Pacific in the Press | Oct. 30, 2018

Quote of the Week

"This is not the city Forbes says it is. It is a very interesting, beautiful, powerful city ." 

Martín Camps, The Record, Oct. 30, 2018

"Feud erupts over language of California gas tax measure," The Associated Press, Oct. 27, 2018: McGeorge's Mary-Beth Moylan commented in this story about an advertising blitz by supporters of Proposition 6 on the ballot that would repeal an increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees. A mailer was called a ballot "correction" by supporters, but there was no actual correction. "I don't have a problem with them putting a mailer out," Moylan, who teaches a seminar on initiatives, told The Associated Press. "It is another thing to say, 'We're going to masquerade as an official state actor and tell you that there is a correction to your ballot.' Adding that level of manipulation to the process, I think, is problematic." The story was published by hundreds of news agencies across the country.

"University of the Pacific Hosts Clinics to Help Patients with Medicare Open Enrollment," Capital Public Radio's "Insight With Beth Ruyak," Oct. 23, 2018: Pharmacy's Raj Patel '01, '06 and Carly Ranson '13, '17 and student-pharmacist Caitlin Tipple '19 appeared on this program to talk about student-run Mobile Medicare Clinics to help patients pick the right Medicare Part D drug plan. In the past 11 years, the school has helped more than 6,600 beneficiaries save almost $7 million on their out-of-pocket drug costs, including 24.1 percent low-income beneficiaries. The clinics were covered by other outlets: "Medicare Health Fair for Seniors and Other Beneficiaries," Tracy Press, Oct. 24, 2018; "It's Important To Carefully Review Medicare Bills, Especially If You Think Something Should Have Been Covered," California Healthline Daily Edition, Oct. 24, 2018.

"2018 election: Should people vote on topics they know nothing about?" ABC10, Oct. 24, 2018: Political science's Keith Smith was quoted in this article on whether people should vote on topics they know nothing about. Smith said, "The first possibility is that they could choose not to vote, which is a perfectly reasonable thing to do if they don't feel like they have enough information. There are several places you can go to quickly get a sense of what the issues are and what the stakes are. One that I turn to, (and) one that my students turn to, is Ballotpedia ... then, after that, if you're willing to, you can always use shortcuts. What does the party you affiliate with say? What do groups that you trust say?"

"California leans heavily on its groundwater, but will a court decision tip the scales against more pumping?," Water Education Foundation, Oct. 19, 2018: McGeorge School of Law's Jennifer Harder was quoted in this article about an appellate court's extension of the 1983 public trust doctrine to groundwater that feeds a navigable river. She was not sure the outcome would be different if other laws are properly applied. "A properly done SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) analysis and a properly done reasonable use analysis must assess long-term environmental sustainability," she said. "Reasonable use and the public interest require consideration of impacts to common public resources, or the analysis is flawed."

"Who's who of civic, sports leaders bid farewell to Spanos," Recordnet.com, Oct. 24, 2018: Alumnus Alex G. Spanos '48 was honored in this article that recounted his life and memorial service held at the Alex G. Spanos Center. Many other outlets also covered the service, as well. "I didn't start out looking to fulfill a get-rich fantasy," Spanos said in a recording during that service. "All I sought was financial security to support my family."

"Stockton Arts Commission to honor Paul Kimball and Dominee Muller Kimball with STAR Award," Recordnet.com, Oct. 24, 2018: Alumni Paul Kimball '85 and his wife, Dominee Muller-Kimball '92, '04, were featured in this article that reviewed their careers in music and theater and the productions they've done in the San Joaquin County. About attending Pacific, Kimball told Recordnet.com, "At first I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I wanted to be a music major. In the back of my mind, I wanted to teach. I switched to music education as a major in my second semester." Muller-Kimball added, "There's nothing better than going to show at Civic Theatre. I love sitting in the back of the audience and every person is engaged in that storytelling, that magical moment of the arts. You have a collected group of people engaged in what's going on."

"Fitzgerald: One book, 11 essays dig into Stockton history," Recordenet.com, Oct. 25, 2018: Latin American studies' Martín Camps was quoted in an article about a new book conceived by Camps, "Dialogues on the Delta: Approaches to the City of Stockton," which features 11 essays by 14 Pacific faculty and staff members. "I think it is the responsibility of the city to uncover the history and beauty," said Camps. "This is not the city Forbes says it is. It is a very interesting, beautiful, powerful city." Former professor Robert Benedetti and sociology's Susan E. Mannon are mentioned in this commentary.

"SJ data signal high voter interest ahead of Election Day," The Record, Oct. 25, 2018: Political science's Keith Smith was quoted in this story regarding the trend in increasing voter registration in California. Smith told The Record, "California has been doing all it can as a state to get as many people to register as possible. We are now objectively one of the easier states to become registered in. ... I would be surprised if we didn't have high registration numbers going into this election."

"Brubeck Festival serves up intercultural flair," Lodi News-Sentinel, Oct. 24, 2018: Brubeck Institutes' Patrick Langham was quoted in an article announcing the Brubeck Festival honoring of alumni Dave '42 and Iola Brubeck '45. The story told of the various prominent jazz musicians who were scheduled to perform during the festival. "Bringing musicians of this caliber to the University of the Pacific is a dream come true, both for students and for the wider community," said Langham, interim executive director of the Brubeck Institute.

"Expert Opinions Divided After Judge's Pivot in Monsanto Ruling," Courthouse News, Oct 25, 2018: McGeorge's Don Doernberg was quoted in this article breaking down San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos' ruling to uphold a $289 million verdict against Monsanto after a jury found Roundup caused a school groundskeeper's terminal cancer. Bolanos "may have looked back at the evidence at trial and taken what seems to me a conservative approach," Doernberg said in an interview. "A conservative approach to leave the jury finding intact and leave it to the appellate court to say to her, 'No, the evidence was too much in dispute, you should have ordered a new trial.'" But he added an appellate court would likely "be reluctant to do that."