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Batty about bats

Features

Features Editor

November 19, 2008

The Mexican Free-tailed bat is gray and brown, has massive, vein-lined ears, a pig-like snout and patchy hair under its tiny, wrinkled mouth. One would speculate that only this bat’s mother could love him.

But that speculation – like many others about bats – is a myth. Corky Quirk, founder of NorCal Bats, happens to find the creatures quite adorable.

Quirk has made a significant effort to teach the Northern California community about the little fore-limbed mammals, while also rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing them to their respective environments. She currently lives in Davis, but travels throughout California to wherever a bat is in need in her “bat mobile“- but instead of sporting heavy armor and atomic batteries, Quirk transports tiny bats to safety.

The most common instance where Quirk’s services are needed is when a person finds a bat in their home and he or she worries that the bat may bite.

“I can only think of one incident where the person [said] that he’d been bit and the bat tested positive for rabies,” Quirk said. “I’d say most people are aware that they need to be careful. If the person is afraid but yet they want to help the bat, I’ll ask them to put a box over the bat to keep everyone safe.“

One of the most important pieces of advice Quirk, or anyone working with bats, gives to those who call is to never touch the bat with bare hands. Though bats in California are not interested in human flesh – they only feed on insects – if they feel threatened, they will bite. Since rabies is transmitted through saliva, there is a possibility that the bat can pass along the virus.

“The only way to test it is to test the brain and you have to put them to sleep,” she said. “That’s why I encourage people to wear gloves or use tools.“

But that’s another myth Quirk and NorCal Bats work to dispel – not all bats have rabies, and the ones that do don’t necessarily show it. They don’t foam at the mouth or act hysterically. According to Bat Conservation International, bat rabies only account for about one death per year in the U.S., so a person runs a greater risk of getting killed by a dog.

The fact that bats can carry rabies is the reason why Quirk’s services are so unique. Next to NorCal Bats, there is only one other organization in California that will care for bats because many do not want to run the risks associated with rabies.

“Nine times out of 10, if a bat is down, it has rabies,” said Christina Palmar-Holtry, at the Veterinary Science Teaching Hospital. “So we don’t see many here, and if we do they usually have to be euthanized for rabies testing.“

The second organization that assists with injured bats is Flying Mammal Rescue, located in Sacramento.

“With just Corky and me sometimes we get overrun,” said Fran Zitano, founder of Flying Mammal Rescue. “It would be nice if wildlife rescue groups would take bats in because they are endangered and somebody really needs to take care of them.“

Bats play a vital role in the world’s ecosystem. Although a few species feed on fruit and meat, all California bats primarily feed on insects – millions of insects.

They save farmers thousands on pesticides and minimize mosquitoes in the environment. They eat far more insects than any birds and a pregnant bat will eat the equivalent of its own weight, Quirk said.

All those interviewed said that bats are not pests – they are in fact quite fascinating creatures. They hunt almost purely based on echolocation in the night; they travel up to 50 miles away from their nest to hunt; they can live up to 30 years; a female bat will never leave her colony; a mother bat will adopt an injured baby bat if that baby bat’s mother is not present, according to Quirk.

These are the kinds of things Quirk tells almost anyone who will listen. One of NorCal Bats‘ most ardent tasks is education and Quirk delivers presentations to classrooms, wildlife groups and children. This year, she even brought a few of her “teaching” bats to a Batman-themed birthday party. The youngsters were in the mood for a bat lesson, and she was glad to deliver.

“It was impressive that the parents and the kids wanted to do something that was educational,” Quirk said. “That’s when I feel like I’m really making a difference.“

For more information visit norcalbats.org.

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at features@theaggie.org

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

November 19, 2008

TODAY

East Quad Farmers Market

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

East Quad

Check out a convenient iteration of the farmers market right on campus!

International Education Week student fair

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Freeborn Hall

Learn how UC Davis is involved in the international community and enjoy international food, dance, music, games and activities. Visit uoip.ucdavis.edu for more information.

NCAA Tournament ticket distribution

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Freeborn Hall Ticket Office

Men’s soccer will host Denver in the first round of the national tournament at Aggie Soccer Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for UC Davis students, faculty and staff, and $7 for adults. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Flu vaccination clinic

11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Cabernet Room, Silo

Help prevent getting sick this winter by getting a flu shot. If you cannot make this meeting time, call 752-2349 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/topics/flu-vaccine.html.

Campus Resource Faire for student groups

2:15 to 4 p.m.

MU II

Go to this faire to meet staff representatives from over 15 campus groups that offer services, support and funding for student organizations.

Coping with Holiday Stressors

5 to 6 p.m.

ARC Meeting Room 3

Worried that the holidays might put more stress in your life? Learn how to relax and refresh over Thanksgiving break!

Computer science club meeting

5:10 p.m.

1131 Kemper

Professor Ken Joy, of the UC Davis Institute for Data Analysis and Visualization, will speak about on-campus research. Free pizza will be available!

Halo 3 video game tournament

6 to 10 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

Battle against other Halo 3 experts; prizes will be given to the top two players or teams. Pre-registration costs $5 or $7 at the door.

UC Davis Washington Program information session

146 Olson

6:10 p.m.

Larry Berman, the director of the UC Davis Washington Program, will tell you why you should spend a quarter in Washington, D.C.

Relay for Life info meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

179 Chemistry

Go to the first team captain’s meeting to learn about Relay for Life, find out how to start a team and begin gathering interest for Relay for Life 2009!

Colleges Against Cancer ‘Thank You for Smoking‘ screening

7:30 p.m.

1006 Giedt

Go to this film screening and learn about lung cancer, smoking and hookah.

The Honorable George Mitchell

8 p.m.

