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Contract agreement reached for UC patient care workers

Campus Editor
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After over a year of contentious negotiations, the University of California and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union have tentatively reached an agreement on a new contract for the 11,000 patient care workers at UC hospitals around the state.

The agreement, announced Monday, includes $127 million in total wage increases over a five-year period and will move all workers to a minimum wage of $14.50/hour by the end of the contract. It also allows workers to collectively bargain for their pension and health care benefits.

“Our patient care employees play a vital role in helping UC medical and student health centers deliver top-quality patient care, and we are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes their many important contributions to the university and to the state,” said Shelley Nielsen, UC’s chief negotiator for the contract in a press release.

During the course of the negotiations, AFSCME rejected several UC offers based on claims that the wages weren’t market-competitive. The university responded by citing state budget constraints. The two were eventually able to come together under this agreement.

“Winning this historic contract has been a long and hard fight for all of our 20,000 plus members,” said Lakesha Harrison, president of AFSCME Local 3299. “We stood together and held our position until the leadership of the university agreed to address the crucial issues that affect workers and their ability to ensure quality patient care.“

The agreement was also able to include reasonable health care premiums thanks to a one-time subsidy UC is employing for its 2009 benefits. Health care costs beyond 2009 remain to be seen, however.

“It’s something that we have to go through every year,” said Paul Schwartz, spokesperson with the University of California Office of the President. “We renew our medical benefits every year just like other employers. It will depend on what rates are looking like then as well as what kind of resources we have.“

AFSCME represents 11,000 patient care workers such as medical assistants and hospital technicians, as well as 8,000 UC service workers like custodians and food service workers.

While patient care workers have reached an agreement, negotiations continue for service workers.

“We think [the patient care contract] is really a good agreement but we’re asking people not to forget the service workers without a contract,” Harrison said. “UC pays such low wages that 96 percent of [the workers] are eligible for public assistance.“

Negotiations for the service worker contract have recently stalled. Both sides have publicly stated their willingness to resume bargaining, but without results.

“We do continue to talk informally with union leadership but haven’t had formal bargaining sessions with leaders in some weeks and don’t have any scheduled,” Schwartz said.

UC has proposed a contract in which over the first 27 months, workers would see an increase in minimum wage from $10.28/hour to $13.25/hour. Since the bargaining process began, UC has more than tripled its wage offer for the contract’s first year and has proposed a total package worth 25 percent more than initially offered.

“I think the university is stuck on this state budget stuff,” Harrison said. “We don’t know what the hold up is because 80 percent of service workers‘ wages aren’t even dependent on the state budget. Only 20 percent come from the state budget.“

 

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Campus Judicial Report

Campus Editor
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Cell phone use during an exam

A professor referred a junior to Student Judicial Affairs for using a cell phone during an exam. The professor noticed the student looking at her cell phone and pushing buttons. The student claimed she was checking the time, but using a cell phone during an exam for any reason is a violation of the Code of Academic Conduct. Because this was the student’s first offense, she was offered Disciplinary Probation until fall quarter 2009, to which she agreed.

The Probation means that a second violation would likely result in a suspension or dismissal. Using a cell phone during a test is disruptive for other students and creates the appearance of dishonest conduct, which undermines student trust that the testing process is fair and makes it hard for instructors to determine who is cheating.

 

Returning university property

A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs for failing to return university property. The student borrowed a voice recorder for one of his classes but failed to return it at the end of the quarter. Despite the numerous e-mails and phone calls to the student by IET-Academic Technology Services, the recorder was not returned until a year later.

This put other students at a disadvantage and is therefore a violation of the Code of Academic Conduct. The student agreed to a censure, which is a written reprimand for a specific violation. It also serves as a warning that more serious disciplinary action would be taken in the future if the student were again found in violation of the specified university policies or campus regulations.

 

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.

ASUCD Update

Campus Editor
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Senate debates endorsement

A particularly contentious ASUCD Senate discussion last week on resolutions opposing Propositions 4 and 8 and endorsing Davis‘ Measure W, ended in a philosophical debate about the true mandate of the representative body of student government.

Two of the resolutions aimed to express the senate’s opposition to California’s Prop 4, which would require parental notification of a minor’s abortion, and Prop 8, which would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. The third resolution supported Measure W, a parcel tax to help preserve programs at Davis schools, which passed with a 9-2-1 vote.

The discussion turned to the appropriateness of the senate issuing an opinion on the statewide propositions, which have a decidedly broader scope than normal senate considerations.

Two senators – Chris Dietrich and Rebecca Lovell– chose to abstain from one or both of the votes.

“Although I personally agree with the sentiments of these resolutions, I did not feel it was appropriate for us to take action endorsing any ballot measures,” Dietrich said. “I feel that ballot measures are intentionally left for individual voters to decide, and by passing a resolution we are telling students how we think they should vote, which I don’t think we have any right to do.“

Other senators viewed the resolutions as appropriate actions of an elected representative body and pointed out that other UC student governments have historically endorsed legislation like this.

