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Business challenge provides competitive opportunity to new entrepreneurs

City Editor
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The Yolo Business Ascent Challenge is looking for young entrepreneurs to test the ability of their company to survive in a struggling economy.

The challenge kicked off in early March, and continues to look for new and developing businesses to participate. It is sponsored by Golden Capital Network, a company that aims to introduce innovative entrepreneurs to capital, expertise and resources.

“The challenge caters to start up companies who want publicity and attention from investors,“ said Brian Abbanat, economic development specialist for the city of Davis.

The companies participating are in growth or development stages, Abbanat said.

“The competition … is a survival style format,” he added.

Each company participating must make it past multiple rounds of challenges to survive in the competition, Abbanat said.

One of the challenges is the “speed pitch round,” in which companies must pitch their business plan to investors in two minutes. Other challenges lead to the final “summit pitch round,” which is the finalized presentation from each company.

While the winning company does receive a cash prize, the access to publicity and company exposure is the most important thing that the company gains, he added.

Puroast, a Woodland-based entrepreneurial company that specializes in low-acid coffee, presented at the launch and has been continually involved in the Yolo Ascent Challenge.

“Part of the motivation to have us on the panel was because of all the stuff we have done to develop our business in Yolo County,” said Kerry Sachs, co-founder of Puroast Coffee.

Sachs and other members of the Puroast team shared their experience with the entrepreneurial aspect of their company.

“Through a series of entrepreneurial trial and error experiences, we ended up discovering a way of producing coffee that is low on acid but great in flavor,” Sachs said.

As a co-founder of Puroast, Sachs provided advice to young entrepreneurs at the launch of the Yolo Business Ascent Challenge.

“The most fundamental piece of advice I would give somebody is: Do not have a fall back plan,” he said. “The experience of [entrepreneurship] is really about a complete commitment to delivering on want you believe in.“

Despite harsh economic times, new and developing businesses could still have a bright future, he added.

“If you maintain a high level of commitment and passion [for your business] your odds of success go way up,” Sachs said.

With the help of UC Davis in the testing and development stages of their company, Puroast has been able to make a successful product that they want to in turn make accessible to the UC Davis community, Sachs said.

The Yolo Business Ascent Challenge can be a great opportunity for students or recent graduates to showcase their creativity, said Jim Mikles, vice president of Golden Capital Network.

“The challenge is part of a statewide initiative to find the very best innovation companies,” he said.

While the Golden Capital Network has been sponsoring business competitions for many years, this is the first time they have conducted one on a statewide scale, Mikles added.

For more information on the Yolo Business Ascent Challenge visit yolo.businessascent.com.

 

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

Controversial agricultural pest detected in Davis

City Editor
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An agricultural pest that caused an environmental uproar on the California coast in 2008 may have made its way to Davis.

Yolo County officials announced last week that they found a single light brown apple moth in a monitoring trap in South Davis.

The moth is an agricultural pest that feeds on over 2,000 plant species and 250 crops. Native to Australia, it can destroy, stunt or deform young seedlings and new growth in forest canopy, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

County staffers are setting up 300 new traps within a nine-mile radius of the original find to determine whether this is a fluke or a real infestation.

“Within a few weeks we would expect to pick up more moths if it is an infestation,” said Yolo County Agriculture Commissioner Rick Landon.

If it turns out this was not just a stray moth that hitchhiked into the Central Valley from the coast, farmers in the region who export produce may have to worry about a quarantine, Landon said.

The light brown apple moth is not a threat to tomatoes, the county’s biggest cash crop. Grapes, almonds, corn and other exports are at risk, however.

The agricultural pest caused uproar in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay region when state officials announced they were going to try to eradicate the moth by spraying pheromones from the air. Those plans were scrapped after hundreds of citizens complained that the state was essentially doing a chemical experiment on humans.

Several UC Davis entomology professors were instrumental in convincing state and local leaders that pheromone spraying was not a good solution, but they said it was not a health issue.

“The pheromone poses no rational risk to human beings,” said UC Davis professor Bruce Hammock, an expert in insect biochemistry.

The real issue with the pheromone approach, according to the UCD entomologists, was the fact that the light brown apple moth can only be controlled, not eliminated.

“It is so widespread in the state that it’s impossible to eradicate,” said UCD entomology professor James Carey. “It’s not a small chance, it’s a zero chance.”

Carey also said the pest was not even especially dangerous.

“It is not that big a concern as a pest,” he said. “It’s no different than any other leafroller pest that we already have in the state.”

Carey said the real concern for farmers is the Department of Food and Agriculture coming in and trying to eradicate the moth through a quarantine, which could have a serious financial impact on those who depend on the ability to export produce.

Since aerial spraying is not currently an option on the table, a quarantine would be the most likely course of action if there was an infestation, Landon said.

A quarantine would affect commodities grown within 1.5 miles of a find. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated that it would be willing to help defray the costs associated with a quarantine, Landon said. Other potential techniques for dealing with the pest include using sterile insects or pheromone-infused twist ties to disrupt the mating process.

 

JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

New eligibility requirements could mean fewer Asians at UC

Campus Editor
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The new UC eligibility requirements have sparked an uproar with some Asian American community leaders, who say the change will cause a decline in the university’s Asian American population.

Chinese for Affirmative Action is among several national advocacy organizations that have expressed concern over the eligibility changes. The organization has suggested that the new eligibility requirements could cause “unintentional whitening” of UC.

“There’s almost a swapping out of Asian students for white students. Let’s not rush this thing,” said Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, in a press release.

