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Aggie Digest

Sports

Sports Editor

October 7, 2008

Women’s soccer

Another game, another one-goal conclusion.

UC Irvine’s Rachel Flemming scored her first goal of the season, helping the Anteaters (7-6-1, 1-1-0) to a 1-0 win over UC Davis (5-4-2, 0-2-0) in Irvine on Sunday.

Each of the Aggies‘ 11 games have been decided by one goal or fewer. Junior forward Marisa Boge led the way for UC Davis, recording four of its nine shots. Sophomore goalie Sarah Peters had five saves.

The loss concludes a six-game, five-city road trip. The Aggies won the first four before closing things out with a pair of Big West Conference defeats.

UC Davis returns to Aggie Soccer Stadium to face UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Highlanders (5-7-1, 0-2-0) are the lone Big West team with an overall record below .500. The Titans are 6-6-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference.

Men’s tennis

Two men’s doubles teams advanced to Saturday play at the Fresno State Bulldog Classic, but neither could come away with the win.

Juniors Nic Amaroli and Hunter Lee fell to Fresno State’s pairing of Remi Boutillier and Rikus DeVilliers, 8-2, in the Doubles A Round of 16.

Freshman Chris Aria and junior Kevin Liang were defeated by Steven Henderson and Guatam Vaidyantham of UC Irvine by an identical score in the Doubles B Quarterfinals.

The lone Aggie to qualify for the consolation Singles C Quarterfinals was freshman Nick Hallchurch, who was bested by Cal Poly’s Nick Berger, 6-3, 6-3.

UC Davis next competes in the ITA Northwest Championships in Berkeley. The five-day event begins Oct. 17.

– Adam Loberstein

Students live, work and study in the nation’s capital

Features

Features Editor

October 7, 2008

After completing an internship in Washington D.C. with Fox News, Amanda Wayne was offered a job at the company. She returned to UC Davis to finish her double major in history and Italian in spring 2007, and is now living in the nation’s capital as an assignment desk and production assistant at Fox News.

Wayne’s story and career began with the UC Davis Washington program.

Selected through an application process, an average of about 40 UC Davis students participate in the Washington program each academic quarter.

The program offers a combined academic and internship program during the school year. During the summer, students can chose to opt out of the classes and solely do the internship.

During the academic year, students take one elective course and one research seminar, which involves writing an extensive research paper.

“[The paper required] an argument that we could defend,” said Wayne, who wrote her paper on the Iraq war and Islamic Jihad, a topic she came up with through her internship at Fox.

In addition to taking classes, the students are required to work three to four days per week in an internship.

“[The] internships are only limited by a student’s imagination,” said Sara Lombardo, senior program manager of the UC Davis Washington Program.

Jane Marie Ford interned at Bread for the World, a Christian citizens’ movement focused on ending hunger, during her stay in Washington in fall of 2007. She is currently a student adviser for the Washington program.

“[The internship] opened up a new avenue for me,” said Ford, a senior community and regional development major. “I was already interested in public health but it shifted a little bit to another area I might be interested in – nutrition and how that relates to poverty and legislation.”

While the program does not place students in internships, the staff offers a variety of resources to help students secure positions once they’re accepted into the program.

“We give [students] the tools to be able to obtain the internship,” said Sandra Rodriguez, program assistant at the UC Davis Washington Program. “[We] try to prepare them for their entire process, [including] how to find an internship, how to look for the organization that they’re interested in [and] how to write their cover letter and résumé tailored to that internship.”

The academic demographic of the students involved in the program is diverse, and is becoming increasingly so each year.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that we are trying to break is that the Washington Program is only for political science majors. There are actually internships available for students from all majors in all types of different fields,” Rodriguez said.

In order to participate in the UC Davis Washington Program, students are required to submit an application that includes two letters of recommendation, a review of both transcripts and experience in the intended field and an essay. All applicants are also required to be of at least junior level standing and a 3.0 minimum GPA is encouraged.

UC Davis also provides financial aid packages for students in the Washington program. The financial aid office accommodates for the increase in living expenses in D.C. by adding an additional $2,500 in loans, according to Trina Wiggins, assistant director of student services in the UC Davis financial aid office.

The current policy will not be affected this year by the UC budget changes, Wiggins said.

There are also several scholarships available to students through the Washington Program.

“In the program we really don’t want students not to apply because they’re afraid they won’t be able to afford it,” Ford said. “That’s what we’re here for is resources … so anyone who wants to go and gets [accepted] in the program can go.”

The UC Washington Center, which contains all student living arrangements and program classrooms, was completed in September of 2001. The 11-story building is located less than a mile from the White House.

“I went on a run every day past the White House [when I was in the program],” Wayne said. “I still do now that I live [in Washington D.C.]”

The Center features apartment-style living as well as a variety of social programs designed to enrich the experience of the students.

Wayne recalled participating in a scheduled trip to Mount Vernon. During Ford’s stay in D.C., Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, came to the center to speak.

