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Column: Lessons from the Bridge

Opinion
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A recent brush with tragedy on the Golden Gate Bridge over the summer has taught me much about life and society – lessons which, from my perspective as a student of social science, also tie into the current context of events at UC Davis and the UC system: fee hikes, layoffs, furloughs, walk-outs, sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience. These important events will determine the future, or lack thereof, of our university.

The weather was gorgeous that day, and I was relishing that special summer-vacation feeling by relaxing and reading at the Warming Hut Cafe on the Bay near “the Bridge.” It was right about the time I was standing outside of the cafe when a series of dramatic events began to play out on the Bridge, just as I was contemplating the meaning of a famous poem that’s posted near the trail: “To see a World in a Grain of Sand/ And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,/ Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand/ And Eternity in an hour.” I’m standing in the same spot on the trail again, on a Friday, four days after the fact, copying the verse into my notepad. The Bridge is totally obscured by heavy fog at present and cannot be seen, though it is making its presence known by the slow bellowing of the fog horns that are stationed under it.

That day, a Monday, had been outwardly bright and cheerful, and was, no doubt, an inspiring day to most visitors – except for two who were tormented by an inner gloom. One had made his seventh trip over the rail, and for him, attracting rescuers, even including a large Coast Guard cutter ship, was becoming routine. Incredibly, another, more impulsive soul was apparently unaware of the person who was already out on the Bridge’s ledge. Making a tragic decision in the wake of a failed love affair, he plunged down and surfaced close enough to the Coast Guard cutter to be rescued alive and was transported to a waiting ambulance on the shore. Tragically, his life’s journey came to an end at the hospital nearby, having been too banged up by the fall to survive.

To me, the “World in a Grain of Sand” verse seemed to sum up so well, in a few phrases, some of the deeply complicated truths I was catching glimpses of as part of an anthropology project I’ve been working on which is focused on the Bridge, both its physical nature and its social function, its “body and soul.”

Standing at the center of the eastern walkway on Wednesday, trying to make some sort of sense out of what happened two days before, I could feel the Bridge bouncing ever so slightly in response to the strong winds. It seemed alive. As I know from my study, the Bridge is part of a complicated system whose parts, including even mass transportation buses and ferries, extend outward for miles. Its soul is spread out around the world in the form of memories, stories and iconic images as part of people’s psyches. To whom, in the cultural sense, does the Bridge “belong?” The City? The State? The people of North America? The world?

Waking from a quick nap in my van parked right at the shore, I see the flag atop the Civil War-era fort under the Bridge being taken down for the day. Only the bottom half of the south tower of the Bridge is visible in the fog, with the span it supports arcing gracefully through it and outward, abruptly disappearing, suspended midair in the mist. Waves crashing into boulders below send bursts of spray that splash onto my windshield, as the sounds of the fog horns under the Bridge continue on.

Universities are cultural bridges of a sort which function as important social systems, too, serving as important institutions of personal transformation for their students. We stand at a crossroads in time, at the onset of the Information Age. Will we, that is, we the constituents of UC Davis as an institution and the UC system as a whole, follow the way of the despondent lover whose cognitive executive function seemed to fail him when he took the fatal leap?

Or will we behave like the crazy person on the ledge? He was able to rely on trustworthy rescuers and was brought to safety, but for us there are no guarantees except for good sense and good reasoning, qualities that nowadays often seem to be in short supply.

BRIAN RILEY wants to know how we can get down from this figurative ledge. Send him your ideas at bkriley@ucdavis.edu.

Who’s who in Davis

Features Editor
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Editor’s note: With the school year just beginning, the California Aggie wanted to introduce you to some important people on campus and in the City of Davis.

CAMPUS

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi joined the UC Davis family last year after holding the position of provost at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Originally from Salamis, Greece, she graduated from the National Technical University of Athens in 1977 with a degree in electrical engineering. Throughout her career, she has merited 16 U.S. patents for her research and has been a chair in the National Academy of Engineering.

Katehi’s first year as chancellor was full of difficult decisions and problems, including a large tuition increase, hate crimes against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center and the elimination of four sports from UC Davis Athletics.

ASUCD President Jack Zwald

ASUCD President Jack Zwald is the man with the plan.

The Oakdale, Calif. native ran for his position with the L.E.A.D. slate with ASUCD Vice President Previn Witana. He decided to run because he feels he brings the right set of skills necessary for ASUCD at this time. “ASUCD needed someone who can keep [it] financially afloat in these uncertain economic times and achieve specific changes to benefit student life,” Zwald said in an e-mail interview.

Zwald has had success with those goals. ASUCD has cut thousands of dollars of waste in the budget from unused telephone lines, expanded the Entertainment Council’s staff to plan more events and has worked with Campus Unions to keep the Memorial Union Games Area open during the remodeling process, he said.

But the senior international relations major does not want to stop there. For the rest of his term, he plans on reinvesting in the Learning Skills Center to give students the academic help that they need as well as secure better opportunities for UC Davis students to talk directly with the UC Regents.