“The concern is that this policy change hasn’t been well studied and hasn’t determined how it will affect the diversity of the student body at UC,” said Susan Hseih, spokesperson for Chinese for Affirmative Action.

Beginning with the fall class of 2012, students will no longer have to take the SAT Subject Tests, also known as SAT II, in order to have their application considered by UC.

The new admissions policy could change the demographics of admitted UC students.

According to a California Postsecondary Education Commission study that examined 2007 applicants, the new requirements would have hypothetically caused a 4 to 7 percent decline in the proportion of admitted Asian American students in 2007-2008. African American students would have seen at most a 1 percent increase, Latinos a 3 percent increase, and white students as much as a 10 percent increase.

The admitted fall 2007 class was 36 percent Asian American, 34 percent white, 19 percent Chicano/Latino, 4 percent African American, 1 percent Native American and 6 percent other or unknown.

The eligibility change was also at the forefront of the agenda of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education conference in San Francisco on Mar. 31.

California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) is among a group of lawmakers who have criticized UC for not soliciting public input before implementing the change. He held a hearing on the senate select committee on Asian American Pacific Islander affairs last week to gather information from UC.

“The concern is that this will negatively impact Asian Pacific Islander applicants and [Lee] wants to make sure that that doesn’t happen,” said Adam Keigwin, Lee’s chief of staff, who added that a 7 percent decline in admitted Asian American students would be “detrimental.“

UC President Mark Yudof, responding to Yee’s concerns, wrote a letter stating that the intent of the admissions change was to increase opportunity by “opening the door for consideration for admission to a larger group of students” and to increase fairness by “eliminating unnecessary barriers.“

Yudof also noted that under the new change, Asian Americans are still projected to qualify for admissions at rates “substantially higher” than other racial groups. According to the 2007 CPEC study, 20.9 percent of Asian American students would have been guaranteed admission under the new policy, as compared to 12.2 percent for whites and between 6 and 7 percent for Latinos and African Americans.

“We hope and expect that [Asian Pacific Islander] students will continue to achieve at very high levels, to apply to UC at very high rates, and to be very successful in the comprehensive review process at each of our campuses,” wrote Yudof.

D’Artaganan Scorza, the UC Student Regent, said the admissions policy change has been widely misunderstood. Its aim is to broaden the eligibility criteria to include economically underprivileged students, who have equal potential and for whom the SAT II tests are a burden, he said.

According to the 2007 CPEC study, the percentage of admitted students from schools with low Academic Performance Index scores would have increased by 4 to 7 percent.

Furthermore, with the implementation of a writing sample on the SAT Reasoning Test in 2005, the SAT II tests are no longer necessary, said Scorza.

Scorza also said the term Asian American encompasses a wide variety of ethnicities, such as Filipinos and Hmong, who are underrepresented at UC.

“Underrepresented groups will benefit because of this policy,” Scorza said. “We need to get away from the homogeneity of terms. What’s fair is fair for all.“

Keigwin said Yee’s office has yet to see any data to support that claim.

Yee will keep a close eye on the effect of the new admissions policy, Keigwin said. Now, UC must adequately communicate the changes, he said.

“Outreach needs to be done to all communities, so students can adjust to the change in the policy,” Keigwin said. “At the end of the day, what everyone hopes for is an equal and fair shot at admission, regardless of their racial background.“

 

PATRICK McCARTNEY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Art exhibit touches upon issues of marginalization

Arts Editor
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Although some would like to think that UC Davis is relatively untouched by marginalization, graduate student Sumer Seiki would strongly disagree. This week, Seiki will present “Academic Inclusion: Undoing Marginalization,” an art exhibit and symposium that touches upon issues of racism, sexism and classism.

The exhibit opened on Apr. 6 and will run until Friday at the Art Lounge, located on the second floor of the Memorial Union. The two-part symposium will be held at the Art Lounge on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Those who attend both symposiums and participate in all the events will be awarded a certificate of completion.

Seiki understands the covert nature of marginalization and wanted to use the art exhibit to bring it out into the open.

“Oftentimes only close friends or family hear these types of marginalization stories and experiences of the process,” Seiki said. “I wanted to give the campus community an opportunity to hear their fellow campus-mates‘ experiences and thoughts out in the open. I think if we understand what is happening on campus we can work toward change.“

For the exhibit, Seiki accepted submissions from any artist personally influenced by such discrimination. She then hand-selected pieces for the showcase, which includes a range of art from poetry, film and fine art.

Anthropology professor Karen Ann Watson-Gegeo has donated two poems to the exhibit in support of speaking out against social injustice. As a woman of mixed ethnicity from a working-class background, Watson-Gegeo’s work has been fueled by her personal experience with marginalization.

“Because of these experiences, I decided to devote my life and career to research, practice and activism on issues of social justice, poverty and helping students from marginalized communities succeed in schools and universities,” she said.

Similarly, painter Zahedus Sadat uses his art as a means of expressing his struggle with cultural exclusion as a non-native to the United States. Sadat explained his disconnect with American traditions and rituals and the isolation that resulted from this lack of synchronicity.

“My hope is that this will motivate some to help the international students adjust to the culture quickly. Native students will cooperate more with other international students [as well as] those who are from different cultures or other parts of [United States],” Sadat said.

Senior sociology major Markee Slagel created an edited self-interview that discusses the inequalities students face in receiving access to campus resources.

“My personal experiences with marginalization on campus include exclusion from university events, student resources, prejudicial and condescending treatment from professors, extreme social isolation and threats upon my life,” Slagel said in an e-mail interview. “It’s tough being different in our society, and equality of either opportunity or outcome are more myth than fact for many people.“

Slagel pointed out that the use of personal experience by the artists is simply a means of opening up issues like these for discussion.

