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Editorial: Davis living wage

Opinion

Opinion

October 2, 2008

After months of discussion, the Davis City Council made progress toward approving a living wage for some people employed by the city through contractors. The ordinance, which would only apply to contractors who meet a certain threshold of business from the city, is being examined on a scale that would pay between $10 and $14.21 per hour. Currently, these employees may be paid as low as the state minimum wage, $8 per hour. People employed directly by the city are already on a living wage pay scale.

The Aggie supports the council’s actions, and believes that workers should not be paid less simply because there is a firm standing between the city and the employee. Although the $14.21 level would be ideal, as this covers pay equal to the minimum hourly wage for city of Davis employees ($13.48) plus additional compensation for health insurance, this pay rate is not feasible with the city’s current budgetary situation.

The $11 per hour suggestion is a good compromise. The primary reason is that the city’s burden, the costs that the contractors will not absorb, is estimated from $60,279 to $67,476 per year, according to assistant city manager Paul Navazio. For the $13.50 and $14.21 wage levels, the cost could be as high as $186,558 and $229,042 per year, respectively. In the city’s current financial state, these compensation levels would prove to be untenable. The $11 per hour rate ensures that workers are earning a more reasonable wage, while allowing the city to continue to provide services that residents of Davis rely on.

However, the city council’s stance does beg the question as to why the city doesn’t directly employ these workers. This question has a reasonable answer. City of Davis Councilmember Sue Greenwald said, “A lot of the work that’s done is not full-time,” and cites winter storm cleanup as an example.

Setting a living wage of $11 per hour in these tough financial times is a wise choice. It allows the city to see how the program is benefiting the workers. If the council deems the program a success, there is nothing preventing the city council, with a better financial outlook, to increase the living wage to a higher level.

College smoking rates may increase despite all-time low

City News

City Editor

October 2, 2008

The American Lung Association released a report last month that found that the smoking rate among college students is lower than ever before. Although one in five college students smoked cigarettes in 2006, the lowest rate since 1989, experts say the rate may increase again.

“Obviously we‘re hopeful that the rate will continue to decline in California especially, but there is no guarantee that it will,” said Thomas Carr, manager of national policies for the ALA.

After the previous all-time low in 1989, smoking rates rose again within a decade to a record high in 1999, when one in three college students were smoking. The decline in the college smoking rate since 1999 can be attributed to higher price tags on cigarettes, cigarette taxes and expanded smoke-free laws in public places, Carr said.

According to the report, most college student smokers began smoking in high school. They are equally likely to be male or female and are predominately white. College smokers are likely to be social smokers and are more likely than nonsmokers to also use alcohol or other substances. Fraternity and sorority members reported higher smoking rates. Students reported that they frequently use smoking to relieve stress or depression.

The perception gap of how common students believe smoking is among their peers is still higher than the actuality. The American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment survey reported in 2006 that 86 percent of college students thought that their peers smoked at least one cigarette in the past month. The reality is that 22 percent of college students have smoked a cigarette in the last month, Carr said.

“People being around their peers see smoking a lot and assume people smoke more often than they do,” said Carr. “Also on college campuses there is higher degree of social smoking, like smoking only when they drink.“

Tobacco companies continue to target young adults in college, honing on the transition period from home to college. Tobacco advertising rose 20 percent in 1999 and by 2005 tobacco companies had shifted their marketing strategies to focus on adult entertainment events by sponsoring events in bars, nightclubs and concerts. The report cites that the aim is to make occasional or experimenting students into regular and daily smokers. The industry spends $13.1 billion every year on advertising and promotions.

A smoke-free policy was implemented on July 1, 2008 at the UC Davis Medical Center and all surrounding medical facilities. All 140 acres at the Sacramento campus are smoke-free.

“Certainly this hasn’t stopped all smoking,” said Charlie Casey, senior public information officer for the UC Davis Health System. “People are smoking on peripheries and off-campus sites. There is still some of that but it’s a cultural change that is going to take time for people to become aware. We have gotten great feedback from staff, patients and families that they no longer have to walk through clouds of smoke to get here, though.“

Casey was on the steering committee that spent a year working the smoke-free policy, including the communication, training video and building awareness.

“We are getting calls from other institutions and hospitals who want to know how we went about to get our campus smoke free,” he said. “We had probably five or six hospital systems around Northern California that want to know what we did to implement our policy this past July. It’s a snowball effect.“

The other goal of the initiative offers cessation classes, which continue to draw large numbers. Nicotine gum and counseling are also offered at no cost to employees. Not all employees are taking advantages of these services, however, said Shelton Duruisseau, senior associate director for the UC Davis Medical Center.

“We seem to have better success with patients and their families and visitors,” Duruisseau said. “I don’t see [students] smoking as much as I used to. I’m in a building where the students come in the building all the time. I just don’t see them smoking. Very rarely do I see them congregating around on campus. Some kind of way they seem to get it. Where we are having our problem is with the people who have been smoking for the past 30 years, not so much with the students.”

