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The Sterling Compass

Opinion
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California assemblyman Tom Ammiano recently introduced a bill that would legalize the open sale of marijuana to those 21 years or older. Although the bill will likely fail in the state legislature, the sheer fact it is being considered is a sign California lawmakers are headed in the right direction. California needs to legalize marijuana, and I’ll tell you why.

California spends about $170 million a year enforcing anti-marijuana laws. In addition to an array of expensive anti-marijuana programs, this includes the cost of arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating offenders. Many of those convicted of marijuana-related crimes are non-violent and otherwise law-abiding citizens. California prisons are already overloaded and the costs outweigh the benefits of enforcing anti-marijuana laws.

Legalizing marijuana would not only eliminate these costs, but also provide a hefty source of income for California’s empty coffers. With California’s deficit expected to hit the $40 billion mark sometime within the next year-and-a-half, this is a revenue source California can’t afford to ignore.

California would rake in nearly $1.2 billion every year from marijuana taxes and billions more from subsequent economic growth. Marijuana would be sold in cigarette-like packages at your local 7-Eleven and Amsterdam-style coffee houses would emerge to provide marijuana in safe, controlled environments, which would also attract tourists and their valuable out-of-state and foreign cash. Although legalizing marijuana wouldn’t single-handedly solve California’s economic problems, it would go a long way to helping to alleviate them.

The illegal drug industry is worth $320 billion a year in the United States and there are plenty of people eager to claim a slice of the pie. Although most who deal marijuana only sell marijuana, many are also happy to supply more serious drugs like cocaine and heroin. It naturally follows that because marijuana users can only get marijuana from dealers, they are more likely to come into contact with and purchase “hard” drugs.

This sums up one of the most popular counter-arguments to legalization; that marijuana is a “gateway” drug leading its users to try more dangerous substances. I won’t argue against this claim under the current system; however, legalization would eliminate or at least greatly reduce this threat.

Legalizing marijuana would put street dealers out of business because a well-regulated marijuana trade would ensure standardized quality and a stable pricing system street dealers couldn’t compete with. Think about it; if you could get your weed from inside the 7-Eleven, then why would you buy it from the sketchy guy loitering outside the 7-Eleven?

Just as it has in Amsterdam, legalizing marijuana and putting illegal drug dealers out of business would lead to a reduction in crime, as many criminal acts can be traced to the illegal drug trade. Gangs would be deprived of their primary income source, substantially weakening them and making inner-city streets safer.

Many also argue that legalizing marijuana would lead to increased substance abuse; however, this is a groundless claim because there is no evidence showing a correlation between drugs being legal and increased substance abuse. But there is plenty of evidence suggesting drug prohibition actually leads to increased abuse. For example, the U.S. and Britain have the strictest anti-drug laws and also have the highest abuse levels.

Legalization would remove the social taboo from buying marijuana and would allow California to make it a public health issue instead of a criminal issue. Rather than wasting millions trying to stop people from growing and buying marijuana, the state could invest in programs to educate the public on substance abuse and to help recovering addicts. Similar programs have worked wonders in stifling alcohol and tobacco addiction.

Even if California legalizes marijuana, it will need to form a coalition of states to convince the federal government to accommodate any drug policy changes.

But as they say: “As goes California, so goes the nation.“

If California takes the first step towards a more sensible drug policy by legalizing marijuana, then the rest of the nation will follow.

 

MIKE HOWER would like to add that he is not a pot-head on a cannabis crusade, nor does he even smoke weed. Tell him what you think at mahower@ucdavis.edu.

Governor announces drought emergency in California

City Editor
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Though recent rains soaked Davis and much of California, they weren’t enough to solve California’s water problems.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a state of drought emergency in California on Feb. 27.

The snowpack is currently at 90 percent of normal, while precipitation is close to 100 percent. Experts say that though these levels are close to normal, low levels in the past few years mean there probably won’t be enough water to meet the state’s needs this year.

The target snowpack level is 120 percent of average. The target is what state water officials estimate is needed by next month to fill the state’s major reservoirs.

The governor also issued an executive order that calls for urban water users to immediately reduce their individual water use by 20 percent. It also directs the Department of Water Resources to take various actions, including offering technical assistance to agricultural water suppliers and agricultural water users and expediting water transfers between agencies, offering water management assistance to the agriculture industry.

