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Women’s tennis preview

Sports

Sports Editor

January 28, 2009

Who: UC Davis at No. 5 Stanford

Records: Aggies, 2-2; Cardinal, 0-0

Where: Taube Family Tennis Stadium – Palo Alto, Calif.

When: Today at 3 p.m.

Who to watch: Freshman Dahra Zamudio is proving she’ll be someone to watch this whole season.

In her first two matches as an Aggie, the Orange, Calif. native made quick work of her opponents, defeating Portland State’s Caitlin Stocking 6-0, 6-0 and Portland’s Stefanie Doolittle 6-2, 6-1.

“We were very pleased with Dahra’s effort,” said coach Bill Maze. “She’s just a darn good competitor. In her first games of her collegiate career, clearly she handled things beautifully.“

Zamudio looks to rebound from a pair of losses last weekend against Arizona’s Sarah Landsman and Arizona State’s Lalia Abdala.

Did you know? Maze is in his 11th year with the UC Davis women’s tennis team – a tenure that equated visits to the NCAA Division II Championships in each of his first eight seasons, including five quarterfinal appearances. Maze has gone 129-91 overall and 43-5 in conference.

Preview: The Aggies travel to Palo Alto looking to shock the Cardinal in their home opener today.

“Over the last 20 to 30 years, Stanford has been one of the best teams in the country,” Maze said. “It’s going to be a real test, but I’m sure we’ll find some silver lining in the match and we’ll see how it goes.“

UC Davis suffered a pair of 7-0 losses over the weekend, falling to Arizona and Arizona State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The No. 1 doubles team of senior Randi Schuler and junior Desiree Stone provided the lone bright spot for the Aggies, as they knocked off Arizona’s Natasha Marks and Claire Rietsch, 6-5 (6).

– Matt Miller

Cal Aggie cyclist goes pro

Sports

Sports Editor

January 28, 2009

Like many who live in Davis, Paul Mach spends a lot of time on his bike.

But unlike most, he gets paid to do so.

A UC Davis doctoral candidate in applied mathematics, Mach recently signed a one-year contract with Bissell, a professional cycling team that took second at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last week.

Though Bissell will be in Davis for the upcoming Tour of California (Feb. 14), Mach is unlikely to have his professional debut here at home.

“Right now, I’m just kind of on the team,” Mach said. “I’m a new guy. The goal is just to help the team as much as possible right now. I’m just focused on being a team player.“

A big change for Mach will be racing in a team atmosphere. Races unfold completely different when riding for a team than they do while racing as an individual.

“If you don’t have a team, it’s hard to have a good time,” Mach said. “If you have a team, you have a strategy, a purpose. If there’s a critical spot in a race where you want to be in front, I can help bring the good guys up. If there’s a breakaway that we want to bring back, I’d be the person at the front of the pelaton to bring it back, if the team wants me to.

“Every race I’ll have a different purpose. It’s not a glamour job; I’m not going to win a lot of races. I’m more behind the scenes.“

Expect that to change down the line. Mach is still quite new to cycling, having started only four years ago when he joined the Cal Aggie cycling team.

“He just started coming on rides,” said Aggies coach Judd Van Sickle, who works at the UC Davis Sports Performance Center in Sacramento. Van Sickle continues to work with Mach.

“No one knew of him,” he continued, “but he was keeping up with the top guys on the team. It was obvious right away he had talent. He picked it up pretty fast, from no idea how to race to knowing the tactics, which a lot of times is bigger than having a big engine.“

Mach certainly has a big engine. Before jumping on the bike, he was a middle-distance standout at Seattle Pacific University, a Division II athletics institution. He was a four-time national qualifier and earned All-American honors in the 800m.

“I’m pretty proud of being an All-American in the 800m,” Mach said. “I came in as a walk-on that no one really cared about, and five years later, I’m an All-American.“

The Cal Aggie cycling team, though not an NCAA-sanctioned sport, competes against the highest-caliber athletes from Division I institutions across the country. Last year, Mach led the Aggies to their third national championship in the team time trial, and also took second in the individual road race.

The person who beat him? A professional.

Nils Johnson, another graduate student and Cal Aggie cyclist, often tries to hang with Mach.

“On weekends we all do four-to-five-hour rides together,” Johnson said. “We just did a 115-mile, six-hour ride, and he just wrecked me. These pro riders – they’re just on another level.“

While Johnson has plenty of talent in his own right – he also rides for the Safeway Elite Masters team – he acknowledges that there are some key differences between himself and Mach.

