55.6 F
Davis

Davis, California

Saturday, December 20, 2025
type here...
Home Blog Page 1496

Red 88 Noodle Bar caters to student taste

City Editor
-
0

Several changes have hit G Street in the past few months, the most recent of which is the transformation of the former Thai 2K restaurant into a noodle bar.

On Oct. 1, Red 88 Noodle Bar on 223 G St. opened as the new restaurant across the street from KetMoRee Thai Restaurant and Bar. After closing down Thai 2K, the same owners opened KetMoRee and then Red 88 in the old Thai 2K venue.

The noodle bar has a limited menu, but plans to expand its options as it becomes more established and popular, said Nate Yungvanitsait, the restaurant’s chief operating officer.

The menu boasts affordable dishes, starting at $4 for appetizers to $9 for the most expensive entrees. Roasted duck soup and spicy silver noodles are just some of the variations on the menu.

Red 88 offers a full bar, which Yungvanitsait said should attract the student crowd, especially paired with an inexpensive meal. Every evening there is happy hour, and Wednesday through Saturday the restaurant stays open late – until 3 a.m., perfect for a late-night snack after the bars push partiers out their doors.

The old Thai 2K location is ideal for the noodle restaurant, Yungvanitsait said.

“From the bars [on G Street] everyone can walk really close after they are done drinking,” he said.

Thai 2K upgraded to the other bigger building as KetMoRee but Yungvanistsait said the venue works for Red 88’s purposes.

“We like it like this,” Yungvanistsait said. “[The venue] keeps it like a noodle house’s style.”

Every day more customers are making their way to Red 88 as they hear about the reopened restaurant through word of mouth. No big advertisements have been made yet, Yungvanistsait said.

The Davis Downtown Business Association helped spread the word about the new noodle joint to Davisites in town via Facebook and Twitter.

“Red 88 is open and people are excited about it,” said Joy Cohan, DDBA director. “I got a lot of comments on Facebook, Twitter and in person.”

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

Morality, fear of lawsuits motivate undergrads to buy music

City Editor
-
0

People, especially students, find ways to download music illegally, but some are dissuaded from this practice and prefer the legal route – purchasing their music.

A recent study found that college students are motivated to buy music either because of fear of lawsuit or on moral grounds, according to the Social Science Research Network.

“The Determinants of Music Piracy in a Sample of College Students” tracked undergraduate college students from a southern private university.

According to the report, researchers estimated respondents’ willingness to pay for digital music through a pricing experiment.

They investigated the determinants of music piracy for whether a respondent’s last downloaded song was obtained illegally based on willingness to pay, the price of legal music and the various transaction costs associated with the consumption of illegal music.

A respondent’s willingness to pay, his or her subjective assessment of the probability of facing a lawsuit and the degree of morality all have a negative impact on the likelihood that his or her last song was obtained illegally.

Erin Peltzman, Student Judicial Affairs officer, said UC Davis tries to prevent students from illegally downloading music with educational programs during Welcome Week and throughout academic year. The programs educate first-year students on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the consequences for violation.

“It seems that more students know that they could get in trouble or get sued because it’s out there now and this generation is more aware,” Peltzman said in an e-mail interview. “However, I don’t get the sense that more students are paying versus using BiTorrent and other peer to peer avenues.”

Sophomore Michelle Osuga’s downloading habits have been influenced by internet restrictions in the dorms.

“I know a lot of people who illegally download music,” Osuga said. “I got in the habit of buying music on iTunes because of the restrictions.”

Recent UCD graduate Jenny Lung, who now works with the California Highway Patrol and hopes to go to law school, sees the decision to buy music as a matter of respect.

“Artists deserve what they worked for,” Lung said. “It’s not honoring the artist’s talent if you rip off something that musician created.”

Though the survey could hold true for a lot of college students, Marc F. Bellemare, a professor at Duke University who conducted the survey, said the results are not perfect.

“It is impossible to know whether and how the results of our study apply to other colleges across the country without conducting similar studies at those other colleges,” Bellemare said in an e-mail interview.

Bellemare plans on pursuing the same line of research and already identified things he would like to improve upon in the methodology. He plans on writing a grant proposal that would encompass other universities in the scope of the study.

Andrew Holmberg, an analyst for the Department of Justice who assisted with the survey, has similar goals.

“The scale of the study did focus only on one school,” Holmberg said in an e-mail interview. “Consequently, the data that we collected did not sample from college students on a national scale. Thus, the results that we conclude from that data cannot be accurately extrapolated to incorporate this significantly larger population.”

Holmberg also believes that further research needs to be done to reach conclusive results.

“We did learn a lot about how the study could be improved, and we are very interested in pursuing this topic moving forward,” Holmberg said. “How do students behave at other schools? As with all research, the things one learns often brings up more questions and idiosyncrasies that we would like to explore.”

