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News in Brief: Press conference held to discuss Student Activism Team

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UC Davis administrators and staff have joined forces to monitor campus action. Dubbed the Student Activism Team, members keep an eye on protests and communicate with police should something unlawful occur.

Today at 10 a.m. students and the greater campus community will gather at the south side of the Memorial Union to discuss this team. The press conference will be held with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and is expected to last until 1 p.m.

“Students have a right to know the entire story here,” said Cres Vellucci, a member of Sacramento County’s ACLU board of directors, in a past interview with The California Aggie. “Who was monitoring them, and why, and if any files have been created relating to student organizers and participants.”

A California Public Records Act request yielded over 200 pages of documents, which show correspondences between team members and the police as well as team protocol. Members maintain that the purpose of the team is to protect free speech and ensure student safety.

Students are expected to reveal more information obtained from the documents at the press conference.

– Janelle Bitker

Aggie Daily Calendar

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TODAY

Résumé Basics Workshop

12:10 p.m.

229 South Hall

Learn how to build a résumé for an internship or job.

Queer Critique, LGBT Activism and Public Education

1 to 2 p.m.

LGBT Resource Center

This event will invite discussions about the place of queer critique in the public university. Explore how queer theory and activism can come together in response to the lack of funding toward public education.

Careers with the CIA and FBI Info Session

1 to 2:30 p.m.

Garrison Room, Memorial Union

Representatives from the CIA and FBI will be on hand to answer questions about careers and internships.

Being an Ally: Where Faith, Friendship and Fairness Intersect

4 to 5 p.m.

Fielder Room, Memorial Union

This panel discussion will explore how straight-identified people become allies to their LGBT friends and relatives.

Autism Awareness Association Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

106 Olson

Speaker Dr. Martinez will talk about autism in general and her work on stem cells in people with autism.

Pride Week Keynote Speaker: Kenyon Farrow

7 to 9 p.m.

King Lounge, Memorial Union

Kenyon Farrow currently serves on the executive committees of Connect 2 Protect New York and the Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies. He works as an organizer and writer on issues at the intersection of HIV/AIDS, prisons and homophobia.

WEDNESDAY

Rise Up Discussion Series

Noon to 1 p.m.

LGBT Resource Center

Check out the LGBT Resource Center and join in casual discussions related to the queer community. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month there will be a discussion about sexual assault and domestic violence in the queer community.

Author Event: Elizabeth Freeman’s Time Binds

Noon to 1 p.m.

UC Davis Bookstore

UC Davis English professor Elizabeth Freeman will discuss her new book Time Binds, an argument that temporal and sexual dissonance are intertwined. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A period and book signing.

Poetry in the Arboretum

Noon to 1 p.m.

Wyatt Deck, UC Davis Arboretum

Burmese poet and artist Aung Aung Taik will share his work, which has been published in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Poetry USA. Refreshments will be served.

Find a Job or Internship Workshop

3:10 p.m.

229 South

Learn about tools and tricks to help find a position.

White Privilege Workshop

5 to 6:30 p.m.

LGBT Resource Center

Engage in group brainstorming and dialogue about how white privilege functions in and affects the queer community. Share ideas about how to cultivate tools for doing anti-racist work in the queer community.

Queerly Kin Panel Discussion

7 to 9 p.m.

King Lounge, Memorial Union

Panelists will discuss how monogamy, polygamy, surrogacy, racial identity, bisexuality and more affect kinship ties in the queer community.

Sahaya International Movie Night

7:30 to 9 p.m.

194 Chemistry

After a short description about the club, stay for a showing of award-winning documentary Born Into Brothels. Light refreshments will be provided.

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.

Tiger pitchers tame Aggie bats

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For the first time in conference play, the UC Davis offense was shut down.

The Pacific pitching staff kept Aggie hitters at bay, holding the UC Davis softball team scoreless twice. Pacific took Sunday’s game after a Saturday split. The Aggies are now 18-16 on the season and 3-3 against Big West Conference teams.

Saturday – Pacific 4, UC Davis 0

Pacific’s pitching was on all day.

In the first game of the series, Tiger Nikki Armagost frustrated the Aggie offense as she went the distance for the complete game shutout.

Armagost only struck out three, but the Aggies couldn’t seem to find a way to score.

In the bottom of the third, UC Davis had a prime opportunity to get on the board.

Down by just one, Jessica Gonzalez came up with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, Gonzalez grounded out to end the inning, and the Tigers later tacked on runs in the fifth to seal the deal.

Saturday – UC Davis 3, Pacific 1

Pacific pitcher Tori Shepard was also dominant in the last game of the double header, locating her pitches and getting first-pitch strikes.

Unfortunately, that was her downfall.

In the fourth inning, junior Kylie Fan knocked the first pitch of her at-bat over the left field foul pole to give the Aggies a 3-1 lead. This was Fan’s first career homerun.

“I think it was a nice hit and she did a nice job of converting on that particular pitch,” said coach Karen Yoder. “I liked her approach. Anytime a hitter can make a physical adjustment and have that kind of result is wonderful. I’m proud of her.”

Sophomore Jessica Thweatt surrendered just one unearned run in the top of the third and nearly went the distance as she was removed after six and two-thirds innings.

Though the Tigers got one, Thweatt disrupted the timing of Pacific’s hitters.

In the second inning with one out, Thweatt allowed free passes to two consecutive hitters, loading the bases for leadoff hitter Megan Hom. Thweatt then induced two ground balls to end the inning without any damage.

