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Report says students in remedial classes had good high school grades

City Editor
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A report released last week showed that many students who are taking remedial classes in college actually had good grades in high school.

The study, released by education advocacy group Strong American Schools, looked at the scope and cost of college remediation courses – classes that students take to catch up on skills they need for college – whether or not they learned them in high school.

The online survey included a nationally represented sample of 668 students.

There are a total of 1,305,480 students in remedial classes in two-year and four-year public colleges, costing those schools $2.5 billion each year. The 2008 survey of students in these courses said four out of five of them had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in high school.

Nearly half the students said if high school classes had been harder, they would have been better prepared for college.

An analysis of federal data in 2004 showed that 43 percent of all students enrolled in a public two-year college enrolled in a remedial course. Twenty-nine percent of all students at a public four-year college enrolled in a remedial course. In California State University, the largest university system in the country, 60 percent of the 40,000 students need help in English and/or math.

Why the discrepancy between high school and college academic performance?

“Part of the problem is that high school doesn’t seem to be vigorous enough,” said Rachel Bird, senior policy analyst for Strong American Schools. “We are finding that they are giving high marks that might not be vigorous enough to prepare them for college. Students said they would have worked harder if [their high schools] had higher expectations. They felt like high school wasn’t preparing them for the demands of college. Only 14 percent said they were prepared.“

It may not be a surprise to many when students enter college and aren’t passing classes with ease.

The transition from high school classes to college classes forces students to learn to manage their workload to prepare for courses often designed with very few assignments and two to three tests throughout the term, compared to more busy work and extra homework done in high school.

Some high schools are also lowering the standards for receiving an A, Bird said.

“That’s a major problem,” said Bird. “I think that part of that is it’s not only lowering expectations but not informing students of what is expected of them.“

Fifty percent of students responding to the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey in 2006 said stress interfered with their schoolwork and academic success in the past year and 40 percent cited tiredness. Emotional distress, job responsibilities, family, living situation and depression were also significant factors.

Gillian Butler, director of UC Davis Student Affairs Research & Information, said, “It was interesting that, the primary thing the students say as obstacles to their success are not actually academic. They tend to find it difficult to focus or pay attention. Since we’re a highly selective university, not everyone who applies is admitted, and all of our students were successful students in high school. It’s interesting and maybe not surprising that they see behavioral barriers.“

A 2007 survey on freshman and transfer students reported the same trends. These new students also said reluctance to ask questions, social life, ability to concentrate and time management were the top obstacles to success. Writing, math and reading skills were next.

“Even though there are a quarter of our students who are worried about their writing and math skills, we address those academic problems and sometimes overlook psychology difficulties which are just as real in the success of our students,“ said Butler.

UC Davis offers math and English workload classes, which offer credit but do not count towards a degree. The Learning Skills Center on campus offers help and resources with study skills, math, physics, chemistry, genetics, biology, Spanish, writing and English as a second language.

Ward Stewart, director of the Learning Skills Center, said he sees a large variation in the skills that students come into the center with.

Students who use the center’s resources have all ranges of grade point averages and many are trying to improve their grades from B’s to A’s, he said. For example, many students come in who are well-prepared and have taken calculus but others come from a high school where calculus was not even offered.

“Some high schools better prepare students than others,” Stewart said. “From our point of view the important thing for our students is to start at the right place. That why it’s important for them to take placement tests. The tragedy is students who need us the most don’t come in and get help.“

 

POOJA KUMAR can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com

Illegal aliens could pay heftier price for California college education

Campus Editor
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Illegal aliens who attend California schools may soon have to pay nonresident fees.

On Sep. 15, a state appellate court ruled that a lawsuit challenging AB 540, a California law that allows illegal aliens to pay in-state rates, may go forward in Yolo County Superior Court.

In their ruling, the three justices of the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento ruled that AB 540 conflicts with federal law, stating that the California law “manifestly thwarts the will of Congress … that illegal aliens who are residents of a state not receive a postsecondary education benefit that is not available to citizens of the United States.“

Though the court mentioned the defendants prefer the term “undocumented students,” it stated that the term “illegal aliens” is technically correct and less ambiguous.

The suit, Martinez v. Regents, was filed in 2005 by out-of-state students who attended California colleges but did not qualify for the AB 540 exemption. Their attorney, Kris Kobach, a professor of law at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, did not return an e-mail message for comment.

Passed in 2001, AB 540 exempts students from paying out-of-state fees if they attend a California high school for at least three years and graduate from a state high school or receive a GED. Students with valid visas are ineligible for the exemption.

Qualifying AB 540 recipients may include illegal aliens, students who attend boarding school in California, and graduate students who attend an out-of-state college, according to UC’s 2008 report on the law.

Nonresident tuition and fees amount to an additional $19,000, according to UC’s admissions web site. Approximately 7 percent of UC Davis students paid non-resident fees in 2007-2008, said UC Davis Registrar Frank Wada.

The University of California plans to appeal the appellate court’s ruling to the California Supreme Court, said UC spokesperson Ricardo Vázquez.

“When AB 540 was being discussed in the legislature, we supported this legislation and we have also supported other legislation similar to this, because through their hard work and perseverance, [undocumented] students have earned an opportunity to attend UC,” he said.

In a press release, UC stated that the AB 540 exemption will remain in effect “until the appeal process is completed and the case is returned to the trial court for further proceedings.“

According to UC’s annual report on AB 540, of 1,246 students who received the exemption, 803 were documented. The number of students receiving the AB 540 benefit has increased an average of 20 percent annually since the 2002-2003 school year.

While all students are required to complete a Statement of Legal Residence form to determine residency, they are not required to inform the university of their immigration status, Wada said. It is unknown how many undocumented students receive the AB 540 benefit at UC Davis, he said.

