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ASUCD Senate Briefs

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 20, 2008

ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the reporter’s watch during the Oct. 16 public meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Coffee House.

Ivan Carrillo, ASUCD president, present

Molly Fluet, ASUCD vice president, present

Lula Ahmed-Falol, ASUCD senator, present

Andrew Bianchi, ASUCD senator, present

Sergio Blanco, ASUCD senator, present

Joe Chatham, ASUCD senator, present

Chris Dietrich, ASUCD senator, present

Rebecca Lovell, ASUCD senator, present

Erica Oropeza, ASUCD president pro-tempore, present

Chad Roberts, ASUCD senator, present

Jesse Rosales, ASUCD senator, present, did not return from a break scheduled to end at 10:45 p.m.

Ramneek Saini, ASUCD senator, present

Rebecca Schwartz, ASUCD senator, present

Tracey Zeng, ASUCD senator, present

Meeting called to order at 6:11 p.m.

Appointments and confirmations

Lauren Ward and Brandon Steele were confirmed commissioners of Environmental Planning and Policy.

Nick Sidney was confirmed outreach coordinator of Elections Committee.

Daniel Goodman was confirmed publicity director of Elections Committee.

Tasha Cooke was confirmed media coordinator of Elections Committee.

Raj Kumar was confirmed events coordinator of elections committee.

Anthony Sanchez was confirmed to the Outreach Assembly.

Consideration of old legislation

Senate Resolution 4, authored by Steven Lee, coauthored by Randy Craig and Greg Dizon and introduced by Ahmed-Falol, would support a Measure W parcel tax for Davis city school, passed with a 9-2-1 vote.

Senate Resolution 5, authored by Adalberto Corres, coauthored by Miriam Delgado and introduced by Schwartz, would urge the UC Regents to appeal the California Third District Court of Appeal’s decision on the case Martinez v. The Regents of the University of California, which overturned AB 540, passed unanimously

Senate Resolution 2, authored by Laura Brown, and coauthored and introduced by Oropeza would endorse opposition to Prop 8 on the Nov. 4, 2008 California Ballot, passed with a 9-1-2 vote.

Senate Resolution 3, authored by Brown and coauthored and introduced by Oropeza would endorse opposition to Prop 4 on the Nov. 4, 2008 California Ballot, passed with a 10-1-1 vote.

Senate Bill 7, authored and introduced by Schwartz, would establish public ASUCD senate meeting locations, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 8, authored by Amy Hartstein, coauthored by Carrillo, Fluet and Paul Harms, and introduced by Dietrich would remove all references to the Student Government Advisor from the bylaws, passed unanimously.

Public announcements

Dietrich and Rosales announced the disbandment of the political slate GO because they feel that the slate did not truly represent the student body.

Meeting adjourned at 10:52 p.m.

Senate briefs are compiled by LAUREN STEUSSY. She can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

ASUCD Coffee House celebrates 40 years

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 20, 2008

Don’t be shocked when all the Coffee House employees are wearing tie-dye on Monday – it’s just how the Coffee House is celebrating its 40th birthday.

“People might be a little freaked out, when they look up at the cashier,” said special events intern Cecilia Landholt, who was responsible for much of the planning. “But we’re just getting the word out about our 40th anniversary and sending a big thank you to all of our customers and employees.”

The source of affordable on-campus food for over 7,000 people daily officially turns 40 on Thursday, and will be celebrating each previous decade of operation with costumes and music.

The Coffee House was established by ASUCD in 1968 with the goal of providing high quality food in a coffee shop atmosphere where students could relax between classes, according the Coffee House’s website. Forty years and two location changes later, the student-run organization is a $3,200,000 per year retail operation employing over 240 students.

The celebration starts today when student employees will dress in hippie-wear and work to 1960s music.

“We’ve all been encouraged to make playlists for this week with music for the corresponding decades,” said kitchen supervisor Nicole Davenport, a junior history major. “And it should be fun to dress in ‘80s wear and rock to a decade we don’t remember.“

Tuesday will be 1970s themed – the decade the Coffee House moved to the Memorial Union and started using student-grown vegetables – and Wednesday will celebrate the 1980s.

