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UC Davis awarded $2 million to build prototype live imaging microscope

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 20, 2009

UC Davis researchers have received a two year $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to pioneer the world’s first electron microscope capable of recording biological processes in real time.

The revolutionary technology will allow scientists to image living specimens at greater resolutions that could reveal nano-scale details underlying many cellular mechanisms.

The research team, led by Nigel Browning, will expand the capabilities of an existing technology called the dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) to tailor the device for filming live systems in action. Browning, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at UC Davis, helped develop a DTEM that is now housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The microscope at LLNL – one of only three operating DTEMs in the world – can capture 10 to 100 images per millionth of a second at resolutions that enable researchers to see details as small as 10 nanometers, or about four times the width of a DNA molecule. So far, the instruments have only been used to image non-living systems such as dynamic chemical reactions and phase transitions in inorganic materials.

“What this grant is all about is taking the step to move out of material sciences to biological sciences,” Browning said. “Basically all the technology is out there to do this but it’s never been all thrown together onto a single microscope and shown to work for biological systems.“

Transmission electron microscopy, in which a beam of electrons is passed through ultra thin samples to create highly-magnified images, requires biological specimens to be immobilized and essentially killed during preparation. To bypass this limitation, Browning has incorporated a custom-built stage into the DTEM to hold a living sample within a thin layer of fluid.

Key features in the new “Bio-DTEM” design will optimize image contrast and clarity for viewing dynamic processes in living systems such as cells. A modified pulse laser gun inside the instrument creates brief flashes of electrons that expose the specimen, enabling high-speed snapshots to be taken and processed into a video.

“The whole idea is that anything that you would be interested in for biological sampling is something you can study in this microscope, and the key is to be able to see it really quickly before you cause damage with the beam,” Browning said.

Browning explained that shortening exposure time – down to the order of microseconds – can boost image resolution. By tweaking the duration of electron pulses for each biological system, the researchers expect to capture details as small as 1 nanometer, a nearly 100-fold improvement in resolution over current live imaging microscopes.

Six professors in the departments of microbiology and molecular and cellular biology will collaborate with Browning to adapt the DTEM for imaging live biological events related to their fields.

“With an operational Bio-DTEM, we should be able, for the first time, to [image] DNA repair nano-machines in real time at a resolution that allows us to observe individual proteins in action, like seeing wheels move on a mechanical device,” Professor Wolf Heyer said. “Up to now, we could only obtain still pictures of our proteins. With Bio-DTEM, it will be an action movie.“

Professor Peter Armstrong will use the technology to investigate how a type of immune system protein called C-reactive protein forms destructive holes in the protective membrane of certain bacteria.

“We hope to use the DTEM to characterize the structural changes that must, of necessity, accompany the insertion of the large C-reactive protein molecule into the very different environment of the [bacterial] cell membrane,” he said.

Other planned projects will apply Bio-DTEM to study the dynamics of mitochondria and microtubules, the molecular powerhouses behind energy production and cell division and transport, respectively.

“This instrument will enable milestone advancements in our understanding of diseases like cancer, bacterial or viral infections, and basic biological processes,” the researchers said in a grant statement.

ELAINE HSIA can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Ten questions with …

Features

Features Editor

May 20, 2009

Editor’s Note: For this edition of Ten Questions, The California Aggie spoke with senior communication major Kyle Dubs to get a feel for day-to-day life as a UC Davis student resident firefighter. The program, which began in 1955, teaches firefighting skills to a select group of UC Davis students.

1. How were you selected to be a student resident firefighter?

Every two years, we have an academy [to recruit new members]. It’s usually three weeks long, and about 20 people go through it. We select as many people that are needed – 15 students are needed at all times, and five on each shift.

All training is in-house and through the academy. I work about 90 hours per month – four 14-hour shifts and one 24-hour shift each month. We also have training on Wednesday nights and one weekend of every month.

2. What does your job entail?

It can be anything. We respond to any emergency on campus, anything from cleaning up water to helping someone in the public to putting out a fire – whether it’s a grass fire, house fire or vehicle fire.

We respond to any emergency and we’re here to help out. We also do maintenance and cleaning around the station.

3. Are you interested in becoming a professional firefighter?

Yes. Hopefully I’ve got all the training I need to get picked up somewhere through this program. It’s just a matter of finding a job and going through the recruiting process.

4. How many years have you been involved at UC Davis?

I’ve worked at the university fire department for three years.

5. What sort of training to do you have to go through?

At the academy, our training is based out of the [National Fire Protection Association] book. We go over drills, the history of the fire service … and each day of class we take a test.

During the fire academy, we are ranked on our drill performance – [program officials] put together a list and hire off that. So [the academy] would give you the basics, but there’s still a lot of training you need to do. Throughout the year, we go over [topics such as] vehicle fires [and] search and rescue.

6. How many fires have you extinguished while working at UC Davis?

Probably three or four house fires – that’s because our truck runs mutual aid with the city. They send their engines and we send our truck. [I’ve also assisted on fighting] about five or six grass fires.

But the majority of our calls are medical – I’d say about 70 percent.

7. What’s the best part of your job?

Just not knowing what to expect. It’s not the same thing everyday. Calls can vary – they can [be anything from] helping somebody with a medical need to going to put out a fire.

8. How would you sum up your experience as a student firefighter?

Life-changing. It’s really unique to get an opportunity like this. There are only about three other programs like this in the U.S. The knowledge you get is priceless.

9. What makes the UC Davis program unique?

Usually people go to a fire academy and then go to college [or vice verse]. Doing both [at once] is pretty much unheard of.

