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Track dominates on Picnic Day

Sports

Sports Editor

April 19, 2010

The air was electric as fans watched the Aggies host the Woody Wilson Classic Saturday. In the last home event of the season, they did not disappoint.

“Our seniors realized that it’s their last day on their home track,” said women’s coach Deanne Vochatzer. “All their families came. A lot of alums came to see the new Aggies run too. That brought out our best.”

Both the men and women’s track and field teams combined to post wins in 15 events and to break nearly 30 season-records.

This performance is even better when considering that the Aggies have been in a slump recently. Last week, men’s coach Jon Vochatzer mentioned that the Aggies were still waiting for someone to take charge. This week, they stepped up to the plate.

“We didn’t get things done last week in Arizona,” Vochatzer said. “We did today. It was excellent because they rose to the occasion.”

In their last appearance at home, the Aggie seniors made their impact early and often.

Senior Kyle Suarez took first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:16.22.

Seniors Matt Roberts and Ben Johnson also came up big. Roberts had a strong performance in the javelin as he posted a distance of 191-feet, 2 inches.

Johnson, running the 800-meter race for the first time in two years, took second with a time of 1:54.26.

UC Davis again showcased its talent in the hurdles as Nolan Frazier took the top spot in 400 at 54.01 and Polly Gnepa finished first in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.90.

“Polly Gnepa did a great job in the hurdles.” Vochatzer said. “He ran in the mid 14 seconds last week and comes back with a 13.90. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God!'”

The women were also buoyed by their seniors.

Kristin Arkin, who finished at 4:38.39, led a 1-2 finish in the 1500 and barely beat out teammate Abigail Gallaher.

In addition, Stephanie Eckels took first in the triple jump as she leapt to 39-5.25.

Though the seniors dominated, it was a sophomore by the name of Lauren Wallace who highlighted the women’s performance. She placed first in the 800 with a new career-best time of 2:11.00.

“This is her first year of running the 800,” Deanne Vochatzer said. “It was another breakthrough performance.”

Also of note is the throwers’ rebound from past performances.

“Today, nearly all our throwers broke personal records,” Vochatzer said. “The coaches were astonished and wondered where that came from.”

Competing as an unattached entry, Chid Onyewueny led a one-two finish in shot put. Onyewuenyi and Ashley Hearn finished with distances of 48-8.75 and 40-10.5 respectively.

Hearn also took the second spot in the discus throw, posting a distance of 146-7.

“Hearn threw really well today,” Deanne Vochatzer said. “She throws well in practice, and she’s learning how to do that in big meets, too.”

Having proven their talent and ability, the Aggies hope to showcase themselves in the looming Big West Conference and NCAA Championships.

“We always need to improve,” Deanne Vochatzer said, “Still, I am really happy with where the team is at.”

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

Column: Youth on course

Sports

Sports Editor

April 19, 2010

Jamey Wright has a law background, not a science one.

That doesn’t stop the 27-year coach from using biological terms to draw a parallel to his 18th-ranked women’s water polo team.

He calls the group an organism that’s still developing and a squad with a good young nucleus.

This is why Wright says he’s having a great time this season even though the team hasn’t won as many games as in previous years.

“Some people might think it’s been a disappointing season but it really hasn’t been,” Wright said. “[It’s about] watching that whole dynamic and how those people progress and find their way when more is expected of them than was last year.”

Heading into the season, the Aggies redshirted two of their more productive players from last year. As a result, they knew a lot of young players were going to get substantial minutes this season and with that, gain a good amount of experience.

“With a young team, there’s so much to learn,” said Casey Hines, senior goaltender and co-captain. “Young players have the talent. They just need the experience. Every game is another experience.”

Conventional wisdom says most teams might be better off with an experienced, seasoned roster. However, it’s this impressive mix of youth and talent that may prove to be more beneficial to the Aggies than if the roster was full of upperclassmen.

This is part due to two main reasons: First, a young team will always get better.

“Since we have such a young team, it’s really nice because every weekend I feel like we’re improving,” Hines said.

Wright mirrors his veteran goalie’s belief.

“The advantage of having a younger team is it’s going to improve at a faster rate,” he said. “A freshman with more concentrated work, especially with other good players and the amount of time you spend in college, is going to jump up at a faster rate than a senior.”

Second, a young team has nothing to lose.

“If there is some team you’re worried about in your conference, [the younger players] don’t know about it because they’re new,” Wright said. “They’re not intimidated by anything. They don’t know any better.”

It’s this type of outlook that has Wright excited as his team heads into the Big West Conference Tournament beginning Friday in Long Beach, Calif.

Wright’s anticipation for the conference championship, though, may be due more to the fact that the Big West is so even this year.

“Nobody is dramatically better,” Wright said. “For the most part, our conference is very balanced and it’s going to make for an exciting championship.”

While UC Davis is 1-4 in Big West action, the Aggies have played nine games against conference opponents. From what Wright has seen so far with the Aggies going 3-6 in those contests doesn’t leave the coach overly certain of his team’s chances.

He does say, however, that with the potential the Aggies have, there’s no telling how far they could go this weekend.