“There are good hitters on [Pacific],” Yoder said. “Thweat did a great job. I thought she kept them off balance.”

Sunday – Pacific 6, UC Davis 0

Before Sunday’s rubber game, Yoder told her team that just hitting wasn’t going to be enough to win.

“[The coaches] had a discussion [with the team] and after you play a team twice, the swing game is all about good defense,” Yoder said.

Unfortunately, the Aggies didn’t deliver.

“Plain and simple, we didn’t play good defense today,” Yoder said. “Defense was going to win the game today. We did not convert enough outs.”

In the first inning, Pacific scored three runs on just a couple hits and an error. With runners on second and third and just one out, Elizabeth Santana committed a throwing error on a groundball, allowing two runners to score.

The Tigers tacked on another run in the fourth and two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.

UC Davis was blanked again by Tiger ace Armagost, who surrendered only five hits and one walk en route to the complete game shutout.

The Aggies weren’t short of opportunities however.

“We had two runners on in the first, third and fifth, and one in the sixth,” Yoder said. “We had opportunities, we just didn’t have clutch hitting. We didn’t do our job. Plain and simple, we didn’t do our job.”

Aggie hitters left seven runners on and were 0-6 with runners in scoring position.

Long Beach State will host UC Davis for a series starting on Saturday at 1 p.m.

MATT WANG can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies on brink of playoff elimination

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(Correction appended)It was an up and down week.

The Aggies entered this week having won nine of their last 10 games and were looking to keep things rolling as they re-entered Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.

They did just that on Wednesday, as UC Davis overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Saint Mary’s.

However, Sunday was another story as the Aggies lost a heartbreaking contest to Denver.

With the two games, UC Davis moved to 10-3 on the year, 2-2 in conference play.

Wednesday, April 6 – UC Davis 21, Saint Mary’s 12

History was on the Aggies’ side when they faced the Gaels on Wednesday.

UC Davis had won 12 straight games over Saint Mary’s entering the contest.

The streak now stands at 13.

The Aggies were slow to open the contest, scoring just five goals in the first half, and entering the break trailing by three.

The second half, however, was a very different story.

UC Davis exploded out of the gate, scoring 10 unanswered goals in the first seven minutes of the final frame and moving into a commanding lead.

“We came out in the second half knowing we had to step it up,” said senior Gina Hoffmire. “It was the most intensity we’ve shown this season.”

While the offense was firing on all cylinders, Hoffmire said it was the defense that sparked the run.

“[The defense] was what got us going during that stretch,” she said. “They fueled us and kept us going.”

The Aggies held on from there, outscoring the Gaels 6-4 in the remainder of the frame and taking a 21-12 victory.

UC Davis was led by Hoffmire, who scored five goals, three of which came during the Aggies’ 10-0 run.

Elizabeth Datino, Anna Geissbuhler and Laura Martin added three goals each.

Sunday, April 10 – Denver 15, UC Davis 14 (OT)

The Aggies played their closest game of the year against the Pioneers.

Once again, UC Davis fell behind early and entered the break trailing by three.

The second half was a battle.

The Lady Aggies clawed their way back into the game, tying the score at nine with under 20 minutes to play.

The contest went back and forth from there, as the Aggies responded to each Pioneer score. Neither team was able to take advantage as time expired, and regulation ended with the game tied at 13.

The Aggies scored first in overtime when Hoffmire found the net. That marked UC Davis’ first lead of the contest.

The advantage did not last, however, as Denver scored less than two minutes later and retook the lead in the second overtime period to beat the Aggies 15-14.

While UC Davis failed to get the victory, Hoffmire was proud of the team’s effort.

“We came out with a lot of energy today,” Hoffmire said. “We wanted to get all of the 50-50 balls, and we did that. This loss hurts because it’s a conference opponent, but we gave it our all today.”

Christina Corsa, who scored four goals and added an assist, paced UC Davis.

Hoffmire finished the contest with three scores.

Despite the tough defeat, Hoffmire believes the Aggies will bounce back.

“We’ll keep going strong,” she said. “We know that we have to win these last two games now.”

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

Correction – April 12, 2011: It was stated in the headline that the UC Davis women’s lacrosse team was eliminated from postseason contention. The Aggies are still in fact in the playoff race. The Aggie regrets this error.

Retraction – April 12, 2011: The above article stated: “The loss moved the Aggies to fifth place in conference, outside of the playoff picture with just two games remaining.” The Aggie regrets this error.

Column: Obscure murals

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It’s the greatest time of the year.

The sun is shining and Picnic Day is under a week away. The best part – intramural sports – has nothing to do with either of these glorious things.

Sunday marked opening day for spring quarter IMs. Spring mixes the best of all the IMs with the likes of football, soccer and, of course, softball.

But there are a few athletic contests out there that don’t have a spot on the schedule. Some might not necessarily call them “sports” but they nonetheless deserve to be endorsed by Campus Recreation and the winners need a spot on that wall in the ARC.

Beer pong: This is the prototypical university sport. Granted, it involves alcohol, but almost every college student has played it. Beer pong can be the most competitive “sport” at UC Davis. Go to a party and see how intense a few individuals can get while playing it.

Some might say that beer pong isn’t a sport. I counter that with golf. It is pretty universally accepted the golf is a sport. Beer pong is not much different. It involves putting a ball (ping-pong) into a hole (red Solo cup) while battling hazards (feelings of alcohol.) And just imagine how intense the beer pong-palooza can be?

