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Regents approve budget for merit pool

City Editor
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President Mark Yudof of University of California (UC) approved a systemwide, one-year merit program for faculty members and non-union, or non-represented, staff with annual salaries below $200,000 on Aug. 17.

The program will use a pool of money for the 2011-12 fiscal year approved by the Board of Regents since last November.

Non-union members will receive retroactive pay raises, as though the raises began July 1. All raises will be effective starting Oct. 1.

“About 18 percent ($26 million) of the money budgeted for all salary merit increases is coming from state general funds and roughly one-fifth is coming from other core funds, which include student fee revenue ($22.5 million) and other UC general funds ($7.5 million),” said UC spokesperson Dianne Klein, in an e-mail. “Sixty percent of the money ($84 million) is coming from other funds, including medical center revenues and contract and grant funds.”

In a letter to the UC chancellors, President Yudof explained the purposes and benefits of the merit program.

“One purpose of this pool is to give you a tool in your efforts to recruit and, most importantly, retain leading faculty members, who increasingly are being courted by competing institutions,” he wrote.

The letter also stated non-union staff members have not received a merit raise in four years, despite “working longer hours as a result of budget-induced layoffs of their coworkers” and are thus, deserving of this raise.

“Balancing fairness against fiscal pressures, [President Yudof] concluded that the staff merit pool should be for those non-represented staff who are not at the high end of our compensation range,” Klein said.

Klein said the merit pool is based on performance evaluations. She said the total budget for merit increases is 3 percent of base salaries for eligible filled positions.

Employees that joined the UC this year or have had promotional salary increases since Jan. 1 will not be eligible for merit raises. Union employees are excluded from this program as well for a number of reasons.

“Most of our colleagues who are represented by unions, by virtue of existing, negotiated contracts, have received regular pay increases throughout this long-running fiscal crisis,” Yudof stated in his letter. “Because of the new benefit reforms, all non-represented employees will see their take-home pay diminish as their contributions to health and pension plans ramp up.”

According to Klein, even with the merit increases for this year, the covered employees’ salaries significantly lag behind cost-of-living increases since 2007.

“More than half of the non-represented staff employees projected to be eligible for merit raises make less than $70,000 a year,” she said. “More than two-thirds have annual salaries of less than $80,000.”

The approximate cost of non-union staff merit raises is $83 million and will be based on performance evaluations completed this fall. The approximate cost of faculty merit raises is $57 million and will be based on the most recent performance evaluation since they are evaluated every three years.

In contrast, on Aug. 16, Sen. Ted Lieu (D- Los Angeles County) proposed a bill that would prohibit an increase in compensation for a president of a California State University (CSU) campus if a tuition increase has taken effect in the past two years or will take effect in that current year.

The CSU system is under the direct authority of the legislature while the UC system is not. Instead, the UC system is written into the Constitution.

The bill is an implicit response to the controversial San Diego State University (SDSU)’s new president’s $400,000 salary.

“What happened here was a change from predecessor to the person who was recruited to fill the position,” said CSU Media Relations Spokesperson Erik Fallis. “This was a person who was selected by the committee of the Board of Trustees as the best qualified for this position and we offered a salary that we believed would bring that person to SDSU.”

Fallis said SDSU is a large research institution that has almost as much research as a good number of UC campuses.

“We want to make sure we have the best in there,” he said. “A pay was offered to the candidate to bring this person to California to be the president of SDSU.”

The bill has since been referred to the Rules Committee for further action.

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

UC Davis soccer shocks UCLA

Sports Editor
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“Soccer is a funny game. In the game of soccer, you always have a chance to win.”

Coach Dwayne Shaffer couldn’t have summed up the weekend any better, as UC Davis men’s soccer overcame a draw against a beatable Seattle University side on Friday to post a shocking upset over No. 6 UCLA on Sunday.

This was an encouraging start for the Aggies as they kicked off a four-game home stand, walking away from the first two games with a 1-1-1 record.

Friday- UC Davis 1, Seattle University 1 (2OT)

UC Davis found itself trailing early in its first home game of the year.

The Redhawks pulled ahead with a goal in the sixth minute, but the Aggies struck back when sophomore Kevin Schulte found the net on an assist from junior Ethan Shawlee in the 24th.

Both teams battled to gain the advantage for the rest of the game, but neither team was able to claim the victory and the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate. UC Davis totaled 24 shots in the match, doubling Seattle University’s 12. Freshman Eddie Manella led the Aggies with five attempts on goal.

Sunday- UC Davis 2, No. 6 UCLA 1 (OT)

As shadows slowly crept across the field, it was almost like a movie scene. UC Davis’s light was about to run out and it was just a matter of time before UCLA would pull out the tricks that had propelled them to a perennial top-10 national ranking.

