May 18, 2013

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Whole Foods proposes full GMO labeling transparency

Whole Foods proposes full GMO labeling transparency

Five-year deadline pushes national conversation forward

Written by GABRIELLA HAMLETT
Aggie News Writer
Published on April 4, 2013
Filed under City News, Front page story

At the March 8 Natural Products Expo West, Whole Foods committed to a full transparency of genetically modified organisms (GMO) labeling plan. By 2018, over 340 Whole Foods stores in the U.S. and Canada intend to have GMO labeling on all food products. This plan is in response to the increasing prevalence surrounding the national conversation concerning GMOs — plants whose genetic makeup is altered to produce traits unattainable in nature. “GMOs are pervasive — 93 percent of soy, 88 percent of field corn, 94 percent of cotton and over 90 percent of canola seed and sugar beets planted in the U.S. are GMOs,” said Libba Letton, spokesperson for Whole Foods Markets. Because of this, there has been a push from Whole Foods by their customers for GMO labeling. “We are committing to full transparency and setting a five-year deadline to label all products to support the consumer’s right to know. Our customers have consistently asked for clear labeling,” said Kate Lowry, global PR director for Whole Foods. The commitment... ...

Aggie Daily Calendar

Aggie Daily Calendar

Thursday, May 16 Queer, Feminist and Trans Studies and the Undisciplining of Science 10:30 to 5 p.m. The Queer, Feminist and Trans studies research cluster will be holding their annual conference entitled “Queer, Feminist and Trans Studies and the Undisciplining of Science.” This year’s conference will feature Wendy Kline and Toby Beauchamp. Shinkoskey Noon Concert: Left Coast Chamber Ensemble 12:05 to 1 p.m. Yocha Dehe Grand Lobby, Mondavi Center Enjoy a free noon concert featuring selected works by undergraduate composition students Laura Schwartz, Andrew Hudson and Jonathan Youngs. UC Davis Energy Institute Seminar Series 4 to 5 pm 1062 Bainer Hall Join Sangtae Kim, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, as he discusses “Grain-Boundary Engineering for Fuel Cells and Li-Ion Batteries: Fundamentals and Applications.” There is no cost and all are welcome to attend. Acclaimed Novelist Lynn Freed Reads at Poetry in Davis 8 to 10 p.m. John Natsoulas Gallery The Poetry Night Reading Series is proud to welcome novelist Lynn... ...

Pick up The California Aggie on Thursday

Pick up The California Aggie on Thursday

In case you were confused before lecture this morning, please note that The California Aggie is officially a weekly print publication. Our first issue in this new format will come out this Thursday, but keep checking the website’s campus and city sections for news briefs, which will be updated whenever something happens that we feel you ought to know immediately. In addition to all the news, arts, science and sports articles — as well as pages of opinion pieces — that will make up a colossal issue, be sure to look for our announcement with the time and location of our weekly public editorial meetings. For more background, see this letter from the editor, which ran in February. ...

Sequester cuts to hamper research, student aid

Sequester cuts to hamper research, student aid

Higher education can expect to be hit in two major ways because of the sequestration — cuts in financial aid and research funding. Pell Grant awards will begin to lose funding after one year, affecting over 1 million California students, and funds for new research projects will decrease by millions. In 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act, outlining a series of budgetary cuts — projected at $1.2 trillion — that President Barack Obama said were designed to be “unattractive and unappealing” to compel parties to arrive at a compromise of sensible cuts. Congress did not strike a compromise by the March 1 deadline. The original January 2013 deadline was extended by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. According to University of California Federal and Governmental Relations, there is little information from the Office of Management and Budget regarding how the cuts will be implemented, but it is expected that federal agencies will have a level of discretion in doing so. Gary Falle, associate vice president of Federal Governmental... ...

Primate research center appeals citation of maltreatment of monkeys

Primate research center appeals citation of maltreatment of monkeys

In response to a complaint filed by an animal rights group, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis for maltreatment from 2009 to 2010, specifically the death of 19 monkeys. UC Davis appealed the citation, and after continued investigation, the USDA recently decided not to issue a fine due to improvements since the deaths occurred. Between October 2009 and June 2010, 19 rhesus macaque monkeys died in the outdoor breeding colony, and in response Ohio-based animal rights protest group Stop Animal Exploitation NOW (SAEN) sent a complaint to the USDA. The USDA issued a preliminary intent to cite and inspected the research facility as well as the necropsy records of the 19 primates in February 2011. However, since this number is within the acceptable rates of mortality in large breeding colonies, the Primate Research Center and the university appealed the citation. After a prolonged period of appeals protesting, the USDA publicly issued the inspection report on Monday. The USDA did not... ...

