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Letter to the Editor: Where’s our money?

Opinion
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Didn’t Gov. Jerry Brown just spend six months on the campaign trail at our college campuses telling students over and over again how Proposition 30 was going to save our schools from some terrible cuts?

Well Prop. 30 passed, and the state government is expected to collect as much as $60 billion in new taxes as a result.

A deal is a deal right? We, the students, helped pass the tax increase but out of the $6 billion that Prop. 30 will bring in this year, the UC schools are only getting $125 million. When you add up all the money going to the UCs, Cal State Universities, community colleges and K-12 schools, public education is getting barely half of all the new tax money.

So why isn’t all that new money going to education as promised and more importantly, where is it going?

Well, Gov. Brown and the Democrats who run the state legislature seem to have forgotten their promise and are spending the money on other pet projects. According to the Governor’s 2013-14 budget:
— $502 million in additional spending per year on state employee raises
— $1.2 billion additional spending per year for Medi-Cal, CalWorks and In-Home Services
— $3.1 billion in additional spending for the Governor’s High Speed Rail Program

California schools have been hit hard in recent years. Budget cuts, tuition jumps and teacher pink slips have become the norm. Prop. 30 was supposed to fix all that.

It is time that we students begin asking the Governor what happened to that promise? When will education truly be a priority? And when can we expect the rest of that money?

Rosie Dale
Fourth-year political science and psychology double major

The Aggie Arcade

Arts Editor
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Always On

I don’t often comment on rumors, speculation or reports with anonymous sources, but sometimes evidence piles up to insurmountable levels and one must address the inevitable. Such is the case with Microsoft’s next-gen console and reports that the system will require a constant internet connection.

We live in a world of rapid technological advances, and yet the internet remains fickle in terms of its reliability. Just last week my connection dropped out for about an hour. The cause? Who knows. It only happens in rare cases on my end, but the annoyance still remains.

I can only imagine the frustration from people with noticeably spotty internet connections and the negative impact that would have on their collective experience with Microsoft’s next-gen console. In fact, that entire audience would have to think long and hard about purchasing the system in the first place.

And what if Microsoft’s own servers are down for maintenance? Do we have no way of playing games on the new console? As someone who mostly enjoys single-player experiences in which internet plays no role, such a notion makes my brain hurt.

Consoles have never ventured into the world of always-on requirements, but games have. The results have been … poor, to put it lightly. Just look at the SimCity debacle from last month — owners went days without being able to access the game because of server issues. The outrage and backlash from the video game community spoke volumes.

The always-on requirement in SimCity displayed a lack of consumer awareness on the part of developer Maxis and publisher Electronic Arts. The same may hold true of Microsoft with its next console, and recent comments from a prominent member of Microsoft Studios emphasizes the disconnect between the company and its audience.

Adam Orth, creative director at Microsoft Studios, took to Twitter last week to address the possibility of an always-on requirement. He posted quite a few quote-worthy lines, but my favorite tweet involved a picture of Obama on the phone, with the words “deal with it” in bold letters at the bottom. Doesn’t Orth realize that such hostile behavior actively alienates the consumer?

I took a quick glance at IGN’s comment section for the news article about Orth’s tweets, and the highest-rated one stuck out: “I can deal with it … by purchasing a PS4.” Say what you will about console biases and internet comment sections, but the user who posted that expresses a reasonable sentiment regarding next-gen consoles. With reported prices of $500+, many individuals will have to choose between Microsoft’s successor to the Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 4. The always-on requirement immediately puts Microsoft at a disadvantage.

Part of me still reserves judgment considering Microsoft has yet to officially unveil its new console. Perhaps the company has a few tricks up its sleeve that will help quell the seemingly negative reports. In the meantime, the video game community’s skepticism continues to grow and persist.

ANTHONY LABELLA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

News in Brief: Northern California Performance Platform

Arts Editor
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On Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Wright Hall, professors, graduate students and arts practitioners from all around Northern California will gather to engage in dialogue and performances relating to urgent conceptual and practical issues at play in performance studies for the annual Northern California Performance Platform.

This year’s platform, involving participants from several university campuses across the San Francisco Bay Area, is centered on the theme “Performance and Crisis.”