“The guy’s got a lot of talent,” Johnson said. “Obviously, he’s got a big engine. That thing can really give 10 to 20 percent more power than most elite amateurs, and having 10 percent more power is everything.

“He also has an uncanny ability to recover. He can ride really hard day after day. That’s another thing that makes a great cyclist.… He has a knack for being in the right moves. In cycling, it’s a lot of tactics. He has a good natural ability for the tactics. He’s another step above me, for sure.“

While there are some big races in the winter – the Tour of California, most noticeably – the main professional biking season is summer.

For now, Mach heads to Santa Rosa for the team’s training camp.

“I’m looking towards summer,” Mach said. “I pride myself on improving every year, and I hope that trend continues.“

Though he has now gone professional, Mach still rides with the Aggies, as well as the local Davis Bike Club.

While the Cal Aggie cycling team develops elite athletes – a handful of whom have competed professionally in the last few years – it’s open to anyone interested in cycling.

“Basically, if you think you may be interested in racing, there’s a place for you,” Van Sickle said. “Collegiate cycling is a lot more friendly than amateur bike racing. It’s very friendly and inclusive.“

For more information about the Cal Aggie cycling team, visit the team’s website, ucdaviscycling.com. Mach can be followed at paulmach.com.

“He is an extremely talented rider, has a huge engine and I think he can take it pretty darn far if he chooses to do so,” Van Sickle said. “He’s one of the most talented – if not the most talented – people I’ve seen come through Davis.“

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

DNA of UCD

Features

Features Editor

January 28, 2009

Fish are important to Peter Moyle, and he would argue they’re important to you too.

The UC Davis professor of wildlife, fish and conservation biology has dedicated his entire adult life to studying the ecology of freshwater fish. A Minnesota native, Moyle is a nationally known conservation expert and prolific author of 106 peer-reviewed papers and five books. He also serves on numerous committees associated with managing the San Francisco Estuary.

Moyle tries to pass on his passion for ecology by encouraging his students to “know your bioregion” by taking one of the eleven self-guided field trips he wrote and posted on his website, which can be accessed through wfcb.ucdavis.edu.

What does your research focus on

Ecology and conservation of freshwater fish, especially in California, as well as the effects of alien invading fish on native fishes. I am especially interested in restoration of streams and rivers, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

What classes do you teach at UC Davis? Do you have a favorite

WFC 120 Biology of Fishes

WFC 10 Wildlife Ecology, a general education course

Geology 135 Ecogeomorphology, a field course co-taught with Jeff Mount of Geology

Ecology 290, graduate seminars

I like them all because they reach different groups of students.

What drew you to studying the biology and conservation of fish

I was brought up in Minnesota on a ridge between two lakes, where I fished and boated. It also helped that both my parents were aquatic biologists.

On your website, you offer several field trip guides to explore local wildlife. Which would you recommend students start with and why

Stebbins Cold Canyon is my favorite for visitors. Reasonably close, 30 minute drive, and fairly wild. For the fairly fit, there is a great 4-mile hiking loop to a ridge top. Otherwise there is a shorter hike that is only a mile or so and not steep. But several of the trips are designed get people out to see some of the spectacular wildlife concentrations we have here at times: sandhill cranes (Cosumnes River), waterfowl (Yolo Basin), salmon (American River), even big flocks of robins (Cold Canyon).

Why is it important to “know your bioregion?

This is where we live and put down roots. I think “acting locally” works better for conservation. Besides, Davis is located in a really interesting region, with an incredible diversity of habitats and critters within a couple of hours in all directions. The watershed we live in, Putah Creek, goes an amazing distance up back into the coast range, draining large areas of rugged public land, including Cold Canyon.

You were originally against building a peripheral canal in the delta, but you changed your mind recently. Why was that

Times have changed. The original canal was designed mainly to transport a lot more water south. Basically, much of that water flows south today anyway, as well as to the Bay Area, by flowing through the Delta. This screws up the hydrology, confuses the fish and entrains them in the pumping stations, among other things. The ecosystem changes that everyone was afraid would occur – for example the collapse of fish populations – when the PC [peripheral canal] was built have occurred anyway.

Now the PC, if properly built and operated, with fees serving as a steady source of money for restoration projects, could improve conditions for fish. Given the likelihood of massive levee collapse from earthquakes, making the present water transport system untenable, a PC is more or less inevitable, unless we want to stop diverting water from the Delta entirely.

Why are delta fish species important to California

They are part of our heritage, unique to the state (endemic). They tell us a lot about the health of the ecosystems that provide water for us. The Endangered Species Act says it is the policy of the people of the USA and California (state act) not to let species go extinct.