“Given the drought situation, the governor felt it was a really important executive order to make,“ said Lisa Page, a spokesperson for the governor. “He leaves the door open for changes to his plan in the future since the DWR needs to do an updated report on the drought conditions and water availability on Mar. 30.“

According to the proclamation, if the emergency conditions do not improve, there could be mandatory water rationing or reductions in water use.

“Southern California is actually a lot better at being more efficient with water because it’s usually a lot shorter there,“ said UC Davis biometeorology specialist Richard Synder. “Water metering helps to encourage this efficiency because with your water use being measured you are able to have more of an idea about your impact on overall supply.“

Another problem with the rain seems to be timing, and the fact that not all of the water can be used for agriculture or drinking water.

“The rain came late this year, and canals are only so big,“ Synder said. “Not only do the canals overflow, but there is also the issue of the water running off into rivers. By law a certain amount has to go into the [San Francisco] Bay to flush out the salt to maintain a healthy environment.“

Another problem is that the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has limited use for water exports because of the listing the Delta smelt fish on the endangered species list.

New technologies are also a part of the proclamation. Schwarzenegger is offering to streamline the regulatory approval process for projects related to drought relief or increasing water supply, such as desalination and water recycling plants.

“We will be adapting noisily to climate change,“ said UC Davis civil and environmental engineering professor Jay Lund in an e-mail interview. “The biggest problem is likely to be inevitable failure of many Delta levees with sea level rise.“

Others say the situation is variable.

“We have to wait and see what happens,“ said DWR information officer Amy North. “Reaching the [120 percent precipitation] goal becomes less and less likely with no precipitation. There could be rain later in the week.“

The proclamation says agricultural revenue losses exceed $300 million to date and could exceed $2 billion in the coming season, with a total economic loss of nearly $3 billion in 2009.

Additional steps of the proclamation include an order for the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to offer job training and financial aid to unemployed workers primarily in agricultural areas. State agencies need to immediately enact water conservation measures in facilities and landscaping.

 

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Design expert calls for Fifth Street road diet

City Editor
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Local residents filled the Davis Community Chambers to near-capacity on Friday to listen to street design expert Dan Burden present ways to make Fifth Street safer and more usable for all who use it.

Burden’s plan is what he terms the “Road Diet.” It would slim the number of lanes on Fifth Street to two or three, manage the same level of traffic flow, increase safety for everyone and create more space for bicycles and pedestrians.

The area of concern is what is known as the “Fifth Street Corridor,” that four-lane part of the road that reaches from A Street to L Street. Those who ride bicycles into or across town are probably aware it has no bike lanes, and it is also has one of the highest rates of traffic collisions in Davis.

This fact has not escaped Davis Mayor Pro Tem Don Saylor, who attended the workshop.

“The primary issue is safety,“ said Saylor. “Fifth Street accounts for a significant percent of the crashes in Davis every year. So a few years ago we started trying to look at ways that we could reduce that number. Within a month or two we will have a few options available to present to City Council for consideration.“

Burden, founder of Walkable Communities, says that the old approach to creating roads is not sufficient for modern needs.

“Our history of road design is to maximize car capacity by widening lanes, and by adding lanes,” said Burden. “The result is the marginalizing of the pedestrian while increasing the danger for cars and cyclists.“

Burden’s solution is “the Complete Street – meeting car capacity needs while creating opportunities for all the needs of the community,” he said.

Among the proposed benefits of the Road Diet:

Sustain the same level of traffic.Improve driving safety and reduce car speed, create bike lanes.Easier, faster and safer for pedestrian crossing.Beautify the area, improve community space and improve property values.

Saylor said he understands that Fifth Street is a major thoroughfare used by many motorists, but recognizes its function goes beyond that.

“It’s also a residential neighborhood, and people need to cross that street to get to Downtown Davis,” he said.

Bill Emlen, city manager of Davis, told the Davis Vanguard that a full-scale renovation of the Fifth Street Corridor would be around $1 million. This may cause some in Davis to worry about availability of funds. Saylor says there are options available.

“We’re working at federal grants normally available that make cities liveable and walkable,” said Saylor. “If they aren’t available then the funds would have to come from within, and that would be a harder nut to crack.“

Some local businesses have expressed concern already, saying the plan would limit cars and customers to their downtown businesses. Saylor said he understands why they’re concerned.

“It’s an interesting issue on both sides. The question is what is the community’s readiness for change?” Saylor asked. “Many businesses are running on tight profit margins. And so they have a reason not to embrace change.“

Steve Tracy, vice president of the Old North Davis Neighborhood Association, is a strong supporter, and worries that misinterpretation of this plan will stop it from going ahead.

