Davis faculty.

The speakers echoed the sentiments expressed in the first town hall meeting, voicing frustration about potential revision of the eight core principles and citing data from NCAA reports suggesting that changes in spending do not necessarily correlate to wins and losses.

“[The eight core principles] were not thrown together to be simply trashed,” said professor of nutrition Louis Grivetti, a member of the committee that drafted the Eight Core Principles back in 2003. “We created the principles because we wanted to ensure that UC Davis did not start down a slippery slope of infractions that some might call ‘no big deal.’”

Other speakers spoke of student involvement, and expressed frustration over the perceived lack of student participation.

“UC Davis students are the single biggest donor this university will ever know,” said Paul Medved, alumnus, donor and parent of a former student-athlete. “The administration is hoping like hell that [the students] stay really busy. Too busy to inform themselves of the facts and truths that would lead them to conclude that they are not receiving the services they have contracted with this university.”

Other speakers went so far as to call the current situation “grand theft athletics” and to suggest that UC Davis cut football before considering dropping other sports.

The lone pro-Dempsey speaker of the evening was UC Davis alumnus Kai Ruess.

“UC Davis has not reached its potential,” Ruess said. “Alumni don’t come back to Davis for games, and the reason is two-fold: First due to the product put on the field, and second due to the lack of marketing.

“Whether it’s good or bad, athletics is the representation of UC Davis to the outside world … We should take a course that is forward-looking, rather than stagnant, and we should try to invest in wise ways so that our Athletics Department can become more competitive.”

Ruess is also an organizing member of “Aggies for Excellence,” a group promoting UC Davis’ move to a higher level of athletic competition, as is suggested in the Dempsey Report. According to the group’s website, aggiesforexcellence.com, one of their goals is to “organize an immediate campaign to convince the Chancellor to hire an Athletics Director that is willing and able to embrace the spirit of the [Dempsey Report] without sacrificing UC Davis’ academic integrity.”

According to an organizing member, “the group has been spearheaded by multiple alumni, including several former ASUCD Presidents and Vice Presidents, and multiple former Aggie Pack MCs.”

As of Sunday, 179 people have registered through the group’s website and the group’s Facebook page has received 269 “likes.”

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Fred Wood and the panel charged with advising Chancellor Linda Katehi on hiring a new AD will continue discussing the opinions heard at the meeting over the next several weeks.

According to Wood, the 14-member panel which includes faculty, donors and students meets approximately once every two weeks, and while UC Davis has begun receiving applications for potential suitors, Wood insists the panel is not focusing on particular applicants yet.

“Cedric [Dempsey] is receiving applications, but I have specifically instructed him not to forward them to me,” Wood said. “I don’t think we can begin to look at applications until we have direction as to where our future in athletics is going.”

Katehi has also extended the period for collecting comments to Nov. 30, in order to accommodate two additional town hall meetings.

With the additional time, Wood has revised his timetable for the hiring of a new AD, estimating that Katehi will make her decision in late spring or early fall, rather than by the end of 2011 as he had stated at the previous town hall meeting.

An ASUCD sponsored town hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in ARC Ballroom A. That will be followed by the final scheduled town hall meeting on Nov. 15.

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

Home-cooking

Sports Editor
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The Aggies may struggle on the road at times, but when they play at the Pavilion they are lights out.

UC Davis beat Big West Conference opponents UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly over the weekend, moving their record to 8-0 at home this season.

“We love playing at home,” said senior Betsy Sedlak. “We feel comfortable here and the crowd is amazing.”

With the wins, the Aggies move into a tie for second in the Big West with a conference record of 6-5.

The Aggies also moved over 20 wins on the season with a record of 20-6. Coach Jamie Holmes believes that could help them get in to the NCAA Tournament.

“When it comes to the NCAA,” she said, “they take a look to see that you got over 20 wins. The fact that we did well at home this weekend definitely works in our favor.”

Friday — UC Davis 3, UC Santa Barbara 1

Friday’s match was a barn-burner.