They are lovely fish and all are edible. Wouldn’t it be great if the Delta smelt and longfin smelt became so abundant they could be harvested? Similar species are highly valued as food elsewhere, which is not surprising because all smelt are tasty.

What’s your favorite fish species

Any species native to California. For a marine fish, I am partial to the sarcastic fringehead, which looks like its name.

Do you have a home aquarium

One small one, to amuse grandkids with goldfish, and a couple of small ponds, also full of goldfish. The fish feed the herons that stop by and amuse the kids when they try to catch them.

Anything else you’d like tell students

Know where the water comes from that you drink and where it goes when you flush the toilet. This will help you to understand how California works, or doesn’t work.

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Student’s vision of change restores sight

Features

Features Editor

January 28, 2009

Editor’s note:Earlier this month The Aggie published Thuy Tran’s first-hand account of her optometric mission in Vietnam. UC Davis junior Jasdeep Manik recently participated in a similar mission in India with nonprofit Unite for Sight.

Imagine looking through a clear plastic glass,filled with water.Now replace that water with milk.This is the world through the eyes of someone with a cataract.But with a$50surgical procedure,this blur can be restored to the clarity of water.

Jasdeep Manik,a junior neurobiology,physiology and behavior major,traveled to India in December to assist with these cataract operations.She went as a volunteer with Unite for Sight,anonprofit aimed at promoting international eye care and assistance.She is vicepresident of the UC Davis chapter.

The program requires each volunteer to raise a minimum of$1500to fund cataract surgeries as well as supply a minimum of300pairs of eyeglasses.With the help of her mother’s company,Manik raised$2120in about a month,and brought300eyeglasses to distribute to patients.The program also required her to take training courses on topics such as culture shock and eye health.

At the start of winter break,she flew to India,stopping first in Punjab to visit relatives.Manik began her volunteer work at the A.B.Eye Institute in Patna, a city in the state of Bahir,India. Under the direction of institutestaff Dr.Ajit Sinha, she tested blood pressures and conducted visual tests,as well as assisted with 35 to 40 of the cataract surgeries performed by institute doctors.During her10-day stay,she worked with637patients.

Cataract surgery involves a removal of the clouded lens and replacing it with a synthetic lens,according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. This surgery improves vision in 90 percent of patients.

She described patients who rely on sewing for income attempting to thread needles after surgery.

“[It is] amazing that in20minutes,they get their sight back,” Manik said.

Without vision, she said, what work can you do?

During her stay in Bahir,Manik also visited a school for blind girls founded by Ajit.She remembered the girls‘ friendliness,despite the tragedy of their blindness.

“The sad truth is that the girls that go [there],had they been diagnosed,it could have been prevented,” she said.

According to the World Health Organization’s website,cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally,despite the surgical procedure capable of removing them.

Manik credits her motivation to participate in the program to a lecture given by Andreas Toupadakis,a chemistry lecturer,as part of the Last Lecture Series.

Toupadakis said he encourages students to explore areas of interest by participating in activities such as internships.He said he considers Manik an “incredible example for fellow students.” In a letter thanking him for his guidance, Manik said that his lecture “made[her] realize that life is a continuous journey of learning about oneself.“

Initially intending to go medical school,Manik discovered her interest in optometry during her time at UC Davis.

“Someone told me optometrists were really happy and I wanted to know why,” Manik said of her first attraction to the field. She said that many diseases,such as diabetes,can be diagnosed through an eye examination.

“Optometrists are like primary healthcare providers… guardians [for other problems],“she said.

After graduation from UC Davis,Manik plans to attend optometry school. Her first choice, she said, is UC Berkeley because students get hands-on clinical experience on their first day.

Manik said she would eventually like to open her own practice. She currently volunteers her services at community health fairs.

“[This experience] just makes you realize there’s a great need; people can make a difference,” she said.

For further information about participating in Unite for Sight,contact Jasdeep Manik at jkmanik@ucdavis.edu.

SARA JOHNSON can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

January 28, 2009

TODAY

Hunger lunch

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Silo back patio

The lunch, sponsored by Nourish International, will be an all-you-can-eat meal of rice, beans and cornbread.

Reporting in Latin America: What Gets Printed

Noon

5214 SSHB

Award-winning journalists Susan Ferriss and Richard Sandoval will discuss their experiences reporting in Latin America.

Genentech info session

5 to 6 p.m.

1131 Kemper Hall

The Computer Science club will be hosting a Genentech information session, and non-computer science majors are welcome to attend. Free food and drinks for all!