“There is no bogeyman here,” Tracy said. “This is a win-win situation. This is good for the drivers, it’s good for the bikes and it’s good for the locals.“

 

TOM MORRIS can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

Davis schools grapple with $3.8 million cut

City Editor
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A $3.8 million drop in funding is translating to significant cuts in programs and services in the Davis Joint Unified School District.

The main services and programs on the chopping block for budget cuts will affect class sizes and classes that are either under-enrolled, do not contribute to college preparation, or do not fulfill graduation requirements. Secretarial jobs, maintenance and custodial work will also be affected by the cutbacks.

“Almost 90 percent of a school district’s budget is people,” said Pamela Mari, DJUSD’s director of student services. “So when you make cuts, you cut people; the equation is quite simple.“

As a result of these program and service reductions, roughly 70 DJUSD employees will receive notifications of potential layoff, said superintendent James Hammond in a written statement. A total of 54 full-time positions will be terminated for the next year. The 54 positions cut will mostly be teaching jobs and about 17 classified jobs such as custodial and secretarial positions.

“I think it’s a disaster to be laid off in this economy. I don’t think there are any jobs out there,” said Mary Ryan, a third-grade teacher at Fairfield Elementary School.

The elementary schools of Davis will be hit particularly hard, since class-size reduction is one of the main targets of the cutback. Class size in K-3 classes is currently limited to twenty students and will be expected to increase by 1 or 2 students. This means less room for teachers who teach K-3. Class size is expected to increase for English and math classes in the ninth grade and for English classes for the 10th grade.

Ryan said she didn’t expect to be laid off because the layoffs are organized by seniority, and she has worked for the district for 25 years.

The Davis school district has an edge over other local districts in that the two parcel taxes passed recently help support funding for certain programs. The Davis community just recently passed the second parcel tax with particular attention paid to programs that are extremely hard hit in times of financial crisis.

“The school districts around us are having to raise class size, as we are, and cutting programs, as we are, and laying off a great number of teachers, as we are,” Mari said. “Unlike them, however, we have the support for programs that are normally on the chopping block.“

The Davis school districts have also received a number of retirements and resignations from the older staff much earlier than usual. This will also ease the number of layoffs that would have occurred.

However, the cutbacks that will lead to increased class sizes in K-12, fewer course options for junior high and high schools, and fewer services like technology services, maintenance, counselors and psychologists still weighs heavily on faculty and students.

“I went through this myself in the early part of my career and I was laid off eight times. It is absolutely within the normal development of a teacher to be laid off at some point in their early years and then hired back at some point. No other professionals are treated this way,” said Mari. “I can speak for them all in saying that we are people who do what we do because we have a passion for children and our careers because there’s nothing else that would make us work under these conditions and for the money.

Four District Office positions will be cut, and secretarial and vice-principal time will also trimmed down. As another way to save money, DJUSD will be moving school board elections to even years as another way to save money.

“[These cuts are] very demoralizing. We’re roundly criticized continuously for failing to meet what the society and or governmental leaders expect and at the same time that we get less and less and less and work with,” said Mari. “You might notice that not a single penny has been cut from the massive standardized testing, but 15 percent of all the resources to help the kids reach those standards have been cut.“

 

HELEN ZOU can be reached at city@theaggie.org. 

UCD professors sign petition against American Philosophical Association

Campus Editor
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A group of UC Davis philosophy professors have signed a petition calling for the American Philosophical Association to stop advertising universities that it claims discriminate based on sexual orientation.

Supporters of the petition argue that the APA is violating its own anti-discrimination policy by advertising universities that ban homosexuality as part of their ethical standards for staff and faculty. Currently, the APA – which has over 10,000 members – includes these universities in their “Jobs for Philosophers” publication, which compiles academic job opportunities for those in the philosophical community.

“Even though the [APA] policy allows institutions with a religious affiliation to explicitly require faculty members to share that affiliation, the policy does not permit this requirement where it means the institution discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation,” said philosophy teacher’s assistant Brad Morris, who signed the petition. “A school can legally violate the policy, but in such a case, the APA is obligated to censure the school for doing so.“

Colleges named in the petition that prohibit students and faculty from engaging in “homosexual acts” include Azusa Pacific University, Pepperdine University, Biola University and Westmont College.

The petition calls for the APA to correct the violation of its policy by either removing the schools from its publication or by marking them as censured schools. The APA has done this in the past when advertising schools that violate its anti-discrimination policy.