According to the Recording Industry Association of America website, an analysis by the Institute for Policy Innovation concludes that global music piracy causes $12.5 billion in economic losses each year, 71,060 U.S. lost jobs and a loss of $2.7 billion in workers’ earnings. Furthermore, piracy equals a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million in personal income tax and $131 million in lost corporate income and production taxes.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Gift card program in time for holiday season

City Editor
-
0

Shopping for the holidays just got a whole lot easier. Give the gift of shopping – a gift card.

On Dec. 3, the Davis Downtown Business Association will release a gift card valid at a vast majority of Downtown Davis restaurants, retailers and most service businesses.

The gift card will be available online at davisdowntown.com and also at the DDBA’s office at 226 2nd St. Another, so far undisclosed, physical location is being planned to aid with the distribution of gift cards.

“We’re hoping to give people more options for gift giving,” said DDBA administrator Joy Cohan. “Some people may feel limited in purchasing a gift card from just one retailer, but this way the person getting the card can choose a gift that makes sense for them from a variety of retailers.”

DDBA co-president Rosalie Paine, owner of Nestware gift shop, said gift cards are a smart route for shoppers and recipients.

“The purchase of gift cards is pretty universal in America. They’re a really great way for people who maybe aren’t sure what to get to show they care,” said Paine. “This particular gift card will allow shoppers to have some fun and experiment with the options available downtown.”

The gift card has the added benefit of boosting businesses that have suffered with the economy.

“When people in Davis shop locally, the money stays and circulates within the community which helps the local economy, unlike spending money at big chain stores,” said Kim Bradford, owner of Ken’s Bike and Ski, which has been in Davis for 35 years. “Also, shopping locally is a lot greener because you’re not burning fuel to get to another town.”

The DDBA will be helping with the tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 3 in conjunction with the City of Davis. It will organize two holiday shopping days on Dec. 10 and 17 during which businesses will stay open late to accommodate holiday shoppers.

Paine said the gift card is an option for any shopper.

“This is really great for anyone,” said Paine. “I think it may even help bring even out the demographics of shoppers in the downtown area.”

UC Davis senior Will Angel is a self-described cynic when it comes to gift cards but was receptive to the idea of a citywide gift card.

“I don’t normally like gift cards, because they’re kind of like giving money, but less useful,” said Angel. “This is sort of neat though because it’s more personal than just a regular gift card and it’s a lot more useful.”

Paine has high hopes for the gift card.

“I hope the gift card is so well received that we run out and have to order more,” said Paine. “And I hope that people will use it well and continue to support our downtown businesses.”

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

University of California to expand tuition coverage

Campus Editor
-
0

The University of California administration is helping to give students a hand-up in paying for their college education.

Last week, UC president Mark Yudof announced new efforts that would extend financial aid for undergraduate students and also raise $1 billion for student scholarships.

Yudof said he would ask the UC Board of Regents to raise the limit for the Blue and Gold Opportunity financial aid plan to include families with a yearly income of $70,000 or less. The current limit covers incomes of $60,000 or less and awards full coverage of university fees for undergraduates.

“This is an era in which a college education is absolutely essential to your economic and other wellbeing,” Yudof said in a speech at Sunnyside High School. “Our job is to give you every fair chance for admission to one of our 10 campuses – and to give you the means to pay for it.”

Yudof also unveiled “Project You Can,” a four-year fundraising effort by the 10 UC campuses to raise $1 billion in scholarship money. Though the UC Office of the President will not contribute directly to this plan, they hope to inspire the campuses to raise more money for students.

The money will directly support students by funding scholarships and fellowships rather than salaries or construction.

“It’s a wonderful program to really push this philanthropic effort to the highest priority,” said Fred Wood, vice chancellor of student affairs and spokesperson for the “Project You Can” plan. “All the colleges and professional schools have always been involved in trying to raise money for student support. But [the plan] basically doubles what we’ve been doing [in the last five years].”

Last fiscal year, UC Davis received $5 million from donors for various types of student scholarships or grants. The administration hopes to engage more donors this year in concert with the “Project You Can” plan to bring this number to $1 billion.

The regents hoped that the plan would assuage fears over the 32 percent proposed student fee increases, which would be implemented in the spring and fall of 2010. The regents will vote on the increases later this month.

“[The donations] will increase the amount of money given to students through undergraduate scholarships,” said Mark Foncannon, assistant director of financial aid for undergraduate scholarships. “It probably will also mean more awards to more students.”

Among the proposed fee increases to be voted on by the UC Regents in November are: a $585 mid-year increase for residential undergraduates, $633 for nonresident undergraduates, $654 for resident graduates, $681 for nonresident graduates and $579 for resident and non resident professional students.

For the 2010-11 fee increases, the regents propose a $1344 increase for resident undergraduates, a $1148 increase for nonresident undergraduates, a $1506 increase for resident graduates, a $1566 increase for nonresident graduates and a $1332 increase for all resident and non resident professional students.

Many university affiliates agree that Yudof’s “Project You Can” plan is a step in the right direction, but that it will not completely solve the University’s budgetary dilemma.