However, illegal aliens are ineligible for state or federal money, said Katherine Maloney, interim director of financial aid at UC Davis.

In 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a law that would have made illegal aliens eligible for state aid.

Therefore, if AB 540 is struck down, California college educations will become unaffordable for some students, said Miriam Delgado, an immigrant rights activist.

“AB 540 allows undocumented students an opportunity to attend a post-secondary institution. Most of them are first-generation college students. It’s a social disadvantage,” said Delgado, also a senior Spanish and Chicana/o studies major at UC Davis.

But some students contend AB 540 is illegal.

“This issue is not about finance [and] not about race,” said Tierney Burke, internal vice chair of the Davis College Republicans and an undeclared sophomore. “It is simply about adhering to federal law. The path the courts must take is clear: uphold the established precedent.“

 

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

Police add extra patrols for early fall quarter

Campus Editor
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During the first six weekends of fall quarter, the Davis Police Department and UC Davis Police are increasing their presence in downtown Davis in an attempt to minimize the drinking-related complaints that are especially prevalent at the start of the fall quarter.

Between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until Nov. 6, two additional officers from both the DPD and the UCDPD will be on bar patrol duty, with an emphasis on the downtown area.

“We just want make sure that everybody is safe and put out the message of zero tolerance for alcohol related violations,” said Lieutenant Colleen Turay.

The most common tickets issued during this period are for fighting, public intoxication, open alcohol container violations and DUIs, Turay said.

The program, which is sponsored in part by the Safe Party Initiative, is in its fourth year and has shown success in diminishing incidents downtown during the heavy traffic of fall quarter, said DPD night patrol Sergeant Doug Bates.

“What we’ve noticed is a reduction in problems, not an increase in arrests,” Bates said. “Our experience has been that when we step it up and make our presence known, trouble goes away.“

Though the increased presence is primarily intended to address issues in the downtown area, the additional officers will be servicing calls to the entire community.

“This increase usually lasts six to eight weeks,” Bates said. “If we feel like we need to extend it we will, based on activity level and problems.“

Surveys conducted by the Health Education and Promotion Program – which is also responsible for the safety initiative – have shown that out of random samples of 1,000 students, the majority of reported drinking-related issues were at house parties, said Michelle Johnston, health promotions supervisor at Cowell Student Health Center.

“[The first six weeks are] sort of an education period,” Bates said. “People that patronize the downtown area get to see and know us, we do education with bar owners‘ staff and that leads to increased teamwork and partnership with the business.“

“We are able to develop a lasting relationship with the local businesses that is more meaningful than our presence in the long run,” he said.

The Safe Party Initiative is a collaborative effort between the city of Davis and the UCD campus and receives monetary support from the Prevention Research Center in Berkeley, which has recently received a $6.9 million grant to be distributed among 14 UC and Cal State campuses to promote awareness of the potential hazards of reckless alcohol consumption.

 

CHARLES HINRIKSSON can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

Multi-faith living community welcomes first residents

Campus Editor
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As the new school year starts up, some UC Davis students are foregoing traditional dorm or apartment living in favor of an alternative style.

The Cal Aggie Christian Association opened a multi-faith living community behind the Christian Association House on Russell Drive this month and held its opening ceremony on Wednesday night. The community currently houses 37 undergraduate and graduate students from a diverse array of religious and cultural backgrounds.

“[The multi-faith community] was started as a community concerned with peace and justice,” said Reverend Kristin Stoneking, director of the community. “There are not enough places for students of different faiths to come together and talk about it. This is a chance for students to better understand each other.“

The community was first envisioned in 2000, but took several years to get off the ground due to resistance from the neighborhood, Stoneking said.

“The idea was put in front of city council in 2004 at which time it faced a lot of opposition from neighbors who didn’t want the new community in their neighborhood,” she said. “It was just something that they didn’t want to live near and at one point we even had to face a lawsuit.“

Despite a few barriers along the way, the house finished construction on the community housing this summer and students began to move in earlier this month.

Many of the students were first drawn to the community as a chance to reach out and meet new people, said Sarah Koplowicz, a senior religious studies major and resident of the community.

“When I heard about the multi-faith living community, I saw it as a chance to interact with many different types of students,” Koplowicz said. “Religion seems to be a very taboo subject in everyday conversation, but it is the opposite here. Here we make it a point to inject religion into our conversations.“

Five different faiths are currently represented at the community, Stoneking said.

“We have students from the Christian and Jewish faiths as well as Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist,” she said. “However, there are also students here who were not raised in a specific religion and are here to ask questions and learn more about different beliefs.“

Many of the residents agree that so far, the experience has been very positive.

“Everyone is exceptionally normal in terms of being regular students and we all really get along,” Koplowicz said.

“If you come here, you have to want to get to know people and expand your horizons,” said Aaron Sherman, a second year computer engineering major. “Everyone in the house is a student.… It is up to us to make this work in the way it was envisioned.“

Stoneking said in addition to daily activities together as a group, the multi-faith living community is also conducting Wednesday dinners every week that are open to the public.

“This is a brand new community,” she said. “But so far it has been a success and we are really excited about the upcoming year.“

 

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

Intramural sports program offers wide range of activities

Features Editor
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If you’re looking for a place to get involved in on campus, meet new people and work on fighting against the Freshman 15, consider the world of intramural sports.

Offered every quarter and during Summer Sessions, IM sports are a perfect fix for sports fanatics or even those that like to play just for fun.

From the traditional pastimes to more unconventional activities, all types of sports are available through IMs. Among the less traditional events include “Kickball Palooza,” a 24-hour kickball tournament where teams dress up in costumes that in the past have ranged from favorite fast food icons to the cast of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.“

IM sports are not as intimidating as a lot of people may think, said junior chemical engineering major Corney Polic.