The real tribute to the student-run organization’s history will be Thursday afternoon, said Landholt, who has been planning the event since June.

“It’s our big finale, from 2 to 3 p.m. we’ll have a cake cutting with alumni and current employees coming in from all over,” she said. “We’ve even invited some of the first student managers from 1968, and are very hopeful they’ll make it.“

The campus community is then invited from 3 to 4 p.m. for refreshments and an open house, where they can browse memorabilia from over the years and listen to a live performance from the Coho Live music competition winner.

“October is a great month for this since people are on campus and freshmen are starting to get used to things,” Landholt said.

Other specials for the campus community are available all week. Coffee will be sold for 40 cents, and a bakery dish corresponding to the decade being celebrated that day will cost 60 cents.

Landholt emphasized that beyond the festive wear and cheaper food, the purpose behind the week is to honor the 40 years of excellent student-run food service.

“People are still surprised today. We had a company we were working with ask to see the kitchen the other day and they couldn’t believe the responsibility of our students – it seems only the Davis community can comprehend it,” Landholt said.

Davenport said the student leadership is the first thing she mentions when telling people about her job.

“It’s probably one of the coolest places to work, and the camaraderie is similar to a team, nobody hates coming in,” she said. “I think it’s impossible to work at the Coho and not make friends.“

MIKE DORSEY can be reached at campus@caliorniaaggie.com.

Committee to choose new UC Davis chancellor announced

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 20, 2008

The hunt for a new chancellor begins Thursday.

University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced the selection last week of an 18-member committee consisting of regents, students, alumni, staff and community members to advise him on the selection of UC Davis‘ sixth chancellor.

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef will resign at the end of this school year after 24 years of leadership as a UCD administrator and 15-year long tenure as the UC system’s longest serving chancellor. The committee hopes to make a comprehensive, national review of candidates that would be suitable for his replacement.

After a series of meetings beginning on Thursday, Yudof will make his recommendation to the regents who are expected to vote on the selection in February.

“Its going to be interesting to see how all these different groups articulate what they think the new UC Davis chancellor will be like,” said Robert Powell, a member of the committee, chair of the UC Davis Academic Senate and a professor of chemical engineering and materials science. “It’s a very exciting time to be here at UC Davis.“

Powell and the rest of the advisory committee were chosen according to UC regulations. The policy calls for five members of the UC regents, nine UC Davis faculty members, a foundation representative, a campus staff employee, an undergraduate student and a graduate student. In addition, the UC president and the chairman of the board of regents will serve as ex-officio representatives.

In Thursday’s daylong, closed meeting at UC Davis, the committee will meet with various constituent groups, including a group of 15 to 20 students.

“I personally would have liked to see more student representation,” said advisory committee member and ASUCD president Ivan Carrillo. “There’s only one undergrad and one grad student; but other than that it’s a very diverse group of people.“

The meeting will also include a luncheon with various alumni and donors, during which they will communicate the values they feel are important qualities in candidates.

“It‘s important that all the people who have a strong interest in the campus express their concerns,” Powell said. “We need to make sure that all the different groups have a strong say in the selection of the next chancellor.“

Though the committee meeting is closed, they remain open to public comments through their website. In the coming months, they will consider these views in the meetings leading up to a decision in February.

The committee has also hired Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in educational leaders, to assist in finding candidates. The firm has aided in picking leaders for the nation’s top schools, UC Davis included.

As for the candidates, the committee has a wide array of requirements they hope the future chancellor will possess.

“[UC Davis] will need someone who will be thoughtful about the issues that are facing the state of California and the needs of the campus,” said D’Artagnan Scorza, UC student regent and member of the committee. “But most importantly, [he or she should know] how to prioritize the issues of students.“

The UC website defines the chancellor’s main duty as being the chief executive officer on campus and an attentive reporter of all university affairs of the regents. He or she oversees all administrative issues and ensures that the university complies with the regulations of a land-grant university.