The Laundry Lounge extends services as others close

The Laundry Lounge extends services as others close

On Jan. 6, the Wash Mill Laundromat on East Eighth Street closed its doors after 40 years of business. Another laundromat, the Quick Clean Center, used to be located on G Street but is no longer in business. After the closure of these laundromats, there remains only one laundromat in the city of Davis: The Laundry Lounge, located in the Anderson Plaza behind Save Mart. According to Dina Connor, owner of The Laundry Lounge, they have expanded their hours to accommodate the increase in demand for laundry services. They now open at 8 a.m. on the weekends and 7 a.m. on weekdays and close at 10 p.m. nightly, with the “last wash” now at 9 p.m. instead of 8:30 p.m. Prices to use washing machines range from $2 to $6.50, depending on the machine. Dryers are 25 cents for six minutes. “I personally think there is a demand for only one laundromat [in Davis],” Connor said. “Sundays are a bit busier, but before the other ones closed we were barely... ...

Website aims to help roommates settle bills

Website aims to help roommates settle bills

Zenrow is a new tool that offers college roommates a solution to handling and paying bills — a common grievance in college. “Like most useful applications, the founding team had a deep-seated need for Zenrow,” said Luke Langon, one of the founders of Zenrow. “At a certain point, almost every roommate gets fed up with the elongated process of handling rent and bills between each other.” The website allows roommates to post the quantity of each bill and calculate who owes what. It also keeps track of issued payments. To make a payment for each bill, a PayPal button appears under the specified amounts and each roommate can pay their individual dues. According to Langon, Zenrow creates a central space instead of relying on many different modes of communication to handle payments between roommates. “I think anything that can solve potential conflicts over money is useful,” said Deep Singh, a third-year mechanical engineering major. “Dealing with money can put serious strains on friendships so anything to ease that is a... ...

Aggies experience heartbreaking loss to LBSU on ESPN2

Aggies experience heartbreaking loss to LBSU on ESPN2

On Thursday night, the men’s basketball team made their debut on ESPN2 in front of a sold-out Pavillion crowd of students and fans. Last March, UC Davis pulled a 3-13 Big West Conference record and failed to win a game on the road. Head coach Jim Les knew his team needed a complete overhaul to turn it around this year and somehow, some way, he managed to accomplish that. This season has been shocking and humbling to watch. Junior Ryan Sypkens returned to the roster after sitting out last season with a serious knee injury. He has managed to tally 104 three-pointers this season. Sophomore J.T. Adenrele spent the offseason accruing muscle mass and vicious accuracy from the free-throw line. Seniors Paolo Mancasola and Ryan Howley have reveled in the new roster. Mancasola governs one of the Big West’s best offenses and Howley harvests rebounds from all sides of the court. As 5,760 Aggies fans piled into the Pavilion on Thursday, a vast majority of them had never seen this... ...

West Village opening cafe, market

West Village opening cafe, market

UC Davis West Village is home to 1,500 residents, a pool, a gym and a study area. And at the end of March, West Village will be introducing the new HUB kitchen, cafe and market. HUB has been in the works for some time and is intended to support the property, its residents and the Davis community. “These retail operations are designed to provide what is needed for the residents of the West Village apartments and the West Village development, as well as students and anyone else that wants a great cafe or place to shop for sundries,” said Ron Heckmann, a spokesperson for West Village Community Partners. According to HUB’s website, the cafe, kitchen and market will each be open seven days a week. HUB cafe will provide coffee and espresso drinks as well as baked goods and breakfast foods, and is intended to be used as a gathering place for residents, according to Heckmann. The market will provide sundries such as household goods and some supermarket variety items.... ...

ASUCD senators reflect on campaign platforms

ASUCD senators reflect on campaign platforms

Six ASUCD senators said their farewells during last Thursday’s Senate meeting as six new senators took their place. We asked former senators Beatriz Anguiano, Bradley Bottoms, Don Gilbert, Joyce Han, Kabir Kapur and Paul Min to provide statements reflecting on their terms. Senators who did respond admitted to accomplishing few, if any, of their platforms. However, they still feel that they were successful leaders overall. Beatriz Anguiano Platforms Create more student financial aid advisors to help students Create a resource guide on appealing dismissal decisions Establish a textbook reserve in the Student Community Center Grant funds to community-specific graduations Accomplished? Anguiano could not be reached to receive feedback on her term in office. More grants for community-specific graduations were secured, though. Bradley Bottoms Platforms Fight tuition hikes Create a safer environment for bicyclists. Accomplished? “For my advocacy platform I said that I would engage leaders by bringing UC Davis students to the Capitol as well as bring leaders back to campus for direct conversations with students and to see the... ...

