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UC Davis professor gets seat on Davis School Board

Features

Features Editor

December 2, 2014

On Nov. 4 at local restaurant Tucos, over 40 people attended Madhavi Sunder’s election night party, celebrating the final day of her campaign for a seat on the Davis School Board.

Attendees mingled with one another while watching the results roll in on a wall projection, and many thought it was obvious that Sunder was the winner. On Nov. 12, at 12:22 p.m., the Yolo Elections Office officially announced that Sunder won the seat for the school board, with 11,030 votes in her favor.

A professor at the UC Davis School of Law, author and active community member, Sunder felt she was an ideal candidate for the school board. Since her campaign kicked off on March 19, Sunder has organized a large number of events and visited each school in the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD). Orange lawn signs labeled “Sunder for Schools” were ubiquitous in Davis.

“Some people are clueless and they don’t really know how to get things done, and [Sunder] did,” said former Davis Senior High School PTA president Laurie Rollins, who endorsed Sunder. “She zeroed in on issues that needed changing.”

The main cornerstones in Sunder’s campaign were opportunities, diversity and leadership, which can be all boiled down to her mission to make education accessible for all children. On her campaign’s website, Sunder said that she hopes to emphasize STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics – geared education.

In 2005, Sunder was also responsible for naming a local charter school, Korematsu Elementary School, after 1940s Japanese Civil rights hero Fred Korematsu. (Calvin Covell, the mayor of Davis at the time, lead a city council ordinance which was unanimously held that no Japanese Americans could come back to Davis even after the end of World War II. Since Korematsu’s case against Japanese internment went all the way to the Supreme Court, Sunder thought he would serve as a good role model for children, encouraging them to stand up when they thought something was wrong.)

Time spent in the classroom, Sunder believes, helps her empathize with the needs of teachers, and the culmination of her past experiences has helped prepare her for her role on the school board.

“I know what it means to get a classroom full of students excited,” Sunder said. “I know what diversity in the classroom and faculty means, and the benefits of that.”

Kevin Johnson, dean of the UC Davis School of Law, also backed Sunder’s aptitude in the classroom, noting how many of her students liked her accessibility as an instructor and her down-to-earth style of teaching. Some of these students were also involved with the campaign and attended events, including her election night party.

Johnson was also part of the faculty that helped hire Sunder at the UC Davis Law School over 10 years ago and thought Sunder had amazing potential as a teacher, scholar and community member.

“I talked with Professor Sunder about [running for the School Board] and I know she is very devoted to public schools and has been very active in the public schools,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have any sort of reluctance to offer my support for her candidacy, so it was pretty quick.”

Even after Rollins left the Davis High School’s PTA once her son graduated, she still felt invested in the DJUSD. She found Sunder’s Facebook campaign page and began to research more about her candidacy, and found Sunder to be the best option out of the eight candidates running.

Rollins said she believes Sunder was thinking about the bigger picture, saying the one thing she learned after being a part of something like the PTA or the school board is that it is not wise to merely be working for the benefit of your children.

“She’s smart and organized and she knew the school districts and she knew the issues and how to get support for all types of kids,” Rollins said. “[It’s about] kids across town, in different areas, all across the economic spectrum, learning styles and language skills — it’s everybody. It’s a little town, but it’s complex bunch of kids.”

This Week in Senate: Nov 21

Campus Editor

December 2, 2014

ASUCD Vice President Maxwell Kappes presided over the Senate meeting held on Nov. 21 in the Mee Room of the Memorial Union.

After quorum roll call, Senator Janesh Gupta began the discussion of asking senate to remove a current senator who is unable to attend meetings and serve on his post. Senator Katherine Sherman proposed appointing a new senator in the following meeting. The discussion was postponed until further notice.

Sherman motioned to move into committee reports. Senator Eugenia Chung brought to attention that the Media Board committee of ASUCD is still seeking five new students to join their team.

Senate discussed a possible conflict of interest case in which a student appointed by senate to the voting board of the Student Services and Fees Administrative Advisory Committee also assumed the position of Assistant to the Chancellor. Senator Mariah Watson argued that the student had resigned the voting board in the summer before his work with the chancellor, and she voted to deliberate on this matter at another time.

Senate moved into discussing legislation and passed Senate Bill No. 18. The bill, authored and introduced by Senator Gareth Smythe, creates the Promise for Education Scholarship Special Committee in order to promote scholarship opportunities and award scholarship money to selected students.

During public discussion, senator Robyn Huey introduced a group of students who condemned the tuition raise and were working on proposing a bill that night to express student denunciation of the tuition increase. The legislation was still undergoing the legislative process and would be further discussed at the next meeting.

During Ex-Officio reports, ASUCD members mentioned that they had successful interviews for the Dream Committee project.

Senate then moved into consideration of old legislation. Senate Bill No. 21, introduced by senator Amelia Helland, proposed correction of Senate Bill No. 79, the bill that allocated funds from KDVS reserves to buy and install a microwave studio-to-transmitter link for the YOLO transmission tower. The amount of money allocated was $3,000 lower than the requested and approved amount. SB 21 was passed and the miscalculation will be corrected.