In the next year, there will be plans to expand the policy to all 27 primary clinic offices around the Sacramento region: Rockland, Downtown Sacramento, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove.

“Just about every pubic institution is talking about no smoking,” Duruisseau said. “I think the students seem to get it.“

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

ASUCD Coffee House eliminates trans-fats

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 2, 2008

UC Davis students who want to eat healthy without spending hours in the kitchen can achieve this at the Memorial Union.

The Coffee House recently announced the removal of trans-fats from its menu – a process that began last year.

The Coffee House is renewing its 40-year pledge to serving healthy, homemade foods to the UC Davis population by eliminating trans-fats from all its food products, according to a Coffee House press release.

Trans-fat is formed when liquid oils go through a process called hydrogenation. It is most often found in margarine, shortening, crackers and snack foods and is used to increase the shelf-life of those items. Trans-fat has been found to raise cholesterol and can increase risk of coronary heart disease, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

Though the move to a completely trans-fat free menu is a recent improvement, the Coffee House has always prided itself on providing healthy options to its customers, said Sharon Coulson, Coffee House director.

“[The Coho] makes the majority of its food from scratch, so trans-fats was never a huge problem for us as they are usually found in convenience items,” she said. “However, there were a few items, such as the quiche crusts, that still contained trans-fats. As a nutritionist, I was very dedicated to making sure we made the complete change to trans-fat free.”

In addition to the elimination of trans-fats from its foods, the Coffee House also recently made a switch back to the use of butter in its baked goods after a brief stint with margarine.

“Traditionally, we have made all of our baked goods with butter,” Coulson said. “[The Coho] decided to make the change to a trans-fat-free margarine in order to contain food costs and to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol. However, upon further investigation, I discovered that the margarine and butter were very similar in terms of saturated fat content. [The Coho] has always thought that the use of butter elevated our baked goods to a higher quality, so we made the switch back.”

Loyal Coffee House customers appear to support the move back to butter.

“I definitely got comments from customers who noticed a change in the flavor of certain items after the change to margarine,” said Sandy Yang, a junior sociology major and Coffee House employee. “There were customers who noticed even before we posted a sign announcing the change. We even had one woman who refused to buy any more bakery items until we brought butter back.”

One benefit of the trans-fat-free margarine is that it is vegan friendly, Coulson said.

“Unfortunately, using butter means that most of our baked goods are not vegan,” she said. “However, we will continue to make some items with the margarine, so that we can offer at least one vegan option on a daily basis.”

ERICA LEE can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Middle East/South Asia studies program gets approval for major

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 2, 2008

The Middle East/South Asia Studies program has come a long way in its evolution.

Thanks to ME/SA, UC Davis offers more courses about the region in comparative literature, political science, history, art history, music and languages – including Hebrew, Arabic and Hindi/Urdu – than ever before.

The program, previously only available as a minor, is now an official option as a major for the 2008-2009 academic year.

At least a dozen students have said they are going to declare the major and over 50 are expected to join in five years. The minor had 16 students last year.

It all started when students began requesting a program for this area of study through ASUCD. In 2001 several students contacted Suad Joseph, anthropology and women and gender studies professor, asking if she would help them establish the major.

Joseph, now the program director, gathered undergraduate and graduate students to develop the groundwork for creating a program.

The group first began meeting in 2002 when eight faculty members created a research cluster with a network of students.

“We met at my house once a month to discuss our own research,” Joseph said. “We did that for three years.”

The beginnings of a plan for a minor began at those group meetings. By the end of winter quarter 2004, the minor was approved.

“We decided to put together a proposal for a major submitted in 2005,” Joseph said. “It took actually two and a half years to get the major fully approved and launched this fall.”

In 2005 ME/SA was selected by a campuswide faculty committee to apply for an education grant.

“It was chosen because colleagues recognized absolute urgency of developing studies on campus,” Joseph said. “UC Davis would match dollar for dollar whatever the Department of Education gave us.”

The program won the grant in spring 2006 – making it the first UC Davis program to do so. Funding totaled over $600,000 – $200,000 of which came from the Department of Education, and the rest came from the university.

“When we won the grant we had no office for ME/SA,” Joseph said. “But students didn’t know we were offering courses.”

Once the program obtained an office, staff and course approvals, the faculty advertised the new subject. Soon, courses were not only full, but had waiting lists.

Junior Shruti Banerjee, an international relations and ME/SA double major, is a peer advisor for the major who pursued the ME/SA program because international relations doesn’t offer a concentration in the region.

“There weren’t enough classes on South Asia and the Middle East at that time,” Banerjee said. “It’s a hot topic in current events, and in general it promotes diversity.”

Banerjee believes ME/SA is important because it promotes awareness about the area’s religion, history, language and culture.

“Our entire staff support was the students,” Joseph said. “Undergraduates helped us design the website, design brochures and advertise. So much of the hard work of doing research of making this program happen was because of student initiative. Working closely with faculty, they realized this was so necessary they worked overtime.”

