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Tuesday, December 23, 2025
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Sustainability celebrated through creation

Features Editor
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Nearly 100 UC Davis students, alumni, faculty and community members gathered at the Domes on Friday to celebrate Earth Day. And to build a bench out of trash.

The bench, comprised of Portable Landfill Devices (PLDs) and earthen-based concrete, is a symbol of sustainability that should last decades.

“A lot of times these ideas on sustainability are focused on developing countries, but we have the same problem locally with trash,” said Brennan Bird, UC Davis alumnus and former Domes resident, in a past interview with The California Aggie. “This technology is just as relevant here as it is in a developing country.”

PLDs are plastic bottles stuffed with plastic-film trash and then compressed to be used as bricks. For the past two months, participants have been compressing their trash for the bench. On Friday, they worked from 9 a.m. until sundown.

“It’s amazing how many people this project has brought together in the Davis community,” said Frank Loge, civil and environmental engineering professor and sponsor of the project, in a press release. “It serves as a great educational resource for teaching people about how much plastic garbage we produce each day, and how ‘waste’ can actually be used as a building material.”

Bird and Samantha Lubow, sophomore community and regional development major, will give presentations about the bench and sustainable living at the Undergraduate Research Conference on Saturday. In addition, 16 students are receiving academic credit for the project through the Education for Sustainable Living Program.

The bench will remain at the Domes – a cooperative on campus that houses 26 students. Student Housing announced this year that it would not be renewing leases for residents, and that the structures will be bulldozed in August. Domes residents, however, are still trying to save their housing community and hope innovative building techniques, such as PLDs, can be used in redesigning the Domes.

– Janelle Bitker

News-in-brief: Service planned for Davis grad

City Editor
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A memorial service for Scott Heinig will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Freeborn Hall. Tickets will be available at the door.

Heinig, 22, graduated from UC Davis in 2010 with a degree in economics. He passed away on April 17 from a head injury he received the night before.

In lieu of flowers, it’s asked that donations be made to the Scott Heinig Youth Baseball Fund at P.O. Box 316, Davis, CA 95617.

–Becky Peterson

Retiring business manager donates $25,000 toward award for ASUCD employees

Campus Editor
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After working as ASUCD business manager for 32 years, Mark Champagne has donated $25,000 to ASUCD to form the Mark and Linda Champagne ASUCD Customer Service/Exceptional Hourly Employee Award.

The award would be given to ASUCD hourly employees who show exemplary service to ASUCD. In a recent ASUCD senate meeting, the senate voted to match Champagne’s donation. The funds used to match Champagne’s donation will come from the ASUCD Awards Endowment Fund, which was created to ensure that ASUCD could continue to give out awards and scholarships in the future, despite economic hardships.

“The criteria and eligibility rules are strictly based on how you are as an employee of the association,” said Andre Lee, ASUCD senator and co-author of the bill. “It really is to recognize what makes the association work, and that’s the hundreds of students who are employed by the association.”

Along with the award, the Mark and Linda Champagne ASUCD Customer Service/Exceptional Hourly Employee Award Committee was created, which will choose the award winners each year. The committee will consist of the ASUCD business manager, the Coffee House director, the general manager of Unitrans, one student unit director, the ASUCD president and two ASUCD senators.

To be eligible for the award, applicants must be students and ASUCD hourly employees who show great dedication to their work. Approximately $2,000 will be given out to students each year, Champagne said.

“It’s really for the students who are, as I say, ‘in the trenches,’ that are working with the university community on a daily basis,” Champagne said.

The committee will decide whether the totality of the award will be given to one student, or if the award will be split among multiple students. The award will be distributed each spring quarter beginning Spring 2012.

Champagne said that this award is a way to acknowledge ASUCD for all of the hard work the association has done during his time at UC Davis.

“It’s my way of saying thank you to the Associated Students and UC Davis for allowing me to work as business manager for the past 32 years. My gift back to them is this award, that can be given out in perpetuity,” Champagne said.

Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president and co-author of the bill, highlighted the generosity of the gift.

“I think it’s amazing. Mark likes to say that it’s not that big of a deal, but I think it’s going to make a big difference,” Rombi said.

Lee echoed Rombi’s sentiments and said that he was very grateful for Champagne’s donation.

“When Mark first told me about it, my jaw dropped,” he said. “It’s a giant gift to ASUCD on top of everything that Mark has done over the past 32 years. The only thing that I think all of us are sad about is that it’s also a sign that he’s going to retire.”

HANNAH STRUMWASSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Davis Beer Shoppe now on tap

Features Editor
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It’s 2 p.m. on a Friday and the bars of downtown Davis are, for the most part, quiet. But at the new Davis Beer Shoppe on G Street, a steady stream of customers strolls up to the wide wood counter to order a pint, which they sip leisurely to the tune of Irish folk music.