“I speak about myself, but not for myself, in an attempt to inform and stimulate discussion between audiences that are unfamiliar or uninformed with regards to transgendered people and the enduring nature of prejudice in our liberal society,” Slagel said.

As the weight of these issues is heavy, art seems to be the perfect avenue for sensitive discussion.

“Art lies at the nexus of social marginalization and the communication of information; it’s about the truths of life,” Slagel said.

“Art is a tool for development and a means of expression,” Sadat added. “Art can speak a thousand words.“

For these artists, the bottom line is raising consciousness.

“I hope that those who have never experienced marginalization due to race, ethnicity, gender, social class or disability come to have an understanding of and empathy for students who have endured exclusion,” Watson-Gegeo said. “I hope that for students who have experienced exclusion … come to a deeper understanding of their own experience and a stronger sense of how to overcome those experiences.“

 

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

 

Hectic week concludes with win over No. 21 SDSU

Sports Editor
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Six games in six days – the busiest stretch of the UC Davis baseball team’s season is over.

There may not be anybody more relieved than coach Rex Peters.

“It was a very busy week, and you always worry if you have enough pitching to get through a week like that,” Peters said. “We’re past it now, so hopefully we can move forward into the lighter part of our schedule where it will be less taxing on our pitching staff.“

UC Davis ended the six-day stretch with a four-game series against No. 21 San Diego State. The Aggies knocked off the Aztecs on Sunday to push their record to 5-21.

The team returns to Big West Conference action when it hosts UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series. First pitch at Dobbins Stadium is scheduled for Friday at 2:30 p.m.

 

Friday – SDSU 14, UC Davis 0

Stephen Strasburg was as good as advertised. His catcher Erik Castro was even better.

The country’s most highly-touted prospect allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings, and Castro blasted two home runs and had six RBI to lead the Aztecs to a 14-0 win over the Aggies on Friday at PETCO Park.

UC Davis managed just five hits – all singles – in the loss, but Strasburg registered a season-low six strikeouts.

“We knew going into that game it was going to be a tough one for us to get with Strasburg on the mound,” Peters said. “He should be the first overall pick in the draft, but I thought we worked him pretty well, got his pitch count up.“

 

Saturday – Game 1: SDSU 9, UC Davis 4

UC Davis struggled with its control on the mound, and SDSU capitalized.

Five of the seven Aztecs to draw walks went on to score in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, proving to be the difference in the Aggies‘ 9-4 loss at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

“It’s kind of been our Achilles heel on the mound, commanding the strike zone,” Peters said. “That comes back to haunt you against very good teams. You’re going to pay for it.“

 

Saturday – Game 2: SDSU 5, UC Davis 3

Ryan O’Sullivan led off the seventh inning with a walk. The next batter, Pat Colwell, followed suit.

Control problems had already led to one UC Davis loss on Saturday. Sure enough, they were about to lead to a second.

Breaking a 3-3 tie, Brandon Meredith singled to left to bring home O‘Sullivan, and Colwell scored the insurance run off a wild pitch as SDSU clinched the series with a 5-3 win.

The two-run Aztec seventh directly followed a game-tying, two-run outburst earlier in the inning by the Aggies.

“That’s been an issue that has occurred far too often,” Peters said, “where we have either taken the lead or tied the game offensively and go right back the next inning and start with two leadoff walks that give the lead right back. We need to be able to put a zero after we take a lead, and we haven’t been able to do a good job of that.“

 

Sunday – UC Davis 6, SDSU 5

Scott Lyman had made a mess in his previous appearance.

This time, the freshman salvaged a series by cleaning one up.

In the seventh, after Castro hit an RBI single to cut the Aggies‘ lead to two runs at 6-4, Lyman entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. The 6-foot-3 righthander then forced two fly outs to escape the inning before finishing the Aztecs off with two scoreless frames in a 6-5 UC Davis win.

The save was the first of Lyman’s collegiate career and came one week after allowing seven earned runs in a loss to Pacific.

“That was a huge step for Scotty, his confidence, his career and his advancement as a pitcher to pitch like he did in those circumstances,” Peters said. “He grew up a little bit in that game.“

 

MICHAEL GEHLKEN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Conley qualifies for regionals in second event

Sports Editor
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One week after their impressive performance at the Cal-Nevada Championships, the Aggies came back to Northern California to compete at the Mondo Invite at Sacramento State.

While it had some highlights, the meet as a whole can be best described as average, according to coach Deanne Vochatzer.

“It was the first week back at school and a week after Cal-Nevada,” she said. “Not making excuses, but we looked like it. We looked like we were just getting back into it.“

Still, the Aggies managed to get another regional qualifying mark when Kim Conley won the 1,500m. She clocked a 4:22.17, bumping her to No. 2 on the all-time list.

“It felt really good,” Conley said. “I ran a smarter race than I ran last weekend, so it definitely chased some of the demons out of my head. It was good to jump back on the horse and do it right.“

Last week, Conley qualified for the regional championships in the 5,000m, making this the second year in a row that she’s qualified for both. While she plans to compete the 5,000m at regionals – and hopefully at nationals – she will get a fast 1,500m in during the Mt. SAC invite in Walnut, Calif. in two weeks.

On the field, Tessa Fraser showed that she’s back after a rough opening to the outdoor season. She cleared 3.75m and then narrowly missed at the regional qualifying mark of 3.85m.