“President Yudof is doing the right thing by trying to obtain funding from private sources in order to keep students from giving up and walking away,” said Cristina Gonzalez, professor of UC Davis’ School of Education in an e-mail interview.

Professor Gonzalez expressed support for Yudof’s plans but sees long-term investment from the state as the solution.

“In order for the UC to fulfill its public mission, a considerable investment of state and/or federal funds will be necessary,” she said. “No country in the world has ever created and sustained a large middle class without a large investment in public higher education.”

The fee increases are part of an effort by the UC to cope with the state’s cuts to education. In 2008-2009, the state government reduced $813 million in funding to the UCs. In 2009-2010, an additional $637 million cut was made.

“Sometimes those dollars can really make a difference,” Wood said. “And I’m positive that the Regents will be talking to their friends [about donating to scholarships.] I wouldn’t be surprised if the regents themselves stepped up and donated.”

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

Study finds winter season affects students

Campus Editor
-
0

Midterms got you down? Love life falling flat? Rather than blaming it on yourself, why not blame it on the weather? More specifically, attribute your poor study habits and lackluster libido to what doctors and psychologists call “Seasonal Affective Disorder,” or SAD.

“Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of mood disorder [that usually occurs] only during the winter,” said Bai-Yin Chen, Ph.D., a psychologist at Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS). “They may have depression symptoms, and they can vary from person to person. Some may have reduced libido, others lack of motivation or withdrawal.”

According to CAPS, individuals suffering from SAD report symptoms similar to those of depression. Moodiness, a decrease in libido and general lethargy brought on by the dreary, inclement weather of the fall and winter months can make for sharp declines in productivity and social livelihood.

“Students who think they may have SAD should first contact CAPS,” Chen said. “We can do an assessment to see what kind of treatment would be appropriate. We can determine if we need [to prescribe] drugs or refer [them] to psychiatric services.”

According to Chen, living in California does help to combat the disorder; however, as SAD tends to affect individuals in places that endure months of dark, damp weather – something that Davis usually only experiences for a few days or weeks at a time. In spite of this, students and faculty that miss the sun enough during these few rainy moments of the year enough to succumb to SAD, can rest assured that CAPS has resources available for them.

The House, a free drop-in and phone counseling service located on campus next to the Student Housing Office, offers what it calls the “sad lamp,” a high fluorescent lamp that emulates natural sunlight.

“People get depressed when they don’t get enough sunlight,” said Patricia Lopez, a peer counselor at The House. “The sad lamps have been proven very effective.”

In addition to housing the sad lamp, The House offers a massage chair, free meditation groups on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and yoga groups on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. The House and the CAPS office also offer two biofeedback machines, stress-relieving booths that measure heart rate and skin conductivity and administer exercises to regulate user breathing and heart rate.

“During the fall and winter months, mood can be affected by the environment,” said Paige Seegan, peer counselor at The House. “We [strive] to better help those having a hard time adjusting.”

Though SAD is one cause of depression symptoms, Chen cautions that students should work with their counselors or doctors to see if there are other factors behind their depression that may not be salient to them. Unemployment and academic stress are factors that contribute to a poor mood during any season.

In addition to individual counseling services, CAPS also offers group counseling and workshops. The group counseling for this fall includes support groups geared toward more general groups ,for men and women, African American women, student athletes, dealing with the stress of academics and relationships and promoting wellness. More specific counseling groups are tailored toward accommodating survivors of sexual trauma, students dealing with grief and body image concerns.

“[The groups] can be very helpful and effective, particularly for dealing with relationships,” Chen said. “But unfortunately students are not necessarily aware of them.”

ARNOLD LAU can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Historic run for Aggies at Big West Championship

Sports Editor
-
0

Despite another exceptional showing at the Big West cross country championships, the Aggies still feel like they can accomplish more.

The women finished second overall while the men finished third overall.

“The races were a little bittersweet,” said Coach Drew Wartenburg. “You can’t be disappointed with our finishes, but it felt like we left some unfinished business.”

The Aggies finish this year was almost identical to last year, with the men finishing second while the women finished third.

“This team is title hungry and they really wanted to walk away with one,” said Wartenburg.

Sophomore Sarah Sumpter claimed UC Davis’ first ever Division I individual title, posting a time of 20:34 to lead the field. Sophomore Abbey Gallaher finished seventh with a time of 21:00. The ladies finished second overall behind UC Santa Barbara.

“Sarah winning was a huge breakthrough both for her and for the program,” Wartenburg said.

Sophomore Jonathan Peterson led the men, finishing seventh overall with a time of 24:09. Junior Jonathan Sees finished 12th with a time of 24:33 and junior Russ Pfaff finished 19th, recording a time of 24:50.

The men finished third overall behind Cal Poly, who recorded its seventh straight men’s Big West title.

Wartenburg said that in order to win a title everybody has to be on top of their game.

“We had some holes throughout the race,” Wartenburg said. “We needed some people to finish higher and this just shows how every runner counts.”

The Aggies hope to improve before the NCAA West Region Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Nov. 14.