Underwater basket weaving: This just sounds awesome.

Hot dog eating: It’s an Independence Day tradition. Every year Nathan’s Famous hosts the nationally renowned contest at Coney Island in New York. Some of the sport’s best “athletes” come out to show how large their stomachs are. People would definitely show up for this contest. We’ve all seen that person who milks every cent of a dining commons swipe. These people would be the first ones in line to compete.

Like beer pong, the idea of whether or not this is a sport comes into question. If it’s on ESPN, it’s a sport.

Bocce ball: Bocce ball might sound like a boring sport, but you’d be surprised how intense it can get. For those of you who need a refresher in the contest, it’s a lot like bowling – except on grass. Though it may only get exciting late in the matches, alcohol would make it more fun.

Curling: I, like a lot of other people, wanted to be a curler after watching the sport at the Winter Olympics. And who could blame me? The object is to glide a silver rock on ice onto a bull’s eye – basically the Canadian version of shuffleboard. Don’t worry; you have two teammates helping you in the process by sweeping the ice. It’s probably a lot harder than it seems, but probably not.

There won’t be lack of arrogant individuals who think they can dominate this sport, so Campus Rec won’t have issues finding people to pay the ridiculous entry fee to play. The problem here is finding a place to host the Curling-palooza. There are a couple ice rinks in Vacaville and Sacramento that could host the event. Also, on Picnic Day, there is an ice hill next to The Pavilion on Hutchison Field. Cover the entire field with ice and you have a playing surface.

Mutton busting: If you don’t know what this is, look it up. This would be amazing (and really dangerous) as an intramural sport.

Got any other ideas for new intramural sports? Are you a member of a club team that wants an article written about your squad? E-mail JASON ALPERT at sports@theaggie.org with your ideas.

Aggie Senate Briefs

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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 7 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings.

Meeting called to order at 6:12 p.m.

Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD president, absent

Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present

Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present

Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present, returned at 8:38 from a break scheduled to end at 8:35

Emmanuel Diaz-Ordaz, ASUCD senator, present, returned at 8:38 from a break scheduled to end at 8:35

Andre Lee, ASUCD senator, present

Amy Martin, ASUCD senator, president pro tempore, present

Mayra Martín, ASUCD senator, present, returned at 8:38 from a break scheduled to end at 8:35

Tatiana Moana Bush, ASUCD senator, present, arrived late, left early

Darwin Moosavi, ASUCD senator, present

Matthew Provencher, ASUCD senator, present

Brendan Repicky, ASUCD senator, present, returned at 8:37 from a break scheduled to end at 8:35

Rebecca Sterling, ASUCD senator, present

Eli Yani, ASUCD senator, absent

Presentations

Business and Finance Commission presented plans for future audits.

Bryen Alperin said he was concerned that Tipsy Taxi is operating on a subsidy. He suggested that fares be increased during peak hours and that they require riders to have an AggieCard so the service is not abused. Sergio Caino, Internal Affairs Commission chair, said he was worried about enforcing the AggieCard. Dana Percoco, External Affairs Commission chair, suggested that those who do not attend UC Davis be charged more than those with AggieCards.

Leticia Cheng said AggieTV is looking to add a new business manager position and that they are seeking new ways to bring in income. Cheng also presented on Entertainment Council. She said that they are not staying within their budget each quarter and she suggested implementing a business manager.

Jamie Tuttle-Santana presented on AS Papers. He said that the unit is in the stages of re-development and that it does not currently have a business model. He hopes to look into the actual costs of funding the unit and survey public interest.

Parichay Johri said the Bike Barn needs more space for repairing bikes and should be renovated.

Brian Barnett presented on the Book Exchange, which currently requires a large subsidy to provide its service. Provencher asked if the Business and Finance Commission could look into only having the book exchange open for the first two weeks of the quarter.

Vladimir Rudovsky presented on Campus Copies and Classical Notes. Currently the unit does not have a subsidy and is a nonprofit unit. Rudovsky said a main problem is an out-of-date copy machine that often malfunctions. He hopes to find places to cut expenses through the audit.

Jared Hein said the Experimental College is looking into how to expand EC and provide incentives for students to join. Hein also said Project Compost is looking to reach out to more students.

Appointments and confirmations

Courtney Rogers was appointed to the External Affairs Commission.

Unit director reports

Lauren Jabusch from the Campus Center for the Environment said the committee is excited about the Spring Convergence event, where sustainability workshops will be free for UC Davis students. She also said that a program called Education for Sustainability is a free lecture series for UC Davis students, which offers two to four units. The Sustainability Summit will be on June 7.

Consideration of old legislation

Senate bill 55, authored by Yani, co-authored by Martin and Cano to amend the ASUCD bylaws and allow the ASUCD Senate to assign or remove an assignment of a piece of legislation from any subordinate body of the ASUCD Senate by a majority vote of the entire Senate passed unanimously.

Senate bill 57, authored by Christine Sifferman, co-authored and introduced by Lee to distinguish between present and absent abstentions passed unanimously.

Senate bill 58, authored by Megan Frantz, co-authored by Provencher and Thongsavat, introduced by Provencher, to amend AggieTV’s budget to include line items for AggieTV’s LipDub income and expenditures passed unanimously.