“The sports have different levels,” Polic said. “[Students] should just try one if there is a sport they like or just one they‘ve always wanted to try.“

The different levels include AA for highly skilled teams, A for above average skilled, B for average, and C for beginners. Also offered are open classification for people with any skill level, resident hall teams, and graduate/staff/faculty teams.

Though being a team has been essentially free in the past, maintaining the IM sports program has its costs. Starting this fall, the IM advisory council approved to charge a $30 fee for teams and a $10 fee for individual teams, such as two-person tennis.

“We did some research and compared to other schools, this fee is relatively low,” said Andy Ramirez, assistant director for IM sports. Ramirez said that this fee policy was tested spring quarter of 2008. Not only were no complaints heard from participants, but there was no decrease in participation.

The capacity of a league with one to two divisions is based on the size and popularity of past seasons. Popular sports like soccer get filled fast, Ramirez said.

“Last year, we had games going seven days a week,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes we played till about 1 a.m. and we had 15 teams on the waiting list.“

Handball will be offered as a new sport this fall. Other activities include floor hockey, ultimate frisbee, flag football, volleyball and singles tennis.

Junior sociology major Evan Clark recommends students participate in IM sports to enrich their college experience. Clark has played IM soccer, badminton, inner tube water polo and volleyball since his first year.

“My advice to anyone thinking about IM sports is this: Do it,“ Clark said in an e-mail interview. “There is no better way to meet new people or to do something fun with people one already knows.“

Students shouldn’t be too worried about IM sports conflicting with busy schedules or schoolwork.

“Because all of our sports are scheduled for evening times or Sunday afternoons, it rarely conflicts with school or school work because everyone plays during times when they would only be wasting time and procrastinating on their work anyways,” junior biomedical engineering major and IM sports supervisor Ayla Sessions said in an e-mail interview.

Breanna Miller, a junior animal science and management major, manages to balance IM sports even with involvement in the Vet Aides Club and a part-time job.

“Sometimes sports can conflict with homework, but it is such a reward for me that I learned how to work around it or how to compromise to get the best out of both playing and doing my homework,” Miller said.

Online registration begins Oct. 5 and ends Oct. 7. For more information about IM sports, go to campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/intramural or e-mail imsports@campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu.

 

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

A season of change

Features Editor
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The city of Davis has also undergone its own changes over the summer. Here’s a sampling of new and departed businesses.

New Businesses:

– Nina and Tom, 129 E St.

– Cloud Forest Cafe, 222 D St.

– Davis Sushi Buffet Japanese Restaurant, 707 2nd St.

– Red Orchid Restaurant, 1750 E. 8th St.

– Uncle Vito’s Slice of NY, 520 2nd St.

– Yolo Berry Yogurt, 316 C St.

 

Departed Businesses:

– Bower Bird

– Togo’s (downtown Davis)

– Aesop’s Room

– Kabul Afghan Cuisine

– JoJo’s Cafe

By RACHEL FILIPINAS

Aggie Arts Editor

 

Bringing more than high temperatures, summertime in Davis also marked the end of some ongoing construction projects on campus.

 

Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

A brand new building with state-of-the-art facilities was one of Robert Mondavi’s last gifts to UC Davis.

Currently housed in Wickson Hall and Cruess Hall, the departments of viticulture and enology and food science will have a new home in the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, located southwest of the Mondavi Center.

The expansion and new lab facilities will allow two departments greater opportunities to interact, said Charles Bamforth, chair of food science and technology.

One of these new facilities is a 3500 square foot food sensory theater, which will contain kitchen laboratories and individual testing stations for teaching and research.

“We already have the best food science faculty in the world: The new building means that they have the environment to work in what they deserve,” Bamforth said in an e-mail interview.

Unitrans Hutchinson Bus Terminal

The new Unitrans Hutchinson Bus Terminal should alleviate problems of delays, missed transfers and overcrowding.

“Right now it’s kind of hit-or-miss,” said Geoff Straw, general manager of Unitrans. “The best thing to do is bring all the buses to one space. Everything will pulse there, similar to what happens at the [Memorial Union] terminal.”

Located across from the Silo Union, the terminal is scheduled for opening by October 12.

The new terminal will affect only the Silo-bound buslines A, C, D, J, L and W and buses going to the UC Davis Medical Center. Bus stops at Hutchinson and Bioletti streets were also consolidated for this expansion, Straw said.

A centralized system will also allow for layover buses on that are on standby to be parked at the terminal instead of along the street. This will allow standby buses to be deployed immediately during busy hours as well as free up more travel lane space for cars and bikes, Straw said.

Hunt Hall Renovations

With faculty offices and studio space scattered across campus, the environmental design and landscape architecture departments will finally have a new home in Hunt Hall.

After sharing space in Walker Hall with the design program and having classrooms and faculty offices in several temporary buildings, the move was much needed, said landscape architecture professor Patsy Owens.

“We’ve been spread all over the place,” Owens said. “[Now landscape architecture students] will have a home base on campus.”

New facilities will allow for more studio space for students. As an accredited program, the department is required to provide each student with his or her own work area within the classroom that is accessible outside of class hours.

King Hall Renovations and Expansion

Constructed over 40 years ago to house only a handful of students, the UC Davis School of Law at King Hall has seen many changes over the decades.

“It was built for a much smaller student body than we have today and for a much different kind of legal education,” School of Law dean Kevin Johnson said in an e-mail interview. “We now have a student body of about 570 [Juris Doctor] students and 15-20 [Masters of Law] students. Indeed, the school of law has been literally bursting at the seams.”

Over 27,000 square feet of new and renovated areas are expected to serve as a new entrance, an expanded law library, staff offices, study areas and conference rooms.

Designs also include an art trial practice and appellate moot court room, which Johnson said will be used to host actual arguments of the California Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and the California Court of Appeals. Completion of construction is expected October 2009.