Plus, the knowledge you get from actually living and working at a fire station – it’s incredible.

10. Do you have any advice for students interested in participating in the program?

Put in an application. No experience is required. Next year we’re probably going to go out and start recruiting, but for now, you can call us at 754-0105 for more information and to get your name down on our listserv.

ANNA OPALKA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

And then I found 5 dollars

Opinion

Opinion

May 20, 2009

Did anyone else catch that sermon President Obama gave the other day? It was cleverly disguised as a commencement speech for the graduating class of Notre Dame. On May 17, amidst complaints and protests from Notre Dame alumni and other Catholics, Barack Obama received an honorary degree and gave such a moving, passionate speech that I honestly felt like I was sitting in church just by watching it on YouTube.

Petitions were sent, crowds gathered, and a few people even stood up in the middle of the speech to shout things like, “Abortion is murder.” Although, whoever would waste what I’m assuming are hard-to-come-by graduation ceremony tickets to spout personal dogmas and get a few seconds of TV time is obviously crazy.

The crowd was generally supportive of the president, applauding appropriately and even starting up a chant of “Yes we can!” in opposition to the interruptions of his speech.

As a Catholic, part of me sympathized with those protesters who did not interrupt the ceremony, but stood outside in order to exercise their first amendment rights. I understood that this group was doing what they believed was right – holding the Catholic belief that life begins at conception, they were protesting the death of babies. I think we can all agree that killing babies isn’t cool.

However, as a liberal and supporter of a woman’s right to choose (aka a “bad” Catholic), I happen to think that all the hullabaloo around the commencement speaker based on his rather diplomatic stance on a very touchy issue is just plain ridiculous.

Take, for example, one alumnus from Notre Dame: Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV.net, the Internet television station owned and operated by Notre Dame alumni. Voris has a very specific idea of who should be allowed to speak at commencement and what they should have to believe. Ridiculous fake tan and bad toupee aside, his beliefs alone are enough to make him one of the most absurd people I have ever seen.

During a clip called “The Vortex,” (a segment where “lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed“) Voris identifies some “lies” about our president. He claims that Obama is not only “pro-abortion,” but that he has not done anything to positively further areas of racial equality, fighting poverty, health care, immigration, education, fighting infectious diseases and seeking peace. Oh, and all of these areas all somehow relate to fetuses.

Voris actually argues that fetuses are impoverished because they are completely dependent on their mothers and so, since President Obama supports a woman’s right to choose, he ignores poverty. He also argues that birth is a form of immigration since babies have to travel through the birth canal. He implies that while other borders should be closed, Obama wants to stop women from giving birth.

By the way, Barack Obama also apparently supports telling children that men should have anal sex with other men, and “refuses to tell expectant mothers the full impact of abortion.” Shame on you, Barack Obama, for being the sole secret-keeper of what abortion is and hiding it from all those women. He also helps “white abortionists kill black babies,” treats babies as an infectious disease (I don’t know how he ended up with Sasha and Malia then), and teaches that condoms are the answer. Hey, that last one actually sounds pretty good.

The irony is that if these protesters had taken the time to listen to the president’s speech, they would probably be feeling a little sheepish right now. Heck, I shouldn’t make assumptions, maybe they are. For all I know, Voris is drafting an apology letter for his hateful and, let’s face it, completely bull**** comments.

Obama spoke about the Golden Rule, being fair and respectful to those with differing opinions, and the maturity and responsibility with which the graduating class had handled the controversy around the ceremony. He urged us to find a way “to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity” and to “find a way to live together as one human family.“

DANIELLE RAMIREZ wants everyone to know that she is not making this up. To see for yourself go to realcatholictv.net/ndobama and e-mail your thoughts to dramirez@ucdavis.edu.

That’s what she said

Opinion

Opinion

May 20, 2009

This morning I was watching a Pussycat Dolls music video and – no, don‘t leave! Wait! I promise, this is not the intellectual capacity of this column!

So I was watching this video with what appears to consist of five strippers telling me to “loosen up their buttons,“ and I was thinking to myself, are you coming on to me?

Later, I flipped open a Cosmo (I promise, this will get better) and the first three pages or so are of these tall, tan, foreign looking women staring straight at me with barely any clothing on. What are you getting at, lady? And why do I feel like I‘m being seduced by all these people?

Even the advertisements on my Facebook account have either boobs, butts or American Apparel advertisements which are a combination of the boobs and the butts. It‘s all really overwhelming.

What‘s frustrating is when these strippers, half-clothed women, and boob-butt combos in advertisements become the ideal and the standard for beauty in our society. We all know it.

What I mean is, when the main stripper from the PCD is considered beautiful, while by the same standards my mother, a hard-working mother of four, is not – something ain‘t right here.

We‘re taught by watching these music videos, reading these magazines, and being bombarded with advertisements to idolize people who either look like a very small percentage of women or don‘t look like any of us at all (see: Photoshop). But somehow, its perpetuated and reinforced onto us so much that one study said that a certain percentage of third grade girls felt that they were too fat and wanted to lose weight.

And its not just women either. Men have similar obscured standards for how their bodies should look. Tall, buff, six pack. Almost 1 million men in the United States have (reported) eating disorders. The same advertisements with the half clothed women have men with their shirts ripped open to expose ridiculous muscles. Photoshop often applies to men too.