As the center is operated by the UC system as a whole, students involved in the program have the opportunity to meet students from other campuses in addition to UC Davis.

“[The students were] a group of really driven people who had had some pretty amazing experiences,” Ford said. “It was neat to learn from them and to share with each other.”

During her time at the center, Ford established a tradition of Sunday night dinners with some of the students in the program, something they have done their best to continue since returning to UC Davis.

And Wayne’s stay in D.C. was life changing in other ways, as well.

While researching her paper, Wayne got in touch with Cameron Marshall through contacts in the Washington program.

“I met the love of my life,” Wayne said. “I interviewed my now boyfriend, [and] the second that we both walked in that was it…we fell in love with each other in an hour.”

Wayne and Marshall are planning to get married once he completes his time in the United States Naval Academy.

In the end, both Ford and Wayne agree about the overall impact of the program.

“[I was] exposed to a lot more than I had been in California,” Wayne said. “[The management at Fox] train you as if you were going to work [there].”

Ford said the program also helped her grow up.

“The longer you’re there the more it becomes home, the more you feel like ‘Oh, I can do this, I could make it in the real world,'” Ford said. “All of these people who are making our nation’s decisions and who are working in top positions – they’re also people. We’re the next generation coming up.… Eventually we become the people who are making the top decisions.”

SARA JOHNSON can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

October 7, 2008

TODAY

Paid internships at state capitol

4 p.m.

DeCarli Room, Memorial Union

State Capitol staff will talk about 2009 paid internships; they will be open to juniors, seniors, and December 2008 graduates from any major. Applications are due Oct. 23. Contact brian.ebbert@asm.ca.gov for more information.

Pennsylvania U. nursing program info night

6 to 7 p.m.

261 Olson

Go learn about this nursing school and all the details of their various programs. For more information, contact nkurilouch@ucdavis.edu.

Wildlife Society of UC Davis

6:10 p.m.

217 Art

This group will be holding its first meeting tonight. Free food and a movie screening will occur.

Collegiate 4-H at UC Davis

7 p.m.

109 Wellman

Bring a friend to learn what Collegiate 4-H is about at the first club meeting of the year. Refreshments will be provided.

Kappa Gamma Delta

7 p.m.

Lamppost Pizza, 1260 Lake Blvd.

Free pizza will be provided at this event!

Open Mic Night with SickSpits

7 to 10 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

This open mic night is open to all; poets, singers, guitarists and anyone else are welcome!

Sigma Mu Delta pizza night

7 p.m.

Woodstock’s Pizza, 219 G St.

Stop by Woodstock’s to enjoy free pizza with the Sigma Mu Delta brothers.

Davis Alpine Ski and Snowboard meeting

8 p.m.

216 Wellman

Check out the DASS team at their informational meeting. All skill levels are welcome, and free pizza will be provided.

Colleges Against Cancer

8:30 p.m.

106 Wellman

Learn how to fight cancer at Colleges Against Cancer’s first meeting of the year.

Delta Phi Beta event

9:30 p.m.

MU Games Area

Meet the brothers and sisters while enjoying a night of bowling. Free pizza and drinks will be provided!

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!

Columbia University Nursing Program information night

6 to 7 p.m.

158 Olson

Learn about the nursing program at this school. For more information, contact nkunlovich@ucdavis.edu.

Davis Alpine Ski and Snowboard fundraiser

6 to 9 p.m.

Woodstock’s Pizza, 219 G St.

Go support DASS at their team fundraiser!

Nourish International

6 to 7 p.m.

147 Olson

Learn how you can have an impact on impoverished areas around the world.

Circle K International at UC Davis

7 to 10 p.m.

MU Games Area

Have fun with unlimited bowling, billiards and arcade games. Tickets are $10 ahead of time and $12 at the door. All proceeds will to go the Unicef Six Cents initiative.

Comedy Show with Gridiron Gang

7 to 9 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, MU

Be entertained by both local and national comedy talent!

Community Outreach Club

7 to 8 p.m.

192 Young

Learn about a student-run organization that works to serve the community through volunteer events. For more information, contact daviscoc@gmail.com.

Sigma Mu Delta event

7 p.m.

179 Chemistry

Hear what Sigma Mu Delta’s alumni doctors have to say.

THURSDAY

Pre-Dental Society

7 p.m.

2205 Haring

Check out the first general meeting of the year! Upcoming events will be discussed, and T-shirts will be distributed. Free pizza will be provided!

Sigma Mu Delta event

7 p.m.

Chautauqua Lounge, 717 Alvarado Ave.

Head over to Chautauqua to meet the brothers.

FRIDAY

Activites Faire signup deadline

Noon

447 MU

The deadline for groups to sign for the Activities Faire is Oct. 10 at noon!

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.

Davis resident to speak on regaining sight after 43 years

Features

Features Editor

October 7, 2008

Imagine seeing your family, friends and even your very own reflection for the first time in four decades.