Wartenburg said that the team mainly needs to improve on running as a group and preventing holes from opening up in the pack.

Despite some of their flaws, Wartenburg still felt like his team had a good showing.

“The Big West [Championships] are very competitive,” Wartenburg said. “We had a good showing and we can only improve before next year.”

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

Aggies shock No. 23 UC Irvine

Sports Editor
-
0

This was the match the Aggies were waiting for. This was their chance for redemption against No. 23 UC Irvine. This was their chance to take sole possession of first place in front of a home crowd.

“Though the stakes are high, I think the team is relaxed and ready to play,” Coach Jamie Holmes said before the match. “I hope to see the band and some rowdy students.”

Over 750 Aggie faithful showed up strong for Holmes and her team Friday night at Upper Hickey Gymnasium.

With the stage set, the Aggies did not disappoint as they defeated the Anteaters in four sets 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22. The win gives the Aggies sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference and a step closer to a league title.

On Saturday, the Aggies hosted UC Riverside with similar results as they swept the Highlanders 25-19, 25-23, 25-11. The wins give UC Davis a six game winning streak, their longest since the start of the 1999 season.

Saturday – UC Davis 3, UC Irvine 1

The Aggies faced a ruthless crowd when they visited UC Irvine earlier this year.

“When we were down there [in Irvine], their fans were down right rude,” Holmes said. “I hope we can return the favor, but do it in good spirit by keeping it classy.

The Aggies did keep it classy as they beat Irvine behind a respectful but rowdy crowd of almost 800 fans.

Junior outside hitter Kayla Varney posed a team-high 15 kills while sophomore middle blocker Katie Denny lead the Aggies with a .412 hitting average.

The Aggies had a well-balanced attack against the Anteaters, led by senior setter Carson Lowden. Freshman outside hitter Allison Whitson had 14 kills on 34 swings while sophomore Betsy Sedlak and junior Melanie Adams each had 8 kills in the match. Senior libero Avreeta Singh lead the Aggies with 19 digs.

The Aggies split the first two sets with UC Irvine before heading into a pivotal third set. Both teams were locked into five ties up until 14-14.

The Aggies’ attack took over, scoring three straight points to give UC Davis a 17-14 lead, one that they would never surrender.

With the win, the Aggies catapulted past UC Irvine into first place in the Big West.

UC Davis 3, UC Riverside 0

The Aggies put their first place standing on the line the next day against UC Riverside, taking care of the Highlanders in three sets.

Varney had 17 of her game high 18 digs in the first two sets. Sophomore middle blocker Sedlak contributed on six of her team’s eight third-set blocks to lead the Aggies over the Highlanders.

The Aggies are riding a six game winning streak going into next Friday against Cal State Fullerton. The Aggies control their own destiny as they need to win out the rest of their conference games to capture their first Big West title.

KYLE HYLAND can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Women’s golf preview

Sports Editor
-
0

Event: Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational

Where: Arnold Palmer and George Fazio Course – O’ahu, Haw.

When: Today through Wednesday, all day

Who to watch: Junior Alice Kim received NCAA Division I All-American honorable mention honors last season.

She is continuing that high level of play in 2009.

The Walnut, Calif. native finished 22ndd overall after a final round of 82 at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown last week.

Did you know? After hosting only the men’s tournament the past eight years, the Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational will have their first-annual women’s golf tournament.

Preview: The Aggies finished fourth out of 18 teams at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown last week, an improvement from last season’s 11th place finish.

Kim held a share of the individual lead after the first day of play but teammates Demi Runas and Kimberly Johnson ultimately overtook Kim, each finishing ahead by a single stroke.

Senior Kimberly Johnson holed three birdies on the back nine of the final day of play to help the Aggies to a fourth-place team finish.

This week, UC Davis may face slightly tougher competition in Hawaii as No. 1 UCLA, No. 8 Southern California and No. 10 California all plan to hit the links.

Despite the Aggies’ success this season, they have had some struggles against top 25 teams going 1-5 in those matchups.

This will be the final tournament for the Aggies in the fall season. Their next tournament will be the Long Beach Invitational in February.

-Aaron Fischman

Aggies lose regular season finale

Sports Editor
-
0

When the Aggies left the field after battling Pacific for 70 minutes, they knew all too well what improvements had to be made heading into the NorPac Conference Tournament.

“I’d like to see that fire from our forwards,” said coach Vianney Campos. “We need to try and score instead of always pass in transition.”

The Aggies could only garner one shot in a 2-1 loss to Pacific Saturday afternoon at Brookside Field.

That one shot – property of Nadia Namdari – found the back of the net in an offensive performance that was hard for the Aggies to swallow.

“Having that few shots is quite disappointing,” Campos said. “We could not get the ball into the circle at all.”

With what would prove to be the only offense the Tigers would need to hold off the Aggies, Campos’ alma mater slipped the ball between the pipes twice in the first 38 minutes.

