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Symposium to brainstorm labor strategies

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 22, 2008

A symposium will be held today to give the UC Davis community a chance to learn how they can contribute to improved labor conditions in California. The symposium, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Regional Change, will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. at 1008 King.

A percentage of the workforce represented by unions has declined, and many people are currently feeling insecure about their employment, said Chris Benner, associate professor of the department of human and community development.

“We need to be exploring new models of labor organizing to help improve working conditions and employment opportunities,” he said. “There’s other ways besides having to bargain with a single employer.“

The first part of the symposium will focus on labor-community partnerships. Efforts to build these partnerships are made by many organizations that belong to a national network called Partnership for Working Families. Groups in these networks work to leverage public policies such as wage laws and environmental regulations.

The groups also work on labor agreements such as the Community Benefits Agreement, a contract that requires a developer to provide certain benefits to the community as part of the development project.

In exchange, the community groups promise to support the proposed project before government bodies that provide the necessary permits and subsidies, according to the Partnership for Working Families website.

The second part of the symposium will be focused on efforts to work with immigrant communities and people in marginalized employment, Benner said.

These communities include people on the sidewalk trying to get casual employment on a day-to-day basis and women doing cleaning work or childcare in people’s homes, he said.

“There are a lot of immigrant workers busing or sewing in garment industries – what are essentially sweatshops – and getting paid much less than minimum wage or not getting paid at all after a day’s work,” he said.

The immigrants don’t realize that even if they do not have legal documentation, he said, they are still protected by employment regulations, and employers are still required to pay minimum wage. The employers are also required to provide a safe workplace environment.

Labor groups are helping immigrants by educating them about what their rights are and by bringing legal cases against employers if employment rights are violated. They also help immigrants gain employment as independent contractors if they can’t be hired as employees.

“It becomes another way in which people can get the employment they need to survive without violating other laws,” Benner said.

The Center for the Study of Regional Change is holding the symposium to help the community learn lessons from organizations in other places that might be applied to areas in the Central Valley.

“It’s part of an effort to really expand research and teaching on campus regarding labor issues,” he said.

The Center for the Study of Regional Change is a new research center within the College of Agriculture and Environment Sciences, said Jonathan London, director of the Center for the Study of Regional Change.

“Its mission is to catalyze and conduct interdisciplinary research on pressing regional issues facing the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, and other regions of the state, country and globe,” he said.

The center looks particularly at the intersections and relationships between land use, transportation, housing, population change and economic development, he said.

“The other element is that we work across the boundaries that keep the campus separate from the broader community,” London said. “We’re trying to be a promoter of campus-community partnership.“

The Center for the Study of Regional Change recently got funding for a variety of labor studies initiative. They received the grant from the University of California Miguel Contreras Labor Studies Program and are using it for the symposium, forums and classes to be offered to the UC Davis campus. There is a graduate course currently taught by Benner and assistant professor Natalia Deeb-Sossa.

The center is trying to be a resource to enhance both undergraduate and graduate education at UC Davis by helping to connect students with different issues, London said. Some opportunities for undergraduates to learn about labor issues are public talks and workshops.

By attending public talks and workshops to learn about labor issues, students can learn real world things that are not in books, he said.

“They can learn about who they’re going to help, who they’re going to be working with and what some of those challenges are,” London said. “Having a community connection is really important.“

For more information about the symposium or the Center for the Study of Regional Change, go to regionalchange.ucdavis.edu.

THUY TRAN can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com XXX

Houseboats afloat this weekend

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 22, 2008

Though many might consider three days of near-death experiences – that they probably won’t remember – quite dangerous, 4,000 UC Davis students can look forward to such a weekend and even avoid death with the help of Safeboats, a program designed to keep students out of harm’s way.

Approximately 65 houseboats will set sail in Lake Shasta for a weekend of leisure and fun. Among those boats will be the Safeboat on its first voyage ever during the much anticipated Memorial Day weekend.

“This is a traditional weekend and is a lot of fun,” said Molly Fluet, ASUCD vice president and junior political science major. “If there is a student who needs help and needs to get out of there, now there’s a place to do it.”

This year is the first year that Safeboats will float with Houseboats. Men Acting Against Rape (MAAR) developed the concept two years ago, and since then have gained funding through ASUCD, fundraisers and donations.

Three-thousand five hundred dollars later, students attending Houseboats can look forward to the company of four EMTs, one medical supervisor, 2,000 condoms, water, food and hopefully fewer near-death experiences, according to Sam Hardie, president of MAAR and UC Davis graduate.

“When people get out there, they get into the mindset of how their weekend should be, so even as we float by, it will be a reminder for them to look after themselves,” Hardie said.

Because of this mindset, houseboat companies said, students may have a hard time renting a boat. Most houseboats can only be rented by people above the age of 25 or 30 as a result of the behavior typical of students on houseboat vacations.

“They get careless; they don’t respect other people’s property,” said Bob Rollins, general manager of Bridge Bay Resort, a houseboat rental company in Shasta County. “It’s a profitable weekend, though. That’s why we rent them.”

In addition to Safeboats, Rollins said Shasta County Boating Control will have 18 sheriffs patrolling the lake during the entirety of the weekend. The sheriffs are prepared to arrest anyone who drinks and drives the houseboats.

According to Gary VanDyne of the Shasta County Sheriff Department’s boating safety unit, last year there were approximately two arrests made for boating under the influence (BUIs), five victims of alcohol poisoning, 10 minor accidents and one death.

“There’s a lot more that we don’t even know about,” he said. “Those are just the ones who get scared and call us. Hopefully this year they’ll utilize [Safeboats].”

If such students do need help, Safeboat volunteers will be wearing orange shirts, and their boat will be docked at Slaughterhouse Island. They do not have a phone number and encourage anyone in need of emergency attention to call 911.

But many students don’t get hurt at all; they look forward to the weekend and trust that they and their friends will drink responsibly.

“Last year was amazing. Everyone is really nice, and it’s just three days of non-stop fun,” said Taylor Banks, junior civil engineering major. “You might get hurt, but if you’re responsible, I don’t see how it would happen.”