Davis local Michael May will give a free lecture tonight on how he regained his eyesight from a cornea transplant and stem-cell treatment after 43 years of complete blindness. The lecture, hosted by Explorit Science Center, will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Davis Musical Theatre Company, located on 706 Pena.

“Many people think it’s kind of biblical, a blind person gets their sight back, but it’s really more complicated than you would think,” May said.

He said his lecture will delve into the science involved in regaining his vision and the psychological impact of the procedure. He’ll also speak about the alternative tools and technology involved in adapting to life – particularly in terms of sports, business and travel.

May will tell the story of how he lost his eyesight due to a chemical explosion at age three.

“At that point, his brain wasn’t fully developed,” said Karen Adams, communications coordinator at Explorit Science Center. “Apparently what happens during those cases is that other parts of the brain develop more fully to compensate.“

May relied strongly on his sense of touch, smell and hearing, Adams said, as he learned to get around in the world.

“At a very early age, he didn’t let lack of vision affect him,” Adams said. “He has a very can-do spirit.“

Although he was blind for most of his life, May was able to start four companies, break a skiing world record, meet Stevie Wonder, join the CIA and start a family with his wife, according to his website sendergroup.com.

May’s friend Bryan Bashin of Sacramento, who is also blind, has known May for 15 years and considers him a role model for the blind community.

“If you grow up and you’re blind, you are looking to meet other cool blind guys who are doing something exciting in the world, and Mike was one of them,” Bashin said, adding that the two would go hiking, skiing and bike riding together.

May is the CEO and president of Sendero Group, a Davis-based company that develops GPS navigation products for blind and visually impaired individuals. During the lecture, May will be explaining further about how the products can help people get around in their everyday life.

May was perfectly content with his life and didn’t think that seeing would make his life better, Adams said. It was just by happenstance that he met up with an ophthalmologist and learned he might be a candidate for surgery.

“After exiting the operating room, he suddenly could see his wife and two sons for the first time,” Adams said. “And that was the reason he did the surgery in the first place.“

Friends say May has changed a little since the surgery but appreciates his restored vision.

“He is absolutely the same Mike as before, he’s just as adventurous as a sighted person,” Bashin said. “[He] has added a new layer of experience and adventure to his [life] by being able to see.“

May is also a UC Davis alumnus, graduating in 1976 with a degree in political science.

For more information about May or his lecture, visit senderogroup.com.

THUY TRAN and ANNA OPALKA can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com.

Editorial: Mondavi Center student tickets

Opinion

Opinion

October 7, 2008

The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts has attracted renowned artists and speakers such as anthropologist Jane Goodall, violinist Itzhak Perlman and the Cirque de Soleil performers.

Tickets for in-demand events such as these have not been readily available to students in the past. Because tickets are released early to subscribers, most of whom are not students, the student body has great difficulty in obtaining single-event tickets to high demand events.

This year, the Mondavi Center has implemented a new initiative to encourage and ensure student attendance. Ten percent of inventory for each performance has been reserved for student sale – tickets that would have otherwise sold out to the general public. These tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Tuesday, and will be offered only to students until the sale ends Oct. 29 or until tickets sell out.

Reserving student tickets is another step toward bringing the student community closer to an acclaimed entertainment venue. The Mondavi Center is seen as a campus institution, and rather than acting separately from the university, it’s commendable that its staff is making efforts to bring UC Davis students to performances easily and to present these opportunities at more affordable costs.

Although setting aside tickets for students is a step that is long overdue, the Mondavi Center has always worked to provide an extra advantage to students. In addition to this special student ticket sale, all student tickets, including series subscriptions, for Mondavi concerts are discounted at 50 percent off, a discount that isn’t offered at many other campuses. Other efforts, such as the Curriculum Connections program and the Freshman Free Ticket program, also offer affordable tickets and guaranteed seating.

The Mondavi Center attracts esteemed performers from around the world, and it has a convenient on-campus location. Now it has found an economical way to present these opportunities to students.

Editorial: UC admissions standards

Opinion

Opinion

October 7, 2008

For the past three months the University of California Board of Regents has been considering a proposal that would eliminate the requirement for applicants to submit SAT II subject test scores in order to have their applications reviewed.

The plan, developed by faculty members in the Academic Senate, is intended to decrease the number of applications denied consideration for technical reasons that could be due to poor advising. Applicants would still be asked to submit the scores, but their applications would not be tossed aside for failing to do so as they are now.

While this represents a large shift in UC‘s decades-old admissions policy, it‘s a necessary and fair change.

Students who receive inadequate advising from their high school counselors but are otherwise qualified and competitive applicants should at least be given consideration. In 2007, for example, 2,200 of the applicants deemed ineligible had GPAs over 3.5. By ignoring these students, UC is depriving itself of a qualified applicant pool that contains a significant number of underrepresented minorities and low-income students, according to a study done by the California Post-Secondary Education Commission. As a public institution, UC should be making every effort to give these students a fair evaluation.

