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Aggie Daily Calender

Features

Features Editor

March 2, 2010

TODAY

Recyclemania: Spot-A-Mug

11:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

Silo and Memorial Union

Recyclemania’s here! Carry your reusable mugs. R4 Recycling may surprise you with a free refill coupon.

Principles of Community: Living the Principles of Community

Noon to 1 p.m.

East Conference Room, Memorial Union

See a demonstration of the Office of Campus Community Relations new online class designed to assist staff and faculty in implementing the principles of community!

Career Speed Dating

4 to 6 p.m.

Freeborn Hall

Learn what it is like to work in an industry from professionalss who actually do. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to meet with over 50 professionals!

Autism Awareness Association Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

267 Olson

Interested inabout autism? Head on over to their meeting and find out!

Relay For Life Team Captains Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

126 Wellman

Want to get involved in one of the largest cancer fundraisers in the world? Find out at the last Relay For Life 2010 meeting of the quarter.

Colleges Against Cancer Trivia Night

8:15 p.m.

115 Wellman

Check out Colleges Against Cancer’s trivia night. Get free food and win prizes!

WEDNESDAY

Davis College Democrats Meeting

6 p.m.

118 Olson

The Davis College Democrats will be hosting representative and attorney general candidate Pedro Nava. Join them to learn more about his campaign to become the next attorney general of California.

Principles of Community: That’s So Bleep

7 to 9 p.m.

King Lounge, Memorial Union

Learn about the relationship between hate speech, prejudice and oppression.

Relay For Life Team Captains Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

126 Wellman

Want to get involved in one of the largest cancer fundraisers in the world? Find out at the last Relay For Life 2010 meeting of the quarter.

Student Nutrition Association Meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

106 Olson

Join them for their monthly meeting!

THURSDAY

Student California Teachers Association Meeting

Noon to 1 p.m.

174 School of Education Building

Learn how you can be a part of the student teachers association.

Biomedical Engineering Seminar

4 p.m.

1005 Genome and Biomedical Science Facility

The department of biomedical engineering is hosting Dr. Frank Yin from Washington University as he speaks on the responses of cells to mechanical stimuli.

Fashionation 2010 Charity Fashion Show

7:15 p.m.

The Davis Graduate

Join the Student Fashion Association for their charity fashion show. Doors open at 6:30!

Students for Nichiren Buddhism

8 p.m.

101 Olson

Learn about this Buddhist philosophy as they discuss issues of daily importance. This week will include discussing Gohonzon, the center of Nichiren Buddhism!

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.

Police Briefs

City News

City Editor

March 2, 2010

THURSDAY

Keeping the newspaper industry alive

Juveniles were going door-to-door selling The Davis Enterprise on Audubon Circle and Rockwell Drive.

The real college meal plan

Three subjects dined and dashed on Second Street.

Bad reception

A male was circling the block three times on Mariposa Court while on his cell phone.

Orange you glad it wasn’t a banana

Four teenagers threw an orange at a residence on Humbolt Avenue.

FRIDAY

Riding that train, high on … life

Subjects were found sitting on the train tracks and smoking marijuana on West Olive Drive.

Sleazy neighbors

A woman reported that her neighbors verbally harass her every time she goes into her backyard on Chesapeake Bay Avenue.

Exes for a reason …

Someone’s ex was yelling and breaking items in the resident’s home on Hanover Drive and was arrested.

SATURDAY

It’s “borrowing”

Someone has been using someone’s personal information to obtain loans on Blackburn Drive.

Contain your excitement

Subjects were screaming at a loud party on Seventh Street.

Don’t drink and do mechanical work

A male was trying to change his tire on Cousteau Place and Second Street, smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. He was later arrested for a DUI.

SUNDAY

Cars: the new hot spot

Four subjects were sitting inside their vehicle for 15 minutes on Robin Place.

Artistic outlet

Two juveniles were spray-painting walls on F Street.

Female empowerment

A female was hitting a male in front of a business on F Street and was arrested.

Glazed and crème-filled munchies

Four subjects stole donuts and fled in a car on Cowell Boulevard.

POLICE BRIEFS are compiled by SASHA LEKACH from the public logs of the Davis Police Department and represent the official version of what happened. View the crime blotter online at cityofdavis.org/police/log. This segment appears Tuesdays.

Older students take on college life

Features

Features Editor

March 2, 2010

While a majority of the UC Davis undergraduate population is in their late teens or early 20s, there are some students that break the age barrier. Undergraduate students in their 30s, 40s and beyond are often confused for graduate students or professors.

“Some students think that I am a professor,” said Jean-Francois Pineux, a 37-year-old junior civil engineering major. “I went to purchase a pen at the bookstore and they asked me which department I wanted to charge it to. I thought it was cute, actually.”

Pineux, and senior history majors Janice Wolverton, 46, and Colum Malec, 30, all returned to school in the hope of pursuing a degree to gain more employment.

Wolverton, a mother of three and grandmother of one, decided not pursue a college degree immediately after graduating from high school.

“I took a break because when I graduated from high school, I wanted to join the work force and make money,” Wolverton said. “I never really cared for school. Once I was in the real world and had kids, I wanted to get a better job with a better salary, so I went back to school.”