For more information on other construction projects on campus visit ae.ucdavis.edu.

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

 

Greek life at UC Davis

Features Editor
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If you’ve ever watched a movie or television show about a fraternity or sorority, you’re probably familiar with the popular images of wild parties and drunken debauchery.

While that picture of Greek life may hold true on some campuses, UC Davis students pride themselves on having a system that is known for more than just the parties.

The Greek system at UC Davis is characterized by its large size, diversity, attention to social problems and commitment to community service.

What they’re like

Like many college campuses, the Greek system at UC Davis is made up of a number of fraternities and sororities, each of which offers different focuses, memberships or goals.

Some of these groups are traditional, historic fraternities and sororities that are familiar nationwide, such as Delta Sigma Phi and Alpha Chi Omega. Some have a social bent, intended primarily to bring people with similar interests together. Others focus on academics.

But many fraternities and sororities in Davis break from the traditional mold. These include Delta Lambda Phi, a social fraternity for gay, bisexual and transgender men; and multicultural groups like Nu Kappa Alpha, a Latino-interest fraternity, and Delta Phi Beta, a co-ed fraternity for those with a South Asian interest.

“One of the things that makes UC Davis unique is the number of multicultural and ethnic fraternities and sororities,” said Mike Bodnarik, SPAC’s Greek Liaison.

According to Student Programs and Activities Center (SPAC) documents, approximately 1,830 students were members of fraternities and sororities in Davis in 2007. This represents nearly 8 percent of the undergraduate population.

With 42 fraternities and 27 sororities registered with SPAC, there are a great many opportunities for students to find something that matches their interests, Bodnarik said.

The benefits

While the parties are a major draw for some, the Greek system at UC Davis is not known for being exceptionally wild.

“It has to do with the caliber of the students who come to Davis,” said ASUCD Senator and Sigma Chi member Andrew Bianchi. “People don’t come to Davis to party, so people don’t join Greek organizations to party. You can’t compare it to Chico or Santa Barbara.”

For those who get involved in leadership positions, fraternities and sororities can offer invaluable experience for later in life.

“There’s nowhere to learn responsibility better than if you have to manage 40 guys,” said Tom Heflin, president of the Davis chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

The risk management skills and sheer responsibility make Greek leaders well prepared for the business world, said Heflin, who has served two years as president.

“It’s a nonprofit organization, so you have to run it like a business,” he said. “The social atmosphere conflicts with running the business quite often, so you have to find a balance.”

For former ASUCD Senator Molly Sundstrom, sorority Kappa Alpha Theta provided a strong support network when she decided to get involved in campus government.

“The Greek community tends to rally behind and support members of their community when they are trying to accomplish something on campus,” Sundstrom said in an e-mail.

How they work

This type of “support network” has been noted in research on Greek life as well.

“Fraternities and sororities take the home world as their model in that there are brothers, sisters, and sometimes house mothers,” said UC Davis American studies professor Jay Mechling in an e-mail.

And because they are formal, exclusive organizations, there is a level of secrecy to their rituals and inner workings.

“At the same time, frats and sororities are very conscious of the bad reputation they have in the mass media … so they work hard to repair that reputation,” he said.

Many fraternities and sororities adopt charities and work for them by raising money, while others go out regularly to work on community service projects.

How to join

Many organizations have a “rush week” at the beginning of fall quarter, where they offer social events that are intended to introduce the fraternities or sororities to potential members.

These are usually advertised through fliers, bulletin boards, Facebook groups, chalk messages on blackboards and word of mouth. You can also find a partial list of fraternity and sorority websites at spac.ucdavis.edu/programs/greek.

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

Davis defined by college-town atmosphere

Features Editor
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Few towns qualify as quirky, cute, charming, boring and elitist.

But walk around town, or go anywhere in Northern California, and these are the words people use to describe the city of Davis.

The town is quirky because of the uncommon laws, such as the noise ordinance that has resulted in citations for snoring too loudly. It’s charming because of the tree-lined avenues of Downtown Davis. It’s boring, because, well, it’s a small town. And it’s elitist because its residents are some of the most well-educated in the country.

More than anything, though, Davis is what it is because it’s a college town, one of the few remaining in California. The character of the town has been heavily influenced by its association with the university, and it has grown and developed just as the campus has.

One of the most defining characteristics of Davis is community involvement.

Earlier this year, when dozens of school teachers and librarians were told they may lose their jobs due to budget cuts, parents rallied together and raised money to prevent the layoffs.

“This community has a long history of supporting its children and its schools,” said Davis Joint Unified School District trustee Tim Taylor. “Anything else would have been a surprise.”

Trustee Susan Lovenburg said education is a strongly held community value.

“This is a community that values education, but I am always gratified when people are prepared to personally sacrifice for that which they hold dear,” Lovenburg said in an email.

The community involvement goes beyond just supporting education, though. City Council meetings frequently have large audiences, and sometimes the line of citizens who wish to speak is so large that meetings stretch past midnight.

An example of an issue discussed in City Council meetings is Measure J, a law that requires a vote of the citizens before any new development can be built on the agricultural land surrounding the city.

At a City Council candidates’ forum earlier this year, all six candidates expressed support for the concept behind the law.

“We need to protect the people’s right to determine the future of our city,” said candidate Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald at the forum.

Measure J also reflects the environmentalism that plays a role in many of the decision the city and community make. City Council meetings frequently include long discussions about how to make the city greener, and the city has even created a Climate Action Team to help determine how to reduce emissions across the city.

City councilmembers Stephen Souza and Sue Greenwald have been staunch advocates of expanding the use of solar energy in new homes and in power plants.

“The time is now ripe to continue to expand solar production,” Greenwald said at a council meeting in April.