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

Yolo supervisors and farmers divided over water supply governance

City News

City Editor

May 22, 2008

Last Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted in a three-to-two decision to proceed with the draft Water Management Ordinance and future discussion. The discussion of Yolo County’s groundwater, surface water and flood control governance has been an ongoing concern for the board and residents – especially for farmers.

According to the draft ordinance on the Yolo County website, “…the County requires access to information regarding groundwater levels, groundwater quality, and land subsidence issue“ in order to better protect and manage the region’s water resources. A permit and monitoring program would be applied to aid the collection of information.

The amendment or replacement of the Groundwater Ordinance is one of three proposed future actions of the water management plan, the other two being a tax or fee and the creation of a county water agency to regulate the groundwater on public and private land.

The purpose of the tax is twofold: “to ensure that monitoring and mitigation [take] place with respect to any and all groundwater related water transfers” and “to mitigate any third-party impact to governmental services directly or indirectly related to any water transfers,“ according to the website.

“It’s a classic dichotomy between probate property rights and the management of a public benefit resource,” supervisor Mariko Yamada said. “Water has always been controversial. This is no different than all of the water wars that have occurred throughout history. This is a step the county wants to take to protect its resources.“

Yamada said she emphasizes how this is a draft for discussion.

“It’s important for everyone to understand that this is not a done deal,” she said. “This is the first for public opportunity to reveal what our water council has put together for consideration.“

County supervisor Matt Rexroad, who voted against the ordinance based on private property rights, said the board of supervisors would serve on the water agency. Rexroad said the water agency and the ordinance are controversial.

“It’s an ownership question. At what point as you dig further down does [the water] stop being yours and start being the public’s?,” he said. “That’s the question here. The farmers believe they own everything under the ground. The law is tricky on that. The current law says water in the aquifers belongs to the public as a whole and the county and the state has ability to regulate that. A lot of farmers don’t necessarily agree with that.“

The May 13 meeting was a follow-up discussion of the Apr. 22 meeting. Yolo County will now schedule stakeholder meetings and community outreach opportunities before the next board meeting on July 22. The dates and locations of the community outreach meetings are yet to be determined.

Ryan Broddrick of the Northern California Water Association, which represents water districts and landowners in the effort to protect the region’s water rights, said he is looking forward to the outreach meetings.

“We want to make sure everyone understands, as water districts that provide water, that we have fairly extensive groundwater plans and documents and rules,” Broddrick said. “We would like to make sure those are considered.“

Tim Miramontes, president of Yolo County Farm Bureau, said he is also looking to the community outreach meetings as a way to voice his concerns and oppositions to the board’s action.

“We are against the ordinance as it reads right now,” he said. “We are having our town meeting with the water agency and the county for an ordinance that we can both live by.“

Farmers are opposed to a possible tax as well.

“We are opposed to being regulating on the water we can use and being taxed on that water,” Miramontes said. “It mainly affects farmers but also people in the city and residents. We would like to see us having some input without a policy that is way too regulating. What they are asking for is already being done and none is being taxed for.“

Yamada said she doesn’t want to raise any unnecessary alarms with the discussion of a possible fee.

“I am personally not going to move forward on anything until I’m sure all parties will have the opportunity to be heard,” Yamada said. “I will not support anything until we have our first joint meeting as the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.“

County supervisors Mike McGowan, Helen Thomson and Mariko Yamada were in favor of the motion to move forward and supervisors Duane Chamberlain and Matt Rexroad opposed.

‘The county is doing a huge disservice,” Rexoad said. “I agree Yolo does need to have a discussion about water. My problem is the county has mishandled the rollout of this. It is causing harm to our cause.“

At this point in the year, farmers are busy working in the harvest season.

“We claim we want to be farmer friendly, but they are right in the middle of harvest,” Rexroad said. “We should have this [discussion] during winter months. It’s a complete disturbance.“

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

Beyond the small talk

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 21, 2008

Name: Jan Bautista

Major: Biological sciences

Year: Senior

Why did you choose this major?

I like general biology because it allows me to explore the different sciences involved like genetics, plants and physiology. The major gives me the flexibility to explore the different branches of biological sciences and its applications.

What do you hope to accomplish with your major?

I hope to become a high school biology teacher and maybe become a pediatrician with my own practice.

What has been your favorite class and why?

MIC 102, because I really enjoyed learning about the immune system. But the best part was learning about the different diseases. Dr. Mann had a knack for making history interesting to science majors.

What kind of internships have you held?

I volunteered for a year in the Child Life Department at UCDMC. The Child Life Department is where children with special needs stay in the hospital for prolonged periods of time. I met kids fighting cancer, suffering from mystery diseases and infants with pulmonary diseases. It always amazed [me] how strong these kids were and how carefree some of them seemed. At the moment, I’m interning at a local high school helping teach ninth and 10th grade biology…. The best teaching moment I’ve had recently was when I convinced one of my students that science is useful even to a design major. I explained that the first person to use microscopes was a draper, Leeuwenhoek, and that the dyes we use in research are the same dyes clothing makers use to dye clothes. Her words, “I guess science is cool!” Woot! Point for science nerds!

What have you learned through your internships?

I learned I don’t enjoy the hectic hospital environment, especially when I ran into personnel that didn’t seem to care about their patients. I enjoyed the aspect of medicine where you get to take care of people, but childcare has always been my main focus. Thankfully, at my other internships, I realized that as a teacher, I would be able to make a greater impact on their lives.

What are your hobbies?

I love to go dancing. The Davis scene isn’t bad, neither is Sacramento, but the best place of course is San Francisco. I’m also a major nerd. I love to read sci-fi and fantasy and mangas, especially the girlie ones, and I did spend one quarter playing Dungeons and Dragons. I also love to sing – mostly when I’m alone – but every once in a while, I karaoke.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I really have no idea. I’m graduating, and I’m still not quite sure what I want to do with my life.

Have you studied abroad?