The Aggies found themselves behind early, after losing the first set 25-20. The second set was hotly contested throughout, but UC Davis finally broke through on its third set-point to win the frame 27-25 and even the match at one set apiece.

After taking the third set 25-23, the Aggies had the Gauchos’ backs against the wall entering the fourth set.

UCSB responded early, jumping out to a 20-14 lead, but UC Davis would not go quietly. The Aggies rallied to even things at 24, placing extra pressure back on the Gauchos.

After several hard-fought points, UC Davis finally tallied the match-point on their fifth attempt — beating UCSB 31-29 in the set, 3-1 in the match

“I was happy to see that we stayed so calm in that final set,” said junior Valerie Brain. “We were really poised. It was awesome to get a win like this.”

Brain led the Aggies with 15 kills, while junior Allison Whitson notched 14.

Junior Caroline Mercado paced UC Davis with 18 digs and sophomore Jenny Woolway posted 59 assists.

Sunday — UC Davis 3, Cal Poly 2

Saturday’s game was a war of attrition.

The Aggies fell behind early for the second straight day, dropping the first set 25-19, but responded in a dramatic second set to win 30-28.

The third set was all Aggies as UC Davis controlled the net from the start and took a 25-18 win to give them the advantage, two sets to one.

The fourth frame was a battle.

For the second straight night the Aggies found themselves trailing 20-14. It looked like the Aggies might have a chance to come back as they cut Cal Poly’s lead to 23-22, but it was not enough as the Mustangs took the frame 25-23 to force a fifth set.

The final frame was UC Davis’ time to shine.

UC Davis never trailed, and sealed the victory with a 15-8 fifth-set win.

Sophomore Devon Damelio was a key part to the Aggies’ success, setting a career high with 21 kills.

“[Damelio] was just clutch,” Holmes said. “We just needed to get her the ball, and she was going to swing with all her might. It’s a real momentum-getter to have someone swinging like that.”

Sedlak also matched her career high with 19 kills.

Mercado again led the Aggies with 23 digs, while Whitson and Woolway added 19 apiece.

The Aggies will return to the road this week as they face Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside.

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

Aggies slip on road

Sports Editor
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The UC Davis men’s soccer program’s three game winning streak was ended on Wednesday when it dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 23 UC Santa Barbara.

UCSB is the very team that handed the UC Davis its last loss before the Aggies strung together the three straight victories that put them at the top of the Big West Conference.

With the loss the Aggies fell to 7-7-2 on the year, and moved to second in the Big West with a record of 5-3.

Despite the Aggies’ nine-point advantage over the Gauchos in the conference standings prior to the match, it would be a stretch to say UC Davis entered the game as the favorite — playing at Santa Barbara in front of a crowd of 2,456 Gaucho fans.

Looking to prove they weren’t out of the season just yet, the Gauchos showed why they are atop the Big West in nearly every offensive statistic. They got the first lead of the game in the 37th minute when a free kick got through the UC Davis defense and UCSB’s Tim Pontius knocked the ball in to put the Gauchos up 1-0.

Keeping UC Davis on its back foot, UCSB tacked on another goal in the 61st minute on a bizarre play that found sophomore goalkeeper Omar Zeenni way out of position. Pontius seized the opportunity and put a shot from 61 yards out into the wide-open goal for a 2-0 Gaucho lead.

The Aggies struck right back not three minutes later when freshman Matt Wiesenfarth got the ball to junior Dan Reese, who scored to bring the game to a 2-1 score.

“Even if we do give up the first goal or two, we have the confidence that we can score 2 goals and come back,” Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer said. “We’ve proven we can play from behind this season.”

Despite the optimism, UC Davis could not pull the same late game magic they had so many times before. The Gauchos even extended their lead in the 77th minute to beat the Aggies 3-1.

“They’re ranked 23 in the nation. We went down there and played hard,” Shaffer said. “I thought we played well because it’s an outstanding place to play.”

UCSB is now responsible for two of UC Davis’s three conference losses.

“It just wasn’t our day, but we’re moving forward and we can still achieve our goal of the Big West Conference Tournament,” Shaffer said.