Agnostic & Atheist Student Association meeting

6 to 8 p.m.

205 Olson

AgASA continues its Atheism series with the topic of Atheism in Film, Music, Art and Media.

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament

6 to 8 p.m.

Silo Union

Get there early; seats fill up quickly. Must be there by 6 p.m. If you’re one of the top 30 players, you could end up in the tournament of champions!

Cal Aggie Camp info night

7 p.m.

226 Wellman

Learn about what Cal Aggie Camp is, and pick up an application if you want to be a camp counselor! If you can’t make the meeting, applications will be available in the ASUCD Office (third floor of the MU) until the due date, mid-February.

Relay for Life kickoff party

7 to 8 p.m.

2 Wellman

Stop by for exciting Relay for Life news, as well as food, entertainment and prizes! Bring your friends, too!

THURSDAY

Project Compost

6 p.m.

43 Memorial Union, MU Basement

Learn about radical composting on campus and how to get involved.

Project HEAL

6:15 p.m.

226 Wellman

Go to the Project HEAL meeting for this week. All are welcome to attend!

Be:Empowered

6:30 to 9 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

This program shows all women how to unite and embrace their inner and outer beauty.

Making an impression

7:15 p.m.

2 Wellman

Franklin Templeton will help you learn how to make a great impression to potential employers in all industries.

Thursday Trivia Nights

6 to 7:30 p.m.

Silo Union

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

SUNDAY

Alpha Chi Omega’s PJs and Pastries

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Alpha Chi Omega house, on Second and C Streets

Go over, enjoy some pastries and help support victims of domestic violence. Pick up tickets from the sorority when they’re tabling this week. The tickets will cost $5 this week or $7 at the door.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie.org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.

The Authentic Truth

Opinion

Opinion

January 28, 2009

During my short stint as a columnist, I’ve gotten some interesting responses to what I’ve written. I’ve had people go to great lengths to tell me how stupid I am. I had one reader say that he would rather stick a fish in a rather unusual spot than read my column again. I even had one angry man hope that I would be attacked. But I had yet to receive a response as passionate as the one sent to me in reaction to my last column.

Last Friday I wrote a column that was influenced in part by my hope for our country’s future and in part by my admiration for a professor at UC Davis. Before I sent it to be edited, I allowed the professor a chance to look over her quotes.

Dr. Kiburi supported the column, but requested that I add two short statements. I immediately amended my column accordingly. Unfortunately, I made a rather careless mistake and sent the rough draft of my column to my editor instead of my final version. This printed version did not include two facts that Dr. Kiburi wanted me to add, resulting in a column that, in the words of the professor, caused “extreme damage to my family and me.”

In an attempt to correct the hurt feelings caused by my carelessness I will include these facts now.

Dr. Kiburi’s husband is a professor at CSUS.

The educational strategy she used to help her children worked. All five of her children have university degrees – most have master‘s.

Through the accidental omission of these statements, I seemed to have turned something that was meant to be positive into a tragic experience.

Luckily, something good actually came out of this embarrassing situation. I learned something – everyone reads things differently. Let me give you an example.

I believed that I was relating a simple anecdote when I wrote that Dr. Kiburi’s decision to home school her children (which, for the record, had marvelous results) was brave and that I wanted to shake her hand. I assumed that people would read this as a testament to the tremendous love she felt for her children and her dedication to giving them an excellent education. In fact, I spoke to many people who had that specific reaction.

However, Dr. Kiburi was concerned that others may read this column and see her as a single mother who was in a family situation without love or support. She informed me that one student believed that this story “[reinforces] negative stereotypes about African American values, family, and behaviors.” What many saw as positive, some saw as negative.

According to another source, my “[column] is full of glaring generalizations and seeks to set aside African Americans as deviant and pathological.“

Seeing as how I have always prided myself on accepting other people and rebuking racism, it had not occurred to me that the simple story would have implications beyond the positive ones I had intended. This reminded me of the one other time that my actions had been misconstrued as prejudiced.

I was teaching a group of middle-school students when a Mexican American child complained that I was favoring one of his African American classmates. When I explained to him that he had to wait his turn for my help, he shouted, “You just hate me because I’m Mexican!” As I am also Mexican American, I was bewildered by his accusation. To this day, I wonder how he could have attributed my actions as a response to his ethnicity.

“If you had written less about yourself, you would have had more room to tell the authentic truth about our family,“ Dr. Kiburi stressed.

