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Blind decision-making

Opinion

Opinion

March 12, 2009

Why do you want to go to Wendy’s instead of Burger King? Why did you buy Tylenol instead of Advil? I have realized that a lot of people lack the introspective prowess to understand why they like something. Especially when asked why they prefer one thing to another that is substitutable or just very similar.

When you ask people these questions it seems as if their choice was made before making their justification for their choice. They hesitate for a while before giving their reason as if they have never really thought about it. Their subconscious mind makes the choice before their conscious mind understands why that choice was made.

Sometimes our subconscious identifies some sensual input that cues for a certain decision to be made. For example: John is strolling through downtown looking for a place to eat and finds one restaurant to be particularly intriguing. It may not seem apparent to John, at the time, why he made his choice. If I asked him for what reason he made his choice, he might pause and think up a justification on the spot. What he didn’t realize was that his decision had nothing to do with his elaborate justification. He really made his choice because he saw people that looked like him dining at the restaurant. His subconscious took this visual cue as validation for his decision.

This automatic decision-making algorithm we possess helped me make sense of the following social paradox: People say they like to go places where there are a lot of other people; however, when they get to those places they rarely interact with people other than their own group.

People say they like to go to the movies and restaurants versus renting a movie or ordering take-in, but why? Why bother going to these places if you expect to never once interact with others? For the same reason John didn’t know why he chose his restaurant, we don’t know why we want to be surrounded by people. Our mind makes our decision for us and we naively and incorrectly justify the decision after the fact.

What is really going on is social proof: a psychological phenomenon that occurs in ambiguous social situations when people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior (Wikipedia). Obviously, if you are unsure of which restaurant to choose, you go to the one with more people because that might mean it is better; the social proof that occurs goes beyond this. The mass of people you never interact with actually improve your movie/restaurant experience.

Watching people have fun, laugh, eat, chat, etc. makes you more confident in doing the same; it makes you feel like you’re doing the right thing for the moment. Not only do others‘ actions tell you what feelings are appropriate to have, they are also contagious. Watching positive behaviors makes your group feel the same way. This effectively creates the right atmosphere for a good time.

If, instead, you see others bonding with their families, you’ll feel it is appropriate to do the same. The list goes on; other people influence your mood no matter what they do. We often mistakenly associate our people-induced mood with the place we are in and not the people we are surrounded by. I like to call this mistake The Olive Garden Phenomenon.

There is no way Olive Garden would still be around today without their family-style atmosphere (and no bread sticks). Without the laughing, up-beat people and the Italian style décor, Olive Garden’s food would be exposed for the true quality of their food.

But there is nothing wrong with judging a restaurant, or any other place, by its atmosphere. In my opinion, however, we should be more careful when judging something out of its context. It is impossible to know whether we truly like something or whether we are just backwards rationalizing a decision our sub-conscious has already made for us.

LIOR GOTESMAN hopes you read this column while surrounded by a lot of happy people. Then give him your opinion on it at liorgott@gmail.com.

Supreme Court upholds ruling against pharmaceutical company

City News

City Editor

March 12, 2009

In 2000, Diana Levine was administered Phenergan, an anti-nausea drug manufactured by Wyeth, after being treated for migraine headaches with injections of Demerol, a pain medication.

Just weeks later, the Vermont woman’s hand and forearm began to turn black, and they were later amputated in two stages.

Phenergan has been known to cause gangrene when exposed to arterial blood. For that reason, it is usually administered by intravenous drip or through an intramuscular injection. A physician’s assistant elected to use a third method, called “IV push,” and injected the drug into what she thought was a vein.

By a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a jury verdict to award $6.7 million in favor of Levine.

The case has important implications for people seeking damages due to unlabeled drug side effects. While under Bush administration legislation the Food and Drug Administration bore the primary burden for the labeling of drugs, now the Supreme Court has shifted that responsibility to drug companies.

Previously, drug companies were not held accountable for the effects of their products after warning labels had been approved by the FDA.

This policy was adopted under the Bush administration in 2006, which Justice John Paul Stevens called a “dramatic change in position” in the majority opinion for last week’s case.

Stevens cited the FDA’s “limited resources to monitor the 11,000 drugs on the market,” and the fact that manufacturers have superior access to information about their drugs as reasons supporting the court’s decision.

The court, Stevens wrote, found that under state law FDA regulation serves as a complementary safeguard and “offers an additional, and important, layer of consumer protection,” and “determined that widely available state rights of action provided appropriate relief for injured consumers.“

The ruling struck down the argument of the defendant, drug manufacturer Wyeth, which sought to shield itself from litigation via tighter federal regulation.

Levine’s argument centered on the claim that Wyeth’s warnings were not clear enough to deter IV push administration of the drug.

Writing the dissenting opinion, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the court had made an about-face. He referred to the Supreme Court’s previous rulings, such as last year’s Riegel v. Medtronic, in which the court ruled 8-1 that state suits concerning injuries caused by medical devices were barred by express language in federal law.

Last week’s decision in Wyeth v. Levine, however, addressed pharmaceutical drugs instead of medical devices. Congress has never explicitly determined whether federal law pre-empts state law in pharmaceutical cases like Levine’s.