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

UC Davis finishes strong

Sports Editor
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 UC Davis knew the result of its final regular season game against Pacific would set the tone as it enters the Nor Pac Conference Tournament on Thursday.

Through a strong display of offensive strength, UC Davis powered to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers, building necessary momentum as it continues play this week in Stanford.

UC Davis struck early on Pacific’s home field and continued that offensive pressure through the rest of the game.

Junior Casey Wollbrinck scored on a penalty corner less than two minutes into play, taking control of the game for the Aggies early on.

“[Wollbrink] really did a lot in starting the attack,” said coach Vianney Campos. “She really gets the energy going for our team … we love seeing that from her.”

Though Pacific was able to retaliate with a goal of their own, the Aggies scored twice more on plays by sophomore Cloey Lemmon and senior Kristen Lopez before the end of the first half — pulling ahead with a solid 3-1 lead.

UC Davis continued to control the game in the second half, holding Pacific scoreless through a strong defense led by Aggie goalkeeper Conley Craven’s six saves. Junior Nadia Namdari extended the UC Davis lead with a goal in the final ten minutes of play, resulting in a final score of 4-1.

“We’ve been really focusing on playing a controlled game and I think we showed that today,” Campos said. “We got some momentum going and the defense slowed [Pacific] down.”

The win improved the Aggies’ record to 4-11 overall and 2-4 in the NorPac conference, securing the number three seed in the NorPac tournament that begins on Wednesday.

The victory and higher seed could be a critical advantage in UC Davis’ first game of the tournament.

“You always want to go in higher because it creates momentum,” Campos explained.

Saturday’s win coupled with the improvement that the team exhibited in recent games against California and Stanford provides optimism for the Aggies as they begin tournament play.

“We’re happy that we’re playing well,” said Campos. “We’re going in with a lot of momentum.”

The Aggies will face Davidson on Thursday in their first game of the NorPac tournament.

 

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

Horsin’ around at UC Davis

Features Editor
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When you drive up to the UC Davis Equestrian Center — a part of campus most students have never visited — you realize that a separate world exists within the borders of Davis. This world is focused on one thing: horses.

The horse community is made up of those who take classes at the Equestrian Center, participants in the different equestrian teams, members of the Rodeo club and people who board their horses on campus.

It’s true having a horse can be considered at times to be both pleasurable and hard work. These students use their horses as a source of relief from the stresses of regular college life, such as homework, a job, an internship and a sometimes-hectic personal life.

“I really love having him here. He’s very centering. I always joke that ‘my therapist lives in a barn’ and it’s very much the truth,” said Emily Lucic, junior environmental science and management major.

Students said they chose to board their horses at UC Davis most importantly because of the convenience and proximity of the barn to campus. They also enjoy the covered arena, great for going for a ride when it’s raining, along with the care of the staff, who muck stalls and feed the horses.

“I absolutely love being able to leave my organic chemistry class, bike through the arboretum, ride my horse, clean up and go to my linguistics class. Where else can you do that?” said Emily Seubert, junior biological sciences major.

Leanne Moore, senior animal science major, initially housed her horse on campus because she loved the connection she could forge between her everyday class life and horse life. Moore housed her horse on campus for her first two years at UC Davis.

The decision for Dina Schneider, senior animal science major, to bring her horse to campus was easy.

“It’s either my horse comes with me or he’s going to get sold,” Schneider said.

Boarding a horse in a barn stall, which includes an indoor and outdoor space, costs $415 per month. Barn employees will also feed the horse hay and clean the stall twice a day.

Boarding a horse in an outdoor pasture with five other horses costs  $250 per month. This fee also includes regular feedings and pasture cleanings.

Sophomore animal biology major Kristyn Pendley chose to board her horse in a stall so she is better able to control what he eats.

“A lot of people choose based on price, but it really depends on the horse,” Pendley said. “As much as I would have loved to choose based on financial reasons, I thought he’d do better in a stall.”

Potential boarders must sign up on a waiting list in order to secure a spot at the barn. Currently, Pendley said the waiting list for a stall has seven people and the waitlist for a pasture has 14.