If the APA refuses to do either of these things, the petition calls for it to remove its anti-discrimination policy in order to “end the illusion that a primary function of the APA is to protect the rights of its members.“

“In short, the petition asks for a consistent APA policy on discrimination,” said Roberta Millstein, a UC Davis philosophy professor who also signed the petition. “However, I think it’s also true that most of us who signed it think that there is no legitimate basis for an ethical argument against homosexuality or ‘homosexual acts.‘”

Pepperdine University defended its stance as a reflection of its religious affiliation.

“Though Pepperdine is certainly welcoming of all people and hospitable toward all, it holds a traditional biblical view of relationships,” said Jerry Derloshon, executive director of public relations for the university. “Pepperdine believes it has a right to live out its Christian founding. What [supporters of the petition] do with that is up to them.“

Millstein said that the petition has received wide support from the philosophy community.

“As of now, the petition has 1,350 signatures which is strong support, especially given that philosophers don’t as a rule tend to sign petitions readily,” she said. “I think [the petition] has a pretty good chance, perhaps not of being immediately successful, but of being successful in the long run and leading to future discussions.“

Morris said he also believes the petition will ultimately be successful.

“The position of the petition is that the APA should enforce its current policy in a clear manner,” he said. “Regardless of what you think about sexual orientation – do what you say you do, or don’t say you do it, it’s as simple as that. Any philosopher worth his or her salt should be willing to sign it.“

 

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

UCD Police Department faces second discrimination lawsuit

Campus Editor
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Another former UC Davis Police officer has filed a lawsuit against the department, alleging sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

Chithien Le, 28, is the second person of Asian descent to file a suit against the department this year. The suit seeks unspecified damages for loss of income, benefits and attorney’s fees.

Le claims that he was the target of “insensitive remarks, stereotypical comments, ridicule and/or crude and crass ethnic jokes and racial epithets,” according to a copy of the suit obtained by The California Aggie.

Le is the second Asian ex-officer to file a suit against the university this year. Le’s suit comes a month after Calvin Chang filed a lawsuit for racial and sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation, fraud and breach of contract. Chang, who originally sued the university last year, claims the university violated the terms of the first suit’s settlement.

Le’s suit, filed with Sacramento County Superior Court, names the regents, UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza and several other UC Davis Police officers.

Le did not respond to several phone messages for comment. The UC Davis Police Department directed inquiries to UC Davis spokesperson Julia Ann Easley, who said the university could not comment because it had not yet been served with the lawsuit.

The suit charges that the department failed to respond to Le’s complaints that he was being harassed. In one instance, the suit alleges, several officers logged onto Le’s computer and changed the desktop wallpaper to pictures of gay pornography.

The suit specifically names officers Rob Stoleo, Shawn Bowers and Danny Sheffield as the harassers. All three remained employed by UCDPD. The officers did not respond to a request for comment.

Several officers referred to Le as “the next Calvin Chang,” who is openly gay, the suit states. Le had spoken in defense of Chang, who was also subject to similar treatment, according to the suit. In retaliation, the department allegedly changed Le’s shifts and posted derogatory pictures of him on public bulletin boards, the suit states.

In a phone interview, Chang said he witnessed officers putting a “belittling“ picture of Le on a wall clock.

Chang said the UC Davis Police Department has a culture of “very old attitudes and the good old boys network.” Although Chang believes sexual orientation discrimination is not uncommon in law enforcement agencies, the problem is especially severe at UC Davis, where many officers do not share Davis‘ progressive attitude, he said.

“The officers come from very rural areas of California,” said Chang, who is openly gay. “The university structure always sides against the person who makes the complaint.“

Le was employed by the UC Davis Police for four years, from March 2004 to March 2008. After his first year of service, he was recognized for outstanding service and was one of four officers to be nominated for police officer of the year, the suit states.

But after suffering a hand injury in March 2006, Le claims his fortunes changed. The suit alleges that the department did not recognize the extent of Le’s injury and ordered him to participate in a mandatory training exercise against the orders of a physician. Le claims he complied, fearing retaliation.

In June 2007, Le was placed on paid administrative leave after he and another officer had to physically restrain a suspect who was resisting arrest, the suit states. Le was written up for provoking the suspect and was stripped of his badge, gun and identification card.

Le successfully appealed the removal of his police power in November 2007. The following month, he underwent surgery relating to his hand injury. In February 2008, he received notice from the department that he would be terminated.