The day will consist of a morning keynote panel discussion, afternoon workshops and panels dealing with questions of crisis in performance and methodology, followed by an evening of performances.

Performances and workshops by professors and graduate students will take place in the Main Theater. The first performance will discuss issues relating to apocalypse, the second will be an exploration of the nature of consumption and consumerism via images, narratives and performative moments and the third will be side-by-side performances exploring the formation of identity.

The platform’s success at Stanford last spring prompted the event to be hosted at UC Davis this year.

For more information on the Performance Platform, visit performancestudies.ucdavis.edu.

CRISTINA FRIES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Column: Amanda, please

Arts Editor
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Our favorite childhood comedian is officially back in our lives, returning to entertaining us and keeping our attention. This time, it’s not with her. It’s because of her.

Amanda Bynes, former child actress in “The Amanda Show” and star of popular films such as She’s the Man, Hairspray and Easy A, is up to some suspicious behaviors as of late.

Perhaps the most-buzzed-about action was her tweet to Drake on March 21, in which she mentioned wanting the rapper/actor to essentially destroy her genitals. Not even vulgar comedians like Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin or Chelsea Handler make comments like that.

Her Twitter is fascinating, boasting random thoughts, bursts of selfies and a whole lot of surprisingly immature comments. Her new look, something she posts a lot about, is something to be discussed.

This ex-teen queen was never really critiqued on her looks, to the best of my knowledge. But she demands concern when she dons wigs and weaves that fall off in public, pierces both of her cheeks, paints her lips blue and looks generally intoxicated or under the influence in her self-posted photos.

When did this happen? Has Hollywood influenced the downfall of already successful stars when they aren’t being talked about on a daily basis? I’ve learned in classes that celebrities are often classified as narcissists, needing and longing for attention, as they often have very low self-esteem.

And with this new generation of celebrities seemingly forgoing public relations agents and embarrassing themselves on the Web, it’s now easier than ever to learn about the real thoughts inside of those beautifully made-up heads.

Celebrities go off their rockers every once in a while, scarring their public appearances with controversial quotes and questionable photos. But this time, behaviors cross the line from desperate and attention-seeking to bizarre and erratic.

Not only has Bynes decided to turn into Nicki Minaj 2.0, looks-wise, but she allegedly exhibits mentally insane behavior. Witnesses report that she steals things from beauty salons after blowing up at stylists, mutters to herself at adult gymnastic classes while in fishnets and a wig and smokes an excessive amount of weed.

Bynes has the potential to become some sort of comedic powerhouse, if guided properly and watched over. Someone needs to direct attention this downward spiral of tragic behaviors instead of dissecting the worlds of healthy (just annoying and desperate) celebrities.

More and more it seems like mental illness is appearing in the news, hopefully correctly informing audiences, but also increasing care for those suffering. Even if Bynes isn’t suffering from a mental disorder, I truly hope someone takes the wheel from her. We need more of her raw skill and less of basically 75 percent of Hollywood’s “talent.”

Amanda, please! ELIZABETH ORPINA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Tennis Preview

Sports Editor
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The Aggies have endured all sorts of tough weather this past week, from rain to shine to torrential winds, and will welcome the warm sun that is forecasted this week.

The UC Davis tennis teams will continue their luxurious streak of home matches this week, both hosting several matches at the Marya Welch Tennis Center.

On Friday, the women’s tennis team will continue its six-match home stand with its fourth straight home match. UC Davis will host Pacific at 1:30 p.m. at the same time as the men start their match against Cal Poly.

On the women’s side of this doubleheader, the Aggies will have quite a matchup against the Tigers, who dominated UC Davis in the past until the past couple years. UC Davis, in 2011, beat Pacific for only the second time in head coach Bill Maze’s career at the helm of the Aggies’ program (16 years at the time).

Another win last year added to this total, and the Aggies certainly don’t show any signs that these two years were anything other than an indication of the rise of UC Davis tennis.

The Tigers are 8-11 and 3-4 in conference, but are always a tough team to beat. UC Davis stands right ahead of Pacific, in seventh after their tightly contested 4-3 loss to Hawai’i.

The UC Davis women’s tennis team will then play host to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at noon. The Gauchos are currently 13-6 and 4-2 in the Big West Conference, which puts them in third place.