“If you’re currently a boarder and want to go from a stall to a pasture, you get priority. So the pasture waitlist doesn’t move as fast as the stall waitlist,” Pendley said.

Schneider said that it’s important to get on the waiting list as soon as possible.

“I put my name down on Preview Day and almost didn’t get the spot because they wrote my number down wrong. It’s always full,” Schneider said.

In addition to the monthly boarding fee, horse owners must pay additional fees for supplies, extra food and medical care.

Pendley said she pays about $100 every 8 weeks for horseshoes, $200 to $300 a year for veterinary care and $400 a year for extra supplements and food.

Many of these students are participants on the school’s riding teams, and continually train, not only for their teams, but also to simply improve their skill and be able to enjoy riding to the fullest extent. Pendley said most of the students who board their horses on campus don’t take formal lessons, but rather are members of the UC Davis equestrian team. People who take riding lessons typically do not board their horses on campus.

Thanks to riding teams and clubs, the communities of students that hold their roots in the Equestrian Center borders reach much further than the gravel and shrubbery outlining the center.

“The other girls that board their horses at the equestrian center have become some of my closest friends,” said Sonali Rathod, junior animal science major, who boards her horse on campus and runs the 3-Day Event Team.

Even during the summer, when the density of Davis residents plummets, the horse community remains strong.

“A bunch of us stayed in Davis over the summer and we had a Facebook group where we would just post, ‘Hey anyone want to go for a ride?’ We went on trail rides and swimming” Schneider said.

The gushing of these riders is not to say, however, that there aren’t difficulties associated with having their horses during school. Many mentioned the difficulty of finding enough time to visit the barn during midterms and finals.

Despite some of the difficulties associated with horse ownership, one thing rang true among all of the horse-owners: they think their horses are incredible and worth every minute of the time they devote to them.

“The time I put into my relationship with my horse is more rewarding than anything else I can think of,” Rathod said.

CHRISTINA NOVAKOV-RITCHEY can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Aggie Digest

Sports Editor
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Men’s water polo

UC Davis finished its Western Water Polo Association regular season this past weekend with two road losses.

With the losses, the Aggies drop to 20-9 overall and 11-4 in league play.

UC Davis will now have to wait on other WWPA results to find out where it will be seeded in the WWPA Tournament.

The weekend opened with a 10-6 loss to UC San Diego on Friday.

Senior Walter Eggert scored a hat trick in the first half, but it wasn’t enough as UC Davis dropped its second game of the season to the Tritons.

UC Davis certainly had its chances to score, but it missed its last seven 6-on-5s.

The Aggies followed that match with a loss to Loyola Marymount by the score of 8-5.

UC Davis was stifled offensively throughout the match against the four-time defending WWPA champion Lions.

Junior Colin Hicks netted a hat trick for the Aggies, but UC Davis was never closer than three goals after the first quarter.

This was the last conference game for UC Davis this season before the WWPA tournament. The Aggies return to action on Nov. 12, hosting California for their home finale.

— Russell Eisenman

Roving Reporter

Features Editor
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“I don’t actually celebrate Halloween. Once I got to college I kind of grew out of it.”

Ryan Mayo, sophomore computer engineering major

 

“Mexico, with a short belt and Tequila belt because it’s fun and the only costume I have.”

Fred Tattersall, junior chemistry major

 

“I am going to be River Tam because I didn’t plan very well and it’s the simplest thing I can do and still make it work.”

Hannal Victory, junior dramatic art major

 

“Ginger Spice, because I love the Spice Girls and girl power and also because I am a ginger.”

Molly Hoelper, junior mechanical engineering major

 

“I am going to be a Barbarian of sorts because I have the attire. I don’t want to spend tons of money on a costume so I’m just using what I have in my closet.”

Sean Newell, junior managerial economics major

 

“Grim Reaper. It’s the costume I had last year but I didn’t really use it. I am actually spending Halloween at UCLA with my girlfriend.”

Gabriel Weil, sophomore animal science major

 

“I am going to be a sailor. My girlfriend is going as a nurse so that’s how I got the idea to be a sailor.”