“I campaigned as someone who can deliver common sense change and make real strides to improve student quality of life,” Zwald said. “I think my record reflects a real commitment to those promises.”

ASUCD Vice President Previn Witana

A former ASUCD senator, Previn Witana ran with the Leadership, Empowerment, Activism and Determination (L.E.A.D.) slate with ASUCD President Jack Zwald.

Witana has many platform issues he wishes to see accomplished during his time as vice president. They include problems with wireless Internet in the dorms, as well as the inclusion of dead days, which have disappeared in recent years.

Witana, a senior biological science major, hopes to become a doctor after his time at UC Davis.

UC President Mark Yudof

UC President Mark G. Yudof took office in 2008 after he was the chancellor of the University of Texas system for six years.

Due to California’s budget crisis and the massive cuts to higher education, Yudof has been fighting to prove that we need to protect and enhance the UC’s role to help the state in difficult economic times.

“I am honored to lead the University of California, an institution that on a daily basis pushes the frontiers of discovery, expands opportunity for our state’s young people and contributes to the health and quality of life of all Californians,” said Yudof on the University of California website.

CITY OF DAVIS

Davis Mayor Don Saylor

Don Saylor has been the Mayor of Davis since June. Previously the Mayor Pro Tem, Saylor has been on city council since 2004. He will be leaving the post in Jan. 2011, however, at which time he will start his position on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

Saylor grew up in Wyoming and has lived in Davis since 1987. His goals for the board of supervisors include: creating local jobs, advocating health and vitality through statewide reforms and supporting sustainable-agriculture communities.

California Representative Mariko Yamada

Mariko Yamada is the Democratic state-assembly representative for District 8 in California, a district that includes Davis and the rest of Yolo and Solano counties. She will be running for re-election in November. Yamada is from Davis and previously represented the city on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. Her campaign goals for re-election to the state assembly include leading by example in forgoing allowances for things such as gasoline and improving state services for senior citizens. “As a social worker for over 35 years, I have never shied away from tough problems,” Yamada said on her website. “As a county supervisor, I learned the value of local government services.

“As your Assembly representative, I have worked hard to keep your tax dollars local and have opposed State raids.”

BECKY PETERSON and NICK MARKWITH can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features Editor
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TODAY

Sigma Nu: Monday Night Football with the Brothers

5:30 p.m.

Sigma Nu House, 525 Oxford Circle

Are you ready for some football? Meet the brothers of Sigma Nu and watch the Monday night football game.

TUESDAY

Sigma Nu: Mini Golf

6 p.m.

Sigma Nu House, 525 Oxford Circle

Test your miniature golf skills in Sigma Nu’s own mini golf course.

WEDNESDAY

East Quad Farmer’s Market

10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

East Quad

Support local farmers and get fresh produce, nuts, flowers and more.

Sigma Nu: Alumni Meet and Greet

7 p.m.

Sigma Nu House, 525 Oxford Circle

Meet the brothers and their alumni to learn about the long term benefits of rushing.

THURSDAY

Sigma Nu: Luau with Pi Phi

6:30 p.m.

Sigma Nu House, 525 Oxford Circle

Join the brothers and the lovely ladies of Pi Phi for a luau in their backyard.

A2F Open House Dinner and Bible Study

7:30 p.m.

1007 Giedt

Acts2Fellowship invites you to join their open house with a free dinner and engaging bible study.

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.

Donations to be made public under new bill

City Editor
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Gov. Schwarzenegger has until Sept. 30 to veto an amended senate bill that calls for increased transparency of University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges subsidiary, as well as auxiliary organizations.

Formerly SB 218, the newly modified SB 330 will update the California Public Records Act. The bill would, under certain conditions, allow private donations to be public, in an attempt to create more openness about the funds in California higher education institutions.

Names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons who volunteer services or donate to specified entities will remain private if those persons request anonymity, the bill states. However, this exemption does not apply if a volunteer or donor meets specified conditions.

One of these conditions is if someone receives gifts valued at $500 in compensation for donations. Another is that donors’ information may be subject to public disclosure if that person attempts to influence curriculum.

Erik Fallis, media relations specialist for the CSU system, said that this is not reasonable because donors want their money to go toward their program of choice.

“The funding that comes in for foundations are almost always designated for a particular purpose,” he said.

UC and CSU administrators who favor vetoing the bill also said that with less donor anonymity there will be fewer monetary gifts, such as those that go toward the funding of student government, on-campus bookstores and dining services.

The UC system alone estimates a potential loss of $7.5 million dollars in revenue as a result of the bill.

“…Campus foundations [will be] at [a] competitive disadvantage to other charities, including private colleges and universities in California, who can guarantee donor’s confidentiality instead of putting their privacy at risk under the provisions of SB 330,” said Senior Legislative Director Happy Chastain in veto request to Schwarzenegger.

A similar case was brought to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2005. The court mandated that records held by the Iowa State University Foundation be disclosed.

Following the ruling, the universities saw a 26 percent increase – an additional $59.9 million – in donations. The subsequent four years after the ruling, Iowa public universities received on average $289.3 million annually in donations – an average of $54.7 million more than the year prior to the ruling, according to a press release.