“I’m certainly not overly confident for conference,” Wright said. “But when I step back and try to be objective, I wouldn’t want to play us in the first game wherever we’re seeded. Whoever the other team is, is going to be like, ‘this is a difficult team to get by.'”

This is because despite UC Davis’ moderate record and close conference losses, the team is hitting its peak in the final week of the season, which is when it matters most.

“I feel like we’re getting there,” Wright said. “I think we’re peaking at the right time. I feel like they’re understanding their roles and they know what’s expected of them.”

Wright said he would love to win the Big West title this year. In fact, he gives his team just as good of a shot as last year’s squad that entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed.

However, according to Wright’s measure of a successful season, the Aggies have already accomplished a lot regardless of how they finish the season.

“I try to judge it by are we better players?'” Wright said. “Have we learned what we needed to learn? If you’ve done that, then you’ve succeeded.”

MAX ROSENBLUM wants to know how he’s doing this year. Drop him a line at sports@theaggie.org to let him know.

Column: Drink up, get down

Opinion

Opinion

April 19, 2010

I had a lot of fun on Picnic Day – or so my friends tell me.

Aside from working in the morning, the last concrete thing I remember about Saturday is getting picked up by my boyfriend and roommates. As I got in the car, my roommate Belle shoved a UC Davis water bottle in my face and said, “It’s booze. Drink.”

It would be torture for me to try to remember specifics. Sure, I might’ve taken a shot or two. I may or may not have roamed campus high out of my mind, tripping out on all the little kids and wiener dogs. And although I can’t promise I didn’t do anything illegal, I can wholeheartedly say that I enjoyed myself.

But after a long day of general substance-induced debauchery, the greatest gift one could treat him or herself to is sex. That’s right, honeybees – drunk sex.

Now, before I go on, here’s a disclaimer: Be smart. Fellas, that means using a condom. Ladies (or other fellas), that means telling him to use one. Condition yourselves to strap one on before you get started, no matter how much of a mess you are. If you’re conscious enough to get some, you’re conscious enough to stay safe. Use a rubber. (Trust me, the morning after will be a tad less remorseful when you realize you were at least well armored.)

That being said, drunk sex is amazing. I tend to feel a completely different sense of liberation. Usually, my boyfriend Arthur and I have to keep quiet while we’re going at it – we’re considerate of our roommates. But when we’re drunk, there’s no censor. No self-restraint. Drunk sex is all lust and no fear.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. Belle admits that before she and her boyfriend have sex, she sometimes wishes she could help herself to a shot or three.

“It just loosens me up,” she said. “I’m usually not the one to initiate things, but after a few drinks, I’m like, ‘Hey daddy, let’s play!'”

I, too, get a little ballsy when I’m drunk. Normally, I like being a tease. I like letting my guy enjoy a small sneak peek before the main event. But after a few Cosmos, I just go for it – and leave nothing to the imagination.

I also find drunk sex to be rather progressive. You’re more willing to try new things, you’re more receptive to the sensations and you don’t hold shit back. Just as a precaution, though: This could heighten the morning-after awkwardness. I’d hate to wake up to something like, “Oh, hey … do you remember slapping my face and calling me a ‘kinky binky boo’ last night? That was hot.”

But really, you’d be surprised as to how creative you can get when you’re drunkenly fornicating – or maybe you just think you’re being creative. Alcohol tends to mess with our judgment. In any case, your previously undiscovered flexibility or newfound gymnast-like agility will astonish you. I still amaze myself when I think about this one time in particular. How the hell did I get my leg to bend like that?

Drunk sex on Picnic Day was especially memorable for me – the proverbial cherry on top of a hot mess sundae, if you will.

I couldn’t have asked for a steamiery, more passionate night. Although my memory of the experience is still a bit hazy, I think it’s safe to say it was intense. I bet I put the moves of any top-notch porn star to shame that night. I was hot.

Then again, I’m not too reliable a source – I was drunk, for Gaga’s sake! If Arthur and I were in front of an audience, I wouldn’t deny a resemblance to two horny trout flopping around on each other.

MARIO LUGO is just glad he survived Picnic Day. If you see him today, be aware that he’s still recovering. So don’t talk too loud or move too fast around him – you’ll hurt his head. Share your survival stories with him at mlugo@ucdavis.edu.

Fashion show fills Freeborn Hall

Features

Features Editor

April 19, 2010

A crowd of roughly 1,000 people filled Freeborn Hall on Saturday as students of the Runway Designers Club presented Warped, the annual Picnic Day fashion show.

The sold-out show, just one of the many campus events that day, featured the collections of 22 students from the design program who created their work for class assignments, as well as 17 single-garment designers.

Those who wished to view the show faced looping ticket lines. At around 2 p.m. the lights dimmed, the music started and the crowd went silent.

“There were more students than usual, so that was a good thing,” said Tim McNeil, chair of the design program at UC Davis. “I’ve seen past shows, but nearly every collection that I saw being shown was [at] a very high standard.”