Michael Torossian, sophomore biochemistry major

 

“I am going to wear a white shirt and write ‘animal’ with a sharpie and go as a party animal. It’s fun and easy.”

Chris Hartman, senior animal biology major

 

“I am going to wear a shirt that says ‘Go ceiling’ and be a ceiling fan.”

John Oakley, junior international relations major

 

“We actually do not celebrate Halloween. Halloween honors the dead and God says we shouldn’t participate in events such as these.”

Linda Raty and Suzanne Metz, Jehovah’s Witnesses who hand out free literature on the Quad.

 

“For Halloween I am going to be a pimp because all the girls are dressed like whores.”

Alfredo Ramirez, junior exercise biology major

Dear Gabby: Senior setbacks & LDRs

Features Editor
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Dear Gabby,

I am so stressed out! I’m about to graduate, applying for grad school and working two part-time jobs. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have time to do it all, and I’m considering quitting one of my jobs even though I’d feel terrible about it. How can I stop freaking out about all my responsibilities and how do I know when I’m trying to do too much?

— Stressed out senior

Dear Stressed out senior,

I applaud your ability to juggle all of that at once. Take pride in knowing that you give hope to the many victims of senioritis. But there is a healthy medium between care-free couch potato (who usually fails a lot in life) and a manic overachiever (who is usually unhappier than most) and that healthy medium is what you want to aim for. You are never going to be an undergraduate senior again. That makes it a special year, and one that you’re going to want to remember as being awesome. At the same time, grad school applications, jobs and classes are demanding, so it ends up being too much for one person to handle.

My mom always says, “You have the rest of your life to work, so focus on school and fun,” and I must say she is absolutely right. College is expensive and I believe that students should have a part–time job to pay for toilet paper and the occasional sushi buffet, but that part-time job shouldn’t be top priority.

I highly suggest you quit one of your jobs, even if it makes you feel guilty. Tell your boss about your situation and I’m sure he/she won’t be a tyrant about it. And if he/she is, then that’s one less negative person you have to deal with, right? Trust me, the relief you feel with one less obligation will out-weigh the temporary guilt you feel for quitting. It also sounds like you don’t have much time for a social life, but do something for yourself at least twice a week. Naps, yoga, full-body massages, concerts, baking … I could go on for days! Pick one, you wont regret it.

If you don’t sleep enough and have dark circles under your eyes, if your hair starts greying or falling out, if you don’t see your friends anymore and they start forgetting that you exist, if your “to-do” list takes more than five minutes to make, if you don’t have time for three meals a day, if you get sick more frequently than normal and finally, if you think you have too many things to do, then you are probably doing too much. Stay focused but don’t burn yourself out!

Dear Gabby,

My girlfriend of five years just moved to the East Coast for school and I only get to see her during breaks. What is the best way to handle being away from her?

— Lonely lover

Dear Lonely Lover,

Long distance relationships (LDRs) are far from easy, but they aren’t impossible. Most things get easier with time; LDRs, however, get harder over time because you have different experiences, your lives begin to diverge and your relationship is put to the test. A five-year relationship sounds like a solid one, but you’ll both have to work hard to make your absences easier on each other.

I’m sure you are well aware of one other disenchanting aspect of being apart from your significant other — you are the only person who can satisfy your sexual needs. It’s time to go back to the days where all you had was privacy and the internet. It may not be as good as the real thing, but you have to work with what you’ve got. Luckily, we are living in the day and age of Skype, Facetime and KY Yours & Mine, so you should be all set in that department.

Boundaries. Talk about them. If you are okay with each other having “cuddle buddies” then say so. If you don’t mention boundaries then one of you might overstep them, which will lead to a messy cascade of events, and you want to avoid that. The best thing you can do is to stay involved in her life in any way you can so she knows that you care. The worst thing you can do in a moment of weakness is to betray someone you care about. If that day comes and you find yourself falling for somebody else, do the right thing and talk to your girlfriend before you act on those feelings.