In 1991, Wolverton graduated from American River with an Associate of Arts degree in business and got a job as an analyst. Even though she was making more money, Wolverton said was still unhappy with her career choice.

“I realized that being a teacher was what I wanted to do, so I had to go back to American River in order to get more transferable units so that I could come to UC Davis,” Wolverton said.

Malec decided he wanted to take a break after high school in order to pursue economic ventures.

“I didn’t prep well for college in high school and I was interested in making what I thought was good money at the time, I guess I was just bound and determined to do things my own way,” Malec said.

Malec worked in a manufacturing center that made water treatment pipes for two years and then joined the Marine Corps for five years.

“Ever since I got out of the military, I realized that an education was the only option, whereas straight out of high school I was not interested in college,” Malec said. “I have to give a shout out to Yolanda Torres [from the Veteran’s Affairs Office]… without her help I would have been lost. UC Davis is really good about reaching out to transfer students.”

Pineux also pursued a college degree after working for several years. Pineux, originally from the “French part” of Belgium, said he first came to the United States in 1992 to work as a chef. Pineux wound up working as a waiter for several years before deciding to go to school.

“I wanted a better job, even more so, I wanted stability. I wanted a job where I wouldn’t be screamed at by customers,” Pineux said. “The only way to get a better job was to get a degree.”

Both Pineux and Wolverton admit that age can become an issue in the social aspect of collegiate life.

“The age difference is a barrier but it also creates a relationship as well. Students will ask me questions, ‘Why did I change?,’ ‘Why did I come back to school?’,'” Pineux said. “The students are curious, which is wonderful, so I do make friends.”

Wolverton, who has gone back to school twice, said that she too felt slightly out of place at first.

“The first time I went back to school, I was only 28. I remember thinking, ‘I am so old and I’m going to school with these little kids,’ and I remember being a bit depressed about it,” Wolverton said. “When I went back a second time I had more of a chance to mingle with students and I realized we weren’t so different at all.”

Malec said he has a difficult time with the age gap.

“I have a hard time identifying with younger students. I love my professors, I would much rather be engaged in a conversation with my professors than with younger students,” Malec said. “Younger students complain about their weekend partying or about some chick who threw up in the bathroom. I just don’t have the patience for that.”

Like most college students, Malec, Pineux and Wolverton are all looking toward life after graduation with angst and anticipation. Pineux hopes to receive his engineering license and both Malec and Wolverton are currently pursuing their teaching credentials. Wolverton is also working on studying abroad in Cuba next year.

Having had the experience of working and living in “the real world” before going to college, Pineux and Wolverton advise for their academic peers to not give up.

“If you don’t get what you want, keep trying and go get it. Failure is a way to learn, failure is acceptable,” Pineux said.

“You’ve got to look at the whole life picture; no one’s going to think you’re a bad person because you failed organic chemistry,” Wolverton said. “When you’re going to school and learning something, it just enriches your whole life. There’s just so much to learn.”

MEGAN ELLIS can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Target discontinues sales of farmed salmon

City News

City Editor

March 2, 2010

Minnesota-based Target Corporation announced on Jan. 26 that all of its stores would discontinue the sale of farmed salmon goods due to the detrimental environmental impact of salmon farming. Instead, the company will replace farmed salmon with wild Alaskan salmon, which is considered to be more healthy and sustainable.

“Target strives to be a responsible steward of the environment, while also providing our guests with the highest-quality food choices,” said Greg Duppler, Target senior vice president in a press release. “Our guests now have an array of sustainable seafood choices at great prices.”

While aquaculture may be a future trend for the seafood industry, various types, such as conventional open-net salmon farming, create harmful effects on the environment. Salmon farming puts the marine ecosystem in jeopardy of parasite infestations, the unrestrained spread of genetic matter and gathering of fish waste.

In an effort to successfully enforce their new policy and modify their salmon products, Target has been working with Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“Target’s decision to source sustainable wild-caught salmon, instead of farmed, will have a real impact in the marketplace – and ultimately, on the health of our oceans,” Packard told The LA Times.

Greenpeace, an independent global campaigning organization for environmental protection and conservation, also celebrates Target’s move toward supporting ocean conservation and providing environmentally friendly products.

According to Greenpeace’s sustainable seafood guide “Carting Away the Oceans,” Target is one of 20 seafood retailers listed. As of June 2009, Target was ranked in fourth place among major retailers enforcing sustainable seafood policies.

“I think that [Target] recognized an opportunity, and they were savvy enough to grab it,” said Casson Trenor, Senior Markets Campaigner with Greenpeace USA. “Target’s number one competitor is Walmart. They see it as: a) They can differentiate themselves from their biggest competitor; b) They can invest in social awareness; c) They are giving consumers a healthier option, and d) They gain a lot of great press.”

After Target’s decision to ban farmed salmon, Whole Foods announced they believed all of their farmed seafood products provided a healthy and high-quality source of protein for customers. The company’s farmed salmon also remains free from antibiotics or added preservatives like sodium bisulfite or sodium tri-polyphosphate.

Though Whole Foods requires their producers to minimize the damage fish farming has on the local wetlands and habitats, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, which aims to helps consumers and businesses make choices for buying seafood from sustainable sources, recommends farmed salmon be avoided.