But for every UCLA trick, UC Davis had an answer. There would be nothing overshadowing UC Davis men’s soccer on this day, as they pulled out a 2-1 upset in a dramatic overtime victory.

The first half was a battle, with UCLA controlling possession downfield for the majority of time, but stellar defense from UC Davis kept the onslaught of UCLA shots at bay.

The Aggies got on the board in the 47th minute when Alex Aguiar fired a hard shot that squirted through the hands of the UCLA goalkeeper Earl Edward’s hands and found its way into the net.

UC Davis seemed to control the game from there, but a few late shots from the Bruins required sophomore goalkeeper Omar Zeenni into some incredible saves.

Tempers flared late, as Bruin Ryan Lee was issued a red card for knocking down Aggie Ian Palmer in a post-foul confrontation in the 82nd minute.

With UCLA reduced to 10-men, and just eight minutes remaining, UC Davis seemed sure to win, but a late miscue on the back line gave the Bruins a prime scoring chance and they capitalized, tying the game at one with three minutes remaining.

A shocked UC Davis held off the Bruins for the remainder of regulation, and the game moved to overtime.

The extra-period went back and forth with both team getting opportunities, but it seemed a second overtime would ensue.

Then the unthinkable happened.

With 30 seconds left in the first overtime, sophomore Alex Henry nailed a shot from the left side across to the lower right corner of the net, earning UC Davis the golden goal victory.

“I was making runs all game down the left side, I knew my team would get me the ball eventually,” Henry said. “We knew going into overtime we had a real good chance of winning so we just stayed strong.”

Shaffer was proud of his entire team, crediting his defense and the young players who have stepped it up this season.

“Our team executed our tactics perfectly today,” he said. “It’s a young team that’s going to get better as we go.”

Despite the grandeur of the victory, the Aggies’ season is hardly over as they close the weekend at 1-1-1, and look to carry their momentum to their home matches against Oregon State on Friday and Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday.

“We are going to enjoy the victory, beating UCLA at our place,” Shaffer said. “It’s a huge win for our program as well as the entire athletic program.”

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

The former and glorious days of the ASUCD Coffee House

Arts Editor
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Take the modern and slatted-steel architecture of our current airport-looking ASUCD Coffee House and imagine a much more laid back but wild scene. Imagine blue drapery suspended on walls, a modest stage buried in sound equipment and 350 chairs jam-packed in the small room. Better yet, imagine the legendary Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, The Police and Rory Gallagher rocking out on stage inches from the audience, with their sweat and spit literally dripping down right on top of them. These were the glorious days of the CoHo which have vanquished to unspoken stories and memories trapped in time.

Although the fashion trend of tight-fitting trousers paired with loose blouses and blazers have made a definite comeback, the Davis music scene during the late 1970s and early ’80s was wildly different. So, how did the CoHo become such a big stop for legends like Costello and Gallagher? There to make it all happen was a student named Peter Afterman.

Afterman, who recently told his story in a letter published by Davis Life Magazine, was in charge of booking shows at the CoHo. With a strong enthusiasm and love for music, Afterman took time out of his studies to focus on bringing new wave-rock ‘n roll artists to Davis. Afterman relied on personal connections and strategic planning to get the musicians to agree to play at such a small venue as the CoHo.

“The trick was to not have the band come too early,” Afterman said. “We needed three hours to set up. It was magical to see the place become a really cool room – we put tiles in with “wah” sounds for sound equipment and other high-end equipment. We pretty much had a studio set-up for mixing and playback. We would have the CoHo staff cook huge meals and the band would have this big area to wander around. The bands would absolutely love it because they had just gotten off the road on a long tour. With that, we started to become a hit place to play.”

Before the age of the World Wide Web and easy access to musician’s contact information through sites like Facebook or Myspace, personal connections were key. Afterman would directly contact the managers and schedule the musicians to stop by Davis between their stops in Sacramento and San Francisco.

“We did week nights with rarely any Friday or Saturday nights,” Afterman said. “I would also follow whatever acts were on Saturday Night Live. I saw Devo on SNL three days before their show in Davis and it was an automatic sellout. It was like taking candy from a baby.”

Afterman and his small crew of about four to five volunteers would cram about 350 seats – filling up every square inch of the room. On average, 90 percent of tickets were sold per show by basic word of mouth and hand-made posters and flyers. Just between the year of 1978 and ’79, Afterman booked the following (in order of appearance): Oregon, Devo, Flora Purim, Dave Edmunds/Nick Lowe, Talking Heads, Rory Gallagher, Carlene Carter, Leroy Jenkins, Elvis Costello, Camel, Pat Metheny, John Fahey, The Police, Emmylou Harris, Ultravox, Dire Straits, Don Cherry, Tom Robinson Band, Tim Weisberg, John Cale, Gil Scott Heron, Joe Jackson and Jorma Kaukonen solo.