Of course, students make up a large part of the town’s inhabitants. With a city population of just over 60,000 and a student population at UC Davis of just over 30,000, it’s not difficult to see the impact students have on the community.

In acknowledgment of this relationship, the city has several commissions with student members, such as the City-UCD Student Liaison Commission and the Unitrans Advisory Committee.

As UC Davis prepares to celebrate 100 years of service, the character of the town and the university will be in the spotlight as businesses, government leaders, and community members celebrate the contributions of the university to the community as a whole.

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

Cross country off to fast start

Sports Editor
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First-year head coach Drew Wartenburg knows he has a pair of experienced seniors capable of leading the way, but he doesn’t want the UC Davis men’s cross country team to depend on either of them.

“We’ll expect leadership out of Patrick [Parsel] and K.C. [Cody],” Wartenburg said. “But coming out of camp we talked about not just having just one go-to runner, but having the ability to have any member of the team ready to step up and lead on any given day.”

UC Davis’ mix of experience and young talent helped it get off to a fast start in its first appearance of the 2008 season. Both the men’s and women’s teams claimed first-place honors at the Aggie Open on Sept. 6.

Senior captain Kim Conley and Parsel won the women’s 6k and men’s 8k races, respectively.

“There’s really no surprise in those results,” Wartenburg said. “It’s a good starting point for us.… I was happy our freshmen got some good experience.”

UC Davis stuck with the theme of getting its young competitors more experience at the Hornet Jamboree on Sept. 13. The Aggie men finished in second place, while the women’s team posted a sixth-place showing.

“We sat nine guys [at the Hornet Jamboree],” Wartenburg said. “We’re going to count on some of these runners down the stretch of our season, and wanted to get them in a race situation where they have to run up front and lead the team.”

UC Davis then competed at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, Wash. on Saturday. The Aggie women and men finished in second and fourth place, respectively.

Conley and senior Kaitlin Gregg finished in the top 10 of the women’s 6k. First-years Kristin Arkin, Abbey Gallaher and Krista Drechsler rounded out the Aggie scoring.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better race from the women,” Wartenburg said. “It’s not at all surprising that our freshmen finished as well as they did. They’ve been working together and quickly learning. That will really help us down the stretch this season.”

The men’s team was led by Cody’s 11th-place showing in the 8k. It was Cody’s first collegiate cross country race since 2006, as the men’s captain redshirted a season ago. Parsel finished in 20th.

“We definitely have some work to do, but the positive we take away from the men’s race was that our top five finishers were just over 30 seconds apart,” Wartenburg said. “We just need to work on finishing a little higher up.”

The Aggies next compete at the Stanford Invitational on Saturday. The team then returns to Davis to host the Doc Adams Invitational on Oct. 4.

 

ADAM LOBERSTEIN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com

Women’s soccer sparing no suspense at start of year

Sports Editor
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UC Davis women’s soccer head coach MaryClaire Robinson paces up the sideline. She paces down it.

Her heart rate lowers. It spikes back up. Now up even higher. Back down again.

She takes off her hat, runs her hand through her hair and can’t help herself from thinking what effect this season is having on her.

The Aggies have played eight games, and the difference in all of them has been one goal or less.

“I’m certainly getting greyer a lot faster, I’ll tell you that,” Robinson said. “One of the things I’d like us to improve on is our ability to close out a game. When we’re up, can we get one? Can we get another? Can we get a third? Can we make these games a little less scary?”

If the wins keep coming like this, who can complain?

Coming off a 6-12 season, UC Davis has won three straight contests and is 4-2-2 on the year. The streak began with a 1-0 victory at Sacramento State, and continued last weekend when the Aggies captured a pair of 2-1 victories against Idaho State and Utah Valley to win the Idaho Valley Classic.

In all, the team is 4-1 on the road. Last year, it was 1-5.

“I think we have a better sense of what the expectations are to be successful,” Robinson said. “[The players] know what it’s like to struggle after last year. We lost eight games by one last year. For them to understand that our work rate wasn’t good enough really helps the freshmen come in and have a better sense of what they need to do. “

UC Davis starts only two seniors and has been relying on its junior class for much of its scoring. The juniors have accounted for eight of the team’s 11 goals this season.

Rochelle VanBuskirk, a junior forward, leads the team with three goals, seven points and two game-winners.

Junior Marisa Boge is second on the team with six points (two goals, two assists). She shares the team lead in assists with senior Gabina Bohlman.

Defensively, sophomore Sarah Peters returns at goalie. In 2007, she started in 12 of the team’s 19 games.

“She gained some critical experience last year, and I think that’s really helpful,” Robinson said. “She had an assist against Utah Valley that was actually the game-winner, so that’s another facet about her that many people don’t think about but we’ve enjoyed.“

The team’s final non-conference game of the year will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Nevada.

 

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

Women’s rowing to host informational meetings Oct. 1 and 2

Sports Editor
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Building a women’s rowing program requires some outside-the-box thinking.

Unlike traditional collegiate teams, where coaches have thousands of high school athletes to pool from in recruiting, Division I rowing programs are cast from a different mold.

“The unique thing about women’s rowing,” assistant coach George Jenkins said, “is that there are actually more people rowing at the collegiate level in California than there are rowing at the high school level.“

“By the time you get to athletes who can really cut it at the Division I level, that’s not a huge group of people coming forward.“

Instead, the Aggies look to UC Davis‘ student body to step forward.

The women’s rowing team will hold informational meetings for those interested in joining the program next week on Oct. 1 and 2. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. in Wellman Hall.

UC Davis‘ women’s rowing team wasted little time in making an impact at the Division I level. The Aggies earned team titles in the Cal Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic and the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia last season.