“I was happy to get over 3.60 on the first attempt,” Fraser said, “but my sights were set on the next two bars. I knew I could get 3.60m, but I had been having trouble around the 12-foot range. The biggest relief was getting over that next one at 3.75m.“

Fraser started her 2009 campaign very solidly indoors, clearing 3.67m and 3.66m in her two meets. But since outdoors rolled around, she had been unable to clear 3.60m until Saturday.

“The last three weeks have been a bit of a slump,” Fraser said. “We tapered down in practice a little this week, so I think I was a little fresher going into this weekend. I was also a lot more mentally relaxed and I think that helped me clear my head and get over some bars.“

And while she did not set any regional marks or records on the day, the return of Seante Baker from an injury was a bright spot.

“For me a highlight as a coach is to have the return of Seante,” Vochatzer said. “She’s been out for two weeks cause of an Iliotibial band injury that basically just wasted her. She ran 57.53 in the open 400m then 25.50 in the 200m, but she also came back and ran on our ‘B‘ relay and ran a 56 on the relay. That was the most she’s run in two years, so it was a huge day for her.

“I’m just really happy to have her back because she shows an Aggie spirit that I’ve missed. It was a special day to have the return of a senior who’s had a pretty rough time.“

 

ALEX WOLF-ROOT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Women’s lacrosse preview

Sports Editor
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Teams: UC Davis at Howard

Records: Aggies, 3-9; Bison, 0-9

Where: Greene Stadium – Washington, D.C.

When: Monday at 10 a.m.

Who to watch: Alyssa Cranska will likely be starting in goal for the Aggies. The sophomore goalkeeper followed her 10-save performance in the win against Central Connecticut during spring break with a career-high 16 saves Friday against Villanova.

Though the Aggies lost a nail-biter to the Wildcats in the second sudden-victory period, Cranska’s performance could establish her as the everyday keeper for the Aggies. She has been splitting time between the posts with fellow sophomore Kjersten Nordmeyer.

Did you know? The Aggies have six players with double-digit scoring totals through 12 games.

Christina Corsa and Gina Hoffmire had four goals apiece in the Aggies last game against Villanova, giving both players 20-plus goals on the season.

Britt Farquharson leads the Aggies with 27 goals. The other players with 10-plus goals are Hoffmire (22), Corsa (20), Patrice Clark (17), Molly Lapolla (12) and Jacklyn Taylor (10).

Preview: The Aggies are coming off of a heart-wrenching loss to the Villanova Wildcats. They will look to take out some frustration on the winless Howard Bison.

With only three games left before the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships begin on Apr. 23, the Aggies need something to build upon. Today’s game will be their last non-conference contest of the season.

 

– John S. Heller

Phillips, Wilright finish first, second in 400m

Sports Editor
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Coming off a very solid fifth-place finish at the huge Cal-Nevada Championships, the Aggies headed across the Causeway for the much smaller Mondo Invite, where they competed against California, North Dakota State and Sacramento State.

While they didn’t fall apart, UC Davis wasn’t able to bring its “A” game two weeks in a row.

“It was okay,” said coach Jon Vochatzer. “A couple good things, a couple okay things but nothing super. It was just okay. If you look at all the results, nothing really jumps out at you and made you say, ‘Wow.‘ Not one of those meets – not really a barnburner – but a good meet for everyone.“

The highlight of the day was the 400m, where sophomore Thomas Phillips and junior Alex Wilright took first and second, respectively.

Phillips‘ career-best time of 47.77 strengthened his hold on the No. 3 slot on UC Davis‘ all-time list. Wilright was right behind, finishing in 47.89. This comes a week after the duo made their way onto the national top-10 list in the 400m hurdles at UCLA.

“Last weekend was tough,” Phillips said. “We worked hard all this week, so it was kind of a run-and-see-where-we’re-at sort of thing. I’m happy I was able to run that time considering the amount of training we did last week.“

Though Phillips and Wilright are obviously quite impressive in the open 400m, expect them to continue to focus on the hurdles.

“The 400m hurdles is definitely my favorite event,” Phillips said. “It’s such a technical race and requires a lot of focus. It’s an interesting race to run.“

While Phillips‘ win was the only individual top performance, the 4x100m relay team was also quite impressive, running the second-fastest time in school history.

“The 4x100m finally had a good run, going 41.25,” Vochatzer said. “We won that. Besides that nothing really jumps out.“

Additionally, some multi-eventers competed in some individual events, setting the stage for some solid marks at the Azusa Pacific Multis in two weeks.

“One of our decathletes, Will Guthrie, has been tearing it up in the javelin,” Phillips said. “He’s throwing farther than all the guys who throw it for an event.“

In addition to his 51.72m throw for third, Guthrie cleared 1.75m in the high jump and clocked 16.80 in the 110m hurdles.

“We were working through it and coming back from Cal-Nevada where we had a great meet,” Vochatzer said. “Sometimes it’s hard to bounce from a great meet to another great meet.“

 

ALEX WOLF-ROOT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Men’s golf preview

Sports Editor
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Event: Wyoming Cowboy Classic

Where: Talking Stick Golf Club – Scottsdale, Ariz.

When: Today and tomorrow; all day

Who to watch: Austin Graham performed brilliantly for the Aggies last year at the Cowboy Classic. Then a freshman, Graham finished ninth in the tournament among individuals, shooting 4-under leading UC Davis to a team victory in the 23-team field.

The San Clemente, Calif. native is coming off a strong freshman year in which he led the team with a stroke average of 72.7. He had a trio of top-10 finishes, including a tie for sixth place at the Big West Championships.

Graham has built on that success this year for the Aggies. He finished tied for 17th and led UC Davis to a fifth-place finish as a team its last time out at the Oregon Invitational on Mar. 24.