Currently, nine of the 20 largest supermarket companies in the U.S. have not taken action in implementing more sustainable seafood markets. These companies include Costco, Price Chopper, Trader Joe’s and Winn Dixie. Though working to employ more sustainable seafood, most of the companies continue to sell some of the most endangered species like orange roughy, swordfish and Chilean seabass.

Target plans to rid out all of its farmed salmon products by the end of 2010. This enforcement will apply to national brands and Target’s own Archer Farms and Market Pantry.

“What Target did is something that the grocery industry said again and again could never be done,” Trenor said. “This super solid ground that supermarkets were standing on is a lot shakier. We are going to see a lot more changes toward sustainability, with a larger and larger market share where you can buy sustainable seafood.”

SAMANTHA BOSIO can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Campus applies principles of community to recent hate crimes

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 2, 2010

Between the nearly 500 student clubs and organizations UC Davis is home to, it’s easy to forget that every student is a part of the greater campus community. The annual Principles of Community Week strives to remind students of this.

“It’s a way to make very visible and meaningful to campus, the Principles of Community, a statement of values and responsibilities,” said Janet Gong, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

The week of events comes at a significant time of campus activism in response to the acts of vandalism targeted at the LGBT and Jewish communities. Organizers cancelled one event so that more people would attend the LGBTRC’s town hall meeting, held Monday night to discuss the hate crimes.

Though unregulated officially, the UC Davis Principles of Community function as a broad and inclusive statement of expected behavior, and reinforce the university setting as an open and fair marketplace of ideas.

Now in its 20th year, Principles of Community Week has evolved into a showcase of ideals we all revere, Gong said.

“We used to reaffirm them [the Principles] on significant anniversaries; part of the notion of the week is that we now do this through active participation in programs,” she said.

Organized by the Office of Campus Community Relations, the five days highlight the diversity that UC Davis students experience daily. This week-long event was launched Monday at the Cross-Cultural Center, and will run through this Friday.

“Unpacking Privilege: Understanding Race, Gender, and Sexuality” was the first event of Principles of Community Week. Organizers invited students to become aware of how privilege contributes to prejudice within institutions, societies and individuals.

Today starts off with “Living the Principles of Community,” a demonstration of an on-line class about implementing the Principles in the Memorial Union East Conference room from noon to 1 pm.

Next on the docket is “Immigrants Tale,” a documentary project for students to share their own stories of immigration. The film will be shown in Wellman Hall from 5 to 11 p.m.

The night comes to a close “Sick Spits Open Mic Night,” which invites students to express themselves through music, dance, or spoken word from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in Griffin Lounge.

Student Assistant to the Chancellor Nina Massoumi, a senior international relations major, said Principles of Community Week serves to promote the diversity on campus.

“The week is to bring to light different events that further these ideals, but also call attention to things that do not represent them and discuss how we as a campus community can be held accountable for these things,” she said.

“That’s so BLEEP,” on Wednesday night in King Lounge from 7 to 9 p.m. aims to accomplish the week’s main goal, Massoumi said.

“Even though the Principles are not enforced, the idea is to respect people no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.,” Massoumi said.

The program will examine the roots of hate speech and try to discontinue its presence in 21st century language. By discussing the connection between hate speech and genocide, “That’s so BLEEP,” aims to unify and rebuild communities through words and actions.

MIKE DORSEY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC research finds evidence of marijuana induced pain relief

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 2, 2010

Results of the UC Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR)’s most recent publication found conclusive evidence that marijuana successfully alleviates pain.

In a four-trial study, CMCR’s research sought to determine if marijuana had therapeutic value. Smoked cannabis was compared to placebo cigarettes with THC removed.

Gov. Gray Davis’ 1999 legislation, Senate Bill 847, commissioned the University of California to establish a research program dedicated to expanding scientific knowledge on the medicinal usages of marijuana.

Three trials involved patients with pain caused by HIV or HIV treatment, neuropathic – or damaged nerve – pain, diabetes related pain and pain from physical injuries. The control group included healthy volunteers to experience induced nerve pain.

According to the study, over 50 percent of participants had a 30 percent reduction in pain intensity. Patients continued standard treatment for their illness while participating in the study.

“The reduction amount [observed] is the amount at which it really makes a difference in someone’s life,” said J. Hampton Atkinson, a co-director of the study from UC San Diego. “It is about the equivalent to what someone would get with standard treatment like morphine or anti-depressants.”

The results of the CMCR study offer alternative treatment for conditions like neuropathic pain and spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis to treat ailments.

“The reason I use medicinal marijuana is because I have a lot of social anxiety,” said a UC Davis graduate who preferred to remain anonymous and who has used medicinal marijuana for two years. “The sativa helps get rid of a lot of my anxiety and I become a lot more sociable, but there’s a lot of stigma behind it.”

A survey of Californian medicinal marijuana users by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws found that the three most reported uses of medicinal marijuana are chronic pains, AIDS related illnesses and mood disorders.

The effect of cannabis added additional benefits to the relief participants experienced from standard treatment, Atkinson said.