“Congress has had plenty of time to say that state tort claims would be pre-empted and they have never done that,” said UC Davis law professor Lisa Ikemoto, who specializes in health law. “But that doesn’t mean they will never pre-empt.“

Though seemingly similar, Wyeth and Riegel addressed different aspects of federal law.

Unlike federal law concerning medical devices, outlined in the Medical Device Amendment of 1976, no express pre-emption exists in pharmaceutical drug law, Ikemoto said.

“Congress put specific language to pre-empt state law in the amendment, so it is unlikely to be repealed along the same reasoning,” she said.

Hoping to seize on the success of Wyeth, Democrats reintroduced the Medical Device Safety Act last week.

If approved, it would nullify the Riegel v. Medtronic decision and others like it, which prevent consumers from seeking damage compensation in cases involving faulty medical equipment.

AARON BRUNER can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

The 94th annual Almond Festival returns to Capay Valley

City News

City Editor

March 12, 2009

Organizers are hoping that the beauty of the Capay Valley and the chance to get out of the house and get a taste of some regional cuisine will bring local residents out to the 2009 Almond Festival.

The festival will be held this Sunday along Highway 16 in the Capay Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Davis. The towns of Rumsey, Guinda, Brooks, Capay and Esparto will participate and host various stops along the highway.

California is the only place in North America that grows almonds commercially, according to event organizers. More than 6,000 growers devote an estimated 530,000 acres in the Central Valley to this $2 billion industry.

Festival planners expect an attendance of nearly 20,000 people at the event. The festival is normally held in February, but it was moved to March this year in the hopes of better weather.

“This is the first time in eight years that it is supposed to be a really nice day,” said Elizabeth Campbell, event organizer. “So I think that will make a big difference in attendance.”

Though the festival is put on by the Esparto Chamber of Commerce, it is a five–town event and definitely maintains a community feel, she said. It is an opportunity for local companies to come promote their products and mingle with other members of the Capay Valley community.

People like Pam Welch, co-owner of Capay Valley Vineyards, expect several interested visitors.

“We will be open [the day of the festival] from noon to 5 p.m. and we will be offering tours and tastings,” Welch said. “We are offering some special pricing on our wine and of course the tasting is usually complimentary.”

Capay Valley Vineyards also displays the artwork of local artists, enhancing community cooperation, she said.

“It’s just a nice festival atmosphere,” Welch added.

Capay Valley Vineyards has participated in the festival for the last five years and receives a lot of business at their stop in the middle of the valley.

Durst Organic Growers, another sponsor of the festival, is excited to present some of their produce to the community, said owner Deborah Durst.

“We are a sponsor [of the event] and we will also have an interactive booth at the festival,” Durst said.

Durst Organic Growers is an organic farming company that specializes in produce such as asparagus, tomatoes and melons, she said.

“We will be selling our asparagus [at the festival],” she added.

Durst Organic Growers has been involved in the Almond Festival since they began growing in Capay Valley, Durst said. Durst’s husband Jim was born and raised in the area.

The Dursts enjoy the community atmosphere of the Almond Festival and interacting with their business neighbors, Durst said.

“Capay Valley is very intertwined and community minded,” she said. “It is like one big farming family.”

For directions to and more information on the Almond Festival 2009 visit espartoregionalchamber.com/AlmondFestival.aspx.

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

… in with the new.

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 12, 2009

Joe the Student has a one-up on Joe the Plumber: His name is actually Joe and he is, in fact, a student.

After a successful campaign to appeal to a broad swathe of students, new ASUCD President Joe Chatham and Vice President Chris Dietrich have an ambitious plan to overhaul ASUCD’s image.

Chatham and Dietrich, who ran as independents, mark the first time in four years that ASUCD has not been headed by the L.E.A.D. slate.

“There’ll be a lot of work for me in changing the attitude of student government,” Chatham said. “Right now it’s perceived as an elitist group. I want to rebrand ASUCD so that people can see what we do.”

Chatham vows to work more closely with the ASUCD Senate than outgoing ASUCD President Ivan Carrillo. Though L.E.A.D. holds the majority of the senate, Chatham has veto power. He said he wants to work with the senators rather than against them.

Chatham says his first priority is expanding wireless Internet access, which was one of the central issues of his campaign. Some lecture halls, such as 123 Science Lecture, are still without Wi-Fi.

“Professors think it’ll lower productivity of students, but most people in the administration are getting beyond that,” Chatham said. “It’s a good resource, especially as we move into more interactive stuff.”

Dietrich’s first project will be to improve bike infrastructure to expand covered bike parking, which was also one of his platform goals as a senator. He also wants to renew ties between the Aggie Pack and ASUCD to improve cross-marketing efforts.

With UC tuition rising 10 percent by the summer and looming ASUCD budget cuts, fiscal issues will likely dominate Chatham and Dietrich’s term. Both executives plan to continue L.E.A.D.’s advocacy efforts in Sacramento. They do not plan to re-join the University of California Student Association, which includes all of the UC campuses except Davis.

Dietrich said UC Davis’ proximity allows the campus to engage in more cost-effective efforts via its own Lobby Corps, rather than subsidize travel for the other UC campuses.

“We want to have a relationship with UCSA and communicate with them, but we can reinvest $30,000 into Lobby Corps, which is much more efficient,” Dietrich said.

Next spring’s budget hearings will likely be contentious, as ASUCD faces cuts of up to $60,000. To help offset the costs, Chatham wants Unitrans to absorb the Tipsy Taxi unit, which he says will save $20,000.

