Davis Art Center improves business with grant money

Plans for more family programs are imminent

Written by CLAIRE TAN
Associate City Editor
Published on April 18, 2012
Filed under City News, Front page story

The Davis Art Center (DAC), located on 1919 F St., has steadily been professionalizing its programs. About a year and a half ago the James Irvine Foundation – a provider of grants to nonprofit organizations across California – awarded the center with $225,000 over a course of three years. “We have a new mission,” said Executive Director of the DAC Erie Vitiello. “The original mission started in 1959 and was a loose collection of artists and their students; it was really about teachers teaching art and students learning about art.” Vitiello said the DAC is more of a hub for creativity to thrive. “The Davis Art Center is a gathering place for dynamic engagement of the arts,” she said. “For multidisciplinary classes and programs for the regional community the art center inspires creative expression in people of all ages and fosters an environment for the arts to flourish.” As a multidisciplinary arts center, visual arts classes along with dance and drama classes are offered over a span of three semesters... ...

Column: Bar exam

I am not a pick-up artist. Let’s get that out of the way. I’ve subscribed to the “stranger danger” philosophy for nearly two decades, and it’s a tough habit to kick. This strategy saves me from the shady crowd, but makes it tough to meet the lady crowd. Be it bars or parties, crowds of strangers are to me what fourth quarters are to LeBron: They make my game disappear. But this past weekend I met up with my Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. I needed help if I was ever going to do what had eluded me thus far in my career: successfully exchange phone numbers with a female stranger in a bar. My goal was not one, not two, not three … OK, my goal really was just one. I guess this is where the similarities between LeBron and me end. Good thing, it was getting hard to pick a pun and roll with it; not all of them are slam dunks (see what I did there?). Anyways,... ...

Theta Tau to host Rube Goldberg Competition

Popping a balloon is a simple, one-step process, right? Just get a pin and puncture the rubber. But what if this process has to involve at least 15 steps and take no less than 90 seconds to complete? Engineering is often based on efficiency and simplicity. But the famous Rube Goldberg type of machine turns this paradigm upside down — The more complex the machine and the greater number of steps it takes to make it, the better. Although this seems counterproductive there might be something to learn from finding the most arduous, unsophisticated solution to a problem. UC Davis’ Theta Tau chapter, the co-ed professional engineering fraternity, will be holding their annual Rube Goldberg Competition on Picnic Day. The event will take place at noon in the Ghausi Hall lobby. The competition is open to both high school and college students. Fred Padron, a member of Theta Tau and this year’s competition coordinator, explained that the point of creating the machine is to learn how physics and engineering work... ...

Campus Chic

Ryan Alcazar, second-year cultural anthropology major The Aggie: What are you wearing? Alcazar: “I’m wearing mustard yellow pants from American Apparel, a Wesleyan University sweatshirt, Obey jean jacket and Jack Purcell Converse.” How did you decide what to wear today? “I really wanted to wear my sweatshirt. I like the idea of wearing a sweatshirt under a jean jacket. I like playing with colors and textures to go with things I like. I wore the yellow jeans for contrast.” Where do you find inspiration? “I guess from friends, blogs, even old artists like Morrissey and musicians.” What’s your favorite item in your closet? “I guess my brown tweed newsboy cap from Urban Outfitters.” STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org. ...

Tech tips

Busy schedules and moving from one location to another throughout the day or during the week can mean that a person is away from the location where they store important documents and files. However, with the use of LogMeIn, mobility does not mean the sacrifice of accessibility anymore. What is LogMeIn? LogMeIn is a program that allows you to control your computer while not actually being around it. It allows the user to see and control their computer as if sitting right in front of it.’ How much does it cost? Nothing, it’s free! LogMeIn has premium tiers that allow for more features such as file transfers and remote printing, but the basic one that allows for remote access is completely free. How does it work? The user creates an account with LogMeIn and installs it on their computer. After installing it on the computer, the user can then access that computer remotely. It’s a simple process that makes accessing files and performing tasks, like rebooting a computer or running... ...