Funding began with Hindi, Arabic and Urdu language classes. Hebrew was already being taught at Level 2, but the faculty wanted to teach other languages at a third year level. They applied for funding for the first two years of Arabic and Hindi/Urdu.

“We had to make a commitment to continue these languages and also give faculty funding to develop courses, lecture series, community outreach, conferences, and we applied for funding for travel to the Middle East,” Joseph said.

There are still five positions that the dean of humanities is waiting to release for Hindi/Urdu language classes. There should be five more faculty members within the next two years, Joseph said.

The program went from having two faculty members in 2001 to its current 27, and five more are expected in the next few years. Five courses became 70 courses.

ME/SA’s development is timely given worldly affairs. Students pursuing an education in this field can find careers with the United Nations, NGOs, international foundations or humanitarian work. A significant part of the student population takes ME/SA courses to learn more about their heritage, Joseph said.

“A number of students want to do a double major,” Joseph said. “They see this as an area they need to be informed about or just attracted to the language or history or culture. [They think], ‘This is going to make me a more informed person.'”

Junior English and ME/SA double-major Chelsea Snow’s decision to pursue the major started with her decision to go abroad in India, where she is currently taking a semester to study. Snow learned about the ME/SA program through her Hindi/Urdu classes.

“The major is very relevant in our world today,” said Snow in an e-mail interview. “Whether you look at it from a political and economical viewpoint, or through a religious lens, these areas of the world are important to such a variety of world faiths. Also, the Middle East and South Asia have such rich cultural traditions that go unnoticed by other departments, I’m glad that there is faculty support for an in-depth study of these regions.”

ME/SA is holding a fall welcome event on Oct. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the University Club Ballroom.

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

Planning for UC School of Global Health moves forward

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 2, 2008

Prominent University of California scientists formally presented plans for a School of Global Health to the regents last month.

The proposed school would be the first of its kind, spanning all 10 UC campuses in a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort to solve issues that threaten the health and vitality of society.

According to planning documents, the school would address the most pressing global health issues in its first decade, which include poverty, pandemics, neglected diseases, chronic diseases, climate change and environmental degradation, food and water security and health, migration, peace, security and disaster response.

UC Davis Vice Dean of medical education Michael Wilkes said the school would be “the most powerful health science training program in the world.”

“If we work separately, we miss the bigger picture,” he said. “It’s about putting all the different specialties together.”

There is a need for a separate school, as opposed to just integrating the program into the medical schools, said Kristen Bole, a spokesperson for UC San Francisco.

“Because global health spans so many different fields – from medicine and drug research/development to clean water supplies and environmental sciences – it would greatly benefit from the coordination that would come with a School of Global Health,” Bole said in an e-mail interview.

All 10 UC campuses – including the ones without medical schools – are “involved in so many aspects that it makes sense to create such a school in the UC system,” she said.

The school would start out as a graduate program, offering one- and two-year masters’ and doctorate degrees, though it may incorporate an undergraduate track in the future, Wilkes said.

UC Davis’ Global Health Center would likely be built on the campus, not the Medical Center, Wilkes said.

According to UC’s project timeline, the Academic Senate will review the latest draft proposal this fall and the regents will review the final proposal in April.

Financing for the project has not yet been secured, though UC expects a planning grant from a major foundation, according to a document written by the UC Office of the President and presented to the regents at the Sept. 17 meeting. UC officials hope to fund the project via public and private investment and are in the process of developing a fundraising plan.

The school will have new buildings and feature a sophisticated electronic delivery system to share education and research. Wilkes said the system will enhance research and concentrate expertise, which isn’t the case right now, he said.

“There’s no collaboration; everybody’s working in their own tent,” he said. “The idea with the School of Global Health … is about problems. Each department within the School of Global Health will have a problem to tackle and be able to network with schools around the world.”

PATRICK McCARTNEY can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Lieutenant governor to speak at UCD today

Campus News

Campus Editor

October 2, 2008

California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi will speak at a rally on campus today at noon in Freeborn Plaza, between the UC Davis Bookstore and Freeborn Hall.

Garamendi, who announced his bid for governor in 2010 over the summer, will speak about what it means to be a Democrat as well as his support for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

The event, titled “Democrats Unite for Change,” is sponsored by Davis College Democrats and UC Davis Students for Barack Obama. State Representative Lois Wolk (D-Davis) will also speak about her current campaign for the state senate in what organizers expect to be one of the largest political rallies on campus this year.

The highest-ranking democrat in California state government, Garamendi was sworn in as lieutenant governor in January 2007. He also serves as a regent for the University of California. He has been vocal about his opposition to student fee increases and proposed a five-year moratorium on tuition increases. Garamendi also often speaks about the need for college campuses to focus on sustainability.

Sholi comes home on eve of Iron and Wine tour

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

081002_ar_sholi.C

Summary:

Headline: Sholi comes home on eve of Iron and Wine tour

Layercake: Band to play at Old Firehouse on Saturday night

By Chris Rue

Aggie Arts Writer

For just about anyone, homecomings can be a tricky thing. On one hand, there are the prodigal sons who are welcomed back with open arms. And then there are the Jesus types, who don’t get much love in their hometowns at all.