Senate bill 59, was authored by Internal Affairs Commission to clarify confirmation procedures. Will Quinn, Environmental Policy and Planning Commission chair, said he disagreed with the bill, and that senators should be able to ask individual questions to different prospective employees during confirmations. Provencher said he was worried that this bill wouldn’t allow senators to ask questions about things that were not on the prospective employee’s resume. After a lengthy discussion, the bill failed with a 4-7-1 vote. Bae, Lee, Martin, Moosavi, Provencher, Repicky and Sterling voted no.

Public discussion

Mark Champagne announced that he would like to establish a scholarship fund of $25,000 to be awarded to ASUCD hourly employees. He asked the senate to match his donation, which will be decided in bills that will be looked at next week.

Repicky said it bothered him when someone who is in favor of a bill objects to calling the bill to question. He said that he thinks people who have concerns about a bill should object to calling the bill to question, and that people should not use that time to show their support for the bill.

Public announcements

Diaz-Ordaz said that next week is Pride Week and all students are invited to take part in the activities and presentations.

Meeting adjourned at 11:54 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: 10 bicycles

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The average Davisite owns 2.1 bicycles, according to an informal Davis Wiki census. This average is pushed up because of bike ministers like myself who own too many bikes than appear logical. I own at all times at least 10 bicycles, and have at times owned 35 or more. While I could pool my money in one or two bicycles, what’s the fun in that?  Please let me proceed to defend my decadence and offer a primer on vehicle purpose: Each of my 10 bicycles is necessary for specific activities in a low-automobile lifestyle.

Betraying my own eccentricity, each bike I own is named after ex-girlfriends of mine. While this is inescapably one of my most misogynistic behaviors, it provides me with invaluable function: limiting unnecessary further purchases and reminding me not to make the same mistake twice. Naming of a bicycle is a slow process for an informal bike-vendor. I generally had between 15-25 bikes chain-locked around my former dome, of various sizes and values, available for the right price. However, certain ones grew on me and I began to refuse reasonable offers; I was smitten. Unlike girlfriends, you can have as many bikes as you want, and they never get jealous, vindictive or stale.

Most of my bicycles and former girlfriends are international and are from the mid 1980s. My two Miyata bicycles are named after my two most serious former partners, both multi-year relationships from my days in Riverside. There is Xing (1), my Miyata 912 bicycle, a racing bicycle that refuses to compromise, and Shelly (2), my Miyata 610, a touring bicycle built for carrying the world’s weight. These two women were both “Triple M’s” – medically-inclined model minority – but could not be more different in practice (i.e. Amy Tan meets Jhumpa Lahiri and viral eradication verses holistic medicine.) These red and silver bikes capture this same duality, appearing identical to the untrained eye. The difference is their approach: my 912 is about fleeing commitment, while the 610 carries a ton of baggage. I currently use the 912 to bike to work in Sacramento, and the 610 for shopping and beer runs in Davis.

Cynthia, my night bicycle, was sold and I’m looking for a replacement. This bike was a silver Peugeot Triathlon and operated only by the light of the moon and SUVs.

Anne-Marie (3), another Peugeot Triathlon, is a bright-red untarnished racer that spent 20 years dust-collecting inside. Anne-Marie and I never really were partners, (nor did I use this bike much, with exception of the 2009 Picnic Day parade) but we are forever linked, as my own vanity prevented me from taking this beautiful and differently-abled woman to high school prom. I will live forever knowing how selfish a decision this was. In the same way, this gorgeous bike hangs in my room and is a reminder about vanity and how it prevents you from living life and giving to the fullest.

Stephanie (4) is my Bridgestone MB-1, a dented, unremarkable looking bike. This high-end mountain bike I use for Bike Polo. It’s hefty, quick and vicious, just like its namesake, captain of the junior-high volleyball team.

Xiaoyan (5), my purple Cannondale T700, is a prissy aluminum bike that I use for laundry and as a backup commuter, a bike that likes to follow rules and not get dirty. This is the only bike I own that came from the Bike Collective, and the frame was a deal at $40.

Susana (6), my Raleigh Technium fixed gear, reminds me not to coast through life. I ride this red, gold and yellow limo to special events.

Catherine (7), my Specialized Stumpjumper, is a great mountain bike that has little affection for Davis flatland. There are also my tandem and folding bicycle pair (8,9,10) – these quirky bikes will get their own article. These bikes I use with the love of my life (and non-cyclista), Amy.

Are you letting satisfaction with your current bike prevent you from buying another bike? Foolish! No quantity of bikes is too great! No quantity of bikes costs all that much either. My fleet of 10 used bicycles does combine to cost half of what a new bike costs downtown, (or one month’s car payment) which gives me great pride. More than pride, the functionality of owning more than one bike is proven when you have a flat or a bike is stolen.

In terms of embodied energy, which is the amount of energy it took to make it, I’d need 45 new bicycles just to equal a Toyota Prius, according to iBikeToronto, and that’s not factoring in gasoline. I’d much rather have 45 bikes.

CHRISTOPHER SALAM is a minister at the Davis Bicycle Collective, and can be reached at mrsalam@ucdavis.edu. If you are interested in DIY bicycle repair visit the DBC at its Bike Forth location, on L Street and 4th.

Column: P-P-Push it

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I had a discussion section this quarter, where, on the first day, we were supposed to tell the class something we liked to do. Of course, all that could come to my mind was, “Hi. My name is Lena and I like to drink.” When my turn came around, I managed to mumble something about liking to go running, making me look like some sort of exercise freak who lives huddled under one of the awnings outside the ARC. And I’m sure these people exist, because when I go to the ARC I see the same people every time. They must live there. There is no other explanation. Anyway, instead of ranting on the imperfections of college students, this week I’ll be talking social dynamics at our local gym.