“We call [rowing] the ultimate team sport,” Jenkins said. “In rowing, there are no superstars. It’s impossible in a rowing race to say, ‘Well, we lost the race, but the No. 4 seat really had a good day.‘

“In other sports, you can talk about how the quarterback had a good game even though you didn’t win the game…. Not so much in rowing. You’re really all in this thing together.“

Jenkins said that those who are new to the sport are not thrust into the competitive fire. Instead, new participants become part of a separate novice program.

“Every team on the West Coast has a novice team,” he said. “We start from square one – this is an oar, this is how you hold it, this is how you carry the boat. We build people up slowly so that they really understand the technique and the fundamentals of the sport.“

As the athletes learn the fundamentals, they gain the opportunity to receive much more, as those on the novice teams are given the chance to work their way up to scholarship level.

“The interesting thing about rowing is that it has the second-highest scholarship limit in the NCAA,” Jenkins said. “There’s good opportunity to actually earn a scholarship or a partial scholarship.“

Jenkins hopes to see some new faces on the Aggies‘ roster prior to the start of their competitive season in early March.

“People who are interested in pursuing athletics should come and give this a try,” he said. “It’s such a neat opportunity.

“Rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport in America. The very first time two universities got together and competed was in rowing in 1852. Women’s rowing isn’t as old, but is such a great opportunity for people looking to continue in athletics.“

 

ADAM LOBERSTEIN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Aggies follow last year’s success with solid start to season

Sports Editor
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With the retirement of head coach Kathy DeYoung, Anne Walker takes the reigns of the UC Davis women’s golf team this campaign.

Aside from that, not a whole lot has changed.

A year removed from finishing in 21st place at the NCAA Division I Championships in New Mexico, the Aggies returned to the same course to open their 2008-2009 season.

“This team had success last year,” Walker said. “Building on that is the challenge. You have to work hard week-to-week. Those small details – that’s the big challenge.”

Just as it did last season, UC Davis walked away from the University of New Mexico Championship Course having stepped up to the challenge.

The Aggies bounced back from a slow final-round start to post a fourth-place finish against a competitive 16-team field at the Dick McGuire Invitational on Saturday.

“I’m really impressed by the team effort,” Walker said. “We got off to a slow start – a rough start. But we came back. The only teams that can do that have put in the time at practice.”

Putting in the time at practice has become routine.

“The number one thing is that when we leave the parking lot [after practice], we can say we got better today,” Walker said. “We can only worry about what we can control.… We’re out at the putting green till dark.”

Sophomore Alice Kim led the way for UC Davis in New Mexico, shooting a pair of birdies in her final six holes to fire a two-under 71. The Diamond Bar High School product finished in sixth place among individuals, finishing five strokes off the lead.

Fellow sophomore Chelsea Stelzmiller finished two shots off Kim’s pace to finish in a tie for eighth. The Placerville, Calif. native was the lone Aggie to break 70 at the tournament, carding a 69 in the second round.

Senior Brittany Smith, sophomore Katie Sisler and junior Kimberly Johnson finished in ties for 18th, 45th and 88th place, respectively.

After finishing up its stay in Albuquerque on Saturday, UC Davis made a quick turnaround to begin play at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate in Denver, Colo. on Monday.

The team got off to a bit of a slow start, sitting in eighth place in the 13-team field. UC Davis carded a 310 as a team. Host Denver and San Jose State were the only teams to break 300, shooting 287 and 293, respectively.

Kim fired the low round of the day for the Aggies, as her 72 left her tied for eighth among individuals.

“What we’re trying to do is not compare every tournament,” Walker said. “It’s such a long season. We’re focusing on improving each day.… That’s what how you get better.”

UC Davis got better on the tournament’s second day, improving upon its first-round showing by nine strokes to move into seventh place.

Each Aggie shot a 76 or better, with Kim leading the way with a 74 to move into seventh place. Smith had UC Davis’ second-best round of the day, as her 75 was an 11-stroke improvement.

The Aggies concluded play on Wednesday after deadline. For complete results, visit the UC Davis athletics website at ucdavisaggies.com.

 

ADAM LOBERSTEIN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

 

Aggie spotlight team: Fall ’08

Sports Editor
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The California Aggie’s fall quarter spotlight team was selected by Aggie Sports Editor Adam Loberstein and Aggie Sports Writers Michael Gehlken, Max Rosenblum, Sammy Brasch and Matt Miller.

 

Name: Quincy Amarikwa

Year: Senior

Sport: Men’s soccer

Position: Forward

As Quincy Amarikwa goes, so goes the UC Davis offense.

A Liberty High School graduate, Amarikwa has scored seven goals in the Aggies’ seven games this season, helping the team to a 6-1 record. He’s scored in each of his past four contests.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder leads UC Davis in both scores and total points (14). He’s tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals.

Amarikwa finished second on the team and eighth in the Big West Conference with five goals a season ago, earning a spot on the All-Big West’s second team.

He also netted the team’s lone goal in UC Davis’ first-ever showing in a NCAA Division I Tournament contest against California. He’s scored 23 goals over the course of his UC Davis career.

 

Name: Sule Anibaba

Year: Senior

Sport: Men’s soccer

Position: Forward/midfielder

Sule Anibaba has a theory.

Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Anibaba has lived in the United States for the past nine years. He says that makes him 91 percent Nigerian, and nine percent American.

Add those numbers together, and you get a 22-year-old, 100-percent soccer icon.

Anibaba is second on the team with three goals, and ranks third in points with six. He leads the team with in shooting percentage, converting on 60 percent of his attempts.

A 6-foot-1, 175-pounder, Anibaba led the Aggies with a career-high eight goals and 17 points a season ago. He was a team-best 5-for-6 on penalty kicks. Like Amarikwa, he earned All-Big West second team honors.

 

Name: Dylan Curtis

Year: Senior

Sport: Men’s soccer

Position: Midfielder/forward

On a team featuring stars like Sule Anibaba and Quincy Amarikwa, Dylan Curtis doesn’t always get the attention he deserves.