Owner Taylor Ramos keeps an eye on the proceedings, appropriately distracted for a guy who just opened the shop in March and found himself with a near immediate fan base.

“Right now we’re just trying to get what we have under control,” Ramos said in between greeting customers.

What he has is a bar, lounge and tasting room all rolled into one, with a focus on high quality beers for every palate. Ramos, who grew up in Chico and graduated from Sacramento State University four years ago, was a self-described beer enthusiast with a lot of visits to beer stores under his belt when he decided to open one of his own.

“I tried to piece together all the different things I liked about different stores all in one spot,” Ramos said.

The shop landed in Davis after he considered fellow pedestrian-friendly college towns Chico and San Luis Obispo as potential locations. Davis ended up being the logical choice after opening a beer store in Chico turned out to be more difficult than he thought.

“Chico has more or less decided that they don’t want any more alcohol. Davis wasn’t easy but it definitely was easier than Chico,” Ramos said. “Downtown Davis is fantastic. I love it. It’s kind of inconvenient to drive a car, which is actually kind of nice because everyone is on bicycles or on foot. It’s just a really cool downtown atmosphere.”

The menu features a large selection of bottled beer in addition to a rotating assortment of beers on tap.

Ramos’ philosophy on beer is twofold. First, he makes sure to offer beers that are popular with customers. Then, he brings in what he thinks are the best versions of those styles.

Even if customers see a beer they don’t recognize, it’s probably pretty good.

“If I bring in a brown ale, it’s going to be the best brown ale there is. Or if I bring in a stout, it’s going to be the best stout,” Ramos said. “We bring in beers that are really good at whatever they are trying to be.”

Though customers so far have skewed on the older side, they represent a wide diversity of beer knowledge. Those with experienced palates can enjoy the darker, more extreme beers, while newcomers can still order lighter beers or even cider.

Still, Ramos is keen on educating his customers, and uses the tasting room to help them refine their taste for beer. For example, tasters can sample porters made by five different breweries to learn how to distinguish the differences between companies.

“We get a lot of beer enthusiasts but a lot [of other customers] don’t like any, or they just like Bud Light. So we try to take them into the next stage of the journey,” Ramos said.

Senior managerial economics major John Stanley dropped in on Friday afternoon to enjoy a Green Flash West Coast IPA and said he had already been to the shop a few times.

“I like good beers, and I like what they have on tap,” Stanley said. “I think there’s a market for higher quality beers [in Davis].” Future plans for the shop include home-brewing and offering food that pairs well with beer, such as cheese, meats, nuts and chocolate. For the time being, though, Ramos intends to focus on the beer.

The shop’s focus on offering a quality selection is what drew civil engineering graduate student Tarra Avants and senior international relations major Ashley Thomas to the packed lounge on Friday night. Besides the “cool atmosphere,” the Davis Beer Shoppe’s offerings already had them in awe.

“There’s a beer called a Portland Upright. It’s made in a really small brewery that’s like in someone’s basement,” Avants said. “And they had it on tap.”

ERIN MIGDOL can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Q&A with a downtown bike cop

City Editor
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There’s little doubt that Davis is one of the best towns in which to ride a bike, but with a great amount of bicycles comes great responsibility. That’s precisely where Davis Police Department bicycle officer Peter Faeth steps in. The Aggie sat down with officer Faeth to get the low down on what it’s like to keep Davis safe while on a tricked out patrol bike.

What are the three most common citations you give?

Stop sign violations are easily the number one citation I give out. Riding with two headphones in is definitely number two but after that there’s a steep drop off. If I had to give a third, it would probably be for cycling on the sidewalk downtown.

Do you give tickets to automobiles as well as bikes?

I pull over way more cars than I do bikes. Cars are at fault as often as bikes are for collisions and violations. The most common violation I give is probably cell phones as they’re distracting and that’s dangerous with all the bikes and pedestrians downtown.

What is the most dangerous situation to be in on your bike?

Just riding downtown in general is pretty dangerous, especially with the parking situation we have here. This is because cars back out and rarely check for bikes and bikers are often what we unofficially call “doored” when people are exiting their cars roadside.

What is your favorite part about being a bicycle patrolman?

I actually work full time 40 hours a week on the bike. My favorite part, as an alumnus, has to be interacting with the students and talking with them. I like the public context and the closeness of being bike cop, as opposed to in a car.

Do you consider “bike cop” to be a derogatory term?

No, I call myself bike cop all the time. When people ask what I do I say “I’m a bike cop over in Davis.” If there’s anything negative, it’s more in the tone than the actual word.

If someone ran a stop sign, how would you stop them if they didn’t pull over?