I’ll start with gym etiquette. First, be aware of the gender line. Girls run on the treadmills or look super cute gyrating on the ellipticals. Boys do something impressive with those scary looking machines. And then toward the middle of the evening two brave souls can go slow dance three feet apart to a Natalie Imbruglia song – oh wait, that was middle school. You get the point.

Since I generally stay away from any exercise machine larger than myself, there’s really only a small corner of that weight room that I’ve explored. It’s the one with the ab mats and the weights in the under-10-pound category. My ab workouts consist of checking out other people to see what they’re doing, and then trying to simulate their moves so that I look like I know what I’m doing but not like I’m copying them. This usually leads to some sort of creative semblance of knee-jerks and elbow twists that end up with me flailing on the mat like a beached carp or as though I’m pioneering some fancy new horizontal tarantella. But bikini season is just around the corner, so as I huff and puff, I tell myself to imagine the Rec Pool, bronzed bodies clad in tiny swim wear and alcohol and hormones flowing from every pore like wine at Bacchus’ birthday party. I’ve got to be ready.

As for arms, I grab the heaviest weights I can manage and again, try to look like I know what I’m doing. This usually involves heavy breathing and the occasional, “Oh yeah, feel the burn baby!” Sure, I get some weird looks, but it’s the price you pay for looking like a badass at the gym. Of course, every now and then I have an off-day (I’m only human), in which case it’s best just to give up.

The other day, I was having a really tough workout, which I attributed to the fact that I had a five-pounder in each hand. Then I realized they were both 2.5-pounders. I think that’s what is called a “fail of epic proportions,” so I decided I’d just go home and get a beer instead.

Here’s another tip: resist the urge to pick wedgies or otherwise do something blatantly unattractive while at the gym, because you never know who is watching. And if that doesn’t scare you, here are some statistics: 63 percent of people find gym-goers more attractive than non-gym-goers, 75 percent of people meet their future spouse(s) at the gym and 91 percent of people find wedgie-picking a major turn-off. So it’s important to look sexy. The next time you’re about to hit the treadmills, ditch the “A vampire in Forks, Washington loves me” T-shirt and reach for the mascara and teeny tank instead.

Which leads me to a gym “Do”: Do hit on fellow gym-goers using lines like, “Do you know how to work this thing?” (interpret as you will), “Want to racket my balls?” (only for the very bold), “What’s your sign?” or anything involving the phrase “gun show.” The gym is teeming with ready and willing, toned, supple bodies. All you have to do is flex right and you’ve got one snagged.

The UC Davis ARC is a microcosm of our university; therefore, it is important to put your best foot forward when hitting the gym. No, of course I don’t mean exercise so you can boost your self-esteem or get healthy or whatever else working out supposedly “achieves.” The gym is like the Oscars, or Saint Whoever’s Charity Ball to support the generally-less-fortunate-and-underprivileged. Everybody who’s anybody will be there. Make sure you are too, and practice that (completely unintentional!) sexy hamstring stretch before you go.

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

Aggie Daily Calendar

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TODAY

Pride Week Visibility Day

Noon to 1 p.m.

Wellman Lawn

Pride Week begins with the California Aggie Marching Band-uh! and free pizza.

Interview Basics Workshop

12:10 p.m.

229 South

Got an interview coming up? Practice and learn about the different types of interviews, tips, and strategies.

Biphobia Makes Me Blue Workshop

2 to 3 p.m.

LGBT Resource Center

Pride Week continues with a workshop designed to understand and challenge internalized biphobia, and discuss what it means to be an ally to nonmonosexual people.

Energy Institute Seminar Series

3:10 to 4 p.m.

1003 Kemper

Dr. Devin MacKenzie, CTO at Add-Vision, Inc. will discuss “Emerging Printed Electronics: From Printed OLED Technology to Solution-Based Solar Energy.”

S. An-Sky and the Dybbuk: Art, Revolution, Destruction

4 to 5:30 p.m.

53A Olson

Director of Slavic languages at Stanford University Gabriela Safran will speak about her latest book, “Wandering Soul: The Dybbuk’s Creator, S. An-Sky.”

Queering (Dis)abilities Discussion

5 to 6 p.m.

Garrison Room, Memorial Union

A panel and Q&A discussion will explore the intersections of (dis)ability, sexuality, race, class and more. Panelists will share personal experiences to address an often invisible identity in the queer community.

TUESDAY

Resume Basics Workshop

12:10 p.m.

229 South

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

Queer Critique, LGBT Activism, and Public Education

1 to 2 p.m.

LGBT Resource Center

This event will invite discussions about the place of queer critique in the public university. Explore how queer theory and activism come together in response to the defunding of public education.

Careers with the CIA and FBI Info Session

1 to 2:30 p.m.

Garrison Room, Memorial Union

Representatives from the CIA and FBI will be on hand to answer questions about careers and internships.

Being an Ally: Where Faith, Friendship, and Fairness Intersect

4 to 5 p.m.

Fielder Room, Memorial Union

This panel discussion will explore how straight-identified people become allies to their LGBT friends and relatives.

Autism Awareness Association Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

106 Olson

Speaker Dr. Martinez will talk about autism in general and her work on stem cells in people with autism.

Pride Week Keynote Speaker: Kenyon Farrow

7 to 9 p.m.