The study concluded that lower doses of cannabis intake were just as effective as higher doses, showing that patients do not have to become intoxicated to experience pain reduction.

“Bobby,” another UC Davis student who preferred to remain anonymous, got a recommendation to use medicinal marijuana two months ago for what he refers to as an eating disorder.

“It cost $125, and I told them I had an eating disorder,” Bobby said. “They already had the paperwork filled out and ready to go.”

According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), cannabis smokers increase their lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke by inhaling more deeply and holding their breath longer than tobacco smokers do. By twelfth grade, 42.6 percent of teenagers have used marijuana at least once, NIDA research showed.

California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use in 1996 with the voter initiative, the Compassionate Use Act.

Of twelve states with legalized medicinal marijuana, California has the largest user population by 82 percent.

“I personally believe in medicinal because we’re in a pill society; it bothers me that it’s okay to take chemicals and pills, but it’s not okay to put something organic that grows from the ground in your body,” the UC Davis graduate said.

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

Hate crimes target UC Davis students

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 2, 2010

Last week, two reportedly unrelated hate crimes shook the UC Davis community, echoing the recent racial turbulence within the University of California as a whole.

A swastika was carved onto the door of a Jewish student in the Tercero dormitories on Feb. 19. A week later, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center was the target of an attack when derogatory terms were spray-painted on the center’s front entrance, said Lt. Matthew Carmichael of the UC Davis Police Department.

The attacks add to the growing number of hate crimes recently experienced in the University of California system. Several weeks ago, members of a UC San Diego fraternity held a “Compton Cookout”-themed barbeque mocking Black History Month, and a noose was later found hanging in the campus library. At UC Irvine, a group of students attempted to disrupt the speech of the Israeli ambassador to the United States in early February. Many students consider the arrests to be associated with the recent controversy.

The acts gained widespread attention, prompting reaction from both UC and state authorities.

“I am deeply troubled by the horrific incidents that recently took place on various campuses of the University of California system,” said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Saturday press release.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi also condemned the acts in a letter released to the UC Davis community.

“We cannot ignore deliberate acts that demean and threaten others based on race, ethnicity, gender, national origin or any personal characteristics,” she said.

Carmichael echoed this concern, commenting on the alarming proximity of the two crimes at UC Davis.

“Every once in a while, graffiti will show up on campus, but it’s not a common occurrence for us,” he said.

No witnesses reported seeing the two inch swastika being carved into the wooden door in Tercero, and residents could not point to any obvious suspects.

“The victim doesn’t have any idea who might have done this,” Carmichael said. “She says everyone on the floor gets along really well.”

Meanwhile, the LGBTRC did not remove the vandalism immediately following the crime in an attempt to raise community awareness about the hatred present on campus, waiting until Monday night to paint over the graffiti.

“We feel it is easier to erase physical representations of violence than to heal from the ongoing impacts of this hatred,” said LGBTRC staff members in a letter to the community. “Erasing it makes it possible to avoid believing these things happen on our campus. We want to work towards a healing resolution.”

LGBTRC community intern Mark Yanez, a senior women and gender studies and sociology double major, said the attack on his home campus and workspace was traumatic, but not unprecedented.

“In my mind, someone saying ‘that’s so gay’ is the equivalent of this happening to the center,” he said. “[The vandalism] is a physical manifestation of homophobia on our campus.”

Leaders of the LGBTRC held an anti-hate rally yesterday in front of the Memorial Union at noon. Approximately 50 people attended. The rally was followed by a small march through campus.

A town hall meeting also took place Monday night in the ARC Ballroom, during which community leaders discussed possible reactions and plans to deal with the vandalism.

Though police are following several leads in both cases, they have yet to identify suspects. Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to contact the UC Davis Police Department at 752-1727.

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

Local winery wins gold in competition

City News

City Editor

March 2, 2010

The Berryessa Gap Winery took home the gold for its 2007 Tempranillo two weeks ago in the largest American wine competition in the country.

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, formerly known as the Cloverdale Wine Competition, takes place annually at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair and attracts wineries from around the country. There were 4,913 wine entries this year from 26 states, and about 10 percent were deemed worthy of a gold medal.

Chief winemaker for Berryessa Gap, Mike Anderson said the winery has won too many awards to count.

“We are well pleased,” Anderson said. “Our first job is to produce a bottle of wine that we are proud of and our customers enjoy. This is recognition of a job well done and we are very proud.”

Located in Winters, Berryessa Gap formally opened in 2002 and began selling wine in 2004. Their wines run from $14 to $18 per bottle. The winery earned a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago for its 2006 Petite Sirah.

Anderson said the fruit and the winemaking method make Berryessa special.

“No doubt about it, the grapes we grow are exceptional,” Anderson said. “Our winemaking style is very hands off and I think that lets the true flavor of the fruit come through.”

Executive Director of the SFC Wine Competition, Bob Fraser, has been organizing the event since 1985.

“The winners have to be both outstanding wines and true to the characteristics of their categories,” Fraser said.

There are 65 judges, and all wines are judged blindly by groups of five. The winning entries were showcased in a public tasting on Feb. 20 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, with about 6,000 attendees. The winners also receive a plaque for display in their tasting rooms, publicity in major newspapers and wine media.