The plan also lowers the number of students guaranteed admission to at least one UC campus from the top 12.5 percent of California high school graduates to the top 10 percent. Opponents of the plan argue that this takes a seat away from students who completed all the requirements. However, the new pool of applicants is merely granted review, not guaranteed admission as traditionally eligible applicants are. The reduction in guaranteed admission only serves to make room in the system for applicants granted review under the proposal who are competitive enough to make it in on their own merits.

Furthermore, eliminating the SAT II requirement will raise the bar for UC admission by placing greater weight on grades, essays and SAT reasoning test scores. The admissions process uses a GPA/test score index as one of the deciding factors in admission. Currently that index is so low that almost everybody who takes the correct courses will clear it, said Mark Rashid, UC Davis professor and the former chair of the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools. Under the plan, the index would be ratcheted up in order to delineate the top 10 percent of high school graduates, effectively increasing the standard of performance for admission.

This plan is a justified and appropriate attempt at accounting for the widespread disparities that exist in the high school experiences of UC applicants. A student in a low-income neighborhood without a college-going culture very likely won‘t receive the same quality of advising as more affluent applicants. UC doesn‘t have control over the majority of factors that give some students an advantage over others, but it can control this. Students who work hard enough to be competitive in the UC applicant pool but fail to qualify for a technical reason like this should at least have their otherwise complete application read and considered.

Police Briefs

City News

City Editor

October 7, 2008

THURSDAY

A parade of her own

An individual was walking along Second Street with a wheelbarrow full of stuffed animals, yelling and talking to an invisible person behind her.

Mean hobo

A transient was walking around a shopping center on First Street yelling and making racial comments.

Unbridled excitement

A subject was drinking and had urinated all over himself on Chiles Road.

Boys will be boys

A bunch of guys were playing drinking games on Rice Lane.

FRIDAY

Some people are fiends

An individual was standing at G Street and Second Street yelling at people and asking them for “hard drugs.“

Friendly drunk

An extremely intoxicated individual inside a business on East Covell Boulevard was hugging customers and taking food.

Like a good wife

An individual’s wife on Hanover Drive was “going to make a dope deal tomorrow.“

SUNDAY

Bad house, bad!

A male subject was seen screaming at a residence on Scripps Drive, leaving in his vehicle and returning again.

This Bud’s for you

Subjects on E Street were seen having a loud party and throwing beer off the balcony down to passersby.

POLICE BRIEFS are compiled by JEREMY OGUL from the public logs of the Davis Police Department and represent the official version of what happened. The crime blotter can be viewed online at cityofdavis.org/police/log. This segment appears Tuesdays and Fridays.

Community comes together for Neighbors’ Night Out

City News

City Editor

October 7, 2008

Davis residents meet near their homes during the Davis Neighbors' Night Out. Over 80 locations hosted residents as a way to meet neighbors. — Davis residents meet near their homes during the Davis Neighbors’ Night Out. Over 80 locations hosted residents as a way to meet neighbors.

Residents of the city of Davis largely consist of families and students. The city of Davis holds an annual Neighbors’ Night Out event, which was held for the third consecutive year this Sunday.

Event organizers say the purpose of Neighbors’ Night Out is for students and local residents to meet,establish contacts and build relationships.

“Just understanding the basics of [your] neighborhood is an important part of becoming integrated into that neighborhood,” said Gary Sandy,director of local government relations for UC Davis.”That’s really the point of Neighbors’ Night Out.… Students need a friendly opportunity to meet with their neighbors.”

A record 83 parties were registered with the city, with each Davis neighborhood holding their own individual event, said Stacey Winton, community partnership coordinator with the Davis Community Development Department.

“[The city] did all the invitations for them,and we either mailed them out for [the residents] or we delivered them to the party host and the party host delivered [the invitations] themselves,” Winton said.

While Neighbors’ Night Out is a popular event,the city of Davis has struggled to gain sufficient student involvement in the event,Winton said.

“This is our third year and we’ve really been working harder to get the students involved.… Last year we had a significant increase in student involvement.… A lot of fraternities and sororities hosted parties,” she said.

While the city does as much as they can to get students involved, ultimately ASUCD has more direct contact with the student population of Davis, Winton said.

“That’s something we’re always struggling with is student involvement.… We want to encourage them to meet their neighbors and get involved with the community,” Winton said.

In order for Neighbors’ Night Out to be effective,it is necessary for student networks to combine efforts with city officials,said Sandy,the UC Davis representative.

“It’s a genuine partnership between the city and ASUCD,” Sandy said. “Each year students are an integral part of the planning.”

It’s often challenging for neighborhoods to come together since it’s common for multiple students to inhabit single-family homes, Sandy said. Many times students live in a neighborhood surrounded by local Davis homeowners.