Every society has its idea of beauty. What is wrong about our standard is that first the many Photoshopped, digitally altered and enhanced images of people in magazines are literally profiting off of our insecurities. When you want to look thinner, you‘ll cash out for some expensive diet plan. Need to be buffer? Buy our gym membership! When your skin isn‘t as tan as the woman in the magazine is, just buy this self tanner. When your teeth aren‘t as white, when your hair isn‘t as blonde, when your boobs aren‘t big enough, when your ass is too saggy, when you‘re just a few inches too short, when there‘s just a tiny bit of baby fat you want to get rid of. …

When you just aren‘t good enough, there‘s a product that will make you temporarily feel better.

And when their aren‘t any products that can make you feel better, your psyche will make you believe other things will. Can‘t afford liposuction? Just avoid eating to lose just a bit of weight. But then when you do eat, you feel guilty. So you compensate later by avoiding eating some more. Or you can just work out twice as hard later. Or in many cases, you can just regurgitate the food that makes you feel so guilty.

Speaking from a woman‘s point of view, sometimes it can be really hard to look at yourself, especially while growing up, and not think that there is something wrong with the way you look. But it shouldn‘t be like that. About three-fourths of both men and women with healthy body weights have reported body image issues with themselves.

All the while we‘re paying more and more to make sure we look good enough to love ourselves.

Don‘t let them get to you. Be happy and be healthy. If you need more information about body image or eating disorders go to the Association for Disordered Eating and Body Image (ABIDE) website at wrrc.ucdavis.edu/abide.

SARA KOHGADAI will be in the MU patio today, May 20, at noon with 22 women who are going to show off their non-Photoshopped bodies, in clothing that makes them feel good, on stage in a fashion show. Speaker Ron Saxen will also share his experience as a male model who suffered with binge eating disorder. Don‘t miss it! For more info contact her at sbkohgadai@ucdavis.edu.

Study disputes relationship between Facebook use and grades

City News

City Editor

May 20, 2009

Research that found users of Facebook tend to have lower grades got a lot of attention last month, but a new study from a different research team is calling that conclusion into question.

The initial study, in the form of a draft manuscript from researchers at Ohio State University, found that Facebook users‘ grade point averages were in the 3.0 to 3.5 range, compared to 3.5 to 4.0 for non-users. Aryn Karpinski, education researcher, told the Chronicle of Higher Education that this suggested a relationship but did not prove causation.

A more recent study done by Eszter Hargittai, Josh Pasek and Eian More found that there was no relationship. That study used a sample of over 1,000 undergraduates at the University of Chicago and found no negative relationship between GPAs and Facebook use.

Pasek is a doctoral student at Stanford University and More is a researcher with the University of Pennsylvania’s Adolsescent Risk Communication Institute.

“I suspect that basic Facebook use – what these studies measure – simply doesn’t have generalizable consequences for grades,” said Hargittai, an associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern University.

She added that the Internet and social networking sites in particular can be used in any number of ways, some of which may be beneficial to the user and others not as much. She also said that it’s not so much a question of whether people use these sites, but what they do on them.

What’s more, the relationship in the initial study only shed light on a relationship, and not causality. While students who use Facebook may experience lower grades, it may be due to their prioritizing skills and natural inclination to use Facebook to a greater extent than higher achievers do.

Jerry Cook, assistant family and consumer sciences professor at Sacramento State University, said it’s not necessarily Facebook that’s having the deleterious effect on students‘ grades.

“Just because there is a relationship, doesn’t mean it’s directly related,” he said. “Facebook is a distraction. But just like anything else, the more time you put into something the less time you have for something else.“

UCD first-year psychology major Kelly Targett acknowledged both the pitfalls and the benefits of Facebook.

“Facebook is a good procrastinating tool, and a good way to waste a lot of time doing nothing,” Targett said. “It always delays my homework for 15 to 20 minutes.“

On the other hand, Targett acknowledged that Facebook can be a learning tool because you can interact with people from your classes and get help on assignments.

“It’s not the reason people have bad grades,” she said. “They just need to learn to prioritize.“

The complete study appears in the online journal First Monday and can be viewed at tinyurl.com/cwo2wy.

ELENI STEPHANIDES can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Yolo County hopes to be host of all-mail voting pilot project

City News

City Editor

May 20, 2009

Yolo County may soon become a model for a new means of voting.

Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada is sponsoring AB 1228, a bill that would establish a pilot project of all-mail ballot voting in Yolo County, with the hopes of spreading it throughout California.

“Yolo County is a perfect fit for this pilot program,” Yamada said in a written statement. “With four cities, a large university and a diverse set of rural communities, the potential for gathering useful information about all-mail balloting can help guide the future of elections in California.”

The administration and cost of poll voting has become increasingly troublesome for local districts, Yamada said. Also, with each election, more voters are choosing to exercise their right to vote by mail.

AB 1228 will allow for up to three local elections to be conducted using mail ballots as the primary voting system, she said. The ballots would be distributed with the normal voting information and would include prepaid postage.

Officials agree that Yolo County is an optimal location to test this project.

“I am an activist clerk, I’m always looking for ways to tweak the process,” said Freddie Oakley, Yolo County clerk-recorder. “I’m always looking for ways to make voting more reliable or more cost efficient.”

One of the considerations for AB 1228 is that it will ultimately be more cost efficient, she said.

With an all-mail election, individuals will not have to drive to their polling places, nor will the trucks driving polling place equipment, Oakley added. This will decrease cost as well as gas emissions.

While it may seem like all-mail ballots waste paper, Yolo County already produces an excess number of paper ballots for each registered voter, she said. Yolo County does not use electronic balloting so the amount of paper produced will remain the same.