During presentations and appointments, Senate appointed a new chair member for the Student Health and Wellness Committee.

The chair of the Student and Police Relations committee gave a presentation imploring ASUCD to provide representation for student and police relations in senate. He also introduced plans of organizing and holding a conference to strengthen the relation between the UC Davis Police Department, the City of Davis Police Department and students.

Senate also discussed Senate Resolution No. 5, which calls upon the administration of UC Davis to accommodate for the growing needs of Muslim students through infrastructural upgrades on campus, such as meditation spaces and foot-washing facilities utilized for ablution.

Fresh Focus provides students with campus-grown produce

Campus Editor

December 2, 2014

For the first time in its three-year history, The Pantry is now offering fresh produce as part of its Fresh Focus collaboration with the UC Davis Student Farm. Fresh Focus is a collaborative effort between The Pantry and the Student Farm at UC Davis to combat food waste and food insecurity on campus.

The Pantry is an on-campus food bank where students have access to basic food items and toiletries, and by presenting a valid UC Davis ID, students can select up to three items per day. The ASUCD unit has aided students since 2011 with non-perishable items and hygiene essentials, but the Fresh Focus program marks the first quarter that fresh produce is available.

Campus-grown fruits and vegetables are harvested by the Student Farm and then sold to Dining Services. Any food that the Dining Commons does not buy, including blemished or misshapen produce, is biked directly over to The Pantry.

“It’s super helpful because a lot of students use us as their sole grocery store, so they haven’t had access to perishable food items,” said Pantry unit director Tara Storm. “Now that we have that for them it’s just increasing their diet.”

The idea emerged when one of the Fresh Focus project’s creators, Nicole Lesnett, was informed by Aggie Grown coordinator Jessica Brown about excess produce from the Student Farm that often goes uneaten.

Surplus crops are left to be composted, which inspired Lesnett to try to eliminate extra waste. Lesnett, who graduated in June, proposed the concept through the Student Farm dialogue — quarterly meetings open to Student Farmers’ questions and suggestions — where a lot of interest built.

“The Student Farm was started by students, so we wanted the program to reflect the desires of students also,” said Student Farm director Mark Van Horn.

The Student Farm has served the UC Davis community since 1977, providing healthy food, in-field experience for student employees and volunteers, as well as internships and courses.

Under former director Shinna Kim, The Pantry applied for Dining Service’s Go Green grant to pursue the sustainable project and received $1,500 in funding.

The grant proposal targeted the connection between learning and adequate food consumption.

“Healthy and nutritious food will not only help students live healthier lives, but provide energy for them to think more clearly and perform better in school,” Kim said. “We want to empower students who are going through financially difficult times. I hope our classmates know that we are truly here for them and no student has to face this economic struggle alone.”

Fresh Focus is entirely green, delivering produce by bike and composting any untaken fruits and vegetables. The wide range of produce biked over to The Pantry includes varieties such as eggplant, kale, peppers, grapes and brussell sprouts, varying by season.

Kiko Barr, one of the program developers and Aggie Grown coordinator for Dining Services, collects and delivers to The Pantry twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

“It’s not right for students to be food insecure,” Barr said. “I hope we can get more manpower behind it and expand it.”

Students show high demand for fresh produce, as The Pantry often runs out of stock before 6:00 p.m.

The Pantry recently hired an intern who will be responsible for delivering and maintaining a relationship with the Student Farm.

“I think it’s amazing that one problem can help solve another, and that the outcome is fresh, nutritious, sustainably produced produce for fellow students,” Lesnett said. “I also hope that programs like Fresh Focus can be replicated at other universities, or even within other interested communities.”

Review: The Morgue’s Instagon House Show

Uncategorized

ASUCD IT

December 1, 2014

The Davis house show scene is a bit of a mixed bag. Really, the only certainties are that PBR cans will be littered about and the location will be far from the center of town (and its many sound ordinances). In the past, I’ve been thrown into walls by eager moshers, nodded my head to smooth and sweet acoustic sets, and sat on the floor, eyes closed, absorbing transcendent tunes.

At The Morgue this past weekend, Instagon, Suzuki Junzo, Chopstick, and Mulva Myiasis with the Duchess and Friends treated listeners to an improvisational, experimental evening.

The audience stood and sat this time around. The tapestries, freaky art and fake spiders decorating the walls of the living room were illuminated by soft, warm lighting and the performers jammed on top of ornate rugs.

The show opened with Mulva Myiasis (Noa Ver, second-year transfer technocultural studies major) on her homemade synthesizers (the Duchess and Friends). The synthesizers themselves were beautiful, neatly packaged inside of decorated tins.

Homemade synthesizers represent a bit of a challenge to master, as amateur circuit hacking has the capability to produce crazy sounds that shouldn’t exist. Ver demonstrated that she and the Duchess were on good terms, however, and set the tone with her electronic intro.

Next to the the stage was Instagon #688, featuring Suzuki Junzo on guitar. The bassist, Lob, led each song through a mostly improvisational progression, employing a number of effect pedals spread before him in a fan. Their sound was fluid, varying from funky psychedelic beach punk to noise rock and back again.The drumming and bass were tight, and they played off each other to give a generous undercurrent for Junzo, who supplied an overlay of psychedelic noise guitar.