“This is why we elect student representatives – we are not just here to allocate money once a year at budget hearings,” said senator Rebecca Schwartz. “I believe it is important for student representatives to take a stance on issues they believe in. Of course the ASUCD Senate was only endorsing it as just the ASUCD Senate, and we can’t take ourselves too seriously.“

The resolutions to oppose Prop 4 and Prop 8 ultimately passed with votes of 10-1-1 and 9-1-2, respectively. The no votes in both cases came from senator Jesse Rosales.

“The primary reason I voted no on these resolutions is because I wanted to draw attention to the fact that these resolutions are issues beyond the scope of ASUCD’s primary concerns,” Rosales said.

 

GO slate disbands

GO will be no more after the terms for the slate’s two sitting senators run out. GO chair, Dietrich, made a formal announcement at the senate’s Thursday meeting.

“Tonight we are officially announcing the disbanding of the GO slate,” Dietrich said. “Since our establishment in 2007 we have worked hard to serve the student body and provide tangible changes for students. However, over time we lost many of GO’s core members and we were unable to recruit new ones because so many people are disillusioned with their student government.“

Dietrich attributes this disillusionment to the slate system itself. The divisions between GO, LEAD and Independent senators promote conflict in ASUCD elections as well as within the senate, he said.

“This conflict, while it is sometimes beneficial to ensure that wise policy is pursued, has often only served to create animosity and unnecessary drama,” Dietrich said. “It is also clear that the slate system has not truly represented the entire student body and there are many groups that have been left out as a result.“

GO was formed in 2007 as an offshoot of the now inoperative Student Focus party. The slate initially ran five candidates in the fall 2007 senate election, two of whom were successful. GO could then only muster two candidates for the winter 2008 election and didn’t put up a ticket for president and vice president, instead endorsing an unsuccessful independent ticket.

It remains unclear as to whether or not a new slate will emerge to replace GO. In the meantime, candidates for senate not affiliated with LEAD can run independently.

“I sincerely hope that another slate emerges as quickly as possible to maintain both competition and legitimacy within our student government,” said Schwartz.

Senator Jesse Rosales views this as an opportunity for students to shape their government at UC Davis.

“With GO being gone we need to have more independent candidates that have individual opinions that differ from the typical ASUCD senate table mentality to make for a good balance,” Rosales said. “I feel this is a great chance for an overhaul of ASUCD and to bring a new flavor that strays from the norm.“

 

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@califoriaaggie.com.

Aggie Digest

Sports Editor
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Women’s soccer

The margin of victory was one goal or fewer in each of the Aggies‘ 13 games entering play on Friday.

That changed for the worst at Cal State Northridge.

The Matadors netted both of their goals in the second half en route to a shutout victory of the Aggies. Cal State Northridge improves to 6-7-1 overall and 1-2-0 in Big West Conference play, while UC Davis slides to 6-5-3, 1-2-0.

The win snapped a seven-game winless skid for the Matadors.

Senior Gabina Bohlman and junior Jordan Martin recorded three shots apiece for the Aggies. Sophomore Sarah Peters tallied a game-high seven saves.

UC Davis wraps up its home schedule this weekend against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Aggies then conclude regular season play on Nov. 2 at Pacific.

 

Men’s and women’s swimming

UC Davis only competed on one day of the two-day Pacific Invitational, and that’s all the team needed to make an impact.

Juniors Scott Weltz and Heidi Kucera and sophomore Linda Hermann each notched individual wins at the Chris Kjeldson Pool on Saturday.

Weltz’s victory in the 200-yard individual medley came in his first meet back with UC Davis after redshirting last season to focus on the U.S. Olympic Trials. He finished with a time of 1:52.70.

Kucera and Hermann picked up wins in the 200 breast and 500 freestyle, respectively.

The men’s team also excelled in both relay events. The 200 free team of seniors Trent Richardson and Evan Kraus, junior Russ Underwood and freshman Alex Daneke finished third with a time of 1:26.58.

The 800 free team of seniors Adam Pluemer and Alex Arbios, junior Ed Morrison and freshman Derek Baldwin posted a 7:16.88, which was also good for third.

UC Davis next hits the water on Saturday at UC Santa Cruz. The dual will begin at 2 p.m.

 

–Adam Loberstein 

No assumptions necessary

Opinion
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Last Thursday, I had the distinct pleasure of opening a copy of The California Aggie and seeing a letter to the editor from Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi commenting on my previous column. In his response, Lieutenant Governor Garamendi saw fit to claim that I had “assumed too much” when criticizing his previous statements to UC Davis students, in which he said, “students need to rise up and raise hell. If that doesn’t happen, then this fee increase will continue.” While Garamendi carefully clarified his previous statement, stating that his words were meant to advocate informed dissent on the part of students, it appeared as if he was unable to provide any response to the central point of last week’s column – that the responsibility for affordable education in California should not be placed upon the backs of already overburdened students.

In order to be clear and avoid the possibility of any incorrect assumptions, I will state the message of this week’s column in a very direct and simple fashion: It is the responsibility of those with the power to raise student fees to ensure that high education remains affordable. In the case of California, this power rests mainly with the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees. For Garamendi, who serves as both a regent and trustee due to his office of lieutenant governor, to suggest that students need to “rise up and raise hell” in order for fee increases to stop is not only extremely hypocritical, but also directly contradicts the actions of these boards over the last two years.