Senior Katy Mcdonough and Davis High graduate Kiddy Leubane scored their third and fifth goals of the season, respectively.

The UC Davis defense was the highlight of the game as they allowed the Tigers to score only twice on 13 shots on goal. Goalkeeper Lauren Sawvelle, who played all 70 minutes, recorded 10 saves.

The forwards weren’t the only area of improvement needed by the Aggies according to Campos, as she also focused on the midfielders.

“Our midfielders were invisible out there,” Campos said. “Our forwards are fast but they can’t dribble through the defense for every goal. Our midfielders need to move the ball up-field so our forwards can focus on scoring rather than setting up the score. We will be working hard on making our midfielders available in transition.”

While the offense fell short of expectations, Campos was impressed with the play of Namdari and defender Lindsey Valadez, who recorded the assist on the lone Aggie goal.

“Lindsey has been great all year,” Campos said. “Her ability to score as a defender is a great asset for us. Her and Nadia did a nice job scoring off of one of our penalty corners.”

Now the regular season has come to a close, the Aggies will begin to make improvements today in preparation for the NorPac Conference Tournament. The first game for UC Davis is set start at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Palo Alto, Calif.

MARK LING can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies sweep Redhawks

Sports Editor
-
0

Before UC Davis’ swim meet on Saturday, coach Barbara Jahn praised the work ethic of freshman Bridget Bugbee, one of the star swimmers, saying that she practices intensely and has a lot of energy.

On Saturday, that practice looked to have paid off as Bugbee captured first in the 200-, 500- and 1000- yard freestyle races.

Bugbee, who swam both the 1000-yard and 200-yard freestyle events consecutively, helped lead the women’s swim team to a win over Seattle by a score of 143-89.

Her 200- time turned out to be her season best so far as she clocked in at a time of 1:55.51.

Freshman Grace Benefield also contributed in the Aggies’ win as she finished in second place behind Bugbee in the 1000- and 500- yard races.

Benefield started the 1000-yard race in third place and was there for the first few laps. She then pushed past a Seattle swimmer and held on for the second-place finish with a time of 10:41.91 minutes.

In the 50-yard freestyle event, four out of the five women to compete posted season bests – Ashley Chandler (24.40), Jennifer Cadmus (24.91), Samantha Capozzo (25.12) and Morgan Lee (25.35) – while also taking the top three spots.

The women’s 400-yard relay took first with a time of 3:37.49 to narrowly edge out Seattle by 0.40 seconds. Jenah Dawson, who swam the first leg of the event, posted a lifetime best according to Jahn. Lisa Bender swam the anchor for the Aggies despite being injured.

“That was all heart because she just really wanted to have that relay team win,” Jahn said.

The men also won their meet by a score of 132-102 as the Aggies took the top three spots in the 1000-yard freestyle event.

In that race, Matt Herman jumped out to an impressive lead from the beginning and never looked back. Herman finished first with a time of 9:39.30. He also took first in the 500-yard freestyle event with a time of 4:42.43.

Reid Hartz came in at second in the 1000-yard free behind Herman with a time of 10:03.86 and in front of fellow Aggie Jeremy Smith who clocked in at 10:04.29.

While Seattle did not have a dive team, the Aggie divers still competed in the men’s and women’s one and three-meter diving events.

Now that the Aggies have captured another win, their focus will shift to next week’s matchup at home against Denver.

“Overall it was a good meet,” John said. “Denver is a really tough team coming up this Friday. We have a few people who are still nursing injuries so if we can get them back to 100 percent then it is going to be an extremely close match-up.”

MADELINE WEEKS can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Thunderbirds too much for Aggies

Sports Editor
-
0

The scariest thing the Aggies saw on Halloween was their miscues.

UC Davis turned the ball over three times, committed 12 penalties for 115 yards and was unable to stop Southern Utah inside the red zone en route to a 56-35 loss.

The game started on a positive note for the Aggies as they scored a touchdown on their opening drive for a 7-0 lead. The game quickly went downhill from there.

“We really moved the ball well and put enough points on the board where we should be able to win,” said coach Bob Biggs, “but when you turn the ball over that many times it’s tough to win.”

The Thunderbirds scored three straight touchdowns including two rushing touchdowns by running back Major Gray. Gray finished the game with four touchdown rushes, tying a Southern Utah record.

Trailing 21-7, the Aggies battled back with touchdown drives of 92 and 66 yards, tying the game at 21.

Unfortunately for UC Davis, Southern Utah wasn’t interested in keeping the game close and scored three more touchdowns before halftime, bringing the score to 42-21 after two quarters. Biggs tried to keep his team calm at the half.

“I told them that we had to learn from the mistakes we made in the first half, take it one play at a time and not panic,” he said.

Despite allowing another Thunderbird touchdown in the third quarter, the Aggies kept fighting and scored two more touchdowns to make it 49-35. Southern Utah put a stop to UC Davis’ fourth quarter rally by intercepting a pass by quarterback Greg Denham and returning it for a touchdown.