The Aggies are coming off a very demanding weekend, having played three matches in four days. UC Davis fell to Long Beach State on Friday by a score of 6-1. The 43rd-ranked 49ers are now 7-1 in the Big West after sweeping the doubles point and grabbing five of six singles matches. The Aggies’ lone win came from senior Ellie Edles, who ground out a 6-4, 6-2 win in the fifth-singles slot.

Still, UC Davis bounced back from the loss with a dominating victory over UC Riverside the very next day. The Aggies swept all three matches to take the doubles point, and never slowed in singles competition.

Junior Megan Heneghan sat out for the singles competition, moving everyone up one slot, but the Aggies adjusted just fine. Freshman Tiffany Pham was the first off the court with a 6-1, 6-0 beating of her Highlander opponent, and sophomore Layla Sanders followed soon after with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at the top slot. The only UC Davis loss came from senior Lauren Curry, who went to a third-set tiebreaker but fell 10-5.

On Monday, the Aggies fell in a heartbreaking loss to Hawai’i. The match was rescheduled from April 4, when it rained, but many of the players would rather have played in the wet conditions compared to the windy gusts that flew around the courts.

After dropping the doubles point, the Aggies stormed back to take three of the first four singles matches to finish at five, four and six, respectively. Yet, it was not to be, as the Rainbow Warriors took the final two matches, including the 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 battle in which junior Melissa Kobayakawa fell in the deciding match.

A couple of wins over some tough, but beatable, opponents this weekend could go a long way for the Aggies who are still battling for placement in the Big West Conference Standings.

After the six-match homestand, UC Davis will move on to compete at the Big West Conference Championship tournament in Indian Wells, Calif.

On the men’s side, UC Davis has had its fair share of struggles, having lost three straight 5-2 matches. The Aggies have enjoyed considerable success from newcomer Brett Bacharach in the recent past.

The freshman from Sacramento, Calif., over this span of three losses, has had three doubles wins and two singles wins. Bacharach’s victories over his respective opponents from UT Arlington and Hawai’i were one of only two singles wins that UC Davis was able to manage.

Senior Toki Sherbakov, who has always been reliable for the Aggies, took down the top player from the Rainbow Warriors in a tightly contested 7-5, 7-5 match. He will have quite a task ahead of him when UC Davis faces Cal Poly, the 73rd-ranked team in the country. The Mustangs boast the 22nd-ranked player in the nation in senior Andre Dome.

Cal Poly is currently in fourth place in the conference at 9-8 and 1-1 in league competition.

UC Davis squares off against Cal Poly on Friday at 1:30 p.m., then hosts a tough UC Santa Barbara team Saturday at noon.

The Saturday matchup will show the Gauchos, who are currently 8-9 overall and 1-1 in the Big West, facing off with UC Davis, which stands at 6-9 and 0-2 in conference.

The Aggies will attempt to get themselves a win in the Big West competition, never an easy task with tough teams like these.

MATTHEW YUEN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Don’t pet the pup

Features Editor
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The next time you see a puppy in a green vest, don’t pet it. It might get too excited and lose its job.

Green-vested puppies are part of the Eyes for Others, the only Yolo County guide dog puppy-raisers club currently in existence. At 8 months old, puppies are given to raisers. These volunteers can be as young as elementary school children, and they raise and train the puppies until the pups are about 14 to 17 months old.

The puppies are then sent off to the larger organization, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), for their last and formal training before going out into the world and making life a little easier for the community.

“Our main goal is to get these dogs as comfortable being out in public and around everyday life as possible, so a blind person can feel confident that the dog they get won’t bolt or run them into a car,” said Patricia Wight, one of the Eyes for Others leaders.

The club works with GDB to teach the puppies to socialize and general obedience for commands such as “sit down” or “stay.” GDB then takes the 14- to 17-month-old dogs to their training facility in San Rafael, Calif. or Boring, Ore. to give them formal guide dog training, which includes maneuvering through traffic.

Yolo County is currently home to nine puppies being raised and trained by 11 volunteer raisers. Although these cute little Labradors and golden retrievers may be difficult to resist petting, interacting with them can actually cost them their job and is currently a concern to some guide dog users.