Their next cut will likely be more controversial. Pathfinder, a philanthropic K-12 outreach program for underprivileged students, has been a unit dear to L.E.A.D. and opposing ASUCD presidential candidate Lula Ahmed-Falol. But the unit is plagued by poor administration and its function is already covered by other campus units, Chatham said.

“I think it really has been pretty ineffective,” Chatham said. “There are serious, serious concerns.”

Dietrich said not all of Pathfinder’s $10,000 budget would be eliminated, but the money could be redirected to other units that serve underprivileged communities.

Chatham and Dietrich said they plan to work together more closely than outgoing President Carrillo and Vice President Molly Fluet, who had different priorities and constituencies.

But Chatham and Dietrich may have to wait before embarking on their platform projects, as an ASUCD court case challenging their election is pending.

Though Chatham said he has already privately met with many senators to get off on the right foot, Carrillo had refused to meet with him until yesterday.

As the ASUCD president serves as the sole student representative on a number of committees – including the one to determine the next UC Davis chancellor – Carrillo possesses institutional knowledge valuable to Chatham.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to meet with [Chatham] because the complaint is still filed,” Carrillo said. “Once the decision is made, I will definitely get behind him.”

Though the election has generated a firestorm of controversy, it may have silver lining: widespread publicity for ASUCD.

“I think students at large should be coming to request help from student government,” Chatham said. “The overall problem is that people aren’t coming at all.”

LAUREN STEUSSY contributed to this article.

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

Out with the old …

Campus News

Campus Editor

March 12, 2009

ASUCD President Ivan Carrillo is pacing in front of the senate table. The fervor in his voice is rising and his face is heating up as he delivers a passionate message about student rights.

Meanwhile, Vice President Molly Fluet sits in the middle of it all, her fingers laced and her face calm. She sternly pounds the gavel as the table gets unruly.

This is the image at many of this year’s senate meetings – two leaders, starkly opposite. As their term comes to a close at tonight’s meeting, they reflect on a year that changed their entire perceptions of government, as well as themselves.

“I think we came from two different bases,” said Fluet, a senior history major. “Our differences worked in their own realms, and we didn’t always mesh the best. But that helped us to deal with the difference of opinions the senators had.“

Carrillo and Fluet, both in LEAD, ran together with several platform goals: to fight for student programs despite cuts, to establish a “safeboat” on the annual Houseboats trip, bring a rental car service to campus, publish professor evaluations, establish all-grade-level seminars and create a resource manual.

Though Carrillo and Fluet have not accomplished all of these goals, they have made attempts to complete them and feel that they served students the best they possibly could. The pair groups their platform goals into three basic categories: academics, student life and advocacy.

“Those three things have stayed constant throughout our whole term,” said Carrillo, a senior sociology and Chicano/a studies major.

The two said they were most proud of the resource manual for all incoming freshmen and transfer students, which is currently in production and will help students be familiar with the services available to them. Fluet said she was especially proud of last year’s first safeboat, which provided sunscreen, water, condoms and first aid for houseboat attendees.

During the year, both were surprised at how different their executive seats turned out to be compared to their senatorial terms.

Carrillo said that he did not expect to go to as many meetings as he did. As president, he serves not only the students, but also acts as a liaison between these students and the administration. That meant meetings almost weekly with the chancellor, vice chancellors, directors or chairs of various sectors of the university. He was also the only student member on the new chancellor search committee, which was an unexpected duty.

“Many times, I was the only student voice in the administration,” Carrillo said. “It’s really important that the school have someone in this position behind closed doors and point things out that are not right. It can be intimidating sometimes to disagree with the administration, but I had to do that many, many times.“

In particular, Carrillo took a strong stance against the possibility of the university introducing a US Bank to campus.

At the end of her term, Fluet discovered that her role as a vice president was not simply to accomplish her platform goals but to solve problems that the students presented to her. She said that she met with six to 10 students every week, not including ASUCD members, whom she also met with often.

“I think people in ASUCD need to move away from platform goals and instead encourage students to come to you with weekly/daily issues,” Fluet said. “They need to take those complaints and work with them. That’s what I did and I think it helped me to have a really broad impact.“

Fluet prides herself on an open-door policy, which helped her to be in constant contact with her student constituency as well as ASUCD members who sought her unbiased advice.

Carrillo and Fluet’s biggest difference appeared in this winter’s elections with the controversy over whether a revote would be appropriate or not. They said that their differences originate from their interpretations of the ASUCD constitution.

“I knew the responsibility that was entrusted with me,” Carrillo said. “There wasn’t a day in the past year when I didn’t make a decision without thinking about the best interests of students.“

Fluet carried a similar opinion, especially reflecting on the amount of time and effort she put into ASUCD since she started getting involved with LEAD her freshman year.

“You can do a good job and you can represent students if you put in the effort,” she said. “I dedicated my entire college career to this association. Working with the students here makes me so proud of this university.“

PATRICK McCARTNEY contributed to this article.

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Watch this!

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

Despite the embarrassment of comic book movie riches the public has enjoyed in recent years, Watchmen was definitely the most anticipated, if not the most hyped. Making a movie out of the most celebrated graphic novel of all time brings certain expectations and a lot of pressure.