It’s up to Davis music fans to make the members of Sholi, all UC Davis alumni, feel right at home when they play at the Old Firehouse this Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.

The band’s journey began when guitarist and songwriter Payam Bavafa started playing with drummer Jonathan Bafus when they were undergraduates. According to Bavafa, living on Second Street among other musicians was a creative influence for him.

“I think just having so many inspiring people around constantly creating and appreciating what everyone else was doing … was the driving inspiration,” he said in an e-mail interview.

Along with Davis bands like The Zim-Zims, Legubitron and Choadbot, another influence to Sholi’s start were the “incredible courses and professors” at UC Davis.

Technocultural studies professor Bob Ostertag remembers Bafus as “an extraordinarily gifted musician, both as a percussionist and composer.”

Now, with bassist Eric Ruud, the experimental rock trio is on the verge of making it big.

A day after their show in Davis, they will open for Iron and Wine for several shows on the West Coast. Fellow musician Garrett Pierce, who will be playing with Sholi on Saturday, believes the tour will draw a lot of attention to the trio.

“They are probably going to be the biggest thing out of Davis, up there with DJ Shadow,” Pierce said. “It’s great to see Sholi play for $5 the night before they play a sold out show in San Francisco.”

Along with the upcoming tour, Sholi’s newly released 7″, “Hejrat”, has garnered much attention. The band’s cover of Iranian pop legend Googoosh’s song appears on The Believer magazine’s music compilation along with artists like the Animal Collective and Gang Gang Dance.

For Iranian-American Bavafa, the choice to cover Googoosh was motivated by a personal and cultural calling.

“Thinking about how powerful this inherently nostalgic music must have been to my mother and other Iranians struck a particularly strong chord in me,” he said in an interview with Pars Arts, a publication that focuses on Iranian culture.

Their cover of “Hejrat”, which literally translates to migration, is meant to invoke themes of place and identity. Originally about a departed lover, “Hejrat” was a popular song in Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution which banned pop music.

“I wanted to turn people on to an unfamiliar artist and story through the beacon of something that might have been familiar to them,” Bavafa said.

Also on their release is “The Sprout and the Bean,” a Joanna Newsom cover that serves as a fanciful counterpoint to “Hejrat”. While the Googoosh remake invokes memories of a physical displacement, “The Sprout and The Bean” is more of an escape into an imaginary world created by Newsom’s whimsical lyrics.

Whether physical or metaphorical, the journey that Sholi describes has brought them back to Davis for something of a homecoming.

“This show is a dedication to where we started … to reflect on where we came from,” Pierce said.

UC Davis cellular and development biology graduate student Amir Moarefi has seen Sholi play at several venues in Davis, but he is particularly interested in their new material this time around.

“It’s awesome in a sense that they chose a very well respected song and did an excellent job with it,” Moarefi said. “I am especially excited to hear their cover of ‘”Hejrat”.'”

With their upcoming tour and a new tour EP titled Dreams Before People coming out soon, Sholi has their hands full. But for Bavafa, he’s just glad to be back.

“There’s no place like home,” he said.

CHRIS RUE can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.XXX

Annual Noon Concert performance series to start today

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

The UC Davis music department will begin the year with its annual Noon Concert performance series, continuing with its long-time tradition of free weekly noontime concerts.

The concerts are typically held in room 115 of the music building, a small performance-friendly room familiar to regular attendees of the midday showings.

This month, however, four of the noon concerts will be held in the Grand Lobby of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. This is the second year that the department has partnered with the Mondavi Center for its free performances, and members of the music department look forward to the change in venue.

“[Room 115] is a fine room. However, for these four concerts we’ll try to kick off the year with a little bit of an extra special touch,” said Phil Daley, events and publicity manager for the music department.

Keith Bohm, a saxophone player and instructor who teaches at UC Davis and California State University, Sacramento, commented on the advantages of playing in the Mondavi Center lobby, mentioning the acoustical advantages of the lobby’s concrete and limestone architecture, among other reasons.

“The ambience of that space is in itself a good performance space – the glass on the outside, the interior décor,” Bohm said. “I think the ambience of the room [makes it] a fun place to play.”

“The venue is obviously very beautiful,” said Pablo Ortiz, professor of composition and chair of the performance committee, who is in charge of selecting performers for the concerts. “[It is] also a little noisier than other venues, but it’s a good tradeoff because [it gives] a lot of exposure for the performers, and we can accommodate more people. I think it’s a great use for that space.”

Above all, the selection committee aims to put together a diverse set of concerts throughout the year. Past concerts have included vocal performances, jazz and improvisational groups, and non-Western styles of music.

“We try to find … the most interesting and also the most diverse [performers],” Ortiz said.

Today’s concert will feature Bohm on saxophone with pianist John Cozza in a classical performance, with 19th and 20th century pieces written for the Paris Conservatoire.