In March of 2007, both the UC Board of Regents and CSU Board of Trustees held meetings to discuss 7 and 10 percent fee increases for their respective systems. After limiting the public comment session to only 30 minutes, and hearing a wide variety of what could only be defined as “informed dissent” from UC students, the regents voted to impose the discussed fee increases for the 2007-2008 school year.

The 2007 fee increases left students across the UC and CSU campuses frustrated that their voices had not been heard by the seemingly out-of-touch administrators. What was even more upsetting was the fact that John Garamendi, the recently elected lieutenant governor who had made campaign promises to stop fee increases for California’s colleges, had failed to attend either meeting. It appeared as if the action of informed UC and CSU students was no match for irresponsibility and negligence on the part of our elected officials.

Over a year later, the situation was similar as the UC Board of Regents met to once again discuss an increase in student fees. In May of 2008, the board discussed raising student fees by 7.4 percent for the 2008-2009 school year. The 7.4 perecent increase, if passed, would result in a net fee increase totaling above 90 percent since 2001, meaning that UC tuition has almost doubled in the last seven years.

Despite vigorous anti-fee increase demonstrations, which resulted in the arrests of 16 UC students, the Board of Regents continued to ignore the voice of “informed dissent” and went ahead with the proposed tuition hike.

As you can see, the last two years of student “hell raising” have yielded little change, but not because we have failed to present the administration with catchy chants or well-designed protest signs. The reason we, as students, have failed deals with a lack of accountability within the highest levels of our state government. The arguments offered by student protestors have been presented before the regents countless times before, but as long as members of the board continue to say one thing and do another without repercussion, I fear financial relief will remain just outside our grasp.

 

JAMES NOONAN believes informed dissent is only useful when your opposition is willing to sit down and listen. Contact him at jjnoonan@ucdavis.edu. Dissenting opinions welcome. 

The Sterling Compass

Opinion
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This summer while interning for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office in Washington, D.C. one of my main duties was answering the thousands of phone calls from people from all over the country. The phone calls ranged from a sweet-sounding old lady who assured me that global warming was just God’s way of hugging us closer to a man who spent 20 minutes trying to convince me that the Soviet Union had not actually collapsed. But in between the calls from the crazies, I heard first-hand the desperate voice of America. Because of high gas prices, a grandfather from West Virginia could not afford to make the drive to visit his grandchildren. A single mother from Wisconsin had lost her job and her life savings and didn’t know how she would feed her children. The people were drowning and there was not a lifeboat in sight. Many of you have probably been wondering how we, the United States of America, the wealthiest nation on Earth, came to this. Why is the system failing?

Prior to the Great Depression of the 1930s, laissez-faire economic principles ruled the United States economy. This ideology allowed commerce to flourish, but the increased wealth was not fairly shared. The business elites who relied on workers to build their economic empires were reluctant to share their success. Prices increased, profit margins exploded, but workers‘ wages remained stagnant, cutting out a majority of the population from enjoying the fruits of their own labor. Eventually, the middle and lower classes did not have enough money to purchase goods in the growing markets and demand fell. This, combined with the bank failures and a lack of deficit spending, created a snowball effect that nearly destroyed the nation. Roosevelt’s New Deal and World War II resuscitated the economy through increased government spending and unprecedented social programs. When wealth was scarce, the average person supported programs uplifting the poor and sharing more and more of the economic pie and the government was seen as a protective friend.

After WWII, the U.S. found itself in an unprecedented era of prosperity. If you looked past the fear of nuclear annihilation, life was good. The booming economy gave birth to a new middle class and eventually an upper-middle class that soon turned on the New Deal ideology. The 1970s saw a global economic downturn, intensified by OPEC’s oil embargo. Much like today, gas prices skyrocketed and the economy faced stagflation; intense economic slowing and high inflation. Riding to America’s rescue on his papier-mâché white horse was none other than Ronald Reagan. Reaganomics. And then the New Deal died.

The Republican Party patented Reaganomics and it has dominated U.S. economic policy ever since. Big government is bad. Reduce government regulations. The free market is good. Cut taxes to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Cut government spending to social programs but spend billions on the military. Sorry, working poor, you’re on your own. Take that, Soviet Union, see you later. And thus it continued through Bush Sr., Clinton, and our beloved Bush #2. And it worked. Businesses boomed. Economic growth, intensified by the dot com explosion, seemed to confirm the conservative‘s formula for success.

That brings us to the present day. Just as unregulated capitalism nearly destroyed us once before, it threatens to do it again. Wall Street is a casino for the insanely rich who gamble terrifying quantities of money on a daily basis. Unrestricted capitalism breeds unrestricted greed. The middle class is dying and with the rising cost of living, most Americans don’t have the means to purchase the products being produced. The banks are failing. Social programs have been cut left and right but we spend over $12 billion every month in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sound familiar? Conservative sink or swim ideology is ruining millions of American lives. We need to start investing in the American people. This crisis won’t be solved with four more years of the same. Ask Colin Powell or billionaire Warren Buffett. Think about that when you enter the voting booth two weeks from today.