When Junzo fingerpicked or strummed specific chords, the guitar was a welcome addition. At others, he pressed a screwdriver to the strings or gave an intense, quick, loose strumming, which both produced a high-pitched, dissonant, noisy effect.

While Instagon is one of the more prominent local noise bands, the shrill dissonance by Junzo left me wanting for a larger focus on the bass and drums, which were absolutely stellar together. The improvisation did even out by the end of the set, with Instagon eliciting cheers from the audience with its closer.

Artists are more free to experiment and improvise when playing a venue the size of a living room and kitchen, and the artist/audience interaction is obviously more intimate.

Sometimes, this means more interaction than simply sitting at the artist’s feet.

As Chopstick took the stage with his theremin, he apologized to the living room, saying, “I drank the coffee in the fridge… so if that was yours, I’m sorry.”

He proceeded to play tunes he named Stolen Coffee and Stolen Coffee No. 2.

The theremin itself was a first for any house show I have attended. The spooky no-touch instrument creates a plane of sound waves between two antennas. Chopstick’s technique employed one hand manipulating the pitch in the air above the theremin, while the other adjusted knobs on an accessory that changed the volume. The set began on lower register oscillations that developed into pulsating, synth-like melodies and ghost-like wails.

The performance teetered between the trancey outer space sounds and a ’80s horror film soundtrack. At one point, the entire room was buzzing and pulsating with sound that was a dead ringer for a biplane propellor.

While nontraditional, the performance was technically very cool, and the instrument produced higher register caterwauling that I wasn’t sure existed before seeing the show. Plus, now I know exactly what it will sound like right before I’m abducted by aliens.

As the tour closer, Junzo took the stage again as a solo guitar act, this time using his pedals to loop and progress his sound. His Steinberger-style guitar was subjected to a violin’s bow, the flat side of a screwdriver and a small, cylindrical piece of metal in between traditional strumming and picking.

The manipulation of the strings by different objects produced an interesting, if not slightly painful effect. The screwdriver caused the guitar to find shrill and peculiar highs. During one moment of his progression, Junzo squealed the instrument into a segment of extremely high pitch, causing me to want for earplugs — but miraculously (and perhaps as a result of hearing loss and the auditory hallucinations that I assume follow), on the other end of shrieking melody came a remarkable chorus of what I swear sounded like human voices, which wouldn’t be possible with traditional playing techniques.

Witnessing experimentation and improvisation from some seriously talented performers in a very small space is what makes house shows so unique.

With the theremin, synthesizers and creative guitar manipulation, The Morgue’s latest show was certainly the weirdest thing I’ve seen in a long time, and I’m glad for it.

UC Davis students gather to protest Ferguson grand jury verdict

Campus Editor

November 25, 2014

UC Davis students gather to protest Ferguson grand jury verdict

At 12:00 p.m. on Nov. 25, a few hundred students gathered next to the Coffee House (CoHo) to protest a grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson yesterday. Wilson, a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, in August, sparking mass protests in Ferguson and throughout the country.

The 12-person grand jury began deliberating in August before releasing its verdict yesterday, Nov. 24. Following the verdict, demonstrations and protests broke out across the nation, including large ones in Los Angeles and Oakland.

At UC Davis today, students of all ethnicities began filling up the walkway between the CoHo and the Quad close to noon. Protesters, some crying and some holding posters reading “Black Lives Matter” and “How many does it take?”, outlined their bodies on the ground in chalk and chanted “Holler back! I got your back!”

Next, protest leaders, including ASUCD senator Mariah Watson, led the crowd in singing the “Life Every Voice and Sing” and “Lean on Me.”

Ed Muo, a fourth-year biochemistry and molecular biology major, read an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. He called for people to wear black this Friday and to not spend money on “Black Friday” to illuminate the power of the “black dollar.”

“It’s a human rights issue,” Muo said. “Do not be oblivious to what’s around you.”

Tia Williams, a second-year human development major, acknowledged the African-American men in the crowd and addressed them with a powerful message of warning: “It’s open season on your lives.”

Follow The Aggie online for more updates regarding future protests.

— Scott Dresser

Davis firefighters distribute Thanksgiving food baskets, despite rising food costs

City Editor

November 25, 2014

For the past two weeks, Davis Firefighters Local 3494 (Local 3494) stood on traffic partitions at the 5th street intersection near Central Park with empty firefighter boots and signs asking passersby to donate money to fund their Thanksgiving basket drive. This year, however, the firefighters experienced a shortfall in donations and had to supplement their budget with a second fill-the-boot fundraiser.

Local 3494 has given away baskets filled with the necessities for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for those in need for the past 28 years.

“We’ve never had to turn anyone away and I’m hoping the same for this year. There have been years where it’s been pretty close. Right at the end there were one or two families left and the firefighters all reached into their pockets and we were able to get the food for those families as well,” said Bobby Weist, president of Local 3494.

Although Weist was unsure of the number of baskets the firefighters were planning on distributing this year, in previous years they have given out between 750-800 baskets.