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center

Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell will discuss many topics, ranging from the election, economic issues and his role in the North Ireland peace accord, for which he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mitchell will also address his investigation of steroid use in Major League Baseball.

MK Modern auditions

10 p.m. to midnight

Southwest end of ARC Pavilion

If you’re interested in becoming part of a hip hop crew in Davis, these are the auditions for you! For more information, e-mail mkmodern@gmail.com.

THURSDAY

Fifth Street Corridor open house

6 to 9 p.m.

Multi-Purpose Room, Holmes Junior High School, 1220 Drexel Drive

The Fifth Street corridor is a popular road for many types of vehicles. Offer comments on how to improve it at this open house.

Project HEAL meeting

6 p.m.

106 Wellman

All are welcome to attend this meeting!

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!

Nutrition science research club

6:10 p.m.

1022 LSA

Guest speaker Dr. Joshua Miller will talk at this meeting.

Community men’s talk circle

7:15 to 9:30 p.m.

Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road

This new organization will meet monthly to form a sacred space. Men will have the chances to heal wounds that result from lost connections and to be heard and seen. All men are welcome; there is no charge.

FRIDAY

Flu vaccination clinic

3 to 4 p.m.

Cowell Student Health Center, North Lobby

SATURDAY

Alpha Epsilon Pi rubber duck race

Noon

Putah Creek

Go support the fraternity’s first annual rubber duck race. Funds will support Shaare Zedek Hospital in Israel. Each duck costs $5, and there will be a cash prize of $200 for the first-place duck. Face painting, barbecuing and other activates will also be going on.

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.

Lowered gas prices help commuters, businesses alike

City News

City Editor

November 19, 2008

Biking around Davis, many students may not be affected by gasoline prices, but those driving and running businesses around California are.

Gas prices in California have tumbled from an all-time high of $4.59 in June to an average of $2.37 currently, according to the California Energy Commission. Though the economy is taking a toll on businesses, the drop in gas prices has been a silver lining for some.

“We have a free shuttle at our hotel, so that affects our fuel costs with drop-offs and pick-ups,” said front desk manager Elizabeth Perez at the Howard Johnson Hotel on Chiles Road. “Everyone is being affected by the implications of how the economy is doing in general, but this was a big dramatic change for the better.“

It has also benefited retailers in Davis.

“I think the price change came at a good time because people don‘t have to worry about the added financial burden during the holidays,” said Davis Food Co-op marketing coordinator, Seth McOmber. “It‘s been good for our business because it‘s keeping people happy and willing to buy nice things, especially since we sell more expensive higher quality products.“

From Davis SunMart gas station clerk Riaz Haq‘s perspective, however, things are different.

“Business is slow even though prices are down,” Haq said. “People are still buying less groceries [in the food mart] from here as well. We thought it would get busier. I guess people are concerned more with holiday shopping.“

A weekly MasterCard survey found that the number of credit card swipes at gas stations across the country decreased by 3.9 percent compared with last year‘s numbers. This leaves gas stations with fewer sales, but helps other businesses that receive the leftover money that is not spent on gas.

“Business has been steady this year, but it hasn‘t been a big growth year because of the overall economic picture,“ said Dee Clark, general manager of Woodstock‘s Pizza.

Gas definitely affects the price of doing business for Woodstock’s, Clark said, because pizza delivery drivers have to be paid more to cover the cost of gas.

The cost of food delivered to places like Woodstock’s or the Co-op generally stays the same, but the business has to pay a fuel surcharge that fluctuates with the price of gas.

“We don’t have to raise prices as much when the fuel surcharges are lower,” McOmber said, “although they haven’t quite lowered yet because [the companies that charge for delivering food] are waiting for things to settle down.“

Don Howell, assistant manager of the moving truck division at Davis‘ Budget Rental, said the price of gas impacts what kind of vehicles people rent.

“People are more willing to rent out our trucks for moving when the cost of renting the regular gas trucks is lower,” Howell said.

For students, the biggest effect is on the cost of a drive home.

“Going home is so expensive, but with the lower gas prices it doesn‘t cost as much to maintain my car,“ said junior psychology major Jenna Stallard, who is from Fresno. “I didn‘t want to drive anywhere over the summer. Now the lower prices make you want to go more places more often.“

Frequent commutes can also be affected by the change in gas prices, making it more convenient for those who drive a lot.

“I drive to San Francisco every weekend, so the lower gas prices are very helpful,“ said sophomore civil engineering major AJ Massis. “With more money in your pocket, you don’t have to be as stingy about giving friends rides.“

For Davis‘ Palm Court Hotel front desk clerk Kelly Jonasen, the effects of lower prices are more personal than job wise.

“I don‘t have a far commute, but with the lower prices I‘ve been driving a bit more to work rather than riding my bike,” Jonasen said.

According to a California Energy Commission spokesperson, prices are expected to rise again in spring, as demand is usually higher during that time of year. With an ample supply and less demand, prices tend to stabilize.

ANGELA SWARTZ can be reached city@theaggie.org.

Governor proposes $332 million cut from community colleges

City News

City Editor

November 19, 2008

California’s community colleges might be just a little less accessible to students in the very near future.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a $332.2 million mid-year budget cut to all California community colleges as part of a budget cut package he announced two weeks ago. This newly proposed reduction, along with a $290 million cut enacted earlier this year, brings the total to a potential $622.2 million cut from California community colleges.

In addition to budget cuts, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office has proposed raising community college tuition 50 percent by 2009. Fees would go from $20 per unit to $26 per unit starting in January.

The increases in fees and decrease in government funding puts California’s 110 community colleges in a tough position as more and more students choose to go to community colleges right after high school, community college administrators say. Across the state, community colleges are seeing overall enrollment growths of roughly 10 percent, according to a press release from the community college system.