Le himself was the target of racial discrimination allegations during his tenure with the UCD Police Department. In 2004, a black UC Davis graduate student filed a complaint with the department after a bicycle stop on campus. The student reported that Le asked him “whether he had a criminal record or any tattoos on his body, and whether he had ever lived in Oakland.” The complaint resulted in an internal investigation.

 

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

Oxford Circle Dining Commons to close in May

Campus Editor
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Students living in the Cuarto dorms area may have to trek it a little farther to eat in May.

Starting mid-May, the Oxford Circle Dinning Commons will undergo a complete renovation. It won’t re-open until January 2010, sending students living in the Emerson, Webster and Thoreau dorms to the Castilian or on-campus DCs.

“We find that most of the students eat on-campus anyway,“ said Emily Galindo, director of Student Housing. “We feel really good that there will be sufficient seating to accommodate all the students [in the Castilian DC].“

Castilian’s DC will increase seating capacity for the last three weeks of spring quarter, as well as utilizing the space upstairs and extending hours to better accommodate the extra students.

Initial discussions for the renovation began three years ago. The project has an approximate cost of $7 million, which comes directly from Student Housing funds.

“We’re self-supporting auxiliary,“ Galindo said. “Through the framing of our rate structure, we set aside a certain portion over time that would allow us to do these major maintenance projects in the course of our business plan.“

Student Housing will also work toward making the project as sustainable as possible using the standards of Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which is part of the United States Green Building Council.

“LEED is a guiding tool or assessment to help projects to really make sure that they are being done as environmentally efficiently as possible,” said Mike Sheenan, associate director of Student Housing. “The campus uses LEED as a tool to help guide these processes.”

Student Housing will also strive to achieve LEED certification, through an application process with checklists of six different components with a point-system awarded for each category.

“What we will be doing is seeking LEED certification in terms of what types of furnishing will we be putting in there, flooring and the recycling content of those furnishings,” said Sheenan.

Heating ventilation, air conditioning and types of organic chemicals released also contribute to LEED certification status. To strive for this sustainability, DCs have already eliminated the use of trays this past fall, which has cut down on water and food waste, according to Sheenan.

Another aspect of the new DC will be its educational component where diners can walk through and observe boards with information about the sustainable qualities of the building and food services.

“One little action has a large ripple affect,” Sheenan said. “We want it to be an interacting environment and want the students to see how it’s being used and making an impact.“

Some students have mixed feelings about the renovations that will cause them to change dining locations.

“It’s best for them to just get it over with now. We’ve been here a while and it’d be bad for the next set of people. This can help them out a bit,” said first-year chemical engineering major Robert Zheng, who lives in Castilian South.

Student Housing informed residents of the renovations in an e-mail after they moved in, said Alex Stern who lives in Thoreau Hall.

“It sucks we don’t even get to benefit from it,” said Stern, a first-year physics major. “Going all the way to Segundo will reduce my studying time and that DC will be much more crowded too.“

 

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

Correction 2

Campus Editor
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In the Feb. 23 and Mar. 9 issues of The California Aggie, the Senate Briefs incorrectly reported that Senator Laura Pulido was not present, when in fact she was. The Aggie regrets the error.

Correction

Campus Editor
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In the Mar. 9 issue of The California Aggie, the Senate Briefs mistakenly said the author withdrew the senate bill for a “Support the Troops” drive when it was actually referred to the Business and Finance Commission and Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission. The Aggie regrets the error.

UC Davis is among the “best bang for your buck”

Campus Editor
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Students are getting a “bang for their buck” at UC Davis, according to Princeton Review and USA Today.

The test prep center and the publication agree that UC Davis offers students quality academics at a reasonable price. UC Davis made Princeton Review’s top 100 list for 2009.

“In these tough economic times, with college expensive and loans so hard to come by, we want parents and students to know there are some colleges out there that provide value,” said Harriet Brand, the Review’s spokesperson.

With a multitude of student job opportunities and a diverse population, Princeton Review called UC Davis a “vibrant campus community” with “rigorous academics” and a “world-class research university, offering some of the best undergraduate research opportunities anywhere.“

Four other California schools made the top 10 list. UC San Diego, California Institute of Technology, Pomona and Stanford ranked numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Aside from the top 10, the other schools are not ranked.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville) was the #1 Best Value Public College and Swathmore College (Swathmore, PA) is the #1 Best Value Private College. The list ranks the top 10 public and private schools on separate lists and the remaining schools are alphabetically ordered.