Mark Champagne, who was the ASUCD Business Manager at the time, gave Afterman approval of shows. Like Afterman, Champagne appreciated the intimate value that the CoHo provided as opposed to the large Freeborn Hall.

“It was easier then, because there were so many touring groups and they weren’t charging the amounts of money that they do today,” Champagne said. “Groups would play for very little and some of those groups made it big. What a college experience to see a band that was just breaking in a 300-350 seat intimate facility. It provided lots of memories for students that attended during that time.”

Robert Toren, an art studio graduate in 1981, currently manages a website dedicated to the Davis music scene during the late ’70s and early ’80s, called Davis80smusic.com. Toren believed that the radio was a huge factor in the success of the CoHo.

“[The ’70s and ’80s] was a time when college radio was coming into its independent own,” Toren said. “And, record companies saw the opportunity in sending bands like Talking Head, Devo, Iggy Pop, etc. out on college town tours, so local venues could get them for a song. The Bangles played at a local club just weeks before they went big with Walk Like An Egyptian. Someone at UCD saw the CoHo as a potential competitor with local bars and started booking all these great shows.”

So what happened after 1980? Afterman, who was a history and art history double major, graduated in 1979 and with no one to take over the booking and planning, the CoHo shows slowly died down. Tim Chin, assistant director of ASUCD Entertainment Council believes the internet is a major contributor of the lessening popularity of small and intimate shows.

“As far as why the trends with the CoHo shows have died down, I really think it’s because of our continually advancing society,” Chin said. “Back in the ’70s and ’80s, there was no internet. So there was no file sharing, no Facebook or any other technologies that we take for granted nowadays. Back then, if you didn’t tour, you didn’t make any money. So you had to really throw yourself out there and play as many shows as you can.”

The following are mentionable memories from the CoHo shows:

Peter Afterman: Rory Gallangher came with his two bass-players and drummer. Normally, the artists have requests for food and drinks or what not. Rory and his crew asked us to get them six cases of beer. We’re talking about 144 beers for four guys! They drank all the beer and the second set they played, Rory was practically passed-out and playing guitar. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen that they went through all the beers. But of course, the performance was still great.

Donnette Thayer (’81 UCD alumna): When the Ramones played the [CoHo], Joey Ramone showed up wearing a hospital bracelet which I thought was ultra-cool. It seemed like found art on Joey Ramone on the stage at the [CoHo]. Naturally, during the Ramones show there was a suffocating crush that occurred near the stage and since I always found my way to the front of the stage, I became quite nervous as people thrashed around when we were packed together like so many sardines. Joey let a 30 second or so pause go by between songs-an eternity for the Ramones, their songs last only two minutes on average-and said in a very calm voice that we needed to make some room up front. Everybody obeyed him immediately and we all just had fun for the rest of the show.

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

UC Davis receives $117 million in annual gifts

Campus Editor
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Philanthropic donors have given UC Davis more than $117.6 million in annual gifts during the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The donations have come from over 40,000 donors, ranging from alumni, staff, corporations, friends of the university, etc. This marks the fifth year in a row that UC Davis has received over $100 million dollars in support.

“Even during the economic downturn, UC Davis’ academic leaders and development professionals continued to engage alumni and prospective donors, keeping friends updated on UC Davis’ accomplishments and impacts on the world,” said Paul Prokop, interim associate vice chancellor for development in the Office of University Development. “Now with the economy showing signs of recovery, many of UC Davis’ supporters are making gift commitments that align with their philanthropic passions and the universities land-grant mission to serve society.”

In the 2010-11 fiscal year, UC Davis received philanthropic support that surpassed the 2009-10 $112.3 million annual gifts from donors. UC Davis received $108.1 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year and $216.8 million in 2007-08 from donors, Prokop said.

Every donor that gives to UC Davis has the option to choose where their donation will be going, as long as it advances the teaching, research and public service mission, Prokop said

“Students at every level – undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students – experience the benefits of philanthropic support through increased funding for scholarships, fellowships and academic awards,” Prokop said.

In addition to providing scholarships and fellowships to aspiring students, the philanthropic gifts help improve educational facilities, construct new buildings, enrich educational programs and provide more student outreach programs.

“Funding is super tight at the moment, I can do [research] and get paid to do it, which is the most direct way that philanthropic support has helped me”, said Chris Bishop, a doctorate level two in neuroscience, who received the Fletcher Jones Fellowship in 2009-10, and the Charles and Marjorie Elliot Fellowship in 2010-11.