“I think what we’re seeing now are effects of increasing costs at four-year universities – public and private – combined with a very difficult economy,” says Los Rios District spokesperson Susie Williams.

But the demands of higher enrollment aren’t being met with more funding.

“While the governor’s proposing a 10 percent cut of funding, we’re looking at a 8 to 10 percent enrollment increase in students,” said Art Pimentel, spokesperson of Woodland Community College.

The majority of students at Woodland Community College are preparing to transfer to UC Davis, Pimentel said.

The exact consequences of short funding are still tentative.

“It’s a little early to tell right now what exactly is going to happen and we’re waiting for more information from the governor’s office,” said Miriam Root, spokesperson for Yuba Community College. “I know whatever it is we decide, we always have the students in mind.“

For many colleges, it is likely that programs, classes and services previously offered will be in jeopardy.

“We would basically see a decrease in the overall number of courses that would be offered,” Pimentel said.

Even if programs are not cut, it still might take students longer to graduate because they might not get the classes they want due to fewer class sections. This, along with an increase in fees, may ultimately affect the number of students who the community college system can serve.

“We’re estimating that with the governor’s proposed cuts, and if fee increases were to occur as proposed by the legislative analysts‘ office, then we would lose around 262,000 students statewide,” said Williams, the Los Rios spokesperson. “Our share of that in the Sacramento area would be an estimated 11,000 students who would be losing access to education.“

Being the largest educational system in the world, community colleges in California educate roughly 2.7 million students annually, according to the press release.

“This escalating series of cuts, especially in education, are going to harm a generation or two of Californians across the board,” said James Robertson, professor of history at San Mateo Community College. “It’ll have an impact in terms of economic opportunity, source for advancement, and the ability to move upwards, especially for families whose numbers are attending college for the first time.“

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

BY THE NUMBERS”

2.7 million – number of students served by California community colleges each year

73 percent – proportion of all higher education students in California enrolled at community colleges

66 percent – proportion of California State University graduates who transfer from community colleges

33 percent – proportion of University of California graduates who transfer from community colleges

Community colleges also educate roughly 71 percent of California nurses, 81 percent of California firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical technicians.

Source: California Community Colleges system office

Berkeley study outlines possible additions to LSAT

Campus News

Campus Editor

November 19, 2008

A recent report by UC Berkeley researchers delves inside the Law School Admissions Test, examining its effectiveness and possible new testing methods.

The LSAT is currently used to predict a student’s academic success in their first year of law school, but does not predict future success in the profession as an attorney. The study aims to find tools to design a test that would assess professional effectiveness more comprehensively.

Through an eight-year project, UC Berkeley principal investigators Marjorie M. Shultz and Sheldon Zedeck sought to find characteristics that current lawyers think are important and to suggest broadened criteria for predicting candidates who are effective lawyers.

“Some of tests were predictive in ways that we think would be valuable if confirmed on national level,” said Shultz, professor of law at UCB’s Boalt Hall School of Law. “You wouldn’t expect to substitute or remove the LSAT but we would hope – pending on national research – the testing process to include a wider range of tests used in a variety of ways.“

The research involved three phases. The first stage consisted of an interview with focus groups and surveyed UC Berkeley alumni who are practicing lawyers and identified 26 factors important to effective “lawyering,” including advocacy, negotiation, problem solving, management, advising clients and stress management.

The second stage involved examining existing standardized tests for methods that would be useful in predicting the 26 factors.

In the final stage, researchers used volunteer alumni from both UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of Law to take the tests researchers chose in the second phase. They factored in their LSAT scores, law school and undergraduate grades and their scores on the researchers‘ new versions of tests, then asked supervisors and peers to evaluate the participants on the 26 factors developed in the first phase.

“We are trying to broaden what is evaluated as primarily the admission’s decision to law school,” Shultz said. “If proved to be effective this might be relevant to the bar exam.“

Wendy Margolis, director of communications for the Law School Admissions Council said in an e-mail interview that the current LSAT provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.

The current LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school – reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight, organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it, critical thinking and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others, Margolis said.

“The test is quite successful in doing what it is intended to do,” she said. “There may be other measures that would assess traits that would be useful for practicing attorneys.“

Ellen Rutt, associate dean for admissions at the University of Connecticut’s law school and chair of the Law School Admissions Council, which runs the LSAT, said that predicting first-year success and later success are two entirely different things.

“It’s impossible to have prior knowledge of the subject matter,” Rutt said. “You can’t study law before you can go to law school. So [the LSAT] touched the most tangible aspects that are most useful in studying law.“

The LSAC provided a great deal of funding for the research and is interested in the results, but any changes to the test would be preceded by research and field-testing.

“The skills the UCB researchers measured are worth investigating further, and we plan to do so with their cooperation,” Margolis said. “The study that was done by UCB is preliminary, and we plan to do further research before considering any changes to the LSAT. It is far too early to tell whether any additions to the LSAT, or any supplemental measures, may be forthcoming.“

Any new additions will be the focus of new research, but the LSAC maintains that the test accomplishes its job.

“[The LSAT] is not perfect but it’s not useless either. It’s the best we have right now and these [researchers] are trying to make it better,” said Vikram Amar, associate dean at UC Davis‘ King Hall School of Law.

Amar said the test does its job of measuring academic ability but it does not capture how well one works with people, determination, listening skills, resourcefulness and problem solving.

“Those are things that fall through the cracks,” Amar said. “Ideally you should test for a broader set of skills but is that practical?”

The study was exploratory and used only UC Berkeley and Hastings participants. With about 200 law schools in the country, national research at a parallel level with the report would be necessary, Shultz said.

