April 13, 2017

Congratulations to arts & culture writer Caroline Rutten, the winner of The Aggie’s March Madness office pool!

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VOLUME 135, ISSUE 22 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

Native American Academic Student Success Center opens in April

GENESIA TING / AGGIE

Bathrooms and beyond:

ensuring trans and non-binary inclusion creating a comfortable environment for all

BY HANNAH HOLZER features@theaggie.org NICOLE WASHINGTON / AGGIE

“Sometimes you go across campus and you don’t see anyone who looks like you,” Frazier said. “And you want to feel connected.”

The center offers a space for Native American students to meet and get together with other students.

“It’s cool to bring the little community into one center and we can all freak out over things we have in common,” said Celeste Joaquin, a third-year English and communication double major who has been involved with the center since last year.

The NAASSC is partnered with the Educational Opportunity Program at UC Davis to provide one-on-one academic advising for students, especially for those struggling with difficulties like academic probation.

Additionally, the NAASSC works with Native American Studies and partners with the residence hall Learning Living Community program to provide a Native American Learning-Living Community in residence areas.

In terms of academics, Frazier said that the NAASSC holds a First-Year Aggie Connection to help students adjust to college life.

The center also works with the Student Academic Success Center and holds an academic workshop every week, such as “What to do after a test.”

While waiting outside of an occupied gender-neutral restroom, Iris Bloomfield, a fourth-year English major and transgender woman, was accompanied by another transgender student who looked at her and said, “You too, huh?”

“Sometimes I use the gender-neutral bathroom when I am feeling particularly anxious or self-conscious about my appearance, or if there’s really not any other choice,” Bloomfield said. “Particularly earlier on in my transition, gender-neutral bathrooms were fantastic because [...] it affords one a relative amount of safety and less scrutiny in the bathroom. Or we could sidestep the issue all together, at least for me, [with] people not freaking out at my presence in the women’s room.”

Currently, UC Davis appears to have about 160 gender-neutral restrooms located across campus. Bloomfield and Naveen Bhat, a thirdyear cinema and digital media and theatre and dance double major who identifies as a “queer, brown, non-binary trans person,” both said there are not enough gender-neutral restrooms on campus.

“As someone who doesn’t feel comfortable in gendered bathrooms, [gender-neutral restrooms have] definitely helped me, as well as a lot of other folks I know,” Bhat said. “There are many areas on campus that are nowhere near the vicinity of a gender-neutral bathroom. A lot of these bathrooms are inaccessible, hard to find, out of order and are in remote locations. Ideally, I think that all buildings should have gender neutral bathrooms, whether that means converting gendered restrooms into non-gendered restrooms or creating more restrooms.”

Older buildings, such as Wellman Hall and Olson Hall, hold many

CENTER on 10

BATHROOMS on 10

Center strives to empower, retain Native American scholars on campus

BY C L A RA Z HAO campus@theaggie.org

The Native American Academic Student Success Center (NAASSC) held its grand opening on Monday, April 10.

Located at the University House, the center is part of the three retention initiatives developed by Student Affairs, which includes the African American Diaspora Center and the Chicano and Latino Academic Success Center. The NAASSC revolves around Native American retention, matriculation and graduation.

According to the UC Davis website, the center allows Native American students to “connect with resources, facilities and programming that enhance their academic success” and gain “a sense of belonging [...] in a culturally appropriate way.”

Kayton Carter, the director of the African American Diaspora Center, worked with Vice Chancellor Adela de la Torre to develop the concept for the center. Students have been using the space since Sept.

1, although the official opening was on April 10.

According to Michelle Villegas Frazier, director of the NAASSC, the center strives to give Native American students “a home away from home.” Frazier pointed out that Native American students are smaller in number compared to other ethnic groups at UC Davis.

M. SAIF ISLAM / COURTESY

Pattern of tiny black holes enables fastest data conversion reported for a photodetector Innovative silicon wafer technology serves as game-changer for high speed connections at data centers

BY S HI VA N I KA M A L science@theaggie.org

The immense growth of data centers powering the internet cloud has brought with it a demand to move large quantities of data faster and farther. Newly developed silicon wafer technology with tiny black holes, developed by UC Davis electrical engineers, acts a photodetector to move massive amounts of data worldwide at a lower cost.

M. Saif Islam of the UC Davis Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering collaborated with the Silicon Valley startup company W&W Sens Devices Inc., to develop this technology. The research was recently published in the online journal, Nature Photonics.