Awards such as the Chancellor’s Achievement Awards, a financial award given to undergraduates, are sponsored through donor gifts, Prokop said.

“Private gifts are a crucial source of funding for UC Davis as we work to address the world’s most critical issues through our innovative teaching,” said Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi in a statement. “We are very grateful to our donors for making philanthropic investments that advance UC Davis’ land-grant mission to serve society.”

Last fiscal year, all philanthropic donations went toward a series of departments, such as student scholarships, fellowships, endowed faculty chairs, research and instruction, Prokop said.

All donations were a part of the Campaign for UC Davis. The multi-year campaign aims to accumulate 100,000 donors to contribute $1 billion to UC Davis by the end of 2014 calendar year. The campaign recently reached 70 percent ($702 million) of its goal with the help of 82,889 donors.

ALICIA KINDRED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

News-in-Brief: Car accident causes power outage in North Davis

City Editor
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North Davis experienced a wide spread power outage early Saturday morning after a Woodland driver apparently lost control of his 2002 Dodge Durango. His car overturned and landed on its roof on the east side of F Street, according to Sgt. John Wilson of the Davis Police Department.

Police told The Davis Enterprise alcohol and possibly speed were factors in 32-year-old Seferine Carrillo’s 1:30 a.m. accident on northbound F Street at Anderson Road.

Though Wilson said the vehicle didn’t appear to catch fire, the crash resulted in a grass fire in the area around the wreckage.

The fire struck a power pole, resulting in the power outage.

Carrillo was brought to the UC Davis Medical Center with unspecified injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and released to the hospital pending his recovery.

Twenty-three-year-old Alonzo Ruiz of Woodland, a passenger in the SUV, did not appear to sustain injuries, police said.

The number of households affected by the outage was not available as of Sunday, but residents told The Enterprise that some did not have their power restored until 7 a.m. Saturday.

The incident remains under investigation.

– Angela Swartz

News-in-Brief: ASUCD Blood and Marrow Drive on campus this week

Campus Editor
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The ASUCD blood and marrow drive will take place Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

BloodSource, the company that organizes the drive, will have bloodmobiles parked in the Quad from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Participants will receive coupons for a free Pinkberry frozen yogurt and a free appetizer or dessert at Applebee’s.

BloodSource encourages students to donate blood in order to help those in need. Participants should drink lots of fluids and eat before donating. Potential donors also need to bring photo identification.

This blood and marrow drive will be the fourth ASUCD drive of the year. The last blood drive of the year will take place on Nov. 1 and 2.

For more information on requirements for donating, please visit bloodsource.org.

– Hannah Strumwasser

Men’s water polo preview

Sports Editor
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Event: No. 13 UC Davis at No. 2 California; vs. No. 5 Pacific

Teams: Tigers, 8-4; Aggies, 11-4 (10-0)

Where: Spieker Aquatics Complex – Berkeley, Calif.

When: Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Who to watch: Senior Aaron Salit will be looking to continue his hot scoring form from last season.

The Mill Valley, Calif. native led the Aggies with 49 goals and 116 shots last season, and will look to lead the squad again this season.

Did you know? Head coach Steve Doten will face his former team on Saturday. Doten played water polo for Cal, helping the team to a 91-14 record and two NCAA Titles during his three-year career.

Doten has also been friends with Cal coach Kirk Everist since high school, and the two were roommates when they played for the Golden Bears.

“We’ve always been competitive with each other,” Doten said, “and our long relationship makes the game extra competitive. I think it’s more than just another game.”

Preview: UC Davis’ schedule could not begin with a more difficult matchup. Not only is Cal ranked second in the nation, but the Golden Bears also defeated the Aggies 14-4 in last year’s season opener.

According to Doten, the key to changing that score-line begins with better ball-control.

“Cal plays a great pressure defense,” he said. “We can’t afford to turn the ball over and give them easy goals. We also need to slow down their dynamic offense. If the score gets too high we will struggle.”

Just six hours after opening their season against Cal, the Aggies will face another tough task against No. 5 Pacific. UC Davis will need excellent stamina to play its best in the second match of the day.

“Conditioning is paramount,” Doten said. “We’ve struggled at times to match the conditioning level of Pac-12 schools. This year I think the guys have come in better shape, and I think our preseason training has helped us get into game condition.”

Stamina will also come into play as the Aggies go through the grind of a 24-game regular season. If it can stay healthy, UC Davis hopes it finish its season at the site where it begins: Spieker Aquatics Complex on the Cal campus.

“Cal is hosting the National Championships in December,” Doten said. “I think starting the season where we hope to end it is significant.”