POOJA KUMAR can be reached at campus@theaggie.org

Campus Judicial Report

Campus News

Campus Editor

November 19, 2008

Using unauthorized material during an exam

Two students reported a fellow classmate to Student Judicial Affairs for using unauthorized material during an exam. When questioned by a SJA officer, the classmate admitted to using his notes, but claimed he was simply using them to check the spelling of some words. Because this was not the student’s first offense, the student agreed to delayed graduation, deferred dismissal and community service. Deferred dismissal means that if the student is again found in violation of any kind of academic misconduct, he would likely be dismissed from the university.

Providing false information

A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs for providing false information for academic reasons. The student had attempted to drop a class after the deadline by forging a letter from his employer stating that the student had increased his work hours and the additional work hours were affecting the student’s schoolwork. After some investigation, the student admitted to writing the letter himself. The student agreed to disciplinary probation until graduation.

Another case of providing false information

A professor referred a student to SJA because the student had managed to add the professor’s class despite the fact that the class was full, registration for the class had closed, and the student had not come to any classes and was not on the waiting list. The concern was that the student must have forged the instructor’s signature on the PTA form or he could not have added the course. The student claimed he was trying to register for another class and was somehow enrolled in the wrong class. Although there are some questions as to how this could have occurred, the university decided not to pursue the matter and the student was given an Administrative Notice. An Administrative Notice is a formal notice of specific university policies and is not a formal sanction.

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.

Web-based tool introduced to estimate financial aid

Campus News

Campus Editor

November 19, 2008

The amount of money students receive for financial aid will no longer be a surprise, as the University of California has developed a personalized tool that estimates the money each student will presumably receive from state funding.

The web-based tool is available on the UC website and is personalized according to each campus, since each receives different funding. Before the tool, students did not know what they would receive until after they applied for a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a Cal Grant.

“The intention is to be more responsive and transparent,” said UC Office of the President (UCOP) spokesperson Ricardo Vázquez. “Students and their parents will be able to get a better idea of the true cost of their education.“

The tool takes into account a family’s size, the number of children in college, assets and annual income. It then displays not just a range of estimated aid, but also financial plans the family may want to follow, the possible grant assistance and the amount the student would be expected to raise through work or scholarships.

According to the office of financial aid, 62 percent of students at UC Davis receive some kind of financial aid. Included in that figure are low-interest loans, work-study and grants.

“Low-income families believe that they won’t be able to afford college, but when they see that there is aid available they’re pleasantly surprised,” said Trina Wiggins, director of undergraduate financial aid. “Even students who do not apply for financial aid can take out loans or receive scholarships.“

Before using UCD’s estimator, students must collect their parent’s and their own income tax returns, their most recent W-2 forms and any current bank and brokerage or investment statements. The student will then have to answer approximately 11 questions similar to those that FAFSA asks.

The result is a comprehensive chart that lists the estimated cost of attendance, how any grants or scholarships can reduce costs and the amount needed to finance the net cost.

“The tool gives a good estimate; not an exact number,” Wiggins said. “If you’re entering inaccurate information you’ll get an inaccurate result, so it’s best if the parent enter the information.“

UC Davis has recently put a tracker on the estimator website to better monitor the success of the tool. However, considering the tool was only introduced a week ago, UC Davis does not have an accurate number for website visitors.

Wiggins said the university is still unsure about the funding it will receive from the state this year, but that given the economic crisis, students and their families will have to prepare for a tough financial year. The web estimator is one way those families will be able to prepare.

UC officials are currently giving presentations of the tool to high school counselors, in hopes that prospective students will use it to determine well ahead of time what their financial plan will look like. However, many counselors either have not heard of the tool or use other tools, like Collegeboard or the Department of Education’s FAFSA4caster.

“Generally I send students to the FAFSA website,” said Lynne DeBie, Dixon High School counselor and commissioner of the California Student Aid Commission. “Although there is not very much in financial aid that is easy to navigate, so we are interested in making the tool available to students.“

Though the tool will not make college more affordable, it will provide another resource so that students can better understand what resources are available and how they can use those resources.

“The UC takes very seriously our responsibility to be affordable to students,” Vázquez said. “The purpose of this is that students know just how affordable college can be.“

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

A buzz from the Bay

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

November 19, 2008

They’ve been hailed as “San Francisco’s new indie rock darlings,” but Berkeley-based band the Morning Benders is working to prove that they are worthy of the hype.

The Morning Benders take the stage tonight at 8 at the ASUCD Coffee House. Opening the show are San Francisco-based bands Social Studies and Love Is Chemicals. The event is free.

The quartet behind The Morning Benders – lead vocalist Chris Chu, guitarist Joe Ferrell, drummer Julian Harmon and bassist Tim Or – first met when they were employees at Disneyland. However, the band didn’t come together until they reconnected in Berkeley, where Chu, Or and Ferrell were students at UC Berkeley.

Since then, the band has been on the rise, touring with acts like The Kooks and Ra Ra Riot and performing at this September’s Treasure Island Music Festival. After three self-released EPs, the band released their debut album Talking Through Tin Cans in May 2008.

Despite a strong background in the subject – both Chu and Or graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in music – Chu said that he never considered it as a career during his studies.

“I always loved [music], but I didn’t think of it as a career path,” he said. “I didn’t even start writing songs until freshman year of college.“

Chu also credited the band’s sound – a modernized take on this retro pop has been likened to early works from The Shins – to the city of Berkeley.

“I love Berkeley and the people there – I think it has a really nurturing vibe for music,” Chu said. “There’s a good kind of relaxed, receptive and open vibe. It’s very accepting.“

Though their music has drawn the obvious comparison to other pop heavyweights of the ‘60s such as the Beatles or the Beach Boys, Chu revealed a much wider musical repertoire.