Corinne Martinez, who manages Berryessa Gap’s marketing, sales, finance and compliance operations, said the winery was proud of the win.

“This is our second or third time entering the competition and we have consistently done well,” Martinez said. “We are happy about the recognition we’ve brought to the area from making excellent wine.”

Assistant Director for the SFC Wine Competition, Anne Vercelli grew up in an Italian wine family and has been working on the competition for over twenty years.

“I’ve been tasting wine all my life,” Vercelli said. “Wine is food; it’s part of culture. I believe that wine brings people together.”

Fraser said the competition is a way of showcasing outstanding work.

“Traditionally farmers would exhibit their products at the county fair,” Fraser said. “This is just an extension of that tradition to include winemakers.”

Fraser estimated the competition costs $250,000 to put on and requires 200 staff members and judges from all over the country.

“Probably the most enjoyable part for me is the judging because a lot of the same judges will return every year,” Fraser said. “Professional judges are almost like a fraternity.”

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

Column: Tax me not

Opinion

Opinion

March 2, 2010

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You know how easy, convenient and tax-free those Kindle downloads and online purchases from Amazon are? Well, it turns out that you’re actually supposed to pay a “use tax” on them. I’m sure that you’re delighted to hear this news. Now you can go home and fill out the special tax forms, and carefully record every future online purchase.

The truth is that online transactions are claimed about as often as people report income from tips – so virtually never. It just isn’t worth it for the government to go after you on small online purchases. Your lack of cooperation is making state governments very cross, and so they have come up with a masterful plan to liberate you from your money. It’s called an “Amazon” tax, and it might soon be coming to California.

A bill proposing this tax has already passed through the state senate. It was designed to close a loophole in tax policy that has caused problems for state governments as well as local businesses. The reasoning is quite sound. Why should states be cheated out of taxes that they are owed, and why should online companies be able to avoid taxes that local businesses have to pay? Avoiding taxes is giving large online companies a competitive advantage, and could be suffocating small businesses in the state of California.

The Amazon tax was crafted by California legislators to get around the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce. State governments are attempting to redefine where an online company operates.

Under current rules, a company operating in Minnesota could sell online products to California and it would be not be required to collect and pay taxes. Under the new law, California could require them to collect the tax if the online company was affiliated with any state business. This includes other websites and blogs. So out of state online companies will have a “presence” in California without physically being here.

Unfortunately, the proposed solution opens up a few new problems, which could become costly to California businesses and you, the consumer.

The potential danger for many California businesses could be seen in the results that took place after Amazon taxes were proposed in other states. New York and Rhode Island both passed very similar laws.

Immediately after the Amazon taxes were enacted, big companies like Amazon cut off associations with the small time affiliates operating in those states. This marginally damaged those massive companies, but the real impact was on the small, internet-based businesses. They had relied on advertisement deals with Amazon and other large companies to survive, cutting off that revenue threatened their ability to thrive and operate. Even worse is the disadvantage that California businesses will have compared to their neighboring states that will simply forgo the Amazon tax.

Even if you don’t care what happens to small businesses in California, there will still be an impact on you, the consumer. If large online retailers decide that California is too big of a market to give up, then instead of abandoning the small, local companies, the large online retailers will simply accept making their customers pay the new tax. The Amazon tax is going to hurt somebody, and it’s probably going to be you and me.

There is a better way of closing the tax loophole without punishing the small businesses and citizens of the few states that have adopted the Amazon tax. These laws should be made at the national level, or simply not made at all. The revenue that will be generated from this new tax – which has been estimated to be around $100-150 million dollars – will not fix the California budget, and it more likely to cause people to flip out when they see a significant increase in the price of their online purchases. It might not even be legal, as the constitutionality of the law is still in question.

The lack of uniformity across all states creates a situation that is very good for some and bad for others. The most important question we should ask is how is this going to improve California’s economy and make our lives better? It doesn’t create jobs, it doesn’t raise enough money in the grand scheme of things and it takes money away from people who could use it elsewhere.

JARRETT STEPMAN isn’t clamoring to pay taxes on his Kindle purchases. If you want to tell him how you feel about this, send him a message at jstepman@ucdavis.edu.

Aggies struggle at tough Irvine tournament

Sports

Sports Editor

March 2, 2010

Coach Jamey Wright knew the UC Irvine Anteater Invitational would be the Aggies’ toughest tournament of the season.

He wasn’t surprised.

“We went down to play four top 20 teams and that’s what we got,” Wright said.

UC Davis (7-9) went 1-3 at the Anteater Invitational with freshman Jessica Dunn leading the Aggies with seven goals for the weekend. Senior Casey Hines had 29 saves over the four games.

Saturday – No. 4 California 13, No. 15 UC Davis 5

UC Davis met a familiar foe when they played Cal for their first game of the weekend, and for the second time this season, the Golden Bears had the Aggies number.

UC Davis stayed with Cal for the first half as the score was 5-3 entering the break.

A strong Golden Bear third quarter quieted any thoughts of an upset. Cal outscored the Aggies 8-2 after halftime to secure the 13-5 victory. Senior Dana Nelson led the Aggies with two goals.

