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Summer Attack! concert series gets teen bands out of the garage

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

August 16, 2010

The second annual Davis Art Center Summer Attack! teen concert series, sponsored by Acme Theatre Company and KDVS 90.3 FM, comes to a close on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The third and final concert in the series, which only features local high school-age bands, will be held at the Davis Art Center’s indoor stage with tickets available for $5.

Concerts were held on June 26 and July 24 and featured a total of three bands and two solo acts. Alternative/punk bands Autopsy Drive and Spiral Skies are scheduled to perform on Saturday.

Davis Art Center publicity assistant and event organizer Melanie Glover said she wanted to provide teen musicians with the opportunity to play their own songs in front of their peers as opposed to only playing in school bands.

“Last year I heard about kids in high school that would play at each other’s houses in their garages. I thought it would be nice to give them another venue,” Glover said. “It’s not a competition setting here in the Davis Art Center. This event gives them the opportunity to play their original music on a nice stage in a calm atmosphere.”

Da Vinci High School junior Polo Hedriana plays bass guitar for Autopsy Drive. He thinks this show is a nice change of pace when it comes to location.

“It’s encouraging to have a place to play in Davis because it’s in our hometown,” Hedriana said. “We’ve done past shows in Sacramento and the Orangevale area, but our friends and family can easily make it to this one.”

Like many of the past and present performers, Autopsy Drive has a hard time pinpointing their music to just one particular genre.

“I would describe our music as the heavier, darker side of pop-punk music,” Hedriana said. “We had started out covering Blink 182 songs, but our original music got heavier as we got older.”

Hedriana and two friends began performing Green Day songs in their fifth grade music class but didn’t begin officially playing as a band until sixth grade at one band member’s 12th birthday party.

Five years later, Autopsy Drive is still together and still going strong.

“We want to make this more than just a high school band,” Hedriana said. “I hope that in the next coming year we can play more shows, have a full-length CD out, gain more exposure and get better not only instrument-wise but in all aspects of our lives.”

Alternative rock band Spiral Skies is also looking forward to Saturday’s concert. Aaron Hill, Da Vinci High School senior who sings and plays the bass guitar, said that their band began in class and their goal is to keep the group together.

“This concert gives us the chance to be a part of the local music scene,” Hill said. “As for the future of the band, I just want us to remain friends and go to college. Keeping in contact would be an achievement.”

They have fun recording songs like “Crash”, which incorporates a little bit more of their overall general influence.

“It’s truly an organic jam,” Hill said. “It was created equally from everyone in the band.”

Eluminati played in the June 26 Summer Attack! concert and were spotted by KDVS. Now the band is recording an album with their help. Davis High School junior Matthias Wilken plays bass and does vocals for the band.

“This concert was a way for us to show the public who we are,” Wilken said. “I’m most looking forward to recording this CD and getting it out there, doing more gigs and getting more rep. Hopefully we’ll stay together through high school and college, make more CDs and make it big.”

Davis High School junior Melissa Ferris strummed her acoustic guitar in the July 24 concert. She describes her music as pop folk acoustic and it all started when she began taking guitar lessons two years ago.

“I decided to learn on my own after the lessons ended and I began writing my own songs,” Ferris said. “It was really cool to play at the concert with Downhill From Here since the audience was mainly friends and family. It was really relaxed and it was my first paid gig.”

Funds earned through ticket sales will be divided evenly between the Davis Art Center and the participating musicians who work hard to record their CDs, write their songs or simply stay together.

Melanie Glover is optimistic and excited about the audience turnout. She encourages local college students to attend.

“College students are often surprised at high school kids’ talents,” Glover said. “They’ll enjoy themselves.”

LEA MURILLO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

A familiar face

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

August 16, 2010

With each stroke, mold, flash or cut of linoleum, each piece of artwork on display in the current exhibition at The John Natsoulas Art Gallery is driven by creative minds empowering the art world through pure inspiration, history and activism.

Perhaps, in part, rare photographs of the recognized Mexican painter Frida Kahlo are what draw in spectators through the welcoming doors and neon signs of the gallery. But, speaking to John Natsoulas, founder and curator of the current exhibition at The John Natsoulas Art Gallery, his enthusiasm and passionate tenor prove that there is much more depth, history and passion behind Frida’s muse alone. It is the face behind the camera and each powerful incision driven into wood block-it is the inspiring hands and works of Emmy Lou Packard.

Through personal and professional associations with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Packard established an entity that was unique and unlike most artists of her time. Working under the wing of Rivera himself, Packard collaborated on many murals, such as the 1,606-square-foot fresco at the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco.

“Emmy Lou laid it down and got really aggressive,” Natsoulas said. “There weren’t a lot of women that were standing up for themselves during that time period. She could take a man on intellectually and verbally because she was a really eloquent speaker and oriented toward working. She did a lot of mosaics and murals on her own.”