Other concerts will feature music ranging from Baroque to that of modern composers. One performance will feature music written by UC Davis professor Mika Pelo and performed by Icelandic violinist Hrabba Atladottir.

Another concert, scheduled for Oct. 23, will feature music by the French Baroque composer Forqueray. Violet Grgich will accompany the composer on the harpsichord with Colin Shipman on the viola de gamba, a fretted string instrument typically used in the Baroque period.

The concerts have drawn a large and diverse crowd in the past, and audiences usually include students, professors and Davis community members. Students of Music 10, an introductory course to Western music and music history, often attend many of the concerts.

“It is a good way of making a break with the rest of the world,” Ortiz said. “You live within that music or what that music offers to you for an hour, and then you go back to your normal life. I think that’s why people keep coming in such large numbers. Music has that power.”

All concerts are free to attend and are located in either the Mondavi Center lobby or 115 Music. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit music.ucdavis.edu.

JUSTIN T. HO can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

UC Davis alumnus makes an artistic return

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

While most of the attention in the Nelson Gallery is currently attributed to the main show taking place in the Art building, a small collection of photo collages by Jimmy Jalapeeno are on display at the entryway gallery.

Unlike the other three artists on exhibit at the main gallery, Jalapeeno is a graduate of the UC Davis department of art during the “legendary ’70s.” He learned under the tutelage of the famous faculty that included Wayne Thiebaud, William T. Wiley and Robert Arneson, professors he said he holds in esteem.

Three of his works are currently on display in the entryway to the Nelson Gallery offices – Ventura Bunny Barbara, Downtown Blue Passage and Breakfast in Heaven. All three are colorful large-scale photo-manipulations taken from his recent collection of photo collages. Jalapeeno’s style is unique and is hard to pin to any certain style from which he draws inspiration.

“If there is any point at all to being an artist – and there does not seem to be – it would have to be to show what you yourself see differently from everybody else, and how in the world that might be of use to anyone other than yourself,” Jalapeeno said in an e-mail interview.

His art for art’s sake presents a window into a unique world. Jalapeeno draws from the Hindu concept of the Veil of Maya, who he described as “the god-figure who has made the great pile of stuff that limits and delineates our existence and seems to be substantive, meaningful and total, but is not.”

He said that as a non-religious person, he would rather comically relegate Maya herself to the pile. He calls this concept the “Great Matrix of Being” and commits various pieces of it liberally to form his creations to make something that is symbolic to society.

The works have met positive feedback thus far. Department chair of UC Davis’ art and art history department, Professor Lucy Puls described Jalapeeno’s work as “fresh and very current.” She said she found the work to be beautiful and compelling by its use of different perspectives.

“I like how the work goes back and forth between scales,” she said, a feature that can be seen particularly in Downtown Blue Passage.

Curator Renny Pritikin decided to put Jalapeeno’s art up after talking to him last year. He described Jalapeeno as the “most humorous satirist” at the time he was at UCD.

While it is common for graduates to stick around the area after their graduation, Jalapeeno’s work coming to Davis is a unique occasion.

“Some of our graduates that go to the program are from this area, other people tend to stay here until they get a position somewhere else,” Puls said. “The great thing about a college town is that interesting people tend to stay.”

Jalapeeno graduated from UC Davis in 1973 with a Master of Fine Arts. After leaving Davis, he went to Austin and worked as a photographer for the Texas State Historical Commission. To him, the position as a photographer for the state was one much more rewarding to him than taking his MFA to a teaching position.

He has since retired from his work to rededicate his life toward art.

“I got a health plan and retirement, which I am now enjoying while I exclusively practice art,” Jalapeeno said.

“The Return of Jimmy Jalapeeno” is currently on display at the Nelson Gallery entryway. For more information, visit nelsongallery.ucdavis.edu.

TOMOAKI HIRAI can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

De-stressed by the movement of a hand

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

Imagine lifting all that emotional weight off your shoulders in one simple movement – according to Professor Emeritus Bobbie Bolden, this is an achievable goal.

Bolden will be teaching a course starting Oct. 8 at the Davis Art Center about InterPlay, an international movement which aims to “to unlock the wisdom of the body,” according to the InterPlay Worldwide website.

InterPlay involves “little structures,” a method better understood through observation than by words, as Bolden worked to explain in a phone interview. Using an example from her freshman seminar, Bolden said that she asks her students to work alone or in groups, conduct simple body movements and improvise based on the guidelines.

“I give certain kinds of basic things you can do [with your hands like] press, pull to make shapes, drop contact … and see what’s come up with in the moment,” she said. “It teaches you to think critically, to react quickly and to begin to know and trust your inner self.”

Other methods involve “playing” with song, pure improvisation and even lack of movement to achieve an easy focus. These methods help develop one’s own physical body experience, and as a result feel more balanced in everyday life and relationships.

