Chem 194. I love this room. Though my knees poke over the top of the seat in front of me, it reminds me of all that is good.

REASONS I LOVE DAVIS, BY A NON-SCIENCE MAJOR 1. Nutrition 2, Human Development 12, English 180, American Studies 130, Physical Education 1 and Art 10--otherwise known as "The History of Food," "Human Sexuality," "Children's Literature," "Popular Culture," "Bowling" and "Art Appreciation." Oh, yes, the joys of having many extra units and lots of time with a catalog. I love taking new classes at UC Davis, I love discovering new departments, and I love classes that show a movie clip as part of the final. 2. Snickerdoodles at the Coffee House bakery. Though best when soft and fresh, even stale snickerdoodles hit the spot when accompanied by chocolate milk. They are sometimes the only thing worth riding my bike to campus for. 3. Witnessing random bike accidents. In what other place could you see so many bikes going so quickly and intensely within a two-mile space? A little accident now and then always lightens the mood. Only surpassed by an innocent soul on a rainy day with a line of mud up the back. 4. Fear of a Black Planet Cake at the Coffee House bakery. Though the servings are always too large, this chocolate cake, laced with cream cheese, is often a good substitute for lunch. Also excellent when accompanied by chocolate milk. 5. The cows. Come on, admit it--they're cute. Especially if you're an English major and don't know any better, pointing to them as you bike by, shouting, "Pretty Bossie! Bossie want a cracker?" I did milk one once, as part of an animal science final (see No. 1 of this list). They are very large up close--and kind of smelly, though still cute. I recommend staying on the bike path. 6. Chem 194. I love this room. Though my knees poke over the top of the seat in front of me, it reminds me of all that is good. My first class in college was in that room, and not recognizing one face in the room, feeling anonymous, was thrilling. Freeing. Sitting next to somebody who doesn't know you, will never know you and doesn't care. As a side note, this room is particularly interesting during a science or math class. I visited a math class once with a friend, and all of the pens in the room clicked simultaneously, switching colors as the subject matter on the board changed, the equations long and dizzying. The reverberation of the clicks reflecting off the large walls stirred my soul, but I think I will stick to the classes listed in Nos. 1 and 5. 7. Ice cream by the ounce in the Coffee House bakery. They've got all the flavors with either a cone or cup option at half the price. What's not to love? 8. The arboretum in the spring, when the baby horses have just been born and rows of little ducks are everywhere. I once read a poem by Jeremy Mattern, an undergraduate at UC Davis, in which he describes all the ducks in the arboretum crying "mrak mrak mrak." What a description! Ah, the sound of ducks, the freeway roaring past, and the pink blossoms. Sigh, sigh. The scene momentarily helps you forget that you are in the armpit of California--on your way to being somewhere great but still stuck in the dust. 9. My bike, otherwise known as "Big Red." She has been stolen for two years now, but I know she is still in Davis. I got her for free at a garage sale many years ago, and after I wiped off the cobwebs and invested in a new chain and a lock, our love affair began. She has a big red seat, five gears that don't work and large red handlebars with comfortable plastic grips. If she's reading: I'm sorry I didn't lock you up. It's all my fault! If the thief is reading: I know tae bo (the infomercial workout, could also be used in attack as an interpretive martial art), and you at least better be riding her. If I find Big Red's seat selling for five bucks in a back street bike shop in Woodland, I will really be pissed. I still look for Big Red on campus and think of her often. Though she is gone, her memory lives on. 10. Magazines that let you write a list as an article. And finally, 11. Free stuff everywhere! Okay, so technically, we're paying for it with our student fees, but on a daily basis you can work out at the Rec Hall, ride the bus, go to a movie in Chem 194, visit the advice nurse and use a wide variety of hi-tech equipment including computers, slide projectors, video cameras, televisions, VCRs--you get the picture. Oh, and don't forget the free cookie scraps they always have lying around the Coffee House bakery. If you don't believe a trip to the bakery can be a spiritual experience, try a sample. -- Erica Howe '99