Packard lived a long life rooted in political and environmental activism. She fought hard to create art that was driven by that same passion and aspiration to inspire change in a struggling world. Visible through her famous woodcut print entitled “Strawberry Pickers” and linoleum block print entitled “Sprout Picker” currently on display at the gallery, Packard fought for human rights and social equality by often depicting Agrarian farm workers in a fixed-hunched position picking crops under the blazing sun.

Walking through the John Natsoulas Gallery, unique and unusual editions of Packard’s and Rivera’s works reveal themselves. Behind a framed glass cover, what seems to be a torn and crumbled piece of rice paper with sketches is actually an original preliminary sketch and conceptualization for one of Rivera’s murals. In addition, Packard’s preliminary sketch entitled “sketch of dog” is especially interesting. These are the intermediate pieces that the audience rarely gets to see.

Down to her final days at the Hillhaven Convalescent Hospital in San Francisco, Packard left a lasting impact on Natsoulas, who personally knew Packard and would regularly visit to converse about her arduous journey of art and activism.

Upon agreement with Natsoulas, Packard would only exhibit her work following her death in 1998. Now, over a decade later, the public can experience Packard’s work in person. Packard’s artwork and legacy impacted Natsoulas on a strong and powerful stroke of inspiration.

“She changed me,” Natsoulas said. “She taught me to be more open to everyone.”

In addition to Packard’s artwork, illustrations and paintings by Robert and Maxon Crumb will be featured on the first floor of the gallery.

Notable for the new wave underground film about the life of Robert Crumb and his brothers entitled “Crumb,” the Crumb Brothers have made street art and comic illustrations accessible to the public.

The works of the Crumb Brothers envelop a completely different kind of aesthetic – visually and stylistically. The Crumb brothers utilize illustrations to take on a satirical view of society and the mainstream culture.

Admirable in his meticulous attention to details with ink on paper, Robert Crumb contributed to many underground comics, as well as well-known comics distributors such as Zap Comix and Mad Magazine. He also coined the phrase “keep on truckin’ ” in one of his one-page comics in 1968.

“This is a unique experience,” Natsoulas said. “Instead of going down, to say, the comics book store Bizarro World in downtown Davis and look at the comics there, students can see Robert Crumb’s illustrations up close and personal here.”

However, Maxon Crumb, who currently lives in the Bay Area and has remained relatively lesser known, has a painting currently on display at the gallery entitled “Reading the Cosmic Wheel.” The oil on canvas piece embraces much of the stylistic feelings of the Crumb Brothers but in a very different context. It is a piece that has multiple layers and fascinates the eyes for its visual aesthetics and different medium.

“The exhibition right now is a very unique one,” said Lexy Van Dyke, publicity director of the John Natsoulas Art Gallery. “I’m from the area and you don’t really get these chances very often to see these kinds of things-it’s like experiencing the context of art history up close and personal.”

In addition to these two exhibitions, visitors can also check out Arthur Gonazález’s exhibition entitled “The Art of Rejection” and charcoal drawings by Annie Murphy-Robinson. For more information, visit natsoulas.com.

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

Emmy Lou Packard: Works on Paper, and Photographs of Frida Kahlo; Robert and Maxon Crumb

Where: The John Natsoulas Art Gallery on 1st street

Exhibition Dates: July 7 – August 28

Open to the public, free

Women’s Soccer Preview

Sports

Sports Editor

August 9, 2010

Teams: UC Davis at Saint Mary’s

Records: Aggies 0-0; Gaels 0-0

Where: Saint Mary’s Stadium – Moraga, Calif.

When: Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Who to watch: Due to the departure of last year’s Big West scoring leader Rochelle VanBuskirk, the Aggies are going to have to find different ways to score. So far, coach Maryclaire Robinson is relying heavily on junior Rachel Kahn and senor Samantha Faber to provide key leadership.

“Rachel Kahn sets a good example,” Robinson said. “She’s a small, feisty player and does a great job of leading the team.”

Though the native of Danville, Calif. has shown impressive leadership in the past, midfielder Faber will also be integral to the Aggies’ performance throughout the year.

“I want to know if we can connect from the backfield to the midfield and midfield forward,” Robinson said.

Did you know? Though the Aggies’ home opener is nearly a month away, this exhibition game represents a homecoming to Faber. The midfielder played her high school ball at Campolindo High School, just two miles away from the St Mary’s campus.

Preview: Summer camp often evokes images of canoes, rope swings and singing by the campfire.

However, for the UC Davis women’s soccer team, camp means running, drills, training, sweat and hard work.

“We think of our training regimen as one big soccer camp,” Robinson said. “The athletes don’t have any academic concerns right now. If you love playing soccer, it’s pretty great.”

In training camp, coaches and assistants are working on opening up their season in the same fashion as last year, where the Aggies took a four game winning streak into mid-September. In one five-game stretch last season, UC Davis scored 20 goals. Only five other teams in the nation topped this feat last year.

Coaches are also working to ensure the Aggies finish strong this season. In 2009, the women’s soccer team went through an offensive slump by scoring only eight goals in their last 12 games. UC Davis also came out on the wrong end of many close games and tough losses.