The Aggies, however, know how important Curtis is to their success, which is why the team named him its most valuable player last season. He scored three goals and had three assists, helping UC Davis to an impressive 12-5-3 showing.

Curtis has picked up where he left off last season. A 6-foot-2, 185-pounder, Curtis leads the country with eight assists. He’s also scored twice – both game-winners – to place him second on the team with 12 points.

He converted UC Davis’ lone penalty kick, firing in a double-overtime chance against San Diego on Friday. For his efforts, Curtis was named Big West Conference Co-Player of the Week.

 

Name: Greg Denham

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Football

Position: Quarterback

While J.T. O’Sullivan is making an impact in his first season as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting signal caller, Greg Denham is doing the same for UC Davis.

A native of Auburn, Calif., Denham’s numbers speak for themselves. The 6-foot-2, 199-pounder has thrown for 908 yards in three games this season – an average of 302.7 yards per contest – and has thrown five touchdown passes. He’s also rushed for a touchdown.

More impressive than that is the fact that Denham has completed 70.2 percent of his passes this season, garnering respect from head coach Bob Biggs for his composure under fire.

And having to choose between receivers like Brandon Rice, Chris Carter, and Bakari Grant surely hasn’t hurt his decision-making process.

 

Name: Jon Compas

Year: Senior

Sport: Football

Position: Offensive guard

A nose tackle digs his hand into the ground. He lowers into his three-point stance. He then looks up, knowing that all will not end well.

For defensive linemen, this has been a reality for those facing Jon Compas. A back-to-back All-Great West Conference first-teamer, Compas figures to garner that honor once again this season. Among others.

A preseason All-American, Compas expects to be an NFL Draft selection this April. If the 6-foot-3, 298-pounder has his way, then nose tackles will be shaking on Sundays, too.

 

Name: Jon Faletoese

Year: Senior

Sport: Football

Position: Defensive tackle

Opposing kickers don’t even have a chance.

With two blocked kicks against No. 4 Montana on Saturday, Jon Faletoese pushed his career total to eight. He added two tackles and a sack against the Grizzlies.

Named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list – an honor given annually to the Football Championship Subdivision’s top defender, Faletoese started just seven games last year in an injury-plagued season.

Before last year, however, the 6-foot-3, 292-pounder was named first-team All-Great West Conference in each of his previous two seasons.

 

Name: Austin Graham

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Men’s golf

Saying that Austin Graham made an impact on the UC Davis men’s golf team as a freshman would be an understatement.

The pride of San Clemente High School, Graham led the Aggies in scoring with an average of 72.7 strokes per round last year. He was named the Big West Conference’s Golfer of the Month in April, and tied for sixth place in the Big West Championship

His success didn’t stop there.

In fact, he’s already reached new heights early in the 2008-2009 season.

Graham finished in first place among individuals at the Kansas Invitational – UC Davis’ first tournament of the season – to lead the Aggies to victory.

He followed that performance up with a solid 11th-place showing at the Wolverine Intercollegiate over the weekend.

 

Name: Chelsea Stelzmiller

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Women’s golf

What Austin Graham was to the men’s golf team, Chelsea Stelzmiller was to the women’s squad.

A native of Placerville, Calif., Stelzmiller led Aggie regulars with a scoring average of 74.6 strokes per round. Stelzmiller also paced UC Davis in top five’s (three) and top 10’s (seven), helping the Aggies to finish as the No. 21 team in the country.

She picked up her first career individual title at the Price’s Give ‘Em Five Intercollegiate in October.

Stelzmiller got her 2008-2009 season off to a strong start at the Dick McGuire Invitational in New Mexico. She finished in a tie for eighth place, and was the lone Aggie to break 70, firing a 69 in the second round of play.

 

Name: Adam Bennett

Year: Senior

Sport: Men’s water polo

Position: Utility

A season removed from winning a school-record 22 games and going 14-0 in Western Water Polo Association play, the UC Davis men’s water polo team has gotten off to a slow start in 2008, winning just three of its first 10 games.

Adam Bennett, however, hasn’t had a problem replicating last season’s success.

A native of Merced, Calif., Bennett has already scored 24 goals this season. He scored 12 goals in four games at the NorCal Open in Stockton last weekend.

Bennett ranked second on the team with 36 regular season goals and tied for the team lead with 21 assists last year. He scored two goals in three WWPA Championship games.

 

Name: Renee Ibekwe

Year: Senior

Sport: Women’s volleyball

Position: Outside hitter

UC Davis’ women’s volleyball went just 4-24 in 2007.

The 2008 season has been another story, as the Aggies are off to an 8-5 start.

As UC Davis’ fortunes have changed, so has Renee Ibekwe’s. She had a solid season last year, averaging 3.27 kills per game, but not like this.

A Banning High School graduate, Ibekwe leads UC Davis with an impressive 4.09 kills per contest – tops in the conference. No other Aggie averages more than 2.80 kills.

Ibekwe had a career-high 25 kills and a .467 hitting average against Fordham on Saturday.

 

Name: Kim Conley

Year: Senior

Sport: Women’s cross country

Kim Conley is always running.

After posting multiple record-setting times during track and field’s season in the spring, Conley now finds herself in pursuit of something she has yet to accomplish in the fall.

Conley has been UC Davis’ top finisher in each of her two races this season as she tries to qualify for the NCAA Division I West Region.

She had a career-best showing at the Sundodger Invite in Seattle, Wash. on Saturday, finishing in fifth place with a 6K time of 20:45.

A Montgomery High School graduate, Conley also paced the Aggies in each of her five races a season ago.

 

ADAM LOBERSTEIN can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Men’s water polo off to slow start after impressive ’07 season

Sports Editor
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Following a record-breaking season is never easy.