Fortunately, Watchmen does not disappoint.

Those who have read the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons can rest assured that the film, directed by Zack Snyder (300) remains very faithful to the original text. Those new to the Watchmen experience are in for a ride.

This is not your typical superhero movie. Set in an alternate reality, the heroes are normal people (except for Dr. Manhattan, who can do pretty much anything). Some of the heroes have obvious DC or Marvel hero parallels (Nite Owl is essentially Batman if he were stripped of badass) while others are more unique (Ozymandias is preternaturally athletic and intelligent, incredibly wealthy and takes his name from a Shelley poem). Rorschach is a sociopath who, when you think about it, is a terrible person. That said, he’s also the easiest to root for and features the best performance (by Jackie Earle Haley), making him a crowd favorite.

Watchmen treats its audience to a look at the everyday lives of its superheroes; they have troubles, foibles and do irrational things just like everyone else. This, really, is the core of the movie. Because we can see so deeply into their lives, we understand the disaffected, depressed, cynical mood of this alternate reality. Watchmen is a statement on the human condition. It questions the audience about what’s right and what’s wrong far more than your typical comic book fare and does so (mostly) in a realistic, non-cheesy fashion.

Most of the scenes are well-acted and many are both visually and verbally identical to the graphic novel. While this might appease Watchmen snobs, it doesn’t always work well. Some lines (“What happened to the American dream?”) invite gales of laughter when they’re said on screen. This aspect of the film is particularly infuriating because Snyder obviously has a good ear for dialogue; Rorschach, for instance, gets the most badass line in the movie, which wasn’t in the graphic novel.

Any dialogue issues the movie has, however, pale in comparison to the atrocious soundtrack, which must have been devised by someone who either hates people or has no desire to work in Hollywood ever again. Aside from a fantastic montage set to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin‘” the music is either too loud, inappropriate or both.

Visually, Watchmen is stunning. That said, there is a great deal of gratuitous sex and violence. This movie is not for the squeamish, the faint of heart or young children. One wonders why such scenes go on far, far too long and leave the audience feeling bored (since such scenes don’t really advance the plot) and awkward (read: lots of doughy man-butt).

Aside from the issues with dialogue, soundtrack and the feeling that you’re running a marathon (the film is three hours long), it is extremely fun to watch and does a fantastic job adapting the graphic novel to the big screen.

Watchmen is playing now at the Regal Cinemas Davis Stadium 5 on G Street.

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

The Beatles to join Rock Band

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

Arguably the most popular band of all time, The Beatles have remained one of the few high profile music groups whose songs have yet to appear for sale online. The group’s digital holdout, however, is over: The Beatles will be featured in a new version of the video game Rock Band dedicated entirely to the Fab Four.

Set to be released in September for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, The Beatles: Rock Band will allow gamers to play along with 45 different songs from the group’s extensive catalogue. According to the press release, the new game will be backwards compatible with previous versions of Rock Band, allowing veterans to continue to use the same guitar, drums or microphone.

The idea for an entire music video game centered around one band isn’t new – the Guitar Hero franchise already released an Aerosmith game last year and is currently putting the finishing touches on Guitar Hero: Metallica, which will hit stores on Mar. 29.

With music sales gloomy and profits falling, the popularity of video games like Rock Band represents an unexpected bright spot for the music industry.

Mike Barthel, a writer for the music blog Idolator.com, said that music video games signify something more than a mere fad.

“With Rock Band, [the genre] has expanded and grown in some really interesting ways,” he said in an e-mail. “Things like the Beatles edition are, I think, a perfectly natural step in [the genre’s] development.“

The possibilities for future games of Rock Band are wide open, Barthel said. He pointed to the fact that developers could make the instruments even more elaborate and realistic or begin to include further downloadable content for players.

“It’s useful to think of [Rock Band and Guitar Hero] as part of the larger genre of rhythm games, a very vital and expanding field,” he said. “It seems weird that skateboarding games are a genre, too, but they are, and the evolution that happened over the lifespan of the Tony Hawk franchise … shows that video games can find gold in some unexpected places.“

Barthel said he is skeptical, however, of the games‘ ability to become a highly profitable “outgrowth of the music industry.“

“It’s a very bad idea to look at [these games] as anything other than just another kind of merchandise, no different from band T-shirts or KISS action figures,” Barthel said. “It is never going to be a significant revenue stream [for the industry] because it is not a new way of listening to music.”

Rock Band represents an interesting venue for interacting with music, much like its predecessor karaoke, said Ari Y. Kelman, an American studies professor.

“I adore the idea of Rock Band,” he said in an e-mail. “Rock ‘n‘ roll is, to a degree, all about play and performance and participation, so why not make it really look like play?”

Bob Ostertag, a technocultural studies professor, posed a similar question in an e-mail.

“What is more interesting about playing Guitar Hero than about playing guitar?” he said. “Why aren’t all those kids putting all those hours into actually learning those licks? They are not that hard. If one practiced for all the hours that many play the game, they would become quite expert. And yet the game has more allure.“

The amount of realism involved in music video games like Rock Band remains up for debate. And while some might argue that music video games remove the desire to play a real instrument, Kelman said he sees Rock Band as a vital first step.

“There are some grouches out there that think it will keep kids from joining ‘real‘ bands,” he said. “But as anyone who has ever played an instrument can tell you, everyone starts by playing covers – so why not start [with Rock Band]?”