Each basket typically cost the firefighters $20-$25. This buys each family a 12-15 pound turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits.

“Like everything else, the price of food has really gone up the past few years,” said Weist.

To help cover the cost of the baskets in addition to the money raised from the fill-the-boot fundraiser, local businesses have made contributions to the cause. Davis Waste Removal and Dos Coyotes have made sizable monetary donations. Safeway provided a lot of the food for the baskets for a discounted price and Whole Foods donated $1,800 in side dishes.

According to Luis Parrilla of Local 3494, the group has raised a total of $13,500, however the cost of all of the baskets is predicted to be $15,000 as reported by the Davis Enterprise.

In addition to providing side dishes for the baskets, Whole Foods will also be providing Thanksgiving dinner for the on-duty officers on Thanksgiving Day.

“It was really important to us that they have a nice holiday as well,” said Lauren Routh, marketing and community relations team leader of Whole Foods.

This year, Whole Foods reached out to the Davis Fire Department to partner with them in the holiday season.

“We didn’t even know about it, it was a bit of a last minute reaching out, but hopefully we can work with some of our vendors to get full donations [next year] because we know this is a big monetary constraint for the firefighters,” Routh said.

Safeway is a large provider of the food for the Thanksgiving baskets, delivering ten pallets of food to the firefighters for assembly into baskets.

“We truly appreciate the work of our firefighters and the opportunity to support their great work in the community,” said Keith Turner, director of public and government affairs for Safeway.

The firefighters don’t advertise their baskets; people find out by word of mouth and come from all over the county to receive one. Nothing pre-qualifies the recipients of the Thanksgiving baskets — all they have to do is call in advance to put their name on a list.

The tradition began in 1986 when a young woman and her baby came to the firehouse inquiring where they could get a Thanksgiving dinner. At the time no service of the sort was being provided to the community so the Davis firefighters stepped up to the plate.

“Ws there’s a need we’re going to try and fill that,” Weist said.

Local 3494 takes donations all year for this cause and all proceeds go to filling the baskets. Weist said that if there is rollover it will go towards the baskets for the next year, however they have never had rollover funds.

All donations can be sent to P.O. Box 896 Davis, CA 95617 or dropped off at any of the Davis firehouses.

Aggie football ends season in loss

Sports Editor

November 25, 2014

UC Davis football concluded its 2014 season with a heart-breaking loss to rival Sacramento State, 41-30. The Aggies led the Hornets by three points in the fourth quarter after senior running back Colton Silveria caught a 34-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Ben Scott to give the Aggies a 30-27 lead. Sacramento State, however, prevailed and came back to win the game.

The Aggies finished their season with a 2-9 overall records, including 1-7 in Big Sky play. The Hornets end their season with a 7-5 overall record and 4-4 in the conference. This was the first time that Sacramento State claimed a victory over the Aggies since 2009.

Sacramento State scored twice in the fourth quarter to defeat UC Davis. With seven minutes remaining, Jordan Robinson received a 21-yard pass from quarterback Garrett Safron to put the Hornets up by four. Sacramento State regained possession of the ball once again and scored off of a 22-yard run from De’Jon Coleman. Both of these touchdown drives stemmed from Aggie turnovers, a fumble and an interception, respectively.

Scott threw three interceptions, but also threw for 240 yards on 22 receptions, including three touchdowns. Scott threw to 10 different receivers, with six of them finishing with at least 30 yards. Senior running back Gabe Manzanares led the Aggies in the running game with 161 yards on 23 carries. Manzanares was also the top receiver, gaining 44 yards and a touchdown reception.

Despite the loss, the coaching staff was pleased with the players’ performance on the field.

“I’m proud [of] how the guys competed, overall,” said UC Davis head coach Ron Gould. “I’m very, very pleased with the effort, but execution was poor, especially in the fourth quarter. Because of that we came up short today.”

In spite of losing, UC Davis gained more total yards than Sacramento State, 463 total yards for the Aggies and 448 for the Hornets.

Safron led the Hornets with 288 yards and four touchdowns in the win in 25 completions. DeAndre Carter led the Sacramento State receiving corps with 121 yards and a touchdown in nine receptions. Robinson led the running game with 66 yards in 19 carries.

Senior linebacker Steven Pitts, who led the defense with four tackles, expressed disappointment in losing the rivalry game.

“It definitely hurts,” Pitts said. “We’re a good team. We just didn’t put our best foot forward today. Ultimately, they made plays when they needed to make plays.”

The Aggies ended the 2014 season after completing the most difficult schedule in UC Davis history. The Aggie faced four teams that were ranked in the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Series top 25 rankings. UC Davis also played against Stanford, who was ranked 11th in the preseason Associated Press poll.

This week in women’s sports

Sports

Sports Editor

November 25, 2014

Basketball (1-2):

UC Davis @ Sac. State (W, 90-82)

UC Davis vs. Saint Mary’s (L, 57-55)

In the same week that UC Davis football faced off in the Causeway Classic, the women’s basketball team headed to Sacramento to take on Sac State. The Aggies came back with a victory, defeating their rival 90-82. Senior forward Sydnee Fipps played a strong game, finishing with 26 points, four rebounds and three steals. Junior forward Alyson Doherty, a key kog moving forward, made her season preview after struggling with a knee injury from last season.