“When you get approached by the general public asking to pet our dogs or when they won’t even ask and just start petting; I think that’s one of the most challenging parts,” Haas said. “Depending on the type of dog, they might be calm and OK with people coming up to them, [but] other dogs get too excited. They are learning that they can be really excited when people come up to them. Understand that when the jacket is on the dog, the dog is working and it’s always best to ask the person. But that’s probably the hardest part, especially when the dogs are very young, because everybody loves a cute little puppy.”

Contreras added that loose dogs have attacked one of her dogs three times, but fortunately, her dog was able to continue to work. Still, it would sometimes get upset and bark at other dogs out of fear, which, according to Contreras, working dogs are not supposed to do.

“I wish the public would understand why it is so important to not let their dogs [attack or harass] a guide dog, because all the money the schools have put in, the puppy raisers’ time and then the time users spend is all gone,” Contreras said.

Guide Dogs for the Blind

GDB had an operating budget of $30 million in 2011 with 82.9 percent on the core program and 17.1 percent on administration, according to the Eyes for Others website. GDB’s responsibilities include breeding, veterinary care, formal training, maintaining training facilities and training a guide dog and a blind person to work together. The cost of a guide dog team may exceed $65,000, according to the Eyes for Others website. The cost to the blind individual’s application and receiving a dog is zero.

“GDB is funded totally by donations,” said Ted Curley, GDB volunteer speaker. “We [also] have all kinds of sponsors. Some of them [are] pet food companies, [but] most are individual sponsors. Betty White is one of our biggest supporters, and in fact, she owns one of the guide dogs that came from the Davis club and was career changed. When a dog doesn’t make it through the program, they’re designated a career change dog.”

The price of a puppy

While GDB is responsible for most of the costs, puppy raisers buy the dog food and toys as their own personal donations, according to UC Davis alumna and puppy raiser Lindsay Haas.

“The vet care is covered by GDB, but everything else, such as the food, the toys [or] if I want to give the dog a bed, I pay for out of pocket,” Haas said. “It’s about $50 per month for food, and toys are generally $5 to $20 depending on how spoiled you want your dog.”

However, UC Davis has provided some financial relief.

“In [Eyes for Others], we have a special arrangement with somebody at the UC Davis vet clinic that actually gets some of our food at no cost,” Curley said. “So that’s really helpful. She’s actually a vet student and used to be a member of our puppy-raising club. She’s made an arrangement with the pet clinic to provide Purina food at no cost to our club raisers.”

In addition to cost, raisers invest a tremendous amount of time into their puppies, taking the pups everywhere they go for the 14 or so months they are with them. These include concerts, hikes, vacations and movies, as the puppies have to be trained to be comfortable in any environment a blind person may be in.

Picking a puppy

Each guide dog team is also created over the course of several months. For a blind person, the process — closely resembling college applications — begins with the selection of a school from any of the 10 different U.S. schools accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation. After the blind person chooses a school, they go through a series of hoops, including filling out applications and questionnaires, doing interviews, getting three letters of recommendation, a doctor’s note and a physical before waiting for the school’s approval. Once accepted, the blind person becomes a student and lives at the campus for around three weeks, where they learn how to use their new guide dog. The process can take anywhere between two to six months or longer, according to Contreras.

At the end of guide dog team training, the campuses hold graduations.

“The raisers are invited to the ceremony, and the people who are receiving a dog are up on a stage and are introduced one by one to come up,” Wight said. “Then the dog is brought out to them by the raiser, who then officially hands over their dog to the blind person. It’s really emotional. The raisers cry. Everybody cries.”

There are currently around 10,000 people using guide dogs in the U.S. and Canada, according to GDB, who had 2,176 active guide dog teams and 878 active puppies in 2012.

“The public usually asks me [if] my guide dog gets any free time to be a dog,” Contreras said. “I tell them that as soon as he gets home and gets all his equipment off, he can be a dog and be himself or chew on his toy or take a nap.”

To learn more about Eyes for Others and puppy raising, visit yologuidedogs.com.