Zoe Fujii designed and created the first of the signature collections, titled “Flower Punk.” Her project began with sketching at the end of summer, working on the garments until they were shown the day of, even sewing models into their dresses back stage.

“There’s always a lot of last minute stuff that has to be done,” said Fujii, a junior design major. “Back stage was really exciting. I couldn’t really watch my models go down the runway, because we’re not allowed to peek, but hearing the music and hearing everybody cheer – all of the hard work was worth it. It was a really great feeling.”

Fujii’s collection featured recycled album covers and fabrics digitally printed on the Mimaki printer, a feature of the design program unique to UC Davis.

Liz Murray, whose collection “Tactile Hues” came toward the middle of the show, created her own materials as well. Murray presented colorful crocheted vests and jackets on models covered head to toe in white.

“A lot of it was built from raw materials. Two pieces of mine started with yarn completely,” Murray said. “It was cool. I liked starting with nothing there and adding color and form to it.”

Though Murray said she was self-taught with many of the elements used in her collection, it was the open structure of the class that enabled her success.

“A lot of what was fun and challenging about the collections class is it was an independent study,” Murray said. “It was an independent exploration and I got to challenge myself and figure it out alone.”

McNeil said he was impressed by the creativity.

“The design program is unique in having research, creative and technical parts to it. [The fashion show is] a good snapshot of the design program in that sense,” McNeil said.

“Pretty sophisticated collections come from undergraduates that are forces to be reckoned with. It’s a chance for us to show some of the high degree work that happens in the design program in a very public way.”

Fujii said members of the audience seemed to agree.

“I was hearing this mostly from my family and friends, but everything has been really positive. It was nice to get that type of exposure and feedback to know that people appreciate what you’ve been working on,” Fujii said.

Collections will be shown in San Francisco later in the quarter. But for many participants, the event had lasting effects.

“I wasn’t expecting to figure out so much about myself. And I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with my pieces the way I did,” Murray said. “After this experience, I will definitely explore [fashion design]. I want to keep learning and I want to keep making.”

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

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

April 19, 2010

TODAY

Project Compost

6 p.m.

43 Memorial Union

Attend the Project Compost volunteer meetings and learn how you can help them divert organic waste around campus.

Southeast Asian Graduation Meeting

6 to 7 p.m.

South Hall Conference Room

Join a passionate group of students working to celebrate the achievements of graduating Southeast Asian students through an intimate cultural ceremony for the Southeast Asian community.

TUESDAY

ASUCD Sustainable Style Clothes Exchange

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Quad

The EPPC Commission presents a clothes exchange for Earth Week!

WEDNESDAY

ASUCD Paint-A-Pot and Sustainable Eating

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Quad

Paint a pot with the EPPC Commission for Earth Week.

THURSDAY

ASUCD Club Fair

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Quad

Join the EPPC Commission for a club fair for Earth Week!

Evening with Eric Stille of Nugget Markets

6 p.m.

1302 Gallagher

Listen to CEO and President of Nugget Markets, Eric Stille talk about his company and skills of being a CEO.

ASUCD Movie Screening: The Cove

7 p.m.

194 Chemistry

Watch The Cove with the EPPC Commission for Earth Week.

Flatmancrooked Poets Reading

8 p.m.

John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 First St.

The Poetry Night Reading Series presents a reading from the Sacramento publishing house Flatmancrooked.

FRIDAY

ASUCD Green Partying

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Quad

Find out more information about green partying with the EPPC Commission for Earth Week.

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.

District Attorney office faces $2 million in proposed cuts

City News

City Editor

April 19, 2010

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is faced with a proposed budget cut from the County Board of Supervisors of approximately $2 million from a $12 million budget.

The office has been able to voluntarily come up with $1.3 million out of the $2 million target by eliminating all discretionary programs, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig said in an e-mail interview.

“[We] adamantly oppose any further cuts,” Reisig said, adding that the remaining $700,000 could only be obtained if the Board of Supervisors votes to lay off prosecutors.

If prosecutors are laid off, the department would no longer be able to prosecute many crimes in Yolo County, including theft, vandalism and fighting.

Third district Supervisor Matt Rexroad said that he has not yet taken an official stance on the proposed cuts, and the board has to look at the budget in its entirety before making any decisions. It is inevitable that many cuts to public services will be made before the final budget is completed, impacting nearly every Yolo County resident, he said.

The county is facing the proposed cuts in several areas because of a struggling state economy where there has been a reduction in sales and property tax revenue which helps fund county projects, Rexroad said.

“We can zero in on public safety and prosecuting crimes, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that we’re not going to be doing other things, where the consequences are a little more indirect,” he said, citing programs such as tuberculosis control and road repairs.

Fourth district Supervisor Jim Provenza said the cuts currently on the table are a preliminary list, but at the very worst they could mean that most misdemeanor crimes will go unprosecuted.

“If we were to cut all of them, I think that would be a disaster for public safety,” he said.

Provenza said that the county has certain “fundamental” obligations, including public safety, health and mental health. The county may have to make larger cuts in other areas in case cuts across the board severely affect these obligations.

“In the end I think we will have a budget that will protect the citizens and is fair to the citizens,” Provenza said.