“We played great for two and a half quarters,” Wright said. “We started to sub a lot after halftime and Cal took advantage.”

Wright has been stressing all season for his team to play a complete game, something they lacked against the Golden Bears.

“To play a complete game we have to focus all 32 minutes,” Wright said. “I don’t think we did that very well against Cal.”

Saturday – No. 11 UC Irvine 9, UC Davis 8

Sometimes the last two minutes of a game can be the most important.

A UC Irvine goal with 2:25 left in the game sealed the victory for the host Anteaters.

UC Davis fought back from a 5-3 halftime deficit to tie the score late in the game, but UC Irvine was too much.

“I was disappointed with the Irvine game,” Wright said. “We let this one get away from us late in the game.”

Sunday – UC Davis 8, Long Beach State 7

The Aggies’ only victory of the weekend might have been one of their most important wins of the season.

“We beat a conference team,” Wright said. “It’s always important to get early wins over Big West Conference teams.”

Sophomore Kaylee Miller’s second goal of the match was a game winner with 1:38 remaining in the close contest. Miller’s first goal came with seven seconds left in the first half to give UC Davis a 5-4 lead entering the break. Dunn and sophomore Carey Faber netted two goals each.

Despite the key win over a Big West foe, Wright still noticed some things the Aggies need to work on.

“We missed a ton of shots,” Wright said. “But we controlled the tempo and closed the game out.”

Sunday – No. 13 San Diego State 11, UC Davis 8

In the final game of the weekend, San Diego State jumped out to a 5-0 first quarter lead to secure the victory.

“We played horrible in the first quarter,” Wright said. “It might have been our worst quarter of the tournament.”

Despite the poor start, the Aggies outscored the Aztecs 8-6 for the rest of the game. Freshman Kathryn Bailey earned her first two collegiate goals in the loss.

“We were able to get a lot of bench players in,” Wright said. “I was very impressed with their play.”

After four straight road tournaments to start the season, UC Davis hosts the two-day, five-game Aggie Shootout tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

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

Aggies falter against Gauchos, Mustangs

Sports

Sports Editor

March 2, 2010

Coach Bill Maze said that Dahra Zamudio was on “fire” in singles play against UC Santa Barbara.

But as quick those flames engulfed her opponent is how fast they were stomped out in the team’s weekend matchups.

UC Davis dropped its first Big West Conference match of the weekend, 5-2 to UCSB on Friday. Maze said that with another conference match on Saturday, his team had little time to regroup.

“Those teams have always been tough on us,” Maze said. “I would have preferred a different result.”

Ellie Edles and Herzyl Legaspi were defeated 8-2 in No.1 against the Gauchos. Lauren Curry and Desiree Stone didn’t fare much better in No. 2 as they fell 8-4. The last doubles match on Friday ended in similar fashion as Noelle Eades and Zamudio took an 8-2 defeat.

“The doubles play against UCSB was my least favorite of the trip,” Maze said. “We bounced back in the singles though.”

The Aggies appeared to be staging an improbable comeback against a Gauchos squad that has had their number for the past decade. Stone won in her first singles matchup 7-5, 6-2. In No. 2, Zamudio used the momentum to torch her opponent Sofia Novak, 6-0, 6-3.

“Zamudio is picking up where she left off last year and is playing at a high level right now,” Maze said.

UC Davis pulled the team to within 3-2 before succumbing to another Gauchos victory when Annabel Gledden clinched No. 4 over Lauren Curry 6-3, 6-1. Edles came close to a singles win, but fell to Tova Hausman in a super tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7).

Against Cal Poly, Maze decided to mix up the doubles teams for the second time in almost a month. While the switches had little effect on the outcome, Maze feels he may have finally found the right set of groups.

“It’s been a tough year for doubles because of all the changes,” Maze said. “We’re still moving doubles around. We mixed up the teams because the energy wasn’t good against UCSB. We now feel like they will be the matchups for a while.”

Stone and Legaspi had the closest match in No. 1, but lost 8-6. Edles and Zamudio were defeated 8-4 in the second matchup while the No. 3 group of Eades and Curry lost 8-4.

After a strong showing against the Gauchos, the Aggies could not find anything that worked for them in singles play and were swept in all six matches.

Stone put up the biggest fight in her match as she won the first set, taking her opponent to the third and final set. She lost the final two sets 6-4, 6-4.

“Desiree played great this weekend,” Maze said. “Her opponent [Suzie Matzenauer] was probably the best in the conference.”

Stone has faced the best each of these teams had to offer and has won two of her last three singles matches.

With the losses, the Aggies are now 0-2 in Big West action. However, this isn’t cause for concern according to Maze.

“I think as long as we keep our heads up, we’ll be fine,” Maze said. “I thought we had a good shot against UCSB, but this team does not hold on to disappointment.”

UC Davis will hit the courts again Saturday against a Long Beach State team considered to be one of the best in the conference.

MARCOS RODRIGUEZ can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies face the best of the best

Sports

Sports Editor

March 2, 2010

Competing against the nation’s best teams will eventually serve to benefit the Aggies.

“Anytime you’re challenged it gives you a moment to pause and collect your thoughts,” said coach Karen Yoder.