Fallis said he was not familiar with the case involving the Iowa Supreme Court.

In addition, Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), who amended the legislation himself, said that by opposing this bill, UC and CSU are attempting to misguide high-ranking officials in Sacramento.

“UC and CSU administrators are doing a disservice to taxpayers by misleading the Governor,” Yee said in a press release. “Secrecy breeds corruption and not more donations.”

Bill Bagley (R-San Rafael) also recently displayed support for the amended bill.

“There is [currently] no accounting, no access to records of and expenditures made by university-affiliated organizations to and for campus-related activities,” Bagley said in a press release.

“A majority of the billions of dollars held by these auxiliaries are funded by students and parents, and they have a right to know how their money is being used,” said Yee.

California Community Colleges remains neutral on the bill.

MAX ROSENBLUM can be reached at managing@theaggie.org.

Unfunded retirement looms over Regents meeting

Campus Editor
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Facing a possible $40 billion budget deficit, the University of California Board of Regents unanimously voted to increase UC contributions to its retirement fund.

Dozens of UC employees picketed outside the meeting room at the UCSF Mission Bay campus Sept. 16. Workers said this is the first vote in a series of decisions that could hurt their pensions while benefiting higher-paid employees.

UC officials said action is necessary to ensure the university’s financial longevity.

“It is impossible to just let everything go along as it is without jeopardizing the long-term security of the people who are working here,” UC President Mark Yudof said at the meeting.

In May, UC employees began contributing 2 percent of their salaries toward retirement while the university contributed 4 percent. Starting in July 2011, employees must contribute 3.5 percent and the university will contribute 7 percent. In July 2012, the percentages go up to 5 and 10 percent, respectively.

Under the current retirement plan, the unfunded liability is $21 billion – roughly the size of the university’s annual budget. UC analysts say the unfunded pension could soar to $40 billion in less than five years if no action is taken.

The shortfall exists in part because before May UC hadn’t added to the retirement fund in two decades. Yudof formed a Post-Employment Benefits Task Force in March to search for ways to fill in the gap. The increased contributions were one of several recommendations the task force released in a report last month.

In addition to employee contributions, the proposals reduce the pensions themselves. For employees earning up to $60,000, their pensions would decrease from 75 percent of their salary to 45 or 60 percent.

“Some of the lowest-paid yet hardest-working employees at UC are actually eligible for public assistance,” said Wendi Felson, a retired UCSF employee and union leader, during a public comment period. “And yet this is the pension you’re proposing. That is just plain stealing from the poor.”

The proposals maintain that Social Security would give these lower-wage workers close to their full salary regardless.

Employees earning over $120,000 would still get 75 percent of their salary but would also have to contribute more.

The 250 highest paid employees would receive a percentage of $360,000 as their pensions, instead of the federal limit of $245,000, due to a waiver from the Internal Revenue Service.

The task force made several additional recommendations, such as raising the minimum retirement age from 50 to 55 and requiring employees to work until age 65 instead of 60 in order to receive maximum pension benefits.

Regents will study the proposals this fall and discuss them in their meeting in November, ultimately voting on the proposals in December.

Daniel Simmons, chair of the Academic Senate, said he and other faculty members agreed with the regents’ decision.

“As painful as it is, the Academic Senate does support the increase in contributions called for in this item,” he said. “But make no mistake, it is a pay cut for all faculty and staff.”

UC officials said they were lobbying lawmakers in Sacramento to contribute to the retirement fund, since the state does so for the California State University and California Community Colleges systems.

“The state is not contributing at all to our employees,” Yudof said. “That’s a gross inequity.”

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

Fall Convocation presents optimistic vision

Campus Editor
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Chancellor Linda Katehi believes in UC Davis, she said in her address at the annual Fall Convocation.

“I believe that we are poised to become one of the world’s greatest universities so long as we stay true to our vision,” Katehi said.

Katehi referenced the multitude of honors UC Davis received in the past year, despite the state’s economic downturn.

In the nation, UC Davis is in the top 10 for research funding with $680 million in 2009-2010, was named the 16th greenest university by Sierra Magazine and was ranked sixth for contributions to society by Washington Monthly.

“It is clear that in the past year UC Davis has achieved a new level of excellence in education, research, public service and even in funding for our students,” she said.

Fundraising has exceeded $112 million, Katehi said. UC Davis committed to raising $120 million over the next four years to support students and has raised $80 million thus far. Next month, UC Davis is launching its first comprehensive campaign to raise one billion dollars – up from $100,000 – to support students.

Katehi also discussed the difficulties from last year, like the UC-wide 32 percent fee hike for undergraduates, the 1,100 jobs eliminated, the four sports cut and the hate crimes on campus.

UC Davis invested in mentorships for underrepresented students and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center, Katehi said. She also promised to bring staff and students to the Museum of Tolerance and to bring museum exhibits to campus.

“Every student, staff member and faculty member in our campus deserves to feel safe, welcome and wanted,” she said.