The Aggies returned to their home-court on Nov. 22 to face a feisty Saint Mary’s squad. UC Davis held a slight lead through much of the game, but fell by two after a Saint Mary’s jump shot fell through the net with just 1.8 seconds left. The Aggies shot 44 percent from the field, compared to the Gaels 39.6 percent, but allowed their opponent to pick up 15 offensive rebounds.

The basketball team will have their next three games at home before embarking on a five game road trip.

Swimming & Diving:

Wildcat Diving Invitational

The UC Davis diving team took a trip to University of Arizona to take part in the Wildcat Diving Invitational. On the first day, the Aggies made their mark as junior Hannah Tears and sophomore Serena Yee tied for fourth in the 3-meter Consolation Finals.

Yee continued to impress, finishing fourth in the 1-meter Consolation Finals. Junior Lucy LaFranchise led the Aggies, finishing third. On the last day, multiple Aggies finished in the top-15 in Platform Diving. LaFranchise led the Aggies with a seventh place finish, junior Audrey Deneffe finished eighth, while Tears and freshman Angelina Proshak finished in 11th and 13th place respectively.

The diving team will now have the entire month of December off, while the swimming team will visit Texas for the Texas Invitational on Dec. 4.

Volleyball (15-13):

UC Davis vs. No. 18 Long Beach State (L, 3-0)

UC Davis vs. CSU Northridge (L, 3-0)

After a strong five-game win streak, the Aggies have lost their last two matches. No. 18 Long Beach State came to the Pavilion on Nov. 20, defeating UC Davis in straight sets, 25-17, 25-23, 25-19. Junior Holland Seymour, who received her first starting nod, tied a career high with 13 kills. The Aggies led the first set briefly, before Long Beach scored 14 out of the last 17 points. From there, the tone had been set and UC Davis struggled to remain competitive.

The Aggies came into their Senior Night game against CSU Northridge hoping to put together a better match than their loss to Long Beach State. Instead, UC Davis was once again swept with scores 25-14, 25-19, 25-23.

The night honored five seniors who will be leaving the team after their last game on Nov. 29 at Hawai’i.

Graphic by Andrew Li

UC Davis and Saint Mary’s battle to the finish

Sports

Sports Editor

November 25, 2014

Fans were certainly kept on the edge of their seats watching UC Davis play Saint Mary’s on Saturday in The Pavilion. The two teams exchanged the lead 17 times throughout the game and had 10 ties, the last of which was broken in the final 28 seconds.

Senior guard Kelsey Harris started the Aggies off strong, scoring a three-pointer early contributing to the Aggies’ initial 8-point lead. Of UC Davis’ first 5 makes, 4 were three-pointers, showing the team’s strength on long range shots.

Harris scored a season high of 15 points on five three-pointers, while junior forward Alyson Doherty also reached double digits, adding 14 points, three rebounds, and three blocks in 27 minutes. After the game, Harris noted that having Doherty, who was previously laid-up from an injury, back on the court has been very helpful, especially since Doherty has “really improved on her passing and she can still score”.

Consecutive baskets between Doherty and Harris put the Aggies ahead slightly, 27-26, going into half-time. As the second half kicked-off, the nail-biting performance continued as the team’s exchanged the lead six times in just eight minutes. Junior forward Lauren Beyer’s three-pointer brought the Aggies their largest lead for the second half.

In the words of head coach Jennifer Gross, Beyer’s overall performance, in which she finished with 9 points on 4-of-6 from the floor in 11 minutes, made her “a huge spark off the bench for [the Aggies] today.”

Gross also noted that playing Beyer and Doherty together could be highly beneficial to the team.

“They are both very, very productive…they give us more size inside, they give us two people that can shoot more in the paint.” said Gross.

With just 7:23 left in the game, senior forward Sydney Fipps made a three-pointer, regaining the lead for the Aggies. Two ties and three lead changes over the next five minutes led to a heated finish in which a Saint Mary’s guard scored a two-pointer from just outside the key in the final moments. This 57-55 victory for Saint Mary’s improved their season record to 1-1, while UC Davis’ record dropped to 1-2 overall for the season.

Looking forward, both Gross and Harris acknowledged that the team’s weakness came from their defensive rebounding. Gross stated that her goal for the team is “to be rebounding at a 70 percent clip defensively,” a goal which will take more practice and prioritizing from the players in order to reach.

With their next game coming up on Nov. 26 against Utah Valley, Harris commented that the team will need to “have a short term memory and realize the stuff [they] can take from this game,” not allowing this tough loss to impact their performance this week. The Aggies also play former conference rival University of Pacific, Nov. 29.

This week in men’s sports

Sports

Sports Editor

November 25, 2014

Football (2-9):

UC Davis vs. Sac State (L, 41-30)

The annual football game between Sacramento State and UC Davis – known as the Causeway Classic – heralded the end of the season for the Aggies as they lost 41-30 to the Sac State Hornets, the first time the Hornets have won the Classic since 2009.