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Department, while unable to speculate on specific cuts, expressed caution over cuts to prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.

“A large portion of the work we do is misdemeanor crimes, so I believe that not having the ability to prosecute those crimes would have a negative effect on the county justice system,” said Captain Rich Williams.

Meanwhile, the District Attorney emphatically made clear that he and his department opposes any further cuts because of the effect on the people of Yolo County.

“Government’s top priority is to protect our citizenry. A vote to further cut the DA’s budget in this situation would endanger our communities and be a disservice to the people of Yolo County,” Reisig said.

CHINTAN DESAI can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Greeks clean downtown Davis after Picnic Day

City News

City Editor

April 19, 2010

Picnic Day 2010 may have come and gone, but the cups, cans, fliers, candy wrappers and other remnants of the day stuck around until cleanup efforts came to the rescue.

This year, the Greek community revived an old tradition and did their part to help with the post-Picnic Day mess in the downtown area. Davis Collegiate Panhellenic Association and the Davis Interfraternity Council teamed up on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. to pick up trash in Central Park and the nearby area.

Greek Life Assistant and political science senior Trevor Taylor said in the 1940s and ’50s, the Greek community participated in a post-Picnic Day clean up, but the tradition died off over the years. This year’s fraternities and sororities brought about 75 students to help with the clean-up effort.

“Greeks are pinned with the negative aspects of Picnic Day,” Taylor said. “We wanted a way to attack head-on [that] belief. We want to get out to the community and show we are just as much members of the community as anyone else is. We have responsibility to take care of the place we live in.”

SASHA LEKACH can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

ASUCD Senate Briefs

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 19, 2010

ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the April 15 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room.

Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

Jack Zwald, ASUCD president, present, left early

Previn Witana, ASUCD vice president, present

Abrham Castillo-Ruiz, ASCUD senator, present

Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD senator, present

Alison Tanner, ASUCD senator, present

Andre Lee, ASUCD president, present

Bree Rombi, ASUCD senator, pro tempore, present

Don Ho, ASUCD senator, arrived late

Joel Juarez, ASUCD senator, present

Levi Menovske, ASUCD senator, arrived late

Liz Walz, ASUCD senator, present

Osahon Ekhator, ASUCD senator, arrived at 9:21 p.m.

Ozzy Arce, ASUCD senator, present

Selisa Romero, ASUCD senator, present

Presentations

Lee and members from the Outreach Assembly presented their strategies for involving first-year students in ASUCD.

Consideration of old legislation

Senate Bill 53, a bill to allocate funds to students in the sustainable agriculture program to attend a conference about modern day slavery occurring in Florida was vetoed by Zwald. The senate voted to override the veto, but the vote to override failed with a 7-5 vote.

Senate Bill 52, authored by Sergio Cano, to include procedures of how to elect ASUCD senate representatives for Unit Relocation and Space Allocation Committee, passed unanimously.

Public Discussion

In the discussion of the senate bill vetoed by Zwald, senators and the public debated what legal precedents would be set after the veto, how the students in Florida would be in debt if the veto was not overridden and if the bill was an educational opportunity that applied to the greater student body.

Walz requested that all members at the table follow the senate meeting rules, mentioning Sarah Raridon, chair of the Gender and Sexuality Commission, repeatedly leaving during the meeting. Raridon responded that she would do whatever was necessary for her to function best at the table.

Public Announcements

Menovske discussed the status of his goals to establish a collection of rental books at the bookstore and of the meetings underway to make that happen.

Meeting adjourned at 11:10 p.m.

AKSHAYA RAMANUJAM compiles the senate briefs. She can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC Davis Athletics cuts four sports to tackle budget problems

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 19, 2010

UC Davis decided to close four intercollegiate sports teams in trying to address an existing $1.4 million budget deficit and an additional $2.4 million fiscal hole for 2009 to 2010.

Athletics officials announced last Friday that they will discontinue women’s rowing, men’s wrestling, men’s indoor track and men’s swimming and diving by July 1. The cuts will affect 73 female student athletes and 80 male student athletes.

For Dustin Luchini, a swimmer who transferred from UC Irvine after its swim team was cut, the closure is painfully familiar.

“I’m just really disappointed the athletic department has done this,” said Luchini, a junior economics major. “When I first heard of us getting cut, I kind of sat there and stared into space. Later on, I just broke down in tears.”

Officials promised the athletes that their scholarships would still be funded and that they would still be eligible to transfer to other universities.

UC Davis will retain 23 sports in its athletic program, with 14 women’s and nine men’s teams.

Although Athletics Director Greg Warzecka said the plan minimized the impact on the number of intercollegiate sports and student athletes, he believed it was still a painful choice.

“Unfortunately it hurts student athletes,” said Warzecka, who e-mailed all student athletes and affected coaches on Friday morning. “It hurts coaches; it hurts this campus. It is a difficult time and an emotional time, and this department’s hurt.”

The Intercollegiate Athletics Senior Management Group projects $2.9 million in savings over three years as a result of the decision. And during the press conference, Warzecka said the department would save up to $5 million over five years.