Unfortunately for you all, I do write about myself quite a bit. However, the aim of the column was to portray the hope that I feel for our nation’s future. Now all I can do is remain optimistic that these two additions will work toward mending the situation and relating the authentic truth.

DANIELLE RAMIREZ thinks that everyone makes mistakes. To reach her e-mail her at dramirez@ucdavis.edu.

Afghans rule, Taliban drools

Opinion

Opinion

January 28, 2009

In November of 2008, three groups of men in Kandahar, Afghanistan rode by and sprayed burning acid onto the faces of about 15 young girls and female teachers in an apparent attempt to keep them from going to school.

The girls were badly burnt and scarred, one was even flown into India to treat her wounds. But I won‘t focus on that in this week‘s article.

I have a tendency to fixate on what people are doing wrong, how much I hate some people, how stupid I think others are. But when there is someone to criticize, there is usually someone to applaud as well.

Men rode by and sprayed burning acid onto the faces of 15 girls. So, avoid the criticism. What positive things can you say about this situation?

Mehmood Qaderi is the principal of Mirwais Mena, the girl‘s school where the attacks happened. Qaderi deserves a standing ovation. Four days passed and the school that housed 1,500 students remained empty. The principle requested that the students‘ parents attend a meeting to discuss the vacancies in the school, and the necessity to fill them. But the parents were really shaken by the attacks and in the next few days, only a few students came back to school.

Still, Qaderi went out of his way to make sure the girls came back to school. Not only that, he wanted them to feel safe; he contacted the local government and requested buses for the students to use, and for police to station outside the school and on the roads the students take to Mirwais Mena. In an environment where violence is used against those who dispute the old ways, Qaderi is making a bold statement by being so adamant on educating the girls.

He is quoted saying, “I explained to the parents that if you do not send your girls to school, it means you are losing and the enemies are winning.“

In recent Afghan history, women wouldn‘t get this kind of support from men, at least not openly. I commend Mr. Qaderi on his attitude not only toward education, but specifically toward women‘s education.

This kind of hero commonly goes unnoticed. Similar to Grace Lorch, the white woman who escorted the lone “Little Rock Nine“ student onto the bus on her way to a freshly integrated school in 1957, Qaderi stands up and against the norm to do what is right. It‘s a big milestone in Afghanistan‘s (recent) history to have this kind of societal progression.

Mr. Qaderi states another simple and thoughtful truth: “Education is the way to improve our society.“ Qaderi symbolizes a hopeful, new generation of native Afghans that breaks from the conservative, irrational ideologies of past governments. It‘s difficult in a peace-deprived country to find time to progress and improve the society and culture, but luckily there are people like this small town school principle to ensure that any opportunities to do so are not wasted or taken from them by fear.

Afghanistan has been in war on and off since the 1970s, from the invasion of the Soviet Union to the civil war, to the highly publicized removal of the Taliban in 2001. But quite frankly, because of the high media coverage and America‘s self-delegated responsibility to save the world, I expect that Afghanistan is forced to continue to progress like this.

Most first and second generation Afghan Americans are now old enough to be conscious of what is happening in their country, and educated enough to be able to do something about it.

I hope we can look to people like Mehmood Qaderi as examples of how to better Afghanistan and to avoid lapsing into another drawn out period of war.

SARA KOHGADAI is really proud of the direction in which her country is moving. “Thank you, 8 pound, 6 ounce newborn, infant Jesus.“ Contact her at sbkohgadai@ucdavis.edu.

Medical schools opening up to more students

City News

City Editor

January 28, 2009

A recent Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions study found that 44 percent of the 85 top American medical schools surveyed are thinking about increasing the number of open spots for incoming medical students.

Of those schools, roughly 33 percent plan to increase enrollment up to 15 percent and roughly 10 percent plan to increase student enrollment by more than 25 percent. Many of these schools expect to implement these enrollment changes as early as fall 2009.

One factor for why medical schools are opening up more spots is the predicted national physician shortage by 2015.

“One of the most pressing medical issues that we‘re all going to have deal with is this looming shortage of physicians,“ said Russell Schaffer, senior communications manager for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.

In 2006, the Association of American Medical Colleges announced that the combination of population increase, a doubling in the number of people over the age of 65 between 2000 and 2030, and the fact that one in every three active doctors is currently over the age of 55 and will likely retire by 2020 is going to seriously strain the health-care field unless medical schools increase enrollment by 30 percent.

“That really has been the goal of the AAMC,“ Schaffer said. “Given the looming crisis, they‘re looking to alleviate the crisis before it happens.“

An increase of 30 percent would create 5,000 more M.D. students annually to meet the healthcare needs of a changing population landscape.

