The latest stories from UC Davis's student newspaper, The California Aggie, available online at www.theaggie.orgen-us(C) 2007-2008 The California Aggiehttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/58 The UC Davis Health System will take an important step Tuesday, when smoking will finally be banned on the entire UCDHS campus. It is refreshing that a leader in local medical practices is making such a strong statement about smoking - finally. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/56 Civil rights groups have requested that the California courts block an initiative which would renew the state's ban on gay marriage from appearing on the November ballot. Maybe I'm alone in this, but the idea that so many people are willing to devote so much of their own time and money to fund an initiative that would take rights away from their neighbors is incomprehensible to me. Don't they have better things to do?Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55The number of herons and egrets populating the arboretum in recent years has become unmanageable; between 2005 and 2007, the number of egrets in the arboretum has increased more than fivefold.Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55After 24 years of dedicated service to UC Davis, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef announced Monday he will be stepping down at the end of next year. Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55I've written a lot of columns this year - 27, actually, including this one - and I'm proud of every damn one of 'em. Very proud. I'm proud of them because, let's be honest, they were pretty damn good.Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55UC Davis and the UC system, like San Francisco and dozens of other communities across California, including L.A., Fresno, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Palo Alto and Marin County have adopted the goal of Zero Waste. Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55There is something profoundly human about a dramatic sporting loss, particularly when it befalls a team on the brink of victory that you wholeheartedly support.Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55Election coverageThu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/55When I finally abandoned my dream of becoming a history professor a year-and-a-half ago, I decided my last column would be a proud declaration of my immediate intention to join the Army. Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/54 Life, Liberty and Love. You've heard many of the sayings conceptually tying the Ls together. "Give me liberty or give me death," "A life without love is no life at all," etc. I believe it is rightfully so. Each one has a distinct identifiable characteristic, yet to separate one from the others makes the remaining empty.Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/54 It's been a fun year being a columnist, all. I've enjoyed pounding out these columns of mine every Monday night, mere hours before I had to go in and edit. I kind of like having a byline and getting my picture in the paper. Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PthPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53Students often neglect to realize how much of an impact the Davis City Council has on their everyday lives. Every week, the council makes decisions that affect how difficult it is to find affordable and quality housing in Davis, how boring or exciting the downtown is, how much we must pay for our utility bills and how far we have to drive to purchase a pair of socks.Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53 In an effort to mitigate California's looming $15 billion deficit, state lawmakers have been forced to look in unconventional places for money. State Representative Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) has proposed Assembly Bill 2914, which would place a 25 percent tax on the gross revenues of the adult entertainment industry.Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53Well the end of the year has finally approached and I have to bid farewell. I must say it's been quite a ride for my column. This year was my first time I split a column into two parts (big deal, I know), my first real hate mail and my first (and failed) attempt at meeting readers. Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53n preparing next year's budget, the Executive Office sought to minimize the impact of significant budget cuts to services that ASUCD provides for students, as well as student jobs.Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53ver the past year of writing this column, I've had the opportunity to examine a wide variety of political and social injustices, as well as see the action or, in most cases, the lack of action that results. Seeing and experiencing all of these things has caused me to formulate a hypothesis describing this process, sort of a grand unifying political theory for the millennial generation, if you will. Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/53Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PrdPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/52 It was fun at first. The acceptance letter in the mail. The photo shoot. The congratulatory wine and cheese basket. The cashmere jacket with COLUMNIST spelled out in gemstones. All very flattering, considering how expensive the stuff was, especially the jacket.Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PndPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/52 Can you believe that you're almost done, Class of 2008? After four (or five) years, you'll finally be a college graduate! I would say congratulations, but you've got a few finals left, and I don't want to jinx it. I know you're worried about failing that French 3 class you put off taking until your very last quarter. Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PndPDThttp://www.theaggie.org/articles/51ello, everyone! As you may have realized, this is my first column. I'm so very sad that I've reached the beginning; I truly will miss the feeling of not knowing what I am missing.Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 PthPDT