Warzecka also said discontinuing these four sports was the best way to both stabilize the ICA budget and comply with Title IX, the federal law that requires gender equality in access to college athletics.

Student athletes gathered outside the press conference and chanted “Save our sports!” and “Here we go Aggies, here we go” in protest of the announcement.

The decision’s emotional toll on student athletes is evident.

“It’s going to be very different next year in the athletic department, at Hickey Gym, in the weight room, at practice,” said Shawdee Rouhafza, a junior communications major and member of the women’s tennis team. “A lot of our friends are leaving. It’s horrible.”

“It was a huge emotional hardship for me and for all the sports” Luchini said. “It’s almost on par with losing a family member, it hurts.”

In August of last year, UC Irvine reduced its number of intercollegiate sports to 18 after it discontinued men and women’s swimming and diving, men and women’s rowing, and sailing, citing the challenge of state budget cuts.

Student athletes said they will continue to voice opposition against the decision. Members of the women’s rowing team, for example, have sent e-mails to state representatives urging them to do what they can to save the program.

“We’re talking to people at the capitol,” Rouhafza said. “We’re definitely going to keep fighting it and try to see how we can hopefully if not keep these sports at least make sure administration feels very responsible for their actions.”

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

UC Provost Lawrence Pitts to visit campus tomorrow

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 19, 2010

One of UC’s most influential officials will visit campus on Tuesday, giving staff and students an opportunity to air their grievances amidst recent cuts to athletics and other campus programs.

UC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lawrence H. Pitts will address UC Davis students and staff at an open forum on Tuesday at the ARC Ballroom. His visit is part of a UC-wide tour in which Pitts will appear at each campus hoping to better understand the issues and needs of the various UC communities.

“Since we have almost no students or faculty at [the Office of the President], I welcome the chance to talk directly with campus groups to get their thoughts and suggestions about how to help the University move forward during these difficult budgetary times,” Pitts said in an e-mail interview.

As Provost, Pitts currently serves as the highest-ranking academic officer in the UC system, earning an annual salary of $350,000, though the UC furlough system has temporarily reduced his pay to $315,000. He is responsible for systemwide academic affairs, which entails setting academic policies for student admission, retention, graduation and developing academic priorities as well as long-range plans to maintain UC’s position as a leading public research institution.

Some campus community members expressed skepticism towards the intentions behind Pitts’ visit.

“Shared governance in the university is a sham,” said Dr. Jerold Theis, professor in the department of medical microbiology and immunology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and vocal critic of the UC administration. “All the power lies within the administration, the Academic Senate can only recommend. All substantive recommendations by the Academic Senate on the [UC Davis] campus in at least the last five years have been ignored by the administrative officers.”

Theis, who said he will not attend the forum, does not see anything extraordinary about Pitts’ visit.

“It is in Pitts’ own best interest to maintain the status quo, that is why his forum will offer placations and vague promises,” Theis said. “Looking to any of the sitting officers for substantive change is useless. What this place needs is a high colonic irrigation.”

Darcy Ward, a fourth year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major who organized last Wednesday’s demonstration in response to athletic cuts, expressed frustration after UC Davis’ decision to eliminate four athletic teams, including the women’s rowing team, of which she is a member.

“At the time of the protest, we were frustrated with the athletic department’s closed door policy making,” Ward said, noting that administrators claimed the decisions surrounding athletic cuts were too complex to be understood by student and coaches.

“These administrators are supposed to be mentors, people we can look up to as role models, for advice and guidance, and yet they are telling us we are too stupid to know what is going on,” Ward added.

Ward plans to attend Tuesday’s student forum, hoping for any sign of some transparency in the UC system.

On Tuesday, Pitts may be faced with many other students upset over the recent athletic cuts.

Though he has only held the official title of Provost since the regents’ last meeting, Pitts served as the interim Provost beginning in February 2009. At the regent’s meeting in late March, UC President Mark Yudof recommended Pitts’ permanent appointment to the position, a decision the board agreed with.

“Larry is an accomplished academic leader, and a passionate and able advocate for UC and higher public education generally,” Yudof said in a public statement.

Tuesday’s event begins with a staff open forum from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. followed by a student open forum from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Pitts will meet with the Academic Federation from 2 to 3 p.m., and the Academic Senate from 3 to 4 p.m.

Pitts acknowledged the increasing burden budget cuts have placed on UC students.

“The stresses on students, including huge increases in fees and reduced class offerings in some cases, should not be part of the student experience,” he said.

Pitts also responded to the recent UC student protests.

“I believe the student demonstrations have actually helped the public understand how much trouble public higher education is in,” he said. “I wish students didn’t have to demonstrate, but I understand why they feel they must.”

In addition to meeting with students, staff and faculty, Pitts will meet separately with the UC Davis vice chancellors, deans and the Academic Senate’s Executive Council.

MEGAN MURPHY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Vetoed senate bill leaves five students with inadequate funding

Campus News

Campus Editor

April 19, 2010

Despite initial approval from ASUCD senate and a vote to override ASUCD President Jack Zwald’s veto, an override to pass Senate Bill 53 – a bill now evoking controversy and dialogue – failed with a 7-5 vote.