– Trevor Cramer

UC Davis pummel Pacific

Sports Editor
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The stats would indicate a blowout.

The Aggies dominated all aspects of the game, out-shooting the Tigers 31-3 and tallying 16 penalty corners.

Despite their solid performance, the Aggies finished the contest with just a 3-1victory over Pacific.

UC Davis was hot right out of the gate, but despite tallying 12 shots, the Aggies found themselves down 1-0 entering halftime.

“It was one of those times when you just think ‘Is this really happening?'” said coach Vianney Campos. “Our goal was to get plenty of shots and we did just that.”

The Aggies’ intensity paid off with a goal less than two minutes into the second frame. The offensive breakthrough came from an unlikely source.

Junior defender Kristen Lopez put the ball in the back of the cage to even the score. It was the first goal of her collegiate career.

“It was awesome to get my first goal and for it to be our first goal of the season,” Lopez said. “I just wanted to score another one.”

Campos believes Lopez’s goal altered the face of the game.

“It really changed the momentum at that point,” she said. “We were able to control possession from that point on.”

The Aggies kept their momentum rolling. Junior Ashley Haight took a pass from sophomore Carly Schoch and drove it into the net to give UC Davis the lead.

The Aggies added a third when junior Emily Mecke scored on an assist from senior Sarah Schneider to lock-up a 3-1 UC Davis victory.

The league-win places UC Davis atop the NorPac Conference at this early point in the season. With no more NorPac games for nearly a month, beating Pacific was crucial for the Aggies.

“It was huge [for us to win],” Campos said. “In the past we’ve struggled against Pacific. This game was important because we want high seeding heading into [the NorPac Tournament]. The win gives us momentum heading forward.”

It might be awhile before the Aggies take the field again. UC Davis’ road-trip to the East Coast has been postponed due to Hurricane Irene. The Aggies were scheduled to face Providence today.

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

Aggies caught offside’s for first loss of the season

Sports Editor
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UC Davis entered Sunday’s contest brimming with confidence from a 2-0 road win over University of San Francisco.

The Aggies were unable to repeat the performance against Seattle University, however, and UC Davis was handed a 1-0 shutout loss. The Aggie offense exploded out of the gate, putting plenty of pressure on Redhawk goalkeeper Madison Goverde. In the fifth minute, senior Lisa Kemp fired a shot on goal that Goverde managed to block. Eleven seconds later freshman Lexi Poppoff placed another effort on frame, but Goverde was up to the challenge yet again.

Following the two missed attempts, the Aggies cooled down considerably. UC Davis posted just two shots in the final 40 minutes of the first half.

Meanwhile, the Redhawks were able to capitalize when Kristi Prati put the ball in the net to give Seattle University the lead.

Coach MaryClaire Robinson believes the Aggies struggled to finish the first-half strong due to a lack of focus.

“We need to work on staying more focused and disciplined, more relentless,” Robinson said.

The Aggies picked up the pace in the second half, out-shooting the Redhawks 7-1 but UC Davis was unable to find the back of the goal and the Aggies finished the game scoreless. Although UC Davis was unable to find the net, Robinson acknowledged the chances that the Aggie offense managed to create.

“We had fantastic opportunities at goal,” she said. “We just weren’t able to finish them.” Despite the loss, the Aggies walked away from this game with plenty of positives. “We played 60, maybe 70 minutes of great soccer,” Robinson said, “Two thirds of the game I was pleased with. It’s that last third where we got sloppy and undisciplined – that’s what we need to work on.” The Aggies are still working on putting all of the pieces together but so far they have had three solid games. Last year’s season was plagued by one-goal losses but this year’s squad is determined to turn that around. Robinson said the team is working hard on improving both their mental and physical fitness so they can play competitively for the full 90 minutes.

While this loss was a setback Robinson is confident that they can learn from it and grow stronger as a team.

“We’re in a good place,” she said. “We did very well early on and we all just kind of breathed a little too much. We’re going to move forward and come out with a renewed energy and focus.”

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

Gaels silence Aggies

Sports Editor
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UC Davis men’s soccer showed reasons for optimism in the preseason, but its regular season opener was a different story.

After winning their two exhibition contests by a combined score of 8-1, the Aggies were shutout by Saint Mary’s in the first match of the 2011 campaign.

Despite the tough loss, coach Dwayne Shaffer believes the game will ultimately benefit his young team.

“The only way players get better is getting experienced and learning how important every game is,” Shaffer said.

Tuesday – UC Davis 2, Chico State 0 (Exhibition)

In its final scrimmage, UC Davis showed it was ready for the regular season.

The Aggies beat Chico State by a score of 2-0, fending off a strong offensive attack from the visiting Wildcats.