I spent a month last summer in Costa Rica. On the weekends, I went rafting, zip lining, waterfall rappelling and did lots of exploring. On the weekdays, I rummaged through garbage, cleaned up after giant rodents called tepezcuintles and guarded a guy from raging crocodiles. I also tried to control a second-grade class when I kinda sorta knew Spanish.

What activities and organizations are you a part of?

I am the publicity coordinator of the Golden Key Honor Society and have been a health and bio sci student advisor for the past three years. We are located in 205 South Hall – drop in to learn about internships and for job search help. It has been an amazing experience advising all of the driven biology students. My favorite part of this position is being able to guide them on their career paths.

Do you have any parting words to your graduating class?

Thanks to all of my hall-mates way back in freshman year. You’ve been the best friends I could ever ask for. There are still plenty of years of debauchery to come. Congrats to all of my fellow graduates and good luck, wherever you may go!

YASSMIN ATEFI can be reached at science@californiaaggie.com.

Upcoming science seminar

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 21, 2008

Today

“Chemical Ecology of Forest Insects in South China“

Steve Seybold

122 Briggs, 12:10 to 1 p.m.

Science Scene

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 21, 2008

Memory does not necessarily decline with age, researchers say

A variety of recent studies have found that “senior moments” may not be a sign of declining brain power.

Several researchers have found that though older people may more frequently have trouble remembering names or other small details, this is because they have more information to sift through. Researchers found that older people take in more information and must organize a larger, broader amount of information. In an experiment in which passages were peppered with random words, researchers found that older people read more slowly than younger subjects. However, in a later activity that required the subjects to recall the random words from the passage, older people showed that they had retained that seemingly superfluous information better. (nytimes.com)

New study diminishes link between hurricanes and global warming

Federal scientist Tom Knutson has found that global warming does not increase Atlantic hurricanes, reversing his previous opinion.

His study, which consisted of computer modeling, found that by the end of the century, there would be an 18 percent drop in the number of hurricanes. However, his model also predicted that hurricanes will become more wet and powerful.

Other scientists have debated the validity of his study, because it does not examine the size and intensity of storms in relation to global warming. (nytimes.com)

CAITLIN KELLY-SNEED can be reached at managing@californiaaggie.com.

Biobased products hold potential to replace plastics

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 21, 2008

In a world where fossil fuel resources are becoming scarce, bio-based products could be the solution for an oil-dependant society.

Bio-based products, as defined by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, are any manufactured, commercial or industrial goods – excluding food – which are made up of biological materials or agricultural resources. These materials come from plant or animal byproducts and are not petroleum-based, according to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture’s website.

Today, many materials depend on petroleum or natural gas to be created. These products, such as plastic forks, plastic bags and other plastic goods are synthetically derived and take many years to decompose, if they do at all.

Bio-based items can be the solution to overflowing landfills and non-degradable products. However, if bio-based goods are to replace the traditional plastic, then there must be more funding and interest in this area of science, said UC Davis professor You-Lo Hsieh, department chair of textiles and clothing.

“There are already lots of natural products like wool, cotton and linen that are bio-based and used widespread,” Hsieh said. “I think how plastic was generated was because of science, and if more funding and research [were put] into bio-based plastics, they could replace them.”

Many items on the market today are made from natural materials and have begun to replace more common plastic products. Items such as bio-plastic forks, such as the ones in UC Davis’ dining commons, are made from cornstarch and have become more common in recent years.

Bio-based products have many advantages over the traditional petroleum-based products. By using bio-based polymers in goods, humans depend less on fossil fuels and consume less, helping decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Every pound of soy-based polymers produced instead of petroleum-based removes 2.1 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a study on the BioBased Technologies’ website.

Bio-based polymers have medical applications as well. Polylactic acid is a biodegradable polyester that can be broken down by hydrolysis, which is the breaking down of compounds in water. During surgeries, doctors use this polyester for sutures. Instead of having to open up the patients to remove them, they break down and are absorbed by the body, Hsieh said.

Fuels from natural materials, like corn-based ethanol, have been proposed to replace petroleum to power automobiles. It helps lower dependency on oil, a crucial issue in a time where oil prices are further increasing.

This solution, however, only costs the taxpayers, said Daniel Sumner, UC Davis professor of agricultural and resource economics and director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center, based in Davis.

“Subsidized and protected ethanol from corn costs taxpayers, food consumers and biofuel consumers. If we want to consume ethanol for some political reason, it is cheaper to import ethanol made from sugar [than continuing to grow corn],” said Sumner in an e-mail interview.

Bio-based products have other unforeseen consequences to the economy. In order to supply the increase of demand of corn in the United States, farmers began growing more corn instead of other produce. This has led to an increase in prices of food items, making it difficult for people to purchase food.

“Of course using resources that would otherwise be used for food to produce fuel, for example, must lower food production and raise the price of food. The share of the price increase due to more highly subsidized use of corn and other crops for fuel in the general increase in prices of grain commodities is likely in the range of 25 percent or more, but other factors have been at work as well,” Sumner said.

It will take time before the issue of bio-based products is settled. However, there is not much time left, due to the scarce resources of fossil fuels. It will take years of funding and research before bioplastics completely replace petroleum-based plastics.

“I think we are behind on what we have to do,” Hsieh said.

NICK MARKWITH can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.XXX

This is not the truth

Opinion

Opinion

May 21, 2008

I have a tendency to hyper-imagine crazy scenarios and possibilities after seeing something that qualifies as even remotely strange. Perhaps this is where my storytelling ability comes from – I don’t know. In any event, I decided I would share the frantic thoughts that travel through my brain when I see the odd things you do.

Real Scenario 1: Yvette, Carrie and I are driving through Davis at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night, looking for adventure. We see a guy climb into the trunk of a car and close it on himself. “What the hell?” we ask each other. We laugh and drive on.

In my mind: There is a man trapped in the car, but of his own volition. He has some mental illness (my knowledge of psychology only goes back to PSC 001, sorry) and has locked himself into the trunk to get away from the bunnies. The bunnies are coming out everywhere – pink, white, blue – but only in his mind. They are gnawing on the tires of the car, hopping out of the gutter and nibbling their way through the glass.