I’ve had a couple people try to run. Usually I just do my best to keep up with them and odds are you’re not gonna ditch me. I would say generally it’s a bad idea [to run] because I ride bikes on my own too. Please don’t try it, I don’t encourage it and I have friends in cars too. Also, if you run, whatever previous violation you had is now a misdemeanor.

Has anyone ever talked you out of a ticket?

There are no legitimate excuses, but sometimes there are legitimate reasons I might not give a ticket. I’ve pulled people over for talking on the phone while driving and they’ve been on a call with 911.

Is it illegal to talk on your cell phone on a bike?

It’s not illegal, as long as you have the ability to stop still. If you have your phone in one hand and a coffee in the other then it’s not gonna work.

What do you have to say to students who think bicycle traffic tickets are BS?

I don’t make the laws, I just enforce them. So simply obey the laws. Every city and state has their own codes.

What are the main priorities of the Davis Police Department?

We provide community and public safety. What each officer does is different. My role as a bicycle officer is to ensure bike, vehicle and pedestrian safety in the downtown area. We’re not told to give out tickets for this or give tickets for that. General public safety is our primary goal.

What’s the coolest story to ever happen to you on your bike? Have you ever had to chase anyone down?

My best chase was just for a stop sign. Some guy ran it and thought he could get away. He actually got into his apartment downtown. By the time I caught up with him he was in his bathroom with the shower on pretending he couldn’t hear me.

AARON WEISS can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

New center to increase efficiency on campus

Campus Editor
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Plans to amend the administrative process through the Shared Service Center (SSC) are continuing to progress, with the center set to be finished in December 2013.

The SSC plans to combine certain departments of Payroll, Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology (IT) into one center in order to make the administrative process more efficient. This applies to the divisions of Administrative and Resource Management, the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, Information and Educational Technology, Student Affairs and University Relations.

The center is part of UC Davis’ Organizational Excellence Initiative, which is aimed at improving efficiency and cutting costs. According to Chancellor Linda Katehi’s February budget plans, the SSC is one of the 10 ways to increase efficiency on campus. Katehi estimates that the SSC will save $10 million annually after full implementation.

“Since our project launched, the UC Office of the President has decided that over the next four years, three technology systems will be implemented across all the UC campuses,” said Lisa Terry, SSC communication director.

All 10 campuses will soon have a new payroll system to replace the one built in the 1980s, in addition to a human resource information system that will provide tools for all data related to efficient management of the university’s work force. There will also be a time and attendance system that will automate employee timekeeping processes into the payroll system.

Updated technology systems specific to the UC Davis SSC will include case management to keep track of work assignments in the SSC, knowledge management through a database that will offer employees easy access to information, updated telephone systems for better call routing and electronic document management for organizing business documents.

Currently, project teams are working on identifying the steps needed to implement a shared services business model in their respective areas of focus – payroll, finance, human resources or IT.

The first phase of the SSC is scheduled to go live in January 2012 and will be fully implemented by December 2013, Terry said.

According to e-mail updates from the Shared Service Center Program Management Office, more information on hiring, including job descriptions and hiring protocol, will be available by mid-August.

“We still do not know exactly how many jobs will be lost,” Terry said. “Once we have completed [the design of the SSC] we will better understand the direct effect on jobs.”

The SSC will be located in Davis though it hasn’t yet been determined if it will be located on campus. Staff in Administrative and Resource Management are conducting an evaluation of spaces on and off campus.

AKSHAYA RAMANUJAM can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Aggies sweep Cal State Bakersfield

Sports Editor
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It’s only fitting that the UC Davis women’s tennis team finished off its best season yet with a straight sweep.

The Aggies shutout Cal State Bakersfield on Friday to close out the regular season with a 17-6 record, the best since becoming a Division I program.

Coach Bill Maze was inspired by his team’s effort throughout the season and is looking forward to the Big West Conference Championships on Friday.

“It’s been a phenomenal year, not only because of our record but because I love this team,” Maze said. “They seem to love to play tennis which is what every coach wants.”

Friday’s match marked the last time seniors Shawdee Rouhafza and Sidney Brady would play a match at the Marya Welch Tennis Center – and the two veterans seized the moment.

Afterwards, Maze had nothing but kind words for his departing players.

“They have certainly contributed a ton over four years,” Maze said. “[Rouhafza and Brady] are outgoing, bright, funny young women, and it’s been great to have them around for four years. They really set a tone, [and] hopefully it was extra special for them to be in there contributing.”

The match on Friday started with a UC Davis sweep of the three doubles matches. The strong play continued in the singles matches, with junior Dahra Zamudio and freshman Megan Heneghan providing the first two wins.

Brady won the deciding match before Rouhafza, freshmen Kelly Chui and Nicole Koehly won their matches to close out the day.

Maze said the mental strength of his team was key in the win.