Column: A modern woman

It’s crazy how you can be having a conversation with someone and they utter one sentence that forever changes the course of the dialogue. That’s what happened to Democratic consultant Hilary Rosen last week during an appearance on CNN. She criticized presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign strategy of using his wife to appeal to women voters. After labeling Romney as old-fashioned, she boldly proclaimed that his wife Ann had “never actually worked a day in her life.” The remark sparked an intense debate about the appropriateness of her comment. Eventually, the conversation transitioned from being about the specific incident to a general discussion on 21st-century motherhood, making me think about my future and what kind of modern woman I would be in, say, 10 years or so. In my dream world I would have it all: a successful journalism career, well-behaved, charming children and an ambitious, hard-working husband with a career of his own. In my dream world I would be able to effortlessly switch back and forth between my... ...

Lacrosse Preview

Teams: UC Davis vs. Stanford, UC Davis vs. Fresno State Records: Aggies 5-8 (2-3); Cardinal 4-8 (2-2); Bulldogs 2-10 (0-5) Where: Aggie Stadium When: Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 4 p.m. Who to watch: The Aggies are a young team and as such they have required many players to progress faster than normal. The play of the freshmen on the team has been a pleasant surprise as young players are making impacts on games. Freshman midfielder Elizabeth Landry has been one of the biggest contributors so far this season. The Lafayette, Calif. native is second on the team with 28 goals and has also tallied four assists. Did you know? UC Davis’ widest winning margin last season came in its match-up with Fresno State. The Aggies outscored the Bulldogs 21-5 in the match, with then-sophomore Anna Geissbuhler scoring five goals. Preview: The UC Davis lacrosse team has been on a tough four-game losing streak, with three of those defeats coming at the hands of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation foes.... ...

‘If you injure a bug, should you kill it or let it live?’

Last year, UC Davis Entomology Ph.D. student Matan Shelomi stumbled across the question, “If you injure a bug, should you kill it or let it live?” on question-and-answer website Quora.com. Seeing it answered by only casual web surfers, Shelomi decided to provide his own take on the ethical dilemma. “I answered it in my usual flair and left. I thought nothing of it,” said Shelomi, who is a columnist for The Aggie. His answer? “Looks like the philosophers and theists have made their cases. As far as entomologists are concerned, insects do not have pain receptors the way vertebrates do … Ultimately this crippling will be more of an inconvenience to the insect than a tortuous existence, so it has no ‘misery’ to be put out of but also no real purpose anymore. If it can’t breed anymore, it has no reason to live.” Shelomi also brought his wit to this question of ethics. “Personally, though, I’d avoid doing more damage than you’ve already done. 1) Maybe the insect will... ...

Go behind the scenes with the Picnic Day board

With a university that prides itself as being connected to its city and one that has mastered the art of inexpensive, people-centric fun, there’s hardly an event more organically placed than Picnic Day. But as students, out-of-towners and alumni alike relish in the ceremony, there’s hardly an incentive to stop and think about how it’s all made possible year after year. There’s much to be discovered about what it takes to run Picnic Day that the average visitor doesn’t know but perhaps should to develop a deeper appreciation for Davis’ biggest event. Despite rumors, Picnic Day is not an event endowed by the gods. In fact, it is the largest student-run event in the U.S. “It’s an event close to heart so we try to keep it close to home,” said Jennifer Mappus, Picnic Day chair. “The best way to do that is to have it run by students.” Mappus oversees a group of 15 other board members. Board meetings are held every week with each member hosting additional weekly... ...

Final decision delayed

After several months of consideration, UC Davis’ search for a new athletic director has been delayed for a second time. The recruitment advisory committee, which has been charged with helping Chancellor Linda Katehi examine the possible candidates, pushed back its estimated time frame for a final decision from “late winter-early spring” to a rough goal of early summer. “I’m guessing that the official announcement will occur after commencement [June 15 to 17],” said Fred Wood, vice chancellor and head of the recruitment committee. “Hopefully not, but the important thing is that we gather all the necessary input.” The most recent delay was made to facilitate input from the Academic Senate, which requested to have its voice heard on the matter. The Academic Senate’s deliberations have not yet been completely formalized, but it has given the Committee the green-light to continue considering candidates. The search had been previously delayed in the fall to facilitate public comment, including the four town hall meetings held in October and November. The committee is currently... ...