“We’re looking for someone who is going to instill new ideas in the campus,” Powell said. “At the same time, we want them to understand who we are and ensure the culture of this campus.”

When it comes time for Yudof to make the recommendation, the regents will feel secure in his choice, Scorza said.

“[Yudof] is a fantastic president and a proven leader,” he said. “I have absolutely every level of confidence that he is going to make the best selection.“

To have a say in the committee’s decision, e-mail comments, concerns and questions to davischancellorsearch@ucop.edu.

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached campus@californiaaggie.com.

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

October 17, 2008

TODAY

Davis Motorsports Club

Round Table Pizza, 2151 Cowell Blvd.

5 to 8 p.m.

The club is having their bi-monthly meeting. If you like cars, this is the place to find other enthusiasts like you!

Davis is Burning

8 p.m.

Freeborn Hall

Come to this Delta Lambda Phi: Xi sponsored event to see their annual drag show and competition. All genders welcome! Presale tickets available through DLP brothers, Freeborn ticket office or tickets.com. Tickets available at the door as well.

MONDAY

Project Compost

6 p.m.

Project Compost Office, MU Basement

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

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament

6 to 8 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

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

Best Buddies

7:30 p.m.

194 Young

Learn how to enhance the lives of those with intellectual disabilities at this club meeting.

TUESDAY

Tzu Ching meeting

7 to 8 p.m.

ARC Meeting Room 3

Come learn about compassionate community service.

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.

Men’s and women’s cross country preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Event: NCAA Pre-Nationals; Santa Clara Brono Invitational

Where: LaVern Gibson Course – Terre Haute, Ind.; Baylands Park – Santa Clara, Calif.

When: Saturday at 11:35 a.m.; 9:45 a.m.

Who to watch: There’s one problem with having a great front-runner and a very talented group of freshmen: another top runner can be overlooked.

Don’t look past senior Kaitlin Gregg.

“She’s in that classic unsung role,” says head coach Drew Wartenburg.

Though often overshadowed by teammate Kim Conley, Gregg is of monumental importance to the team.

“You can’t look past Kaitlin,” says Wartenburg.

Gregg has had an outstanding season thus far. She placed second at the Aggie Open, eighth at Sundodger and 13th at Stanford.

Don’t forget last track season, either. Gregg placed third in the 10,000m at the Big West Championships and earned a berth to the NCAA West Regionals in the 5,000m.

Did you know? This will be the first time the Aggies have ever competed at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet, held on the same course that hosts the NCAA Championships.

The meet is so large that it’s broken into two races per sex, with 42 teams in the Aggies women’s race and 40 in the men’s.

Preview: Next to the NCAA Championships, this is the most stacked meet of the year. Both races boast a slew of nationally ranked teams. The women will face, among others, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Minnesota. The men must race No. 3 Colorado and No. 7 Iona.

But the quality of the field isn’t intimidating the Aggies.

“We’re shifting focus from the whole notion of a big meet with pressure and expectations,” Wartenburg said. “Rather we’re looking at it as a big opportunity.“

Though the Aggies aren’t nationally ranked like many of the opponents they’ll face, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“Frankly, being ranked lower than we would like is more of a motivation than getting a high ranking,” says Wartenburg. “It’s fuel for the fire.“

“It’s obviously a big step up for us coming off the transition from Division II,” said senior captain KC Cody, “but it’s where we belong.“

In addition to competing in Indiana, the rest of the Aggies will be racing at the “Largest Collegiate Meet on the West Coast This Weekend” – the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational.

There the Aggies will see Sacramento State for the fifth time this season. The meet features teams from six NCAA conferences, including Big West Conference member Long Beach State.

–Alex Wolf-Root

Women’s soccer preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Teams: UC Davis at Cal State Northridge

Records: Aggies, 6-4-3 (1-2-1); Matadors, 5-7-1 (0-2-0)

Where: Matador Soccer Field – Northridge, Calif.

When: Today at 2:30 p.m.