Despite the loss, there were bright spots in the game for UC Davis. The Aggie running backs, who have struggled for most of this season, enjoyed their second consecutive game of running the ball effectively.

Running back Josh Reese had 101 rushing yards on 14 carries to lead the Aggies, who rushed for 263 yards as a team. Five Aggies averaged over six yards per rush, including free safety Nick Aprile, who had eight rushes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Aprile represented a new facet of the Aggie offense: the Wildcat formation.

“Nick Aprile was an option quarterback in high school so the coaching staff thought it would be a good thing to work on this week,” Biggs said, noting that the defensive scheme employed by Southern Utah is susceptible to the Wildcat.

Aprile also had a touchdown pass in the game.

“Once we got into it, Nick was a lot better than I anticipated,” Biggs said. “Now we’ll expand on it more because it would be a nice wrinkle to have available.”

In addition to the Wildcat offense, the Aggies will work at reducing turnovers and penalties going into next week’s game against Cal Poly.

“We’ve got to take a good look at ourselves,” Biggs said. “We made too many mistakes. If you make those same kind of mistakes against Cal Poly, North Dakota and Sac State, you’re going to get the same kind of result as against Southern Utah.”

The Aggies play host to Cal Poly next Saturday for the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe.

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

Column: Occuyping first

Sports Editor
-
0

It was match point for UC Davis in the fourth set. No. 23 UC Irvine was serving. Hickey Gym was beginning to vibrate.

“[During] that last serve it felt like the crowd was getting louder and louder by the second,” said senior libero Avreeta Singh.

The raucous crowd of almost 800 silenced as the ball floated over the net. Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Varney proceeded to pound a cross-court kill for the win, giving the Aggies the upset of the nationally-ranked Anteaters on Friday. The victory moved UC Davis into sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Singh said. “There is nothing in the world that could feel better than this.”

“It feels amazing,” said senior setter Carson Lowden. “It is such a turnaround from anywhere we have ever been in my career.”

It sure has been a turnaround. UC Davis (17-7, 8-2), a team that two years ago only won four matches, is occupying first place in their league for the first time since 1996, when it belonged to the Division II Northern California Athletic Conference.

The Aggies gutted out the tough four-set match by scores of 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22.

Varney led the team with 15 kills while sophomore middle blocker Katie Denny, who had 10 kills on .412 hitting, couldn’t have been more ecstatic.

“I’m so glad we are finally succeeding, especially for our seniors because they have gone through so many hard times,” Denny said.

Lowden, one of the seniors, tossed up 47 assists while Singh, another senior, had 19 digs on the match.

With the effort, the Aggies moved their win streak to five. They had six more regular-season conference games remaining after knocking off the Anteaters.

You can bet they will be ready for them.

“We just have to keep working hard every day,” Denny said. “We can’t just settle for this.”

“With this team,” Singh said, “we are not satisfied more so because we know we are capable of making it to the tournament and keeping the position where we are.”

Head coach Jamie Holmes also wasn’t hesitant to display emotion after the defeat of a solid UC Irvine squad.

“I feel really proud of our entire team,” Holmes said. “The senior class put in their time. They have become a pivotal leadership core in the history of UC Davis. I am proud of the hard work they are putting in.”

The Aggies found out earlier in the week that they would be playing all their remaining home games in the friendly confines of Hickey Gym, something that they believe gives them a clear advantage.

“We packed the gym,” Denny said. “The energy was so awesome and we totally feed off of that.”

“Here we have such a huge home-court advantage,” Lowden said. “Not only can we affect the crowd by our energy, but they affect us so much.”

Holmes didn’t spare any words, either, when talking about the advantage of playing in Hickey Gym, saying her team is just used to being there, having done all of its preseason work and practices there.

After Friday night, the Aggies were excited – and for good reason.

But the job isn’t over yet as five more conference opponents stand in their way – after Saturday night’s win over UC Riverside – in addition to a possible NCAA postseason berth.

“All season long we have talked about having a mature demeanor,” Holmes said. “In other words, becoming veterans of the game. Part of doing that is not having super high-highs and super low-lows. Hopefully, you can maintain within an acceptable plain.”

Well, it looks like they’ve maintained that level of play. The Aggies swept UC Riverside on Saturday, improving to 9-2 in conference action.

After UC Davis beat Pacific for the first time in school history on Sept. 24, MAX ROSENBLUM said the volleyball team should play all its matches this season in Hickey Gym – before it was actually announced. While there is no actual documentation of this, he did say it. Tell him you believe him at sports@theaggie.org.

Column: Take it or leave it

Opinion
-
0

Pretty much every time my clothing gets complimented, I look down and realize they’re actually someone else’s clothes. My sweater is from one roommate, my shirt from another and my pants used to belong to someone in marching band. Not exactly sure who, though.

These hand-me-down arrangements work out very well for me, since I have all the fashion aptitude of a rather creative four-year-old. For all of my childhood, and much of my angsty teen years, my daily uniform was too-short jeans, a too-large shirt featuring animals in their natural habitats, and men’s sneakers that should have been thrown out with last week’s AOL discs. Although my fashion sensibility has improved somewhat, I still routinely steal 25-year-old T-shirts from my dad.