 

MICHAEL HOWER would really like to not graduate in spring on the verge of a legendary economic collapse and would appreciate it if you would vote for someone who actually has a plan to fix things. You can reach him at mahower@ucdavis.edu.

So you want to fly a plane?

Features Editor
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Most of us have been to Aggie Stadium. We’ve all wandered the Death Star and trotted through the Quad on a sunny day, but very few of us have witnessed all this from 1,000 feet in the air.

The Cal Aggie Flying Farmers, operating from the University Airport just 4 miles from campus, offers lessons to anyone interested in becoming a licensed pilot – and for a relatively low cost compared to other flight schools. They provide the planes, the gas and the instruction.

The only thing left, they say, is an adventurous soul.

 

What’s in a name?

With a title like Cal Aggie Flying Farmers, one might expect these pilots to be watering a tomato field or planting the next crop of apple trees. But that’s as far from true as their planes are from the ground.

The CAFF don’t have anything to do with agriculture. Instead of plowing the fields, many of these pilots can be spotted in places like the Monterey Airport, getting out of their private planes. They’re dressed not in overalls, but in slacks, with a lunch reservation by the water, accompanied by a friend or family member.

The name actually comes from a more traditional time, when a portion of UC Davis students were former pilots in WWII. Established in 1947, the CAFF was a place for those maverick veterans to retain their aviation skills. Many students came to UC Davis just for the airport, which helped it lift off to the success that it is today.

 

It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s an Aggie!

But that’s history. Currently, you don’t have to be a war veteran to fly planes in Davis. Anyone can get their private pilot’s license, provided they pay the fee for lessons and have an extra 60 hours to devote to them.

To get a private pilot’s license, which allows the pilot to fly small planes, as long as they do not charge his or her passengers, most students put in an average of 60 to 70 hours of flight time with an instructor before their written exam. The minimum amount of time put in for the U.S. and most other parts of the world, though, is 40 hours.

“Just about anyone can do it-especially students,” said Jonathan Bar-or chief pilot of the CAFF. “If you have the discipline to get through college and study then you have the discipline to go through training.“

First a candidate must pass a multiple-choice test focusing on theory and the mechanics of aircraft and flying. After the written test, the student must take to the air with a certified instructor, who will ultimately decide if the student can become a pilot.

“The test is not the biggest thing,” said Davis resident and pilot Paul Pion. “And the instructors wouldn’t let you go up if they didn’t think you were ready.“

Pion, a veterinarian, got his license in 2005 when he was 47. Since then, he has been choosing private flying over commercial flying whenever he can. It fits his schedule better, he says.

 

The ups and downs of flying

But for a student, finding those spare 60 hours may not be an option. The flight lessons are usually spread out over eight to 10 months, but even then, the time it takes to truly learn the ropes can be a commitment.

Jimmy Nichols‘ solution to this problem was to take his lessons and test over the summer, when he could simply go to work after flying in the morning.

“I put a lot of time and effort into it, but it was worth it,” said Nichols, a junior crop science and management major and pilot since 2006. “Now if I ever want to go into aviation as a career, there’s a lot of need for pilots right now.“

Also the cost of taking lessons may hinder someone on a student budget from deciding to get their license. Every hour-long lesson costs approximately $100, including gas. The total after all the lessons usually amounts to $6,000. And that’s just for training. Pilots must continue to pay for rentals, gas, maintenance and insurance even after they’ve earned their license.

“I sold my car to pay for flight training,” said Anthony Lam, senior music major and pilot. “I just rode my bike to the airport – which ended up being about 8 miles round-trip to the airport – but it was very rewarding in the end.“

Another way Lam was able to save money to get his license was by having a local mentor help him with his training. He was paired up with his mentor through the Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association (AOPA), which connects pilots with students learning how to fly.

 

Do you have what it takes?

All pilots interviewed agreed that the number one quality that all flight students should have is an adventurous spirit. Having a license allows one the freedom of going anywhere with an airport, which many say is very liberating.

Also, given the level of commitment, students must be able to manage their time well. But as a result, pilots have found that their drive to succeed improves and they actually get more done as a result.

“Flying doesn’t stop or end once you get on the ground,” Lam said. “It taught me a lot about planning ahead of time and focusing on the tasks in front of me.“

Obviously, the instructors expect their students to be somewhat dexterous when it comes to operating a plane. Piloting is not for the timid, Pion said, but as long as students remember to keep flying the plane, they shouldn’t experience any trouble. In fact, the number of mechanical errors is close to zero; most accidents occur at the fault of the pilot.

 

Frequent flyer rewards

“Flying is like being on a roller coaster without a rail,” Nichols said.

And indeed the rush is what draws most pilots to the airport. But the time between takeoff and landing is a thrill all its own.