“Big data is what everyone talks about these days,” said Yang Gao, a postdoctoral scholar in Islam’s group. “The need for faster optical communication and the demand for higher bandwidth cloud computing are growing exponentially.”

The “cloud,” is a metaphor for the internet. Cloud computing means storing and accessing information and programs over the internet instead of on a computer hard drive.

The main application of new silicon wafer technology is for data centers. A central issue of optics for data communication in the centers is the expensive cost for the data transfer rate, which is currently about

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“We believe this technology will help to further reduce the cost to single digit dollar per Gb/s,” said postdoctoral scholar Hilal Cansizoglu of the UC Davis Integrated Nanodevices and Nanosystems Lab. The most striking feature of this new technology is the pattern of tiny black holes tapered in the silicon, only about 1 micrometer in size.

These holes essentially trap photons, which are tiny quantized particles of light, and divert them sideways which allows for high-speed data connections.

“A large number of simulations, experimental attempts and combined approaches helped us narrow-down our design window [for the optimal pattern of tapered holes],” Islam said.

After two long years of experimentation, the researchers settled on a pattern of holes that taper toward the bottom of the wafer.

Traditionally, silicon is not considered a good material for a photodetector to use in data communication

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2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

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$10 million in funding given to UCMexico joint energy efficiency projects UC President Napolitano, Mexican Secretary of Energy Joaquin continue partnership

UC DAVIS

BY AARON LI SS c a mpu s @ th ea ggi e .o r g

University of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano met with Mexican Secretary of Energy Pedro Joaquín Coldwell in Mexico City on March 30 to announce the $10 million raised for energy efficiency projects. These projects will be jointly led by Mexican research institutes and UC researchers. According to Napolitano, these projects are a way of bolstering a partnership between the nations through reaching shared energy goals and combating climate change.

The UC-Mexico initiative was first launched in 2014, creating academic UC programs in Mexico and coordinating student and researcher exchanges between the two countries, as well as fostering answers to shared problems like pollution and climate change. On March 30, Joaquin officially solidified the proposal requests for $10 million U.S. dollars from the Mexican Ministry of Energy SENER-CONACYT Energy Sustaina-

bility Fund (FSE) to fund Mexico’s clean energy projects. UC researchers will actively participate in the research.

This initiative and funded project confront a new presidential administration which has called global warming “a hoax,” proposed ending the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and removed climate change data from the EPA’s website.

Napolitano, however, has long been an advocate for clean energy, creating a goal of UC-wide carbon neutrality by 2025 through the UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative, established in 2013. Since 2013, the UC system has saved an estimated $28 million in energy costs.

Napolitano made clear that regardless of executive decisions to restrict physical or academic access between Mexico and the United States, the UC-Mexico initiative will continue.

“Regardless of what is happening federally, the University of California remains open to academic partnerships with Mexico,” Napolitano said to the Los

COMMUNITY DAY OF SERVICE UNDERWAY

NICKI PADAR / UC DAVIS

City of Davis seeking volunteers for community projects

Angeles Times on March 22.

Stephanie Beechem, a member of media relations for the UC Office of the President, relayed the same message of scientific, academic and social cooperation between UC and Mexico.

“UC believes that it is critically important to maintain a robust and enduring relationship with Mexico through student and faculty exchanges, the celebration of our shared heritage and populations, and research and scholarly activity that solves problems and advances shared knowledge,” Beechem said via email.

Beechem reiterated Napolitano’s assurance that the initiative between the two countries will continue.

“The UC-Mexico initiative will continue to focus on key areas of interest to both California and Mexico, as well as the United States,” Beechem said. “Energy, environment, education, health, arts and culture.”

The initiative was started by UC Riverside but is a UC-wide program.

According to the UC-Mexico Initiative website, the initiative aims to identify shared problems and catalyze shared solutions.

“Led by the University of California Riverside, the UC-Mexico Initiative brings together scholars and leaders from the University of California with those

BY NICO LAS RAG O city@thea g g ie.org

The City of Davis will host the Community Day of Service on April 29. The Community Day of Service, an event the city has put on for the past three years, is designed to bring together the people of Davis through a day of constructive volunteer work.

The day begins with a breakfast that is sponsored by the Davis Police Department and run by volunteers. Carrie Dyer, an administrative analyst at the Davis Manager’s Office, explained the kickoff breakfast and what volunteers should expect.