Did you know? When the Aggies hit the course in Scottsdale, they’ll do so shooting for their third straight team title at the Cowboy Classic. They fired an impressive 833 (-7) in 2008 after finishing at even par in 2007.

Additionally, UC Davis has had this success despite the tournament’s expansion. The Classic fielded 11 teams back in 2003 before growing to its current 23-team field.

Preview: The Aggies came back from a slow start to post a solid finish at the Oregon Invitational their last time out.

Stuck in eighth place after posting scores of 300 and 303 on the first day of competition, UC Davis rallied to fire a third-round 288 to finish fifth.

The early-round stumbles, however, cost the Aggies‘ their top-25 national ranking. They dropped from No. 24 to No. 36. Look for UC Davis to try to get back on track today in Arizona as it guns for its third straight Cowboy Classic.

 

– Kyle Hyland

Giant steps

Sports Editor
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Justin Fitzgerald was a San Francisco Giants fan. He was one his whole life. His dad was born and raised a Giants fan, too. He remembers going to Candlestick Park as a kid to see Will “The Thrill” Clark. He was at AT&T Park to watch Barry Bonds hit the 700th home run of his career.

Fitzgerald, 23, isn’t a San Francisco Giants fan any longer.

Instead, he’s pitching for the organization he grew up rooting for.

Fitzgerald was taken in the 11th round (No. 327 overall) by San Francisco in June’s Major League Baseball Draft. The UC Davis product has spent the past month and a half at the Giants‘ spring training home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“There’s going to be a lot of motivation no matter where I’m pitching,” Fitzgerald said after making his final spring training appearance on Saturday, “but maybe I’m trying that much harder to make the big league club to be a San Francisco Giant.“

Fitzgerald will begin this season with the Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets, the Giants‘ Low-A affiliate. He felt he might have been on the bubble to start the season a lever higher with High-A San Jose, but assumed he was going to be with Augusta from the start of spring training.

“That’s just how it is when you’re a first-year guy in your first spring training,” he said.

Although his Augusta assignment is technically below that of a San Jose one, Fitzgerald could be in a better situation by beginning the year with the GreenJackets.

Fitzgerald would have been one of the last arms to make the San Jose club, making it difficult to earn late-inning appearances early on; instead, he should be Augusta’s closer, just like he was for the Aggies when they earned a NCAA Tournament berth last season.

“All spring training, I’ve been put in eighth- and ninth-inning situations,” Fitzgerald said. “It looks like I’m going to be a late-inning guy.“

All eight of Fitzgerald’s spring training appearances came in the eighth or ninth innings.

“It’s pretty cool to see that,” he said. “It’s nice to know they trust me in those situations.“

Fitzgerald got his first professional taste of pitching in save situations last season. After being drafted, he reported to the Arizona League. He was then quickly promoted to Short-Season Salem-Keizer (Ore.), where he converted five of his six save chances.

In order to reach the big leagues, Fitzgerald will next need to advance through Augusta and San Jose in hopes of reaching Double-A Connecticut and then Triple-A Fresno en route to the Giants‘ bullpen.

Saying this task isn’t going to be easy would be an understatement, and the lifestyle changes that have come Fitzgerald’s way are proof of that.

“It’s definitely different,” Fitzgerald said. “You’re far away from your family – I’m going to be clear across the country. Your eating habits change, too. Games start at 7:30 p.m., so you’re not eating dinner until 10:30 at night.… I’m not going to school anymore. I’m just straight up playing baseball. It’s my job.“

Fitzgerald’s job isn’t paying him too well, especially while he’s been with the Giants in Scottsdale.

“You’re making $18 or $20 a day out here in spring training,” he said. “You’re pretty much paying for yourself to play baseball here early in your career.“

Fitzgerald knows things could pay off in the future, though – both financially and in terms of reaching his ultimate goal: to make it to the major leagues and pitch for his San Francisco Giants.

“I went to a conditioning camp at AT&T Park this offseason,” Fitzgerald said. “I was able to see the clubhouse, appreciate what those guys get.“

Those guys get to wear black and orange caps and jerseys spelling out “GIANTS” across their chests to the ballpark everyday – just like Fitzgerald has this spring, just like he has his whole life.

 

ADAM LOBERSTEIN wants you to know he wrote this column as an Oakland Athletics fan, born and raised. Only for you, Fitzy. He can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggie Digest

Sports Editor
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Women’s rowing

Miami overtook UC Davis for fourth-place midway during Sunday morning’s petite final of the Jessop-Whittier Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic, beating the Aggie women’s varsity eight crew for the final position at the prestigious regatta.

UC Davis, which faced its toughest competition of the season over the two-day regatta, was timed in 7:12.60 – five seconds behind the Hurricanes. Thirteenth-ranked UCLA won the race in 6:52.20.

The Aggies were sixth in their high-powered preliminary race on Saturday and looked to gain more valuable experience with a strong showing on Sunday. UC Davis got off to a solid start, moving into fourth place at the 500-meter mark, a little more than four seconds behind leader UCLA.

The weekend provided an opportunity for UC Davis to go head-to-head with some of the top varsity eight crews in the country. The Aggies were moved up to the invitational varsity eight class after winning the Cal Cup Championship each of the past two seasons.

Besides UCLA, the Whittier-Jessop Cup featured No. 4 Washington, No. 6 Michigan, No. 11 USC, No. 12 Washington State, No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 18 Oregon State. All but UCLA and Oregon State participated in last year’s NCAA Championships.

On Saturday, the Aggies‘ novice eight captured the petite final, holding off Kansas State for the title.