“We try to concentrate on what we [can] do,” Maze said. “That’s what I’m most proud of. This team has a great attitude.”

UC Davis will now prepare for the Big West Conference Tournament, starting on Thursday in Indian Wells, Calif. The Aggies have clinched the No. 3 seed entering the postseason.  

CAELUM SHOVE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies fall in finale

Sports Editor
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UC Davis entered the match against No. 8 Stanford looking to salvage a victory to finish its season.

Unfortunately for the Aggies, they would go home empty handed.

UC Davis got off to a fast start, taking a three-goal lead less than five minutes into the game, and the Aggies led by one with just over 18 minutes left in the first half.

“We came out really excited and it showed,” said coach Elaine Jones. “We came onto the field ready to play.”

From there things fell apart.

After scoring six goals in the first 18 minutes, UC Davis found the net just once over the next 36. In the meantime, the Cardinal exploded offensively, scoring 14 times during the 36-minute stretch and taking a 12-goal lead to break the game open.

Jones blamed the stretch largely on the Aggies’ inability to control the draws.

UC Davis was beaten 19-13 on draw controls.

The Aggies salvaged a few late goals, but it was not nearly enough, as UC Davis fell 21-9.

The 21 scores are the most UC Davis has conceded since April 2008 when it lost to California.

With the defeat, the Aggies fell to 10-5 on the season and 2-4 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. UC Davis finished fifth in its conference, one game away from the playoff picture.

The Aggies were led by senior Christina Corsa and sophomore Hannah Mirza, who each found the net three times. Junior Vanessa Jamison, sophomore Elizabeth Datino and senior Gina Hoffmire found the net once apiece.

Jamison led the team with two assists, while Corsa, Datino and sophomore Anna Geissbuhler each added one.

While the Aggies were disappointed with the loss, Jones believes the season as a whole was a success.

“We finished with a winning record,” she said. “We would have liked to make our conference tournament, but 10-5 is a strong record and the team earned that.”

The game concluded the careers of six UC Davis seniors.

Jones believes this year’s group of graduates is among the best in UC Davis history.

“They have been the most dedicated and committed senior class I have ever had,” she said. “We’ll be sorry to see them go. They have all accomplished a lot in their careers and I am proud of them.”

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

Aggies buck Broncos to close regular season

Sports Editor
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In a grueling game between UC Davis and Santa Clara, the Aggies controlled the match from the start.

UC Davis jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter and ended the period with a 3-2 advantage.

“We jumped on them in the first quarter. Things were going really well,” said coach Jamey Wright.

The one-two punch of sophomores Carmen Eggert and Jessica Dunn carried the Aggies. The duo drained a third of UC Davis’ goals for the game.

Despite a tight score, UC Davis controlled the game all the way.

The Aggies turned up their game in the second quarter when they outscored the Broncos 5-3 – ending the half with the 8-4 advantage.

In her last regular season game as an Aggie, senior Michelle Hook scored a goal in the second quarter to supplement points by juniors Alicia Began and Lauren Sutterly. Freshman Becca Smith also added two of her own.

Although Santa Clara shut down the UC Davis shooters in the third period, senior Ashley Chandler dealt the final blow in the fourth quarter, giving the Aggies a comfortable four-point cushion.

Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the reserves. Wright said Began was one of the Aggies’ strongest bench performers.

“They had a center who was being extremely aggressive and pushing us back,” Wright said. “We put in [Began] and she did a fantastic job matching strength with strength and keeping [the Broncos] in check.”

Wright also recognized junior goalie Rachel Tatusko, who stepped up despite not playing much in the past couple games.

“It’s nice to know that we have depth even at the goalie position. I’m not worried in the slightest if we need to switch her with [sophomore Riane Woods],” Wright said.

This non-conference game had no effect on league standings, but was important for the Aggies mental preparation for next weekend’s Big West Conference Championship Tournament.

Wright pointed out that Santa Clara has a similar playing style to that of Pacific, who UC Davis will face in the first round of the tournament.

“We feel confident going into the game but we know we have to continue to execute,” Wright said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

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

Rough swing

Sports Editor
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It was another heartbreaking series defeat.

The Aggies looked to be back on track when they exploded in game one, but a rough outing in the second game and a seventh-inning loss in the third marked a series loss at the hands of Cal State Fullerton.

With the 1-2 weekend, the Aggies fell to 19-21 on the year, 4-8 in the Big West Conference – moving them into a tie for fifth.

Friday – UC Davis 9, Cal State Fullerton 1 (5 innings)

Game one was billed as a pitchers’ duel, but what materialized was far from it.

UC Davis opened the series on a tear, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead.

It was just the start the Aggies needed.

“It set the tone,” said senior Alex Holmes. “We’d hit a rough patch offensively in previous weeks, so to come out on fire the first inning was big.”