“You expect as a child to play,” said Lisa Thomas, a former colleague of Bolden in the department of theatre and dance who now advises in the McNair Scholars Program, based in Hutchison Hall. “And it’s generally all gone as an adult and [no longer] socially acceptable. Remembering to play is important because it brings us back into who we are and [back to the] experience of joy.”

Whether a person is disabled or active, young or old, needing relief from the workplace or from a hectic school schedule, the practice of InterPlay teaches them to understand and control their own external and internal authorities.

“The mode of expression in an academic community can be constrained and regimented,” Thomas said, which is a potential reason that a student could benefit from an alternative form of self-discovery.

“There is one thing that is structured, and that is [the first rule:] pay attention, listen to and take care of your own body,” Bolden said.

Bolden is a longtime dancer, choreographer and instructor; her first position at UC Davis was in the physical education department in 1985. In 1995, she was given a joint appointment with the departments of theatre and dance as well as African American studies, teaching everything from modern, jazz and African Caribbean dance to introductory drama. She retired in 2003, but throughout her 18 years at Davis and in her master’s thesis, Bolden was drawn to the relationship of movement and spirituality.

“[It] was an underlying theme of what I was about,” Bolden said. “I was beginning to see that meaning touched another place greater than where you were in this world.”

But Bolden’s return to UC Davis was prompted by her training in InterPlay. Like trained instructors, Bolden felt it a calling to spread the secrets of mind and body awareness with others. She is a part of the Center for Spiritual Learning in Davis in addition to teaching her inaugural freshman seminar and the upcoming Davis Art Center course.

“[Both classes] have the same benefits, but the focus at the Art Center is more or less going to come out of who is there,” she said. When asked what the go-home message of InterPlay is, Bolden said that it is to “recogniz[e] that play, finding ease and having fun are very important to [personal] success.”

The InterPlay course with Bobbie Bolden will take place from Oct. 8 to 12 at the Davis Art Center. To register, visit the Center at 1919 F St., call 756-4100 or visit davisartcenter.org.

NICOLE L. BROWNER can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

ARTSWEEK

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

MUSIC

Tim Williams

Today, 12 p.m.

The Quad

Tim Williams has helped give a little bit of indie street cred to teen drama “One Tree Hill.” I can’t say much in favor for the show, but Williams’ music – solid indie acoustic – could be something to write home about. For any of you with class or any other prior engagements, fear not: he’ll also play at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen tonight.

Sigur Rós, Parachutes

Friday, 8 p.m., $42.50

Greek Theatre in Berkeley

For those unfamiliar with Icelandic band Sigur Rós, they make ethereal, ambient, slow-motion post-rock. What a mouthful – almost as difficult to the tongue as the band’s most recent release, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

Sholi, Garrett Pierce, Buildings Breeding

Friday, 8 p.m.

Old Firehouse

This Bay Area band is truly on the rise: From their days at UC Davis (its members are UCD alumni!), Sholi will be joining Iron and Wine for select West Coast dates. I can expect many a request for “Hejrat.” Check out the article on page _ for an in-depth look at the band.

The West Nile Ramblers

Friday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

Not only will it be a mix of country, swing and jazz, you can also expect a smorgasbord of local talent: The West Nile Ramblers are made up of member of other Davis/Woodland bands, like the Mad Cow String Band and the Bottom Dwellers.

Adam Donald, Bag of Toys

Friday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

The G St. Pub

Bringing an atypically breezy, beachy and Jack Johnson-esque vibe to G Street is San Francisco-based group Bag of Toys.

3 Leg Torso

Saturday, 7 p.m., $12

Village Homes Community Center

This ensemble – featuring a violinist, cellist and accordionist – provide a lively mix of modern chamber music and Eastern European music.

Thomas Hampson

Saturday, 8 p.m., $27.50 with a student ID, $55 general admission

Jackson Hall in the Mondavi Center

The Mondavi Center kicks off the season with renowned baritone Thomas Hampson. Visit mondaviarts.org for more information.

KDVS Benefit Dance Party

Saturday, 8 p.m., $3

Delta of Venus

I’m already feeling the fever of fall quarter, and it’s only been one full week! The only prescription: more dance parties.

BoomSnake, Mark Geary, Katharina Ullman

Saturday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

I would try to offer my own witty and insightful commentary on Portland-based outfit BoomSnake, but the CD review on page __ beat me to the punch!

AT THE MOVIES

Get Smart

Today at 7 p.m. in 194 Chemistry

Watch Steve Carrell get into some sort of hilarious hi-jinks in this free “Sex and the Cinema” event, presented by the Sexual Harassment Education Program. It will also feature a trivia quiz and prizes as well as free condoms from the Love Lab.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Opens Friday at Davis Regal Stadium 5 on G Street

Dear Michael Cera: If only I could wear my awkwardness as adorably as you. Then maybe we could be friends. Check out page __ for an interview with the film’s stars.

DavisBicycles! Film Festival

Opens Friday at the Veterans Memorial Center Theatre

It’s no secret that the city of Davis loves its bicycles – now see for yourself some films that finally put bikes up to center stage. Admission is free.