“For parents and students it’s a challenge for families to identify not only best school for them academically and socially but which school for them will have the best prospect to get financial aid,” said Jeanne Krier, publicity director at Princeton Review.

Schools and families are struggling at both ends. Not only are public schools suffering from decreased state funding, while students are striving to get into college as well as find the money to pay for it.

“Hopefully [the list] will help meet that goal for finding the best school for you,” Krier said. “Many are surprised because they hear about a sticker price which is very daunting and takes a while to understand there is very generous financial aid at school. People are put off by the sticker prices without realizing the financial aid.”

Aid at UC Davis is focused on needy students. More than half the student body receives some kind of financial aid, and merit-based scholarships are also awarded. The university has a variety of student and parent loans and deferred payment plans. The UC system frequently supplies full tuition costs with university grant funding, according to the Princeton Review.

The average need-based gift given to freshmen is $9,655, while the average given in loans is $4,425.

In-state tuition fees for California residents is $8,299 per year, while out of state students pay $26,984, which includes $20,021 of nonresident tuition. Freshmen pay an extra $11,978 to live in the dorms and use a meal plan. Students pay about $1,506 for books and supplies.

The list drew from more than 650 institutions, taking into account 30 factors in academics, cost of attendance and financial aid. The report used data from each college or university’s 2007-2008 academic year.

Princeton Review also took into account the percentage of graduating seniors who borrowed in loans and the average debt they had after graduation. Forty-six percent of UC Davis grads borrowed and the average indebtedness was $14,372.

 

POOJA KUMAR can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Aggies impress in outdoor opener

Sports Editor
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Sophomore Ashley Hearn highlighted the Aggies‘ performance at an unscored, five-way meet in Berkeley, as she earned a trip to the West Regional Championships in her discus season debut.

Hearn threw a huge personal best of 47.48m on her very first throw of the competition. Not only did she win by over four meters, but her other legal throw would have also easily netted her the win.

“Obviously to have Ashley get her auto qualifier in the discus in her first outdoor meet is terrific,” said coach Deanne Vochatzer. “She had a really good throw in the hammer as well and also threw shot, so she had a really good day.“

Arguably the most exciting race of the day was the women’s 800m, which was won by junior Jenna Gailey in 2:14.67. Though sitting in third for much of the race, Gailey found a new gear with about 230m to go and engaged in a thrilling battle down the home stretch, winning by just .11 seconds.

“For Jenna to open up at 2:14 is great,” Vochatzer said. “She had a good race. She ran that Cal girl down so that was pretty exciting.“

The other middle distance event, the 1,500m, had a strong UC Davis showing as senior Lorin Scott took second in 4:30.28 with junior Ali Stoakley finishing third in 4:41.18.

“On the line, I knew that no one else was going to take [the race] out,” Scott said, “so I went out and tried to make it a decent effort. I ended up getting second, but I was happy with the time as an outdoor opener. I know where I stand now and know that I have places that I can improve.“

The Aggies took one more win at the meet, courtesy of senior Sirena Williams in the 100m hurdles. Willams won by a narrow .03 seconds, clocking a 14.28. While not the greatest time for last season’s regional qualifier, it was a win against a strong field. She also took second in the long jump at 5.45m.

Though there were plenty of highlights, not everything went as planned on Saturday.

“We pulled the [4x400m] relays,” Vochatzer said. “I don’t usually pull relays. Everyone had a little something, so it was not worth it for us to run them. No one was hurt, but people didn’t feel quite right. But we have lots of weeks left.“

In addition to those at Cal, three heptathletes competed up at Chico on Thursday and Friday. Junior college transfer Anikia Jackson had a dominating win with 4,658 points for the two-day event, which was highlighted by her 805-point 100m-hurdle performance of 15.28. Freshman Johanne Boulat (3,994) and junior Tiffany Knox (3,704) finished second and third, respectively.

The final Aggie contingent was at the Washington Last-Chance Qualifier, where senior Kim Conley destroyed the 3,000m field, clocking 9:19.16 to win by over 18 seconds. Senior Kaitlin Gregg competed in the 5,000m, taking second in 16:54.99.

“We had some bright spots, then some scary parts,” Vochatzer said, “but all in all, it was pretty good.“

 

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

Aggies tame Matadors

Sports Editor
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UC Davis needed to beat Cal State Northridge to clinch the No. 5 seed in this week’s Big West Conference Tournament.

The Aggies did exactly that, using great work on the boards and two clutch free throws to narrowly beat Northridge at the Matadome on Wednesday night, 53-50.