Many of the local block parties and various events did include Davis residents and students who live in the same neighborhood.

“That’s one thing we really like about the neighborhood is that there’s a good mix of students and families,” said Amber Welsh,coordinator of her neighborhood event on Farragut Circle.

Welsh has hosted Neighbors’ Night Out events in past years, and had about 100 people at her block party last year, she said. Welsh’s block party also boasts a local band, The Rick Donaldson Blues Band, whose members also live in the neighborhood.

This year several student fraternities and sororities hosted events in their neighborhoods.

“We participated last year,and the chancellor came and so did some of ourneighbors,'” said Sean Lewis,president of the Theta Xi fraternity onFirst Street.

While the city offered to handle their invitations,Theta Xi decided to distribute them on their own,since it helps with their networking and community relations,Lewis said.

CAITLIN COBB can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

County faces shortage of court advocates for children

City News

City Editor

October 7, 2008

When kids end up in the court system, the experience can be overwhelming. With that in mind, a group of volunteers organizes to provide support for these youths.

Because of high gas prices and a slow economy, however, there has been a shortage of volunteers for the Yolo County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program for child victims, volunteers say. Currently, there are approximately 50 children on the waiting list in need of an advocate.

“Usually, the child is too small to speak for the family or too traumatized to speak for themselves,” said Olga Trevizo, the program development director of CASA. “The advocates not only serve as a mentor, but also as an actual voice for them in court.“

An advocate will use the time they spend with the child to help make the best decision for the child based on the advocate’s own perspective.

“Advocates get a 360-degree view on the child,” Trevizo said. “It is a special type of civic duty to help a child and it’s all done by volunteering.“

Yolo County has only 60 homes that are open to foster care, she said, leaving much of the support work left to advocate volunteers who commute. Because of the gas prices, the organization is having a harder time finding volunteers willing to drive and visit the child.

“If the advocate visits them, they have to drive far when they [may] barely have enough gas to put in their tank,” Trevizo said.

Jack Jackson, an advocate of eight years and retired UC Davis professor, believes that having more advocates will allow more one-on-one interaction.

“You will have a closer interaction with kids and closer relationship with the kids because you’re most likely going to see the kids more often,” he said. “If you see the kids often they can tell you how they feel and by building trust you can advocate better.“

Those with jobs may have a hard time commuting and spending the time advocating for children.

“The gas prices and the distance make a big difference,“ Jackson said. “I have more free time than those who are working. And those who are working might not have enough time.“

In an effort to raise money to bring in more volunteers, CASA will be hosting several fundraisers and events, such as a clown parade this Saturday in Sacramento. Tina Renolds, a graphic designer, decided to host the fundraiser for CASA instead of celebrating her 60th birthday.

“She’s decided throw a fundraiser and give money to organizations,” Trevizo said. “It’s a children-themed clown parade.“

CASA has received philanthropic support from the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at UC Davis since 1992.

“We try our best to support them as possible,” said philanthropic chair of UC Davis‘ Kappa Alpha Theta, Sarah Wright. “We became really intertwined with CASA, and we learned how the organization works first-hand and how they make an impact on the Yolo County committee. CASA is very unique [because] it’s a volunteer based organization that makes a huge impact on a child’s life.“

The sorority also has annual fundraisers and events to support CASA. On Oct. 9, Kappa Alpha Theta will be hosting an event called Rock Our CASA, a backyard barbeque and concert. It will take place at the sorority house on 200 Parkway Circle, from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For those interested in becoming an advocate, call Yolo CASA at 661-4346. Mandatory training classes will begin at the end of October.

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

Number of international students at UCD slowly increasing

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 7, 2008

There are over 2,500 international students and scholars on the UC Davis campus this year – a number that has continued to grow since last year.

Though many are surprised by the amount of international scholars on campus, the Institute of International Education (IIE) found that since 9/11, there has actually been a slow increase of international students and scholars.

“We do some of the best research in the country, if not in the world,” said Wes Young, director of services for international students and scholars. “There is absolutely a strong draw to come here from another country.”

UC Davis hosts the fifth largest amount of scholars in the entire country, with Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley and Columbia preceding it, according to the IIE study.

Relative to the rest of the world, however, the total percentage of international students in the U.S. has decreased slightly. Where there are more students studying here, there are even more studying in places like China and Europe.

This is due to increased competition in other countries, Young said. Thirty years ago, the U.S. was the premier destination for all students. Today, other countries are improving their programs and increasing their appeal to foreign students.

“In Europe, the government gives money for students to travel to different countries [within the European Union],” said Thomas de Lamballerie, a senior sociology major from Sciences-Po, a university in Paris. “But America is one of the best places in the world to study, and the UC is very, very famous.”

Money is one of the main reasons why a lot of international students choose not to come the U.S., Young said. In addition to room and board, the University is required to charge the out-of-state tuition of $47,600 per year for undergraduates and $44,200 for graduate students.