“A lot of people would associate us with bands from the ‘60s, which are bands we all love, especially when we were making the first album,” he said. “But we listen to so much different stuff – Grizzly Bear, Spoon, Radiohead, Deerhunter, there are a bunch.“

This diversified musical taste found its way into The Bedroom Covers. The album, which is available for free download at ambenders.blogspot.com, features covers of songs from decidedly differing genres and musical eras, including “Pull Up the Roots” by The Talking Heads, “Lovefool” by the Cardigans and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.

After the popularity of other shows featuring bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Port O’Brien and MGMT, Entertainment Council sought to bring another indie band on the rise.

“UC Davis likes that easygoing sound,” said EC promotions coordinator Jennifer Dao. “It’s soothing and it’s fun – we thought it would be nice to have something before finals.“

“I saw them at a show last year, and they were super catchy,” said senior English and linguistics major Jesse Fineman. “It’s cool to see a local Berkeley band on the cusp of being more popular.“

For more information on The Morning Benders, visit themorningbenders.com. For more information the Entertainment Council and future events, visit ec.ucdavis.edu or the group’s Facebook page.

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

Aggies to host NCAA Tournament contest on Saturday

Sports

Sports Editor

November 18, 2008

The No. 12 UC Davis men’s soccer team showed up at the Davis Graduate Monday afternoon to learn its NCAA Tournament fate.

The Aggies expected either a first-round bye or home playoff match at Aggie Soccer Stadium on Saturday.

They got exactly what they wanted, earning a home date with Denver on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“We are persevering as a team,” said senior midfielder Sule Anibaba. “Last year we just barely got in. We have done all it takes. It still hasn’t kicked in. UC Davis is playing a playoff game at home. It’s unreal. There will be a lot of energy on the field that day.“

This team is a far cry from last year’s squad in that it’s not just excited to make the tournament. This year, the Aggies (12-4-4, 4-2-4 Big West Conference) are looking for a win.

“It is much better this year,” Anibaba said. “Last year the emotion took over. We were so hyped and jacked up at the fact that we just got in. It didn’t kick in for a while.“

After falling to California in the first round of last year’s tournament, a playoff win would mean everything to the program’s development.

“That would top everything we’ve done,” Anibaba said.

“A year after already making it, you only want to do better than you did,” said senior co-captain Dylan Curtis. “We know what it is like to make the first round so we want to one-up that this year. It is much more goal-focused than just being happy to be there.“

The visiting Denver Pioneers are 10-6-2 on the season and champions of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

“All we want to do is go in against Denver and play the best game we can,” Curtis said. “That’s all that you can ask for in terms of effort and formation. We have to do everything that we have been practicing or it is just a waste. All we have to work on is beating Denver. That is the only thing on our minds.“

Text by Max Rosenblum

Aggies gain late-game experience at World Vision Basketball Classic

Sports

Sports Editor

November 18, 2008

The UC Davis men’s basketball team is knocking on the door.

Last weekend at the World Vision Classic, the Aggies went on the road and built a lead of 14 points or more in the second half of each of its three season-opening games.

“We haven’t done that,” said head coach Gary Stewart, whose team returned from Ames, Iowa with a 1-2 record. “We haven’t had particular success on the road over the last couple years. We’re making some strides, and now we have to finish. And that’s usually the last piece of the puzzle.“

After finishing strong in its third game of the tournament, the Aggies travel to Arkansas to face the Razorbacks on Thursday.

Friday – Iowa State 61, UC Davis 58

Nothing but hype has surrounded Joe Harden since the forward transferred from Notre Dame to UC Davis in June of 2007.

On Friday, in his Aggie debut, he lived up to it.

Harden led all players with 19 points and 12 rebounds as tournament host Iowa State rallied late to edge UC Davis 61-58.

“He was terrific; he was as advertised,” Stewart said. “I thought he was the best player on the court and had a presence on both ends of the floor.… I couldn’t be happier with him. And the good thing about it is that he has the room to get better, which is even more encouraging for us.“

The Cyclones, who trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, closed the game on a 15-4 run in front of a home crowd of 13,135.

Saturday – Wisconsin-Milwaukee 81, UC Davis 75

The Aggies looked like a different team after halftime.

Unfortunately for them, so did the Panthers.

UC Davis struggled from the floor after a blistering first half, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee took advantage, roaring back from a 24-point halftime deficit to shoot 70.4 percent from the field after the break and upend the Aggies 81-75.

It was the second time in as many days that UC Davis saw a second-half double-digit lead unfold for a loss.

“It was such a difficult loss for us the night before, and we had such a great response in the first half,” Stewart said. “In the second half, it was one of those things where they scored in three straight possessions, we got tight, they got aggressive and it steamrolled on us. We couldn’t put two stops together, and that was to our detriment.“

In the first half, the Aggies shot 52.6 percent and held the Panthers to 34.5 percent shooting to take a 51-27 lead into halftime. In the second half, they shot just 28 percent from the field while being outscored 54-24.

“For us, it’s the next stage in the evolution to close games out,” Stewart said. “Even in Europe, the three wins were all come-from-behind wins. Now it’s a different animal to take the lead and sustain that type of consistent mindset and energy you need to withstand those types of runs.“

Ryan Silva came off the bench to lead UC Davis with 17 points. Harden had his second straight double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Ricky Franklin led five Wisconsin-Milwaukee players in double-digit scoring with 18 points. He also had a game-high six assists and was 4-of-6 from long distance.

Sunday – UC Davis 64, Loyola Marymount 55

Vernon Teel had sent that sick feeling from the Aggies‘ first two losses back onto the court of the Hilton Coliseum.

After UC Davis led by as many as 18 points in the first half, Teel’s pair of free throws brought Loyola Marymount back to within single digits at 52-44 with 9:04 left in regulation.

But then, just as it appeared another loss was beginning to slip away, the senior had seen enough.