ART / GALLERY

The Return of Jimmy Jalapeeno

On display at the Nelson Gallery entryway

UC Davis alumnus Jimmy Jalapeeno returns to his alma mater with this exhibit, which features a collection of photo collages by the artist.

Aggie Scrapbook: A Glimpse of Student Life

Opens Monday at the Art Lounge

Take a look at 100 years of student life at UC Davis with this exhibit at the Art Lounge, located on the second floor of the Memorial Union.

One of a Kind: Monotypes and Monoprints

Opens Wednesday at the Tsao Gallery on F Street

One of a Kind explores the medium of monotypes and monoprints with pieces by Northern California Artists. An ArtAbout reception featuring local artist Sara Post and Petaluma-based artist Diana Crain will take place on Oct. 10.

RACHEL FILIPINAS can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

Editorial: Good idea, bad execution for texting law

Opinion

Opinion

October 2, 2008

Drivers in California will no longer be legally allowed to send text messages while they drive starting in January 2009. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed SB 28 into law, a belated addition to the recent legislation regarding cell phones and motorists.

The decision by state lawmakers to expand the law to penalize those who text and drive at the same time was a good decision. While this may be unpopular with many, college students especially, studies have shown that text messaging while driving is dangerous, even more so than drinking and driving.

One wonders, however, if a fine of $20 for first offense and $50 for further infractions are sufficient deterrents for drivers. For a law enforcement officer, catching someone sending a text message while driving must be harder than catching someone talking on their cell phone without a hands free device; one requires the phone to be held to one’s head while the other can be done while glancing down.

If the law seems to be ineffective during the first few months of 2009, lawmakers should consider raising the fine to create more of a deterrent. An August 2008 report from the NPD Group, a marketing research firm, indicated that the average price of a cell phone is $84.

With a beginning investment of approximately $84, plus a coverage plan from a service provider, most cell phone users are likely putting forth over $100 initially plus monthly charges. Some people are likely to weigh their chances of being caught (presumably low) with how much they will be fined (not very much) and come away not very worried.

It’s true that additional offenses will cost offenders $50 under the new law, but this would be more effective if it continued to increase beyond that.

While the heart of SB 28 is in the right place, it would be more effective if lawmakers had given it some teeth.

On skin

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

October 2, 2008

If tattoos tell a story, then I guess you could say that mine started this past Saturday.

It was my first tattoo. Getting ink done was something I’ve always considered, but chronic indecision and a seemingly permanent deficit to my funds stood in my way. After almost two years of this passive (if not lazy) quest for a tattoo, I decided to take action.

Like the way I go about doing most things, I began with the process of elimination. At the time, I had no clue what I wanted, but I knew what I definitely did not want – and this list was extensive. No crosses, no names, no butterflies or fairies. No Asian symbols unless it pertained directly to the fatherland (but even that concept was iffy to me). No tramp stamps, tribal bands or portraits, no matter how commemorative.

Having watched countless hours of “Miami Ink,” I felt almost guilty that I didn’t have some sort of close relative or beloved pet that I could commemorate. The only pet that I’ve ever had was a rabbit named Jerry who I thought was a boy until “he” and my sister’s pet made sweet rabbit love. I could go the deceased grandparents route, but my relationship to them bordered more on fearful respect than darling ol’ Gangy and Pop-Pop.

I contemplated, I went through phases. I tried drawing my own designs, I tried recruiting others to do come up with something for me. It was a seemingly endless search.

Not surprisingly, my parents had their objections when I first expressed interest. My mom’s reaction was a sad attempt at reverse psychology: “I’ll get one, too – stars on my wrist! We can be tattoo twins!” Why, my dad asked, and he tried to bribe me out of it. But I was a girl on a mission.

An embarrassing number of overdraft charges later, I began to think that my tattoo dreams would never be realized. It was only by coincidence that I finally got the money together to pay for it. Once I had the money, I took measures to ensure that I wouldn’t spend it and set an appointment at Primary Concepts Tattooing and Body Piercing on E Street.

Pain wasn’t something I factored when I decided to go ahead with getting a tattoo. I figured that if I really wanted it, I could handle it. I really had no clue what to expect. Would it be a searing, insufferable agony, or would I get used to the pain? (It turned out to be more of a bothersome prickling than anything else.)

Permanence was also a concept that I probably took a bit lightly. It had been almost two years since I first entertained the idea of getting a tattoo, but somehow, I’d always try to push the idea of foreverness out of my head while I looked up designs.

Maybe it was a combination of the colorful studio, the music playing or the oddly soothing buzz of the machine, but it was a surreal experience. Sitting in the chair, I realized that in the beginning, had no good answer for my father’s question of why I wanted to get a tattoo.

When you think about it, they’re entirely impractical. Unless it’s for cosmetic purposes or as a form of identification, they are pure decoration with no function at all. A lot of money would have to be invested in it. Not only is the tattoo (theoretically) permanent, but you’re leaving this task of permanent marking in someone else’s hands. Funny that these thoughts only came to me about halfway through my session.