The rowing remains tough for UC Davis, which will host California at the Port of Sacramento on Saturday. The Golden Bears‘ varsity eight is currently ranked No. 3 nationally after receiving a first-place vote.

 

Men’s tennis

The UC Davis men’s tennis team picked up a Big West Conference victory Saturday by edging UC Riverside, 4-3, at the Student Recreation Center Tennis Complex. UC Davis (3-12, 1-3 Big West) lost the doubles point, but rallied for four wins in singles.

The Highlanders began the match by winning the tightly contested doubles point. Michael Conroy and Raineir Matias were the first to win after an 8-6 victory at No. 3 against Josh Albert and Nic Amaroli.

It took tiebreakers to decide the remaining two matches, and UCR clinched the opening point when Yi Chai and John Park outlasted Tyler Lee and Michael Reiser at No. 2, 9-8 (5). Hunter Lee and Nick Lopez won their match at No. 1, 9-8 (4), over Quoc Doan and Felix Macherez.

Reiser helped the Aggies even the score at 1-1 when he defeated Park, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 2. UC Davis took a 2-1 lead on a straight sets victory by Tyler Lee at No. 5. The cushion became 3-1 as Hunter Lee defeated Doan at No. 3, 6-4, 6-1.

The Highlanders pulled within 3-2 on a win at No. 1 by Macherez, but the Aggies clinched the win with Amaroli’s victory at No. 6. The Aggie junior was leading Chai, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 2-0 before Chai retired due to an injury.

 

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

 

Making hope a reality

Features Editor
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Early Saturday morning, students, faculty and community members flooded Toomey Field to kick off UC Davis‘ sixth annual Relay for Life.

On the bleachers, candles spelling out the word “hope” set the theme for the 24-hour relay-style marathon event, which lasted from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. Students raised money for the American Cancer Society (ACS) to fund cancer research and advocacy.

“It’s the [American Cancer Society’s] nationwide signature event,” explained Relay for Life co-chair Chelsea Fahr, a senior international relations and communication double major. “And it’s worldwide – it’s such a great event to be a part of, because you know that people are all around the globe fighting the same fight.“

By press time, Relay for Life had raised at least $106,000, and a final total is anticipated to be much higher as this week’s post-event fundraisers take place and online donations continue to filter in.

In the past five years, UC Davis Relay for Life has gathered nearly $700,000 in total, earning the spot as top college relay in California. But for most students, reasons for participating were much more personal than simply fundraising.

Fahr walked for her friend Jackie, who passed away from cancer during Fahr’s freshman year of high school.

“Jackie’s my reason for doing it … during Relay for Life; we remember those we’ve lost, honor those who are currently battling cancer and also those who have won the fight,” Fahr explained.

A total of 209 teams with eight to 15 members each took part, breaking last year’s record of 165 teams. The event totaled just over 2,200 registered participants (last year’s number was 1,700), and hundreds more from the public came to observe throughout the day. The overflow of tents saturating Toomey Field required organizers to set up additional locations on the adjacent A Street Field.

Teams set up bake sales, carnival games, snow-cone booths and other attractions to raise funds on site. Some kept running tallies of their total laps on poster-boards attached to their tents, while others created T-shirts for the occasion.

Haley Benson, a junior psychology major and member development chair for Delta Delta Delta, organized the sorority’s participation in the event. The girls donned “Relay Disco Team” T-shirts and some wore beads and even afros to make their theme complete.

“We do it every year; being a part of Davis Relay for Life is really inspiring because so many people come out for it, and it’s especially nice to have a chapter that is so incredibly involved. It’s a great bonding experience – we’re giving back to such a good cause, and at the same time we get to bond with our sisters,” Benson said.

Delta Delta Delta fielded the largest entry in this year’s relay, with a total of 54 sisters in four separate teams.

Like Fahr and thousands of others, Benson’s enthusiasm was rooted in personal experience.

“My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer about seven years ago. He’s a survivor; he’s one of the best people in my life, and has been there for me as a friend, a mentor and a role model. He’s a proud survivor, and it’s his fifth year cancer free,” Benson said. “Relay is a constant reminder that people every day are going through this.”

The event was inaugurated with an opening ceremony and kick-off lap by cancer survivors. Throughout the day, individual speakers, bands, dance groups and solo singers took turns entertaining participants as they jogged or walked around the track.

Luminaria, also known as the Ceremony of Hope, took place at 9 p.m. and was a favorite experience for many.

Individual candles lining the inner perimeter, as well as the candles spelling out “hope” and “cure” on the bleachers, were lit. Each candle represented a survivor, or someone who had lost the battle. It was a somber moment of reflection, concluding a day of high-energy enthusiasm.

“It’s kind of an emotional rollercoaster. Being here is so exciting, [and] it’s so emotional at the same time. I don’t think I’m going to sleep – I can’t even close my eyes,” said Neda Mitkova, team captain coordinator, Saturday night.

“The whole thing is amazing – watching Luminaria at the end, it was amazing seeing all the people, all of those who have survived or lost a battle. It’s amazing to see how much everyone is willing to do to raise money, try and find a cure, and most of all, have hope,” added Deepak Yadaz, a senior neurobiology, physiology and behavior major.

For Kirollos “Cookie” Gendi, a sophomore neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, Luminaria was particularly meaningful.

“One of my good friends, Claire, was speaking, and the singers sang with a lot of passion. Not much else would bring tears to my eyes, but that did,” he said.

Gendi was diagnosed with Ewing‘s sarcoma, a cancer of the bone. Chemotherapy was agonizing; he suffered regularly from nausea, lost his hair and required constant blood transfusions.