Kyle Brucculeri hit with a jumper in the paint and then a 3-pointer that put the Aggies ahead by 13, and UC Davis didn’t allow the Lions to get back to within single-digits until the closing seconds of its 64-55 win.

“Kyle’s trying to do everything we ask of him to do, and I was happy to see him make some shots,” Stewart said. “I really applaud our kids. They fought back. It’s been a very adverse situation for us, and they easily could have felt sorry for themselves and do the same thing we did in the first two games.

“But our guys hung in there. Sometimes the ground balls that you’re not fielding are the ones that are kept getting hit to you, and tonight we executed.“

Brucculeri finished with 14 points and was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Dominic Calegari also scored 14, and Harden fell just short of his third straight double-double with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. He was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Of the four teams in the tournament, UC Davis was the only one to lead by at least 14 points in the second half of each game it played. Despite only coming away with one win, Stewart said his team’s ability to stretch out to those leads will “bode well for the future.“

“It’s the same with life,” Stewart said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to turn the page from yesterday. Sometimes those lessons are hard to learn. There was no celebration in the locker room [after the win]. The guys were clearly disappointed that we didn’t beat Iowa State and they were equally disappointed to not finish the game against Milwaukee-Wisconsin.

“Today they were agitated, yesterday they were angry and on the first day they were disappointed. All in all, a lot of things we learned about ourselves, and hopefully we can apply those to better play moving forward.“

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

Steal this Column

Opinion

Opinion

November 18, 2008

Over the past two weeks, the American media has spent countless hours discussing the unprecedented election of Barack Obama. While Obama’s status as the first African American to be elected to the office of president will certainly solidify his place in American history, his victory also signifies a drastic change in the political attitude of the American people.

Over the past eight years, the American public has become so disenfranchised by the political policies of the Bush administration that they are willing to – for the first time in history – sacrifice the principles of self reliance and individualism that our country was founded upon. The aim of this shift, as Obama once described, is to help the United States “break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution“ – specifically, the Bill of Rights.

Since its inception in 1791, the Bill of Rights has served as the guideline for equitable interactions between the American people and their government. The 10 amendments that make up the Bill of Rights aim to limit the powers of Washington, effectively guaranteeing that the individual liberties of citizens cannot be infringed upon by their elected officials.

In a 2001 radio interview, Obama aptly described these first 10 amendments as a collection of “negative rights,” meaning that they outlined exactly what the government couldn’t do to its people. In Obama’s opinion, the essential flaw within the Bill of Rights is that it does include the addition of “positive rights,” or what the government must do for its people.

Obama plans to introduce this notion of “positive rights” by guaranteeing certain services to each and every citizen. (i.e. universal healthcare) However, just as “negative rights” ensure personal liberties by means of limiting the powers of government, “positive rights” drastically reduce the role of the individual by increasing the government’s presence in society.

For example, if the government is given the responsibility of providing affordable healthcare for all of its citizens, it must somehow find a way to provide services to those who cannot afford them. Essentially, the government will be given the “positive right” to take funds from those citizens who have, and direct them towards those who need. Those citizens who do not require government provided healthcare are ultimately left with the short end of the bargain, and are forced to direct their earnings towards the benefit of another.

It is this idea of forced charity – which stands in blatant disregard to the principle of self-reliance – that characterizes the drastic shift away from the ideals upon which our nation was founded. It is as if we, as a country, have grown tired of personal freedom, and are looking for new ways to surrender control over our lives to another.

It is this shift that will mark the beginning of America’s gradual descent into an Orwellian dystopia, and not just in terms of monetary redistribution. It is no coincidence that, only a week after Obama’s election, key Democratic officials such as Nancy Pelosi began running their mouths about ludicrous ideas such as reinstating the Fairness Doctrine – an FCC policy that required any media outlet who displayed a political slant to allow equal time for opposition comment, and was quite possible the closest thing America has ever had to a “thought police.“

It appears that, after Nov. 4, it has come time for Americans to wave goodbye to free speech, goodbye to free thought, and goodbye to the notion that man is capable of governing himself – all in an effort to make way for the unprecedented change provided by Mr. Barack Obama.

JAMES NOONAN swears he will never live his life for the sake of another man, nor ask any man to live for his. All hate mail, which undoubtedly will follow any attack on Obama, can be sent to jjnoonan@ucdavis.edu.

Otherwise, they’ll kill you

Opinion

Opinion

November 18, 2008

Being an English major of mediocre ability, I have spent many a’nights staying up and writing thousands of last-minute essays – all while cursing the gods of academia for my procrastination and thinking, “What the f*ck have I been doing with my time!?” (Well, I suppose that one night where I had to steam iron all my underwear could have waited…)

And as always, I promise that next time, I will start earlier. I will go to office hours with a rough draft prepared and go over my paper weeks before it is due. I will then print out my rewrite and go through the essay with a red pen.

When the due date finally rolls around, I will have a top-notch essay. Plus, with my astounding literary style and in-depth analysis of the topic assigned, my paper will be a candidate for the Guggenheim fellowship. At least that’s the plan. Unless of course I get trapped watching DVDs of “Friends” again, wherein my entire week will deteriorate in front of the TV and so goes yet another chance at the Guggenheim.

Staying up 24 hours “doing that thing you should have done days ago” is such a common occurrence. No matter how sick you felt the last time drinking all those double shots or how much you stank it up like garbage from not showering for three days, it’s bound to happen again. Might as well accept it and follow my suggestions the next time you dig yourself that hole.

First, it’s crucial that you must eat, shower, and clean before you do anything. I know that when I begin to start a mega-ton 12-page essay, it really helps that I do things along the lines of alphabetizing all the cereal boxes in the cabinet. There’s just something about doing things along the shredding all my receipts and bank statements from months past, or color coordinating my clothes in the closet, that helps me research the fall of the Soviet Union that much more efficiently.