JOYCE BERTHELSEN can be reached at features@theaggie.org

Campus Judicial Report

Campus Editor
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Just a peek
A teaching assistant referred a student to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for copying off another student’s exam in an upper division economics course. The TA noticed the suspicious behavior and moved the student during the exam. After the exam, the TA reviewed both tests and discovered that they shared a number of identical wrong answers. During the meeting with the SJA officer, the student was apologetic and admitted to copying off the other student’s exam. The student stated that she was under a lot of emotional pressure due to family matters and would not otherwise cheat. Because the student took responsibility for her actions, the SJA officer proposed a lighter sanction. The student accepted disciplinary probation through Winter Quarter of 2014 and agreed to do 10 hours of community service as well. If a student breaks the rules while on disciplinary probation, they will almost definitely be suspended. Even after the probation is over, though, another similar violation (any kind of academic misconduct) would likely result in suspension.

I didn’t even want to be here
An upperclassman was referred to SJA for using unauthorized material during a final exam. The TA saw the student referring to the material under his desk and reported him to SJA after the exam. During his meeting at SJA, he told the Judicial Officer that he did not really want to take the course but it was the only one that fit his schedule. He said that he tried to study for the class but he just was not interested in the subject. After doing poorly on both midterms, the student decided to bring unauthorized material to the final exam to make sure he did not fail the class. In the end, he took responsibility for his actions and accepted Deferred Separation status and 12 hours of community service. Deferred Separation means that the student gives up his right to a formal hearing if he is referred to SJA in the future for academic misconduct. However, he retains his right to an informal hearing with a Judicial Officer.

The jig is up
A TA reported a student for changing her answers on a Scantron and then submitting it as proof that the Scantron grading machine must have made a mistake because she should have earned more points. When the student met with the SJA officer, she insisted that she had not changed her answers, and that the error must have been made by the machine. However, the TA then provided a full Scantron report indicating that two answers were clearly left unmarked. The student eventually admitted to her actions. The SJA officer proposed to resolve the matter with deferred separation status and 15 hours of community service. The student accepted, thus giving up her right to a formal hearing in the future. In terms of grading, the professor has the right to give the student a zero on the exam — and he did.

Letter to the Editor: Marriage equality protest

Opinion
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Once again the Yolo County chapter of Marriage Equality USA will stage a protest on Tax Day, at the Davis Post Office.

Please join us on Monday, April 15, at the main Davis Post Office (Fifth and Pole Line) from noon until 1 p.m. Married same sex couples in California and across the country are still treated by our federal government as second-class citizens. As we have said since the beginning of these protests: “We pay our bills, we pay our taxes. All we want is marriage access.”

Looking forward to seeing you on Tax Day,
Shelly Bailes and Ellen Pontac

KDVS in semi-finals for national college radio competition

The California Aggie
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Our favorite UC Davis student-run, freeform, community radio station is in a March Madness-esque throw down. Right. Now.

“This isn’t a competition based on the merit of our programming or even the amount of people who consistently listen,” said KDVS General Manager Renner Burkle over Facebook chat (… this is a blog, sorry). “It’s about proving that we have more community support than any other station out there.”

Soundtap, an online source of independent radio, launched a contest for bragging rights on April 1, measuring how many hours listeners streamed each station. KDVS soared through the first four rounds and has accumulated over 889 hours in listening time. Right now (and I mean right now), the station is battling Rice University’s KTRU. Right now (and I mean right now), you could be listening to Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour.

There are about six hours until the Fab Four round ends. Stream here.

Taste Davis April 18

The California Aggie
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Especially appropriate for those seniors itching to try all the Davis eateries before graduation, the fourth annual “A Taste of Davis” is nearly here. For $40, you can sample 25 purveyors of food, wine and beer without leaving the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge.

The mini food festival runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 and tickets are available at Avid Reader Active. Proceeds benefit the Food Bank of Yolo County.

Highlights include Zagat-rated restaurant Osteria Fasulo, Seasons and Our House, along with local brewers and vinters. See a partial list here.

— Janelle Bitker

Recipe: Homemade Naan

The California Aggie
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Recipe: Homemade Naan

Okay, I’ll admit it: my favorite part of going out to Indian restaurants is the naan. Whether I choose to eat it alone brushed simply with butter or as a vehicle for curry and rice, naan is always what I look forward to the most.