Despite these hardships, members of the UC Davis community remained committed to the university, Katehi said.

“I want you to know that I am committed to you,” she said.

Nikki Uhlinger, a first-year biological sciences major, said she was encouraged by Katehi’s speech.

“She was really inspirational and had a great vision,” Uhlinger said. “Her optimism is great in this time of economic hardship – it was exactly what I wanted to hear coming to Davis for my first year.”

The Convocation also included performances by the UC Davis University Chorus and remarks by Darin Latimore, director of student diversity at the UCD School of Medicine. Robert Powell, Academic Senate chair, and Michael Ziccardi, associate professor of clinical wildlife health, also spoke.

Ziccardi talked about his experience at the BP oil spill, where BP and federal commissions called upon UC Davis to lead an effort to save endangered wildlife.

“UC Davis got the call that day because we have a tradition and culture of collaboration, professionalism and continuous strife for excellence,” he said.

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

Aggies finish in seventh place at Stanford Invitational:

Sports Editor
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The men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Palo Alto, Calif. Saturday to compete in the Stanford Invitational – a highly regarded meet and a destination point for many top-notch teams in the nation.

Seventh place was the result from each squad, and there were a select few runners that were highlights in the Aggies’ statistics, but head coach Drew Wartenburg is ready to take his teams back to Davis to work out the kinks.

“We’ve got to come back home and get better,” he said. “Everyone goes home now and says ‘ok, we’ve been to a major invitational meet,’ but coaches up and down the region are going to ask [themselves] how to address the weak points.”

It was a competitive field in the men’s division, as the Aggies faced, among others, regional powerhouses Stanford, Cal and UCLA.

One goal the Aggies had entering meet was to beat a team that on paper, they were not “supposed” to beat.

That goal would go unaccomplished this time around.

UC Davis placed 7th, and according to Wartenburg and the statistics, this was right about where the team had expected to finish.

In fact, the men’s race featured no upsets and no surprises. Stanford finished on top and was followed by Arkansas and Northern Arizona.

“We’ll take it in a competitive field of that nature,” Wartenburg said. “It’s early in the season, and we have a lot of weeks to get better.”

Leading the pack for the Aggie men in the 8K was sixth place finisher Jonathan Peterson, followed by teammate Jonathan Sees (32nd place) and Calvin Thigpen (36th place).

The women’s field was slightly less competitive, and the Aggies missed a chance to beat a handful of teams that Wartenburg believed were beatable.

Stanford won the division, while Cal took second and Long Beach State placed third.

UC Davis finishers ranged from 6th to 42nd, creating too large a gap to work in their favor.

Additionally, there was roughly a 90-second space between the Aggies’ first and second runners – another area that Wartenburg’s group will focus on for the next meet.

Despite the missed opportunities, however, one solid athlete in the women’s department was sixth place finisher Krista Drechsler, a true junior from Santa Barbara, Calif.

“Krista was a real bright spot in terms of individual effort,” Wartenburg said. “She raced as well as she’s raced in her time in an Aggie uniform.”

The next meet for the Aggies will be on Oct. 16 when the teams travel to Santa Clara.

Wartenburg’s crew will focus on a “pack racing” strategy in order to achieve better team numbers in that meet.

“We kind of got strung out [Saturday],” he commented after the races. “We need to get our guys to bite down and hang on and run with a teammate.”

The Santa Clara meet will provide UC Davis with a different taste and different competition, along with an opportunity to focus on team goals, regardless of who else is competing.

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

Aggies lose a heartbreaker

Sports Editor
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It looked like UC Davis had the game won on two separate occasions, yet the Aggies left the game with a 4-3 loss to the Golden Bears.

The tough loss began with some early chances for UC Davis. California scored first, however, when a counter attack turned into a two-on-one break and a goal for Megan Shimojima.

Giving up an early goal is nothing new for the Aggies.

“We tend to allow teams to penetrate our territory early in games,” coach Vianney Campos said. “It’s something we’ve been working on but we let it happen again.”

UC Davis answered in the first half with a goal from freshman forward Cloey LemMon, and the game went to intermission tied at one.

Late in the second half the fireworks started.

The Aggies dominated the scoring chances in the second half, and finally broke through when sophomore Nadia Namdari took a pass from sophomore Emily Mecke and put it in the goal with just 10 minutes to play.

The way the Aggies had been dominating to that point, it seemed like they would surely get the victory. Cal answered, however, just a few minutes later, and tied the game at two with just over seven minutes left.

Still, UC Davis kept their heads up, confident they could find the back of the net once more.

“We knew that we could score again,” Campos said. “There was no doubt that we could score a third.”

The third goal came just three minutes later when sophomore Marissa Hughes put the ball in the net to give the Aggies the lead.

Again it seemed that UC Davis would surely win.

The Aggies held the lead all the way down to the final minute of the game, but a questionable officiating decision gave the Golden Bears a penalty corner with 30 seconds left to play.

Cal capitalized with a shot from Claire Dougherty, sending the game into overtime.