If passed, the bill would have allocated $580 from Senate Reserves to five UC Davis students to help pay for airfare to attend last weekend’s Farmworker Freedom March in Florida.

Without the $580 allocation from ASUCD, students who attended the three-day march will be responsible for covering additional expenses themselves.

Last Thursday, Zwald vetoed the bill with an accompanying letter stating that he did not feel the Senate members “fully understood the ramifications” of it. His letter argued that passing Senate Bill 53 would set a precedent for all bills that are fiscally sound and legal to be passed, even if ASUCD disagreed with its motive.

“It’s important to note that other senate bills like this have been passed before,” said Abrham Castillo-Ruiz, co-author of Senate Bill 53. Ruiz referred to a senate bill passed last school year which allocated funds for postage to help send supplies to UC Davis alumni serving in Iraq.

ASUCD has $12,000 in senate reserves each year to allocate to students who address ASUCD with their financial needs. So far, there is roughly $10,000 unused senate reserves. If the money is not used, it will be moved to capital reserves, a reserve intended to fund only projects that will last two or more years.

“We exhausted all avenues of fundraising before going to ASUCD,” said Liz Fitzgerald, Village Harvest Davis team leader and Freedom Farmworker March attendee. The students financed the trip with the help of a contribution from UCD Sodexo.

UCD students representing Students for Sustainable Agriculture, MEChA de UC Davis and the Tri Co-op participated in the Coalition of Immokalee Worker’s (CIW) Farmworker Freedom March. The 22-mile march from Lakeland to Tampa, Florida protested Publix, Florida’s largest super market chain, which protesters feel has failed to adopt the principles for the Campaign for Fair Food.

“I felt we had a responsibility to support CIW at such a big event,” said Castillo-Ruiz.

The CIW rallies to help farm workers earn an additional $0.01 per pound of tomatoes picked.

Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King and Subway have all adopted the CIW’s principles, and nationwide food service providers are to follow suit.

The one cent per pound increase could help workers earn 40 to 70 percent more, said Philip Martin, UC Davis professor of agricultural and resource economics in an interview with the Associated Press.

Sodexo, a multinational corporation that supplies food services and facilities management at UC Davis, has committed to paying farm workers an additional $0.01 per pound of tomatoes and to purchasing from producers who meet the code of conduct.

Sodexo is currently deliberating with CIW to determine the best method of payment to ensure the $0.01 raise reaches farm workers directly, said Brenan Connolly, general manager of resident dining.

UC Davis Sodexo purchases 1 percent of its tomatoes from Florida, buying the remainder from California and from Mexico in the off-season.

Connolly and UC Davis Sodexo will team up with Fitzgerald this spring to bring awareness of farm workers’ conditions to campus dining halls.

GABRIELLE GROW can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

An interview with Passion Pit’s Nate Donmoyer and Ian Hultquist

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

April 19, 2010

Just hours before they hit the big stage last Wednesday, Passion Pit drummer Nate Donmoyer and keyboardist and guitarist Ian Hultquist sat with the Aggie on the blue benches outside Freeborn Hall. Passion Pit, whose music has exploded in the electronica, indie pop and alternative dance music scenes, played a sold out concert in Freeborn Hall that night, presented by the ASUCD Entertainment Council. Despite their relative success, it appeared that these were just two completely normal guys ready to have a good time doing what they love.

According to some sources, ‘Passion Pit’ refers to “drive-in theatres because of its privacy and romantic allure to teenagers.” Do you agree? What’s the significance of the band’s name?

Nate: Sure, that’s a nice way to put it. [laughs]

Ian: There’s not much significance behind it. It’s really just kind of like a word that you just like the sound of; the alliteration and syllables are pretty easy to remember. And I guess we really like the whole story about the drive-in theatres, too.

Nate: We also get confused a lot with an adult film of the same name. My grandpa was like, ‘I Googled your band’s name the other day and you wouldn’t want to know what I saw.’

Ian: Yup, that was us, grandpa.

How did the band get started?

Ian: It all started as a half-joking thing between Mike [Angelakos, Passion Pit’s lead singer] and his girlfriend. He was writing songs just for fun. The band started because I saw one of his shows that he did by himself where he was singing along to backup tracks and walking around on stage. The songs were good but it was just kind of lame. [laughs] So, we had already known each other and played music with each other before. And he said we should try doing songs as a full band, and learn how to play keyboards and add other instruments.

Was it difficult to find musicians for the different instruments in the band?

Ian: Yeah it was hard, because we’re all guitar players. So we had to figure how to use synths and play keyboard well – which are things we’re still working on a lot. It took us a year or so to get the right players that everyone was comfortable with; like Nate and Jeff [Apruzzese, Passion Pit’s bassist] joined in June and August of 2008. We had been together for a year and did some shows, but we didn’t really start touring until they joined the band.

How does it feel to play at venues such as Freeborn Hall where the demographic is predominately a focused college-town?