“Being up in the air is the best part of flying,” Nichols said. “Seeing all the landscape from 1,000 feet up is pretty cool.“

Flying in Davis has its rewards also. It’s one of the cheapest locations to fly in the country and extremely accessible to students, considering its proximity to campus.

“There’s nowhere really that’s more affordable,” Pion said. “Plus the atmosphere [at the University Airport] is so nice and everyone really gets to know each other.“

To try flying with the CAFF, contact the main offices at 752-3067, or their website at calaggieflyers.com to sign up for a 30-minute lesson ($52).

 

 

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com.

Prop 5 would change drug offender rules

City Editor
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Blame it on the “war on drugs,” blame it on insufficient funding for rehabilitation programs, blame it on whatever you want – most Californians agree that the criminal justice system for drug offenders is broken.

The problem is finding a solution.

Proposition 5, which will appear on the ballot on Election Day, is an attempt to improve the system by increasing the focus on drug treatment and rehabilitation. Supporters say rehabilitation – not prison – is what drug offenders need. Opponents claim the measure will greatly endanger public safety by reducing prison time for drug offenders.

Known as the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2008, the act would allocate $460 million every year for this purpose, according to an analysis by the Attorney General of California. The measure would make a number of other changes to drug policy in California, such as shortening parole for certain drug offenses while increasing parole for serious and violent felonies. It would also take away judges‘ discretion to incarcerate certain drug offenders, as well as creating two new state bureaucracies.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that Prop 5 will increase costs to the state by expanding treatment programs and decrease costs due to reduced criminal justice costs. The analysis also estimates a one-time savings of $2.5 billion for prison facilities that would not have to be built because of the change in sentencing guidelines.

What drug offenders need is treatment, said Kelly Parker, executive director of the California Society of Addiction Medicine.

“The idea is that most of the offenses are being committed because of addiction,” Parker said. “The whole idea is getting people into treatment so they can become productive citizens.“

The state is too reliant on incarceration as a solution, she said.

“[Prop 5 is] about stopping the state basically from using incarceration as a form of what they call treatment,” she said. “We need to reallocate resources so the funds are being put into treatment services for people so that they have an alternative.“

Zack Kaldveer, a spokesperson for the Consumer Federation of California, said throwing more and more people in jail has clearly been shown not to be the solution.

“Prop 5 takes on these problems from a public health perspective and a scientific perspective,” he said. Research has shown that expanded treatment and a commitment to rehabilitation are more effective and also save taxpayers money, he added.

Opponents of Prop 5, however, say the measure would open up a can of worms by changing a number of state laws and sentencing rules.

“You really have to look at things, not just from the cost-benefit analysis,” said Jason Baker, a public health advocate with San Diego-based Communities Against Substance Abuse. “Saving money doesn’t always equal effective solutions to problems.“

Baker said Prop 5 would set up a system rife with loopholes for people looking to abuse the system, primarily because it relies heavily on voluntary – not mandatory – treatment.

“There are people in recovery that will tell you that going to jail was the best thing that ever happened to them,” he said. “For them it was the moment of clarity that they needed.“

Prop 5 is also opposed by Yolo Superior Court judges David Rosenberg and Janet Gaard, who recently wrote a guest opinion on the subject in The Aggie.

“Prop 5 would require courts to take into their drug court system offenders who have suffered up to five convictions of any offense within a 30-month period,” said Rosenberg and Gaard in their statement. “Effectively, the target population of drug courts will become the most incorrigible and difficult to treat offenders at the expense of new or first time offenders.“

Among the other concerns the judges outlined in their opinion piece was the limitation of court ability to incarcerate individuals who are found guilty of drug crimes.

“Judges who operate drug courts have found that the ability to impose a brief stint in jail – even the possibility of that imposition – can have dramatically positive effects in convincing drug addicted defendants that it is better to stay in the treatment program and stay clean rather than risk the wrath of the judge,” they wrote. “This proposition removes that tool from judges.“

Visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov for more information on Prop 5.

 

JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com. 

 

POLICE BRIEFS

City Editor
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THURSDAY

 

Soccer moms revolt

Two mini-vans were abandoned for several weeks on Hanover Drive.

 

FRIDAY

 

White trash family counseling

An individual’s soon to be ex-daughter-in-law was pounding on the front door, repeatedly calling and refusing to leave on Quarter Circle.

 

FOX News casting call

A homeless man on Second and D Streets was yelling and throwing things at people.

 

He took “half off” too seriously

A naked man was inside a business on G Street, according to secondhand information.

 

Just chillin‘

A live gray bird sitting in the middle of Richards Boulevard refused to move despite traffic.

 

SATURDAY

 

At least it wasn’t a turd

An unknown male threw a large rock into a pool and yelled obscenities on Hunt Way.

 

Grand Theft Auto: Davis

Two big trucks were racing and swerving between cars on Mace Boulevard and I-80.

 

SUNDAY

 

Red Bull gives you wings

An abandoned wheelchair was seen on the overpass with no one seen in the area on West Covell Boulevard.

 

It’s noon somewhere

An individual was seen drinking alcohol at a picnic table near the playground on Sycamore Lane at 9:30 a.m.