Who to watch: Tied at one goal apiece with eight minutes to play against Cal State Fullerton, junior forward Marisa Boge’s blast from 15 yards out gave the Aggies their first Big West Conference win of the season on Sunday.

A Bishop O’Dowd High School graduate, Boge leads UC Davis in goals (three), points (eight), shot-on-goal percentage (.541) and game-winners (two).

Did you know? UC Davis‘ lone Big West victory last season came against Cal State Northridge. The Aggies bested the Matadors 2-1 at Aggie Soccer Stadium on Oct. 5 2007. Samantha Faber netted both UC Davis goals, while Sarah Peters notched seven saves.

Preview: After dropping their first two Big West contests, the Aggies turned things around last weekend.

UC Davis battled UC Riverside to a scoreless tie on Friday before knocking off Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. The four points moved the team into a tie for fourth place in the conference.

The Aggies will be looking for more of the same as they square off against Cal State Northridge. The Matadors have won only five of their 13 games despite having scored just one goal less than their opponents.

Cal State Northridge, however, has protected its home turf, posting a 3-0-1 record at home. But UC Davis has won four of its past six on the road, meaning something will have to give at Matador Soccer Field this afternoon.

–Adam Loberstein

Men’s water polo preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Teams: No. 13 UC Davis vs. No. 4 Pepperdine; No. 5 California

Records: Aggies, 7-8; Waves, 12-4; Golden Bears, 10-4

When: Friday at 7 pm; Saturday at noon

Where: Schaal Aquatics Center

Who to watch: Coming into this season, head coach Steve Doten had a big void to fill in the cage. He started the year off by splitting time between two goalies, but redshirt freshman Kevin Peat has stepped up big for UC Davis and become the fulltime starter.

The Walnut Creek native helped the Aggies to victory last weekend with eight saves against No. 12 Santa Clara.

Did you know? The last time the Golden Bears and Aggies faced each other in Davis, the game ended in a bench-clearing brawl with five players receiving brutalities. UC Davis senior Paul Wilson and Cal senior Michael Sharf each scored six goals.

This year the game expects to feature the same intensity, but if the two-time national championship defending Golden Bears hope to paw their way to victory, they‘ll have to do so without the All-American Sharf.

Preview: The Aggies will need to use the magic they had last Saturday in what will probably be their most challenging two-game stretch of the year this weekend.

The team looked sharp last weekend in its first big win of the season against Western Water Polo Association rival Santa Clara, 12-7, but faces a major test in Pepperdine and Cal this weekend.

“You get better by playing teams at the level of a Pepperdine or a Cal.“ Doten said. “The focus is to play the way we did against Santa Clara, but against the top four teams in the country.“

The Aggies have had two shots at the Waves this year, losing the first game 13-5. The second time the two teams met, the Aggies played well and were only trailing by two goals at half but ultimately fell 15-7.

Although Pepperdine is an accomplished squad, the Aggies have not lost a night game at home in three years. UC Davis looks to keep that streak alive and then put up another good fight with the defending national champions.

–Sammy Brasch

Men’s soccer preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Teams: No. 7 UC Davis at UC Riverside

Records: Aggies, 11-1-2 (3-0-2); Highlanders, 3-9-2 (0-4-0)

Where: UCR Soccer Stadium – Riverside, Calif.

When: Saturday at 6 p.m.

Who to watch: With a 6-foot-6 frame like sophomore forward Miles Hadley has, it is no wonder that he’s been a threat inside the box this season. Using his height to outmatch opponents, Hadley is third on the team with three scores.

The Oakland native has played in 11 games this season and had the game-winning goal in UC Davis‘ 2-0 shutout over Cal Poly on Oct. 4.

Did you know? The Aggies have fared well in recent matchups with the Highlanders, winning the last four contests by a combined score of 7-2. With those four wins, UC Davis has not lost to UC Riverside since Sep. 25, 2005 – a game where the Aggies fell to the Highlanders 2-1 in two overtimes.

Preview: Seven days after beating Cal State Fullerton 1-0 on the road, the Aggies faced the Titans again – this time at home.