“Overall, rebounding was strong,” said coach Sandy Simpson. “We had 14 offensive rebounds on 26 missed shots which means that we were rebounding more than half of our misses. It helped keep us in a game on a night that we didn’t shoot very well.“

UC Davis outrebounded the Matadors 40-27 overall and 14-12 on the offensive glass, but did commit 29 turnovers.

The Aggies‘ struggled in the first half as they converted 42 percent of their shots, going only 2-for-11 from three-point range and held a narrow four-point advantage at halftime.

They soon turned it around, converting at a 48 percent clip from the floor in the second half to stave off the Matadors and collect their seventh conference victory.

“We only had 23 points in the first half,” Simpson said, “and we didn’t shoot the ball well from three.“

The shooting woes allowed Northridge to get to within one point of UC Davis after sophomore Analee Viena-Lota converted a jumper in the paint with 52 seconds left in the game.

With the Aggies up 51-50 at that point, freshman Lauren Juric grabbed an offensive rebound off of a free throw miss, drew a foul and hit both shots from the line to extend the lead to three.

“With 19 seconds to go and to get fouled was a key play,” Simpson said.

The Matadors did have one final opportunity with two seconds remaining to put the game into overtime, but a three-point attempt from Northridge senior Ashley Blake went begging.

“They shot a three,” Simpson said. “The ball was batted around on the boards and went out to the best three-point shooter, but she just missed.“

UC Davis did make up for a relatively poor shooting night in other areas.

“I was pleased with our intensity,” Simpson said. “A road win is big and we have been decent on the road.“

The Aggies also did an exceptional job defensively on point guard Tonicia Tademy, holding the senior scoreless and causing her to commit nine of her team’s 23 turnovers.

Mintun had a game-high 18 points while grabbing five rebounds. Juric collected a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Aggies will see the same Matadors team in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament on Wednesday.

 

MAX ROSENBLUM can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Aggies start strong at Cal

Sports Editor
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Coach Jon Vochatzer knew he was going to return from the season opener in Berkeley with some solid qualifying marks. Specifically, marks for conference.

Sophomore Thomas Phillips and senior Polly Gnepa, had more in mind, as both hurdlers successfully qualified for the NCAA West Regional Championships.

“It felt great [to qualify],” Phillips said. “It takes a lot of stress off me knowing I hit that time. Now I can focus on improving my strength and form.“

Gnepa, a regional qualifier last year, has a personal best in the 110m hurdles of 14.01. He took second in that event in 14.28, just slipping under the regional standard of 14.30.

Phillips qualified for his first regional championships thanks to his dominating win in the 400m hurdles, clocking 52.30. That slashes his personal best by a whopping .72 seconds and moves him to a tie for third on the all-time list.

“I worked a lot during the fall on getting my step pattern down,” Phillips said, “and that helped me stay consistent throughout the race. I also feel a lot stronger this year, due to all the training we put in during the fall.“

Though highlighted by these two regional qualifiers, the Aggies looked strong across the board, as they won four events and had plenty of other top finishes.

“It was a really good, solid meet for us,” Vochatzer said. “It was a great way to kick off the outdoor season. I’m extremely excited about that.“

One athlete who had a standout day was sophomore Igor Seriba, who won both horizontal jumps. He jumped 6.90m in the long jump and 14.63m in the triple jump, just ahead of teammate Tolu Wusu (14.57m) in second.

“A highlight has to be Igor winning both the long jump and triple jump,” Vochatzer said. “Great way to start the season.“

Arguably as impressive in the triple jump was Wusu, who was only .06m behind Seriba. While Seriba had a 1.3 m/s wind at his back on his big jump, Wusu’s was going into a 0.3 m/s headwind.

The Aggies final win came in the high jump, as junior Ben Nelson successfully jumped 2.05. Sophomore Ross Tate tied for second at 1.95.

Junior Jonathan Sees had a huge personal record in the 800m, clocking 1:51.91 to move to No. 9 all-time. While going into the race expecting about a 1:54, Sees proved what type of competitor he is as he took the lead with 200m to go, and was only narrowly out-kicked by a duo of All-Americans from Stanford.

“Jonathan Sees in the 800m, 1:51,” Vochatzer said. “My God. That was a great surprise for us.“

Other top marks included Brock Bennett’s second-place showing in the javelin (53.58m), Jake Fuller finishing third in the discus (47.98m), Ethan Ostrom’s going second in the pole vault (4.80m) and Alex Wilright’s 48.35 in the 400m, only .04 behind the winner.