Freshman Matt Sheldon continued his preseason tear, scoring a goal early in the second half to bring his tally to a combined four in two scrimmages.

Junior Ethan Shawlee’s header found the net in the 62nd minute made it a 2-0 game, sealing the victory for the Aggies.

Starting goalkeeper sophomore Omar Zeenni held Chico State scoreless for nearly 55 minutes before junior Matt Provencher and freshman Kris Schultz completed the shutout.

Saturday – Saint Mary’s 1, UC Davis 0

Although all signs indicated the Aggies would emerge victorious in its first regular season game, the stars did not align and UC Davis walked away with a 1-0 defeat.

The Aggies tallied nine shots in the match, but Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Doug Herrick stopped all five on goal to hold UC Davis scoreless.

Although his team was shutout, Shaffer was pleased with the goal-scoring chances the Aggies created.

“We played well, and we are still working on playing a little better as a group,” he said. “We created good opportunities but unfortunately didn’t put the ball in the goal.”

While UC Davis would certainly have preferred a victory, Shaffer knows it is early in the season and his team will grow with experience.

“The urgency and intensity of the games will only be learned by playing, so I’m looking forward to our team coming back stronger next time,” Shaffer said.

Indeed UC Davis will need a stronger showing in its upcoming matches. The Aggies will face major challenges as they return home to face Seattle University and No. 6 UCLA on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

UC Davis was shut out by Seattle University last season, and UCLA returns eight starters from a squad that went 16-5-1 in 2010.

“We know what [Seattle University and UCLA] bring to the field,” Shaffer said. “They are outstanding teams and hopefully we will be ready.”

With two difficult games ahead, UC Davis will be hoping to gain all the strength it can from its home-field advantage.

“Our field plays to our speed and quickness. We are excited to play in front of our fans so hopefully Aggie soccer fans will come out and support us,” Shaffer said.

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

Football Preview

Sports Editor
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Teams: UC Davis at Arizona State

Records: Aggies, 0-0; Sun Devils, 0-0

Where: Sun Devil Stadium – Tempe, Arizona

When: Thursday at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: Junior captain Ray Wilburn knows that the offensive line will be key to the Aggies’ success this year – both in developing the run game and protecting second year quarterback Randy Wright.

Now in his second year as the starting center, the San Bernardino, Calif. native, knows what is expected of him and the rest of the line.

“Every play starts and ends with us, and the team is only going to go as far as we do,” Wilburn said. “We need to lead the offense.”

Did you know? This will be the second all-time meeting between UC Davis and Arizona State. The first came in 1940, the same year that Shields Library was constructed, and 19 years before UC Davis became an independent campus. The Aggies lost the contest 21-13.

Preview: Since 1940, UC Davis has grown from a small agricultural school to a top-10 public university. Consequently, the athletics department has grown to reflect UC Davis’ stature, with the Aggies’ now fielding 22 competitive Division I teams.

Despite the growth, UC Davis will need an excellent performance to defeat Arizona State.

For the second straight year the Aggies open their season with a challenging match-up against a Pac-12 opponent.

Last year, UC Davis opened the season in front of 58,000 fans at California’s Memorial Stadium. UC Davis managed just 81 yards of total offense, and lost 52-3.

This season’s Pac-12 opponent will not be any easier on the Aggies. While Arizona State is not nationally ranked, they received 67 points in the voting for Associated Press top-25. Additionally, ESPN.com’s Power Rankings have the Sun Devils as the 21st best team in the country, and many regional and national writers have picked Arizona State to win the Pac-12 South.

Despite the obvious challenges of facing a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent, Coach Bob Biggs is looking forward to the challenge.

“My expectation is that we go out and compete and continue to build on the kind of football team we expect to be,” Biggs said.

Offensively, Wright’s passing will need to be sharp for UC Davis to move the ball consistently. Despite what will be raucous atmosphere in Sun Devil Stadium, Biggs does not foresee any problems in that area.

“Randy [Wright] is such an even-tempered young man,” Biggs said. “He feels and senses pressure well. I fully expect that he will have a good year.”

One challenge for Wright will be avoiding Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The junior has been called “the meanest man in college football” and will certainly be playing in the NFL by the time Wright graduates.

Defensively, UC Davis will have its hands full. Arizona State’s dynamic offense is lead by 6’8″ 240 pound quarterback Brock Osweiler. In ASU’s backfield is running back Cameron Marshall, who can break a play for big yards with every touch, and last year leaped over a USC linebacker in one of the most athletic plays of the college football season.

“Their quarterback presents a lot of challenges,” Biggs said. “Defensively, we need to try to put pressure on them to rattle them. Hopefully we can keep any big plays underneath us.”