And don’t even mention how I am determined to take a 10-minute shower, but then end up disappearing for an hour-and-a-half. My friends think I’m doing something naughty, but I’m probably doing one of two things. I’m either: one, sitting down with intentions to take a break, but then accidentally end up falling asleep in the shower for 30 minutes, or two, I’m crouching down and crying for an hour about how screwed I am about this paper.

Take copious amounts of naps. Experts say that if you ever want to pull an all-nighter, be sure to at least take a one hour power nap between the critical hours of three and five in the morning, when your brain needs sleep the most.

But what do experts know? Probably nothing about procrastination since they turned in this study on time. My one roommate that has any sort of foreseeable future has this policy where for every two hours of work she finishes, she naps for ten minutes. I adhere to the same rule, except I reverse the numbers. My six to eight hours of “naptime” rarely gets the job done, but the “F” I get on my essay is actually my professor’s way of congratulating me on my Full Night of Sleep.

Keep telling yourself those delusions that got you in this mess in the first place to help you procrastinate at an even greater rate. After all, life isn’t going to end if you leave out the conclusion in your paper. So go ahead and make that Facebook album at five in the morning, titled “Random” and fill it up with photos of things that only you understand and are as irrelevant as they are uninteresting to other viewers.

Or what about the fact that you’ve never not turned it in on time? You’ve always made it, so be confident that you will eventually finish your economics homework despite the fact that you haven’t started, it’s six in the morning, and you’re playing TextTwist online. And remember, pressure turns coals into diamonds (and at the rate you’re going, you’re probably going to turn into a five-karat African blood diamond).

LYNN LA is glad she stopped procrastinating this quarter. In fact, she [note to EIC: Hey Richard, I haven’t finished writing this yet, I’ll do it later….] E-mail her at ldla@ucdavis.edu to encourage her to keep up the good work ethic.

The Sterling Compass

Opinion

Opinion

November 18, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama accomplished a great feat when he won the election two weeks ago, but when he assumes power on January 20, 2009, he will face a herculean task. At the top of his list will be the economy and the Terror Wars; not to mention making his election-winning promise of change a reality. Obama’s situation parallels President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, who, like Obama, inspired as much fear in conservatives as he did hope in the rest of the world.

FDR won the 1932 presidential election on a platform of change, promising a “New Deal” for the American people. During his second inaugural address, FDR said, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” His policies revolutionized American government and gave birth to the notion of the Welfare State. No longer would the government sit idly while the country disintegrated. FDR realized that capitalism’s self-destructive nature could be contained by Keynesian economic policies which included direct government action to stimulate economic growth. Even after the Reagan Revolution, to this day Keynesian principles prevail as the dominant approach to economics. Today we take it for granted, but in the 1930s it was a radical idea. His critics called him a tyrant, a socialist and a traitor. Much of the business elite feared an imminent communist takeover. Fortunately, they were wrong and FDR’s reforms not only saved the U.S., but made it into the superpower it is today.

Obama has made similar promises and faces virtually the same criticisms. During the campaign McCain often called Obama’s economic policies socialist, playing on America’s Cold War era fears that equated it with Stalinist dictatorship. I am not going to get into the ridiculousness of these reactionary claims, but I will say that Obama’s economic reforms will be as profound as FDR’s and I can assure you that it won’t spell the end of American democracy.

The greatest challenge Obama faces is one that FDR did not have to deal with. FDR was able to showcase his New Deal policies years before the U.S. entered WWII thus he did not have to hedge his resources between the two. In this sense, Obama’s presidency might be reminiscent of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s, whose “War on Poverty” was sabotaged by the Vietnam War. Although LBJ’s programs were not as revolutionary as FDR’s, he sought to use America’s wealth to wipe out poverty in the U.S. LBJ left some lasting impacts, like Medicare and Medicaid; however, he found it impossible to fully implement his economic reforms while spending billions fighting foreign wars.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are projected to cost the U.S. $190 billion in 2008 and there is no indication that the tab will get any smaller in 2009. Even a small fraction of this cost could help Obama implement his most promising plans in healthcare and educational reform. Despite this, Obama has a few aces up his sleeve. With his bulldog Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a Democrat-controlled Congress, Obama should have no problem pushing his plans through the legislature. But Obama needs to act quickly. FDR implemented most of his policies during his first 100 days in office, and Obama should do the same. The sooner Obama ends the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the sooner he can implement the social and economic reforms our country needs.

Obama said it best: “The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. Whether chance of birth or circumstance decides life’s big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams.“

Sounds good to me.

MICHAEL HOWER needs a vacation. You can reach him at mahower@ucdavis.edu.

Hospitality during the Holidays

Features

Features Editor

November 18, 2008

Three years ago, Lawson Snipes was one of 125 homeless people living in Davis. During cold, rainy and windy winter nights, Snipes and up to a dozen other individuals would huddle inside “the cave,“ – an island of dry land under the overhang between two buildings at Davis Community Church.

“Davis has been a community that has been good to me,” Snipes said. “It’s a community where there is no reason for anybody to be homeless.… Nobody wants to be homeless in the wintertime.“

Snipes, no longer homeless, now lives happily in a one-bedroom apartment with his cat. But for the other men and women in Davis who need a dry, warm place to sleep, the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter (IRWS) helps makes the winter nights a bit more comfortable.

The shelter, which began its second year of operation last Sunday, is a collaboration between nine different faith communities within Davis to house the city’s homeless during the winter months. On a week-to-week basis, churches alternate in offering their facilities to the program.

Each day the shelter begins its activities at 5:30 p.m. with intake procedures, which takes place at the Davis Friends Meeting house, located at 345 L St. downtown. There, those seeking shelter meet with a volunteer, who creates a file on the guest, conducts a quick behavioral assessment and gathers relevant personal information. An hour later, those individuals are transported to a local church, where they are housed for the night.