“In terms of public response, the electorate really falls into two camps – the people who already vote absentee are all for the idea,” Oakley said. “The other camp is the people who actually go to the polling place, and enjoy that tradition.“

While she believes that the all-mail system would be more efficient, Oakley sympathizes with voters who would prefer to go to the polling place.

“I love going to the polling place, I love that we have polling places in school – so that children can see people voting on election day,” she said.

Local voters have been generally receptive to the idea of the pilot project.

“In my experience [voters] have been very receptive,” said Jean Canary, president of the Davis League of Women Voters. “I think they realize how terribly economically affected we are by these downturns, and this would save a lot of money.”

The state of Oregon has been very active in enacting a similar project of all-postal ballot voting, she said. In Oregon, there was not fraud as they expected, and it ultimately saved the state money.

Similarly to California, Oregon’s population is very fluid, people are moving frequently, she said. This indicates that an all-postal voting system might have similar success.

One of the reasons absentee ballots might be problematic in Davis is because of the high student population, Canary said. If students register to vote in their hometowns, they are often unaware that they cannot turn in their ballots at a Davis polling place.

“One of the things we are thinking of doing is looking at trying to do an education program for students,” she said. “Probably the biggest problem with absentee voting is when many people in the community are not from the community they are voting in.”

However, with this pilot project will hopefully come some educational programs so students also know what it takes to vote via absentee ballot, she said.

More information on AB 1228 is available at yoloelections.org.

CAITLIN COBB can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Safeboats returns to Shasta for second year

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 20, 2009

Students might just be a bit safer this Memorial Day weekend when houseboating on Lake Shasta thanks to a program called Safeboats.

The Safeboats program, headed by ASUCD Senator Erin Lebe, will provide a dedicated boat with medical aid through EMTs and will pass out water, condoms and sunscreen to students during the weekend’s festivities. This will be the second consecutive year that a Safeboat will be present on the lake.

“I think it’s really important to make sure that no one gets severely injured and people get properly cared for,” Lebe said. “Instead of ignoring the problem and saying that they shouldn’t do this, I think it’s important to provide this service.”

Senate Bill 45 was passed with a 9 to 3 vote at the May 7 senate meeting, allocating $1,372 from senate reserves to the Safeboats program. The senate allocated $800 to last year’s Safeboat.

UC Davis students have organized themselves in renting houseboats for Memorial Day weekend for at least the past four years, gathering roughly 5,000 students. The weekend involves “heavy drinking, unprotected sex and poor planning … [leading] to bouts of dehydration, innumerable injuries and sometimes [resulting] in death,” according to the bill.

“I am not opposed to Safeboats; actually, I think it’s incredibly important that Safeboats have a presence at Houseboats,” said ASUCD Senator Mo Torres, who voted against the bill. “Students should take initiative in ensuring the safety of all UC Davis students at such a potentially dangerous event.”

Torres however, did oppose ASUCD funding this year’s Safeboat.

“With such a limited amount of money available in the senate reserves, I question the necessity to fund Safeboats when Houseboats is a party and nothing more. … I can’t justify allocating such a great amount of money to something that is neither educational nor empowering to the campus community,” Torres said in an e-mail interview.

Funding came from not only senate reserves, but the Office of the Vice President, Campus Safety Coordinator, Club Finance Council, Inter-Fraternity Council, Davis Co-op and fundraisers at Yogurt Shack and Habit Burger. Water donations were also given from H20 to Go.

Campus Violence Prevention Program (CVPP), Men Acting Against Rape (MAAR), and Health Education and Promotion (HEP) helped put together last year’s Safeboat, with HEP members volunteering on the boat. According to the bill, these organizations “did not want to participate this year and therefore were unable to acquire funding from those resources.”

“We didn’t donate any money,” said Shuana Stratton, student programming and outreach coordinator for CVPP. “We didn’t pull out either, MAAR isn’t a group on campus anymore.”

MAAR, a group that CVPP advised, was involved in the planning process last year, its former president Sam Hardy was one of the people that proposed the original idea of Safeboats.

“They asked us if they would help plan it, but it happens after our ‘Take Back the Night‘ event. Even being involved in the planning last year and supporting them was near impossible for us, we were running around like chickens with their heads cut off,” Stratton said.

Stratton said she gave Lebe the binder of information from last year’s event to help her in the planning process.

Issues concerning liability came up during the discussion of last year’s senate bill supporting the program. Lebe met with the University of California lawyers last summer to discuss liability concerns. She said that they understood the risk but also understood its importance. The liability of the boat is now covered under the UC’s risk management insurance while the EMTs are covered under their own insurance.

ANGELA RUGGIERO can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Climate Change Career Panel Held Tonight

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 20, 2009

Tonight the UC Davis Sustainable Transportation Center and the student chapter for the Institute of Transportation Engineers will hold “Preparing for the New Paradigm: Implementing California’s Climate Change Goals,” a career panel for students interested in pursuing careers in climate change.

The career panel is open to a variety of majors and is an opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students searching for internships and careers to meet with representatives from public and private sectors who work in fields including city planning, transportation and environmental policy as they relate to climate change.

Tonight’s event will focus primarily on land use planning and transportation issues associated with climate change.

“I am interested in a career in policy making,” said Kristin Donovan, an environmental policy analysis and planning major. “I feel that actions need to be taken to educate people on the impacts it [climate change] is having on our daily lives.”

The event will feature five expert panelists under the state of California representing the California Air Resource Board, the Business, Transportation and Housing Committee, the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the Office of the Attorney General.