The government also requires universities to track international students by requiring them to have visas and forbidding them to have a job outside the university, among other regulations, which may seem unwelcoming at times. But to those who have gotten past the cost and regulations, the UC Davis experience has been positive.

“In my classes, the American students come to see you and know about your country,” Lamballerie said, who has also taken advantage of Outdoor Adventures and local destinations, such as San Francisco.

The American-International student relationship, Young said, is the best way to improve the students’ personal experience here, and could in turn improve the status of the U.S. among citizens of other countries.

“In Germany, everyone is so closed and unfriendly, but here, everyone is really nice; everyone asks ‘How are you?'” said Martin Eypasch, a Mechanical Engineering scholar from Germany. “I like the weather and I like the campus a lot.”

Meeting international students and scholars, students will find, offers an interesting cultural experience within Davis, Young said.

“Not everyone can study abroad, so meeting the person next to you from Africa will give you the opportunity to learn about that country without costing you,” Young said. “That kind of thing is hard to put a value on.”

LAUREN STEUSSY can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com

Textbook website developed by Davis students

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 7, 2008

Waiting in long lines at the UC Davis Bookstore might be a thing of the past for some students thanks to davistext.com.

The new website lists and sells textbooks specifically for the UC Davis campus. Organized by department, the site allows users to search for their books by class and professor.

William Hsu, a sophomore economics major, launched the site this September after feeling frustrated as a first-year student unable to find out what books he needed earlier. The website is already sparking student interest while saving some students a couple of bucks.

“The bottom line is that students are paying way too much for textbooks these days,” said Hsu in an e-mail interview. “Although it has become pretty obvious that buying books online can save students a lot of money, as students we choose not to.”

“Davistext.com solves this problem by letting you know which books you need for each class and letting you know about it weeks before class begins,” he said.

The website was designed, created and marketed solely by UC Davis students. In partnership with amazon.com, the site charges a flat shipping rate of $3.99 per book.

Chen Fei Fei said that she saved about $20 ordering three books from the site.

“The website has the original price, which is the price at the bookstore,” Fei said. “And I grabbed the ones that were with the highest discount, above a 30 percent discount.”

Because the website is new, however, there are concerns about its reliability among users.

“The thing I would be most concerned with is accuracy,” said Sam Young, a senior economics major. “What if [the site] says that I need a certain book, but that’s not the book that the professor actually uses?”

Hsu said he got the book list through negotiations with the university and that the information on the site is official and will be available each quarter.

Davistext.com also has a partnership program with clubs and organizations on campus to give back to the community.

“Since we make commission off of each sale, we are offering clubs and organizations 75 percent of what we earn when they partner with us,” Hsu said. “In fact, we give them their own sub-portal where members can purchase books at the same price, except that the proceeds will be directed to them.”

One sub-site is rotaract.davistext.com with the collaboration of Campus Rotaract Club of Davis – a student-run organization that mobilizes students and young people to do local and international humanitarian services.

Daniel Nanas, an undeclared sophomore, said his experience with the site was good overall.

“I only looked for two classes and they were much cheaper [than the bookstore],” Nanas said. “One book was $120 and I got it for $75. The downside was that it was shipping from Ohio and I missed about a week of reading.”

Hsu hopes that the website will be efficient and convenient for students for book purchases in the future.

“We designed a site that is very easy and intuitive to use making the checkout process quick, easy and secure,” Hsu said. “And I would argue that it’s now even easier than the bookstore because you can do it all without even getting out of bed and at the same time save a lot of money for whatever life throws at you.”

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

Aggies impress at Doc Adams Invite

Sports

Sports Editor

October 6, 2008

Saturday the Aggies risked. And it paid off.

The men were led by junior Arran Rogerson’s 25:34.2 clocking, good for fifth individually, as their depth helped them place a close second to Stanford University at the Doc Adams Open at the Putah Creek Reserve.

Head coach Drew Wartenburg planned for the meet to be a chance for the youth to get some experience, as the Aggies rested out a large part of the team.

The women ran solid efforts individually, despite not being able to score as a team.

“We were battling through sickness and some injuries on the women’s side,” Wartenburg said.

Only four Aggie women toed the starting line – and it takes five to score.

“[That] just added to the fear of racing and trying to represent our school the best we could,” said freshman Chelsea Mumby, who led the Aggies with her 16th place finish, running the 6k course in 23:36.6. “Being the younger ones on the team, we are always a little unsure of what to expect walking up to the line.”

But even without any real expectations, the women were able to get to work.

“[Freshman] Sam [Kearny, who finished 19th] and I decided that we would try and go out hard,” said Mumby, “pushing each other the whole way. We were within 20 seconds of each other, which I was pretty proud of.“

“For two of our frosh, it was a sizeable course PR (personal record) and seasonal PR,“ Wartenburg said.

And then there was Jenna Gaily.