Nate: They’re some of my favorite shows. The last one we did was at Penn State – a town that is nothing but the school. And we did another show in Oregon – in Eugene. They’re all college kids and they’re all having a good college time, with plenty of drinking and dancing. It makes for a fun and livelier crowd. I mean, we’re only a few years out of college so we love having these kinds of crowds at our shows.

Any favorite song to perform on stage?

Nate: Mine is “Let Your Love Grow Tall” because it’s the fastest song, and it’s closest to a punk beat that’s just really fun.

Ian: I like “Little Secrets.” I do a guitar solo at the end. Always good. [laughs]

Any signature dance moves you guys do on stage?

Nate: I don’t really get to do anything on stage; I’m kind of stuck behind the drums.

Ian: Jeff does some weird dance moves, which I don’t really approve of [laughs]. Mike has some kind of footwork he does. Ayad [Al Adhamy – Passion Pit’s keyboardist] does the wiggle and I just kind of nod.

Nate: Jeff has the most interesting moves I think. He’s a funny guy.

Some electronica or indie bands sometimes prefer to stay small and low-key. How do you feel about that?

Ian: It’s crazy, and kind of scary. It’s like whoa, people are listening-better watch out.

Nate: I don’t get those bands that say they want to stay small. I mean, how do you eat? If you want to keep doing this, you want to be successful. Or when a fan chooses to like a band for that reason, then they don’t really like the music; they like the social circles. I guess there would be some people would say that we’ve sold out since we’re playing in bigger venues or put our music in commercials, but that has nothing to do with the actual music itself or being a fan. But I totally know what they mean though, like when you’ve discovered something on your own before it blows up and you see everyone loving it, you’re like “aw, man!” But really, you should still like the band and the actual music.

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

Column: The art of dining solo

Opinion

Opinion

April 16, 2010

One is a lonely number. You can’t talk on the phone to yourself. You can’t play tennis without an opponent. You can’t even walk the dog without a dog.

It takes at least two to have fun in most activities. The only things you could really do alone are play Pokémon Soul Silver on your Nintendo DS or read manga in a dark corner of the room.

Eating is no exception to the lonely number rule. If you go to a restaurant alone, the setting tends to magnify that you are, indeed, alone. At least at the movie theater, you can hide in the dark, behind your large popcorn.

I get a slightly guilty feeling every time I’m at a restaurant with family or friends when I see some lonesome person eating by his or herself. In my mind, there must be some complex reason as to why they’re alone. I mean, the poor soul can’t even find a person to eat with them for 20 minutes?

It’s especially awful in the beginning – during the pre-table sitting. The restaurant hostess will ask how many people are in the party. The response is a blank stare. This stare is then returned by another blank stare from the hostess. (It’s as if she can’t see for herself that there’s no one with them.)

There’s that slight pause and silence after the hostess’ question. Then comes the uttering of those difficult words: “Just me.” It’s hard to say when you’re trying to avoid the all too-difficult truth.

The other day, I was that poor soul who dined alone off campus, except I had the relief provided by self-seating. Another relief: the bar/counter. There is no seating option more comfortable than a bar stool when you’re by yourself. It avoids the awkward situation of having an empty seat in front of you, as if the emptiness is literally taunting you right in your face.

Once you actually get a seat, there’s the dilemma about what to do with yourself, because it’s not like you can talk to who’s not there.

This is where the looking-around-as-if-you-are-waiting-for-someone-to-arrive part comes in. All you have to do is glance around the room (360 degrees to make sure you’ve reached every possible corner) with a slightly anxious look on your face. In between each head movement, take quick glances at your cell-phone, but not too quick – you want to make sure the other restaurant-goers know you are “anticipating” someone.

Of course, you could also avoid head movement altogether by looking down at your BlackBerry, iPhone or any other 3G phone. Phones with access to the Internet and gaming applications provide a more genuinely enthusiastic and mentally preoccupied expression. There’s less acting required.

In the middle of all this, you’ve got to wonder what the big fuss is about. Why bother feeling so ashamed – or at least so awkward -about eating alone? The answer may just lie deep down inside with our cafeteria school days.

We can’t really get over the times in grade school where the cafeteria was the setting of daily nightmares. Nobody wants to be the kid sitting at the end of those long cafeteria benches while all the other students are grouped together on the other end. Fast-forward 10 years and the concept is the same. When you’re alone, it’s noticeable.

Meals are supposed to be a time of gathering – a time for congregating and socializing, which makes it all the more noticeable when you’re alone. Because of this, there’s the risk of being ostracized. This is why all those studies show that children should eat at least one meal per day with their families. To me, it’s because it improves their self-esteem, grades, relationships and practically every other possible positive thing.

For many children, eating around the dinner table with family is the only opportunity for them to actually interact with others and be a part of a group. This is still the same with college students – except that we often don’t bother to initiate meals together because of our varying, packed schedules.

But solo dining ultimately creates … a bunch of loners among all of us. Instead of trying NOT to be a loner as we did as kids, we are, well, bringing it upon ourselves. Besides, even if we’re all too busy to eat together or enjoy eating separately, we always have the option of eating alone in our own homes.