Barthel said he thinks the next music video game might replace guitar rock with pop music like Britney Spears, perhaps replacing drums with dance mats.

“Maybe the next big thing will be an integration of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero,” he said. “Call it Dance Hero, maybe? Package it with a sequencer and a keyboard and I’m sold.“

ZACK FREDERICK can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

The films of Robotmedia: uncensored

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

Robotmedia

Sunday, 7:30 p.m., free

194 Chemistry

Freedom of expression is no strange topic, but sometimes finding a medium to share something you’re passionate about doesn’t always come very easily.

Robotmedia is a short film showcase on campus that not only allows for this but also strongly encourages it. The next showcase will take place Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in 194 Chemistry. The event is free.

Robotmedia began in Berkeley and spread to college campuses in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Seattle and Davis. The Davis chapter began in 2002 and is currently the only active one since 2006. Showcases are typically held once a quarter.

In its early days in Davis, Robotmedia was wildly popular, forcing those in charge to turn people away in line. However, in the past couple of years, those hundreds of attendees have turned into about 50 or so, making the impact much different than it used to be.

Despite the dwindling turnout, the core philosophy behind Robotmedia is still in place.

“The best part of Robotmedia is that there are no restrictions. It is free creative expression,” former Davis Robotmedia president Andrew Cholerton said in an e-mail interview.

Robotmedia is unique in that absolutely anyone can submit a film and everything is accepted. The only rule is that films are submitted as playable DVDs.

The suggested length for film submissions is five minutes long to “keep the variety running,” said Brianna Aalborg-Volper, a senior psychology and art studio double major and current president of the Davis chapter. Films that exceed this time limit are shown at the end of the showcase.

Robotmedia also represents a completely non-judgmental and accepting environment to share and experience creativity and really tries to accommodate every one, Aalborg-Volper said.

“This is an uncensored showcase, and so our main goal really is just to have people who want to show their art or anything they’ve been working on and get feedback for free,” she said.

After the film screenings, the themes for the following showcase are decided on through a public forum of sorts – audience members shout out possible ideas, which are then collected on the chalkboard. Aalborg-Volper explained that the winning idea is selected through “a clap-o-meter process.“

The chosen themes are all over the place in their degree of seriousness, creativity and hilarity. Some previous themes have included “Bears and Chuck Norris,” “Nuclear Winter and Music Videos” and “Survival and Facial Hair.” Anything can happen and the window for experimentation is left wide open.

“It’s the surprise. Each quarter there’s always some wacky juxtaposition of two random themes and just seeing how people run with that is really intriguing for me,” Aalborg-Volper commented.

Films don’t necessarily have to adhere to these themes. Mostly the themes are put in place to help inspire filmmakers who might not know what they want to do yet, Aalborg-Volper said.

“I think [Robotmedia] is really important just because some of the most entertained and inspired people that’ll see your work are other students,” said Kevin Okulolo, a senior psychology and art studio double major who participated in the fall quarter showcase with an animated film. “It’s really cool to have a forum to show your work to people who will appreciate it most. It’s just a big open canvas.“

For more information, visit the Robotmedia page on Facebook or e-mail Aalborg-Volper at brivolper@ucdavis.edu.

ELENA BUCKLEY can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Sustainable designs for a sustainable future

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

“Share the Love” Fashion Show

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., $5

Freeborn Hall

There’s no better way to wrap up the UC Davis Fashion Week than to attend the “Share the Love” fashion show this Saturday night at Freeborn Hall.

Tickets for the show are $5 and can be purchased at the members of the Student Fashion Association (SFA) tabling at the Memorial Union.

Presented by the SFA, the show will feature the garment designs from students of Textiles and Clothing 198 as well as designers from Sacramento and San Francisco. All proceeds earned from ticket sales will benefit Nourish International – a student organization dedicated to the eradication of global poverty that funds sustainable development in impoverished countries around the world.

In addition to the garments on display, “Show the Love” spotlights the environmental implications of fashion.

“[It is] heavily focused on not only the designing process of making clothes but the ramifications on the environment,” said Amy Marchiando, a junior textiles and clothing major and coordinator of the event.

The fashion event will include both conventional and sustainable garment design – any participants using new or store-bought textiles and materials for their clothing designs are categorized as conventional designers while participants using second-hand or used materials are considered sustainable designers.

The main difference between sustainable and regular clothing production is the “attention to all of the decisions and actions that go into fiber production, yarn spinning, fabric manufacturing, apparel production, retailing practices and consumer behavior,” textiles and clothing professor Susan Kaiser said in an e-mail interview.

Because no official standards have been set up to monitor environmentally friendly garment production, it’s hard to tell whether or not a brand produces completely sustainable clothing.

“Sustainable refers not only to the environment, but also to economics and issues of ethical and social responsibility,” Kaiser said.

Since sustainability is still a developing design concept, consumers should be wary of what they purchase, such as the effects of all the factors that go into production and delivering. Despite the shift toward eco-friendly shopping with “the green movement,” Marchiando advised shoppers to do research about the actual process and production of manufacturing clothing.

“A lot of research has to be done when shopping. Just because it says eco-friendly doesn’t mean that it’s actually eco-friendly,” Marchiando said.