Despite dominating the extra period, the Aggies were unable to score on a few early chances, and the Golden Bears scored on a breakaway in the 75th minute to end the game.

It was a rough loss for UC Davis.

“It’s pretty tough,” Hughes said. “We played better than them and we went all out, but they got some lucky goals.”

Even though the game goes in the standings as a loss, the Aggies are putting a positive spin on it.

“Ultimately in our books it was a win,” Campos said. “It was a successful game for us and hopefully we can carry our momentum into the next game.”

UC Davis will next play against Stanford on Saturday at Aggie Stadium.

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

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features Editor
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TODAY

Meat Lab Sale

1 to 5:30 p.m.

Cole C Facility

The UC Davis Meat Lab offers sales that are open to the public. Cash and check only.

Koinonia Kick-Off Bible Study & Sports Night

7 p.m.

1001 Giedt

Koinonia at Davis invites you to join them for their first large group Bible study and kickoff event of the year!

SATURDAY

Linux Installfest Workshop

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

716 N St.

Members of the Linux Users’ Group of Davis will help install and configure Linux on your PC, at no charge.

Plant Faire and Sale

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive

Join the Arboretum for the biggest and best plant sale in the Central Valley.

SUNDAY

Arboretum Guided Tour: Perennials in the Garden

10 a.m.

Arboretum Gazebo, Garrod Drive

Learn about flowering perennials in inland California with a free public tour.

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.

Photo essay: Construction changes face of campus

Features Editor
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While students have been doing nothing at home, the campus has been buzzing with construction activity during the summer. Some of the construction includes a new Student Community Center, new dorms and renovations of old buildings. Here is a taste of what has changed since you’ve been gone.

Aggies hope to carry strong start to NCAA Championships

Sports Editor
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Sixty-four teams qualify for the NCAA Championship tournament in volleyball.

Of those 64, 31 bids go to automatic conference champions.

Coach Jamie Holmes wants the Aggies to be one of those 31.

“We want to get into the tournament,” Holmes said. “Even if we don’t win the [Big West] Conference, I still think we can do it.”

The Aggies were selected to finish fifth in the Big West this year in a poll by the coaches. UC Davis will have to compete against reigning two-time champion and perennial national powerhouse Long Beach State for the league title.

Holmes knows the western seaboard is one of the toughest places to play collegiate volleyball, but she said the Aggies are ready for the challenge.

“The West coast is the home of modern volleyball,” Holmes said. “I don’t think it hurts us playing over here as much it helps us. It speaks highly of a team if it can compete on the west coast.”

A team’s record is important in getting selected for the championship, but it’s not necessarily how many wins the Aggies get as much as who the Aggies beat.

The biggest determinant for an at-large bid into the tournament is a team’s Rating Percentage Index, or RPI. The RPI is a complicated formula that ranks a team relative to every other squad in the nation. Holmes said the Aggies will be keeping a close eye on this.

“A good RPI is what I’ve chosen as a team goal,” she said. “It’s a realistic stat that really affects our chances to get into the NCAA tournament.”

Currently, the Aggies are ranked in the top 100 in RPI, but Holmes believes they will need to improve upon this if they wish to accomplish their goal.

UC Davis has just two seniors on this year’s squad, but those two are important to its success. Outside hitter Kayla Varney became just the sixth Aggie ever to top 1000 career digs earlier in the season. Opposite hitter Melanie Adams has been strong all year for the Aggies.

“Melanie is in great physical shape and playing both offense and defense well,” Holmes said. “Kayla has helped anchor the system and is one of the top non-libero diggers in the conference. I’m looking for these seniors to help set the tone on this team.”

While Varney and Adams have been stellar thus far, junior middle blocker Betsy Sedlak has been one of the best players in the conference. Sedlak has already earned Most Valuable Player at two of the Aggies’ four tournaments. Sedlak is second on the team in kills with 119 and has a hitting percentage of .495.

While Holmes is glad to see the type of production she’s seeing from Varney, Adams and Sedlak, she’s more enthusiastic about everyone contributing to the team.

“This is the most parity I’ve seen on a team since I’ve been here,” Holmes said. “Everyone is getting better and I want to see this continued improvement throughout the season.”

Holmes wanted to see the Aggies out-team their opponents. She wants the players on the court to fight together as a unit and for everyone to feel supported. Holmes feels UC Davis has done a good job thus far out-teaming its opponents.

“We’ve had a total team effort,” she said. “We’ve had the best bench in the gym and everyone is doing their best.”

The Aggies have played in four tournaments so far. Their first event didn’t go as planned as UC Davis lost both of its matches to Utah and Utah State.

The Aggies rebounded nicely at the Southern Methodist Doubletree Invitational, going undefeated and knocking off the host Mustangs in the final game.

UC Davis then traveled to the Hilton Garden Inn Classic in Berkeley, Calif. The Aggies swept both Seton Hall and Fresno State in straight sets, but lost to the host Golden Bears 3-0.