“We were on the short end of a lot of 1-0 games,” Robinson said. “I think we are a hungry team. Now, we’re blessed with tremendous leadership and a lot of young legs.”

Over the summer, 10 athletes have committed to play soccer for UC Davis. Standing in the way of their first win is Saint Mary’s, a team that scraped out a win over the Aggies in two overtimes.

Because this is the Aggies’ first game of the season, Robinson is using this game to find the right set of players for UC Davis down the road.

“I’m going to try some personnel in different places this game and see how they respond,” Robinson said. “I’m really just trying to get some minutes and experience for the team in this game.”

– Matt Wang

Invention leads to faster and cheaper HIV testing

Science & Technology

Science Editor

August 9, 2010

According to a 2006 Centers for Disease Control report on HIV prevalence, more than a million people live with HIV in the United States. One in every five Americans with HIV is unaware of having the infection.

A group of UC researchers has developed a new HIV blood test that requires less blood, less time and less expensive equipment.

UC Davis biomedical engineer professor Alexander Revzin and his Davis team recently collaborated with UCLA professor Aydogan Ozcan to develop the new “lab on a chip” device.

Currently, an accurate diagnosis of HIV requires measuring the presence of inflammatory proteins – called cytokines – and two types of white blood cells – called T-cells. Scientists then monitor the ratio between the two different T-cells. Revzin’s new device detects these levels in seconds using antibodies specific to the T-cells affected by the HIV virus and the three types of cytokines they release.

The old method requires expensive, heavy machines and many highly trained specialists. The new “lab on a chip” device returns results six to 12 time faster and tests six parameters simultaneously. The newly developed microfluidic test could make HIV testing more affordable and accessible in areas where HIV is most prevalent.

Judy Van de Water, a researcher at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, worked alongside Revzin on this project. Van de Water identified the test’s need for only a finger-prick versus a vial of blood as a major benefit.

“You now have this whole platform you can use to tailor to whatever you want to study, and you can use a very small amount of blood to do so.”

Researchers hope that the new technology can help in parts of the world that don’t have easy access to traditional HIV testing methods.

“Point-of-care HIV testing is more beneficial to sub-Saharan Africa than it is to Davis. However, the concept of testing multiple [diseases] from blood using an inexpensive technology is important for non-AIDS applications relevant in the U.S.,” Revzin said.

The team uses a special imaging technique that eliminates the need for lenses and mechanical scanning in HIV testing, allowing scientists to rapidly image and count the T-cell numbers.

“Instead of detecting the image of the cell, you essentially detect their shadows – light waves can penetrate through the cells and create structured shadows that have texture to them,” Ozcan said.

“You can treat the shadow of the cells as the fingerprint and can construct the image of the cell as if you were looking through a microscope.”

Without the need for lenses, the method is not just potentially 12 times faster, but also eliminates the cost of instruments like microscopes.

“By replacing the conventional microscope with lens-free imaging, we get rid of those lenses and replace them with computer codes which can process that image,” Ozcan said. “It’s a way to cut down on the cost and size and put together a platform that would normally replace a bulky instrument.”

In addition to cost, size and time, Revzin believes this test is more thorough in its analysis compared to other HIV testing.

“What sets our technology apart is that we aim to query multiple blood-based markers at the point of care. Our device would be more informative in terms of a patient’s condition compared to what other researchers are developing,” Revzin said.

Revzin hopes future tests using this technology could help detect diseases like autism and cancer.

“The Davis community may not benefit directly from inexpensive HIV testing, however, the same principle or device can be applied for other diseases requiring immune analysis,” he said.

CAMMIE ROLLE can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Study: Chemical in cocoa is good for the heart

Science & Technology

Science Editor

August 9, 2010

Back in the 1500s, chocolate wasn’t the stuff of Hershey’s, it was medicine. The Spanish colonists believed cocoa drinks could cure ailments from dirty teeth to excessive flatulence. But the Spanish also claimed cocoa could help with heart problems – and they were right.

A recent study that included UC Davis researchers shows that flavanols, found in cocoa, can dramatically lower blood pressure and heal damaged arteries. This improvement may be due to an increase in special cells in blood that help repair the endothelium – a.k.a. the inner lining of blood vessels.

The research, a collaboration between UC Davis, UC San Francisco, the Heinrich Heine University in Germany and candy company Mars Inc., measured the heart health of 16 patients with cardiovascular disease. The patients were randomly assigned high-flavanol and low-flavanol cocoa drinks for 30 days each. The low-flavanol drink served as the control and tasted exactly like the experimental drink.

After consuming the flavanol-rich drinks, the patients showed a 47 percent increase in endothelium function.

“If you have a high intake of flavanols, you have a low risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Hagen Schroeter, a researcher at UC Davis and director of food research in health and nutrition for Mars Inc.

But chocoholics shouldn’t rejoice just yet. Schroeter said the study is in its early days, and future research is needed to better understand the results. The scientists need to figure out why those special endothelium-repairing cells kick-in after flavanol consumption.