The game remained close until the Aggies allowed a 22-yard touchdown run following an interception in the fourth quarter. The loss brings them to a disappointing finish, ending the season 2-9 overall.

15 UC Davis seniors were honored during the game against the Hornets, as it was their last collegiate game.

Basketball (3-0):

UC Davis @ Eastern Illinois (W, 63-61)

UC Davis @ Furman (W, 58-55)

Holding off the EIU Panthers through the last seconds of the game, the Aggies won on the road by two points in exceptionally exciting fashion. Held in Charleston, Illinois, the game was the first time Aggies hit the road this season, senior guard Corey Hawkins finished with 28 points – the most of any player.

In the second straight dramatic game, UC Davis beat the Furman Paladins 58-55, bringing the Aggies’ record 3-0 for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. Hawkins led the game once more with a total of 21 points, while junior forward J.T. Adenrele led in rebounds (eight) and junior forward Josh Fox playing his best game yet by scoring 11 points, making 5 of 6 shots. After scoring 5 points against the Paladins, senior guard/forward Josh Ritchart ended the game with a career total of 999 points.

With the next three games at home, the upcoming showdowns against Utah State, Utah Valley and San Jose State promise to be exciting spectacles.

Water Polo (16-17):

UC Davis @ Loyola Marymount (L, 11-9)

UC Davis vs. Cal Baptist (W, 17-10)

Going into the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships this past weekend seeded second, No. 14 UC Davis finished third after losing to No. 17 Loyola Marymount and beating Cal Baptist (the first time since 2009 that they have ended their season with a win). To hear more about the two games, read our article highlighting the tournament here.

Notable achievements include senior Teddy Nicholson and junior Sean Grab each scoring three goals against Cal Baptist. Additionally, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Jake Becker had six saves in his first collegiate game.

Graphic by Andrew Li

UC Davis men’s water polo earn third place in WWPA

Sports

Sports Editor

November 25, 2014

Ranked fourteenth in the nation and second in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) standings, the UC Davis men’s water polo team traveled down to Los Angeles this weekend to compete for the much anticipated WWPA championship title. After falling short of the title last year in the championship game against UC San Diego, the Aggies geared up with a relentless schedule, playing 23 games against top-20 teams within three months, and almost 60 total games between their summer and 2014 season.

“It’s all coming down to this weekend,” said head coach Daniel Leyson, prior to the tournament. “We’ve played more games than most teams in the country. So we’re supposed to use all of this experience to build and put it all together at the end where it really matters.”

Looking for their first championship title in 17 years, UC Davis entered the tournament with glimmers of hope after solid wins against Fresno Pacific and Santa Clara University in the preceding weeks.

Heavy training and a brief winning streak could not prepare the Aggies for a strenuous semifinal, however, as No. 17 Loyola Marymount, host of the tournament, gave the Aggies trouble all afternoon.

Despite a 5-4 lead in the first with goals from freshman Spencer Galli, sophomore Lyle Kipp, and seniors Teddy Nicholson and Michael Wright, and WWPA player of the week, senior Chris Richardson, the Aggies could not keep up with LMU in the second. LMU outscored the Aggies 4-1 in the third quarter and withheld all efforts from the Aggies until the fourth. The Aggies lost 11-9 in this semifinal game.

A chance at the WWPA third place title brought the Aggies to an explosive final performance during Sunday’s consolation game against California Baptist. With hat tricks from senior Teddy Nicholson and junior Sean Grab, the Aggies pulled away from Cal Baptist in the second, and landed a 17-10 win against the RV team. UC Davis officially ended the season on Sunday, with the third place WWPA title.

LMU advanced to the championship final to face sixth ranked, and tournament favorite, UCSD on Sunday. Despite enthusiastic efforts from the host team, UCSD cruised to first place for the third time in three years, defeating LMU 12-6. UCSD once again received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in December.

Tuition increase

Opinion

November 25, 2014

Beginning Nov. 18, the campus has once again erupted in protest. Exactly three years removed from the infamous pepper spray incident that marred the relationship between UC Davis students and administration. Most recently, the focus lies on the decision by the University of California administration to pass a proposed tuition increase over the next five years.

This tuition hike is the result of a struggle between the UC Board of Regents and the California State Government. The UC Regents, led by UC President Janet Napolitano, are well aware of the state’s low funding of the UC system. Napolitano and her council, while not explicitly saying so, determined that the best option for forcing the state into action was raising tuition and creating an uproar among the UC community. For these reasons, the UC Regents have decided to stop resorting to temporary solutions and take a stance.

Brown, meanwhile, established his reputation as an influential governor by making difficult choices and righting the California budget after years of mistreatment. The governor and his staff claim to have been blindsided by the tuition hike, feeling that there are other cost-cutting measures that have been left unexplored. In their opinion, it is not an issue of lack of funds but rather a misappropriation of where UC funding goes.