Arguably the Aggies’ best performance was this past weekend at the Aggie Invitational in front of their home crowd. UC Davis went 3-0, topping Portland State, Nevada and Pac-10 Conference power house Oregon State.

With the early season successes, Holmes is excited about where this team can go.

“This is a great group that’s hungry for some wins,” Holmes said. “It’s a very coachable, athletic team. It’s overall a solid program.”

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

Aggies start strong despite playing six of seven on road

Sports Editor
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Soccer is an exciting sport.

If you’ve been following the UC Davis women’s soccer team, you’d know that.

With a double overtime tie against Cal State Bakersfield, and another 3-2 overtime win against Fresno State, the women’s squad is easily one of the most thrilling teams on campus.

“I think we play an exciting style of soccer,” said coach Maryclaire Robinson.

The Aggies’ season, however, didn’t start off anywhere close to gripping. In their first and only exhibition game against St. Mary’s, the women’s squad looked flat. The Gaels outshot the Aggies, 20-7. While St. Mary’s managed seven of those shots on goal, UC Davis could not come up with one and lost 3-0.

But then the Aggies picked it up. In their first official game of the 2010 season, they traveled to Sacramento State and set the tone early with shots from Lisa Kemp and Samantha Faber. Sophomore phenomenon Allison Kelly scored her first collegiate goal – and would show in later games that her goal was no fluke.

While the Aggies’ offense shined in the first period, the second half showcased a stingy defense that withstood ten shots from the Hornets.

“There were a lot of shots from them,” Robinson said. “But they weren’t really close or really threatening.”

The Aggies stayed on the road as they took on Oregon and Oregon State in the University of Oregon Nike Tournament. Though they fell to both teams, UC Davis put up quite a show. It took late game heroics from the Ducks and the Beavers in order to seal the deal.

Against the Ducks, Kelly consistently managed to get free and take shots on Oregon’s goal, but could not get past the keeper. It was freshman Mary Beth Mazurek who scored the only Aggie goal in the 75th minute to bring the Aggies to within one. UC Davis would surrender a goal one minute later, however, to end all hopes of a comeback.

UC Davis would not let the earlier defeat hamper its performance against the Beavers. Though they were outshot 15-10, the Aggies managed three shots on frame while keeping the Beavers to two. In the end, both defenses shined, but a goal in the last two minutes from Oregon State would cause the Aggies to go winless in the tournament.

After playing five games on the road, the women’s squad came back to Davis and played host to Cal State Bakersfield. The offense looked strong. Kemp took six shots and earned an assist as one of Kelly’s five shots found the back of the net. The Aggies could not muster up a finish, however, and had to settle for a 1-1 double-overtime tie in their first home game.

Another road trip for the Aggies resulted in a 3-2 overtime win over Fresno State. It didn’t look good for the Aggies early as the Bulldogs took an early 2-0 lead. But Kelly cut the deficit in half with a goal on a penalty kick in the 42nd minute. Late game heroics from Annacy Wilson sent the game into overtime where Faber scored the winning goal.

The Aggies continued their travels and headed to Las Vegas for the UNLV Rebel Classic. UC Davis beat Akron 2-0 on goals from Kemp and Faber.

The Aggies were edged in their next match 2-1 by host UNLV. Both offenses started out strong as they were trading shots. Both squads found the back of the net before the 15th minute and the score remained the same up to halftime. A goal early in the second half would be the difference, however.

After seven games, the Aggies are 3-3-1, an impressive feat considering that six matches have been on the road. The rest of the season bodes well for UC Davis as seven of its final 11 games are at home.

Eight of their last nine games will be against conference opponents, meaning the Aggies won’t have to spend many hours on the road against conference opponents.

The Aggies will host the University of San Francisco at 5 p.m. on Friday.

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

Aggies chasing perfection in conference

Sports Editor
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Is it possible to improve on perfection?

Men’s water polo coach Steve Doten thinks so.

The UC Davis men’s water polo team chases a perfect record against teams in the Western Water Polo Association. Though they are currently 8-0 in conference play and 9-3 overall, coach Doten still knows they haven’t reached the top of their game yet.

“We’re still getting guys back from injury,” Doten said. “It’s still early. We’re trying to get our best starting six in the mix while we’re playing with different players. It’s all coming together. The guys have good fundamentals and know how to play the game.”

If the best is truly yet to come, then Aggie fans will have much to celebrate.

UC Davis lost its first game to No. 1 California 14-4. The Aggies struck first and controlled the pace of the first quarter. It was bad passing and breakdowns on defense, however, that did them in.

“Our passing was terrible and led to many easy points off of our turnovers,” Doten said. “We have got to be able to make a pass.”

The Aggies’ next six games were played in a span of three days. In that time, the defense returned to form. No team scored more than seven goals against UC Davis. In their final game at the Inland Empire Classic, the Aggies yielded only three goals.

As expected, the stingy defense created offensive opportunities. In each of the six games, the Aggies scored in double digits. Redshirt junior Aaron Salit was awarded a WWPA honor for his 18-goal performance during the weekend.

For Doten, it was important for the second unit to get some playing time as the bench is still an issue for the Aggies.