 

POLICE BRIEFS are compiled by JEREMY OGUL (this time with help from ALYSOUN BONDE) from the public logs of the Davis Police Department and represent the official version of what happened. This segment appears Tuesdays and Fridays. 

Department of Energy prepares plan for final cleanup at UC Davis facility

City Editor
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Since 1996 UC Davis has been working closely with the Department of Energy to clean up the off-campus Laboratory for Energy Related Health Research Center and rid it of all toxic chemicals.

Past research activity at the 15-acre site, located 1.5 miles southeast of the main campus, generated a number of toxic byproducts that were disposed of at the site, according to a DOE fact sheet. Radionuclides, metals, volatile organic compounds and pesticides are among the contaminants of concern.

While the LEHR site was first surveyed in 1988, cleanup did not commence until 1996, and it is an ongoing process today.

“In 1998, UC Davis began an aggressive program to extract and treat groundwater contaminated by the campus landfills. Already, monitoring wells are showing a decrease in levels of chloroform, the primary contaminant,” said a 1999 press release from the UC Davis News Service regarding the LEHR facility.

The program included an agreement between UC Davis and DOE that stipulated that both agencies would be responsible for long-term monitoring of contaminants at the site once cleanup was complete.

DOE recently proposed a plan for the last stages of cleanup at the LEHR site, and is looking for public input and opinion, said Vijendra Kothari, LEHR project manger for the Department of Energy.

DOE is working closely with UC Davis in order to complete the last stages of the cleanup at the site, Kothari said.

“It’s an ongoing process, and we proposed to do the remaining [cleanup],” he said. “90 percent [of the cleanup] is done already.“

After the cleanup is complete, the DOE is planning to implement long-term monitoring and groundwork on the site, Kothari added.

The current proposed plan by the DOE deals with what residual contamination is left at the site, said a DOE contractor who asked not to be named because he was not speaking on behalf of the department. The DOE is responsible for monitoring the site until it is determined for free release, when it can be used for any purpose. This information was confirmed by Kothari.

The DOE plan includes a number of measures intended to mitigate the impact of residual contamination, including long-term groundwater monitoring, contingency remediation and land-use restrictions.

The DOE will be holding a public meeting this Thursday. In this meeting the proposed plan will be discussed, and oral and written comments from the public will be welcomed.

The meeting will be held at the Veterans Memorial Center clubroom at the corner of East 14th and B Streets in Davis. It will take place at 7 p.m.

For more information and access to documents regarding the LEHR facility visit lm.doe.gov/land/sites/ca/lehr/lehr.htm.

 

CAITLIN COBB can be contacted at city@californiaaggie.com 

Test materials vending machine available in Olson Hall

Campus Editor
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In case you forget to swing by the bookstore for last-minute testing supplies on your way to a midterm, a new vending machine in the basement of Olson Hall now sells bluebooks and Scantron.

ASUCD Senator Chris Dietrich spearheaded the effort to install the $5,000 machine, paid for by the UC Davis Bookstore. If the machine is widely used, more will be placed around campus in the future.

“These vending machines are going to provide a service that is going to be very valuable to the students of UC Davis,” Dietrich said. “It will be helpful for students who forget their supplies on test days and will save them their valuable time during a test period. I am excited to see the machines put in place and hope that the student body will use them widely.“

Bookstore administrators expect the vending sales to fully recoup the machine‘s initial cost over time.

“Our goal in installing this machine is to provide increased convenience to students, addressing a need expressed by ASUCD for availability of testing supplies outside of our normal hours of operation,” said Kelly Holt, special orders buyer for the bookstore.

 

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com

Former Muslim author to speak on peace and human rights

Campus Editor
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Nonie Darwish, author and public speaker, will be visiting UC Davis on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 8:30 p.m. in 1100 Social Sciences. Hosted by the Davis College Republicans, the title of her presentation is “Searching for Peace Within.“

“From the side of my culture, the Middle East, I will start by saying every culture has challenges with peace and we might end the finger-pointing,” she said.

Darwish, author of Now They Call Me Infidel, will begin her speech by delving into her upbringing and introducing her perspective on peace between cultures. She will also discuss women’s rights in the Middle East and her belief that American Muslims need to speak up.

Darwish was born in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in Gaza. In 1978, she moved to America and became a Christian.

“I don’t consider [that] I left Islam,” she said. “Islam left me. When I went to mosques in America the atmosphere was very anti-Semitic. I was told, don’t assimilate in America. I lived with that religion for a long time I didn’t want to go anymore. The way Islam is brought today is very anti-women and very anti-minority. Islam law is very oppressive of women and minorities. I could not reconcile that and stay a Muslim.“

After the events of 9/11, Darwish started speaking out against radicalism, hate speech and violence.

“The human rights of 3,000 were taken by people whose religion told them to do so,” she said. “They are following the words of their religion literally. And unfortunately I don’t just blame them; I blame their teachers and religious leaders. There is a lot of literal education of religion in the Muslim world going on right now. If the Koran says strike the hearts of unbelievers they go strike the hearts of unbelievers.“

Sept. 11 prompted Darwish to begin an online forum called Arabs for Israel that is for Arabs and Muslims who support the state of Israel and the cause of peace in the Middle East, according to the organization’s website. She soon started receiving e-mails of support from Arab readers, but the senders always told her to refrain from publishing their names.