After conceding just one in the third, the Aggies added three runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to end the game early on the eight-run-rule.

Making the victory even more impressive was the fact that UC Davis hung eight of those runs on Titan Ari Cervantes, one of the Big West’s premiere pitchers.

Sophomore Elizabeth Santana hit 2-for-2, tallying a run and an RBI, while senior Jessica Gonzales and junior Kelly Harman each went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

In the circle, Holmes pitched all five innings, allowing just five hits while striking out six.

Friday – Cal State Fullerton 11, UC Davis 4

The Titans flipped the script in game two.

Cal State Fullerton jumped out on the Aggies early, scoring seven runs in the first two innings and taking a commanding lead.

“They were able to get on top by using a lot of slaps and bunts,” said coach Karen Yoder. “They used a lot of small-ball and it really worked for them.”

While the Titans utilized the ground attack, the Aggies used the long ball to respond.

UC Davis got on the board with a solo homer from Santana in the third, and a two-run shot from junior Rachel Miller helped the Aggies avoid the eight-run rule in the fifth.

It was not enough, however, and the Aggies fell 11-4.

Despite taking the loss, Yoder was proud of the way her team responded to adversity.

“We showed real Aggie pride by continuing to battle,” she said. “It says something about the character of our team.”

Saturday – Cal State Fullerton 1, UC Davis 0

Saturday’s rubber-match offered the pitchers’ duel that never showed up on Friday.

Holmes battled with the Titans’ combination of senior Ari Cervantes and sophomore Katey Laban for six scoreless innings.

The game was sitting on a knife’s edge as the teams entered the seventh, but ultimately it would be a pair of miscues to decide it.

Titan Ashley Carter scored the lone run of the contest when she reached home on two errors in the top of the seventh. The Aggies did not concede a hit in the inning.

Despite allowing just four hits and no earned runs, Holmes was saddled with the loss.

For Yoder, the key to the game was the Aggies’ inability to convert offensive opportunities.

“We’ve got to do a better job of converting,” she said. “It shouldn’t come down to defensive play. We need to capitalize throughout the game.”

UC Davis stranded 11 runners in the contest.

Still, Yoder is not discouraged by the tough series.

“We’ve faced the top teams in the Big West already,” she said. “We just need to pick ourselves up and continue to battle.”

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

UC Davis shocks No. 18 UC Irvine

Sports Editor
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In the five seasons that UC Davis has competed in the Big West Conference, the Aggies had never won a game at Anteater Park.

That is, until Friday afternoon.

UC Davis topped nationally-ranked UC Irvine in game two of a three-game series in thrilling fashion.

“That was a really good win for us,” said coach Rex Peters. “UC Irvine is a really good team. They hadn’t lost a game at home all year, and we’ve never won a game at [UC] Irvine, so it was a milestone win in a lot of ways. [Anteater Park] is a tough place to play and a tough place to win.”

With the feat, the Aggies moved to a 3-6 Big West Conference record and 9-24 overall.

Thursday – UC Irvine 3, UC Davis 2

Thursday’s series-opener was tight till the end.

Junior starting pitcher Dayne Quist threw six and one-third innings, striking out three and surrendering just two earned runs – both in the bottom of the fifth.

By the end of the seventh frame, the Aggies tied it up on RBI singles from senior Scott Heylman and senior Daniel Cepin.

A UC Irvine bases-loaded bunt would plate the eventual winning run in the bottom of the eighth, however.

Despite the loss, Peters said the low-scoring, one-run game was enough to give the Aggies some momentum going into Friday.

“It gave us a little bit of confidence, that we can play with [the Anteaters] and beat them,” Peters said. “I guess that carried over.”

Friday – UC Davis 3, UC Irvine 2

The Aggies were testing their fresh legs.

With no playoff opportunity for UC Davis, freshman catcher Spencer Brann got the shot to knock in game-wining run in extras on Friday to give the Aggies the historic victory over the Anteaters.

A 2-2 ballgame after nine innings lent itself to a whole lot of movement in the Aggie lineup, according to Peters.

“It was one of those games where you’re making changes and trying to give yourself a chance to tie the game and send it into extra innings,” Peters said. “You have to move guys around and make adjustments defensively, so the roster gets depleted.

“We needed to get some speed on the bases once we got on [base] in the ninth. We tied it up and we needed another catcher in the game.”

Brann would be the difference-maker in the next frame.

After junior Scott Lyman and junior Eric Johnson each singled in the top of the 10th, Brann stepped to the plate with one out.

With a 0-2 count, Brann reached base on a fielder’s choice, allowing Lyman to cross the plate to earn the 3-2 Aggie advantage, their first lead of the series.

According to Peters, it’s players like Brann who will get to spend more time in the field as the program already looks to prepare for the 2011-2012 campaign.