“We still need some depth, and we need to bring up the freshman,” Doten said. “We played the second-string in all of those games. It’s important to get the second string as developed as the first.”

Despite a loss to No. 4 Stanford in the NorCal Invite last weekend, the Aggies upset UC San Diego by a score of 10-7 the same day. Against their next two opponents, Santa Clara and Air Force, the Aggies only surrendered four goals. Currently, the men’s squad is ranked No. 15 in the WWPA.

“I’m glad to see us play a little bit better than against Cal,” Doten said. “It’s nice to know that our concepts work. Our speed shows a little more against some of those teams, and our starting group has been very productive. We’ve had better decision making.”

Even though the Aggies have had a good season thus far, they still have a lot of work to do if they want to reach the NCAA water polo championships. The Aggies will again take on Cal next week and Stanford in November.

“Cal and Stanford are two tough teams,” said senior Cory Lyle. “They bring a lot of intensity and experience. We proved that we could hang with the best of them. If we can stay focused for four quarters instead of just a quarter, we can win.”

“Cal relies on a lot of our mistakes to get their offense going,” said senior Carlos Martinez. “But Cal and Stanford both have a lot of trouble against our set defense. As long as we reduce our turnovers, we can be competitive. No team should feel comfortable playing us. Every game we want to make a statement, that UC Davis is still competitive.”

No. 7 Pacific, No. 8 Loyola Marymount University and No. 9 Pepperdine University also loom ahead for the Aggies.

Though UC Davis has already pulled an upset against 11th ranked UC San Diego, the Aggies can shake up the water polo community with a win against LMU, a longstanding juggernaut within the division. For the Aggies, it’s personal.

“LMU has always been the powerhouse – and now it’s our turn to avenge a loss from a few years back,” Martinez said. “A few years ago, UC Davis was expecting a win at the championship, and then was upset. We saw how crushed the seniors were, and we don’t want to happen to us. These past four years, we’ve been working as hard as we can.”

Though the team is out for a championship win and to prove something to the WWPA, they want to make sure to send a message to the Davis community.

“I want to go to NCAA championships,” Lyle said. “But we’re even hungrier to perform because of the fact that sports were cut. We want to show everybody that decision [to keep water polo] wasn’t a mistake.”

For Doten, the key step to getting there is the cliché of hard work.

“The guys have been doing a great job of bringing first-day excitement every day,” Doten said. “We’re always playing to be in the championship game. We’re still not hitting on all cylinders, but we can start soon. This team has a lot of potential.”

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

Aggies still confident despite tough losses

Sports Editor
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UC Davis has set their sights high for the 2010 season.

“We’re ultimately focused on doing well in the Big West Conference Tournament,” said coach Dwayne Shaffer. “Then making it to the NCAA tourney.”

The Aggies started their season on the worst possible note, however, when an own goal put them down 1-0 early on the road against Cal State Bakersfield.

UC Davis proceeded to concede two more goals before sophomore Lance Patterson put UC Davis on the scoreboard in the 85th minute.

Despite some late opportunities, the Aggies fell by the score of 3-1.

UC Davis returned home poised to turn things around, and they did just that against San Jose State.

The Aggies were unable to score in regulation, but some key saves by sophomore goalkeeper Tommy Siragusa kept the score level at zero and the game went to overtime.

It didn’t take long for UC Davis to break through in the extra period. John Joslin passed the ball forward to Patterson, who put the ball in the net in the 92nd minute to give the Aggies a thrilling 1-0 victory.

It did not take nearly that long for UC Davis to notch their first goal in their next match, on the road at Sacramento State.

The Aggies opened the game with a long up-field pass from senior midfielder Jason Santos. Patterson pushed the ball past the Hornets’ goalkeeper and UC Davis took a 1-0 lead in the first minute of action.

The goal also made Patterson the first Aggies to score in three straight games since Quincy Amarikwa in 2008.

Siragusa made a nice penalty save to keep UC Davis in the lead, but the Hornets dominated the possession for much of the second half, peppering the Aggie goal with shots.

Sacramento State broke the UC Davis defense in the 50th minute when a cross from Hornet Fernando Cabadas found its way into the net.

Sacramento State scored again just three minutes later and went on to defeat the Aggies 2-1.

UC Davis felt it was a game that could have gone either way.

“We started fast,” said Shaffer. “It was the quickest goal I’ve ever seen. We were focused and we had good energy, but they’re a very good team and very possession oriented. We played well enough to win, but sometimes it just isn’t your day.”

From that point the Aggies returned home to face St. Mary’s, and this time the roles were reversed, with UC Davis falling down by a goal early. Gael Tom Mohoric put the ball in the UC Davis net in the fifth minute giving St. Mary’s the early advantage.

UC Davis pressed forward, but despite posting seven shots in the first half the Aggies entered halftime trailing 1-0.

UC Davis continued to attack in the second period and the Aggies got what they were looking for in the 58th minute.

Patterson took the ball in space down the right side of the field, and played a perfect cross to fellow sophomore Michael Garrick who scored from three yards out.

