The Ethical Hedonist: The Better Butter Battle

Written by Hillary Knouse
Published on March 7, 2013
Filed under Aggie Eats, Blogs

Every week, my housemates and I endeavor to comfortably seat 14 people across four couches in our living room for as long as it takes us to discuss the week’s affairs. Meetings can involve anything from divvying up chores to planning camping trips to discussing why your shampoo seems to be magically disappearing between uses. Our most onerous discussions, however, are almost always centered on the food we’re currently buying. If it’s not a half-hour debate over whether to buy one stalk of celery or two, it’s a straw poll on whether or not we should be buying or making almond milk. These discussions are important, as we buy and consume this food together and must therefore agree not only upon what we eat but also what we support ethically. Most things shake out in the end. For now we buy two stalks of celery and almond milk — only if almonds are not on sale. One item we still haven’t figured out, though, is butter. Butter and milk are... ...

News in Brief: Voters approve Measure I

On Tuesday, the last batch of Davis voters cast their votes for Measure I, also known as the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency surface water project. According to the Yolo County Elections Office website, Measure I received 8,014 “yes” votes, or 54.1 percent of the 14,832 total votes, and 6,802 “no” votes, or 45.9 percent of the total votes. About 40 percent of those registered to vote in Davis cast their ballots in the all-mail election. The $113 million surface water project will transport treated Sacramento River water to Davis and Woodland to replace the city’s current groundwater supply. To pay for the project, the city council will implement rate increases, which may almost triple the cost of an average water bill in the next five years. The council plans to hold a public hearing on March 19 to sort out the water rate increases. If more than half of the city’s 16,000 ratepayers protest the proposed rates, the council will not proceed with them. If on schedule, construction of the... ...

Men’s Basketball Preview

Teams: UC Davis vs. Long Beach State; vs. UC Irvine Records: Aggies,14-14, (9-7); 49ers, 17-11, (13-3); Anteaters, 17-13, (10-6) Where: The Pavilion — Davis, Calif. When: Thursday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 7 p.m. Who to watch: With all the fanfare surrounding this week’s ESPN2 game it is hard to pick just one player to watch. However, if Aggie fans are looking for electricity, they can find it in junior Ryan Sypkens. The Elk Grove, Calif. local has returned to the roster after being sidelined with a knee surgery last season. In his “comeback” year, he has hit 99 three-pointers, earning him the school record for most three-pointers in a season, as well as career threes as an Aggie. He broke both of those records with one shot, and this Thursday he can crack the 100 mark with another. Additionally, it has been two years since Long Beach State was tasked with defending Sypkens’ hot hands. It may be enough to give the Aggies the competitive edge they will need... ...

News in Brief: Free egghead mini-concerts

From March 15 to March 17, the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, the St. Louis Symphony, will put on two free events in a three-day symphony extravaganza at multiple locations on campus. These locations include each one of the egghead sculptures. The first appearance will be on March 15, starting at 2 p.m. at the “See No Evil/ Hear No Evil” eggheads on the grass circle between Mrak Hall and the Arboretum. The Symphony will play for three to five minutes before moving on to the next egghead, following the path of the Egghead Walking Tour and ending at “Stargazer” next to Dutton Hall. During the performances, six compositions, written by the music department faculty of UC Davis, will be performed. All pieces were commissioned by the Mondavi Center. This event is made possible by funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Grant, supporting the Symphony’s residency with the Mondavi Center. The second part of the series will take place in the residence halls. At 2 p.m. on March... ...

Campus Judicial Report

Ignorance isn’t bliss An international student in an upper-division course was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for copying answers verbatim on two different homework assignments. When the student met with a judicial officer, he admitted to copying the homework answers from the internet but that he was not aware it was wrong to do. Although the student stated he did not know copying homework was prohibited, the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct clearly states that “ignorance is no defense,” that students must be “honest at all times” and that “all work submitted to fulfill course requirements must be work done by the student.” As a result of his actions, the student was placed on disciplinary probation for one year and required to complete 10 hours of community service. One for the road A professor referred a student to SJA because he suspected the student had pocketed an extra exam when they were passed out. The professor had numbered the exams, so it was simple to identify which student... ...