“[Chemotherapy] eats you from the inside out… My parents were terrified, my mom especially– when the doctors first told her, I remember she started bawling. It’s one of those things you can’t protect your kids from,” Gendi said.

UC Davis Relay for Life was organized by UC Davis‘ Colleges Against Cancer chapter, a student division of the ACS. A committee of approximately 35 members met biweekly fall and winter quarter planning the events, and dozens more volunteered their time staffing the event.

Mitkova credited the event’s success to teamwork.

“We have a really big committee, and we’ve gotten to know each other really well and we work well together; it’s such an awesome group of people that made it happen,” Mitkova said.

The event ended with a closing ceremony, where prizes were awarded to teams that excelled in various categories.

As 10 a.m. Sunday came and went, the hundreds of individuals who had given 24 hours of their lives to the cause – many without sleep – packed up their tents and belongings, recycled their trash and left the field to resume their lives. But for some, the fight continued.

“Even if one person picks up your story, and gets checked [for cancer], mission accomplished,” Gendi said. “We’ve known the horrors of cancer first-hand. Nobody deserves cancer.”

Those interested may continue to donate through post-event fundraisers taking place this week. Visit relayforlife.org/ucdavisca for more details.

 

ANDRE LEE can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

 

Daily Calendar

Features Editor
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TODAY

Academic Inclusion: Undoing Marginalization on Campus 2009

7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

MU Art Lounge

This exhibit, showing through Saturday, is a multi-disciplinary arts exposition that focuses on marginalization on campus.

 

Democratic Party for Dummies

6 p.m.

205 Olson

Have you wondered about the Democratic Party’s history, platforms and composition? Do you have ideas about where the party should be headed? Davis College Democrats will give you these answers and an opportunity to share your views!

 

Project Compost meeting

6 p.m.

The Quad, west side

Learn how to compost 1,000 pounds of food on campus and experience the beauty of compost!

 

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournaments

6 to 8 p.m.

Griffin Lounge

Seats fill up quickly, so go early! Be one of the top players and you may be invited to play in the tournament of champions!

 

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi info night

7 p.m.

513 Russell Blvd.

Come to Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi’s spring rush information night!

 

TUESDAY

How Can You Be Involved?

6 p.m.

234 Wellman

Whether your interests lie in giving back to the community or interactive games, the Davis College Democrats have something or you! Learn about how to become more involved in the political world.

 

Success Stories of Life After College

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

158 Olson

Listen to the advice of established professionals, and learn business etiquette. Sponsored by Junior Investors & Entrepreneurs.

 

Yusuf Estes talk

6:30 to 9 p.m.

Davis Senior Center, 646 A St.

Go to Islam Awareness Week’s first event: The One True God with former preacher Yusuf Estes. There will be free food to enjoy.

 

Open Mic Night with Sickspits

7 to 10 p.m.

Griffin Lounge

An evening of you and the mic. Are you a poet, singer or guitarist? It doesn’t matter, just bring it!

 

Seventh Generation Slam

7 to 10 p.m.

Southwest Dining Hall, ASUCD Coffee House

Go to a night of music, poetry and spoken word from the Seventh Generation.

 

WEDNESDAY

Kickoff meeting for Davis College Democrats

6 p.m.

230 Wellman

The DCD are back again and would love to answer your questions! If you’ve ever wondered about the Democratic Party or DCD, stop by and learn more!

 

THURSDAY

Running for Congress

6 p.m.

230 Wellman

Listen to retired Army Lt. Col. Charlie Brown speak. He ran for U.S. Congress in California’s fourth Congressional District, a known Republican stronghold. Learn how he nearly won in 2006 and 2008! Both Lt. Col. Brown and his field director will talk.

 

The Passion of the Christ screening

7 p.m.

1001 Giedt

The film will be screened, followed by a panel-led discussion and an open mic for students. The topic discussed after the film will be “Who Is Jesus?” Free baked goods will be provided.

 

Willow Clinic fundraiser

7 to 9 p.m.

MU Games Area

Come to this fundraiser for a chance to win a free Kaplan course!

 

Legacy of a Prophet: Muhammad

7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

234 Wellman

Go to Islam Awareness Week’s second event – a short film entitled Legacy of a Prophet: Muhammad.

 

FRIDAY

A Brighter Future for Afghanistan charity banquet

7 to 11 p.m.

ARC Ballroom

The Afghan Cultural Show is designed to educate Davis community members about the Afghan culture, politics and society. Tickets are available at Freeborn Hall or tickets.com. For more information, contact Sahar at (925) 321-5849.

 

 

 

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.

 

Hail to the Chief

Opinion
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The New York Times is not doing so hot.

If you read this column every week (fun fact: we’re into April and I still have people I know from the dorms run into me and say “Hey! I saw your picture in the paper today!” Humbling.), this isn’t really news to you. What is news, however, is that the problems in New York are now carrying over into other cities.

Bostonians awoke this Saturday to a front-page story in The Boston Globe explaining that The Globe will close in 30 days if the 13 different unions that represent its workers don’t agree to $20 million in cuts.

The New York Times Co. bought the Globe in 1993 for $1.1 billion. Both newspapers are losing money faster than MC Hammer and The Times is not really interested in supporting two cash leeches. Consequently, their employees are getting taken to the cleaners (though it’s not like Times, Co. is getting off scot-free; would you want to argue with the Teamsters?).

This, in combination with the ever-increasing number of newspapers filing for bankruptcy (the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times … ) might make journalism look like a questionable career choice.

I’m here to convince you, the undecided college student, that it’s actually a great choice! Hear me out.