The more specific issue with this healthcare shortage problem, however, is that fewer medical students are going into primary care, which provides most of the care for most citizens with common conditions.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, there is an alarming gap between the number of primary care physicians and subspecialists. A survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that only a mere two percent of medical students plan to make their career in primary care.

“Primary care is becoming less and less sought after as the ultimate goal for graduates in med school,“ said Stephen McCurdy, professor in the department of public health sciences and director of the masters in public health program at UC Davis. “Part of the reason is money. Medical school students graduate with a lot of debt and it turns out that primary care is not as well-compensated as specialty care.“

To address this problem, some schools, like UC Davis, are expanding their medical school enrollments, but only in one specific program that trains primary physicians to work in under-served areas. Rural-PRIME is a new program that opens up an additional 12 open spots into the UC Davis School of Medicine.

“It‘s for students who are interested in practicing medicine in a rural community and allows them to get a M.D. and masters degree in 5 years,“ said Edward Dagang, director of admissions in the UC Davis School of Medicine.

The overall number of medical school applicants has been rising steadily with an annual growth of up to eight percent since 2003. The general trend of enrollment has also gone up since 2003, with the exception of 2008, in which enrollment dropped by one percent.

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

Democratic economic stimulus package set to vote in House today

City News

City Editor

January 28, 2009

Change could be coming for colleges and universities in the U.S. – and it’s not chump change.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote today on an economic stimulus package that calls for $550 billion in domestic spending and $275 billion in tax cuts.

The $550 billion would be distributed among a number of domestic programs, with $142 billion targeted for education. Those in the education sector see great potential in the proposed bill.

“UC is pleased with how the package is shaping up,” said University of California communications director Chris Harrington. “It will definitely take the strain off of working families and students. Research institutes are clearly a national concern. UC can help by pursing research to stimulate the economy.“

In the House version of the bill, $30 billion would go to financial support for students: $15.6 billion to the Pell Grant, $490 million for work study funds, and $12.5 billion for tax credit for low-income families. The Senate’s current version of the plan gives less money to education.

According to Jean Ross of the California Budget Project, $11 billion would go to California to free up money for the state budget, set off budget cuts, education technology, special education, construction, job training and other areas.

Although some are praising the stimulus package for its potential to infuse the economy, others are concerned that it is not the right maneuver.

“Infrastructure spending is not the answer now,” said economist John Huizinga of the University of Chicago during the Myron Scholes Global Markets Forum on Jan. 16. “Putting more construction workers back to work will just be a repeat of the residential housing boom. These people will be out of jobs again when the construction is over. It’s not sustainable, and we need to allocate funds in a way that’s really productive.“

Although Huizinga doesn’t think a fiscal stimulus is appropriate, others see it as inevitable and much needed.

“No one has enough horse power to derail the bill,” said Mark Watts of California Strategies, a public affairs consulting firm. “It’s a necessary hallmark that will result in a good product.“

Others think that the focus of the bill should be more focused on tax cuts than about spending on other programs and funding. They cite the fact that later when government spending is cut, or when taxes are raised, output will come back down. Republican leaders are also urging other House Republicans to vote against the bill.

“This plan is timely and targeted, but it’s only temporary. We’re not avoiding recessions, we’re just reallocating them across time,” Huizinga said. “National savings will fall. Less investment and more account deficits will also result. The government needs to plan slowly.“

Even though some disagree with the package, there is still a sense that the plan will make a difference in some way.

“The Obama stimulus will not help the real economy turn positive faster,” said University of Chicago economist Robert Lucas at the conference. “I could well be wrong if it has a big psychological effect – a reversal in investor confidence and consumer confidence.“

Others believe that there is a deeper-rooted problem with the economy.

“There are inherent problems in the financial sector,” said UC Davis professor Kevin Salyer, who specializes in monetary economics. “At this stage the economy could go bad quickly, but there needs to more research about the economy done. The financial system needs to be put back into order.“

With the recession having lasted since the end of 2007, some see the need for the package as absolutely necessary for the time.

“The only danger for the administration and Congress right now is to do too little,” said a senior Senate staffer. “The economic problems our country is facing have been building for years and they are tremendous. We don’t want to be in a situation where we once again have done too little, too late.“

The House is set to vote on its version of the bill today. Lawmakers hope to get the bill signed by the president by President’s Day, Feb. 16.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Infobox text:

$39 billion to restore state education programs

$30 billion to financial aid for students

$8 billion to scientific researchers

$8.7 billion for infrastructure support for colleges and universities

$4 billion to grants for adult education and training.