The Aggies weren’t done yet.

UC Davis struck again in the 72nd minute when a corner kick from sophomore Jacob Barron bounced off several bodies in the penalty area before Joslin put it in the net.

The Aggies held the Gaels scoreless the rest of the way and won the game 2-1.

It was an important victory for UC Davis.

“That was a big win for us,” Shaffer said. “We beat an excellent team who made the NCAA tournament last year. We always play well at home and I feel that we were the better team. Our guys proved they could handle the adversity of going behind early in the game.”

The Aggies followed that game with two on the road in Oregon.

The first match pitted UC Davis against Oregon State.

Despite having the advantage in shots, UC Davis found themselves down 2-0 in the 55th minute.

The Aggies began to make a comeback when Lance Patterson scored in the 58th minute, but Oregon State responded, scoring their third just three minutes later.

Nick Grigoriev brought the Aggies within a goal when he scored in the 83rd minute, but despite having 18 shots, UC Davis lost 3-2.

The Aggies felt the game could easily have been theirs.

“I honestly thought we were the better team,” Shaffer said. “We led in shots and we had incredible chances in the final four minutes, but that’s how soccer goes.”

UC Davis finished their stint in Oregon against Seattle.

The Redhawks jumped out to an early lead on a goal in the 21st minute.

Although the Aggies once again outshot their opponent, they were unable to score, and Seattle got a 1-0 victory.

“Seattle did what they needed to do to win,” Shaffer said. “When the game didn’t go our way early you could see their confidence growing and we started to lose some of our steam.”

Despite having a record on 2-4, UC Davis feels that they are as good as any squad they’ve played.

“I don’t feel that any team we’ve faced has been better than us,” Shaffer said.

Now the Aggies must prepare for another road trip to the Pacific Northwest, this time in Washington where they will face Portland and Washington in their final two games before Big West play.

UC Davis knows that their success in these games begins with their back line.

“If we play well on defense, it will give us an opportunity to win,” said senior defender Chris Beville.

His coach agrees.

“We need to get better defensively,” Shaffer said. “We want to break our opponents’ confidence and shut them out.”

The Aggies also believe that if they stay the course things will work out.

“If we just focus and stay on the same page we’ll be fine,” Patterson said.

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

Deep Aggies look to attack from the start

Sports Editor
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It’s safe to say the Aggies are stacked.

The UC Davis men’s golf team is returning its top four players from last season. That, along with a strong recruiting class, gives coach Cy Williams reason to be excited.

“We have some very good players,” Williams said. “All of our players care and are serious about improving.”

The Aggies return Austin Graham, Tyler Raber, Andrew Hagan and Josh Granger. Despite losing Brett Booth to graduation, Williams believes the freshman class will bring some good talent to the squad.

“Our freshmen are very, very good,” he said. “They’ll fit in nicely in our lineup.”

With the 2009-2010 top four returning and a deep freshman class coming in, the Aggies are in a unique situation. Not only will the players be competing against other golfers from different teams, they will also be competing with their own teammates for a spot in the starting lineup. Williams believes this intra-squad competition is good for UC Davis.

“My goal is to have a lot more competition on the team,” Williams said. “We didn’t have real depth on the team last year and it hurt us overall. This year we do have that depth so the players will be competing all the time in practice. This way we will get better.”

Williams feels that by having the players battle for starting positions not only at tournaments but also at practice, the Aggies will improve.

“Each player needs to be committed to eliminating mistakes,” Williams said. “Everyone needs to find their weak area and improve upon it.”

Williams has a pretty straightforward goal for the Aggies this year – he wants the team to win the Big West Conference and qualify for the NCAA championships.

“I have no doubt we can accomplish those goals,” he said. “It’s all up to our players. If they can play and prepare the right way, we can win our conference.”

Williams’ goals aren’t just based on results, though. He also wants to see improvement.

“Our short term goal is to get better after every tournament and for everyone to improve after every weekend,” Williams said.

The Aggies play 10 tournaments over a span of seven and a half months, so the schedule is really spread out. Williams, however, doesn’t think it will be a problem.

“We put together a great schedule where every tournament is against amazing golfers on amazing courses,” Williams said. “Our players need to be ready and stay ready or they’ll get their butts’ kicked.”

Williams even said that with the quality of tournaments the Aggies will compete in, they don’t really have to practice because of the consistent tough competition they will face.

The Aggies’ began their season on Monday at the Husky Invitational hosted by Washington.

After the 2008 team qualifying for the NCAA regionals, Williams wouldn’t go so far as to say this year’s squad is one of the most talented teams he’s coached. He did say, however, this team is one of the deepest he’s seen in his 16-year tenure.

“Much more of the team is competing for a starting slot,” he said. “If someone is slumping, I’m confident one of the guys on the bench can step up.”

With depth and a strong schedule, Williams’ feels this year can be special.

“Time will tell how good this team can be,” he said. “We won’t know until we actually play. This team has a lot of talent and its up to them to prove how good they are.”

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

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