So I decided I was going to make it by myself at home.

Since breads can be a bit tricky to make sometimes, I went to the most uninvolved recipe I could find – by The Novice Chef – as a guide. The texture of this naan ended up more thick and doughy, like a pita, than many thin, flaky naans you’ll find at Davis restaurants.

In brainstorming various toppings, I attempted to mimic some of my favorite traditional Indian dishes; the mint and cilantro naan pulls from the flavors of mint chutney, and the paneer and spinach naan – which should just be eaten as a mini pizza – is reminiscent of saag paneer. The cinnamon-sugar variation is a fun alternative to cinnamon toast.

Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1.5-2 hours

Yields 8 naans; ingredients for each flavor make 2 of each.

½ cup warm water

2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 large egg

olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

Paneer and spinach naan:

Handful of fresh spinach, chopped

2 oz. paneer cheese, sliced (Note: I bought mine at the International Food Market)

Mint and cilantro naan:

Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Cinnamon-sugar naan:

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. sugar

Stir water, yeast and sugar together in a bowl until bubbles form on top.

Add and stir flour, salt, oil, yogurt and egg into the mixture until it becomes dough, and knead until soft.

Cover with a dishtowel and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 8 chunks and press into round, ¼ inch-thick pieces.

Heat up a skillet drizzled in a small amount of olive oil, and for each naan, cook on each side for about 15 seconds. Brush cooked naans with melted butter.

If you choose to go further than plain, buttered naan, adding toppings only takes a few more minutes. For the mint-cilantro and paneer-spinach varieties, top naans with ingredients and place in the oven at 350˚ for 5 and 12 minutes, respectively.

For the cinnamon-sugar type, mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and sprinkle over buttered naans.

KATIE MORRIS looks forward to bringing you tasty, easy recipes every week that work with the typical college student’s time and budget. Contact her at kemorris@ucdavis.edu.

More than 100 residents without power

The California Aggie
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Six power outages are affecting about 127 Davis residents, according to PG&E.

Outages began at 11:52 a.m. and PG&E is currently assessing the causes.

Across the Bay Area, outages have been reported due to high winds.

— Claire Tan

Aggie Reuse Store proves to be viable new unit

Campus Editor
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Aggie Reuse Store proves to be viable new unit

Since its grand opening in January 2012, the Aggie Reuse Store has been functioning successfully as a new unit on campus by exceeding projected sales and meeting the necessary sales quota to remain open to the student community.

Formerly known as Aggie ReStore, the Aggie Reuse Store is located in Room 163 in the east wing of the Memorial Union, across from Classical Notes and Campus Copies.

The store sells donated, used items at a low cost as a means of keeping reusable items out of landfills. Through the low-price items they offer, the store is also a helpful resource for low-income students.

According to design professor Ann Savageau, who assisted in the unit’s development, the Aggie Reuse Store is the first of its kind in California and perhaps in the nation in terms of being a reuse boutique, with attractive merchandising and educational endeavors.

According to unit staff, Aggie Reuse, though still young, is functioning successfully.

“You have to remember that the store is completely outside the usual bureaucratic template of the University, and there were a lot of hurdles to overcome to make it a reality,” Savageau said.

Aggie Reuse makes between $450 and $800 monthly depending on school holidays and breaks. Since the unit does not pay rent for their location, it must uphold or exceed the projected sales quota of $3,069 for this fiscal year in order to remain open on campus. According to fourth-year communication and design double major and co-director of the Aggie Reuse Store Kristie Wu, the unit has already met this quota.

“In the year we’ve been open, we’ve shown that we are financially successful as well as a great and unique asset to the campus’ sustainable ambitions. I expect us to reach a lot more students in the future and establish ourselves further as a sustainable unit, encouraging more and more students to reuse,” Wu said.

According to Wu, the unit’s location in 2014 is yet to be determined. Due to plans for renovating the east wing of the MU, it is possible that the store may be relocated to the Silo.

Savageau inspired the creation of the unit, according to Dateline UC Davis, because she gathers community waste for use in her sustainable design class. With the help of graduate students Margot Bennett of the Textiles Department and Carol Shu of the Design Department, along with the collaboration of former ASUCD Senator Darwin Moosavi, the Aggie Reuse Store was created.