Historic bike display closes soon

City News

City Editor

January 28, 2009

If you missed it in fall, be sure to catch the historic bike exhibit in Downtown Davis before it closes this February.

The display, “Swiftwalkers to Streamliners: Bicycles 1823-2008,” features bicycles representing every era of the development of the bicycle.

Because the California Bike Museum does not have its own home, the City of Davis allowed the exhibit to be displayed temporarily in the basement of the Teen Center at Third and B Streets.

After Feb. 15, all of the bicycles in the display will go back into storage indefinitely until a permanent home can be found.

Though small, the exhibit presents a number of rare and unique machines, such as an 1823 Draisienne, one of the earliest widely used two-wheeled self-propelled machines. Built out of wood and iron, the Draisienne had no pedals and no mechanical drive – the rider simply pushed along the ground with his or her feet.

Sleek informational panels explain the history behind each bicycle and how it influenced the future of bicycle history.

Other impressive holdings include the bicycle used by Davis native Dave Scott, a six-time victor of the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon between 1980 and 1987, as well as a 1978 example of the “Woodsie,” the precursor to the modern mountain bike developed by a UC Davis professor.

The items on display come from the Pierce Miller Bicycle Collection, which is owned by the University of California.

What: California Bicycle Museum exhibit

Where: Teen Center basement, Third Street and B Street

When: 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays

Cost: Free

More info: (530) 752-2453

Online: groups.dcn.org/cbm

– Text by JEREMY OGUL

– Photo by JOEY KUNI

Bookstore expansion, Memorial Union renovations in the works

Campus News

Campus Editor

January 28, 2009

At the beginning of every quarter, students flood the UC Davis Bookstore to endure long lines and crowded aisles to purchase textbooks. This winter quarter, the bookstore management had to consider closing down due to an unsafe amount of student shoppers present at the same time.

In response to situations like this, the Campus Unions and Recreation Board – a student advisory group – has proposed to renovate the bookstore, as well as other parts of the Memorial Union.

Brett Burns, the Campus Unions director who is managing the project, believes the UC Davis bookstore to be “grossly undersized” for an institution of more than 30,000 students.

“We’re moving to expand the bookstore and also clean up the first floor corridors,” Burns said.

“Right now, the MU is pretty segmented,” he said. “It’s not like the other student unions where you can kind of see the vast array of offerings the student union has to offer from food service to lounge space to meeting space to a café to a bookstore.“

The total project cost will be approximately $30 million and will be funded by the MU Net Revenue Reserves, a combination of revenues made from the bookstore, food service commissions and the rental of meeting spaces on campus, Burns said.

The project is currently in the schematic phase, but CURB hopes to begin construction in summer 2010.

“We’re looking to add a café-style food service element [inside the bookstore] that will be run by the Coffee House and ASUCD – very similar to what you’d see at Borders or Barnes and Noble,” Burns said. “It will also have some lounge furniture and a place [for students] to study.“

In addition to creating a study space, the bookstore will gain a second floor that will hold the Tech Hub, the MU computer lab currently next to the ATMs, said ASUCD President Ivan Carrillo in an e-mail interview.

CURB plans on expanding the technological aspects as well, Burns said.

“We’re going to expand the Tech Hub so that there will be a lot more options for technology from computers to everything that has to go with it, [including iPods],” he said.

CURB sought input from focus groups, bookstore employees, staff members and students in designing the project.

The renovated bookstore will also better accommodate disabled students, Burns said. In order to make the bookstore wheelchair accessible, the aisle widths will become larger, and an elevator will be installed in the bookstore.

“Not a whole lot is being changed, but enough is to make it comfortable,” Burns said.

There have been some differences in opinion on the expansion project.

The tentative design also includes the addition of a marketplace on the east wing of the MU. Some ASUCD officials are not happy, as its construction would eliminate the space for the current ASUCD units, such as the Post Office, Campus Copies and the Aggie Student Store, Carrillo said.

“The proposed marketplace would [also] sell food to which the ASUCD Coffee House is guaranteed sole rights,” he said.

Molly Fluet, ASUCD vice president, said a renovation is needed and believes the ASUCD unit directors need to be a part of the planning process so that they can express their thoughts on the needs of the businesses during and after the renovation.

“The planning committee seems to emphasize the expansion of the bookstore, which is a great revenue source for the university and is needed during these tough economic times, but the MU is a place for students, and students‘ needs should be the priority,” she said in an e-mail interview.

