Pacific in the Press | Aug. 27, 2019

Quote of the Week

"You won’t accomplish anything to break the company up into pieces. ... If you’re a natural monopoly, you’re a natural monopoly."

— Frank Gevurtz, Sacramento News & Review, Aug. 15, 2019

Examples of how University of the Pacific was represented in the news media in recent days:

"In the #MeToo era, Luke Walton's accuser refused to talk to the Kings. Here's why," The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 23, 2019: McGeorge's Julie Davies provided context to this story about the investigation into sexual assault allegations against the head coach for the Sacramento Kings, Luke Walton. Davies and other legal experts said it was not surprising that the woman accusing Walton, Kelli Tennant, did not participate in the independent investigation by the law firm founded by McGeorge alumna Sue Ann Van Dermyden. Davies added, however, that Tennent's refusal to cooperate in the investigation is at odds with her appearance at a news conference back in April. "Does it surprise me? A bit because ... she had been fairly public in bringing (the allegations) to light," Davies told The Bee.

"Power play: For a huge number of Californians, safety, energy security and environmental hopes are in the hands of one embattled monopoly," Sacramento News & Review, Aug. 15, 2019: McGeorge's Frank Gevurtz provided context for this story on Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s Public Safety Power Shutoff program and calls to break up the giant utility. Gevurtz said PG&E is likely correct when it claims such a breakup would cause higher utility bills. "In PG&E's case, it's not feasible for multiple companies to have duplicate power and gas lines," Gevurtz told SN&R. "You won't accomplish anything to break the company up into pieces. You won't have different electric lines in the same place. It doesn't create competition. If you're a natural monopoly, you're a natural monopoly." The story also appeared in the Chico News & Review.

"Experts talk about how Modesto can keep commuters and their high-paying jobs here," The Modesto Bee, Aug. 21, 2019: The Center for Business and Policy Research's Jeff Michael was featured in a story on the State of Region 2019 luncheon sponsored by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Stanislaus Community Foundation. He told attendees that 86,000 area residents commute over the Altamont Pass for jobs in the Bay Area, up from 5,000 in the 1980s. The story noted that Michael for years has promoted San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties as a distinctive part of the San Joaquin Valley and the need for more higher-paying jobs in the region. The newspaper's editor wrote a column about the event: "SPIE, economic events illustrate positive steps toward controlling our future," The Modesto Bee, Aug. 25, 2019.

"Jet service between Stockton and L.A. takes off," Lodi News-Sentinel, Aug. 17, 2019: Jeff Michael, executive director of the Center for Business and Policy Research, was quoted in this story about increased flights to and from the Stockton Metropolitan Airport. He said the added flights will make Stockton and the region more attractive in general, boost local economy and employment in time, and make it more convenient for business travel. "Obviously there are major destinations that are tourist regions that benefit from having an airport," he told the News-Sentinel. "The presence of some air service will definitely allow local business to benefit from tourism in the region, but we are not expecting a huge increase or that it will boost as a service immediately, maybe over time as the airport expands." (Subscribers can read the whole story online at https://www.lodinews.com/.)

"The right to forget," Dilemaveche.ro, Aug. 22-28, 2019: Modern Languages and Literature's Cosana Nicolae Eram authored a piece on privacy - and our choice to share, withhold or simply forget memories - in the age of social media. Her piece concluded, "Sometimes, self-awareness makes us feel the need to protect ourselves off-line at the superficial level, secreting our lives, closing our accounts and posing less narcissism. On the other hand, when we choose to share details of our lives, the sensation of button control pushes us towards cosmetic, beauty, editing and staging. The yellow roses in the last picture were accented with the Photoshop application, right?"

"Stockton/UOP Native America Labor Day Pow Wow," Good Day Sacramento (CW31, Sacramento), Aug. 23, 2019: Ines Ruiz-Huston, director of Intercultural Student Success, was interviewed about the 38th annual Stockton/UOP Native America Labor Day Pow Wow hosted on the Stockton Campus during Labor Day Weekend.

"Color run," Good Day Sacramento (CW31, Sacramento, Aug. 23, 2019: Color Run student organizers Rachel Ticas and Heather Greenup were interviewed during Week of Weekend 2019. The event was one of dozens planned to welcome incoming students. The Record also published photos of the event and posted a photo gallery: "Beloved University of the Pacific tradition goes off with flying colors," The Record, Aug. 23, 2019.

"New year off to a roaring start at Pacific," The Record, Aug. 25, 2019: Convocation, Tiger Roar and incoming students were featured in published photos. New students left Convocation in Faye Spanos Concert Hall to be greeted by confetti, the Pacific Pep Band, and roaring current students, faculty, staff and alumni.

"Grants to Support Research Into Smoking's Impact on Oral Health," Dentistrytoday.com, Aug. 19, 2019: Dugoni's Nan (Tori) Xiao and Cássio Almeida da Silva were featured in this story for receiving state funding for separate research projects looking into the effects smoking has on teeth. "Research on the health effects of smoking and vaping is an emerging research focus of the Dugoni School," David Ojcius, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and one of Xiao's co-investigators, told Dentristrytoday.com. "Other faculty members have recently submitted applications to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and other foundations to support research on the health hazards of vaping, and more applications are planned."

"Casa Cornelia Law Center names Judge Dana Sabraw Humanitarian of the Year," SanDiegoMetro.com, Aug. 21, 2019: McGeorge alumnus and U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California Dana Sabraw '85 is the 2019 recipient of the Lucy Howell La Mancha Humanitarian Award. The story reads, "Recently, Sabraw presided over a landmark case involving the child separation crisis. In February 2018, the ACLU filed against the federal government's policy of separating families highlighting the case of 'Ms. L' and her daughter, 'S.S.,' who arrived at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in November 2017. Sabraw ruled that the federal government reunite the family. He also issued a national injunction ordering the government to reunite around 2,000 migrant children with their parents."