For center Wilburn, this is just another game.

“It’s just the next game on the schedule,” he said. “We’re going to prepare like it’s any other team.”

– Caelum Shove

Tech Tips

Science Editor
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Do you cringe every time you have to pay $0.99 for a song on iTunes?

Even a minimal iTunes library with a 1,000 songs would set you back by about $1,000. Without an mp3 player, you can’t take this music everywhere with you either.

Spotify is the perfect solution.

It streams music to your phone or computer at any time from a library of about 15 million tracks, thousands of artists and various genres.

With a free basic service users can browse this plethora of music and create playlists and even libraries free of charge. For $5 a month, the application also provides the option of wireless syncing to your phone, and unlimited streaming.

This means users can take their Spotify music with them even without a data plan. The trick is to connect a smartphone to the same wireless router as the app.

The app also scans the users’ computer for music making it all available in one place with the Spotify music.

Users can do a direct search for music and a double click is all that’s needed for fast streaming. Users can also share their Spotify playlists with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

Spotify launched service in the United States on July 14 and by mid-August it had 175,000 paying members.

The app works with mobile devices running iPhone OS, Android, Windows Mobile, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.

SASHA SHARMA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

UC Riverside to develop driver feedback technology

Science Editor
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UC Riverside (UCR) has received a $1.2 million grant from the United States Department of Energy to fund the development of a comprehensive driver feedback technology for passenger cars and fleet vehicles. The proposed device will promote fuel efficiency and reduce harmful fuel emissions.

The three-year project will be primarily located at the Center for Environmental Research and Technology at UCR’s Bourns College of Engineering, where it will build on many of their smaller “eco-driving” studies. Their previous studies suggested fuel economy improvements in the 5 to 15 percent range, with a potential fuel-use reduction of up to 30 percent.

The proposed feedback system will include software that can plan and route fuel-efficient trips, improve fuel utilization while driving and report on real-time roadway and traffic conditions.

“By the end of the third year we will [hopefully] have results that we can give to the vehicle manufacturers, and they can take that information and use it when they build their cars and navigation units,” said Matthew Barth, the principal investigator of this study and the director of UCR’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology. “They can incorporate the effective things into what they are doing now.”

The first year of the project will be spent on finalizing the algorithms, while the last two years will focus on testing the technology in vehicles.

UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC) will also be involved in the public side of the project, conducting research on driving behavior.

“The effectiveness of the interactive driver feedback will depend, in large part, on user perception of the information provided and the degree to which drivers pay attention to the efficiency feedback device,” said Susan Shaheen, co-director of TSRC.

The analysis at TSRC will consist of evaluating driver perceptions through a series of “before” and “after” surveys, and having experts provide feedback on the device design.

Shaheen also wants to collect survey information on “baseline attitudes towards the fuel costs, the environment and energy security,” she said. Surveys will also collect information on the fleet drivers’ response to the feedback device.

Riverside Transit and the California Department of Transportation will provide the fleet vehicles that will be used or tested. Private enterprises such as Esri and Navteq will also be collaborating on the project alongside small private companies such as Beat the Traffic, Earthrise Technology and Automatiks.

This UCR research study is one of the 40 projects receiving federal grant money from a $175 million Department of Energy program. The program is directed at developing and deploying new technology to meet new fuel efficiency standards.

In a July address, President Obama announced that automakers will be required to increase fuel economy for cars and light duty trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. American families are projected to save an average of $8000 per vehicle.

To improve one’s fuel economy now, Barth suggests that drivers do not accelerate too quickly, to slow down when approaching stops and to use the internet to check for congestion.

“Basically, just drive smoother,” Barth said. “There are static, general rules of thumb you can do, but a large part of this research is to provide real-time information. If we have that real-time information on traffic jams, that will be helpful.”

EVA TAN can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Column: In the Meat Lab

Science Editor
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I stood in front of a large, shiny metallic cube last Wednesday. It was about eight feet tall with a small oval window in the door. Before I could get a good look through the window, the door opened. When the savory smell of smoked and seasoned pork hit my nose, I realized that it had been a bad idea to skip lunch. Few things stimulate hunger like cooking meat.

The man who opened the door was Caleb Sehnert, facility manager for the Meat Laboratory in the Department of Animal Science. Sehnert has only worked for the Meat Lab for about three years, but the meat industry has always been a part of his life as his grandparents owned a cattle ranch and his father was a butcher.

At the Meat Lab, Sehnert has both a management and a teaching role. He gives students in the animal science lab classes hands-on experience in the daily functions of the Meat Lab such as slaughtering, processing and cutting the meat. New classes start at the kill floor.