He is terrified. In my mind, I feel bad for him. I, too, am afraid of the dark.

Real Scenario 2: I am at home, and my dog is barking underneath my window. I roll over and grumble something into my pillow before going back to bed.

In my mind: An intruder stalks through our front gate, doing that neat little trick with the string and the latch that my dad taught me when I kept getting locked out of the house. He creeps through the side of the house, alerting my fat mini Doberman, who scrambles over on stumpy legs to defend our home.

After a brief but violent tussle with Kiki, the intruder ties up my dog, shoves him under the deck and enters the house through the sliding glass door that leads into the kitchen. I hear the footsteps creaking on the stairs. I hide in my closet and hope that no one finds me.

Real Scenario: A classmate in high school seems to have no discernible interests other than writing the name of her eighth grade crush in the back of her notebooks, wearing the color brown and watching YouTube videos.

In my mind: The girl is obviously a secret agent. I told my best friend this once, and she said, “What are you talking about?” But I am convinced that the girl leads some sort of a secret life, in which she saves lives or makes drugs in her underground lab. She always did have a vague interest in plants. Perhaps she grows medicinal herbs and markets them to local herbal medication stores?

I am always asking the girl what she does in her spare time. When she says, “Nothing, really,” I am convinced that it is a cover. One day, I will discover her secret.

Real Scenario: We keep losing things in our apartment. Tape dispensers, scissors, dresses that we once wore but now can’t seem to find. A mixing spoon, a poetry book, the disposable animal sippy cups that we bought at Target. We’re messy, forgetful girls. We bring things downstairs and leave them underneath the coffee table, only to be found months later. We leave the flashlight in the kitchen cabinets next to dry pasta and canned milk. Our things are not lost; they are misplaced.

In my mind: For some time, I had the sneaking suspicion that our apartment was haunted. There was no real basis for this, other than the fact that a) we “mysteriously” lost things, and b) when very paranoid, we thought we saw things moving out of the corners of our eyes. Also, I once woke up with strange scratches on my legs and was convinced that a demon had possessed me in my sleep, leading me to “self-mutilation.”

In this case though, I let my crazy musings leak into my real life. I told my parents the theory, and they got a priest to come to my apartment and bless it.

Yvette tells it like this: “I came home and apparently, every room had been doused in holy water. Also, there was suddenly a crucifix in Teresa’s room.” My friends affectionately refer to this episode as “the exorcism.”

Perhaps it’s better to keep these fanciful tales to myself instead of letting them loose and passing them off as reality. Exorcisms, after all, are events better confined to vampire novels and horror films.

TERESA PHAM would like to know if you have a real strange tale to tell. If so, e-mail her at terpham@ucdavis.edu. XXX

Five-minute fame

Opinion

Opinion

May 21, 2008

There have been a few random nights with friends where we battle our indecisiveness about what we’re going to do and then do it again to decide where we are going to do what it is we’ve decided to do. This process can take anywhere from five minutes to forever, and I mean that literally. However, to pass the time while deciding, my friend Gabe will whip out a laptop and tell me to watch this funny, cool, gross, nostalgic, weird, stupid or any-adjective video.

Gabe showed me a video that he had posted online himself. It was my other friends’ reactions to watching the “BMP Pain Olympics” video. Skeptically, I thought, “Why would I watch a video of people watching another video?” I thought it was rather ironic, but I wasn’t disappointed.

I had never seen these people act this way. Random feminine shouts of, “Why is he doing that?!” struggled through the tiny laptop speakers. Other squeals and cries of disgust accompanied the repeating question coming from the same feminine voice. The screen displayed two guys and a girl sitting on a couch in front of a laptop that was just right of center screen. By the end of the video, the girl is the only one left on the couch who seems to be frozen with some combination of terror and revulsion, while one guy can be heard vomiting from off-screen where the front door would be, and the other just simply ran off covering his face never heard from again.

I felt that I never had to or should even watch the video. The reaction was enough for me.

Gabe went on to show me a few more videos. First, he introduces me to online personality KevJumba who at first doesn’t seem to be interesting. Sure, he has some camera chemistry and solid video editing skills, but I could run into him at some city park and just think, “Hey, I think I may have seen him at school or something.” Then, immediately following those videos, Gabe shows me Baron Davis and Jessica Alba each giving video responses to this guy and I shouted, “What the heck?! How’d he do that?!”

Up until that point I always figured that celebrities tended to stray away from this medium of publicity, but it seems if he was able to do that, then maybe I’ll somehow get some kind of interaction with Dustin Kensrue (lead singer of Thrice – look ’em up).

I bring all this up to confirm number three on Time’s, “10 ideas that are changing the world,” but as the result of a different cause. Time‘s Richard Corliss calls this the “Post-Movie-Star Era.” Sure, there may be the exception of Samuel L. Jackson, but the latest blockbusters often times market unfamiliar faces. The entire entertainment industry now is receptive to all new-comers instead of the recurring big name celebrities. I believe this to be part of the fallout of this five-minute fame phenomenon.

What else has five-minute fame triggered? Well, just from the stories above, it’s clear that not only has video uploading changed the face of the entertainment industry, it is already its own medium as much as radio, television or even the Internet itself (although the Internet gives rise to it).

Video uploading contains within it a hobby, a learning/teaching resource, entertainment, a creative outlet and its own unique means of communication. Of course with every single good comes the advent of dozens of abuses. As often as the straight-edge and compass construction of a regular 17-gon will be viewed, videos like the infamous “2 girls 1 cup” will be viewed over 10 times more. As much as video uploading lessens celebrity worship and the constant need to know what Britney is up to now, we now divert our attention to random no-names who become known for little more than brainless antics. Come what may, video uploading and five-minute fame is here to stay.

So instead of continuing to decide what to do and where to go it seems that the decision has already been made: to watch videos all night right there in the apartment living room.