“We are still not sure if the improvement is due to new cells or better circulation of existing cells,” said Carl Keen, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at UC Davis.

Cocoa by itself is high in flavanols, but we don’t get those flavanols unadulterated. The chocolate in ice cream and candy bars mixes cocoa with unhealthy amounts of sugar and milk powder.

“Chocolate is not the answer,” Schroeter said.

The best way to maintain a flavanol-rich diet is to eat a diverse range of food. Grapes, tea, and apple-skins are all good sources, Keen said. Both researchers stressed that consuming flavanols doesn’t make up for other unhealthy behaviors – don’t think cocoa will balance out smoking or not exercising.

Though more research is required before flavanols are understood in the medical community, many traditional healers continue to believe in the power of cocoa. Louis Grivetti, professor emeritus in the department of nutrition at UC Davis and co-author of the book Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage, has studied how modern cultures view cocoa.

“Traditional peoples through most of Central America still use chocolate for its presumed healing or healthful properties,” Grivetti said.

Grivetti said he has interviewed Mixtec Native Americans living in Madera, California, and found that in Mixtec culture, chocolate has spiritual power. He said families would give their children chocolate with breakfast to keep them safe during the day.

“Sometimes they used chocolate as a talisman,” Grivetti said.

As the field of nutritional medicine tackles the science behind flavanols, some wise claims about cocoa don’t require rigorous study.

“Eat chocolate because it tastes good,” Grivetti said.

MADELINE MCCURRY-SCHMIDT can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

August 9, 2010

THURSDAY

Meat Lab Sale

1 to 5:30 p.m.

Cole C Facility

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

Fire University

9 p.m. to midnight

E St. Plaza

Learn how to fire-dance with the local fire-dancing community for free.

FRIDAY

Meat Lab Sale

1 to 5:30 p.m.

Cole C Facility

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

SATURDAY

Arboretum Guided Tour: An Oak Oasis

10 a.m.

Arboretum Gazebo, Garrod Drive

Check out the new Oak Discovery Trail on a guided tour and learn about oak ecology and the importance of oaks in human culture.

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.

Yolo County suspends decision on KDVS tower

City News

City Editor

August 9, 2010

The decision to construct a 365-foot radio tower on a Yolo County landfill has been put on hold after a 3-2 vote by the county’s Board of Supervisors last Tuesday.

Discussion of the project started in May when the Santa Rosa-based Results Radio and student-run UC Davis’ KDVS won a unanimous vote by the Yolo County Planning Commission to build the tower.

However, following the Planning Commission’s approval, Conaway Preservation Group filed an appeal claiming that the tower was a threat to millions of bird species in the area.

Both sides met on Tuesday in a public hearing to discuss whether or not to uphold the appeal.

During the hearing, Tovey Glezantanner, a spokesperson for the Conaway Preservation Group, said that the tower would increase the potential for “bird strikes”, as well affect the migratory path of birds along the Pacific Flyway, a route throughout California’s Central Valley.

The local Sierra Club, Tuleyome and California Waterfowl are alongside Conaway in opposition of the tower.

Paul Neiberg, president of the Sierra Club, said in a letter to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors that their “major concern is the real potential for significant bird kills as a result of the tower at this location.”

Results Radio attorney David Temblador opposed the claims, proposing that the impact would be far less than the allegations by Conaway and requested that the board deny the appeal.

An appeal would give Conaway an extra 30 days to study the projects effect on migratory bird species.

“The board felt that more time was necessary,” said Neil Ruud, general manager of KDVS. “I think that ultimately all interests are best vested in this tower.”

Many said that the six-week extension would not produce any additional information.

Chair Helen Thomson was in opposition of the appeal and voted against it. Supervisor Matt Rexroad joined her, ending in a 3-2 vote.

“We’ve been trying to relocate our tower to a new location for about a decade now,” Ruud said.

The tower would increase KDVS listenership from 200,000 to 500,000 on their current 90.3 frequency.

The board will meet again on Sept. 14 to review the case.

KAREN SONG can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Police Briefs

City News

City Editor

August 9, 2010

THURSDAY

Two birds, one stone

A female was trying to enter her neighbor’s side gate while urinating on herself on I street.

Likes: shanking, drug dealing

A subject received a print out of her daughter’s Facebook account and believed it might be gang related on F Street.

FRIDAY

Fruit flies

Subjects were jumping on a fig tree and knocking down fruit on Anderson Road.

Fashion police

Three males were walking around wearing all black on Moore Boulevard.

SATURDAY

Compliments of Captain Morgan

A subject requested advice as to if he can use a “signal cannon” for a pirate themed family reunion on Los Robles Street.

Contact “Hi”

Subjects answered the door and released a cloud of marijuana smoke on J Street.

BECKY PETERSON can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Yolo County libraries receive thousands of dollars

City News

City Editor

August 9, 2010

Libraries in Yolo County have been awarded $28,890 in funds through the Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA). The funds were allocated by the California State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services during the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

“We’re trying a few new things this year,” said Yolo County Head Librarian Patty Wong, who has been librarian for the county since January of 2008. “We’re hoping to build stronger relationships between parents, children and the library system.”

