A sneak peak at an upcoming issue of Sacramento Magazine describes Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef as a pool shark in his early college days. According to Vanderhoef, who recently returned a questionnaire to the magazine, the best decision he ever made was "to get out of the pool hall and into the classroom." As Maril Stratton, assistant chancellor for communications, says, "He quickly learned he could play better than most of his college compatriots and made some pretty good money hustling — so much so that he ended up on academic probation." Once he reformed his ways, Vanderhoef went on to earn a doctorate in plant biochemistry and, well, we know the rest of the story. Sacramento Magazine is expected to publish the piece in January or February. ...

Astronaut Steve Robinson, a UC Davis alumnus who took a historic spacewalk in August, spoke to about 200 people Oct. 12 in the Activities and Recreation Center Ballroom. An expert in aerodynamics, he talked about inspecting the outside of the shuttle to ensure that there would be no problem upon re-entry. He said the crew had "complete confidence" they were coming home, despite concerns among others. ...

Every year rising textbook costs spark consternation and controversy. In response, two political science faculty members are putting their money where their mouths are. Don Rothchild gave funds from a grant to his publisher in exchange for a commitment to keep down the paperback price of his new book. And Randolph Siverson, in negotiating with a publisher on a recent manuscript, gave up royalty income to keep the price lower. ...

On Sept. 26, English lecturer Andy Jones and his wife Kate had their third child — Truman Banjo Jones Duren. That's quite a handle. As Jones explains, his daughter Geneva gave her brother Jackson the nickname of "Jukie" when the family brought him home from the hospital. "Months ago she named our youngest 'Cool Guy,'" said Jones. "When re-introduced to Cool Guy yesterday afternoon, Jackson gave the baby a kiss on the forehead, and then lifted his hand to give him a high five. His sign for his brother is a pair of knuckles from each fist, rotating next to his eyes, suggesting to us that from this boy he expects much crying." Jones is also the host for the KDVS 90.3 FM show, "Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour," which airs every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. ...

Stanford University is being mocked by crowds on the road for its loss to UC Davis on Sept. 17. When they recently played Washington State University, the crowd heard more than the usual catcalls. "The whole first half, we heard the chant, 'UC Davis,'" Stanford safety Nick Sanchez told the San Francisco Chronicle. And, reportedly, Stanford head coach Walt Harris is reluctant to refer to the UC Davis game by name, calling it "the infamous game a couple weeks ago." ...

The October issue of the magazine Men's Fitness ranked UC Davis as the 13th "fittest" college in America (Brigham Young University was number one, and UC Santa Barbara was second and UC Santa Cruz eighth). Schools were ranked on their answers to questions like "How often do you work out?" and "How would you rate the fitness facilities at your school?" ...

And in its Best Towns Special Issue, Outdoor magazine named the city of Davis as one of the 10 "new American dream towns" that are "cleaner, greener, smarter, better." Despite appearing a bit outdated on Davis' median home price ($333,000, well below the current $550,000), the magazine notes that UC Davis "keeps the local scene young and diverse." ...

Guatemalan activist Rigoberta Menchu will speak at the Mondavi Center on Oct. 21. In 1983, she published an account of her country's bloody civil war called I, Rigoberta Menchu. In 1992, largely on account of this book, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Several years later, anthropologist David Stoll conducted a series of interviews with Menchu's former acquaintances for a follow-up book. During this time he discovered that her account was largely fabricated. For example, she writes about watching her brother Nicolas die of malnutrition, but a New York Times reporter later found him alive in a Guatemalan village. And she claims in her book that she never went to school, but she was a scholarship student at a private boarding school, according to the Times. In response, Menchu has denounced her critics for "political provocations."...

If you have information for future columns, send an e-mail to cparker@ucdavis.edu.