King Lounge, Memorial Union

Kenyon Farrow currently serves on the executive committees of Connect 2 Protect New York and the Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies. He works as an organizer and writer on issues at the intersection of HIV/AIDS, prisons and homophobia.

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.

Fat Face sandwich store moves to the big city

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Like her ever-expanding popsicle menu, the owner of the sandwich and soup shop Fat Face is making a big move to Sacramento this spring.

Opened in November of 2009, the L Street shop closed its doors on March 11. The location is still being used to produce “Aisu” fruit popsicle and sandwiches for the Wednesday and Saturday Davis Farmers Markets, where the store’s owner, Jaymes Luu, 32, has been selling her popsicles since 2005. She will continue to come to the market, even with her move.

The owner hopes to open in the new Sacramento location in May or June.

Luu is partnering with Olivia Coelho and Trisha Rhomberg, the owners of Bows & Arrows, a vintage clothing store in Sacramento, to open a mixed store that will include an art gallery, clothing and Luu’s café. Coelho and Rhomberg joined with her after they planned to expand their clothing line in a new space with beer and wine, but needed to serve food in order to do so.

The café will cover about a third of a 3,200 square-foot midtown Sacramento location, still carrying the name Fat Face.

Luu grew up in Louisiana and Florida. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2000, where she received a business degree. Luu is the middle child of a civil engineer father and accountant mother, both of which she said are good cooks.

“I wanted to eat for a living,” Luu said. “The closest thing to that is cooking for a living.”

The store’s name comes from her nickname.

“My friends call me Fat Face because I just love food so much,” Luu said. “It comes from me being a little piggy.”

She names “yellow watermelon pineapple” and “mint Arnold Palmer” as her favorite popsicle flavors on her menu. She said she is working on an egg and bacon flavor, which she believes will be her new favorite.

The markings of her love of food have even manifested on her arms. Two years ago she was inked with a black pig tattoo and just last month she got the chemical makeup of the Japanese “umami”, or savoriness – one of the five basic tastes. She said the umami tattoo is a reminder for her to make her food as flavorful as possible.

When the store opened in 2009, Luu intended to primarily sell popsicles, but weather got in the way of her plans.

“I originally opened the store for popsicle production,” Luu said. “Since we opened the store during the winter, we ended up focusing on sandwiches.”

Luu enjoys photography and watching college football, but she said she spends most of her time and money on food.

“I eat out a lot,” Luu said. “I like Thai Nakorn and the taco trucks in Woodland. I love and hate how Davis is boring. It’s relaxing because I work so much. I don’t have anything to do after work and since there’s not much to do, I don’t feel pressured to go out. There’s also a great community feel to Davis, so I see customers everywhere.”

Her inclination toward popsicles is nothing new. She described how as a child she would freeze Kool-Aid with her brother for their lemonade stands.

“It took me six years after graduating from college to figure what I wanted to do with my life,” Luu said. “My advice to college students is you shouldn’t feel pressured to figure out what you want to do right way. I had no idea I would be making popsicles for a living until it happened. You need to find the courage to figure out what you want to do – what makes you happy.”

Though a couple of months away, the Sacramento Fat Face location will be open at 1815 19th Street Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Earth Week to provide five days of eco-friendly events

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Next Monday marks the beginning of the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission’s (EPPC) fifth annual Earth Week – a week dedicated to getting students actively involved in caring for their environment.

EPPC works directly with ASUCD, the city of Davis and local organizations to improve UC Davis’ sustainability. EPPC’s annual budget, which is allocated by ASUCD, is $3,100. Will Quinn, chair of EPPC, said the costs of Earth Week should be under $1,000.

Each event has its own theme and will aim to improve students’ awareness of how to lead more sustainable lives. EPPC and other groups will be on the quad from 12 to 1 p.m. on weekdays encouraging students to become more active in helping the earth.

“The main motivation for Earth Week is rational environmentalism. I think too often we are scared off by people who keep preaching, ‘Go extreme,'” Quinn said. “If we all made a little bit of a change in our lives and considered these things in our everyday routines rather than just ignoring them, we could really make a big difference in the world. That’s what Earth Week is about.”

This week EPPC will table at the quad, where students can donate clothes in exchange for a ticket that they can use at a clothing swap next Monday. There will also be a discussion panel held on that day at MU II from 12 to 2 p.m. The topic of the discussion panel, consisting of authors Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle and Richard Howitt all UC Davis professors will be the authors’ book, “Managing California’s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation.”

Tuesday’s theme is “Sustainable Picnic Day,” which is all about organic food, conserving energy and the benefits of drinking tap water.

Events like those on Tuesday are opportunities for learning how to live within one’s means, said Danny Carlson, member of EPPC.

“[It’s about] not taking more than what can be offered and living within a sustainable fashion,” he said. “It’s teaching people that it’s more than just throwing a bottle in the recycling bin.”

On “Paint-A-Pot Wednesday,” students can paint pots and learn about the benefits of composting. The day is being made possible by multiple groups – students at the dining commons collected tins to use as pots, the Craft Center is offering art supplies and Project Compost will provide seeds and soil.

Thursday’s focus is on bikes and alternative fuel vehicles. Staff members from the Bike Barn will be on the quad to help students fix their bikes. An electric vehicle will be on display as well. Dorceta Taylor, author of “The Environment and the People in American Cities, 1600s-1900s: Disorder, Inequality and Social Change,” is also scheduled to appear at the MU from 4 to 6 p.m. at Griffin Lounge.