SHAWCing tips: For the song that never ends

Ever had a song stuck in your head? A little ditty that replays one line or chorus over and over again, taking on a life of its own? To some they are known as earworms, a segment of music repeated in the brain due to its uniqueness or “catchy” tune. This phenomenon is due to the repetition of a catchy tune being captured through the inner ear and deeply embedded in your short term memory. For those who only have to hear the mentioning of a tune to be plagued by its repetitive droning, your long-term memory can be thanked for that. “Yellow Submarine,” anyone? Even more interesting: Researchers at the Goldsmiths University in London discovered that earworms vary between individuals. They have created a database of over 5,000 different earworms. However, if you are currently being plagued by a tune, you have probably found that yelling “shut up” has not helped. Some people have found that singing the earworm to the end can help. If not you can also... ...

Seven new urban residences next to Central Park

Upon the approval by the City of Davis, what used to be an area enveloped by older houses is now being replaced by seven new urban residences built by Sherman Home Co. So far, two homes have been completed and are now occupied. These homes are located on B Street, with four homes facing Central Park and three homes in the back alley. The older houses were moved to eight blocks down to J Street. They were since renovated to be part of the J Street Solar Housing Community. “The whole area has been run down and they [City of Davis] would like to improve that whole corridor,” said Steve Sherman, president of Sherman Home Co. Each home costs around $700,000. Each of these seven homes has three stories, a two-car garage and a basement or storage area. The homes range in size from 1651 to 2120 square feet. They all have three bedrooms and two and a half baths. Two of the homes, located in the back, have elevators. The homes are... ...

News in Brief: Number of admitted UC first-years reaches record high

Exactly 80,289 first-years were admitted to at least one of the nine UC campuses this year, setting a record high. In a press release Tuesday, the University Office of the President said that the “state’s continuing disinvestment in its public university system” brought about a low 3.6 percent increase in the number of California residents admitted, which does not meet the immense demand for a seat at a UC campus. The release stated that with the exception of UC Berkeley, all campuses increased admission offers to out-of-state and international students, dropping the California admission rate from 69.7 percent (Fall 2011) to 65.8 percent (Fall 2012.) Admitted non-California residents declined admissions offers at a higher rate than other applicants, and for this reason the 10 percent systemwide cap on enrollments of non-Californian undergraduates will not be met this Fall. Preliminary campus admissions data also reflected a subtle increase in diversity, which includes more African Americans, Chicano/Latinos, students from low-income families, those who will be the first in their families to attend... ...

Column: On being wrong

For those of you who weren’t keeping up with the faster-than-light neutrinos story after it hit the news sites, it was revealed about a month and a half ago that the reading was likely due to a messed-up cable. A week ago, the team leader of the experiment resigned from the OPERA project. The reason the original announcement of their finding (as well as their less-publicized caveat that they were seeking replication for) was so shocking was because it would overturn one of the biggest theories in physics — that nothing can go faster than the speed of light. It looks like Einstein’s theory of relativity is safe, at least for now. The whole story seems like a fiasco of modern science. How can we trust anything scientists say if such a world-changing result could come from something as simple as a wonky cable? The wonder shouldn’t be at how such a huge mistake could have happened, but at how quickly it was corrected. As soon as the story came... ...

News in Brief: Whole Earth Festival volunteer meeting tonight

There will be a Whole Earth Festival volunteer meeting tonight in the Student Community Center. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. and the theme is “uni-colored.” Volunteers, called Karma Patrollers, are invited, along with anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer. The Whole Earth Festival will be May 11 to 13, and the theme is “The Beginning is Here.” The poster for the festival was chosen last week. — HANNAH STRUMWASSER ...