“I thought there was a need for good and free-loving Arabs to speak out for their wish of peace for Israel but they are still afraid because it’s a taboo,” she said. “I created this as a forum to speak freely.“

Allison Daley, Immediate Past Chair for the Davis College Republicans said DCR invited Darwish to speak because she will be an interesting and different speaker who has a unique experience to share.

“People will be more open and aware that this going on. We want everyone to come with open hearts and open minds,” Daley said. “We believe that peace comes from the heart, from the individual. We hope that people take away that peace in the Middle East can be achieved and women’s right in the Middle East as well is a big issue. We want a message of peace and love and for everyone to be able to get along in the Middle East without killing.“

President of the Muslim Student Association Yussuf Abdel-aleem said Darwish takes examples from certain instances related to Islam and attributes them to the whole Muslim population.

“We don’t like people like Darwish to come because we feel they misrepresent and misconstrue Islam,” said Abdel-aleem, a senior political science major. “For example, she generally shows Islam as misogynist and chauvinistic, which is the case sometimes, but she can‘t make the distinctions between cultural differences between the religion of the Islam and the reality of Islam, which 2 billion people of the world are practicing today.

“And she is part of what the Davis College Republicans are trying to do – to tarnish the image of Islam,” Abdel-aleem said. “I feel like half of what she says is for shock value.“

In response, members of DCR said all student groups are welcome to listen to Darwish and her experiences. DCR encourages people to come with open minds, Daley said.

“Obviously on a campus such as UC Davis the Republicans don’t have a great reputation,” Daley said. “We want people to understand that whatever the stereotype of Republicans might be, they should form their own opinion and meet us. We work towards peace and having people like Darwish who have a message of peace and hope.“

Darwish also said she is trying to speak out against only those who are radical.

“I know the majority of Muslims are good and peace-loving people and those are not the people I’m talking about,” she said. “I criticized Islam and I have the right to.“

“In my culture they are very sensitive to self-criticism and it is time to get over such views because I consider it a virtue [to criticize one owns culture]” she said. “How did we produce so many people who are ready to kill others? Not all Muslims but quite a few of them. Why did this happen? What did we do to produce them? There is something in our education or way we teach our religion.“

 

POOJA KUMAR can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Daily Calendar

Campus Editor
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TODAY

CAPS advisory committee

9 a.m.

AS Conference Room, Third Floor MU

This group offers a chance for students to comment on the administration of CAPS and to discuss how useful CAPS‘ programs are for students.

 

Delta Dialogue panel

12:15 to 1:45 p.m.

MU II

Go to this panel to learn more about science and policy in the Delta. For more information, visit johnmuir.ucdavis.edu.

 

Careers as a counselor or psychologist

5:10 p.m.

114 South Hall

Listen to panelists talk about these rewarding careers and learn about the requirements.

 

Wildlife Society

6:10 p.m.

217 Art

Learn about the UC Davis Raptor Center in a presentation featuring live animals. Go to learn and have fun with these amazing animals.

 

Tzu Ching meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

ARC Meeting Room 3

Go 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!

 

Health Transfer Student Association

7 to 8 p.m.

26 Wellman

Learn about medical school from the UCD School of Medicine Director of Admissions, as well as a medical student panel.

 

Searching for Peace Within

8 p.m.

1100 Social Sciences

DCR and BODHI sponsor this talk with Nonie Darwish, author of Now They Call Me Infidel. No backpacks or cameras allowed.

 

THURSDAY

Whole Earth hiring

Third Floor MU

The Whole Earth Festival is hiring its staff for the Spring 2009 festival. The deadline to apply is Oct. 23. For more information, e-mail directors@wef.ucdavis.edu or visit the festival’s website at wef.ucdavis.edu.

 

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!

 

 

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@californiaaggie.com 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. 

 

ASUCD Fall Kickoff event free for students

Campus Editor
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ASUCD and the Entertainment Council are jumpstarting fall quarter with a free informational and entertainment event today at 5 p.m. in Freeborn Hall.

Fall Kickoff will feature live performances for the first 1,000 students at Freeborn Hall by The Matches, Zion I, San Quinn, Random Abiladeze, Mobility and the Lounge Lizards as well as tabling information by ASUCD units.

The event, one of ASUCD Senator Lula Ahmed-Falol’s platform issues, is the first of its kind. Fall Kickoff aims to address two issues students have been vocal about: the lack of on-campus entertainment and outreach from ASUCD, Ahmed-Falol said.

“I think most of the time, when people think of ASUCD, the only part that comes to mind is elections,“ Ahmed-Falol said in an e-mail interview. “ASUCD is so much more than the elected positions.“

Ahmed-Falol hopes this event will give students the chance to become more involved with student government while at the same time enjoying themselves.