These two arguments, however, are petty exercises in the blame-game. The focus of complaints, instead, must be on the decision by both organizations to force students to once again shoulder an increasingly heavy load that should be put elsewhere. The UC system and the California government must stop abusing those who are most easily victimized. For years, students have been forced to bear the brunt of squabbling and poor decision-making by these two parties. Tuition for the 2001-02 school year was $3,429. Since then, it has almost quadrupled and could be as high as $15,564 by 2019-20 under the newly passed proposal.

This new plan uses UC students as pawns in a much larger game of leverage, something that cannot continue to happen. The governor must begin to prioritize higher education in the budgeting process, an ideal that was abandoned long ago. Likewise, the UC system needs to start making some difficult choices that do not involve increasing the burden on students. Most of all, each party needs to begin to do its job better without making it more difficult for students to get a quality education by, for example, allocating funds more appropriately. By job description, the UC Regents are supposed to “serve as trustees for the people of the State of California.” Right now, they are failing current and future generations of California students by seriously indebting those in pursuit of an education.

Meanwhile, we commend UC Davis students for taking an active stance against this injustice. As students, we have to work much harder to exercise our collective voice, compared to the UC Board of Regents and California government. The protests and sit-ins over the past week have done a great job forcing the student voice into a debate that has otherwise ignored and victimized it. The California Aggie Editorial Board encourages students to continue peacefully protesting the new tuition hike. Even further, we recommend that all students engage our university administration in a healthy, continuous dialogue so that university administrators and our state government are held accountable for acting on our behalf.

Graphic by Evan Lilley

“The Art of DAS-eption”

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

November 25, 2014

The Dead Arts Society (DAS) is back in business this season with a brand new showcase. Titled “The Art of DAS-eption,” this fall’s production will feature nine original standalone scenes, including an African dance piece. The performances will take place on Dec. 4 and 5 at Lab A in Wright Hall.

According to DAS president Kazia Hart, a fourth-year psychology major and theater minor, the fall showcase has a variety of sketches in store, with most centered on the element of deceit.

“For this showcase we have zombie apocalypses, romantic comedies, murder mysteries and more,” Hart said.

The theater club has been preparing for the showcase’s debut since the beginning of Fall Quarter. Preparation involves the devising of scenes, writing workshops, acting auditions and hours of rehearsal. Despite the intense preparation process, DAS offers students theater experience without the pressing time commitment typical of drama programs.

Lauren Anderson, a third-year socio-cultural anthropology major, acts in DAS to break from her academic curriculum.

“Being in DAS is a really fun, creative outlet,” Anderson said. “I’m really glad that it exists; I don’t know if I’d have time to do any theater courses here.”

For fourth-year computer science major Joel Fischbein, DAS allows him to pursue his studies and his pastimes.

“I’ve always wanted to [get involved in] acting, but never got to because I’d take other courses or electives,” Fischbein said. “[DAS] gives me a chance to get into acting and develop my skills, while also attending to other commitments.”

DAS welcomes students of all majors and all levels of experience. Students are in control of the trade they pursue in the club, whether it is acting, directing or writing. Any student interested in theater thus has the opportunity to gain skills in the field of their choosing.

For third-year Christina Muto, a clinical nutrition major, directing in DAS has allowed her to exercise her creativity in new ways.

“It’s very interesting working with [a piece written by somebody else], trying to make it your own and putting it into your vision,” Muto said.

Overall, DAS makes theater accessible to the entire UC Davis community. The club even offers features lacking in the Department of Theatre of Dance, such as an outlet for writing plays and getting them performed.

Leah Daugherty, a third-year English major, expressed appreciation for such opportunities provided by DAS.

“With DAS, I have learned playwriting techniques and made so many great friends,” Daugherty said.

Experiences in DAS also go beyond developing theater skills. For Alexandra Irvin, a third-year biological anthropology major, acting in DAS this quarter has brought her out of her shell.

“It’s fun at the end of the day to not have to worry about being a perfect student and just be a crazy person for an hour,” Irvin said.

Whether you prefer being behind the scenes, on stage or in the audience, DAS considers all aspects of the UC Davis student body.

To learn more about DAS and this fall’s showcase, please email deadartssociety@gmail.com.

Aggie Style Watch

Arts & Culture

Arts Editor

November 25, 2014

For this week’s edition of Aggie Style Watch I spoke with Nnedy Obiwuru, a fourth-year international relations major from Los Angeles. Her style incorporates a mix of classic and versatile neutrals with colorful thrift store finds. It was clear to me that Obiwuru takes exceptional care in selecting pieces for an outfit, so I asked her a few questions about her fashion aspirations.

Can you tell me about what you have chosen to wear today?

This is a patterned top I bought from some thrift store when I was in middle school. It’s an old piece, one I like to wear once every two months. These pants I found for about $5 at the TJ Maxx in Davis. They were a steal! I love TJ Maxx. The shoes are from justfab.com — they were my pick of the month, and something about them told me I just [had] to have them; and then [I have on this] hat because otherwise my hair would [have] been a disaster.

What about your jewelry?

These rings I wear everyday: this is my Pi Phi ring, and this one was a gift for my 21st birthday. I like to keep my jewelry simple. I always wear studs. [I believe that] if you keep your jewelry constant, it makes your outfit variations a lot more noticeable — same jewlery, different clothes.