News isn’t going away. Just because nobody in charge of major newspapers bothered to figure out a new, financially viable business model when the Internet got popular doesn’t mean that events will stop happening. Politicians will continue to lie, apologize for it, continue lying and get elected anyway. Someone needs to be there to report on it (you, you’re the person)!

If you’re trained as a journalist, you can work for magazines (writing), radio shows (talking), television (talking at a camera) or even blogs (talking to nobody in particular).

Maybe you’re like me and you have a short attention span. Journalism is a great gig for you, my friend. You learn a lot about subject A on Monday, write about it, and by Tuesday you’re on to subject B which is something completely different. Alternately you can pick one thing and report on that for the rest of your life like Roger Ebert (disclaimer: getting a job as a full-time critic is hard).

You don’t even have to change your major when you decide you want to be a journalist (which is good, since UC Davis doesn’t offer journalism as a major). If you have a specialty, so much the better, you’ll be adept at reporting on that; the most important requirement is to be good at reporting.

If I’ve convinced you to be a journalist, my apologies to your parents (journalism isn’t gonna move you up a tax bracket, that’s for sure). If you have no idea how to get started, it’s not as hard as you think.

For starters, although UC Davis doesn’t offer a journalism major (or minor, currently), it does offer some very good journalism classes. University Writing Program 104C is an introductory journalism class taught by some fantastic professors, including Gary Sue Goodman, the assistant director of Writing Across the Curriculum, and Stephen Magagnini, a senior writer at The Sacramento Bee and advisor to The California Aggie. This class will teach you the fundamentals of reporting and you’ll have a great time doing it.

If that only whets your appetite, feel free to come down to Lower Freeborn and get an application to work for this very publication! We’re always looking for talented applicants who are interested in reporting. Our editors will teach you and help you along and before you know it you’ll be churning out stories.

Being a reporter means that you get to help inform the campus and the city of Davis on what’s going on. Tens of thousands of people are relying on you to get them quality information that can help them. If you write an article previewing a safety lecture, and just one of your readers attends that lecture, you’ve made a difference! You’ve maybe saved someone’s life! Doesn’t that sound cool?

Don’t you want to be a part of that?

 

RICHARD PROCTER wants you to wish him luck at his internship interview today. Send him your good wishes at rhprocter@ucdavis.edu.

The Cap and Gown List

Opinion
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I have never been the physically adventurous type; I don’t ski, skateboard, skydive or whitewater raft. I did play youth soccer, though I tended to be the player furthest from the ball at all times. I was late learning to ride a bike, and although I did have some success on my high school tennis team, tennis isn’t exactly a contact sport. As a result, I had very few childhood trips to the emergency room, but I also have few athletically-oriented memories.

This leads me to my adventure for this week: a trip to Rancho Cordova and a place called Sky High. Think of it as a trampolinists heaven on earth.

Picture areas with trampoline floors separated by little areas of padding, mostly just used to get onto and off the springy surfaces. You can jump from one to the other, bounce off the angled trampoline “walls” and, for the daring souls in the world, do flips and propel yourself into handsprings. It’s like having a backyard trampoline on steroids.

After weeks of trying to find time in our schedules, my friends Michelle, Brittany and I headed for the bouncing heaven last week, determined to see what all the fuss was about. I was somewhat convinced we had built it up so much in our minds that no hour-long trampoline extravaganza could ever live up to the hype. I was wrong.

Forget about the great exercise it provided – they even have aerobics classes – or that it is a fantastic way to be active without putting any pressure on your joints. The trampolines were just plain fun. In a world where it is easy to get caught up in the latest technology or the next big thing, just a room full of giant springs to bounce up and down on is just simple enough to be glorious.

I could make it more complicated, get metaphorical and dig into the deeper meanings of letting go of your inhibitions and flinging yourself backwards hoping to land on your feet. But, I won’t. That’s not what this was about.

Don’t get me wrong, we definitely had to get over any concerns we had about looking stupid because falling was inevitable. We also had to acknowledge that we were 20-somethings at a place with a room specifically designated for little kids‘ birthday parties. So, there was that.

Mostly, though, going to Sky High was just good, old fashioned, entertainment for it’s own sake. We laughed, jumped and generally made fools of ourselves in front of the employees whose responsibility it was to make sure we went home in some semblance of one piece. We were challenged to play dodgeball by a group of guys, tried to bounce off the angled walls without landing awkwardly on the edges of the trampolines and danced to the old school Top 40 tunes blasting from the exercise area next to us.

After the hour was over, we got off and tried to adjust to life back on solid ground. The entire car ride home we couldn’t stop talking about how much fun we had and how this wasn’t going to be our last time bouncing around before graduation.

To anyone looking for a hilarious way to spend an hour, try Googling “Sky High Sports“ in Sacramento and thank me later.

I recommend bouncing without shoes; I found it freeing and less restrictive. Ladies: no skirts, no flowy shirts, don’t forget a hairband, and I suggest either yoga pants or jeans that fit you well enough so that they don’t fall down. Bad news, babe!

In addition, allow me to recommend a few songs that my friends and I found particularly appropriate for both getting pumped up and reliving the hilarity on the way home. If you’re anything like we are (i.e. you live your life to a soundtrack), I’m certain you will find these worthy of the occasion, and extraordinarily fun to crank up in the car and sing at the top of your lungs: “Bouncing Off the Walls Again” by Sugarcult and “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba.

All you need is great friends, a mode of transportation and the ability to let go of any inhibitions you may have about jumping around in front of complete strangers, and you too can be bouncing off the walls!

 

EMILY KAPLAN has “Concrete Bed” by Nada Surf stuck in her head. E-mail her at eckaplan@ucdavis.edu and tell her what song is in your head.

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