After falling behind 2-0 midway through the second half, goals by senior forward Quincy Amarikwa and Hadley in the final 15 minutes of regulation brought UC Davis even.

After battling for two scoreless overtimes, the Aggies left with a 2-2 tie, marking the first time this season that UC Davis has left Aggie Soccer Stadium without a win.

The Aggies will need to put a surprising tie behind them as they travel to UC Riverside this weekend – their third road contest in the last four matches.

An anemic Highlanders offense is led by senior defenseman Joel Crompton. The Pleasanton, Calif. native has four of the team‘s 13 goals as well as an assist on the season.

–Max Rosenblum

Football Preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Teams: UC Davis vs. Iona

Records: Aggies, 3-4; Gaels, 3-3

Where: Aggie Stadium

When: Saturday at 6 p.m.

Who to watch: Joe Trombetta and Brandon Tucker both sustained knee injuries last week and have been ruled out for Saturday‘s game.

“There isn’t [a timetable],” head coach Bob Biggs said of their return. “It really depends on their rehab. Brandon ran around [Tuesday] at practice. Joe’s going to take a little more time to be ready.“

Enter Corbin Cutshaw.

The redshirt freshman will share the backfield with Davis High graduate Josh Reese but could see the bulk of the carries if he runs as well as he did last week.

A former prep football and baseball star at Santa Fe Christian High, Cutshaw had 12 carries for 75 yards in a 49-26 victory over Southern Utah.

Did you know? UC Davis has been controlling the clock at will this season, holding the ball for an average of 34:52 per game, good for second in the country.

Preview: One week after winning its Great West Conference opener, UC Davis will take a break from league play to host Iona.

This will be the only time all year that the Gaels play away from the East Coast. Their two road games so far have come in New York and Pennsylvania with a combined attendance figure of 2,716.

UC Davis figures to provide a better home showing on Saturday. The team has won four straight at Aggie Stadium dating back to last year, averaging 42.5 points of offense over that span. Last week, it put up a season-best 49 on the scoreboard in front of a 10,849-person sellout crowd.

Junior quarterback Nick Rossetti leads Iona in the air and on the ground with 959 passing yards and 217 rushing yards.

The Gaels‘ roster carries only two players from California: Todd Dilando (Agoura Hills) and freshman offensive lineman Declan Escobar (Coto de Caza). Escobar and Aggies freshman linebacker Kirk Skierski were teammates at Santa Margarita High.

Iona, located in New Rochelle, NY, plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

MICHAEL GEHLKEN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Aggie Digest

Sports

Sports Editor

October 17, 2008

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving

The Aggies men’s and women’s teams have been picked to finish second and third in the 2008-09 Big West Conference Swimming and Diving Coaches Poll, respectively.

The UC Davis men received 27 points, placing them two points ahead of UC Irvine. The women tallied 25 points – a single point behind the Anteaters.

Defending champion UC Santa Barbara was the unanimous No. 1 selection in both polls.

The Aggies hit the water for their first meet of the season Saturday in Stockton. The Pacific Invitational will begin at noon.

Men’s and women’s tennis

Both UC Davis‘ men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete in the ITA Northwest Championships starting this afternoon.

The men’s tournament will take place in Berkeley while the women compete in Stanford.

A total of 16 teams will be represented in Stanford, including California, Oregon and Big West foes Cal Poly and Pacific. The men’s draw features 16 teams as well.

The respective tournaments will close out the fall season for both UC Davis teams.

–Adam Loberstein

And then I found 5 dollars

Opinion

Opinion

October 17, 2008

Hello Aggie readers! It’s a new school year, which means a fresh start – new classes, new opportunities, and (for better or worse) new columnists! I was told that this would be a good time to introduce myself, though I was planning on waiting until June … but what the heck? My name’s Danielle. I’m an American studies major in my fourth and final year at UCD; which roughly translates to: “I have no idea what I want to do with my life and I’m screwed.” I hail from sunny Los Angeles and, although I now live in Davis, I still wear flip-flops every day of my life. I enjoy long walks through the Arboretum, speak Spanish fluently when I’m drunk, and have read the Twilight series more times than I care to admit. I spent my most recent Monday night driving to Woodland to buy the last 15 bags of Mother’s Cookies at Target, and on my list of favorite things ever, autumn in Davis falls right after puppy dogs and just before Johnny Depp.