And that’s where my friends come in. Many of them, especially my roommates, are pretty trendy people, and I can usually count on them to tell me if my clothes match. (A camo tank top and a brown and yellow floral skirt do not, by the way, match.)

In humility, I acknowledge my ignorance and defer to their superior judgment. Usually. Sometimes, however, I think I know better than other people, and the results are disastrous.

For example, I was a little unsure of some hot pink heels of mine, so I asked my guy friend what he thought of them. After several rounds of interrogation, he admitted that they were “kind of trampy.” But … I liked them! And I’d paid five whole dollars for them at the ASPCA thrift store!

So, I kept clacking around in them. I even wore them to my interview at The Aggie. I really thought they said, “Hire me to write about my tragic missteps in life!”

Apparently, they were saying something else to the toothless, middle-aged skateboarders hanging out by the otherwise deserted MU parking lot afterward. (Please, ladies, invest in some pepper spray.) As I strode by, feeling validated as a serious writer and intellectual and also thinking about how hot I looked that day, two rather sketchy-looking chaps began devoting their visual attention to me.

“Hey, you dropped something!” smirked one. “Nah, I just said that so you’d turn around and I could check you out.”

What cads! I didn’t do anything to deserve this! Am I legally permitted to karate chop them in the groin?

“I like your shoes,” said the other shower-deprived man, his voice dripping with Eau de Sleaze.

Dang it. My friend was right about those puppies.

As hard as it is to ignore my faulty instincts concerning footwear, it’s even more difficult to accept good advice in the more important matters of life.

From romance and time budgeting, to conflict resolution and romance again, I put my friends in prime “I told you so” position over and over. But as I get older and the stakes of my arrogant follies are raised (bouncing checks sucks), I’m learning not only to consider the advice that comes my way, but to seek out good counsel as well.

As we all learned from Stranger Danger talks, you can’t trust just anyone. I love all my friends, but some of them are slightly understaffed in the practical wisdom department. If I did everything I was told, I’m not sure if I’d be at Stanford or in jail (equally horrifying alternatives).

But I notice that I have a lot of people around me who are kicking butt at life. Some are peers; others have a few extra years of experience under their belts (it’s okay to trust people over 30.) When a tricky situation comes up, they’re the ones I go to for advice. I might not always like what they say, but the rewards of listening are well worth it.

Especially if I can avoid catcalls from grody old dudes at the parking structure.

BETH SEKISHIRO skipped her fashion consultation this morning. As a result, she is currently sporting an oversized, pink T-shirt with the words “band nerd” emblazoned on the front. To bequeath constructive criticism to her, e-mail her at blseki@ucdavis.edu.

Column: Gayting’s tough

Opinion
-
0

It’s hard finding someone to date. You hyperventilate and get all panicky when the person you’re interested in merely smiles at you. How the hell are you supposed to muster up the courage to ask him or her to dinner, let alone form a complete sentence? Then there’s that chance he or she might crush you and say no – and no one wants that.

So if you’re having trouble working up the nerve to ask a guy or gal out, I totally know what you’re going through. But to be fair, the heteros have it a lot easier than we gays do.

Like I said, it’s hard enough finding someone to date. But try adding an even bigger obstacle: uncertainty. If you aren’t a resident of Gayworld, U.S.A., here’s your round-trip ticket: It’s a lot more difficult to find someone of the same sex to date because, for some reason, society likes to keep “alternative sexualities” on the hush-hush.

We’re not all Hester Prynnes; there isn’t some scarlet letter “Q” on us queers making it easier to distinguish a potential same-sex partner.

Almost every guy I’ve ever been interested in, I’ve had to question whether he was a “big, flaming, feather-wearing, man-kissing, disco-dancing, Vermont-living, Christina Aguilera-loving, Mykonos-going” queer – to quote the great Karen Walker – before I let myself pounce on the poor shmuck. And to be honest, it’s exhausting and the perfect set up for heartbreak.

Take “Tom” – my first failed crush on a straight guy. If it weren’t for him, I’d be a lot more reckless when diving into the deep end of the dating pool. He was perfect in every way – just what every girl (or gay boy) would want in a guy. He was sweet, made me laugh, had amazing arms and hazel eyes. (Oh, and here’s the cherry on top: He opened every single door I came across.) But you know how this barely-a-fairy-tale ends: heartbroken Mario.

This whole ordeal could have been avoided if I had known of his sexual orientation from the very get-go. I wouldn’t have fallen so hard for the dude if I’d known it’d get me nowhere. I wouldn’t have spent countless hours thinking about him and his scent, wishing for him to ask me on a real date.

Remembering Tom got me to thinking: Why don’t we make it easy on ourselves? Shouldn’t sexual orientation be one of the first things we mention when we introduce ourselves? Our sexuality – who we really are – and to whom we’re attracted shouldn’t be kept taboo. Come out, say who you are and make dating easier for all of us!