Wong says the California State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services chose to give these funds to “help try out new programs. If they don’t work out just the way we planned the financial loss is minimal.”

The goal of the LSTA funds is to stimulate multicultural projects and advance access to libraries across Yolo County. Grants and funds received have been divided up among five programs.

California’s Family Place Library Program received $15,000. This will be divided between 13 public libraries in California to help build and establish facilities for infants and toddlers, with items such as toys and interactive games.

California was the first state to spearhead this kind of family-oriented facility in the library system. This will give parents and one-on-one opportunity to listen to a presentation on the purposes and strategies of the new learning facilities.

$5,000 is going toward the California of the Past Digital Storytelling Program. Through this, Yolo County residents have access to technology allowing them to record multicultural and intergenerational stories relating to California.

“This has made living in Yolo County so much richer,” Wong said.

$500 went to the Díia del los Niños/Díia del los Libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book), a program established to enhance multiculturalism while teaching non-English speaking residents fundamentals of the English language. Published children’s author and UC Davis Professor Francisco Alarcon teamed up with children’s author Christina Gonzalez to present a bilingual reading for young children and their parents as a part of the First 5 Yolo program.

Jennefer Morressey-Myatt received $3,390 as a scholarship. Morressey-Myatt is a library worker and will use the award to fund a Masters degree at the San Jose States School of Library and Information Science.

Finally, a $5,000 Eureka! Leadership Grant was awarded to help train new and established library workers in new business theories and strategies. The new “Floating Collection”, for example, will allow books to linger and “float” around Yolo County, rather than being strictly available exclusively at one library.

“This will help enrich the collection by blending our collections together,” Wong said.

BRENDON MUSTACIOLA can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

UC president creates group to address issues of campus climate and inclusion

Campus News

Campus Editor

August 9, 2010

On June 16, UC President Mark Yudof named the 17 members that will comprise his UC Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion, the group tasked with determining effective methods for maintaining tolerance and inclusiveness across the UC system.

Formed after acts of racial, religious and cultural discrimination shook several UC campuses, the council draws on the experience and varied perspectives of student, faculty and administrative representatives from the 10 campuses.

Members also include: Alice A. Huffman, president of the California NAACP, Uri D Herscher, president and CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center, Henry Der, senior program officer of the Four Freedoms Fund, Imam Jihad Turk, director of religious affairs for the Islamic Center of Southern California and Shannon Price Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The group, chaired by Yudof, will seek to identify “promising practices” from national and state universities conducive to preserving and strengthening diversity and equal opportunity for campus communities, according to a June press release.

“This council will bring us experience and reasonvoices that will help enrich our campus climate so that every single member of the UC community feels welcome, comfortable and safe,” said Yudof in the press release.

While appointed members will serve a three-year term, slated to end June 30, 2013, student members will serve until their graduation and will subsequently be replaced. The Council first met on June 30 and plans to coordinate their efforts with local Campus Climate Councils.

Teenie Matlock, associate professor of cognitive science and UC Merced affiliated member, said she felt the commitment of her fellow council members in addressing the challenges toward tolerance in light of the recent incidents.

While she expects the three-year effort will take time to coordinate and identify appropriate approaches to the issues, Matlock hopes that open communication will facilitate progress.

“We should ensure that all students feel included and feel their voices are heard,” Matlock said. “And that they’re valued regardless of color, race, sexual orientation or gender.”

The Advisory Council’s next meeting will occur in late October at The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

LESLIE TSAN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

High school students play swashbuckling heroes in The Three Musketeers

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

August 9, 2010

In a darkened Davis theater, an audience watches as colorful characters engage in sword fighting, comedy and adventure. No, it’s not another Pirates of the Caribbean movie – it’s a stage production of The Three Musketeers.

Adapted from Alexander Dumas’s original swashbuckling tale, the play by Ken Ludwig features an all-teen cast from the Acme Theater Company. The show’s final performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Theater with special Pre-Show Royal Quest activities for children at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students.

The Three Musketeers is Acme Theater Company’s 103rd major production since the company’s inception in 1981. The company is a self-sustaining community theater group based in Davis for young artists. High school-aged artists learn various acting and technical skills and are presented with the opportunity to produce their own play. They are organized and run by a small group of adult mentors, many of whom are alumni of the program themselves.

Today, after 30 years in operation, more than 3,000 young people in Davis and Yolo County have participated in Acme productions. The company presents three to four productions each year, drawing from the best dramatic literature from around the world. Acme has concentrated on presenting plays with themes relevant to the community, the nation and the world.

“Ken Ludwig is a great comedic playwright,” said artistic director Emily Henderson. “He’s done a lot of great work and has managed to condense Dumas’s huge book into two hours of pure awesomeness.”

Henderson, herself an alumna of the program, was an English teacher at the local high school before joining as the adult mentor two years ago.

“It’s a large cast so getting everyone here at the same time is hard,” said stage manager Rachel Klassen. “It’s even harder to get everyone on the same page. But at the end of the day it’s worth it because we get to put out an amazing show.”