Now, I am not so naïve as to think that fall in Davis is without its disadvantages. At the top of this list is one of my most relevant phobias: freshmen on bikes. Now, I have nothing against freshmen themselves. I’m not ageist, although if I were, all my hostility would probably be directed toward that senile old man with the creepy smile who thinks he’ll be our next president. In fact, I love freshmen as much as I can care for a large faction of people who I have never met. It is the combination of our new friends with contraptions that have the ability to cause a great deal of harm that scares the goodness out of me. I’m sure you’ve seen them before: rushing all too quickly toward you, teetering unstably on their bikes while holding on for dear life and screaming for their mothers. OK, that was more of a dramatization of my own first few days as a freshman, but you have to admit that there are probably more bike accidents during the first few weeks of fall quarter than the rest of the year combined.

The other drawback to Davis in the fall is more of a nuisance than a danger. CALPIRG recruiters. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the organization itself. In fact, I caved in long ago and now donate the relatively small amount of money every quarter to saving baby seals or whatever the heck it is they do. So why in the name of all that is good and holy do I still get badgered by these clipboard-wielding, relentless do-gooders?

“Have you pledged CALPIRG?” One of the most dreaded and sadistic sentences known to man … or at least to college students in the state of California. Yes, I have pledged. I promise I’m not lying to you. What do I have to do, super-glue one of those bright-orange stickers to my forehead? Please stop asking. Just assume that I haven’t the will power or patience to have resisted conforming for the past three years and leave me alone.

Yet, in spite of the treacherous freshmen on moving vehicles and the astonishingly persistent CALPIRG minions, I find myself excited to be back in Davis at the start of a new year. I tell you all this, dear reader, in hopes that it will help you to better understand what my column will be. It will not be a source for political satire or a way to acknowledge those underrepresented groups on campus. I will not be writing to educate you about the questionable actions of the UC Board of Regents or even to comprise a list of things to do before I graduate (although I do enjoy a good list). My goal is simply to ease your boredom while you are sitting there waiting for class to start and to share a piece of myself with all of you.

DANIELLE RAMIREZ wants to know if anyone else thinks Edward Cullen is a dreamboat. If you would like to discuss this strange obsession over a bowl of Circus Animal Cookies e-mail her at dramirez@ucdavis.edu.

Informed Dissent

Opinion

Opinion

October 17, 2008

Hi. I’m K.C. I did this last year. I’d love to talk about how awesome I am at life and write one of those jolly little intro columns everyone seems to be so fond of, but the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse just galloped by my window so I’m gonna skip the foreplay and get down to business.

The Democrats have royally fucked us (I swear in this column, by the way). Why? Because they don’t understand accountability. They’re like the Arthur Anderson of American politics. That they haven’t brought Bush to his knees for some sweet, impeachment-style justice is beyond shameful; Johnson replaced his secretary of war, Nixon spied and Clinton fibbed about a BJ. But Bush? Nah, the Democrats are just fine to let bygones be bygones and take impeachment off the table.

Do me a favor and look at the articles of impeachment submitted to the House by Dennis Kucinich, the only Democrat with the balls to do so (besides Hillary). Really, look at ‘em (the articles, not the balls). And when you do, realize that these are just the things Bush should be impeached for that we know about, because the Democrats won’t launch any prying Congressional investigations.

According to them, it doesn’t matter how we got here. They’ll just plug the hull of the Titanic with chewing gum and worry about accountability and prevention later. Much later. As in never.

Just look at what we’ve experienced over the past month. After The Great Depression, Sweden and S&L, this was not unexpected. It was inevitable. It was inevitable because of the failure to respond with accountability, prevention and vigilance to yesteryear’s orgies of greed. And once those past shocks and others like them abated, so did the opportunity to respond.