Now that I think about it, I’d appreciate a scarlet letter-type indicator to mark out potential suitors. That way, this queer-or-straight guessing game wouldn’t be necessary when we’re simply trying to get a person out to a movie, for fro-yo or for casual sex.

Think about it. This system could really work: The straight gals would know which guys to avoid, the gay gents would know which guys to keep an eye out for, lesbians can easily spot their own choice girls and everyone will be happy to know they at least have a better shot at dating this person.

Gay dating – or gayting, as I’m going to refer to it – takes one more step than dating in the heterosexual realm. Gayting is less simple, more complicated. There’s that one burning question we have to ask before continuing with flirtation – and that question could yield to an array of reactions from the askee.

Take the following scene I’m about to present to you: Guy One, who happens to be gay, is in the library looking for chemistry outside of textbooks. Cute Guy Two strolls by and guy one finds him magically delicious.

Don’t we all agree Guy One shouldn’t have to sit and wonder whether he should make a move on Guy Two? Should “are you gay?” be one of the first questions Guy One asks Guy Two? What if Guy One comes on to Guy Two and unintentionally offends him? Imagine how traumatic of an experience that could be for both parties involved.

Gayting should not be more difficult than dating. With my scarlet “Q” approach, we can avoid this discomfort altogether.

We all deserve the chance to be happy with anyone we choose. Whether we’re searching for Mr./Ms. Right or just Mr./Ms. Right-Now, we are entitled to stress-free dating practices.

So take this message with you: If you’re queer and looking to dip your toes into the dating pool, make it easy on the rest of the swimmers and label yourself with a giant “Q.” You – and those interested in you – will be more than grateful you threw them a lifesaver.

MARIO LUGO wonders how many of you will actually have the courage to wear his scarlet “Q.” E-mail him at mlugo@ucdavis.edu if you’re a brave soul.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features Editor
-
0

TODAY

Study abroad Oceania info session

Noon to 1 p.m.

Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street

Learn more about study abroad options in Australia and New Zealand, including the Marine Bio Program on the Great Barrier Reef!

Project Compost

6 p.m.

43 MU (basement)

Project compost volunteer meeting. Learn about composting and how you can reduce waste on campus!

Professor Jack Forbes talk

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

1150 Hart

Professor Emeritus from the department of Native American studies will have a talk about “Looking ahead at Native American studies: the next 40 years.”

TUESDAY

Study abroad Latin America and Caribbean info session

Noon to 1 p.m.

Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street

Learn more about study abroad programs in Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Barbados.

The God Virus

6 p.m.

6 Olson

Best-selling author Darrel Ray will discuss how religion infects our lives; sponsored by the Agnostic and Atheist Student Association.

Four Release Screenings of 500 Days of Summer

6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

194 Chemistry

Entertainment Council presents two pre-home screenings of 500 Days of Summer for only $1 at the door.

Autism Awareness Association meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

5 Wellman

Special guest Rick Rollens, one of the founders of the MIND institute, will be talking about how our economy and state budget is affecting the autism community. His personal and professional experience will make this an event you won’t want to miss!

WEDNESDAY

Study Abroad in Asia info session

Noon to 1 p.m.

Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street

Learn more about your study abroad options in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and India.

Four Release Screenings of 500 Days of Summer

6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

194 Chemistry

EC presents two pre-home screenings of 500 Days of Summer for only $1 at the door.

THURSDAY

Herb Harvest

9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Good Life Garden

Join UCD grounds department in harvesting herbs! This a free event but participants are asked to bring their own scissors or cutting shears, a bag to hold the herbs and a wet paper towel to place in the bag around the fresh cut herbs.

Environmental Internship & Career Fair

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Freeborn

Go explore GREEN internships and Careers at the Environmental internship and career fair.

Study abroad for biology/science majors info session

Noon to 1 p.m.

Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street

Join EAC as they discuss reasons for studying abroad for your major, identifying programs and internships that are strong in natural, ecological sciences as well as medical sciences.

Camp Adventure info meeting

5 to 6 p.m.

114 South Hall

Learn how you can become camp counselors or swim instructor abroad on U.S. military bases. Participants will be receiving airfare, housing, plus a daily stipend and weekends off for travel. Internships in Germany, Korea, Japan, England and many more!

FRIDAY

Study abroad economics/managerial Econ. majors info session

Noon to 1 p.m.

Education Abroad Center, Third and A Street

Join EAC and learn more about where you can study abroad and take classes in business and economics. Advisers will present information on immersion and special programs for students as well as answer your questions related to studying abroad.

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.

1...1,4951,4961,497...1,787Page 1,496 of 1,787

Sections

Campus News
City News
Opinion
Features
Español
Arts & Culture
Science & Tech

Resources

Advertising
Classifieds
Contact

Best of Davis

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019

Projects

Diversity Report
Senior Issue

©2021, ASUCD. Designed by Creative Media.