“It’s important to reach out to students from a variety of academic backgrounds – health, engineering, social science – if we really want to figure out how to decrease vehicle travel and greenhouse gases,” said Lauren Hilliard, a graduate student researcher from the Institute of Transportation Studies who organized the event. “The whole point is to engage students with people in the field who implement climate change laws and who all have different pieces of the puzzle at the macro and micro level.”

Representatives from California High Speed Rail Authority, Caltrans and the Planning and Conservation League will also be in attendance.

“There are a lot of opportunities for careers in climate change within the legal field,” said Lisa Trankley, who works for the Environmental Section of the Deputy Attorney General. “A lot of pressure is placed on companies to address climate change, so business attorneys are familiarizing themselves with climate change issues and representing the state agencies who implemented these laws.”

The panel is held partially to address the assembly and senate bills recently passed by the state that address climate change through a reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Two bills most crucial to tonight’s discussion are Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 375, both of which determine how the state’s laws address climate change.

AB 32 was passed in 2006, following an Executive Order from Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005 to establish a goal to reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent by 2050. This bill requires a 25 percent reduction of GHG from the estimated “business as usual” conditions.

Signed into law in September 2008, SB 375 requires the California Air Resource Board to establish GHG targets for each Metropolitan Planning Organization in California, yet does not include any consequences for regions that do not meet their targets.

Hilliard noted that despite the economic crisis, the demand for professional and academic careers in fields related to climate change continues to grow due to the recent implementation of these bills, and that there are new opportunities for students interested in sustainability issues.

“Internships provide students with a chance to test various types of organizations, ranging from public to private and state to local levels,” Hilliard said. “The opportunity to pursue internships as a student is probably the most beneficial aspect of higher education.”

The climate change program includes a question and answer session with the panel of experts, a discussion of their views on AB 32 and SB 375, and a raffle for those who bicycled, walked, carpooled or took transit to the event.

“Yes, the market is tight, but if you are passionate about it [climate change], you can find something,” Hilliard said.

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

Chancellor Vanderhoef holds his final brownbag chat

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 20, 2009

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef spoke in his final brownbag chat on Monday in the Silo’s cabernet room where conversation focused primarily on the university’s looming budget challenges and transition to a new chancellor in the upcoming school year.

Vanderhoef began his talk with a brief discussion about the origins and purpose of the chancellor’s quarterly brownbag chat.

“These brownbag chats began 20 years ago at a time when the university was facing a lot of budget troubles,” Vanderhoef said. “Back then there was no e-mail or Twitter … these chats were a way for people to ask questions and for the university to sort out the facts from rumors.“

Vanderhoef then turned his attention to the current budget situation, which he described as unique from the challenges the university has faced in the past.

“I think everybody in the room feels that this time is worse because this time the economic crisis is affecting the entire world,” he said.

Provost and executive vice chancellor Enrique Lavernia spoke about the specifics of the budget deficit and the university’s response to meet this challenge.

“The February budget left UC Davis in a shortfall of $39 million,” Lavernia said. “The university saved $20 million through a combination increase in student fees and decrease in hiring of faculty.“

Lavernia also discussed the potential effects of the May ballot initiatives, which voters decided on in yesterday’s special election.

“The best-case scenario will have UCD facing an additional $17.75 million shortfall,” he said. “However, if none of the ballot measures pass, then the university will likely face a $29.3 million deficit.“

Lavernia talked about some of the various ways that the university is addressing the upcoming shortfall, which includes the creation of the Budget Advisory Committee and five subcommittees which will aid in guiding budget planning.

“These committees will provide input from a variety of campus perspectives and will act as a source of new ideas to help in navigating these difficult times,” Lavernia said.

Despite the sobering budget news, Vanderhoef said he remains optimistic about the university’s ability to pull through the current budget troubles.

“When everything else goes to the wayside, there are certain things that people still care about and one of those is health,” he said. “UC Davis is expanding in this area and is doing a lot of important work in the environmental arena. The university is doing things that are of high value to people.“

Vanderhoef emphasized the need for the university to change its ways in order to meet the budget challenges, calling for a “reset” rather than “recovery” from the economic crisis.

“Yes, we will have to get used to living differently, but we will figure out how to best do this,” he said.

Vanderhoef also discussed the future of the university under the newly appointed chancellor Linda Katehi.

“Katehi comes with lots of credibility and administrative experience,” Vanderhoef said. “We are so lucky to have someone so good walk in here. … If anybody can do this job well, it is her.“

The brownbag chat ended with a short Q and A session during which UC Davis student Nicole Connell spoke briefly.

“I have sat and heard a lot about how the staff is a major priority for the university, but it is important to remember that students are a priority too,” said Connell, a senior human development major. “Students have ideas, but we often feel that people do not listen to us.“

Connell discussed some of the programs on campus that she said have been neglected by the university, which included the R4 recycling program and mental health services.

“It is important for [administrators] to put themselves in our shoes,” Connell said. “Students do not need a fancier Mondavi Center or the latest digital televisions in the ARC. … We want affordable education.“

Connell said that many students she has spoken with have expressed concern about budget cuts and the mismanagement of money and that she came to the brownbag chat out of this concern.

“I saw a sign for the brownbag chat and wanted to share a student perspective that I believe was lacking at the event,” she said. “I met Chancellor Vanderhoef at an event for Camp Adventure and he showed a genuine interest in what life is like being a student. I thought he might be okay with me going up to speak, so I went for it.“

ERICA LEE can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Poet James Ragan speaks about his work, human nature

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

May 20, 2009

Some people may call themselves students of the world, but James Ragan truly is one.