But Republicans make their careers on shocks. Take the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act. The speed at which it passed was baffling; portions were even submitted only one working day after 9/11. The final bill is a 342-page wish list of prepackaged pipe dreams accumulated since Reagan meant to turn the executive branch into a Herculean phallus of ruination. Nine-eleven was their shock, and their wishes were granted.

The Democrats, in contrast, have had two years of this “market correction” to come up with their own wish list of comprehensive, egalitarian and most importantly preventative policies for the economy. Instead, they gave us $600 and told us to go buy Chinese tinkertoys (at least it wasn’t milk).

If the Democrats weren’t in Wall Street’s pocket, we wouldn’t be sitting here like pathetic flightless chicks waiting for more chunks of putrid, partially digested Bush administration bilge to be vomited into our frantic, gaping maws by Treasury Secretary Hanky Panky Paulson, the man whose decisions in his original handout plan were “non-reviewable” and could not be subjected to “any court of law or any administrative agency.” This man was also worth $700 million as the CEO of Goldman Sachs through June 2006, but whatever.

Such a blatant power grab is yet another example of how effective Republicans are at responding to shocks. Regardless of the fate of their nefarious proposal, they’ve framed the debate. I mean really, we’re bickering over “golden parachutes” for crying out loud! These Masters of the Universe could get parachutes made of lead and still be worth nine figures, and we’re talking about limiting their pay as though they should have any pay left to limit? It’s ridiculous on its face. We ought to seize every red cent these covetous pricks have to their names and buy us some goddamn universal health care.

The one bright spot: our jackass friends are putting together a $150 billion, bottom-up stimulus package to aid state and municipal budgets, extend food stamps and unemployment insurance, provide winter heating assistance and modernize the nation’s infrastructure. And that’s crucial; our infrastructure needs over $1.6 trillion worth of updating and, since January, there are over 760,000 newly jobless Americans who would probably be interested in doing it.

It would be nice if the Democrats finally grew a pair, passed this stimulus package and implemented some tough economic regulations across the board. It would be nice, but as with most things these days, I’m not banking on it.

K.C. CODY doesn’t normally skip the foreplay. To get some of what you missed, e-mail him at kccody@ucdavis.edu.

Drinking cheeseburgers

Features

Features Editor

October 17, 2008

It will take a two-hour run for a student to burn off a three-cheeseburger party.

These and other comparisons are part of the results from the E-Chug campaign, a quiz adopted by UC Davis Health Education and Promotion (HEP) aimed at educating students about their alcohol and tobacco use.

“[The quiz] is a tool for students to learn about their drinking patterns,” said Cindy Valencia, a health educator at HEP.

The questions in the E-Chug quiz identify a student’s amount of consumption over a certain time period. The quiz lists other items, such as iPods, that could be bought with the money the participant spends on alcohol. Also, the calories in drinks are compared to the equivalent in cheeseburgers to emphasize the caloric content in alcohol.

The burger-to-drink comparison is based on the assumption that each drink is about 100-140 calories, according to a HEP fact sheet. According to the McDonald’s website, a cheeseburger has 300 calories.

Lauren Salmo, a student coordinator at HEP and junior biological science major, noted that the quiz is a kind of translation between students’ alcohol consumption and other activities in their life.

The quiz also asks participants to estimate the consumption patterns of other students, and offers results comparing their drinking patterns to other students.

E-Chug is informative if a student wants to know how their consumption patterns are compared to other students, Salmo said.

The information gathered from the quiz is also used for statistical purposes.

“We use it to gauge where the campus’s drinking levels are with other research surveys that we send out,” said Stephanie Lake, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) intervention coordinator at Student Health Services, in an e-mail interview.

As incentive for completing the quiz, HEP is offering a $5 coupon to Redrum Burger or a 25 percent discount off a T-shirt from HEP.

The E-Chug campaign costs $745 per year, according to a fact sheet compiled by HEP.