Describe your style in three words.

Black, white and rainbow. I love minimal clothing with a lot of black and white. I’ll wear black pants and a neutral jacket, but then I like to incorporate random pops of color with tops like this one.

Who are your style muses and why?

Aimee Song, I follow her on Instagram. She’s a blogger and an interior designer. Everything she wears I would wear. [I admire] how she puts the pieces together. Also, I’m Nigerian and my mom is very stylish. I like to incorporate a lot of tribal, cultural patterns into my everyday wear.

What is your favorite item in your wardrobe and why?

I have this button-up dalmation-print top that I bought at a thrift store prior to coming to Davis. I used to wear it a lot my freshman year. Being from L.A., coming to Davis [was a big transition]. The style is very different here, so I was very nervous [I was] dressing too loudly. In Davis everyone wears North Face jackets. I feel like the top is the epitome of my style; it’s black and white and yet it still has a lot of personality to it because of the way it’s cut.

What are your plans for after Davis?

After Davis, I am going to FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A. I hope to study merchandising and become a buyer or an allocator. I want to travel and live in the community for a few weeks and observe what people are wearing in order to report back to my merchandising team with a trend forecast. I love the business side of fashion, and I also want to do more hands-on work.

How do you articulate your personality and sense of self through the clothing and accessories you wear?

I am weird and I dress for my mood; I can’t plan out outfits ahead of time. Because I do keep my pieces for a long time and circulate them throughout my wardrobe, I am very good at knowing which piece fits a certain mood. It gives me a better sense of confidence. You’ll never catch me in sweatpants. My clothes are an extension of my personality.

Aggie Style Watch would like to wish Obiwuru best of luck in all her fashion career endeavors, and extend a special thanks for offering up her insights into her unique personal style.

Photos by Jennifer Wu

Album Review: Through the Glass by Kaz Mirblouk

Uncategorized

The California Aggie

November 25, 2014

I got my first impression of Kaz Mirblouk’s music in a cramped, upstairs makeshift bedroom in San Francisco. I was there for a house show, but it felt more like a labyrinth with its lack of light, closed-in walls and winding staircase. The room was the finish line, the prize in the game, but it felt more like a dead end. As one would in a labyrinth, I felt unsettled, that is, until the music started and everything started to make sense.

It’s not that the place got any cozier or that my spontaneous case of claustrophobia went away. Something about Mirblouk’s music just complimented the scene so well, and in the best way possible. Hearing Mirblouk’s music in that sort of space just felt right. I stopped caring about my surroundings. Everything was how it was supposed to be: simple and personal.

Recently, Mirblouk put out his first official studio release, a five-song EP titled Through the Glass. The album features Mirblouk, a fellow Aggie, on vocals, guitar and bass, along with Joey Kaufman on drums. Similar to hearing Mirblouk live, Through the Glass is an escape to a new state of mind—one riled up with energy, unabashed honesty and solid rock ‘n’ roll.

The opening track, “Running Places,” starts the album off with rage-ridden, blood-boiling energy. The brooding guitar riffs tactfully personify what the lyrics demand, which is the need to be understood, the need to find a sense of self: “While you’re standing, I’m sinking. / You don’t know what I’m thinking. / You got me running places, / running places I can’t hide.”

“Anything” turns the album’s attitude around with a more inviting sound. Its shrill and electrifying guitar riffs give it a feel-good vibe. However, the lyrics are anything but positive: “There’s nothing holding you back, / but now I can’t stand / the sight of you.”

With the next track titled “Lauren,” I honestly expected the album to break from its starting pace. I pictured “Lauren” to be a shoegaze-y ballad—a sweet and sensitive ode to some mysterious being, unknown to us all. Instead, “Lauren” kicks off at high voltage, eventually sojourning in a rad, dreamy breakdown that totally took me by surprise. Though it screams smitten, “Lauren” is not your average love song.

The next two tracks demonstrate Mirblouk and Kaufman’s solid grip on their craft. The second half of “Dancing with the Dead” enters this crazy, climactic guitar part that spirals the song to a punctual end. “Titles // If I Might” then starts off mellow, with both the guitar and drums feeding off each other perfectly, building up to the main part of the song.

The EP comes to an end with the title track. Hazy yet intense, “Through the Glass” pulls you into a different state of mind, easily allowing yourself to get lost in the music. Saving the title track for last was a bittersweet move. For one thing, it puts the cherry on top of what the EP was working toward – that cathartic effect. At the song’s close, I found myself still pining for that lost-in-the-music feel.

Overall, Through the Glass is what it feels like to put a leather jacket on for the first time in forever. It’s an electric shock of confidence. It’s that extra shot of espresso.

Mirblouk’s sound is garage rock in the truest sense. Mirblouk treats his trade like an engine, letting it drive himself and his listeners to a completely different world with sheer acceleration. Seeing him and Kaufman in action is an even bigger treat, for both show no fear of getting their hands dirty and covered with grease to get the rawest results out of their sound.

If you’re looking for something new or something to get your blood pumping, then Through the Glass could be the fix you need. Visit https://www.facebook.com/kaztheband to check out Kaz Mirblouk’s music.

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