He is an internationally recognized poet who has performed at worldwide venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall, the United Nations and the First International Poetry Festival in Moscow with Bob Dylan and Robert Bly. He served as the director of the University of Southern California’s Professional Writing Program for 25 years and is currently teaching as a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Presented by the University Writing Program, Ragan will read his work today from 2 to 4 p.m. in 126 Voorhies to discuss his new book Too Long Solitude. He will also appear tonight at 9 at Poetry Night at Bistro 33, located at 226 F St. Both events are free.

Ragan’s past work has covered socially relevant issues dealing with community and the ways of human nature, such as the Columbine killings, in Lusions. Too Long Solitude, which received a request as an “Oprah’s Book Club” consideration, takes a different approach as an introspective exploration of the need for reflection and contemplation.

“[It] explores the universal need for reflection which solitude gives in these troubled times, and the need for a re-education in the simplicities of life through nature and familial love, in order to re-join and celebrate community in the world,” Ragan said in an e-mail interview.

Ragan’s socially conscious work comes from a set of core values he has had about writing since the beginning.

“I felt strongly that it was the poet’s passion to move the minds of kings (world leaders), who in turn would move and shape the minds of society,” Ragan said.

Ragan cited his international travels as a major inspiration for his work.

“I write to break down borders. My sensibility has always been global, to find expression through my poetry, plays and films to bring individuals and worlds, seemingly apart, closer in understanding,” Ragan said. “I write to live out loud, and through the expansive reach of art, hope to achieve community through a common language.”

Ragan first made an impression on University Writing Program lecturer Brad Henderson when Henderson was a poetry student under Ragan at the University of Southern California.

“I had never heard a poet read aloud before who had such a tremendously crafty ability with language – potent words choices, complicated matrices of vertical and horizontal modern rhymes, and subject matter that was bold and big and cultural and political,” Henderson said in an e-mail interview.

Henderson hopes to facilitate the same powerful impression on students at today’s event.

“My hope is that they will stop being afraid of poetry, put off by poetry, unaffected by poetry, and they will be injected with enthusiasm to read poetry, write poetry, and to go to more readings of poetry,” Henderson said.

Ragan inspired UWP lecturer Andy Jones to hold public poetry readings in Davis. Along with Henderson, Jones hosts Poetry Night at Bistro 33, which runs every first and third Wednesday of the month.

“He moves audiences well in ways others don’t. He’s lived a rich life – stories about his heritage, trying out for the Yankees, his stories of Hollywood and interaction with the stars and writers,” Jones said. “He’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear these great tales from such a great storyteller and poet to boot.”

With today’s event, Ragan hopes that he will be able to encourage students to think communally and live open to others in the world.

“I hope that through my reading, the students will be inspired to see how we as individuals and as citizens of a nation must not lead insular lives but must ‘take it to the world,‘ and that poetry and art in general contributes to a world culture of understanding,“ Ragan said.

JULIA MCCANDLESS can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Women’s golf preview

Sports

Sports Editor

May 19, 2009

Event: NCAA Championships

Where: Caves Valley Golf Club – Owing Mills, Md.

When: Today through Friday; all day

Who to watch: Sophomore Alice Kim will serve as the lone Aggie representing UC Davis at the NCAA Championships this year.

Kim led the UC Davis women’s golf team with four top-five individual finishes. She boasts an impressive 73.4 stroke average through 33 rounds of play.

Did you know? Don’t let Kim’s class standing fool you. She already has NCAA Championships experience on her side.

A principle part of now retired coach Kathy DeYoung’s “Cinderella” team from last year, Kim posted a team-best 300 over the four-day title event at the New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque, N.M. The Aggies finished at No. 21 in the nation as a team.

Preview: Only one season removed from a team title run, Kim returns as an individual to play against the best women golfers in the country.

This year’s championship will take place at the historic Caves Valley Golf Club in Owing Mills, Md. It will feature the top 24 golf teams in the nation, as well as the top six individuals not playing on a team contender.

Three pools have been created to break the 24-team field into eight-team East, Central and West Regions.

Coming out of the East is top-seed Denver, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Tulane, Duke, North Carolina and Georgia.

UCLA leads the Central pack while Purdue, Wake Forest, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, New Mexico, Ohio State and Chattanoga round out the back end.

Out of the West is No. 1 seed Arizona State, USC, LSU, TCU, UC Irvine, Texas, Arizona and Pepperdine.

The individual field features Stephanie Connelly (UCF), Marina Alex (Vanderbilt), Kendall Dye (Oklahoma), Cindy LaCrosse (Louisville), Cathryn Bristow (Oregon) and finally Kim.

USC earned the team title by six strokes, carding an 1168. UCLA and Duke tied for second.

– Matt Miller

UC Davis swept by No. 1 UC Irvine

Sports

Sports Editor

May 19, 2009

After a breakout series against UC Riverside last weekend, the UC Davis baseball team hit the road looking for consecutive series wins for the first time all year.

Unfortunately for the Aggies, they ran into the No. 1 team in the country.

UC Irvine won all three games between the two clubs, earning its sixth Big West Conference sweep of the season in the process.

The Anteaters jumped out to an early lead and then coasted to a 9-3 victory on Friday. That’s as close as UC Davis would get to UC Irvine, as the Anteaters’ took Saturday’s game by 13 before posting a seven-run win Sunday.

UC Davis looks to turn things back around when it heads to Stanford to take on the Cardinal today at 5:30 p.m. from Sunken Diamond.

Friday – UC Irvine 9, UC Davis 3

UC Irvine got things under way with five runs in their first inning of the series.

The Aggies were able to play the Anteaters close the rest of the way, but couldn’t find enough scoring to climb back from the early deficit in the series-opening 9-3 loss.