Column: Sex work

Sex & Society Prostitution –– it’s been coined as the world’s oldest profession, but is also one of the most stigmatized, especially in the U.S. Sex work is, for the most part, illegal in the United States. The only exception is Nevada, where prostitution is only legal within licensed brothels located in specific rural areas (not including Las Vegas or Reno, despite popular notions). Prostitution is not stigmatized because it is illegal; it is illegal because it is stigmatized. And this stigma rises from the widespread belief that sex is something sacred, something special that should be shared by two people in love, and therefore something that cannot be sold in good moral conscience. That’s not to say this view is wrong –– but it is not an all-encompassing view, either. Emotional connotation aside, protected sex is no different than, say, a massage. It is simply an act in which two (or more) people engage with each other for physical pleasure. The fact that money is exchanged does not change... ...

Column: Hippie baloney

The Anarchist Beside the confused way of thinking and speaking that is imposed upon us by capitalist information control, there persists the general problem of self-imposed confusion. That is to say, capitalist firms are to blame for poisoning the public mind to a large degree, but the public is guilty of poisoning itself as well. To cut straight to the heart of the issue: the left is severely weakened by mysticism. It sounds bizarre, and it is. The mystical nonsense that is so proudly proclaimed by my political allies not only disempowers us but is just plain embarrassing. I was at the Davis Food Co-op over the weekend, doing a little bit of shopping on my mostly lazy day. I decided to look in the sale item bin, wondering if any cool little gadget might inspire some new healthy life habit. Instead something terrible happened. I saw a calendar that unwittingly sums up everything wrong with liberals in 2013. The cover read “Underneath your physical form, you are one with... ...

News in Brief: Men’s Basketball game to be televised on ESPN2 tonight

The UC Davis men’s basketball team will host Long Beach State, the top team in the Big West Conference, today. The Aggies are 14-14 overall with a 9-7 conference record while the 49ers are 13-3 in conference and 17-11 this season. On paper this looks like a regular David vs. Goliath matchup, but not so fast. The game will be televised on ESPN2, and rightfully so. The game will showcase some of the best talent in the conference from both teams. Sophomore Corey Hawkins was just named the Big West Conference’s Most Valuable Player for his offensive prowess in almost every category. The high-octane match-up between the Aggies and 49ers is a must-see game. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. at the Pavilion, with free shirts for the first arriving students compliments of the Big West. — Matthew Yuen ...

The Aggie Arcade

Game of the week Lara Croft makes her return to the gaming world this week with developer Crystal Dynamics’ series reboot, Tomb Raider. This latest installment, an origin story, concerns itself less with raiding tombs and instead focuses on the physical and psychological maturation of the famed female protagonist. The shift in tone manifests in the first hour or so, in which Lara finds herself in a series of dangerous scenarios. She falls from great heights, escapes the clutches of disturbing tribal men and even fends off bloodthirsty wolves. Just one look at her cut-up, dirt-covered body and it becomes obvious this is not the Lara Croft of years past. It doesn’t take long for Lara to pick up a gun and start shooting the bad guys, but her transformation from innocent archaeologist to hardened heroine proves convincing enough. It also creates a Lara Croft I can get behind: a strong female character whose intelligence and survival instincts outweigh her good looks. My six hours with the game has included... ...

Women’s Basketball Preview

Teams: UC Davis vs. Pacific Records: Aggies, 12-16 (7-10); Tigers, 23-6 (13-4) Where: The Pavilion — Davis, Calif. When: Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Who to Watch: Freshmen often struggle to get accustomed to the rigors of college. This sentiment holds true in sports as well. Most freshman athletes are not accustomed to the faster, taller and more talented players they face in college. However, freshman Molly Greubel is playing like a veteran. Her lack of experience has not hindered her at all this season, as she has played at an impressive level. Her maturity was on display during the last game between UC Davis and Pacific, as she had a career night. Greubel’s impressive stat line included three assists, three steals and a career-high 18 points. She contributed two of the Aggies’ total five three-pointers. Greubel is going to be a key for the Aggies if they hope to pull off an upset against the Tigers. She needs to be a consistent threat on offense in order to free up... ...