“[We] wanted to do something more ambitious: create a store that would have the goal of educating the campus community about the great potential in so-called ‘waste’ materials. We wanted to make an attractive store that looked like a fashionable boutique rather than a thrift store,” Savageau said.

Aggie Reuse is able to sell reusable items through donations. Bi-monthly donation drives are held, where everyone is able to donate items such as books, clothes, school supplies and houseware. Donations are also made from campus departments and offices.

“I love it when people come in and get excited about our goals to have more people creatively reuse what would otherwise end up in landfills. One of our biggest goals is to attract students who are new to the concept and intrigued by the creativity of it. My expectations come from better publicity because that is how we will inform people on how the Aggie Reuse Store is more than just a thrift store and how students and the general public can save money and the planet by becoming involved with our unit, ” said second-year communication and religious studies double major and co-director of Aggie Reuse Store Krystol Smith. “The Aggie Reuse Store is a movement to divert unwanted items from the landfill and reuse them as they are or create something more unique out of them.”

The unit has collaborated with the on-campus Lost and Found, which donates unclaimed items to the unit. Student Housing also gathers monthly donations from the dorms, according to Wu. In addition, Aggie Reuse has collaborated with classes like a sustainable design class, a Field Guide Class to Sustainability and a local Girl Scout troop.

“We’ve also participated in events like the Student Wellness Fair, Cool Davis Festival [and] Recyclemania, and were one of the features that helped UC Davis reach its No. 1 Cool School rating in Sierra Magazine,” Wu said.

Although there are currently no plans for expansion, Savageau expressed a desire to expand the store’s working hours and its educational outreach and to bring on more volunteers. Currently, the staff is composed of two paid positions, which are held by Smith and Wu, interns and volunteers.

The Aggie Reuse Store is open Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.

LILIANA NAVA OCHOA can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Senate briefs

The California Aggie
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ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the April 4 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings.


Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

Carly Sandstrom, ASUCD president, present

Bradley Bottoms, ASUCD vice president, present

Liam Burke, ASUCD senator, present

Armando Figueroa, ASUCD senator, present

Maxwell Kappes, ASUCD senator, present

Pamela Nonga, ASUCD senator, present

Felicia Ong, ASUCD senator, present

Alyson Sagala, ASUCD senator, present

Amrit Sahota, ASUCD senator, present

Miles Thomas, ASUCD senator, present

Tal Topf, ASUCD senator, present

Reuben Torres, ASUCD senator, present

Ryan Wonders, ASUCD senator, present

Yee Xiong, ASUCD senator, present

Presentations 

Plans for MU renovations were discussed. The two-phase plan involves a renewal of the bookstore as well as the rest of the Memorial Union.  The renovation will all take place within the current space. There will be study spaces as well as retail areas. The MU Station will become a new tech hub where there will be sales and repairs of electronics.

UC Davis Police Chief, Matthew Carmichael, spoke about the police department’s plan for keeping the school safe on Picnic Day.  There will be approximately 60 officers on campus, some from other UC campuses. Citations will be given for anyone carrying an open container of alcohol. They plan to have more students on patrol this year than ever before. They will be using Twitter as a way to keep people updated on safety issues at all times. There will also be more portable toilets outside. He asked that the senate members share the message that students cannot smoke weed on campus.

A representative from the Safe Party Initiative spoke about new ways they are getting information to students. They have new brochures and pamphlets with tips and resources for party-goers, as well as the signs of alcohol poisoning. They are also handing out Picnic Day fliers with safe party tips. The Safe Party website has been redesigned so it will change to fit whatever screen (phone, laptop, iPad) it is being accessed from. The website includes safe party resources and the numbers of all the cab services in Davis.

Former ASUCD President Rebecca Sterling gave her State of the Association speech. She said the school is strong but still has obstacles to face. They have to hire a new ASUCD Business Manager and that there are many other positions open on campus.  She said that the MU renovations would strengthen the Association and enhance the student experience. She said that she encourages senate to help unit directors empower their staff.