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

Israel study abroad program to continue despite violence

Campus News

Campus Editor

January 28, 2009

The University of California doesn’t normally send students and faculty to countries on the State Department’s travel warning list – but overwhelming interest has led both the system and Davis to give students that opportunity – even in light of the recent violence.

“We are offering a four week program through the UC Davis Summer Abroad Program and both a semester and year long program through the UC Education Abroad Program,” said Diane Adams, associate director of UC Davis‘ Education Abroad Center.

Both programs plan to continue, despite the region’s recent violence. Duke, Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania recently made headlines by pulling the plug on their plans to send students to Israel.

Eric Schroeder, faculty director of UC Davis Summer Abroad said they have been taking extraordinary, but very necessary measures in student safety.

“The students will live in what is essentially a gated compound, and we’ll be meeting with the Israeli consulate in the next few weeks to talk about safety on field trips,” he said.

University of California spokesperson Chris Harrington said the system will continue to monitor the situation as they implement the program.

“We’ve put in place a number of tools to allow us to constantly monitor the situation on the ground, not only in Israel but around the world in all of our locations where students and staff might be traveling or studying at a given time,” he said. Harrington declined to elaborate on the nature of the tools due to security concerns.

Schroeder said they had already put the Israel program in the brochure and on the website before the violence made them sit back and assess things.

“Our committee reconvened last Friday, and the timing was good because hostilities had settled down at the beginning of the week,” he said.

Separate from the UC’s program, Davis‘ students will spend four weeks at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, just outside of Tel-Aviv. Three weeks will be spent in school, while the fourth is an extended field trip.

The UC’s program runs for either a semester or a year, and is nearing reinstatement.

“The program is still on track, and we are continuing ongoing discussions regarding the final details for the program with Hebrew University,” Harrington said.

When countries show up on the State Department’s travel warning list, the UC usually either cancels programs or won’t consider the country for new ones.

Three years ago, a terrorist attack in Indonesia forced an evolution and ecology program to relocate to Singapore.

“That was a very unusual, but very fortunate situation,” Schroeder said.

The more common outcome for these situations is what happened two years ago to a program in Sri Lanka that was cancelled when the State Department added the country to it’s warning list, Schroeder said.

“We had to cancel, and it was even in the brochure already,” he said.

When UC won’t travel to a country, some students choose to go through third-party providers – private, for-profit companies that exist to send students overseas.

That’s how UC Davis students have gone to Israel in the last 10 years, Schroeder said. In recent years, UC Davis officials decided they wanted students to stay within their education system and created its own program.

“With UC Davis courses taught by UC Davis professors, we think we do something very unique using a very distinguished member of our own faculty who has great contacts there, in Ze’ev Maoz,” he said. “We believe it’s as good as or better than third party ways.“

Schroeder said UC Davis believes the fact that things have quieted down is reason for optimism that the program will run this summer.

“We think the situation is under control, and that the situation is more stable now than it has been the past few months, and we’ve got measures in place for student safety,” he said. “My concern at the moment is that students will be dissuaded and not sign up for the course or will wait too long observing the situation and miss the mid-April enrollment deadline.”

MIKE DORSEY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Campus Judicial Report

Campus News

Campus Editor

January 28, 2009

Plagiarism

A freshman student had a second referral to SJA, this time for plagiarism. The student copied sections directly from multiple Internet sites, altered them slightly to fit a writing assignment and did not cite the sources used. The student admitted dishonesty and accepted the disciplinary sanctions of deferred separation until graduation, community service, LSC tutoring, a writing assignment on plagiarism and a plagiarism workshop.

Alteration for higher grade

A physics professor referred a senior student to SJA for altering multiple quizzes and submitting them for re-grading in order to receive a higher score. The professor had made copies of the original quizzes, which he compared to the altered quizzes that the student submitted. The student admitted to the misconduct and agreed to a deferred separation and 20 hours of community service.

Stealing work

A student was referred to SJA for stealing other students‘ work for lab assignments and then submitting them as his own. The student explained that he was confused by the lab computers, which contained other students‘ work, and that he unknowingly altered and used others‘ work. The professor said that while some of the copying could have been accidental, there were also portions that were clearly intentional. The student acknowledged that he is responsible for any work he turns in and admitted that he was in violation of the Code of Academic Conduct. He accepted deferred separation, a writing assignment, LSC tutoring, counseling and DRC advising.

The Campus Judicial Report is compiled by student members of the Campus Judicial Board. Additional information about SJA and the Campus Judicial Board may be found at sja.ucdavis.edu.

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