For example, sustainable clothes use less chemically formulated dyes – however, that doesn’t mean that all sustainable clothing is made in an environmentally friendly way.

“Lots of [companies] use pesticides for the cotton to grow and use harmful chemicals that clean up clothing dyes,” said Susan Hopkins, a senior design student and participant of the fashion show.

Still, sustainable practices are becoming more ingrained into the fashion industry. A few brands that are taking the step toward this include Patagonia, Nao and Los Angeles-based designer Linda Loudermilk. Patagonia, for example, has made an effort to inform consumers of their production process. On their website patagonia.com, consumers can read about the eco-friendliness of the label’s clothing manufacturing and production and also the reasons why some areas of production are not fully eco-friendly.

Kaiser said that these sustainable practices are “for the future of people – those who make, distribute and wear clothes – as well as the planet.”

SIMONE WAHNG can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Variations on a Theme

Opinion

Opinion

March 12, 2009

Is it just me, or has there been an onslaught of college-centered movies and television shows lately?

There was that film College last year and ABC Family has “Greek“ and their new show “Roommates“ premieres on Mar. 23. Not to be outdone is MTV, which has two new shows – the unscripted “reality” show “College Life” and the sketch comedy show “The CollegeHumor Show.“

The trend is even taking over the airwaves with “I Love College“ by Asher Roth. Just another reason to avoid mainstream radio.

Of course, as with any thing to appear on the small and/or big screen, there come a number of stereotypical images to university life. And as much as I’ve fallen victim to certain agendas of the media (i.e., the Snuggie, the ShamWOW, “The City“), there are a couple of college clichés I’ve managed to avoid during my tenure at UC Davis.

The faculty-student romance. Films like Loser and shows like “Felicity” and the classic “Saved by the Bell: The College Years“ perpetuated the idea of sexual relations between the hot college ingénue and the older (but hot) scholarly professor or TA. I entered college with a mix of terror and excitement at the prospect of such illicit hook-ups – would I be the easily influenced co-ed-turned-lover of an older, much wiser man?

The answer: Nope. I only ever had one professor I found remotely attractive, and even that wasn’t reason enough to attend class on a regular basis.

The toga party. Okay. I’ll admit it, I’ve gone to a few frat parties, some of which may have been themed. (Hey, we were all freshman once). I’ll also admit that I’ve participated in a couple of seemingly “bro-ish“ activities – I’ve shotgunned a beer or two, played Beirut, done some daytime “dranking“ on Picnic Day, so on and so forth.

But despite all these worldly experiences, one clichéd aspect of Greek life I’ve yet to encounter is the toga party, as popularized in films like National Lampoon’s Animal House. No wrapping white bed sheets around myself in an attempt to resemble the Roman garment, no fevered chants of “toga! toga!” through the frat house, no dancing along to “Shout“ by the Isley Brothers. I guess I could remedy this with my own take on the toga party – an entirely ironic one, of course – but I can’t imagine the results to be too far from the original.

Co-ed bathrooms. I had a slew of worries once I got my acceptance letter, and among my unfounded misconceptions about dorm life was the possibility of a co-ed restroom. (I blame shows like “Boy Meets World“ for this). I’m all about liberal living arrangements, but the potty room is a completely different territory – I don’t have brothers, and I had trouble with the idea of doing my bizness within the same vicinity of unfamiliar girls, let alone unfamiliar boys.

The college sweatshirt. Not that I’m not proud to go to UC Davis or anything, I’ve just always been, um, unavailable to do university-spirited things like various sports games and stuff. In fact, I finally attended my first – and last – football game in fall quarter 2008.

So it shouldn’t be too surprising that my apathy to school spirit has a place (or lack of place) in my wardrobe. The sole sweatshirt I ever purchased at the UC Davis Bookstore hangs in my mother’s closet, proud but unworn.

Also, something seems off when you realize that, oh hey, a dude nearly twice your size is basically wearing the same thing as you, a girl no more than 108 pounds. It doesn’t really help the fact that I already have the androgynous fashion sensibilities of a confused 15-year-old boy whose favorite store is Urban Outfitters.

RACHEL FILIPINAS has one quarter left to fulfill or avoid even more college clichés. Encourage or discourage such behavior at rmfilipinas@ucdavis.edu.

CD Review

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

Tera Melos

Idioms, Vol. I

Sargent House

Rating: 3

If anybody marches to the beat of their own drum, it’s this band.

Tera Melos is a four-member group from Roseville, Calif. whose music is best described as experimental rock or math rock. Their songs have a chaotic sound, deviating from any musical rules or norms.

Idioms Vol. I, their newest EP that is available for download on teramelosmusic.com, consists of five covers of a mix of songs from The Beach Boys to The Pixies.

Tera Melos manages to stay true to some of the songs covered while still providing a fresh sound, and what starts out as one genre is completely shifted to another.

The cover of “Hey Sandy” by Polaris has punk influences, with funky electric guitar undertones and a faster beat. The cover also has the addition of a The Beach Boys‘ “God Only Knows” interlude that works surprisingly well. The cover of “Tame” by The Pixies is less severe than the original, sounding more punky and fun than anything. My personal favorite is the cover of The Beach Boys “Meant For You” – the band transforms a quiet, melodic song into a heavy instrumental parade of sounds.