“With us not having a great season, and [we’re] going into the second half of the season, there’s no playoff opportunity for us,” Peters said. “We have to start looking at the younger guys.”

Junior relief pitcher Tom Briner got the win, holding the Anteaters scoreless through the second half of the 10th.

“It was exciting,” Peters said. “It was a close game, and then you go scratching and pawing to take the lead.”

Saturday – UC Irvine 6, UC Davis 1

Unfortunately for the Aggies, Friday’s momentum didn’t carry over into Saturday.

While junior Aggie starter Anthony Kupbens threw a decent game, the challenge was hitting a tricky Anteater pitcher.

“[UC Irvine pitcher Matt Whitehouse] pitched pretty well,” Peters said. “He had a power left-handed slider, which is something you don’t see a lot of in college baseball.”

The Anteaters scored twice in the bottom of the second and didn’t look back, en route to the 6-1 win.

“I think we made good adjustments the second time through the lineup,” Peters said, “but unfortunately, the few balls we hit hard were right at somebody.”

GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Column: Aggies … on ice

Sports Editor
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Last year, I remember talking to someone in a class from Minnesota. Specifically, we talked about sports.

We talked about everything from the Twins to the Vikings. We eventually reached the sport Minnesotans are most known for – hockey.

One of the first things he said was how impressed he was with Californians when it comes to hockey. He was surprised by both the passion and knowledge of us Californians – specifically northern Californians.

And his statement and the current Stanley Cup Playoffs got me thinking – Californians can go crazy for their hockey.

UC Davis and the Davis community are just one of the many locales across the state that get intense about its hockey. The Davis Grad is consistently packed during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with fans supporting all 16 teams involved.

UC Davis also has a club hockey team that’s been very successful in the past. The squad finished the 2010-2011 campaign winning 11 of 12 and had a good showing at its conference playoffs. Its roster boasts 22 hard-working individuals. The UC Davis club hockey team’s success shows that California is not just about the sunshine sports.

This year’s National Hockey League Playoffs are another perfect example of California’s hockey craze.

For the first time in the history of the tournament, all three California teams – San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks – qualified for the playoffs.

Furthermore, the Sharks and Kings matched up in the first round and have put on quite a series that saw the Sharks comeback from four-goals down to win in overtime.

Being a Bay Area guy, I’m clearly rooting for the Sharks. But I’m nowhere near alone. The Sharks sold out nearly every home game at HP Pavilion this year. San Jose fans are consistently some of the loudest and most knowledgeable when it comes to the sport.

When I think about, I’m not that surprised as to why hockey is so popular across the world and in California.

I’m probably oversimplifying, but Californians stereotypically like four big, non-hockey sports – baseball, football, basketball and soccer. Hockey combines aspects of all three.

It has the thinking and planning of baseball, the hard hitting of football, the fast action of basketball and the teamwork and passing of soccer. Therefore, Californians should be all over the sport. And for the most part, they are.

However, for the select few who aren’t on board, it’s mostly because of the low scoring. I’ve noticed Sportscenter doesn’t give much airtime to sports with low-scoring outcomes like soccer and hockey. For all sports, and specifically hockey, the outcome and outputs aren’t the same at all.

For hockey, the outcome is the final score. The output is the fast-paced, hard-hitting, don’t-have-time-to-go-to-the-bathroom game play you see every time the players step onto the ice.

I strongly encourage everyone to watch hockey. It’s fun and it’s exciting. As the man from Minnesota observed, a lot of Californians have already discovered the awesome-ness that is hockey. The UC Davis club team has found some athletes that want to play the sport, as well. And the three California NHL teams have garnered the attention of a lot sports fans across the Golden State.

Maybe we Californians aren’t as averse to the cold as thought.

JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggie 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 April 21 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, arrived late, left early

Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present

Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present

Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present, arrived late at 6:40 p.m.

Emmanuel Diaz-Ordaz, ASUCD senator, present

Andre Lee, ASUCD senator, present

Amy Martin, ASUCD senator, president pro tempore, present

Mayra Martín, ASUCD senator, present, left early at 9:55 p.m. due to illness

Tatiana Moana Bush, ASUCD senator, present, arrived late at 6:20 p.m.

Darwin Moosavi, ASUCD senator, present

Matthew Provencher, ASUCD senator, present

Brendan Repicky, ASUCD senator, present

Rebecca Sterling, ASUCD senator, present

Eli Yani, ASUCD senator, present

Presentations

Thongsavat said that senators should focus their energy on the aftermath of Picnic Day, the current California budget crisis and ASUCD’s budget. He also expressed his sympathy for Scott Heinig’s – the Aggie who passed away Picnic Day weekend – family. He thanked Mark Champagne, ASUCD business manager who is retiring at the end of the academic year, for his many years of work.