“When they walk in, we provide them with sleeping bags and mats – each person gets their own for the entire season – and a hot dinner,” said Reverend Bill Habicht, an associate pastor at Davis Community Church and co-chair of the program.

Student interns and volunteers work together to staff intake, purchase food and supplies, prepare meals and provide nightly supervision. In addition, volunteers and interns eat with their guests and later they often play games, watch movies and talk. Lights are out by 10 p.m., and after a night’s rest guests are transported back to downtown the next day by 6:30 a.m.

Last year, IRWS provided 1,229 hot evening meals to 81 different homeless guests from December to February, averaging about a dozen guests a night, according to their 2007-2008 Annual Report.

The intern and volunteer experience

As one of seven interns employed by IRWS last year, Shannon Steele, a third year human development major, worked intake twice a week.

“Before, I never knew any homeless people personally. It’s easier to judge people when you don’t know them. People think they are violent, or hopped up on drugs, and that was not the case. They were all nice people,” she said. “Afterwards, it was like you were seeing friends you already knew, not just guests that needed housing.“

Steele’s response reflects the lessons learned by many interns and volunteers, whose experiences helped to tear down what Reverend Habicht said is the barrier between the housed and the unhoused: the stigma of homelessness that makes them the “untouchables of society.“

Snipes said the best way to foster an attitude of understanding is through volunteering.

“Spend some time at the shelter and get to know us. I want the students and the people at large to get to know us. People will realize Davis has a better class of bums,” he said.

Helping the homeless help themselves

For a homeless person, it is difficult to get a job without an address, a telephone number, or any other symbol of financial stability. According to a July 2008 New York Times article, 82 percent of the homeless population is in a temporary state. Those who want to better themselves face a vicious cycle: homelessness means unemployment, and unemployment means homelessness. Meanwhile, one must face the daily challenge of looking for a place to eat, a place to stay clean and a place to sleep.

IRWS offers a chance for a homeless person to save up funds during the winter season for future investments, like an apartment lease.

“[Sheltering] is only one piece of the puzzle. It does protect them and put a roof over their head, but more importantly, it gives them an environment you can work up in,” Steele said.

“The beauty of the shelter,” added Snipes, “is that you can work and save money. For somebody who is trying to better themselves; the interfaith winter shelter is an opportunity.“

Reflections from experience

After a decade’s worth of experience working with the homeless, Reverend Habicht is proud of IRWS’s contribution to the community. This year, the shelter has opened earlier in the season, and is planning on using a larger budget to buy warmer, higher quality sleeping bags and other supplies for guests. But to Habicht, the best forecast for the future is the attitudes of the younger students who interned and volunteered at the shelter.

“The generation in college right now is the generation of change. Instead of me, they think of us,” he said. “Their approach to society is not just to make money, but to make their community and country and world a better place – they want to make a difference in the world.“

The IRWS is currently looking for interns and volunteers to staff operations this season. Internship includes a $250 dollar stipend, as well as optional unit-hours and transcript notation. Please contact Natasha Foo Kune at Natasha@irwsd.org for more information. Donations to IRWS can be sent to P.O. Box 73256, Davis, California 95616.

ANDRE LEE can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com.

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

November 18, 2008

TODAY

Aggie Ambassadors from College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Noon to 1 p.m.

3001 Plant and Environmental Sciences

Learn about opportunities within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Relay for Life info meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

179 Chemistry

Go to the first team captains meeting to learn about Relay for Life, find out how to start a team and begin gathering interest for Relay for Life 2009!

Tzu Ching meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

ARC Meeting Room 3

TCCA’s general meeting is happening! Go to learn about compassionate community service.

WEDNESDAY

East Quad Farmers Market

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

East Quad

Check out a convenient iteration of the Farmers Market right on campus!

Flu vaccination clinic

11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Cabernet Room, Silo

Computer science club meeting

5:10 p.m.

1131 Kemper

Professor Ken Joy, of the UC Davis Institute for Data Analysis and Visualization, will speak about on-campus research. Free pizza will be available!

Halo 3 video game tournament

6 to 10 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

Battle against other Halo 3 experts; prizes will be given to the top two players or teams. Pre-registration costs $5, and registration fee is $7 at the door.

UC Davis Washington Program information session

146 Olson

6:10 p.m.

Larry Berman, the director of the UC Davis Washington Program, will tell you why you should spend a quarter in Washington, D.C.

Relay for Life info meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

179 Chemistry

Go to the first team captains meeting to learn about Relay for Life, find out how to start a team and begin gathering interest for Relay for Life 2009!

Colleges Against Cancer Thank You for Smoking screening

7:30 p.m.

1006 Giedt

Go to this film screening and learn about lung cancer, smoking and hookah.

The Honorable George Mitchell

8 p.m.

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center

THURSDAY

Fifth Street Corridor open house

6 to 9 p.m.

Multi-Purpose Room, Holmes Junior High School, 1220 Drexel Drive

The Fifth Street corridor is a popular road for many types of vehicles. Offer comments on how to improve it at this open house.

Project HEAL meeting

6 p.m.

106 Wellman

All are welcome to attend this meeting!

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!

Nutrition science research club

6:10 p.m.

1022 LSA

Guest speaker Dr. Joshua Miller will talk at this meeting.

Community men’s talk circle

7:15 to 9:30 p.m.

Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road

This new organization will meet monthly to form a sacred space. Men will have the chance to heal wounds that result from lost connections and to be heard and seen. All men are welcome; there is no charge.

FRIDAY

Flu vaccination clinic

3 to 4 p.m.

Cowell Student Health Center, North Lobby

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