Despite taking artistic liberties with some songs, others stay faithful to its original source. The band’s take on “Blast Off” by Rivers Cuomo is consistent with the Weezer sound, with heavier guitar and ample use of electronics. Even with the addition of chaotic guitars and electronics, “Koka Kola” is very true to The Clash version.

All in all, Idioms Vol. I is a fun EP to listen to, as it gives a completely different take on a variety of classic songs. Tera Melos produces an unpredictable sound that many people have never heard before, which makes them an exciting band to keep track of.

Tera Melos will be performing Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Boardwalk in Orangevale with RX Bandits, The Polar Bears and Pebaluna. Tickets can be purchased for $15 at tickets.com.

Give these tracks a listen: “Meant For You,” “Hey Sandy“

For fans of: Minus the Bear, Hella

– Julia McCandless

Artsweek

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

MUSIC

UC Davis Gamelan Ensemble

Today, 5 p.m., free

Delta of Venus

If you feel the need for world music outside of the standard Putumayo CD you find playing at the Sharper Image in the mall, look no further than the UC Davis Gamelan Ensemble, a group that specializes in the traditional court music of Indonesia. Plus, it’s free, and who could argue with that?

Electric Children

Today, 7 p.m., free

R5 Records in Sacramento

A cautionary note: It’s easy for bands to simply list more talented and famous predecessors as musical influences without actually learning from them. Luckily, Echo Park, Calif. band Electric Children are true to their word, paying homage to grunge and punk greats like Nirvana, the Stooges and even a bit of the Velvet Underground with their modern take on ‘60s garage rock.

The Common Men, Con of Man, The Dandelion War

Friday, 10 p.m., $3 to $5, 21

The G St. Pub

It’s quite the ominous sounding line-up for such an inauspicious day. An appropriate mood should be set by the locals behind The Common Men, a post-punk band who take a note from darkly danceable acts like Interpol and Franz Ferdinand. And their pushing rhythms and jittery guitar lines don’t get your feet stompin‘, perhaps a drink or two from the bar will do the trick.

The Tumbleweeds

Saturday, 8 p.m., $6

Javalounge in Sacramento

It’s no secret that California already has a large share of folk music ‘round these here parts – but really, how could I refuse when it’s something as jaunty and jolly as The Tumbleweeds? The Sacramento group gives a nod to classics such as Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones with its rootsy rock ‘n‘ roll.

RX Bandits, Tera Melos, Polar Bears, Pebaluna

Saturday, 8 p.m., $15 in advance

The Boardwalk in Orangevale

The Pharmaceutical Bandits have been delving deeper and deeper into an area of prog rock than their ska punk beginnings – but fret not, dude, for the jams are still melodious and the trombone still plays on. For a look at Roseville band Tera Melos‘ latest EP, check out page __.

Category 7, Torture Path, See the Elephant

Saturday, 9 p.m., $5, 21

The Stag in Woodland

See the Elephant. Beware of its anger. Take note of its thrashy hardcore. Listen for its throaty growls, its shredding solos.

FishCatFish, Ambrosia Caprice, The Happy Medium

Sunday, 8 p.m., $8

Luigi’s Fungarden in Sacramento

If Canadian singer Feist were to suddenly abandon her indie pop roots, join a jam band and adopt a new moniker, I’d imagine that the result would be something like FishCatFish. The Sactown group will be setting a funky tone to the little pizza place that is Luigi’s.

Katie Delwiche, Ryland Bouchard, Emperor X

Tuesday, 9 p.m., $5

Primary Concepts at 219 E St.

Fans of retired one-man act The Robot Ate Me, this one’s for you: Ryland Bouchard (the man behind the robot – or do I mean the “me“?) is back, and the creativity is still strong in this one. A show from someone responsible for “one of the most unpredictable and obtuse underground bands around” is surely not to be missed.

AT THE MOVIES

Adventureland

Monday, 6:30 p.m., free

Varsity Theater on Second Street

This comedy focuses on a recent college graduate who finds work at a local amusement park. Is this what’s in store for my future?

ART / GALLERY

An Anthology in Flesh: Storytelling in Tattoo Art

On display until Friday at the Art Lounge in the Memorial Union

Organized by the class of Art History 401: Curatorial Methods, this photo exhibit explores the idea of personal exploration through tattoo art and its social implications.

The Consilience of Art and Science

On display now at the Pence Gallery at 212 D St.

This juried exhibit joins the disciplines of visual arts and science. A reception will take place tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the gallery.

Second Saturday Art Walk

Saturday, 6 p.m.

See 2nd-sat.com for a detailed map

Take advantage of the lovely rain-free weather with this monthly art walk that takes place in downtown Sacramento.

THEATER / MONDAVI

The Sound of Music

Friday and Saturday, 8:15 p.m. and Sunday, 2:15 p.m., $18 general admission, $16 with a student ID

607 Pena Drive

Sing along to all your favorite songs in this local stage adaptation of the classic musical. To purchase tickets, visit dmtc.com.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Monday, 8 p.m., $35 general admission, $17.50 with a student ID

Jackson Hall

Mean Girls quotes aside, the a cappella ensemble of Ladysmith Black Mambazo will bring their Zulu harmonies to the Mondavi stage.

RACHEL FILIPINAS can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

I Got Aggied: video contest voting ends Thursday

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

March 12, 2009

Have your say in “i got Aggied” before the polls close.