Try not to get frustrated, because the more you dwell on the fact that you miss her, the harder you make it for yourself. Instead, occupy your time with things that you enjoy. Go out with your friends, join an IM athletic team, and focus on you. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a part time job so you can afford to visit her every once in a while. If you are so hopelessly in love that you can’t stand to live 3,000 miles apart, then start filling out those applications and remember to dress in layers!

 

Got a problem? Gabby can help. Really! E-mail her at ucdeargabby@gmail.com.

Column: Magic pumpkins

Opinion
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The other day when I was in one of the MU bathrooms, I set my phone down and walked out. It only took me five minutes to realize that I’d lost my phone. But when I went to the bathroom and awkwardly looked on the counters and in the stall, I knew it was too late. My poor, sweet, loyal Smartphone was gone.

The next three hours were torture. Not only did this dash my plans of talking to my mom for the first time after a long week of studying and stress, but I just couldn’t stop going over what I’d lost in my head. The priceless pictures of my friends and the heirloom lasagna recipe I’d saved on my phone, all suddenly came rushing back to me.

I went to all the lost and found areas I knew of, and I was about ready to commit hari-kari by the time I was done. Biking home afterward, I cried hot, salty tears of self-pity. I started thinking that since whoever took my phone from the bathroom hadn’t turned it in, they were probably either trying to hawk it on the secondhand phone black market, enjoying a devious game of  “Fruit Slice” or, worst of all, selling my beloved lasagna recipe to “Martha Stewart Living”.

What made me feel even worse was that I assumed whoever found my phone would turn it in. Years before, I found an iPhone in one of the MU bathrooms. I could have sold it and made a pretty penny or, even better, I could have kept it for myself so I could play “Tap Tap Revenge 28” until my thumbs got carpel tunnel. Those devious thoughts never even crossed my mind. I knew the phone was like someone’s small, electronic child, so I felt an urgent sense of responsibility to get it back to its owner.

It annoyed and frustrated me that karma had decided to be a complete bitch that day. I’d rescued someone else’s phone, so didn’t that mean, by cosmic law, that I got a free pass?

This injustice reminded me of four years ago, when a wildfire burned my house, and all my worldly possessions, to the ground. The fire destroyed almost everything, except for a magical pumpkin on our front porch. I pulled that bad boy out of piles of ashes, debris and broken roofing tiles, but there was barely a scratch on it.

To me, that damn pumpkin became a symbol of my family’s struggle and ultimate triumph over losing all evidence of our years together. It replaced the decimated set of Pokémon cards I was planning on giving my kids someday and the handmade dress my friend had given me for my birthday.

So that November, when my family moved into a rental house, we proudly displayed our magical pumpkin in front of our house.

And do you know what one of my neighbors did? They stole it from my front yard and smashed it in the street for a laugh. I’d already literally lost everything, but losing the metaphorical value of that pumpkin had me daydreaming of murdering faceless pumpkin killers by smashing them in the street.

Now, while this is probably the strangest story I could tell you, what I want to get across is that what may be worth $20 to you can quite possibly be priceless to its owner, even if it doesn’t seem like it. To me the value of our things aren’t the things themselves, but the memories and emotions we assign to them.

Now before I leave you with the impression that the world is full of thieves, I should say that there are still Good Samaritans out there. Even though I was too stupid to find out where they returned it, some valiant ladies room hero did turn in my phone.

So, thank you random Good Samaritan who rescued my phone and returned it to my loving arms. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude and probably some homemade cookies too. You’re a quality human being.

The next time you have the choice between stealing something and sending it to its rightful home, pick the latter option. Or not, you choose. But be warned, if you choose theft I’ll come after you with some righteous pumpkin rage.

KATE ZARRELLA would love to hear from you at kazarrella@ucdavis.edu, unless you like smashing pumpkins –– the activity, not the band.

ASUCD Senate Briefs

Campus Editor
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ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the Oct. 27 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings.

Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD president, present
Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present
Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present
Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present
Emmanuel Diaz-Ordaz, ASUCD senator, present
Andre Lee, ASUCD senator, present
Amy Martin, ASUCD senator, present
Mayra Martín, ASUCD senator, present
Tatiana Moana Bush, ASUCD senator, present
Darwin Moosavi, ASUCD senator, present
Matthew Provencher, ASUCD senator, present
Brendan Repicky, ASUCD senator, present
Rebecca Sterling, ASUCD senator, present
Ryan Meyerhoff, ASUCD senator, present

Presentations
Amaan Shaikh did a presentation about the Davis Honors Challenge. He said that it is doing a survey of students to find out how they feel about existing study space and what improvements need to be made to the study spaces on campus. They will be researching other universities to find successful models, and hopefully will be revamping study areas for students on campus.

Student Regent Alfredo Mireles and Jonathon Stein, Student Regent Designate, did a presentation for the table. There are over 230,000 students in UC. The UC Regents said that what is diving our costs are enrollment, compensation, post-employment benefits, other employee benefits, capital renewal and other non-salary cost increases. This year is the first year that students pay over 50 percent of their educational expenses, with the state paying only 48 percent. There is currently a $2.5 billion budget shortfall within the UC system. The system has filled about $1 billion, however we still have a $1.5 billion budget gap. The table asked questions and talked with the student regents.

Appointments and confirmations
Ryan Lockwood, Artem Trotsyule, Taylor Holland, Eddie Truong and Katherine Chen were appointed to the Business and Finance Commission.

Consideration of Old Legislation
Senate Bill 13, authored by Lee, co-authored by Amelia Badish, Shell Sumerel and Robert St. Cyr, to allocate $8,555.88 from Capital Reserves to fund capital costs for a new Bike Barn retail location in the Memorial Union called the ASUCD Bike Hub; and to make amendments to the Bike Barn annual operating budget to reflect new income and expenses. Lee said he likes it a lot because it will provide new positions for students and make more money for ASUCD. Lee said the Bike Hub would be in the T-Mobile space. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 19, authored by Maemura, co-authored by Barnett, Sharon Coulson, Salman and Schluep, to implement the Long-Range Plan for the ASUCD Coffee House, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 20, authored by Kapur, co-authored by Chen, introduced by Lee, to add the position of Historian to the Bylaws. The senate table decided that it did not agree with the bill, and would like to rewrite it. Kapur withdrew the bill and said he would rewrite it for next week.

Unit Director Reports
Jeanna Gindi, director of City County Affairs, said that it has posted hiring for renters’-rights committee. Furthermore, she said that all staff and interns have been hired. They are planning a dinner between city council members and senate and the goal for the year is a student leader and city leader casual banquet in the spring. They are working on Davis Model lease.

Public discussion
Lee said the table needs to take unit director reports more seriously. He said that it is the table’s job to keep track of how the units are doing.

The table discussed whether or not it should be able to ask people it is confirming different questions.

Closed Session

Meeting adjourned at 10:36 p.m.

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

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features Editor
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TODAY

Halloween Walk with the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble
8 p.m.
Shields Oak Grove, across from the Arboretum Gazebo
Intrepid adventurers are invited to join the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble for an interactive theatrical journey through the scary side of Shakespeare, with ghosts, villains and black magic. The audience will need to choose their path wisely, or they might end up as ghosts themselves! To reserve tickets, e-mail davis.shakespeare@gmail.com, or call (530) 802-0998.

TUESDAY

ASUCD Blood and Marrow Drive
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Freeborn Hall
All participants will receive a free t-shirt, free chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A Arden Fair in Sacramento (while supplies last) and will be entered into drawings to win an iPod Touch, IKEA gift cards and more. The campus organization with the most participation will have the best chance to win a drawing of $500 for their group. Eat and drink plenty of fluids before donating and bring a photo ID.

Newman Catholic Student Community Mass
Noon
Moss Room, Memorial Union
Join fellow Catholics for Mass on campus during lunch break.

Undergraduate Research Center Info Session
12:10 p.m.
409 Surge IV
Learn about research funding opportunities for undergraduates through the President’s Undergraduate Fellowship. The fellowship provides funds for undergraduates to pursue research projects or other creative activities under faculty supervision.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie.org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.