“We provide a breakfast, a kick off breakfast,” Dyer said. “So, we are looking for volunteers to help set up, cook and clean up from that […] The Davis Police Officer’s Association contributes funds for it and they sponsor the breakfast. And then we have volunteers who actually do the setup and the cooking and the cleanup, which is great.”

After the breakfast, volunteers will travel to their project areas. As Dyer explained, the projects themselves take place all over Davis

from distinguished sister institutions in Mexico to consider innovative ways to broaden and deepen our connections for the benefit of all,” the website reads.

“The goal of the UC-Mexico Initiative is to identify shared problems, bring shared resources and effort to bear toward a shared solution and to share in the impact that those efforts produce.”

Beechem spoke of UC Davis’ role in the initiative and how UC Davis provided academic fodder through workshops and other mediums.

“UC Davis faculty and researchers have been actively involved in President Napolitano’s UC-Mexico initiative, including playing a significant role in the Energy Working Group,” Beechem said.

“The UC Davis Office of Research and the Energy Efficiency Center hosted a workshop on Energy Efficiency Collaborations on the Davis campus in March 2016, which involved over a dozen Mexican institutions and researchers from across UC and the national labs.”

Kimberly Hale, the interim director of news and media relations for UC Davis, said via email that “[Davis] supports President Napolitano’s vision and efforts.”

UC Davis and other UC researchers’ involvement in the UC-Mexico initiative can be found in the UC-Mexico faculty

and Yolo County, involving volunteers in different and varied work.

“At North Davis Elementary they’re doing a school garden clean up,” Dyer said. “At Da Vinci [Charter Academy] it looks like they are doing the same, also a weed and garden clean up. The Center for Land Based Learning is farming related activities […] The [Yolo County Library] project will be likely moving books around, making sure books are in order, maybe some dusting, that sort of thing. [The library] is a great project for people who really would like to do something that’s inside, instead of outside.”

Along with these projects, the City of Davis has also posted about an additional two projects online, one of which is park maintenance.

“Volunteers will help prune native trees along the path at our Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer,” the description reads online. “The trees need to be pruned for health, safety and visibility for trail users. All volunteers will receive a brief pruning tutorial and will work in small groups.”

Nicodemus Ford, the Cannery Farm co-

registry.

In a UC press release, Joaquín highlighted his support of the UC-Mexico initiative.

“The promotion of science and the development of talent and human capital is key for the transformation and modernization of Mexico’s energy sector,” Joaquin said. “I want to reiterate my appreciation and recognition of President Janet Napolitano for her leadership and contribution to the prosperity of the North American region. Her work is having a significant contribution to the formation of specialized human capital and in the field of clean energy in California and Mexico.”

Thomas Jara, a first-year biotechnology major, voiced concern over Trump’s lack of alignment with Napolitano’s clean-energy ventures, criticizing Trump’s counter-actions and continual fossil-fuel support.

“Trump has been rude to a lot of allies — especially Mexico,” Jara said. “Oil is finite — it’s a finite thing. We’re going to run out of it. It is not cost-effective or sane to invest so much in oil. It doesn’t make any sense that Trump’s doing that and with his EPA actions, he shows no evidence of anything and it makes no sense why he’s cutting down on these regulations.”

ordinator, further explained that there will be three areas of work that will be concentrated on during the Community Day of Service.

“One, we have an actual herb garden that sits adjacent to our barn,” Ford said. “I purchased twenty or thirty strawberry plants that need to go in the ground. And since the rains have stopped we will be doing direct planting […] The second project that we have is the entryway into our barn [...] The third area that we will be working on is in our orchards.”

Ford mentioned that there were some potential bumps in the planting, but maintained that volunteers would be able to help sort out these issues.

“Many of the trees are kind of growing straight up and so we will need to kind of place spacers in the branches, so the trees are kind of growing in more of a U shape, which allows proper yield on each one of the trees,” Ford said.

The City of Davis is still in need of volunteers for the projects. Sign-ups can be found at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4ca9a729a5f58-davis.

Lengthy negotiations over UC labor contract completed Teamsters to vote on tentative agreement

BY E MILY S H INTANI ca m pus @thea g g ie.org

MORGAN TIEU / UC DAVIS

Police Logs: Is that a house fire? Or just someone mowing their lawn?

NIKKI PADAR / AGGIE

BY SAM SOLOM O N ci ty@ th e a ggi e .o r g

April 2 “RP advised last night subjects threw eggs and dumped cereal in the yard.”

“Son broke the door down because he was too hot inside the residence.”