“Our Achilles’ heel all season has been giving up the big inning,” said coach Rex Peters.

Justin Schafer paced UC Davis in the loss. The sophomore second baseman had two hits and two RBI, including a solo jack to lead off the Aggies’ half of the sixth.

Left fielder Kyle Mihaylo also had two hits and provided the Aggies’ only other run with an RBI single that plated Ryan Scoma.

UC Irvine had the long ball working as well, as four Anteaters hit home runs against UC Davis starter Scott Chew. The sophomore lefty gave up nine earned runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out only one.

Nathan Slater and Scott Heinig each pitched an inning in relief, blanking the Anteaters in the bottom half of the seventh and the eighth, respectively.

Saturday – UC Irvine 19, UC Davis 6

UC Irvine scored in six of its frames at the plate, cruising to a 19-6 win on Saturday to take the series. The Anteaters plated multiple runs in the third, fourth, seventh and eighth innings.

“[The Anteaters] aren’t that big, they don’t have tremendous power, they don’t overpower you on the mound, they don’t have 95 mph fastballs,” Peters said, “but they throw strikes, work both sides of the plate, change speeds and they put the ball in play offensively. They manage a baseball game better than anybody in the country.”

First baseman Grant Hirneise led the way for UC Davis offensively, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ty Kelly went 3-for-3 with a run and a RBI.

Schafer added two more hits to improve his hitting streak to 10 games.

“He’s just finally healthy,” Peters said. “It took him a while to get some games under his belt, to get some confidence. Now he’s a confident hitter. He’s seeing the ball really well and being aggressive.”

UC Davis starter Scott Lyman pitched four innings, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits. Tim Busbin came in for 2.2 innings of relief, but gave up three earned on five hits and four walks.

Matthew Lewis pitched the last 1.1 innings for UC Davis, giving up two earned on four hits.

The Aggies struggled defensively as well. UC Irvine capitalized off of three UC Davis errors for seven runs.

Sunday – UC Irvine 8, UC Davis 1

UC Irvine closed out the series with a win to send UC Davis back north on the wrong end of a sweep.

The Aggies plated the game’s first run, but the lead would be short lived as the Anteaters countered with eight unanswered runs.

Aggies starter Dayne Quist pitched six innings, allowing six runs – only three of them earned – on seven hits.

UC Davis was led offensively by the top of its lineup. Schafer, hitting in the leadoff spot, pushed his hitting streak to 11 games by recording two base knocks in four at-bats. He’s had multiple hits in each of his past six games.

Scoma provided a hit and scored the Aggies’ only run batting in the No. 4 spot. No. 5 hitter Joseph Medeiros went 2-for-3 with a double.

With the sweep, UC Irvine improves to 40-12 and clinches the Big West regular season crown with a 20-1 conference record. The Aggies drop to 10-40 on the year and 3-18 in league play.

“We didn’t play real well Saturday, but we didn’t play too badly in the other two ballgames,” Peters said. “They just do a really good job of managing a baseball game.”

JOHN S. HELLER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggie Digest

Sports

Sports Editor

May 19, 2009

UC Davis’ novice eight women’s crew overcame Gonzaga over the final 500 meters to claim first place in the petite final at the Pac-10 Championships at Lake Natoma on Sunday afternoon while the varsity eight took fifth in its petite final.

The Aggie novices crossed the finish line of the 2,000-meter course in six minutes, 57.1 seconds, beating Gonzaga by less than a second and third-place Sacramento State by almost two. The Aggies’ varsity eight was timed in its petite final in 6:56.8.

Sunday’s races brought to a close the 2009 season for UC Davis. The Pac-10 Championships annually bring together the top rowing programs in the West Region. The varsity eight class featured seven teams currently ranked in the top 20.

The novices nearly qualified for their event’s grand final, finishing fourth in their preliminary races on Sunday morning. They were edged out by USC by less than a second for third place and the last spot in the championship.

The Aggies trailed the Trojans by more than two seconds heading into the final piece before nearly making up the entire deficit. USC was timed in 7:00.9 while UC Davis was close behind in 7:01.8.

Gonzaga took the early lead in the petite final, leading the Aggies after each of the first 500-meter markers including taking a three-second-advantage midway. However, UC Davis turned in a 1:45.63 split over the third piece to get within less than a second before passing Gonzaga for the close win.

Gonzaga was clocked at 6:58.6 to take second while Sacramento State was third in 6:59.1.

Racing against four ranked crews in its preliminary race on Sunday morning, UC Davis’ varsity eight found itself in a close battle with Saint Mary’s for fifth place. The Aggies led the Gaels for the first 1,000 meters before Saint Mary’s rallied for a slight lead after 1,500. However, a 1:42.53 split down the stretch enabled the Aggies to earn fifth in 6:54.4, slightly in front of Saint Mary’s which crossed in 6:55.9.

UC Davis was third after 500 meters in its petite final, trailing only No. 20 UCLA and Sacramento State. It then slipped to fifth at the halfway mark and wasn’t able to overcome the deficit the rest of the way, ending the race in 6:56.8. UCLA (6:40.0) won the petite final and was followed by Gonzaga, Sacramento State and Saint Mary’s.

Top-ranked Stanford won the varsity eight grand final in 6:18.6 while Washington claimed top novice honors in 6:44.0.

AGGIE DIGEST is compiled by the California Aggie sports staff with briefs from the UC Davis athletics website, ucdavisaggies.com.

Aggie Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

May 19, 2009

TODAY

Student Nutrition Association meeting

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Meyers Hall Breezeway

Check out the Student Nutrition Association’s annual student/faculty mixer. Meet other nutrition majors, teachers and faculty. Lunch is provided!