Primarily an 800m and 1,500m runner, Saturday’s 6k was 7.5 and four times longer, respectively.

“It’s the first time she’s ever put on a singlet in an XC race. It was a big effort for her.“

Rogerson proved that the Aggies weren’t resting all the top men. Finishing behind only three Stanford runners and one from St. Mary’s College, he fought hard to run a season’s best. Not far behind, junior Tyler Rattray held on for a 10th-place finish in 25:43.1 for a solid 1-2 punch.

“One of the things we were talking about is taking a risk,” Wartenburg said. “Guys actually pushed the pace in spots. It sort of broke up the pack a bit, but at the same time in a good way.“

This led to the Aggies really having to communicate with each other mid-race. For freshman Chris Harland-Dunaway, this translated into butt slapping.

“I came up on Fed (Martinez),” said Harland-Dunaway, “and I saw him and I was like, ‘I want to go by him, but I want him to come with me.‘ So I slapped him on the butt.”

“It really got me back in the zone,” said Martinez. “It was time to work with him, time to go.“

Harland-Dunaway knows it’s all about the team.

“Just the communication – it’s comforting when you’re in a lot of discomfort. It’s just super helpful.… You don’t expect someone to hit your ass.“

Even those near the back gave it their all. Despite being sick, freshman Gregor Lloyd-Smith was able to dig deep, dropping three runners in the last mile – one from California State University, Sacramento, one from St. Mary’s, and one from Santa Clara University.

“No one outkicks me,” said Lloyd-Smith. “I don’t care who it is.“

ALEX WOLF-ROOT can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Big West foes sweep away UC Davis

Sports

Sports Editor

October 6, 2008

After starting out the season red-hot, winning six of their first seven games, the Aggies went into the weekend in search of their first Big West Conference win.

The Aggies are still looking.

UC Davis fell to both Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara, falling to 0-4 in conference and 8-9 overall.

Friday – No. 24 Cal Poly 3, UC Davis 0

When a player has a career day at the serving line, you know you’ve got a hard road ahead of you.

Senior opposite Kylie Atherstone led the Mustangs with five aces and sophomore libero Alison Mort recorded a career-best four to take the game in three straight sets, 25-22, 25-20 and 25-11.

Cal Poly fired off season-high 12 aces in the three-set match – their highest total in over 13 months.

“Going into Big West Conference play, you already know it’s going to be tough,“ said head coach Jamie Holmes. “It’s one of the best conferences in the country. Some of the teams we’re competing against just have such great volleyball history.”

In the first match of the contest, the Aggies came back from an 8-16 deficit to go up 22-21 with only three points separating the Aggies and victory.

However, the Mustangs recorded three of the final four points of the match.

In the second set, the Aggies misfired four consecutive times to fall to an early 3-8 deficit. Aggie freshman Keala Peterson recorded two of her eight kills to move UC Davis within three, 18-21, but that would be as close as they would get.

The Mustangs charged the Aggies early on in the third set with Mort serving all four of her aces over the net. The Mustangs .290 hitting percentage for the final set was glorified by a dismal .085 clip for the Aggies.

Saturday – UCSB 3, UC Davis 0

The trip from Cal Poly to Santa Barbara is about 100 miles, but it wasn’t far enough to produce any different results.

UCSB (7-8, 3-1) smothered UC Davis in three sets, winning 25-16, 26-24, 25-11 to push the Aggies under .500 for the first time this season.

It was the Gauchos’ superior hitting that sent them over the edge – a dominating clip that read .318 to the Aggies’ .148 hitting percentage. That difference equated to a 25-point advantage in favor of Santa Barbara.

The second set was the only match in which the Aggies held more than a one-point lead, as they jumped out early to a 3-0 lead due in large part to a pair of kills by senior Chantal Paschetta. Senior Renee Ibekwe fired off the lone serving ace of the game for the Aggies, which helped them build a 9-5 lead.

Three of the 10 aces by the Gauchos came in the crucial part of this match to make up for their poor hitting percentage – which stood at .081, but the Aggies couldn’t capitalize.

The Aggies were one point from putting the game away, but four straight attack errors by UC Davis had the game gift-wrapped for the Gauchos who stood to benefit, winning 26-24.

“[We knew] those were going to be some tough matches,” Holmes said. “I kind of wish we opened up with some of the other teams, but that’s OK. That’s alright.”

The Aggies will return home to the Pavilion to host UC Riverside (5-11, 0-1) and UC Irvine (6-8, 1-0) on Saturday and Sunday.

MATT MILLER can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Aggies ride Mustangs out of town

Sports

Sports Editor

October 6, 2008

One of the aspects of the game of soccer that coaches stress is to score first to put pressure on the other team.

“Everybody who watches games knows that when you score the first goal, the game is much easier to play,” head coach Dwayne Shaffer said.

UC Davis (9-1-1) did just that against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (6-3-2) on Saturday to capture its first Big West Conference victory, 2-0, and to stay undefeated at Aggie Soccer Stadium this season.