Nevertheless, two-and-a-half hours later, I left the studio bandaged and entirely happy.

To any curious readers, my tattoo ended up being a loosely based reference to a book from one of my favorite authors. It’s more visually allusive than a direct thematic reference. Although I didn’t have some sob story behind my tattoo, for me, it wasn’t about memorializing anyone or making some sort of personal statement. More than anything, it’s a reminder, my own inside joke of sorts. And when I’m old and possibly wrinkly (because who knows what sort of advances in dermatology may occur), I can look back and remember the time when I was 21 and got my first tattoo.

RACHEL FILIPINAS would like to thank Kai Smart at Primary Concepts for her tattoo. Next on her list is a potato on her ankle. Send your own suggestions to rmfilipinas@ucdavis.edu.

Men’s Soccer preview

Sports

Sports Editor

October 1, 2008

Teams: No. 16 UC Davis at No. 18 UC Irvine

Records: Aggies, 8-1-0 (0-0); Anteaters, 7-0-2 (0-0)

Where: Anteater Stadium – Irvine, Calif.

When: Today at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: Playing midfield instead of his listed forward position, Sule Anibaba recorded his first two assists of the season Saturday at home against Air Force.

Known for his physicality on the field and offensive mentality, the Davis High graduate Anibaba dropped back against the Falcons and gave UC Davis the added boost they needed to overcome Air Force.

Did you know? The last five men’s soccer matchups between UC Davis and UC Irvine have rendered two Aggie wins, two Aggie losses and a tie with neither team scoring more than two goals in any contest.

With both teams ranked among the nation’s elite in goals allowed and goals scored, the outcome of tonight’s game might be determined by the first score.

Preview: After finishing their non-conference schedule with a 4-1 victory over Air Force, the Aggies begin Big West Conference play.

Now the games really matter, as the team with the best record will get to host the first Big West Tournament.

UC Davis will open league play against nationally ranked UC Irvine on the road.

The Anteaters have yet to lose a match this year, while the Aggies only have one blemish on their record.

Like UC Davis, UC Irvine is fresh off of a victory – a 2-1 win at home versus Cal State Bakersfield. Freshman midfielder Brett Berman scored his first goal of his career – a game winner.

The Anteaters are led by senior midfielder Matt Murphy, who has a team-high five goals on the season and is third all-time at UC Irvine with 68 career points.

The Aggies are powered by the goal-assist duo of seniors Quincy Amarikwa and Dylan Curtis – each of whom leads the nation in his respective category.

–Max Rosenblum

Science Scene

Science & Technology

Science Editor

October 1, 2008

Mars Rover begins long journey to new crater

NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity has a new destination: a 13.7 mile wide crater named Endeavor.

Scientists anticipate Opportunity would be able to see deeper layers of rock in the crater, cluing into more information on Mars‘ geological past.

But getting to Endeavor will be just that – the rover must drive seven miles southeast, an amount that would match the total distance it has traveled since its January 2004 Mars landing.

Opportunity has already greatly surpassed its original three-month mission, and NASA scientists warn that the rover may not make it to its final destination, a trip that may take two years.

However, Opportunity’s principal investigator said that the journey to Endeavor has its own scientific rewards. For example, within the Martian plains known as Meridiani Planum, top layers of exposed bedrock are younger to the south, so the rover will be able to view rocks it has never seen before.

On Mars since 2004, Opportunity has already explored three other craters. It left the Victoria crater, where it has been for two years, in September.

(Source: nytimes.com)

San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences re-opens, unveils state-of-the-art facility

Northern California science enthusiasts can once again roam the halls of Golden Gate Park’s Academy of Sciences, and the museum’s new look is anything but ordinary.

This weekend the academy celebrated its grand reopening, unveiling its new building designed by Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano.

Highlights of the academy’s new additions include glass walls surrounded by a central atrium, two new sustainable restaurants and a living roof echoing San Francisco’s topography, including its seven major hills.

A staple of Golden Gate Park for decades, the academy features an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and educational programs.

Visit www.calacademy.org for more information.

(Source: latimes.com)

Changes in flu shot recommendations

After last year’s bad influenza season, officials are making changes on their approach to better battle the virus.

For the first time, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention urges healthy kids ages six months to 18 years to get the flu vaccine in order to reduce the number of school-age kids who miss school. This would also reduce the antibiotic prescriptions to treat influenza.

Officials with the CDC say that influenza is highly transmissible in schools, and that inoculating children will improve both their health.

The recommendations are supported by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and increases the number of children targeted for vaccinations by about 30 million.

The Food and Drug Administration has also reformulated the vaccine in hopes of better preventing the flu. Last year, the vaccine was ineffective compared to previous years, blocking only 40 percent of influenza strains compared to the usual 70 to 90 strains typically blocked.

(Sources: The San Jose Mercury News and sciencedaily.com)

ANNA OPALKA compiled SCIENCE SCENE. She can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com

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