Students can vote for the 11 contestants in UC Davis’ first-ever campuswide video contest until Friday at 11:59 p.m. Visit igotaggied.ucdavis.edu to watch the videos and make your choice.

The contest gives participants a chance to explore what it means be a UC Davis student through video. Candidates submitted 30-second videos demonstrating their Aggie pride.

“Universities everywhere are having students define what it means to belong to [their] institution – everyone has their own meaning,” said Susanne Rockwell, web editor at UC Davis University Communications.

Along those lines, Rockwell said the phrase leaves students open to be creative. “i got Aggied” means “whatever you want it to be,” she said.

“They’re really funny videos, people should go and watch them,” Rockwell said.

Rockwell developed the contest with then-UC Davis undergraduate Whitney Ferris in celebration of the university’s centennial.

The contest is sponsored by the UC Davis Centennial, Undergraduate Admissions and University Communications.

Winners will receive various prizes such as an iPod touch as well as the chance to be featured on various university departments’ websites.

Winners will be announced the week of Mar. 16. Rockwell said to stay tuned for more university-sponsored video contests in the future.

Anna Opalka

Aggies clinch conference tourney berth with win over Highlanders

Sports

Sports Editor

March 11, 2009

The close win on Saturday was sweet.

When it happened again the next day to clinch a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament, the feeling was even better.

Last weekend, the UC Davis women’s tennis team earned a pair of 4-3 victories over Montana State (5-7) and UC Riverside (4-8, 0-5) after falling to Pacific (6-6, 2-0) on Friday. The win over the Highlanders sealed the Aggies‘ a seventh-seed minimum in the conference tournament

The Aggies are now 9-8 overall and 3-2 in Big West play heading into today’s match against Sonoma State. The contest begins at 2 p.m. at the Marya Welch Tennis Center.

Friday – Pacific 5, UC Davis 2

If a tiger ever had to fight a horse in real life, it would be quite a battle royale.

And in their only loss of the weekend, the Aggies made it a battle – putting forth tooth and nail against the Tigers in a near four-hour, 20-minute war.

“It really was a battle,“ coach Bill Maze said. “We were running out of light because we didn’t finish until 6. We just really made them earn it; we battled hard.“

Four singles matches went three sets, and the Aggies were able to pull out half of them for victories but ultimately fell to Pacific, 5-2.

Saturday – UC Davis 4, Montana State 3

The back end of the Aggies‘ roster was the deciding factor in this one, earning victories at the No. 4, 5 and 6 positions.

After UC Davis swept doubles play to earn the first point, the No. 1, 2 and 3 singles slots all went down to the Bobcats.

With the score hanging at 3-1 in favor of the foe, Herzyl Legaspi, Jenna Kappel and Jessica Harris all took it upon themselves to right the course, so to speak.

“Montana State was a stronger team than we expected,” Maze said. “They played us tough and our bottom half really came through for us, so we have to give Herzyl, Jenna and Jessica credit; they handled it well.“

The trio earned back-to-back-to-back two-set victories to give the Aggies the 4-3 advantage over Montana State.

Sunday – UC Davis 4, UC Riverside 3

For the fourth time in the last five matches, the Aggies took care of business – this time by a one-point margin.

UC Davis earned the solid 4-3 win over conference foe UC Riverside thanks to an all-around effort.

The Aggies won two out of three in doubles play to earn the first point, and then the first win of singles came from Dahra Zamudio – her 20th of the season.

With the score at 2-0, the Highlanders responded with a victory at No. 4 but it was too little too late. The Aggies finished them off with two straight wins to seal up the pivotal victory.

“The win was big because it guaranteed us seventh place in the conference and a spot in the tournament,” Maze said.

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

Women’s lacrosse preview

Sports

Sports Editor

March 11, 2009

Teams: UC Davis vs. Vermont

Records: Aggies, 2-3; Catamounts, 2-3

Where: Aggie Stadium

When: Today at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: The Aggies‘ scoring trio of Christina Corsa, Gina Hoffmire and Molly Lapolla have racked up nine goals apiece in just five games so far this season.

Corsa and Lapolla also have six assists apiece, sharing the overall team scoring lead.

Did you know? Davis is Vermont’s second stop on its West Coast swing that began Sunday with a 10-6 loss to Oregon. The Ducks beat the Aggies 13-6 in Eugene on Valentine’s Day.

Tonight, the Aggies will be trying to represent the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation against the Catamounts who hail from the America East Conference.

Preview: Despite falling to California 13-6 last time out, the Aggies left Berkeley with plenty of positives to build upon.

UC Davis went down 8-1 early, but managed to circle the wagons and play the Bears straight up, 5-5, for the remaining 40 minutes at Memorial Stadium.

Sophomore sensations Corsa and Hoffmire scored two goals apiece, while Molly Peterson and Britt Farquharson each added a goal of their own.

The Aggies also took good care of the ball when they had it, committing just 13 turnovers in comparison to the Bears‘ 23.

UC Davis will try to harness momentum from the last two-thirds of Sunday’s loss as it looks to prevent an East Coast takeover by Vermont.

Lacrosse has long been a sport dominated by schools on the eastern seaboard. Now the Aggies have their chance to follow in Oregon’s path and buck the trend.

– John S. Heller

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