April 4 Two subjects “look like tweekers.”

April 5 “RP thought he saw a fire but it was someone mowing the lawn.”

April 7 “Abandoned call [...] RP states he used calling 911 as a ruse to get his teenager to get ready for school.”

“RP complaining of young adults in the street playing ball [...] RP admits there’s no crime but wanted the subjects to know ‘the police are in the area’.”

The University of California (UC) announced on March 23 that it has reached a provisional agreement with the Teamsters Union regarding a potential new labor contract. The contract covers several thousand clerical employees and will be voted on by the union on April 19.

Negotiations between the two organizations started in April 2016, a full four months before the original contract expired. These negotiations did not occur smoothly, as both sides converged with conflicting standards.

“Negotiations were tough as we fought tooth and nail to achieve the tentative agreement that our members are now voting to ratify,” said Christian Castro, the Teamster communications director, via email.

One of the main issues that was debated during the negotiations was between the UC-supported merit-based wage increases and the Teamster-supported guaranteed wage increases.

“Originally [the UC] had proposed a small increase of 1 percent and what is called step increases, which are only given to those with a satisfactory personal review,” Castro said. “Many bosses and managers can then exploit that by doing favoritism [...] We wanted guaranteed raises for everyone, across the board, no ifs, ands or buts.”

After continued unsatisfactory offers

and an organized labor strike performed by the Teamsters, the two parties reached an agreement. According to a press release, the new contract, if implemented, will include an annual three percent wage increase for every covered employee; a $1,200 bonus per clerical employee, paid upon contract ratification; a $25 limit on any rate increases to the Kaiser and Health Net Blue and Gold health insurance plans and retirement options for employees hired on or after July 1, 2016.

Although the process was long, Lani Richardson, a Teamster Bargaining Team representative, believes that without the initiative and hard work of its members, the two parties would never have reached this final deal.

“I truly feel this process would’ve dragged out much longer had it not been for our campaign we built on the ground, which empowered our activists to take actions and show strength at the workplace,” Richardson said via email. “When dealing with the UC, one can have the most competent people at the table, with the most compelling arguments and facts on their side — which we did — but ultimately talk doesn’t move the University — Teamster Member Power does.”

Starting on April 10, in-person balloting will occur at each location across the UC system. These votes will then be checked for eligibility and counted on Wednesday, April 19 at the Teamsters Local 2010 Office in Oakland.

Both Castro and Richardson expect

positive results from the voting process.

Castro based his reasoning on the encouragement of the Teamster bargaining team and executive board to vote in favor of the contract.

“Our bargaining team and Executive board have both recommended a ‘yes’ vote on the contract and we believe that this is the best possible deal under the circumstances,” Castro said via email.

Richardson believes the contract will be ratified due to similar contracts passing in the past.

“The feedback I’ve personally been receiving has been positive,” Richardson said via email. “This contract is the third our local has just settled, and is patterned the same as the other two. The other two agreements for skilled trades workers at UCSD and UCLA passed overwhelmingly with 98 percent and 91percent of members voting to ratify, respectively.

So based on this and the feedback from members, I believe that the agreement will be ratified.”

Dwaine B. Duckett, the UC vice president for systemwide human resources, said the UC views the outcome of the negotiations as positive.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that maintains competitive wages and benefits for our clerical colleagues and recognizes the important role they play in keeping our campuses and medical centers running smoothly,” AGREEMENT on 10

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 3

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TERM REPORT CARDS EXECUTIVE OFFICE TERM REVIEW Alex Lee and Abhay Sandhu HANNAH WODRICH / AGGIE FILE

BY L I NDSAY F LOY D campus@theaggie.org

A full year since their election as president and vice president, respectively, during the Winter 2016 elections, Alex Lee and Abhay

Sandhu saw their term come to an end at the end of the Winter Quarter 2017.

“My term was characterized more by the controversies and scandals each quarter [such as former chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi’s resignation and the Milo Yiannopoulos protests] that popped up,” Lee said. “I’m hopeful that we created a better financial state and better foundation for best practices.”

In Winter 2016, Lee and Sandhu ran for the Summit slate on platforms that encompassed five bases — clubs, academics, advocacy, jobs and ASUCD reform. While the executives made headway on causes in all areas, there were few tangible outcomes of their terms.

Lee noted that the Senate rejected some of his platforms, such as changing the structure of ASUCD to make it “more efficient,” which was rejected on a partisan vote by the Senate, and the bills thereafter died.