Full of intrigue, swordplay and revenge, “The Three Musketeers” is the story of d’Artagnan (played by Matt Gibson), a young nobleman who travels to Paris in hopes of joining the Musketeers, a group of swashbuckling adventurers who serve King Louis XIII (Zach Salk). His wit and fighting ability make d’Artagnan a welcome addition to their ranks, and together the four young men work to foil the King’s evil rival.

“It’s a very action packed adaptation. It moves along from one dramatic moment to the next quickly,” Henderson said. “At the same time it’s very family friendly which is fun. Everyone, from the age of seven to 70, seems to enjoy it.”

The adaptation also introduces a new character, Sabine, d’Artagnan’s younger, tomboyish sister who quickly gets wrapped up in the spirit of adventure along with the rest of the Musketeers.

“Playing Sabine has been a challenge but also a lot of fun,” said high school senior Gigi Gilbert-Igelsrud. “It’s a great opportunity because she’s not in the original play. I spend a lot of time on stage trying to convince the audience to like me and I think they will end up pleasantly surprised.”

The play also boasts more than 19 different sword fights. For the various fight scenes, Henderson invited a professional choreographer from New York to help out with the complex movements.

Many of the actors cite the sword fighting as their favorite part of the whole production process.

Henderson, on the other hand, specifically enjoys the Musketeers’ comical entrance to the stage.

“It’s a challenging play,” Henderson said. “There are many locations, the costume pieces are big and there are many, many, many props. It’s very visual and entertaining. For our 30th anniversary we were really looking to finish with a bang, and this play definitely was it.”

“Anyone and everyone should come see the show,” Gilbert-Igelsrud said. “It’s extremely funny to watch and really exciting too.”

To reserve tickets, contact Acme’s house manager by e-mailing tickets@acmetheatre.net. All other tickets can be picked up at the Veterans Memorial Theatre, 203 East 14th Street in Davis. Tickets are $14 general, $10 for students and seniors and $5 for children 12 and under.

ANASTASIA ZHURAVLEVA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Best books to dive into over summer

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

August 9, 2010

After a long, hard school year of reading hundreds of textbook pages, lecture notes and classic literature, there’s something luxurious about relaxing with a book of your own choosing on a hot summer day. Check out some of these fiction and non-fiction titles, recommended for college students by literary experts and students who love to read.

Fiction

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy, a disciple of both Faulkner and Melville, uncovers the horrific events that took place during the tough and deadly border disputes between Texas and Mexico in the 19th century. UC Davis English professor Matthew Stratton said, “Sleeping too well at night? Wondering whether good guys really wore white hats in the old West? Curious how to make gunpowder using your own urine? Here’s your novel.”

Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker

Readers are invited into the humdrum life of suburbanites, who ask and expect more than just the ordinary, in this collection of short stories. “[It’s] bitter, hilarious, unexpectedly contemporary, page-turning short stories from one of the famous American literary voices of the early 20th century,” Stratton said.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Larsson’s worldwide bestseller is a mystery novel centered around the disappearance of a young Swedish girl 40 years ago and an uncle who refuses to discover the truth. This thrilling tale engages with issues that have come about in the new millennium and weaves them into a story that stretches into two sequels. “At first it’s totally overwhelming, but almost immediately it grabs you and it’s not just because it’s scary – the writing is amazing,” said Lilly Fried, a student at California Lutheran University.

If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Holmes

The book spans four days in the life of an African American who just returned from World War II and is forced to endure a racist world. Although it takes place nearly 60 years ago, Stratton said it is, “Classic, troubling stuff.”

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

Kristin Lavransdatter is a window into the culturally rich 14th-century Norway, delving into its political, cultural and social corners. “If it’s very long, romantic, medieval, beach reading you want, you can’t do better than one of the great historical novels of the 20th-century: this account of a woman’s life in 14th-century Norway by a Norwegian Nobel Prize winner,” Stratton said.

Non-Fiction

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This summer’s hit movie was originally a hit memoir. Gilbert takes you on her journey to find happiness again through a wondrous exploration of Italy, India and Bali. By studying three different cultures and aspects of life, she realizes what she wants out of life for herself, with the help of a lot of humor and delicious food along the way. Rowena Murray, a student at UC Santa Barbara, said, “The way she writes is so entertaining. Gilbert is just so honest, and there’s no way you can’t relate to what she’s saying.”

Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman

This collection of articles takes a close look at the soundbites of the media and what they’re really telling us. Goodman explores the world of politics through media and how issues are “handled” inadequately. “It’s a great chance to hear an uncommon-sense perspective that will never, ever be invited to appear on ‘Meet the Press,’ ” Stratton said.

Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth

In this self-help novel, a person’s relationship with food is regarded as a mirror to their relationships with people. Roth explores the dangerous issues associated with overeating, undereating and what in life motivates our eating patterns. Chris Klein, manager at Barnes and Noble in Westlake Village, Calif. said, “It is a very engaging and honest look into weight problems from someone who’s really been there.”