“I felt like it was a great meet to open up the year with,” Phillips said. “Everyone did well and got a feel for their races.“

 

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

Men’s golf preview

Sports Editor
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Event: Event: Fresno State Lexus Golf Classic

Where: Belmont Country Club – Fresno, Calif.

When: Today and tomorrow; all day

Who to watch: Senior Ramie Sprinkling returns to the course this spring to help pace a potent Aggies attack. Sprinkling showed he was one of the best in the league last year by earning second-team All-Big West conference honors.

The Camarillo, Calif. native is already off to a strong spring start, having led the Aggies to a 12th-place finish at the Hawaii-Hilo Invitational (Feb. 4 to 6). Sprinkling led UC Davis with a 22nd-place individual finish at the tournament.

Did you know? All of the Aggies on this year’s team are from California except senior Greg Button, who hails from Superstition Mountain, Ariz.

Preview: The Aggies had a strong fall season with a win at the season-opening Kansas Invitational en route to four second-place finishes. UC Davis also had three medal winners in the form of Sprinkling, fellow senior Nate Pistacchio and sophomore Austin Graham.

The performances in the fall helped move the Aggies into the top 20 in Golfstat’s national rankings.

“The key to the fall was we had five guys contribute,“ said coach Cy Williams. “We’ve just got a lot of talent, but we’re only as good as our next tournament, so we’re just getting ready for this one. This will be the toughest tournament field of the year, ranking-wise.“

With the team Williams has this year, expect the Aggies to repeat their fall success this spring starting today in Fresno.

–Kyle Hyland

Seniors honored in home finale loss to Northridge

Sports Editor
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The five seniors stepped off Hamilton Court for the final time.

On the home sideline, they were met with hugs and high fives from their coaches and teammates. On the opposite sideline, Cal State Northridge coach Bobby Braswell was at his feet, leading his staff in applause.

All around them, the Pavilion crowd of 1,746 was chanting: “Thank you, seniors. Thank you, seniors.“

Vince Oliver, Kyle Brucculeri, David Carter, Michael Boone and Nathan Clark didn‘t get the win they wanted on Senior Night, but they were given the reception they deserved at the close of UC Davis‘ 99-72 loss to Northridge on Thursday.

The game was the Aggies‘ last before the Big West Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“I can’t tell you who’s going to win down there in Anaheim, but I can tell you that I have five champions in those seniors,” said coach Gary Stewart. “In this profession, you always wish and hope for the best for guys as they matriculate out to society, but sometimes you’re not sure. You hope that they have a great, prosperous life. The five seniors, I know. There’s no doubt in my mind.“

Clark, a transfer out of Modesto Junior College, has been with the program for two years. Oliver and Carter are fourth-year seniors, and Boone and Brucculeri were both part of Stewart’s first recruiting class five years ago.

Boone (ankle) and Brucculeri (elbow) both persevered through serious injuries during their careers.

“They’ve got some fight that I admire them for,” Stewart said. “My kind of guys.“

Following the honorary pregame ceremonies, Oliver started the contest strong. The guard, who ranks third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,494 career points, had 10 of UC Davis‘ first 12 of the game to give the team a 12-11 lead with 15:17 left in the first half.

Sophomore Joe Harden then hit a three-pointer to give the Aggies their biggest lead of the night, but the Matadors battled back to take a 39-34 halftime lead.

Pressuring UC Davis with mostly zone defenses, Northridge scored 30 points off 22 turnovers for the game. It outscored the Aggies 60-38 in the second half.

The loss was UC Davis‘ fourth straight since it clinched the program’s first Big West Tournament berth on Feb. 18. The team will have the eighth seed in the tournament and will open play on Wednesday when it faces fifth-seeded UC Irvine at 6 p.m.

The Aggies swept the Anteaters in their two regular season meetings this season.

A Wednesday win would advance UC Davis to a Thursday matchup with third-seeded Pacific. With a win, the Aggies would play top-seeded Northridge on Friday for a place in the Saturday finals.

The winner of the tournament represents the Big West in the NCAA Tournament later this month.

“I think we’re real hungry,” Oliver said. “The last four games have been tough, but at this point we think we’re due to break out and play like we know we can play.

“This is the most exciting time of the year. It’s fun to finally get a chance to play in the conference tournament and get a chance to get to the Big Dance. We all know what’s at stake, and we’re excited that we have this opportunity.“

 

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

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