Appointments and confirmations

Jaspreet Bahia and Tiglath Ziyeh were confirmed as Court Justices.

Jeanna Gindi was confirmed as director of City and County Affairs.

Baxter Boeh-Sobon was appointed to University Affairs.

Unit director reportsGeoff Straw, the Unitrans general manager, said they might put the V line in service on the weekends for the Village and Arlington Farms Apartments. He also said that Unitrans is in the master planning phase for a new MU terminal.

Aaron Giampietro for Lobby Corps said that they are in the midst of their letter writing campaign. He also said that the University of California Student Association (UCSA) has been very welcoming and willing to work with UC Davis, and that he thinks it is important to keep lines of communication open with them, but not necessarily rejoin.

Hannah Kirshner, The Pantry unit director, said that they now have new hours Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. They also have expanded menu items and are looking to cultivate their new relationship with the Grocery Outlet. The Pantry tabled on Picnic Day and made $250. They are also now collaborating with the Health and Wellness Center and they will be hosting a free cooking class on May 18. They are also setting up a new inter-UC pantry conference. The Pantry will be holding a raffle at the Davis Farmers Market on April 30. She also said they are seeing upward of 100 students a day.

Brianna Espino, the unit director of Campus Copies/Classical Notes, said that they are looking to get new copy machines, and that she hoped senators would pass the bill for the machines seen later in the night. She said the unit has made many internal restructurings after an audit. She also said they are trying to make their unit a low-cost copy and academic supply store for students.

Consideration of old legislation

Senate Resolution 11, authored by Giampietro, co-authored by Bihter Ozedirne and Kevin Pascual, introduced by Sterling, to support California Assembly Bill 7, which would encourage the UC Board of Regents to bar any payroll increases in the next two years to all public higher education employees earning more than $150,000 a year, authored by California State Rep. Anthony Portantino, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 12, authored by Giampietro, co-authored by Ozedirne and Pascual, introduced by Sterling, to support California Assembly Bill 2 authored by California State Rep. Anthony Portantino, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 13, authored by Giampietro, co-authored by Ozedirne and Pascual, introduced by Sterling, to support California Assembly Bil 89 authored by California Rep. Jerry Hill, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 14, authored by Giampietro, co-authored by Ozedirne and Pascual, to support California Senate Bill 8 authored by California State Senate Member Leland Yee, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 15, authored by Giampietro, co-authored by Ozedirne and Pascual, to support California Senate Bill 181 authored by California State Senate Member Carol Liu, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 9, authored by Liz Walz, co-authored by Tiffany Mayville, introduced by Martin, in opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2011-2012 proposed budget cuts to the University of California. Ed Montelongo said that the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission liked it, and thanked the senate for sending it back to the commission. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 71, authored by Espino, co-authored by Lee and Martin, introduced by Lee, to allocate $35,194 from Capital Reserves to purchase two Canon copy machines and accessories for Campus Copies/Classical Notes. Lee said that he thinks this would bring in new services to the unit. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate bill 68, authored by Daniel Olivas, co-authored by Bae, Lee, Moosavi, Provencher, Alison Tanner and Repicky, to allocate $320 from Senate Reserves to purchase 10 48 inch by 60 inch canvases and 12 paint brushes for the ASUCD Aggie Public Arts Committee to produce a mural in the ASUCD Coffee House. The table had a conversation about the possibility of taking these funds out of Capital Reserves, but ultimately decided against it. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate bill 63, authored by Rombi, co-authored by Lee, Amaan Shaikh and Christine Sifferman, to establish the ASUCD Scholarship Committee. The table had a conversation about whether or not students should be able to receive the scholarship more than once per year or per college career, and decided that this should be left up to the scholarship committee awarding the scholarship. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate bill 66, authored by Sergio Cano, co-authored by Sabrina Dias and Rombi, introduced by Lee, to allocate $177.14 to purchase 500 ASUCD brochures, passed unanimously.

Public discussion

Yani said that it was an abuse of power when student assistants to the Chancellor tried to sway the senate to rejoin the UCSA. Provencher said he agreed, but hopes that senators are intelligent enough to make their own decisions.

Public announcements

Amanda Gonzalez said that a group of students is interested in hosting the Students of Color conference next year. The point of the conference is to educate people and take action regarding the rights of students of color. She said they are looking to other student groups to be on the planning committee for the conference.

Meeting adjourned at 11:48 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.

Column: Tee talk

Opinion
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I think the writing on a person’s t-shirt can tell you a lot about the wearer. And these days, you can get just about anything screen-printed across your chest. It seems like everyone wants to stamp themselves with their own personal mottos, their inspirational battle-cries, their own raisons d’être, if you will. Want to tell the world that Volleyball is 95% mental and 5% physical? I’m sure they would love to know, so put it in writing across your body. Or how about the ever-cryptic “I Don’t Do Drama,” just so everyone is clear. Solid colors have been passé for years, making room for thousands of slogans from the clever to the nasty to the Star Wars-themed. In this week’s column, I’ll be chronicling my favorites.