Friday, which is Earth Day, holds the week’s biggest events. Eco-friendly clubs and organizations will be out on the quad to raise students’ awareness of environmental issues. The Campus Center for the Environment (CCE), the Cool Davis Initiative and the California Student Sustainability Coalition are three major groups scheduled to be present. The Cool Davis Initiative works closely with the City of Davis to address issues such as climate change and lowering Davis’ carbon footprint and is working with EPPC to promote Earth Week.

Friday will also feature the Pound-for-Pound Challenge, a collaborative effort between EPPC, CCE, CalPIRG and community organizations. Students are encouraged to reduce the number of pounds of CO2 in their carbon footprint. In exchange, grocery stores will donate an equivalent number of pounds of food to The Pantry, said Will Klein, member of the CCE.

Tessa Artale, volunteer coordinator for CCE, is holding a Green Team kickoff meeting for anyone interested in becoming more involved in Earth Week on April 18 at MU 43 starting at 5 p.m.

“The goal of the volunteer team is to provide opportunities for students to get involved volunteering on campus and in the community, to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices,” she said in an e-mail interview. “Our goal is to connect students with existing resources on campus and in the community, and to educate others about how to [affect] positive change.”

TRISHA PERKINS can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

News-in-Brief: Brown threatens doubling student fees

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Gov. Jerry Brown announced last Wednesday that University of California’s annual tuition could reach $20,000 to $25,000 if California passes an all-cuts budget to reduce the $15.4 billion deficit.

In the April 6 speech, given to the California Hospital Association (CHA), Brown urged the health advocacy group to take their concerns directly to the representatives.

“We need your help. We are facing a big problem; it’s all of our problem. We are cutting across all services. What is at stake is California,” Brown told CHA.

Currently, it costs an average of $11,285 for California residents to attend a UC, including campus fees. Next year, it will cost around $12,149, an 8 percent increase approved in November in anticipation of the $500 million in state finances already cut from the UC.

The legislature is constitutionally required to approve of the 2011-2012 state budget by June 15.

– Becky Peterson

Davis skydivers take the 13,000-foot plunge

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Some might call it suicidal and insane. Participants call it “relaxing” and “de-stressing.” It allows you to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Shasta and Lake Berryessa all in 30 seconds.

The sport is skydiving. Novice and experienced jumpers take the leap from Davis’ only skydiving company, SkyDance SkyDiving, which instructs thousands of students each year, based out of the Yolo County Airport.

Instructors lead first-time students through an hour of instruction before suiting up and getting in the plane. Students can jump alone or with an instructor, and have the option of jumping at 9,000, 13,000 or 18,000 feet, with 30, 60 and 90 seconds of free fall, respectively. The basic tandem jump from 9,000 feet costs $159, while the longest fall from 18,000 feet costs $379, according to SkyDance’s web site.

Jumping out of the plane isn’t as terrifying as it may seem, said SkyDance manager Neal Wathen. After checking the altimeter and deploying the parachute, which either the student or instructor can do, he said it becomes suddenly peaceful and quiet.

Most inexperienced jumpers are nervous before their first time, especially as they sit in the plane anticipating the plunge, Wathen said.

“It’s like you’re on the top of the hill of a rollercoaster about to go down,” Wathen said. “But unlike on a coaster, you’re already going 100 miles per hour.”

Wathen said that experienced skydivers range in skill – some have made 50 jumps while others have made thousands. These jumpers have their own gear and pay only for the $22 plane ride.

The most difficult part of skydiving is exiting the plane, said UC Davis senior international relations major Sean Mula.

“Everything you’ve known your whole life screams at you not to do it,” Mula said.

Julie Zapelli and Debra Ashburn of Sacramento were waiting at SkyDance on April 3 for the winds to die down to less than 25 miles per hour so they could complete their jumps.

Zapelli had jumped once before and Ashburn had never jumped. Both were excited to do so, although Ashburn admitted that the safety video left her “a bit freaked out.” However they both agreed that they were sure it would be fun.

“I’ve never heard of anyone getting to the ground and hating it,” Zapelli said.

Like Zapelli and Ashburn, four SkyDance instructors – Jeffrey Einsohn, Ted Volpendesta, Kevin Anfinson and Kurt Issel – were waiting out the high winds on Sunday morning. Their skydiving experience ranges from two to 20 years. These instructors became interested in skydiving at a young age, often after seeing skydivers on TV.

“I used to send my G.I. Joes flying out of windows as a kid,” Einsohn said.

Wathen jumped for the first time in 1989 with friends and, after becoming hooked, became certified and started spending weekends jumping. In 1996, he took a week off work to set a world record for a “formation” – a free fall in which multiple people grip each other during the descent. He never went back to work and has been working at SkyDance ever since.

Mula was skeptical of the sport at first, and recalled criticizing a friend for participating. However, once he started, he became addicted and couldn’t stop.

“Here I am today front flipping out of airplanes at 13,000 feet and loving it,” Mula said.

A typical day for Mula starts hours before the jump when he monitors the wind and weather and packs his parachute. After boarding the plane, Mula’s excitement becomes overwhelming.

“You fist pound the people around you and wait for the green light,” Mula said. “By this time my heart is racing.”

After exiting the plane – Mula’s favorite method is a front roll – he works on skills such as turns, flips and barrel rolls. At 4,500 feet, the pull sequence begins.

This all may sound terrifying to new jumpers, but experienced jumpers said the sport actually has many safety protocols. Many accidents are due to jumpers taking known and avoidable risks, Mula said.