“This event strives to bring out all the parts of ASUCD and make them easily accessible to students through the tabling,” she said. “You can talk to whoever you need to if you are interested in getting involved or get an internship or a job all while eating some free food and watching a great concert.“

Entertainment Council director Jasmine Lau said she is excited to be a part of this event.

“I’m hoping to get a big crowd so that ASUCD can get more exposure. I know a lot of people don’t know a lot about ASUCD and the commissions and at the same time they can enjoy a wide range of performances,” said Lau, a senior Bio Technology major.

The Entertainment Council brings concerts to the student body such as last year’s Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan and Sara, and this November’s sold-out Jason Mraz performances. They also have movie events, dance parties and Memorial Union games and activities.

Lau hopes that such an event like Fall Kickoff will become an annual tradition.

“I think it’s a great chance for students to get to know more, specifically about ASUCD – and get more involved on campus than just fraternities and sororities,” she said.

ASUCD commissions will be present to table at the event, including the Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) and the Internal Affairs Commission.

“I really enjoy tabling,” said Amy Hartsein, commission chair for IAC. “I think the concerts are great for UC Davis because our entertainment is not as great as some of the other UCs.”

Laura Brown, commission chair for GASC, said she is excited to be involved with this event.

“I think students at Davis are somewhat disconnected with the campus,” she said. “I think it’s exciting that ASUCD is sponsoring something that students can get more involved with student government.“

Brown will be handing out pamphlets and condoms at the event for GASC – which promotes awareness in sexual health, assault, campus safety and sexual identity.

Fall Kickoff will let in the first 1,000 students and begins at 5 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. at Freeborn Hall.

 

ANGELA RUGGIERO can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Otherwise they’ll kill you

Opinion
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First off, I’d like to apologize for that awful picture of me that appeared last week. I asked to run the same mug from the previous year until I could take a new one, but to my surprise they dug up some random old picture that gave you an intimate look at my flaring nostrils. I’m sorry if any seizures occurred, but lo‘ and behold, the situation has been fixed. And look, bangs!

Anyway. Every once in a while, I always hear the same spiel about how us girls are “so complicated.” And guys always bring up the same evidence like how we complain about our affinity for assholes whilst ignoring the good guys, how we say “no” but we really mean “yes” (I need to stop hanging out in prisons), or how we don’t really make sense when we get into arguments with our mates, yet we always manage to come out victorious.

I suppose that’s all a front really – we don’t mean to be as enigmatic as we seem, but it sure helps. Being mysterious at a bar when the lights are low increases the chances of looking attractive. (And thank goodness for very dim lighting. The last place I went to, it was brighter than usual and when the bartender turned around, he yelped, threw Everclear on my face, and lit me on fire, screaming, “El diablo!”). Thus explaining why I seem to have better luck with guys when I’m inside caves. One, it’s pitch black; two, they have low standards because they are batmen.

Honestly though, we’re quite simple creatures. But for those who need convincing, I’m going to spill some top-secret information about girls.

First, we pretend to care/like/have a general knowledge about a lot of things we really don’t give a shit about. Of course there are exceptions, like athletic girls who have a genuine interest in sports, but for the most part, we care only because you care.

And I’m not talking about specific knowledge (i.e. the science of rainbows and the refraction of light) to impress specific guys (i.e. the leprechaun I dated back in March). We just happen to soak up more than we normally would from all our years of having both male friends and boyfriends. For example: Halo, the L.A. Dodgers, the make and model of your car or motorcycle, and that crappy band you listen to.

Also, there are a lot of things we dread but claim we don’t mind doing. This occurs mostly in relationships, although I’m not denying that guys make a lot of sacrifices too. However, there are a handful of things girls just pretend to enjoy.

I remember one article in Maxim was all about how women secretly enjoy watching pornography all the time, every day, until the day we die or some BS like that. Again, there may be true exceptions. I’m sure there are some girls who sincerely enjoy watching “John Smith and Poke-a-hott-ass III,” but for the most part, we just think it’s eh. I know what you’re saying, “No Lynn, seriously though – my girlfriend really enjoys it.” Yeah, well she doesn’t.

It’s not like she detests it either, but she’d probably rather watch an old episode of “Friends” despite the fact that she’s seen it a gazillion times already (TOW the Embryos is classic), than see another one of your blasted pervert movies.

Throw in wearing thongs too. During the first months of going out, it seems like lingerie is all your girl owns … then all of the sudden the sexy undies start to disappear and violà, grandma panties galore (and say buh-bye to shaved legs while you’re at it!).

One of the biggest delusions guys have is that they are convinced (and I mean convinced) that their girlfriends love something I never heard a girl honestly say she liked, not once. I think it’s the same accidental conspiracy I heard about once – somehow, one guy somewhere, some odd years ago, found the one girl on Earth that just slightly enjoyed it and then that guy told every guy that all girls love it. I don’t want to get into specifics, but the thing I’m talking about rhymes with the word “banal.“

LYNN LA realizes she only covered two secrets, but she’s sure there’s more to come later. E-mail her your delusions at ldla@ucdavis.edu but be careful. She doesn’t really know how to navigate through the new e-mail server, and she might click the button that makes your eyes pop out.

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