JEREMY MALLETT believes that for any movie to be a movie, Samuel L. Jackson must appear in it at least once, and since Iron Man did not include him in the main body of the movie, they had to put him in the post-credits teaser. Debate this with him at jjmallett@ucdavis.edu.

A day in the life with…

Features

Features Editor

May 21, 2008

Editor’s note: This series will allow you to experience “a day in the life” of various individuals throughout the UC Davis community. After spending time with a teaching assistant last time out, we’ll give you a taste of life as a male cheerleader today.

It turns out that being a cheerleader is more than just pom-poms, a skirt, a squeaky voice and a pretty smile.

I attended the UC Davis cheer team tryouts Sunday in Hickey Gym, and writing this today, my back still has an aching kink that won’t budge from neglecting to stretch properly. I also badly bruised several toes. Insurance claims are pending.

The tryouts began shortly after 9 a.m. in the upper gym, where 40 girls were trying out – 35 in person and five more by video.

Even if I weren’t a guy, just by my red shorts alone I would have stood out amid the group of white tank tops, short blue shorts and blue-and-white ribbon bow-tied pony tails.

The tryouts were preceded by four clinics, and because no men had shown up for the clinics – and I was unaware of the protocol for male cheerleading – I opted to take the girls’ route to the best of my ability.

Tryouts were broken into two sections: jumps and cheers first, then tumbling and stunts.

Candidates entered the gym in groups of three to face a squad of judges, two of whom were officially keeping score, while other hopefuls waited outside in the hallway.

“Tryouts are really intense,” said Ashley Black, who will transfer to UC Davis from Sacramento City College next fall. “You’re in there with just three girls, and the judges just stare at you blankly. It’s nerve-wracking, but at the same time, you get an adrenaline rush.”

The most popular jumps were the double toe touch and the hurdler. Following the jumps, candidates performed a cheer, a dance and the fight song as a group.

Vanessa Muro, a first-year biological science major, was in the first group.

“It went really fast, but I think I did pretty well, even though I was really nervous. I forgot to smile, though,” she said.

The girls are expected to smile the entire time, said head coach Obie Gomez.

Black, who has been cheerleading for seven years, valiantly attempted to teach me a dance routine, but I was lost in the indecipherable mess of high V’s and low V’s and leg kicks.

“Just smile a lot, and make the judges want to cheer with you,” advised Evani Gatbonton, a sophomore psychology major.

Because I’m extremely uncoordinated and generally incapable of dancing even under the influence of alcohol, I limited myself to the jumps. I scored six out of 10 on my double toe touch, and a measly four out 10 on the hurdler.

These sub-par scores weighed heavily on my conscience until Greg Ortiz, the spirit coordinator, informed me that one of the most important things coaches look for in tryouts is the potential to improve.

I still had a chance.

Next came the tumbling and stunt section – redemption time. The tumbling consisted of running and standing tumbling, both of which focused on performing back hand springs and backwards somersaults.

“Tumbling is the hardest part,” Muro said. “You have to have natural talent, and even then it’s hard if you haven’t been doing it for a few years.”

All three members of the group attempted tumbling in just two of the twelve groups.

For my part, I scored a total of six out of 12 in both the running and the standing tumbling for my back handsprings. I earned four points for performing without a spot, and two for my technique, which “wasn’t too pretty” according to Maria Zalesky, UC Davis Athletics Special Events coordinator and judge at the tryouts.

The last part of the tryouts was the stunting.

Stunting typically requires four people: a flyer, who is generally petite and gets lifted up in the air, two bases to hold the flyer and a backspot, who is generally taller and steps in in case the flyer loses her balance.

“The stunting is the hardest part,” said Black, a flyer. “[A flyer] has to know how to hold their weight. You have to tighten every muscle in your body and not be afraid.”

Darcy Kuto, a graduating senior wildlife and fish conservation and biology double-major, who has been cheerleading for four years, gave me the opportunity to practice being a base in two-person, partner stunts.

Kuto, an experienced flyer, tried to teach me “the chair.” She explained my job in the following fashion: “hoist me in the air, follow through on the throw, stay underneath, grab my ankle with one hand, and catch my butt with your other hand.”

Though I did hold her up for a few seconds at one point – after dangerously dropping her several times – I decided to abstain from this section of the tryouts.

Three graduating seniors were present to aid in the tryouts.

“I loved every second of it,” said Courtney Sinclair, an exercise biology major, about the conclusion of her three years of cheering at UC Davis. “It’s been a great experience. Starting out on a team with no facilities – but every year things are getting better and better. The coaching, the girls … there’s been a lot of evolution in the program.”

Approximately 16 of the candidates were part of the team last year.

“This is a fantastic squad. We’re really excited about next year,” Ortiz said. “The camaraderie really stands out even though some of these girls just met each other in the clinics. You can tell they have a lot of spirit just by the way they interact with each other.”

The girls universally expressed anxiety over having to wait until Tuesday for the results. A minimum of 24 will be accepted.

Personally, I’ve had trouble sleeping the past few nights.

CHARLES HINRIKSSON can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com.XXX

Daily Calendar

Features

Features Editor

May 21, 2008

TODAY

Farmers Market

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

East Quad

Get fresh fruits, veggies and snacks at this convenient farmers market.

Career advising for women

Noon to 1 p.m.

104 North Hall

Still trying to figure out what to do with your major, career or life in general? Drop in and talk with an Internship and Career Center counselor.

University Concert Band concert

12:05 p.m.

The Quad

Enjoy your lunch with this free concert of band and wind ensemble classics and transcriptions of the symphonic repertoire.

Student percussion recital

3:30 to 5 p.m.

115 Music

Percussionist Dan Eisenberg will play works by Bob Becker, Paul Smadbeck and more at this free concert.

Sex 101

4 to 5:30 p.m.

Garrison Room, Memorial Union

Learn all the facts about condoms, STIs, pregnancy and more. Part of Generation Sex Week.

Wellness Wednesday workshop

5 to 6 p.m.

ARC Meeting Room 3

Learn how to practice deep muscle relaxation.

Texas Hold’em Tournament

5:30 to 9 p.m.