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Foster takes you into the slightly incessant minds of college professors and how they approach the literary classics. This insightful guide gives helpful tips on how to find deeper meaning from your readings, how to distinguish important themes and simply how to enjoy reading in general. “It is one of the most helpful and useful things for college students to understand how to read properly. This book does a great job of getting that across and inspiring you along the way,” Klein said.

Ordeal By Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party by George R. Stewart

This chilling look at the tragic events suffered by the Donner Party in 1846 incorporates diary entries from survivors and historical documents. Serra Netzley, a Barnes and Noble employee, said the book “is haunting, but irresistible. The story is thrilling and I cannot put it down.”

BRITTANY PEARLMAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

UC Davis alumna nominated to California Supreme Court

Features

Features Editor

August 9, 2010

Even the Terminator realizes the power of the Aggies.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated UC Davis graduate Tani Cantil-Sakauye as the next chief justice of the California Supreme Court.

Cantil-Sakauye currently serves as an associate judge for the Third District Court of Appeals in Sacramento. If approved by voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, Cantil-Sakauye would be the first Asian American California Supreme Court chief justice.

“It is a privilege and a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to serve as chief justice of the California Supreme Court. Being nominated to serve on the highest court in California is a dream come true,” Cantil-Sakauye said in a press release. “As a jurist, woman and a Filipina, I am extremely grateful for the trust Gov. Schwarzenegger has placed in me. I hope to show young people what they can achieve if they follow their dreams and reach for their full potential.”

The position in the Supreme Court became available after current Chief Justice Ronald George announced that he will retire on Jan. 2, 2011.

Cantil-Sakauye’s interest in the judicial system began with her undergraduate degree at Davis. She received a bachelor of arts in rhetoric from UC Davis in 1980 and a Juris Doctorate degree from the UC Davis School of Law in 1984.

Law School Dean Kevin Johnson said Cantil-Sakauye would make an excellent choice for chief justice.

“She has 20 years of judicial experience under her belt, and at the same time she has the kind of administrative experience with the California court system that will allow her to be an advocate for courts and to work with courts to make sure they are able to fulfill the needs of the residents of the state of California,” Johnson said.

Law professor Rex Perschbacher remembers Cantil-Sakauye as an impressive member of the very first class he taught at the law school in 1981.

“She was a hardworking, bright student,” he said. “She was young even in her class and didn’t have the depth of background other students did, but she had a great interest in law and thought law was an opportunity for her to play a role in the world, to help people looking for equality in the United States.”

After graduating from law school, Cantil-Sakauye worked as a deputy district attorney for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and as a deputy legal affairs secretary for the office of former Gov. George Deukmejian. She then served as a judge for the Sacramento County Municipal Court and the Sacramento County Superior Court.

Vikram Amar, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law, said Cantil-Sakauye’s history-making appointment will be inspiring for the Asian American community.

“I think she’ll be a symbol of what’s possible. Just as the chief justice has a special role amongst the court, the chief justice also has the special role of being the ambassador of the court for the outside world,” Amar said. “So for Asian American children and law students and lawyers, it’s affirming to know that someone with their kind of life story has reached the highest level.”

Cantil-Sakauye is a Republican, though Perschbacher said she will not be a polarizing figure.

“She will be a moderate influence on the court,” he said. “There’s a big administrative job involved – she is responsible for the entire California judiciary. There, her skills will be valuable: she can work with lots of people, she’s open-minded and a good listener.”

Cantil-Sakauye has also been an active supporter of the King Hall Outreach Program (KHOP) at the UC Davis School of Law by delivering speeches and judging student work. KHOP is designed to prepare socio-economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students for the school’s admissions process.

Johnson said that Cantil-Sakauye’s nomination proves the growing reputation and achievement of the UC Davis Law School’s graduates.

“I think many people around here are feeling this nomination is an indication that the law school is coming of age. We’re about 40 years old, we have our first alumna about to be chief justice of the California Supreme Court, and more and more of our alumni are assuming leadership roles in the state,” he said. “I think people are looking at this appointment as an indication that we are really coming into our own.”

Gov. Schwarzenegger is confident that Cantil-Sakauye understands the role of a justice and will be a tremendous asset to the court.

“Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is a living example of the American Dream,” Schwarzenegger said in a press release. “When she is confirmed by the voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become California’s first Filipina chief justice; adding to our High Court’s already rich diversity.”

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

Unitrans introduces revamped schedule to students, Davis riders

Campus News

Campus Editor

August 9, 2010

Last Monday Unitrans launched their new schedule for the 2010-2011 academic year, including a number of key changes, such as regular Sunday service for the first time ever.

The schedule also added service on the A line, a bus frequented by students needing to get to and from the Amtrak station. This new “A-Limited” will operate during regular service and run between the Silo and downtown Davis, providing more frequent service for the inner portion of the A Line.

These schedule adjustments follow a year of record ridership for Unitrans, explained General Manager Geoff Straw.