Next time, just get the food to go. It solves half the problem. The other half is solved if you just make the time.

TIFFANY LEW is excited for Picnic Day. Of all the things the day brings, she’s most excited for the food. That will probably never change. E-mail her at tjlew@ucdavis.edu.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

April 16, 2010

TODAY

CALPIRG’s Hunger Clean Up Bake Sale

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Quad

Buy baked goods to help raise money for a youth homeless shelter in Sacramento!

Charity Denim

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Regan Main Hall

Shop for designer designs that will be 40 to 70 percent off! All proceeds go to Cal Aggie Camp.

Arboretum Folk Music Jam Session

Noon

Wyatt Deck, Old Davis Road

Pull out your fiddles, guitars, penny whistles and flutes for an informal acoustic jam session in the Arboretum! All skill levels are welcome.

Pre-Picnic Day Cow Photos

Noon

Quad

Take photos with a cow! Well, photos with Mike, one of the Picnic Day directors wearing a cow suit.

Maroney-Bryan Distinguished Lecture

4 p.m.

1005 Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility

Listen to world-famous cardiovascular surgeon and inventor Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty lecture about medical technology and its future.

SATURDAY

Picnic Day 2010

9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On campus

Picnic Day has finally arrived! Enjoy exhibits, animal events and much, much more on campus!

“Eat and Drink for the Cure” Fundraiser

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Central Park

Eat delicious BBQ food and beer. All proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

SUNDAY

Women’s Last At Home Lacrosse Game

1 p.m.

Aggie Stadium

Watch the last home lacrosse game of the season! Support your Aggies as they take on the Oregon Ducks. Free hot dogs to all who come.

MONDAY

Project Compost

6 p.m.

43 Memorial Union

Attend the Project Compost volunteer meetings and learn how you can help them divert organic waste around campus.

Southeast Asian Graduation Meeting

6 to 7 p.m.

South Hall Conference Room

Join a passionate group of students working to celebrate the achievements of graduating Southeast Asian students through an intimate cultural ceremony for the Southeast Asian community.

Teachers and students march to save California’s future

City News

City Editor

April 16, 2010

Six core marchers organized by the California Federation of Teachers will be completing their trek from Bakersfield to the capitol in an effort to bring attention to California’s education crisis.

The march will culminate in Sacramento on April 21.

Jim Miller, a core marcher, said the way to fix the crisis is through revenue increases rather than budget cuts.

“We have one of the biggest education budgets, but we also have a large population so our per capita spending ranks far below that of other states,” Miller said.

The marchers are advocating increased taxes for higher incomes and re-establishment of commercial property taxes. According to the march’s website, re-assessing the values of non-residential real estate could raise $3 billion. Returning the very top tax brackets to 1992 levels for incomes over $250,000 and $500,000 a year could raise an additional $4-6 billion.

Core marcher and Watsonville high school teacher Jenn Laskin estimated that approximately one-fifth of the teaching staff in her district has been given pink slips.

“Public education is like the health of your country,” Laskin said. “People need to be concerned because we all live together and we need to find ways to make our world better; instead we’ve only been focusing on ways to keep it from getting worse.”

Laskin said the nurses, counselors and custodial staff were among the first to be let go. There are now seven school nurses for 19,000 students and the flu has become a huge problem because there are not enough custodians to maintain a clean environment.

One of the main things the marchers want to change is the two-thirds majority requirement for budget and revenue changes in California to a simple majority. Although some states have a two-thirds rule for either budget or revenue changes, California is the only state to require a two-thirds majority for both – a policy that often leads to gridlock.

California currently ranks 47th in per capita education spending but first in prison spending.

Director of the California Prison Moratorium Project Debbie Reyes, who participated with the march in Fresno, said many people in prison do not have a high school diploma.

“The state actually bases the number of prison buildings in an area on education levels,” Reyes said. “Right now we’re seeing a huge discord between funding for education and prisons.”

California state legislature approved a $7 billion increase in funds for prison expansion. These funds will have to be matched by individual counties to build and operate to prisons and according to Reyes hose funds are coming out of the education budget.

An English and labor studies professor at San Diego City College, Miller said he has definitely been seeing the impact of budget cuts on education.

“We’re having to shut students out of classes on a regular basis,” Miller said. “I think a lot of people in California just don’t realize the gravity of the situation.”

Reyes said education is vital in providing alternatives to incarceration and improving our lives.

“I really don’t understand why the legislators in this state don’t see that they’re eliminating our future job pool,” Reyes said.

The six core marchers started out as seven, but retired ESL teacher and former clinical social worker of 25 years Anna Graves had to drop out due to health reasons. The marchers have traveled over 350 miles since they began the march on March 5 and have attracted support around California.

Miller said one of the greatest things about the march is seeing thousands of people coming together for a common cause and bonding with his fellow marchers.

“We’re six people that have never met each other living in very close quarters,” Miller said. “We usually stay in motor homes – it’s a little like dorms on wheels.”

A detailed schedule of the march’s locations is available at fight4cafuture.com for those who wish to join the march.

JANE TEIXEIRA can be reached at city@theaggie.org. XXX

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