Davis celebrates Farmers Market Fall Festival

City Editor
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Families with costumed kids in tow gathered at Central Park on Saturday for the Davis Farmers Market Fall Festival.

The Halloween-themed festival welcomed the fall season with live music by the Peter Franklin Band, as well as hands-on crafts and science activities.

Visitors also enjoyed an array of animal exhibitions, such as baby piglets from Woodland farmer Jim Nelson, raptors from the California Raptor Center, and chickens and pony rides from California Education through Animals. Dilly Dally the clown offered balloon animals and Object Manipulation Engineer Aaron Crane demonstrated juggling feats.

Fall Festival Faire featured food from Caffé Italia, Davis Creamery, Montoya’s Tamales, Kathmandu Kitchen and Gold Rush Kettle Pop. The Davis Food Co-op conducted a cooking demonstration using local fall ingredients.

“Fall Festival is the Market’s most exciting event of the year,” said Market Manager Randii MacNear in a press release. “Fall Festival celebrates local food, local farms and the harvest season. It’s also our way of thanking customers for their patronage throughout the year.”

EINAT GILBOA can be reached city@theaggie.org.

 

Management looks to rehabilitate South Davis co-op

City Editor
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Foreclosure, theft, rundown buildings and resident discontent have plagued South Davis’ Pacifico Student Housing Cooperative in recent years. Property managers are working to turn this trend around with new regulations and remodels.

The City of Davis bought Pacifico in 2010 for $1.6 million to prevent a foreclosure. Yolo County Housing (YCH) signed a contract with the city to manage the co-op and officially took over in mid-July. The new manager, Jose Alvarez, has been undergoing training for the position for the past few weeks and has been living on site.

Jason Snyder, who received a Ph.D. in geography from UC Davis, moved into Pacifico in 2007. Feeling dissatisfied with co-op, he moved out this fall.

“When I first heard about Pacifico, I thought it was a nice arrangement because my house [the B unit] was designated for [graduate] students; I was excited to live with people under similar circumstances as me,” Snyder said. “Things started turning bad during December 2007 though. There was a lot of drug usage going on with some residents, as well as harassment, fights, theft and I even suspected one resident of poisoning my food.”

Snyder said he believes these disruptive residents were symptoms of the management not regulating who was coming in.

He said the situation began improving last year, but soon took a turn for the worse again. He also said the management’s mandatory chore schedule required too much time from residents.

“I think if management brought in the right people [residents], making it more student friendly, Pacifico has a lot of potential,” Snyder said.

Two of the four buildings on the property are currently empty — with the A and B units closed and the C and D buildings open. In total, the four units have the capacity to house 112 residents.

With 53 rooms available now, 12 rooms are occupied and 41 are available for rent, according to Danielle Foster, the housing and human services superintendent for the city.

Lisa A. Baker, executive director at YCH, said YCH’s long term plan is to rehabilitate the buildings. The property’s contract with the county requires the managers to house nine foster care children.

“With the multifamily housing situation, we want to make sure we have a safe, good community,” Baker said. “Several people have moved out of Pacifico in the last couple of weeks if they weren’t abiding by their contracts.”

Baker said she is actively seeking people to fill the vacancies in the co-op.

A couple weeks ago, management changed residents’ keys, so that they can only enter their own units. She said this key control is essential for a good community.

Though management said it has been trying to make changes to the co-op, some still have seen recent issues at the location.

One resident, who chose to remain unnamed, said this past summer another resident stole a laptop from management and set off fire extinguishers. The source also said there were public fights between residents which management let get out of control.

Alexandra Ramirez, a Mexican exchange student to UC Davis working on her masters degree in plant biotechnology, has lived in the D unit since September and was initially drawn to the co-op when she viewed its website.

“I wanted to move out when I first got to Pacifico because it was under my expectations,” Ramirez said. “It was a mess. People were stealing food. In the first two weeks the police came five times because of troubled residents.”

Ramirez said the co-op has improved recently, mostly because those causing problems were evicted.

“Would I recommend Pacifico to others? That’s hard to say,” she said. “Things were traumatic, but it’s gotten a lot better.”

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

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