Felicia Ong gave a presentation on the Aggie Pride 5K. She said it is a philanthropic event to benefit the ASUCD Scholarship.  Student Assistants to the Chancellor, ASUCD, Campus Rec, Student Health and Wellness Center and campus administration are involved. To date, there are 1,556 participants registered. They have many sponsors including the bookstore, Kaplan, SF Giants, Oakland As, and the Mondavi Center.

Appointments and Confirmations

Tal Topf was appointed pro tempore.

Eric Evans was appointed Controller.

Karan Singh was reconfirmed as Lobby Corps director.

Jenna Wooster was appointed External Affairs Commission chair.

Gabriella Mendoza, Jerome Wren, Maria Lopez and Noah Wachtel were appointed Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) Commissioners.

Amrit Sahota and Ryan Wonders were appointed to the Health and Wellness Committee.

Armando Figueroa was appointed to the Dream Act Committee.

Yee Xiong and Reuben Torres were appointed to the Aggie Bound Outreach Committee.

Maxwell Kappes was appointed to the Campus Media Board.

Miles Thomas was appointed to the Intercollegiate Athletic Budget Review Subcommittee.

Sergio Cano was appointed commission chair of the ASUCD Scholarship Committee.

Alyson Sagala was appointed to the Aggie Public Arts Committee.

Maxwell Kappes and Miles Thomas were appointed to the URSAC Committee.

Unit Director Reports

The post office got the paperwork signed to get new computers and new scales, which are expected next month. The unit director reported that they have a new creative media-advertising plan. They want to start selling first class mailing packaging materials to increase income  (currently, they are now only available on campus in the bookstore).

Consideration of old legislation

Senate Bill 56, authored by GASC, makes it possible for candidates to run under their legal name or to run by a preferred name in lieu of their legal name after meeting with the elections committee. The candidates will hear the decision regarding the name 24 hours before the release of the official candidate list at which point they can withdraw their candidacy if they which and their name will not appear on the ballot.

Chucha Marquez said there should not be too much of a problem with the bill. Cano urged for a speedy passage. Desirae Costello said she was concerned that students have to try so hard just to be able to have their preferred names on the ballot. Sagala said she believed the senate should move forward and edit the language of the bill appropriately. The bill passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 12, authored by Lance Hackney is a resolution to support California Assembly Bill 233 (authored by Bob Wieckowski), which would “prohibits wage garnishment for repayment of debt from student loans.”

The resolution passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 15, authored by Lance Hackney is a resolution to support California Assembly Bill 534 (Wieckowski), which would “require an entrance and exit loan counseling program for any institutional or state-funded loans that are offered or recommended to students of public and private post-secondary educational institutions of California.” The resolution passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 74, authored by Spencer McManus, would correct references to the Judicial Codes in the ASUCD Bylaws. The bill passed unanimously.

Consideration of urgent legislation

Senate Resolution #X, authored by Hackney, supports Assembly Bill 1300. Singh said they seek to better inform first time credit card holders between the ages of 18 and 26, when credit card companies are trying to make deals with them. The resolution passed unanimously.

Public discussion

GASC chair Chucha Marquez said he appreciates the use of gender-neutral language in discussion. He also said gender neutral bathrooms are needed in the MU. Marquez also said he feels that the blood drives on campus discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. In reference to the blood drives, Sagala said that she thinks senate should not support a business that discriminates against a specific population at school.

Public announcements

Sagala said that Filipino cultural night is in the first week of May.

Wonders said he is starting work on the pre-finals wellness fair. There will be puppies and a bounce house.

Marquez said that senators who have not yet completed safe zone training should do so.

Black Family Day is May 18 on campus.

Meeting adjourned at 1:01 a.m.

Open positions within ASUCD can be found at vacancy.ucdavis.edu. LAUREN MASCARENHAS compiles the senate briefs. She can be reached at campus@theaggie.org XXX

Suspect arrested for brandishing gun in downtown

The California Aggie
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Today at around 1:20 a.m., a person reported seeing a man carrying a gun at the 200 block of G Street in downtown Davis.

Officers detained a man who matched the description of the armed person and after investigation, determined he had retrieved the gun from his car after an altercation.

According to the Davis Police, 21-year-old Sacramento resident Demonte Kelly was subsequently arrested and booked at the Yolo County Jail for possession of a loaded firearm in public.

— Claire Tan

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