Silo Café & Pub

Tournament starts at 6 p.m. Seats fill up quickly, so come early! Be one of the top 30 players and be invited to play in the Tournament of Champions!

“Kaleidoscope of cultures”

6 to 8 p.m.

Varsity Theatre, 616 Second St.

This event will have performances from Birdstrike Theater, Danzantes de Alma, UCD Gospel Choir members, the winners of Davis Dance Revolution and more! This event is free.

Sex ed documentary and Q&A

6 to 9 p.m.

1322 Storer

Watch The Education of Shelby Knox about a young woman with a conservative background who decides to support comprehensive sexual education. Knox will be on hand for questions. Free admission and refreshments.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous meeting

7 to 8:30 p.m.

United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road

Program for individuals recovering from addictive eating, bulimia and under-eating based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are no dues, fees or weigh-ins. For more information, go to foodaddicts.org.

Wellness jeopardy

7 to 9 p.m.

206 Olson

Join the Educational Opportunity Program for a jeopardy game about avoiding stress and staying healthy. There will be prizes!

Sustainable Transportation Imagineering

7:30 to 9 p.m.

194 Chemistry

This talk will examine changing the physical infrastructure of our cities through individual lifestyle choices and social change. Refreshments will be provided.

Autism Awareness Association meeting

8 p.m.

27 Wellman

Listen to Marjorie Solomon from the M.I.N.D. Institute and learn about her research in autism spectrum disorders. Plans for next year will also be discussed.

THURSDAY

Sex Fest ’08

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Quad

Become a “sexpert” and play games at this safer sex awareness event.

Hindustani Vocal Ensemble concert

12:05 p.m.

115 Music

Listen to the Hindustani Vocal Ensemble, directed by Rita Sahai, at this free concert.

Climate change talk

2 to 5 p.m.

AGR Room, Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center

A panel of experts will discuss solutions to the climate change problem.

Physical Therapy info night

5:10 to 6 p.m.

1204 Haring

Learn about the Western University Doctor of physical therapy program.

Trivia night

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Silo Café & Pub

Show off your knowledge of random factoids!

Fetishes and fantasies event

6 p.m.

Griffin Lounge

What more can you say? Free pizza will also be provided.

Math Café

6 to 8 p.m.

Scholar’s Center Study Room, Surge IV

Get a good serving of mathematics at this weekly tutoring session with the Women’s Resources and Research Center. Women and men are both welcome.

Board games night

6 to 8 p.m.

The Quad

Play classic board games, have some ice cream and hang out with the Educational Opportunity Program.

Botany Club meeting

6:15 p.m.

140 Robbins

Michael Reid will give a lecture on travel and botany in New Zealand. There will also be a free plant raffle!

Nest performance

8 p.m.

Wyatt Pavilion Theatre

This play is based on the true story of a young indentured servant who was hanged for the murder of her newborn baby. It explores the roots of American dreams and violence. Recommended for mature audiences only. Preview tickets are $11 adults, $6 students and youth.

Book club meeting

8 to 9 p.m.

109 Olson

Discuss Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

FRIDAY

Senior Recital

3:30 to 5 p.m.

115 Music

Soprano Lisa Sueyres will give this free concert, featuring works by Handel, Mozart, Wolf, Duparc and Puccini.

Clean energy talk

4 to 5:30 p.m.

1001 Giedt

British explorer Robert Swan will give a talk titled “The Voyage for Cleaner Energy.” This event is sponsored by the John Muir Institute of the Environment.

Nest performance

8 p.m.

Wyatt Pavilion Theatre

This play is based on the true story of a young indentured servant who was hanged for the murder of her newborn baby. It explores the roots of American dreams and violence. Recommended for mature audiences only. Tickets are $15/$16 adults, $10/$11 students and youth.

In|waRd performances

8:30 p.m.

University Club

Breathing in Cyber|space is an interdisciplinary work that explores desire and identity in our technocultural world. Paper white Ghost Dance is a dance piece about homes and what happens when we are outside of them. These performances are free.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@californiaaggie.com or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing, and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community. XXX

Governor proposes lottery sales as budget fix

City News

City Editor

May 21, 2008

For Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the winning numbers lie in the state lottery.

The governor’s revised budget, released last week, includes a plan to borrow from future lottery revenues to alleviate the $17.2 billion budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year.

“This way we don’t have to raise revenues from the people, because we have an underperforming asset sitting there,” Schwarzenegger said in a press conference. “Our lottery does not perform at 100 percent. Our lottery is 28th in the nation … and you know California doesn’t like to be 28th in anything.”

The lottery currently generates $3 billion in annual sales. The governor says sales could be increased to $6 or $7 billion. Under his plan, this would allow the state to borrow up to $15 billion over the next three years. The money would be directed toward a new “rainy day” fund, which would provide revenue in deficit years.

The lottery plan would require approval from California voters in November. If voters do not approve, or if revenues from the lottery fall short, the state sales tax would increase by 1 percent until the rainy day fund is full.

Some of the governor’s most controversial proposals from January do not appear in his revised budget. Plans to close state parks, cut education funds and release prisoners early have all been scrapped. The lottery solution, however, is proving to come with controversy of its own.

Legislative analyst Elizabeth Hill, a nonpartisan advisor to the state legislature, has called the plan flawed.

“The administration makes overly optimistic estimates about the potential growth in lottery sales and profits,” Hill said in her printed analysis of the governor’s revised proposal. The way the budget plan is structured presents a significant risk to education funding, she said. Her alternative is a scaled-down plan that would result in $5.6 billion over two years.

But Michael Jones, former head of the Illinois State Lottery, said increasing California’s lottery sales is “extremely feasible.”

“There’s a significant potential if the lottery marketed itself to a wider group of California adults than it does now,” he said. “The reason that someone doesn’t play the lottery is not because of regulation, but because there is no desire to. That’s a classic marketing problem.”

Jones, who now runs the lottery consulting firm Michael Jones and Company, said studies have found that the lottery has the approval of somewhere near 80 percent of California adults.