Human Gross Anatomy class offers unique experience

Human Gross Anatomy class offers unique experience

Working with real human body specimens as an undergraduate student is a rare opportunity at most universities across the nation. But here at UC Davis, all students have the chance to learn by doing in Cell Biology and Human Anatomy (CHA) 101, also known as the Human Gross Anatomy class offered this Winter Quarter. “The overarching goal [of the class] is to give students a very thorough understanding of how the human body is put together and how it works,” said professor of cell biology and human anatomy Dr. Douglas Gross, who teaches CHA 101. Introduced 40 years ago, around the time the UC Davis Medical School was established, Human Gross Anatomy has been taught by Dr. Gross for the past 17 years. “There are probably maybe three or four other courses somewhat like it in the entire country,” Dr. Gross said. “It’s very rare to have human gross anatomy taught with human cadavers and there’s very few, if any, that teach it at the level we teach it at.”... ...

Davis Farmers Market celebrates pigs

Davis Farmers Market celebrates pigs

It was pig perfect on Saturday. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Davis Farmers Market at Central Park hosted the 22nd annual Pig Day. “The event is all pig-themed with pig crafts and food. Free kids crafts tables are held by volunteers from Davis Parent Nursery School, University Covenant Nursery School, Davis Community Church Nursery School and UC Davis [Rotaract] Club,” said Shelly Keller, market manager and executive director for the Davis Farmers Market. “They help kids make pig puppets, pig tails, pig masks and pig noses.” The food is also pig-related, ranging from pig cupcakes to pig popsicles to pigs in a blanket to pork ribs, provided by various Davis restaurants. “The food and pigs attract everyone so it’s really an event for the whole family. People are dying to get out by this time of year since the weather is now so nice,” Keller said. The pigs have been provided by Woodland pig farmer Jim Neilson for 20 years. Neilson started being a pig farmer because his... ...

Mail delivery to cease on Saturdays

Mail delivery to cease on Saturdays

Beginning August, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will stop the delivery of mail and magazines to street addresses on Saturdays, a cut that will save an estimated $2 billion annually. Both private residences and businesses will be affected. Packages, prescription medications and priority mail will continue to be delivered. Post offices will remain open and PO boxes will still be accessible, according to the USPS website. The change has sparked a variety of reactions among Davis residents involved with USPS. “It won’t affect me personally,” said an anonymous Davis mail carrier. “We’ll still be delivering packages.” The mail carrier would not disclose their name due to the personal nature of the comment. Package delivery has increasingly been a strong source of revenue for USPS. According to the USPS website, revenue from the delivery of packages has increased 14 percent since 2010. Post office hours will remain the same, although some post offices, such as the ASUCD Post Office located on campus at the Memorial Union (MU), are not open... ...

Education for Sustainable Living Program offered Spring Quarter 2013

Education for Sustainable Living Program offered Spring Quarter 2013

Beginning in 2004, University of California campuses have offered the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP). The program arrived at UC Davis in 2008, and has been taught every Spring Quarter since then. The primary program involved in ESLP’s initiation is the ASUCD Campus Center for the Environment (CCE). “Though the class was run by a dedicated group of students up until 2011, CCE has since incorporated the coordination of the class into the Sustainability Research and Education Coordinator position … We work to incorporate a variety of sustainability-related departments, individuals, clubs and organizations into the class through lectures and Action Research Teams,” said Tessa Artale, last year’s CCE unit director and a fourth-year spanish and sociology double major, in an email interview. Lucas Hill and Emili Abdel-Ghany are this year’s Sustainability Research and Education co-coordinators for the CCE. ESLP is sponsored by many other programs such as the John Muir Institute for the Environment, ASUCD Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC), Agricultural Sustainability Institute, Society for Conservation Biology, Geology... ...

ASUCD bids farewell to Business Manager

Brett Burns, ASUCD Business Manager and UC Davis alumnus, has recently accepted the position of Senior Assistant Dean for Administration with the UC Davis School of Law and will be leaving his position as ASUCD Business Manager. Burns is expected to take on his new role part-time in March and be fully immersed in his new position by April 1. According to Burns, his new position at King Hall will involve serving as a key advisor to the dean and other leaders of the School of Law, with responsibility for strategic planning and administrative services. In addition, he will provide financial planning, forecasting, policy setting, organizational development and human resource management. The position serves as the school’s primary liaison with the UC Davis central administration on all financial and human resource issues. “The UC Davis School of Law has a tremendous reputation nationally and internationally for research, scholarship and service to the community,” Burns said. “After doing my research I found that the Law School has an outstanding student body,... ...