Since UC Davis adopted the campaign in 2006, approximately 1,000 students have participated, according to a HEP fact sheet. The quiz, which was created by counselors and psychologists at San Diego State University, had 467 participants in the quiz last year, said Valencia.

More than 190 students have participated in the E-Chug campaign this school year, which prompted the campaign to modify their goal of 300 participants by the end of the year to 300 participants by the end of October.

“We’re off to a really good start,” Valencia said.

To encourage participation, members of the campaign have launched the Facebook group, “I Chug, You Chug, wE-CHUG!,” which currently has more than 280 members. The group’s logo will be featured on the quad next week in light of National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, which begins Oct. 19.

A link to the E-Chug quiz can be found on the Safe Party Website, safeparty.ucdavis.edu.

SARA JOHNSON can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com

Correction

City News

City Editor

October 17, 2008

In the Oct. 10 story “Food, fun and compost,” Michael Siminitus was mistakenly identified as Michael Seminitus. Furthermore, the quote that read, “When compostable organics decompose naturally, they release methane, which is an essential greenhouse gas,“ was incorrect. The correct quote reads: “Landfilling compostable organics produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.” The Aggie regrets the error.

In the Oct. 16 photo article entitled “Davis has talent,” which concerned the ASUCD Coffee House Live Talent Search, it stated that Chris Johnson was chosen as winner. The caption should have stated that the winner is Chris Cruz. The Aggie regrets the error.

Prop 4 would affect parent involvement in abortion decisions

City News

City Editor

October 17, 2008

The battle between abortion rights and anti-abortion is back on the California ballot.

Proposition 4 would require a doctor to notify at least one parent before performing an abortion for minors. The pregnant teenager can choose to notify certain adult relatives instead of a parent, but the law would require the doctor to report the parent to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.

Those in favor of the proposition believe a mentor or parent who is aware of the girl’s situation can help her pick the best option and work through the problems.

“Our initiative is only to notify [the parents] and making sure they are aware of what’s going on,” said Albin Rhomberg, spokesperson of Yes on Prop 4. “Clinics [other on the other hand] do not intervene.… It’s usually just a visit and they don’t know anything about the minor’s life.“

Statistics from other states with laws requiring parental involvement actually showed a lower number of abortions as well as sexually transmitted diseases, Rhomberg said.

When parents are involved they know what their children are up to, Rhomberg said. This could help prevent reckless behavior like drug and alcohol use that may lead to predators and exploitation of minors, he said.

Opponents say there are serious problems with the proposition.

“The legislation is very misleading,” said UC Davis sociology professor Carole Joffe. “The other side would say if you can’t tell your parents, the legislation allows you to tell another adult. The problem is the proposition also says if a teenager involves another adult and doesn’t involve a parent, the clinic has to file an abuse report on those parents.“

The majority of teenagers tell at least one parent their situation, Joffe said.

“I am opposed to Proposition 4 because I don’t think it will benefit teenagers,” she said. “There’s been a lot of research that shows that the majority of teenagers tell at least one parent, if not two. Those who do not tell their parents do it for a good reason, like parental violence.“

In addition, a minor who wishes to have an abortion would have to wait at least 48 hours after a physician has notified the minor’s parent. However, teenagers in an abusive family may be at risk, opponents say.

“A 48-hour waiting period might further deter [girls living in violent homes] from either seeking help or exercising their right for seeking an abortion,” said Lisa Ikemoto, a UC Davis law professor. “They fear the consequences and the parental notification requirement will put them in danger.“

Ikemoto said she is not taking a public position on the measure, but Prop 4 may become a social status issue for women.

“It will encourage those who support restriction on abortion rights to seek further restrictions and would have a negative impact on women’s rights,” she said. “It’s a relatively small number of people seeking abortion, but exercising control over your own body is an important aspect of liberty. If it’s restricted for women and girls, then women and girls would be treated differently [from men].“

The argument behind this proposition is that there are justifications on imposing greater restrictions on minors because they are younger, she added.

“Everybody, regardless of age, has their constitutional rights,” Ikemoto said.

For more information on Prop 4, visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov.

JANET HUNG can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

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