The Aggies won a school-record 22 games while going a perfect 14-0 in Western Water Polo Association play, advancing all the way to the conference title game.

This season has been a different story.

UC Davis lost its best offensive player in Nick Arrigo, their best all-around defender in Matt MacLachlan, and arguably the best goalie UC Davis has ever seen in Mike McGee, and their early season results show the effects of the losses of those individuals.

The Aggies have dropped seven of their first 10 games, including five of their past six.

Some may think this is a rebuilding year, but the Aggies still have a group of experienced seniors and young talent necessary to turn their season around.

“Our seniors have been great, but who else is going to step up is the question,” head coach Steve Doten said. “We have a lot of guys that are all on the same level right now.”

The leadership burden has landed on the three returning starters: Adam Bennett, Adam Lindsay and Grant Muenter. All fifth-year seniors and captains, the threesome will also be looked to when scoring is needed.

Bennett has proved to be the main offensive threat for the Aggies with 24 goals in the first 10 games.

Taking advantage of his sparse opportunities, reserve senior hole set Paul Wilson has helped the Aggies with 13 goals on 13 attempts this season, including three hat trick performances.

Aside from these two scorers, the rest of the team has yet to find the back of the net. The Aggies average just six goals per game.

On the defensive side of the pool, the Aggies are led by an experienced 2-meter defender in Danny Driscoll, who has started at times in each of his four seasons at UC Davis.

Driscoll’s presence eases the pressure on two young goalies that are looking to fill the void left by McGee’s departure.

Hailing from the same town as McGee, sophomore Erik Quinn was proclaimed the “next McGee” while attending Drake High School – McGee’s alma mater.

Splitting time with Quinn is Kevin Peat, a redshirt freshman who led his club team to a national championship at the Junior Olympics in 2006.

“Our goalies have played really well and really stepped up in the absence of Mike,” Doten said. “Most of the games we lost – excluding the Pepperdine games – our goalies have only given up five or six goals.”

UC Davis’ 3-7 record is not quite all it seems, as the team has played five of its first 10 games against top-10 teams.

The squad has attended two big name tournaments this season, finishing seventh at the UCSD Triton Invitational, and then a disappointing 14th at the NorCal Open last weekend.

The Aggies dropped two to Navy this past week, mostly due to their inability to score on man-up opportunities, going a combined four-for-14 against the Midshipmen.

Predicted to finish third in the WWPA, the Aggies still have high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I think that we still have a good chance to be in contention for the conference championships,” Bennett said. “Our team just isn’t clicking yet. When we do, we are going to be a really dangerous team.”

 

SAMMY BRASCH can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.

Now one of nation’s elite, men’s soccer no longer flying under the radar

Sports Editor
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The UC Davis men’s soccer team has spent the past couple of years trying to make its mark on the Division I scene.

After a 12-5-3 showing last season, a second-place finish in the Big West, an NCAA Tournament appearance and a 6-1 start to the 2008 campaign, it is no longer a matter of whether the Aggies belong in Division I, but a question of whether they belong among the nation’s elite.

“We have an exciting team this year,” head coach Dwayne Shaffer said.

And the excitement is already under way.

UC Davis kicked off the season with a 3-1 victory at home over Long Island. A second half explosion bolstered by two scores from senior Quincy Amarikwa was the key to this victory.

UC Davis then went on the defeat Cal State Bakersfield, San Jose State, Michigan State, University of San Diego and San Diego State with its only loss coming by way of No. 19 Louisville in a 1-0 overtime defeat.

“We played awesome versus Louisville,” said Shaffer. “We had five chances to win the game. One hit the cross bar and one hit the side bar. [Louisville] just sat back and counter attacked us and scored.”

UC Davis’ phenomenal play has caught the eye of many coaches around the country, as a recent coaches poll ranked the Aggies at No. 23.

This newfound respect even has opposing coaches praising the play of the Aggies to Shaffer.

“They will come up to me and say ‘They are good.’ It is a compliment to this team,” said Shaffer.

But with all of this attention, the last thing the Aggies want to do is to get caught up in the hype. However, coach Shaffer assures that that won’t happen.

“With this particular team we have nine seniors and quite a few returners,” said Shaffer. “This is a veteran group that is very motivated. They work extremely hard. Players want to put in the hard work to be successful. That shows good leadership.”

That senior leadership is headed by offensive juggernaut Amarikwa, who has found the back of the net seven times in as many games this season. Senior Sule Anibaba also has three scores this year, with two of them coming in game-winning fashion.

UC Davis also boasts one of the nation’s top assist men in senior Dylan Curtis, who has dished out six helpers this season.

“He was our team MVP last year but received no conference recognitions last year,” said Shaffer.

Sophomore Aggie goalkeeper Ryan McCowan has also been impressive this season, allowing only six goals and posting two shutouts to accumulate a 76.0 save percentage.

With all of the firepower, the aspirations are plenty and the bar is set high in ’08.

Shaffer says that he wants the team to be competitive in the Big West and qualify for the conference tournament. That way the team will put itself in position to win the conference and receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

That prospect will not be easy, however, as one foe may lie in the way of the Aggies’ Big West title dreams.

Just days after the fate of the American people is determined, this Aggie dream may also be decided. Four days removed from the presidential election, what looks to be the most anticipated Big West matchup of the season has the defending Big West champions of UC Santa Barbara rolling into Aggie Soccer Stadium on Nov. 8.

“That game will have big implications toward the Big West conference tournament,” said Shaffer. “Hopefully we will be in a position for it to be a meaningful game.”

In reality, the toughest challenge for the Aggies this season will to not get caught up in the hype. This team is no longer a Cinderella. They can no longer fly under the radar.

Now, it is time to prove they are among the nation’s elite.

MAX ROSENBLUM can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com

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