Author reading

Noon to 1 p.m.

Art Lounge, MU

Religious Studies lecturer Alon Raab will speak about soccer and give a book reading from his work The Global Game: Writers on Soccer. The reading will be followed by a soccer game on the A Street Intramural Field.

Electronic Music for Change

Noon to 1 p.m.

MU Patio, Flagpole

Enjoy an hour of free electronic music, Red Bull giveaways and Go-Go Dancers!

An evening with Jake Kosek

4 p.m.

MU II

Listen to Jake Kosek, author of Understories: The Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico, speak.

Personal Finance 101: Tips for Graduating Students

6 to 8 p.m.

Building 180, The Colleges at LaRue

Go learn about personal finances and get tips about budgeting.

WEDNESDAY

East Quad Farmers Market

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

East Quad

Support local farmers and buy some fresh produce, nuts, flowers and more! Pick up some tasty treats for a fun springtime dinner or a nice afternoon snack.

Real Bodies are Fashionable

Noon to 1 p.m.

MU Patio

Listen to a talk on body image and eating disorders by former male model Ron Saxen, followed by an alternative fashion show. This event is hosted by Campus Unions and the WRRC.

Aggie Idol

7 p.m.

Freeborn Hall

Go to the third annual intercollegiate student-athlete charity variety show. Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit humanitarian organization Invisible Children. Advance tickets, available at the Freeborn Hall Ticket Office, will be $6 through May 19 and $8 on May 20.

THURSDAY

Thursday Trivia Nights

6 to 7:30 p.m.

First floor, Silo Union

Test your knowledge of random facts and potentially win fabulous prizes along the way!

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. XXX

Dining in Davis: Cupcake Craving at Davis Creamery

Features

Features Editor

May 19, 2009

In review:

Davis Creamery

2191 Cowell Blvd.

Hours: Sunday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday noon to 11 p.m.

Price: $$$ out of $$$$

Ambience: 2 stars

Food: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

There is no way to describe the strange noise that came out of my mouth when I walked past the Davis Creamery a month ago and noticed a gourmet cupcake advertisement. This food combination was like if Disneyland had fused with Sea World – kind of random but still a really good idea.

The Davis Creamery makes and sells chocolate, vanilla, coffee, peppermint, chocolate mint, strawberry, salted caramel, cheesecake, cupcake and lemon custard ice cream on a regular basis. It’s currently offering three new fruit sorbet flavors, including Very Berry, Pomegranate Raspberry and Mango.

In true Davis style, the store also offers 100 percent organic banana and honey ice cream as well. I’m a simple gal and stick to the standard strawberry on my ice cream runs. Do not underestimate the basics though, because while I highly recommend the strawberry, good old fashioned chocolate and vanilla will not disappoint you either. Beyond the ice cream case is another glass display case that is just as colorful and tempting.

I saw rows of cupcakes that had chocolate frosting with caramel drizzled over top, while another row had cream cheese frosting with dark chocolate monkey faces pressed in the center. There were a total of nineteen different varieties offered, and I was determined to try every single one.

Davis Creamery receives these fresh baked cupcakes daily from the Sacramento based Cupcake Craving store. Cupcake Craving was started by three friends in Sacramento in 2007. According to their website, word of their product spread rapidly over the past two years enabling them to sell their cupcakes at three different locations.

The Davis Creamery is the most recent location added by Cupcake Craving, and has sold their product since February 2009.

Being a self-proclaimed cream cheese frosting fan, I evaluated those frosting options on my first trip. There was Red Velvet Rescue, Monkey Mania and two different carrot cake options among this category that I could see.

My decision came down between the 24K Craving and the 10K Craving cupcake, both carrot cake choices. An employee explained to me that the 24K had nuts and raisins, so I opted for the 10K and was not disappointed.

Actually, I became stuck in a rut and continued to get the 10K Craving my next two trips (because yes, I have been there more than three times now).

It was on my fourth trip that I decided to break out of my comfort zone and switch things up. I failed to veer away from the cream cheese frosting variety, but settled on Monkey Mania.

If the title sounds bizarre, that’s because it is. Monkey Mania is cream cheese frosting on top of banana cake which also happens to be filled with caramel. To top it off, there is a dark chocolate monkey face pressed into the frosting.

While I doubt anyone would be disappointed with Monkey Mania, I personally still hold a soft spot for the 10K.

Finally, on my most recent Davis Creamery stop I decided to take one for the chocoholics. Chocolate Fix, Black Forest and S’more Galore were all considerations but I finally settled on Caramel Comfort.

Caramel Comfort is caramel drizzled chocolate frosting, on top of caramel-filled chocolate cake. What bad can be said about that? I had no complaints, and would probably order it again … in addition to my 10K Craving.

Other options that looked interesting include the Champagne cupcake, the Italian Rum Delight and Koo-Koo for Macaroons. I imagine I will probably make my way through all of them eventually; the price I pay for living across the street.

In regards to the price of the cupcakes, the traditional Vanilla Bliss and Chocolate Fix cupcakes go for $2 a piece. The other varieties are sold at $2.50 each, and there are also sugar-free options for $3. In addition, there is the option of purchasing a dozen mini gourmet cupcakes for $15 or a standard sized dozen for $27.50.

All in all, I give the Davis Creamery a big frosting covered thumbs up for offering this new aspect to their store. The cupcake quality is great, the price affordable, and the product definitely upholds their motto of being “udderly delicious.“

AMANDA HARDWICK can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

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