I saw a man wearing a shirt the other day that read, “I only roll with babes of havoc.” This raised two questions in my mind: Firstly, what is a “babe of havoc?” And, more importantly, how do I become one? I immediately turned to the girl he was “rolling with,” so I could possibly decipher the mystery. Black hair, heavy eye-liner, studded belt. Okay, I could do this. Being a babe of havoc couldn’t be that hard.

So I went home to further my research. A quick Google-search yielded a single comprehensible hit, a YouTube page entitled “Babes of Havoc Photoshoot Promo.” It took me to a videotaped photo shoot of heavily-made up twenty-something women wearing metallic bikinis and furry go-go boots. Okay, now I’m confused. The page had only a single comment, from a DanceMissBlondie who said: “were hella sexy.” I assume the forgetting of the apostrophe is completely intentional and makes her more of a havocish babe, since no one would bastardize the English language so offensively for any other purpose.

The rest of the Google hits were either porn or about baseball, or sometimes both, leaving me with very little material to work with. I would have to put my metamorphosis from regular girl to babe of havoc on hold for now. If you have any tips for me, please, don’t hesitate to drop me a line (Dammit! A babe of havoc would never say “drop me a line”).

Another gem was a fraternity t-shirt I’d seen on a young man who, assuredly, was in a fraternity (lest the true brothers find out he was unlawfully wearing their shirt and make to publicly flog or otherwise humiliate said wearer). Anyways, it had some undecipherable symbols that I assume were either Greek or Martian (in which case we should all evacuate the city of Davis immediately). Underneath an artful silhouette of a young man about to “sink one,” which I believe is the correct beer pong terminology, it read “Where amazing happens.” I knew it. Frat boys are just Broadway stars in training all along! And that’s why they sing so much! And when they get on stage amazing-ness will happen! This explains everything.

Finally, I’m completely enamored with all those screen-printed baby onesies prophesying all the great things your tiny tot can do. One particularly irresponsible tee has its infant wearer declaring “I can kick your baby’s ass.” Um, is this legal? Do people really place bets on this? Baby fighting? I’m not sure this is a good idea, guys, someone could get hurt. But I guess whatever makes a buck these days, right? My money’s on the one with the big head.

Another slightly disconcerting baby shirt I saw read, “My daddy drinks because I cry.” Oh dear. Hey, all you picketers outside Planned Parenthood, it looks like there’s a little problem. New evidence suggests that infants may cause alcoholism. Yeah, I know, scary right? I’m not entirely sure what this means, except that, in the next election, gay rights will be put on the back burner again so we can get this whole baby issue worked out. Jeez, why can’t we just go back to pink and blue, huh?

What you wear says a lot about who you are, and many people these days have literally started wearing their hearts on their sleeves, or at least across their pecs. As I’m writing to you this week, I’m sitting in my back yard wearing a shirt that says “Real girls eat meat.” I’ve got a beer to my left and I’m grilling a small fledgling I caught with my bare hands. Tomorrow, I’ll be donning a “Who needs brains when you’ve got these?” shirt, in order to show off my great shoulders. Because that’s what it’s referring to, right?

LENA PRESSESKY can be reached at lmpressesky@ucdavis.edu.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features Editor
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0

TODAY

Are You Positive You’re Negative? STI Testing

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Student Health and Wellness Center

In recognition of STI awareness month, Health Education and Promotion encourages all students to take charge of their health and get tested for Chlamydia.

Resume Basics Workshop

3:10 p.m.

229 South Hall

Learn how to build a professional resume for an internship or job.

Yolo County Natural Heritage Board Meeting

5:30 p.m.

Yolo County Administration Building Atrium Training Room, 625 Court St., Woodland

The board will discuss new amendments and respond to public inquiries.

TUESDAY

Resume Clinic

12:10 p.m.

234 South Hall

Write an application that will get you noticed. Bring a draft of your resume and cover letter for a group review.

Vet Aide Club Meeting

7 p.m.

176 Everson

Hear about veterinary opportunities in the military.

Spirituality and Your Brain Interactive Event

7 to 9 p.m.

260 South Silo

This UC Davis Experimental College presentation will describe specific exercises to increase intuition and brain integration for optimal concentration and comprehension and creativity. Cost is $10 for Experimental College members and $15 for non-members.

WEDNESDAY

Davis Energy Service Corps Free Screening: Kilowatt Ours

7 p.m.

223 Olson

Enjoy a free screening of the award-winning documentary.

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.

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