“It’s poor appreciation of the brand, poor brand image and a series of marketing decisions that are not appealing to California,” he said. “The United Kingdom has a private contractor which runs the lottery for a percentage of sales … perhaps [Gov. Schwarzenegger] should start contemplating trying to hire a private company.”

Another issue that has arisen is a potential conflict between Indian gaming and lottery sales. In her analysis of the governor’s revised budget, Hill noted the rapidly growing tribal casino sector as a threat to future lottery sales. Others say this threat may be overstated.

“These are two entirely different worlds,” Jones said. “Lotteries are not really a gamble. A gamble is when you’re in a casino beating two-to-one odds, four-to-one odds. The idea of a lottery is that you have people who play the lottery because it is so widely dispersed over tens of thousands of retailers. They’re not going to those retailers to play the lottery; they’re going to do other things.”

Dean Gerstein, vice provost and director of research at Claremont Graduate University, said it’s difficult to say whether Indian gaming has an impact on lottery participation.

“I’m not sure there’s really much evidence about whether there’s a stimulative or substitution effect,” Gerstein said. “The lottery is very convenient, and therefore people may buy more lottery tickets than they would if casinos were more widely distributed.”

There just isn’t enough evidence to say conclusively, he said.

Now that the governor has released his revised budget, the state legislature will vote on a final budget to be signed by the governor before the fiscal year begins July 1.

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

City Council candidates discuss Davis housing issue

City News

City Editor

May 21, 2008

Students in Davis start searching for houses and signing leases six months before move-in day. If you need a place to live in the middle of the lease year, good luck.

Currently in Davis, there is less than 1 percent rental availability, while 8,000 students live outside the city and commute to school.

Elections will be held June 3, and voters will be choosing three Davis City Council members. So what would each candidate do to fix the housing issue?

Rob Roy is a recent UC Davis graduate who served on the ASUCD senate and is currently working as regional manager for Ben & Jerry’s. When thinking about the city’s growth, his approach is, “slow and steady wins the race. And the race is to be the best community we can be.”

Roy said he believes that any new housing should be built within the community itself and believes that the community should be a part of the building process.

“I’m not opposed to building new housing, but there are places to do it in the community,” he said.

Roy said he does not want to build outside of city lines, and it is important to him to save and preserve all farm land.

In news media covering this election, two terms have been used to describe candidate platforms on growth: “slow-growth” and “pro-growth.”

“Slow-growth are the students’ candidates,” Roy said, referring to himself, Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald and Mayor Sue Greenwald. “We aren’t in the pockets of the developers, and we have the student’s best interests in mind.”

Stephen Souza, running for his second term, said he does not see the candidates divided into slow-growth vs. pro-growth.

“This is no growth vs. slow growth,” he said. “[Housing] must have a wow-factor, be energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing, affordable and be places that people are proud to call home.”

Souza said he is in favor of infill, which is using available open space or vacant lots within the city’s boundaries as part of redevelopment or growth management. He said he is also in favor of housing built along Davis perimeters. He has been working on a “multi-use facility” project for the past three years that would be built on the block of Third, Fourth, E and F streets. The facility would have parking, retail and condos.

“It is very close to coming to consummation,” Souza said.

Don Saylor, another incumbent, said infill is a good solution for the short to mid-term. However, when looking ahead 25 years, he sees a need for more.

“With less than a 1 percent apartment vacancy rate, rental prices rising, other students being forced to live in other communities – that’s a canary in a coalmine,” he said.

Saylor said he sees housing as being linked to the closing of elementary schools, due to the low attendance rate.

“Young families aren’t coming as much anymore, because they can’t afford to live here,” Saylor said. “What we need to do is look to see what kind of town Davis wants to be.”

Saylor, in alignment with most of his opponents, said he thinks a smart answer to the housing situation would involve the university building more on-campus housing, making downtown more accessible, reducing the need for cars and keeping living costs low.

Saylor said he believes that in order for a community to sustain itself, a certain amount of growth is necessary.

“I don’t think anybody is for growth for growth’s sake,” he said. “Other cities have done that, but we don’t want to be Elk Grove or Roseville.”

Sydney Vergis is another candidate who is often included in the pro-growth category.

“I have seen many friends who work on campus start new families, move to West Sacramento and commute into Davis for work,” Vergis said in an e-mail interview. “These could be our future community leaders.”

Infill is in her attack plan, but she is also willing to look at building outside of the compact Davis community, using land in accordance with Measure J.

“I’m pro long-term conscientious land use planning,” Vergis said. “I have seen that, when done right, when the community is encouraged to engage in resource conservation and housing decisions, the opportunity to provide for a range of housing needs can be met in a way that not only conserves natural resources but also encourages walk-ability and bike-ability.”

Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald said she is concerned with the student population’s need for housing.

“There are two types of housing I am looking for – smaller, more affordable workforce housing in the form of duplexes, and condos in infill sites,” Escamilla-Greenwald said in an e-mail interview.

There are a number of open lots throughout the city that could be built upon, as well as buildings that could be renovated and used for additional housing.

“I also look for the university to work to provide more housing for students and young faculty and staff members,” Escamilla-Greenwald said. “Some of that will occur with the West Village development. But currently less than a quarter of students reside on campus, the lowest rate amongst all of the UCs.”

The three groups in the most need of housing are students, and elderly and young couples. Mayor Sue Greenwald, who is running to keep her place on the council, is hoping to answer many of these needs by building on an unused lot owned by PG&E, located between Second, Fifth and L streets.

“PG&E is interested, our staff is working with them and developers that have worked on other PG&E sites,” Greenwald said. “There is no evidence of particularly bad toxic problems.”

The lot is 27 acres, which Greenwald says will house “lots and lots of people without leaving a large footprint.”

She would also like to see tall apartment buildings on campus, like Sproul Hall, in order to house many but not eat up space.

“I love this neighborhood,” said Greenwald, who lives on Rice Lane. “I don’t want to see it changed too much.”

Greenwald said she believes building condos on the PG&E site will bring more business to downtown merchants and will work to keep Davis bike- and pedestrian-friendly.