Law students assess policies, progress since pepper spraying

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), a student group at the UC Davis School of Law, held a meeting Monday at King Hall to update students on the progress of actions following the Nov. 18 pepper spray incident. “We’re working with the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] to ensure that students have a voice in the ongoing reforms of freedom of expression policy and we wanted to provide an update to the Law School student body,” said Abenicio Cisneros, co-chair of the NLG and level-two UC Davis Law School student. Cisneros said that the administration is improving, but could do more to allow students to have free expression on UC campuses. The meeting included five speakers who discussed the findings in the reports that came out of the pepper spray incident. Austin Cho, a level-one law student, discussed the Kroll report, which includes interviews with students, administrators, faculty and police who were involved in the incident. The report examined the judgment and competency of UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and... ...

Editorial: Big deal

How many of you knew the men’s basketball team is in contention for the Big West Conference title? They are not the same squad they were last year, the squad that won just three games in conference. UC Davis currently stands at 9-7 in the Big West and 14-14 overall, quite a turnaround from last year’s abysmal 5-26 record that consisted of a 3-13 league ledger. The Aggies’ game against Long Beach State today will be on national television — ever heard of ESPN2? — quite a step up from the live streaming provided by the Big West on the internet. This is a chance for UC Davis to showcase its talent, to show it really isn’t the same group of guys that put together that less than impressive 18-game losing streak last year. This game is being recognized as a highly competitive and crucial contest, rather than being written off as a lopsided game like it would have been last year. The 49ers currently stand in first place in... ...

UC Davis to host first-ever 5K Stride for Aggie Pride

Students can start Spring Quarter off on the right foot by participating in the first annual 5K Stride for Aggie Pride, to take place on campus on April 7. All proceeds of the event will go toward the ASUCD Awards Endowment, which provides tuition support for outstanding students, and We Are Aggie Pride, which provides emergency funding to students in need. The route will begin and end on the Quad and will highlight many notable features of the UC Davis campus, including the Arboretum. “The race will allow students to participate in a fun event and raise money for a good cause,” said Artem Trotsyuk, a fourth-year biological sciences major, race director and student assistant to the Chancellor. “We want to promote student health and wellness. Plus, we don’t really have events like this at UC Davis.” ASUCD Senator Felicia Ong, a second-year political science and communication double major, agreed. “UC San Diego has a 5K run and I noticed that UC Davis hasn’t really incorporated a race like this,”... ...

Arts Week

FILM Yolo County Film Society Screening: Aguirre, The Wrath of God Sunday, 7 p.m., recommended donation $2, all ages Yolo Pleasure Dome, 1401 Pole Line Road YCFS screens Werner Herzog’s classic film, featuring his first collaboration with mercurial lead actor Klaus Kinski. The plot concerns Lope de Aguirre, a doomed 16th-century conquistador whose thirst for riches drives his expedition deep into the Amazon jungle. Filled with unbelievable imagery shot on a stolen camera, Aguirre is a spellbinding work that launched a unique director into the international spotlight. MUSIC University and Alumni Choruses & UC Davis Symphony Orchestra Sunday, 7 p.m., $8 student, $12-17 regular Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center D. Kern Holoman conducts The Dream of Gerontius (1900), an orchestral and choral work featuring almost 200 performers in total. The music was composed around a poem that told the story of a pious man’s journey after death into the afterlife. The event is presented in the memory of Marya Welch, a longtime patron and benefactor of the UC Davis symphony orchestra.... ...

America is on the Stage

Student organization Filipinos in Liberal Arts and Humanities (FILAH) will be holding its annual event, America is on the Stage (AIOTS), tonight at Veterans Memorial Center Theatre at 6:30 p.m. It will feature four plays that were written, directed and performed by students, along with various open mic musical performances. FILAH created AIOTS as a creative outlet for students to relieve stress and express their cultural, academic or spiritual struggles through stage performance. The name of the event was inspired by Carlos Bulosan’s book America is in the Heart, a story about the struggles of immigrating to the United States. President of FILAH and fourth-year biotechnology major Clerissa Marasigan discussed the multi-genre performances featured in tonight’s plays as a balance of romance, drama, tragedy and comedy. “AIOTS will have four short plays this year along with a number of open mics ranging from different kinds of musical performances: singing, dancing, instrumentals, to spoken word,” Marasigan said. “The plays will be about love that has been lost and found, the profound... ...