“Last year we had the greatest number of riders in a year, reaching a little above 3.5 million, and on some lines we were averaging 70.8 riders per hour,” Straw said.

As a result, many bus lines, particularly the A and J lines, became impacted, requiring Unitrans to send extra busses to prevent delays.

However, the new schedule aims to relieve some of this pressure. With the increased frequency for the A and J lines, as well as minor changes to the timing of the H, L and P lines, Unitrans hopes to minimize crowded rides.

“There would be days where every single seat was taken by the second or third stop, and the rest of the ride would just be a flow of people trying to find a standing spot,” said Michael Bianchi, a recently resigned Unitrans bus driver. “Additional lines will really help spread out the number of riders per bus.”

According to Straw, these new services by Unitrans are being funded through a joint partnership between ASUCD and the city of Davis.

“We had been planning this increase in service for quite some time now,” said Straw. “We took the responsible step of funding it before we dived in.”

For this reason, UC Davis undergraduates will continue to ride free by simply showing their registration cards, and bus fares will remain the same price for everyone else: $1 per ride, $6 for a 10-ride ticket or $25 for a monthly pass.

Unitrans has also purchased 35 new buses through both Federal and State grants, two of which are brand-new double-deckers. This has resulted in the average bus age dropping from 11 years in 2004 to 3 years in 2010.

In addition to the service and bus upgrades, Unitrans has begun expanding its role in the delivery of real-time public transit information system through Nextbus. The Nextbus system, which is also used by San Francisco Municipal Railway and Delaware Resort Transit, combines Global Positioning System (GPS) data with predictive software that gives every passenger, either through the Internet or at the stop, arrival times for the next few vehicles.

Junior Jenn Lee, who regularly commutes to Davis via Amtrak, always dreaded the task of finding a way to campus from the station. She recently began using Nextbus and has found it to be a helpful tool.

“Every time I rode Amtrak I would always be frantically trying to find a friend to give me a ride to class, I even had to call a cab a couple of times,” Lee said. “Now I just text Nextbus and I know exactly when the bus will be pulling up to the station.”

EHSUN FORGHANY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Charges dropped for student protester accused of battery of UCDPD officer

Campus News

Campus Editor

August 9, 2010

This past Friday charges were dropped against student protester Brienna Holmes for allegedly ‘resisting arrest’ and ‘battering’ Captain Joyce Souza of the UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD). The incident occurred during the protests against fee increases and budget cuts that resulted in the occupation of Mrak Hall last November.

The 12 members of the Yolo County jury gathered on July 26 to deliberate the two misdemeanor counts against Holmes. They reached a 10-2 vote for acquittal on the ‘battery’ charge, but deadlocked 6-6 on the ‘resisting arrest’ charge.

Following the jury impasse, the case was declared a mistrial and a new date was set with the presumption of a retrial. On August 6 the District Attorney’s (DA) office decided against re-filing the case and all charges against Holmes were dropped.

Many student protesters expressed concern about the possibility of a retrial of Holmes’ case, which they believed would be unnecessary and uncalled for. In an attempt to address the administration’s role in the conflict, students wrote a letter seeking support to since-retired Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Janet Gong.

Brian Sparks, senior international relations major and protest organizer, participated in the petition of the administration for support.

“We wrote the letter in order to make a public statement: we don’t want Bri to be charged anymore,” Sparks said. “[The case] should never have come this far.”

Stewart Katz, Holmes’ attorney, expressed doubt regarding the possibility of further prosecution attempts after the jury’s inability to reach a unanimous verdict.

“I don’t think she will be convicted even if they try it 10 times, and she shouldn’t be,” Katz said.

Katz insisted that Holmes’ behavior did not match the accusations that have been made against her.

“She was not trying to get arrested,” he said. “It’s not a situation where someone says ‘I’m going to commit an act of civil disobedience’, and then says ‘Gee wiz, I didn’t want to face the consequences’. She was lawfully attending a demonstration.”

Katz instead believes that the high emotion and tension between the police officers and the students is what gave rise to the conflict.

UCDPD Chief Annette Spicuzza called the situation “an unfortunate incident,” but affirmed that the decision to seek charges against Holmes was determined solely by the DA’s office and was not influenced by the UCDPD.

Assistant Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven also expressed discontent over the Holmes case, specifically the mistrial.

“We were disappointed with the outcome of the last trial but certainly respect the jury’s decision,” Raven said.

While some students argued that Holmes should not have to face a retrial after a jury deadlock, Raven instead contended that a hung jury meant the case required further deliberation.

“The fact that six jurors felt beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Holmes violated the law indicates that members of the community have some strong feelings about this case,” he said.

Some members of the community have expressed strong feelings about the situation, but are more concerned with the nature of the problem, rather than the case itself.

Edward Wildanger, a graduate student who was also arrested at last year’s Mrak Hall occupation but whose charges were suspended, asserts that the 32 percent tuition increase, which the students were protesting, have resulted in a multitude of problems including downsizing, layoffs and lower quality education.

“People will pay more money for worse education,” Wildanger said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

NOURA KHOURY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

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