This project, according to Greenwald, is what the town needs to help the housing issue.

Saylor said he disagrees with this proposed project.

“Infill projects will help the town now, but we need to think long-term. We need to look 25 years ahead.”

All candidates seem to agree that there is a need for affordable housing, but the approaches are different, as well as the perceived quantity needed.

ALI EDNEY can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

Good news for visibility in Lake Tahoe

Science & Technology

Science Editor

May 21, 2008

UC Davis scientists from the Tahoe Environmental Research Center reported last week that the rate of decline in visibility in Lake Tahoe has slowed since 2001. By using new modeling techniques to detect trends in water clarity, the research group has found that nearby runoff of fine particles has not increased in the last seven years.

Runoff of small particles from urban areas and roadways near the lake contribute to a lack of clarity in the lake. Small particles limit how far down one can see in the water because the particles can scatter light.

“Recently, the highly significant trend of decreasing lake transparency, which has been about a foot per year on the average for the last half century, appears to have slowed and we hope has leveled off,” said Charles Goldman, professor of limnology at UC Davis and director of the Tahoe Research Group, in an e-mail interview.

The data for the modeling was collected from 2001 to 2006, although the Tahoe Environmental Research Center does have two long-term stations at the lake.

Water clarity is measured through Secchi tests, in which a white disk the size of a dinner plate is lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. Monika Winder, a research scientist with the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, said that the test is done twice a month, and the researchers test several spots in the lake to see how water clarity varies. At 1,644 feet deep, Lake Tahoe is the 11th deepest lake in the world, so variation is common.

“The Secchi depths – where it disappears – varies in Lake Tahoe from 10 meters to 35 meters,” Winder said.

Winder, who is currently researching microorganisms in the lake, said that there has not been much long-term research in the area, but that microorganisms like pico-phytoplankton can contribute to low visibility in the water.

“[Microorganisms] are pretty abundant in the lake, and they also may affect water clarity,” Winder said.

Lakes like Lake Tahoe go through a process of “mixing” every three or four years when there have been late winter storms with winds strong enough to mix the water column all the way to the lake’s floor. Lake Tahoe has a water column of 500 meters (1,600 feet). The mixing process can lead to lower water clarity since nearby pollution can run into the lake.

“The warming of the lake results in a resistance to mixing, since warm water does not mix as easily as cold water,” Goldman said. “This is a particularly interesting year to follow since I believe we had a complete mix but so far have not experienced high runoff.”

Winder said mixing has occurred less frequently at Lake Tahoe due to global climate change. While the lack of recent runoff is good for the lake, the increasing temperature is changing the composition of the lake.

“One qualifying aspect of this ‘good news’ from Tahoe is the fact that the lake has warmed appreciably in the last 30 years. The surface waters a full 4 degrees and the whole water column 1 degree,” Goldman said.

Winder said the change in temperature may be leading to an increase in smaller-sized plankton, a population also affected by the mixing process.

More than $500 million has been invested by federal, state and local agencies, as well as by homeowners and businesses to reduce runoff into Lake Tahoe. In 1997, President Clinton called attention to the issue of pollution in Lake Tahoe, leading to state funding from California and Nevada and federal funding for the Environmental Improvement Program to reduce pollution in the lake. Efforts have also been made by organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to conserve Lake Tahoe.

John Mobourn, water resource specialist with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, works with the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition to educate home and business owners about limiting erosion and runoff into the lake. Mobourn said the report from UC Davis shows that these programs have had a positive impact.

“For the first time, we have sound scientific evidence to show that all these projects are making a difference,” Mobourn said.

MADELINE McCURRY SCHMIDT can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.XXX

Stomp Fest returns to Freeborn Hall

Campus News

Campus Editor

May 21, 2008

The festivities for Black Family week ended Sunday with Stomp Fest, an annual stepping competition at UC Davis. The competition between historically African American sororities and fraternities across the state was held at Freeborn Hall.

Stepping is rhythmic foot-stepping, spoken word and hand clapping with or without music. The body is used to produce a beat, though groups may also use props like umbrellas, canes or staffs.

“Stepping has been going on with the African American community since the early 1900s,” said Vernon Bennett, a junior African American and African studies and psychology double major at UC Davis.

Bennett worked to promote Stomp Fest and said he expected about 300 to 400 attendees Sunday.

While Freeborn Hall was not filled to capacity for Stomp Fest, the room was busy with groups stepping in the aisles before the show started. KDVS 90.3 FM DJ Bigg Al Jonson played music for the crowd to dance and step to. Comedian E. Clark was the host of the show and opened by calling out the different sororities and fraternities in the audience.

Alumna Ashley McLemore, who graduated from UC Davis with a degree in sociology, volunteered at Stomp Fest. She said the energy of the crowd is important to the step teams.

“If they [the teams] are feeling it, then the crowd’s going to be feeling it, and that makes them want to give it their all,” McLemore said.

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., a joint sorority from California State University, Long Beach and UCLA, won the Long Beach Step Show in April and came to Davis to compete Sunday.

“Everybody that’s stepping is our competition because we’re trying to win,” said Adriana Gooch, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho, before the show.

Sigma Gamma Rho won first place in the sorority division. Zeta Phi Beta, and Delta Sigma Theta, a team from UC Davis, won second place and third place respectively.

In the fraternity division, Phi Beta Sigma, a team made up of members from California State University, Sacramento and UC Davis, won first place. Second place went to Kappa Alpha Phi, and Iota Phi Theta won third place.

“It felt great,” said Phi Beta Sigma member Alaendu Okiefa about placing first. Okiefa graduated from UC Davis with a degree in exercise biology.

Okiefa said his team has also performed in Sacramento and the Long Beach Step Show, but this is the first time he has placed first in competition. He became involved in stepping because it is a tradition in his fraternity.

“We were one of the first Greek Letter organizations that implemented [stepping] as an art form,” Okiefa said.

Stomp Fest was put on by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. It has been an annual event at UCD for more than 30 years.

MADELINE McCURRY SCHMIDT can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.

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