UC Davis’ record dropped to 6-7 after facing three top-ranked teams in the three-day Cathedral City Classic.

“I want the players to realize that it was a wonderful opportunity,” Yoder said. “It’s only going to make us stronger and more competitive in the long run.”

Friday – UC Davis 5, Hawai’i 8

The Aggies fell behind the Rainbows in the top of the second when Hawaii’s Jessica Iwata hit a solo homerun.

Hawai’i would score five more in the third for a 6-0 lead.

Despite the deficit, UC Davis rallied to bring them within one run of tying the game.

In the bottom of the third with two outs, Bianca Castillo drove in two runs on a single to make the score 6-3.

The Aggies put another run on the board in the fourth when Elizabeth Santana’s RBI-single brought in Alex Holmes.

Later in the inning, Michelle Espiritu scored on a double play, bringing UC Davis within 6-5.

That’s as close as the Aggies would get as the Rainbows added a solo homerun in each of the last two innings to account for the final 8-5 score.

Saturday – Game 1: UC Davis 5, No. 13 Texas 14 (5)

The Aggies and the Longhorns combined for 24 hits in a five-inning game.

Texas led 7-3 going into the third until senior Sarah Axelson hit her first homerun of the season. The solo shot made the score 7-4.

“Axelson proved that she can hit the best pitchers in the country,” Yoder said. “It shows how hard she’s been working in the off-season and how hard she’s working this season.”

Her homer was followed later that inning with an RBI-single from freshman Megan Guzman for the last of the Aggie runs.

Texas extended its lead in the fourth and fifth innings bringing the final tally to 14-5.

Saturday – Game 2: UC Davis 1, Utah 2

The Utes jumped to an early lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning.

Guzman robbed Utah’s Kelsi Hoopiiaini of a lead off homerun in the second as she went crashing through the centerfield fence to make the catch.

“Megan had a great read on the ball initially,” Yoder said. “She held onto the ball as the fence fell down. It was pretty climactic and a wonderful play. That is what you want to see from your outfielders.”

An RBI-single later in the inning increased the Utes’ lead to 2-0.

In the sixth, Espiritu stole second after reaching first on a fielding error.

Santana brought her around to score with a double to cut the lead in half.

That marked the final score as the two teams combined for six hits.

Sunday – Game 1: UC Davis 1, Northwestern 7 – Middle of 6th

UC Davis trailed Northwestern 7-1 in the middle of the sixth before a drop-dead time limit suspended play.

Time was called due to a combination of delayed start time and travel limitations for the Wildcats.

Both teams are scheduled to take part in next week’s Cal State Fullerton DeMarini Invitational. The teams hope to complete the game at that time.

When play resumes, the Aggies will be at bat to start the bottom of the sixth.

Sunday – Game 2: UC Davis 1, No. 1 Washington 9 (6)

In the final game of the tournament the Huskies scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning and never looked back.

Marissa Araujo’s single in the fourth inning marked the only UC Davis RBI.

Freshman pitcher Dana Waldusky posted seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

Yoder believes the tournament will benefit the Aggies in the long run.

“It’s the premier tournament in the country for collegiate softball,” Yoder said. “It created a great environment for us to ultimately bring out the best in our team. It exposed our weaknesses, which is a good thing because that’s the only way to get better.”

UC Davis is back in action on Wednesday as it travels to face No. 13 California at 2 p.m.

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

Aggies top Highlanders

Sports

Sports Editor

March 2, 2010

As the season winds down and the postseason looms on the horizon, each game takes on added meaning for the Aggies.

UC Davis split its final homestand of the season, losing to Long Beach State on Thursday but coming back to win on Sunday against UC Riverside. The victory over the highlanders gave Dominic Calegari, the team’s only senior, a win in his last home game as an Aggie.

The Aggies are now 7-7 in Big West Conference play, placing them fourth in the standings with two games remaining. If UC Davis is able to retain the fourth spot, they will receive a first-round bye at the Big West Tournament.

Thursday – Long Beach State 68, UC Davis 65

Last time the Aggies played the 49ers they lost by 22.

This time, the game came down to one possession.

Trailing 68-65 with 23 seconds left, the Aggies needed points quickly, and didn’t care if it was a two- or three-pointer.

“We ran a play that would afford us both options and get the ball where we wanted it,” Stewart said. “It didn’t go down.”

After several passes, Mark Payne got the ball at the top of the key and heaved up a three-point attempt with eight seconds left. Joe Harden, who tied a career high with 26 points and 11 rebounds in the game, got the rebound but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Saturday – UC Davis 66, UC Riverside 43

This was going to be a big game regardless of the outcome.

The contest would have a significant effect on conference standings and would be Calegari’s final game at the Pavilion.

The Aggies were able to jump out to an early 14-2 lead due primarily to their strong defensive play.

“We flat-out guarded,” Stewart said. “It was a sight to be seen.”

UC Riverside started the game shooting just 2-for-17 from the field and at one point had more air balls than points. The Highlanders were able to close the gap, however, due to UC Davis’ mistakes. The Aggies had trouble hanging onto the ball, ending the first half with nine turnovers which led to 12 Highlander points. UC Riverside used the points off turnovers to close the gap and went in to halftime trailing 25-21.