“Before we start, I prep them [the students],” Sehnert said. “I tell them, ‘If you guys want to be vets, you should see this.'”

By the time I arrived at the lab, the animals had already been slaughtered and the room cleaned. Sehnert’s description of how the procedure works, however, helped me visualize the scene.

Before anything happens, representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) examine the animals in their pens. They check to make sure the pens are kept clean, that there are no sharp edges and that all the animals are healthy enough to stand on all of their legs and walk. If anything is amiss, nothing is allowed to proceed until the problems are fixed.

Once the USDA representative gives the approval, the cattle are the first to the kill floor. A blank round to their head stuns the cow instantly. The USDA, which follows the cow inside, checks for noises, eye movements and muscle twitches that could indicate the animal is aware.

“All animals are stunned before they are bled out,” Sehnert said. He is aware of hidden camera investigations of disreputable slaughterhouses, where the animals are clearly in pain before their death.

“Not only would the facility be held responsible, but the [USDA] inspector that allowed that to happen would go to jail as well,” Sehnert said. “[The inspectors] want to watch everything.”

The UC Davis Meat Lab is considered a small slaughterhouse, processing 600 to 800 animals per year. While most large slaughterhouses use machines to skin and cut the animals, most of this preparation is done here by hand.

The digestive tracts, which in cattle can be about 150 pounds, are removed and placed with the rest of the organs in a cart below the animal. The inspector examines the organs (also by hand) for signs of disease. Once given the all clear, the lab employees skin the animal by hand.

After the slaughtering, the carcasses are chilled, cut and packaged. In the cutting room I met Cindy Garcia, a junior animal science major who has worked in the meat lab for two years.

“I’m pre-vet and want to be a surgeon,” Garcia said. “It’s good practice.”

After cutting, the meat is seasoned and sent to the environmental oven, better known as the smokehouse. The smokehouse is a precisely controlled metallic cube, programmed to stay at the regulation 148 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two minutes before it goes to the next step in the smoking process.

At last, the meat is ready for sale. Every Thursday, the meat lab holds a sale from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Though the sale has been happening weekly for many years, many UC Davis students haven’t heard of it. Lisa Pham, a senior exercise biology major who is graduating this summer, has come to the sale for the first time.

“Our friends came here first and told us to go,” Pham said.

Seeing the piles of packaged meat in the refrigerators, I’m struck by the amount of effort it takes to keep the operation running smoothly.

“There’s a lot of work to get a hamburger on the barbeque,” Sehnert said.

The ground beef for a juicy hamburger is only $3 per pound at the Thursday meat lab sale.

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

Featured Artist: Andrea Fourchy

Arts Editor
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Andrea Fourchy is a junior art studio major at UC Davis. Her work has been displayed in several group shows over the last few years – one being at John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis. This past summer she took part in an art-residency program for college juniors called Yale Norfolk. She was nominated by the UCD art department to apply and even received a fellowship to study in Connecticut. Aggie arts wrtier Paayal Zaveri sat down with Fourchy to talk about her artistic experience.

How did you get started with painting and drawing?

I took beginning drawing my [first] year at UC Davis. Each week, students were assigned a self-portrait as homework. I would regularly sit for eight hours drawing on my dorm room floor. I would come to class on the following Monday super enthusiastic, with my newest portrait, excited to learn how I could improve. The following two quarters I took Beginning Painting with Hearne Pardee and “Reinterpreting Landscape” with Gina Werfel. From my very first experiences with the UCD Art Department I felt engaged and challenged by my courses. Those three classes solidified my decision to move into the art studio major. I felt lucky to have access to such an excellent, vibrant art program.

What are the processes you use for your artwork?

The understanding that I am pursuing in painting is born out of a process that blends intuitive experimentation with careful observation. I am interested in complications of visual perception and the materiality of paint. In my paintings I think about shifts in scale and how scale can create drama as well as specific spatial relationships. I am interested in how different types of marks exist in the same painting and how that painting functions pictorially. Throughout my process, I think about light and value and the relationship between value and color.

Where do you get the inspiration for your pieces? In particular the two pieces displayed above?

A very important part about making art today, and historically, is studying the art of past generations. I love going to the library when I am feeling stuck in my work and looking at images of paintings that have been reproduced in art books. Right now, I’m reading a book called Art in America since 1945 and have found it very informative in regards to my own practice, more broadly in understanding the context of art today. Whereas, I was looking at a portrait bust from antiquity reproduced in history as a source for the drawing, the painting was made entirely from my imagination. I am heavily influenced by abstract [expressionism] generation artists like William de Kooning and Phillip Guston.

– Photo courtesy of Andrea Fourchy

– Written by Paayal Zaveri

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