Less than four minutes in – before most fans had settled into their seats – UC Davis jumped on Cal Poly.

On a set play, junior midfielder Paul Marcoux threw the ball in to sophomore forward Miles Hadley who headed it in – the matchup between the 6-foot-6 Hadley and the Mustang defender was almost unfair.

That early goal allowed the Aggies to play at ease and to continue putting on the pressure in front of the Mustangs’ net.

That pressure led to the second goal of the game 22 minutes later when senior midfielder Dylan Curtis sent the ball into goal and senior forward Sule Anibaba booted in the rebound.

“It is a set play we implemented just before the [UC] Irvine game,” Curtis said. “It is just a simple pass through the legs and shot on goal that is set up for a left-footed shot and that’s my terrain. I was able to put a really good shot on goal and the goalie made a really good save.

“I thought I was going to get the goal and then Sule made a very smart, heads-up play to chase the ball in and get the rebound and put it in the back of the net.”

“I know Dylan can shoot very hard,” Anibaba said. “I have been on the team with him for four years. I’ve been waiting to get a rebound one day, and today happened.”

The assist was Curtis’ 10th of the season as he continues to lead the nation in that category – but Curtis still won’t give that much credit to himself.

“It’s a cool accomplishment,” said Curtis. “I can’t say that I am not excited about the fact that I am leading the nation in assists right now, but at the same [time] it takes people putting goals in the net. People like Quincy [Amarikwa], Paul Marcoux, Sule. These guys have been stepping up and putting my passes in the back of the net, so I have to give a lot of credit to them.”

With the help of Curtis, UC Davis did outscore Cal Poly, but the Mustangs were not without chances in front of the net.

The fact that the Aggies registered the shutout was a testament to their defense.

“I thought our defense played extremely well,” Shaffer said. “[Senior] Jordan Vanderpoorten got hurt and [sophomore] Jason Santos came in and did a great job. Overall I am very, very pleased.

“Our goalkeeper Ryan McCowan made a great save at the beginning of the second half to keep the pressure on them and to take the wind out of their sails. He played outstanding again.”

The sophomore notched his fourth shutout of the season with two saves in the season’s first installment of this Aggie-Mustang rivalry.

“Cal Poly is a great rivalry because it is probably the one school in the conference that we go head-to-head with in recruiting,” Shaffer said. “I think the players respect each other. It is a great rivalry and it’s clean. It is so much different than some of the other games that we play.”

In fact, that was one of the most surprising things about this match-up. In the first conference game for both Cal Poly and UC Davis, the squads combined for eight yellow cards and one red card while only one yellow was handed out Saturday.

With a shutout of Cal Poly at home, Shaffer still insists that the best has yet to come from his soccer squad.

“I feel like if every player on our team plays to the top of his potential in one game, and if I coach to the best of my ability, I think we could be really, really good,” Shaffer said. “We haven’t hit that point yet, but it’s in us because I have seen it.

“We played like that last fall and we played like that in the spring. We just haven’t hit that peak yet this fall. Hopefully everybody gets healthy and we get everybody on the field at one time and all our reserves. I think then we will be really, really dangerous.”

MAX ROSENBLUM can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Men’s golf preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 6, 2008

Event: Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic

Where: Warren Golf Course – Notre Dame, Ind.

When: Monday and Tuesday; all day

Who to watch: Saying that Austin Graham has gotten off to a good start would be an understatement.

A sophomore from San Clemente, Calif., Graham was named the Big West Conference Men’s Golfer of the Month for September on Thursday.

Graham notched three top-15 finishes, including a first-place finish at the Kansas Invitational.

“This is a great honor for Austin since there are a lot of outstanding players in the Big West,” said head coach Cy Williams. “He worked extremely hard in the off-season and it showed as he came out playing at a high level right away.”

Did you know? Five of the 16 teams competing in the Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic are ranked in the national top 50. Lamar and Arkansas are both in the top five.

Preview: After finishing in first and second place in its first two events, respectively, the UC Davis men’s golf team hit its first wall of the season last week.

The Aggies found themselves in last place after the first day of the Husky Invitational in Bremerton, Wash. on Sept. 29. They shot a final-round 293 on Tuesday, improving to ninth place in the 11-team field.

Williams said that UC Davis’ play on the greens was the problem.

“We probably hit as many greens and fairways as the team [that] won,” he said. “If we cut a third of those three-putts, we erase some of those big numbers we put on some of those holes, and we finish in the top four or five. We just need to fix that.”

Graham paced the Aggies with a 14th-place showing. After firing 79s in his first two rounds, senior Nate Pistacchio rebounded nicely with a 70 on Tuesday – the lowest round of the tournament for UC Davis.

UC Davis will be looking for more of the same from Graham and Pistacchio in hopes of rebounding at Notre Dame.

–Adam Loberstein

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