The Aggies knew what they had to do in the second half.

“We felt like we played good defense in the half court, but we turned the ball over too much,” Ryan Sypkens said. “That was our emphasis [in the second half] – to take care of the ball.”

Sypkens made some adjustments of his own at halftime.

“I had a horrible first half,” said Sypkens, who went 0-for-1 from the field and gave up a four-point play to the Highlanders in the opening period. “Coach climbed into me at halftime and let me know it.”

Sypkens got the message.

After his disappointing first 20 minutes, Sypkens scored 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting, including four three-pointers and helped key a 14-2 Aggie run that put UC Davis up 42-29 with 14:39 left in the game.

“I think I got my point across,” Stewart said. “It was not an eloquent speech.”

Despite pulling within one early in the second half, the Highlanders would never take the lead and trailed by as many as 25. Part of the Aggies’ success was Harden’s defense of the Highlanders’ Kyle Austin, who entered the game averaging 18.3 points per.

“Joe told me [Austin] wasn’t going to go off tonight,” Calegari said. “Our game plan was to get the ball out of [Austin’s] hands.”

Stewart said the original game plan was to double-team Austin more often. That changed with Harden’s defense.

“Joe’s such a fierce competitor and he relishes those assignments,” Stewart said. “He was relentless.”

With Harden blanketing him, Austin shot just 3-of-14 from the field, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Payne scored game-high 19 points and Calegari added 18 of his own.

UC Davis will now travel to play Cal State Northridge on Thursday before ending the season at Cal State Fullerton two nights later.

RICHARD PROCTER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Guest Opinon: Stephen James

Opinion

Opinion

March 2, 2010

As a biology professor at Sacramento City College, I was taken aback by a recent television report suggesting that the University of California ought to consider selling a research facility on the Tahitian island of Moorea to offset state funding cuts.

The story on CBS 13-Sacramento seemed to me to be biased reporting. I wrote the station, urging the story’s producer, Mike Luery, to tell the complete story about the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station, rather than fanning the flames that might forever remove educational and research opportunities from our students.

While my suggestion went unheeded, I would like to share the facts with faculty and students at UC Davis, who were among those interviewed for the story, along with a state legislator who has proposed selling the Gump Station and other UC properties as a way to avoid student fee increases.

The Gump Station, which receives no state general fund support, was donated to the UC system by Richard B. Gump (with many of the structures built though donations by Gordon Moore of Intel fame). It’s far from the secret that the CBS 13 report made it out to be. The research station’s website (moorea.berkeley.edu) is available for all to see.

The Gump facility, available only for educational and research purposes, is used by researchers from UC and other institutions to answer important questions about some of the most diverse, fragile and vulnerable environments on earth: tropical coral reefs. These are environments from which we obtain numerous resources, including food and medicines, many of which are yet to be discovered.

Rates are posted with tiered fees for UC associated functions, non-profit organizations and for-profit organizations. The lodging cost of $41 per day (not including food) is for the use of a bed in a dorm-like setting with a shared kitchen where guests prepare meals. Having been there, I can tell you it’s simple and suits the needs of students.

The sale of the Gump Station (for $3.6 million) would provide UC’s 222,000 students with a one-time $16.22 reduction in one year’s fees – a miniscule one-time benefit that would forever remove the benefits derived from the field station, an irreplaceable educational and research resource.

I have led my students on field excursions to many natural environments in Northern California and Baja California. I can tell you unequivocally that the value of experiencing nature and culture first-hand can never be adequately replaced by a classroom or online course.

As an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara and father of a current UC San Diego student, I understand the burden of increased fees. But to throw away the gems of the UC system would be a grave and long-term mistake. My son will tell you that field experiences in Europe and French Polynesia have transformed his life.

Access to a cost-effective public university education is vital to California’s future in this globalized economy. If the real priorities are funding education and reducing the costs to attend institutions such as UC schools, then we need real solutions to an urgent problem, not glamorized misconceptions produced in the interest of ratings.

Editorial: UC audit

Opinion

Opinion

March 2, 2010

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) recently decided, in unanimous favor, to approve an audit of the University of California finances.

The audit was requested by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) after he found documents that he said displayed the UC’s mismanagement of the budget.

Yee believes the audit will finally hold UC executives accountable. Many students and faculty alike would probably agree with him, and the decision to investigate UC funds in light of recent student fee increases.

The audit will delve into every aspect of the UC system’s finances and will work toward creating full transparency in the UC budget.

Transparency of funds should already exist and anybody should be able to view the UC budget at any time. Although the UC already undergoes an audit by an outside firm, the state audit will provide an extra layer of scrutiny.

This audit will also prove beneficial to the UC system in other ways.

It’s a positive sign to see that the UC agreed to full participation in the process. In this way, it can clear its name of any such practices of financial mismanagement, should nothing incriminating be found.

Alternatively, if the results of the state audit do not match the results of UC’s annual audits, this will be a sign that UC isn’t doing a good job of monitoring itself.

Additionally, President Mark Yudof has agreed to solve any inconsistencies the audit finds.

Another obvious benefit is full access to the UC’s finances conducted by a more independent source.

This is a step in the right direction to full transparency of the UC system.

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