“Safety is dependent on two things: the drop zone and the skydiver,” he said. “SkyDance takes every measure to be safe, [which] only leaves me [to be safe].”

Mula’s safety procedure includes carefully packing and inspecting his chutes, thinking about emergency procedures before jumping and pulling the parachutes at a higher altitude to allow time to confront any possible problems.

Skydiving gear is considerably safer than it used to be, Wathen said. Jumpers now use square parachutes, which are more reliable than round ones, and are safer for avoiding obstacles and landing. An automatic activation device ensures that the parachute is automatically deployed at 2,000 feet in case the jumper is unable to release the parachute.

Einsohn, Volpendesta, Anfinson and Issel noted that the most significant injury the group had endured was a cracked bone from landing in a gopher hole. They agreed that skydiving is their number one way to forget their worries and focus on the present.

“I do it to shut down my mind,” Volpendesta said.

Mula said that he encourages people to at least try a tandem jump. “You’re going to be scared. I still get scared, but that’s also the reason I keep coming back and the reason you think about doing it.”

KELLY KRAG-ARNOLD can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Student advocacy groups to collaborate

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(Correction appended)
                                                                                                                                                                                           Despite a rocky history between ASUCD and the University of California Student Association (UCSA), the two groups are increasing communication in light of the current budget crisis.

UCSA is a coalition of students that provides the official student stance on issues facing the university. UC Davis is the only campus that is not part of UCSA – ASUCD withdrew membership in 2006 and instead relies on Lobby Corps for its advocacy efforts.

Matt Haney, executive director of UCSA, said he wants UC Davis to be part of UCSA’s statewide fight against cuts to higher education.

“In the short term, we can’t afford to not have Davis,” he said. “Without Davis, there’s a lack of wholeness.”

Whenever policies change, the UC Board of Regents solicit opinions from UCSA, and the board takes those words as the opinion of all UC students. There’s a fundamental problem without UC Davis’s presence, Haney said.

“UC Davis student leaders that I have met with share the same goals that UCSA has … in that sense, there’s no discord, conflict or difference in what we’re working on, what other campuses are working on and what Davis is working on.”

With the exception of UC San Francisco, every other UC campus maintains a Lobby Corps in addition to membership with UCSA. ASUCD Controller Don Ho said he couldn’t say whether or not ASUCD can afford to do both.

Membership with UCSA costs $1.50 annually per student plus an additional $1.30 per student for full voting rights. This means ASUCD would have to pay approximately $37,000 if all undergraduate students wanted to be members of UCSA – nearly $70,000 for membership plus voting rights. Meanwhile, Lobby Corps’ operating budget this year is $28,577.

Ho has not drafted next year’s budget yet, but he suspects that paying for UCSA would involve cutting from other units.

Ho also mentioned a constitutional amendment that prohibits passing referendums that would increase student fees for membership to an external organization, such as UCSA. Haney said that he doesn’t think UCSA counts as an external organization, though.

With UC Davis being the closest campus to the capital, Haney said UCSA suffers from not being able to have UC Davis student leaders advocating for UCSA on a regular basis. Lobby Corps Chair Aaron Giampietro said that Lobby Corps does advocate for all students, not just those at UC Davis. However, Lobby Corps also takes advantage of its autonomy.

“We do have the ability to make our own agenda, which we also think reflects the entire UC,” Giampietro said.

Lobby Corps is currently working on its own lobby month and student letter writing campaign. UCSA was involved in budget conversations at the capital in support of Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax extensions, targeting 10 republicans in particular that UCSA felt it could sway. This week, individual campuses are engaging in weeks of action, Haney said.

If budget talks resume in Sacramento, UCSA will send individuals to lobby on behalf of students. Haney further elaborated that if this were to be the case, collaborating with UC Davis student leaders and Lobby Corps would be important.

JANELLE BITKER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Correction: The article incorrectly states that membership with UCSA costs $1.50 annually per student plus an additional $1.30 per student for voting rights — $37,000 for membership and $70,000 for membership plus full voting rights. Actually, UCSA expects a contribution of $1.50 annually per student but the minimum total for membership plus voting rights is $1.30 per student. This means ASUCD would pay either an expected $37,000 or a minimum of approximately $32,050 for membership and voting rights. The Aggie regrets this error.

Photo of the Week

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This was not your average beer pong party. After a night of celebrating the recent release of LAADS, a new Davis-based arts and culture quarterly magazine, I took this photograph of a girl practicing poi — a performance art originating with the Maori people in New Zealand.

People had mostly tired of dancing, but the DJ’s beat still pounded in concert with the glow sticks. It was cold outside, but the garage was so body-heated that my lens kept fogging up. I had to wipe off all the dew before each three-second exposure. It’s pretty easy to take pictures like this, even on a point-and-shoot camera. Just look for ‘shutter speed’ in your menu and experiment with different times (1’’ – 15’’ to start) and light sources.

The composition defines this photograph. In particular, the subject’s position relative to the crowd, her proximity to the camera and centrality in the frame isolate her from the crowd and place the inverted Siddhartha Gautama hanging from the rafter where her head would have been. By discarding the “rule of thirds” and juxtaposing the garage’s Indian imagery (Ghandi, Siddhartha) and the bright, vertically spiraling streaks of turquoise and purple light with the party-weary crowd, this photo achieves a gloomy, off-step aesthetic.

If you experiment with long exposures or any form of photography, let us know. E-mail Student Snapshot submissions to photo@theaggie.org.

— Jeremy Raff