Instead, Lee and Sandhu worked to lay foundations for future student leaders to make improvements to campus.

“A lot of it is kind of hard to say that it’s definitely mine, but I’m hopeful that I laid a lot of foundations for future leaders and governments to utilize especially,” Lee said.

The 2016-17 executives did establish an executive cabinet, which

was part of their platform under the umbrella of ASUCD reform.

Lee also worked toward enabling students to gain credit for AP and IB credits. Additionally, headway was made on addressing the lack of affordable housing available in Davis for students.

“I think with the meeting that I had with [Interim] Chancellor Hexter and administration and the city to get the city and campus to finally put in writing that housing students is a joint responsibility,” Lee said. “There’s still some of that resentment there, but I think we made the first steps to heal that kind of rift.”

Another aspect of Lee’s presidency included ASUCD’s involvement in units’ decision-making with regard to topics such as wages.

“I tried to learn their concerns as much as possible and really know the units to best make decisions,” Lee said. “In many cases in my position, I make decisions for units or between units.”

According to Senator Samantha Chiang, who was active during Lee’s presidency and was also re-elected during the Winter 2016 election, Lee’s presidency was plagued by an inherent disengagement between the branches and even within the executive branch itself.

“I think during Alex’s term there was a distinct disconnect be-

Dhaliwal spent four years in ASUCD. She served as an ASUCD staffer her freshman year, worked on the Office of Advocacy and Student Representation board and became chief of staff for the executive office as a sophomore. She then was elected senator in the Winter Quarter 2016 elections.

Her platforms in 2016 included starting a student-based music festival, offering healthier food choices at the Silo and creating temporary lounge spaces within Shields Library. According to Dhaliwal, these platforms were thwarted following the resignation of former Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, as all required the signature of the chancellor to allocate the necessary funds for each project.

During her time in Senate, Dhaliwal, along with former ASUCD President Alex Lee, was invited by Interim Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter to participate in UC Davis’ decision in the switch from food vendor Sodexo when the contract expires at the end of this year.

By agreeing to a new contract with the University Managed Food Service, healthier food options would be made available in the Silo.

Dhaliwal’s involvement in this process included reviewing the potential options for new food vendors to make sure they aligned with her vision of providing students with healthy food options.

Dhaliwal also had the chance to meet with contractor Koby Learner to discuss student lounging spaces in Shields Library. During her campaign, Dhaliwal heard student opinions on what should be included in a library renovation and participated in the open forums as part of The University Library Space Planning Project to gain knowledge on the student body’s opinion regarding the library’s future. She took these ideas to Learner during her meeting with him and, in return, received a promise from the contracting company that they would implement the desired aspects in the future construction.

“I’m happy to know that whatever they do end up doing with the library isn’t just what the consultants think is right, but is actually what student input suggests,” Dhaliwal said.

Dhaliwal was unable to fulfill her platform of establishing a student music festival. UC Davis currently has the highest student government fees, which are imposed on all students, in the entire UC system. Dhaliwal was hesitant to increase the ASUCD student fees, which would be a necessary step for the prospect of a music festival.

to serve as a senator for a second term and was recently elected as the Senate Pro-Tempore.

Chiang received an endorsement from The California Aggie both times she ran for Senate. For her second term, this paper endorsed her for her ability to achieve her platforms. In an interview with The Aggie, Chiang explained that her two key platforms were mental health and getting academic accommodations for students with mental health disorders during her first term.

“In a sense I did accomplish all of my platforms and you could also say the more specific tenants I didn’t,” Chiang said. “What I managed to accomplish was — my overarching thing was mental health — so I was able to create a mental health conference. Now I am working on the [mental health] awareness month.”

Chiang did admit to not fulfilling a project that she did campaign on, however.

“All the broader things, like the themes, got accomplished in one shape or another, but some of the more specific things weren’t able to be accomplished per se, but they weren’t really my platforms, they weren’t how I sold myself during elections,” Chiang said. “[…] One of the ones that I did not accomplish, I wouldn’t call it a platform but a small project I wanted to work on, was creating a letter [of ] recommendation request system via Oasis or Canvas. Then I found

out later on through talking to students that no one voted for me because of that and that no one was interested in this project at all.”

While touching on the academic accommodations aspect of her platform during the interview, Chiang focused heavily on her work on mental health awareness. The crux of her work during her first term was the establishment of a one day mental health conference at UC Davis. Commending her event as a success, she is working on expanding it.

“I’m working on the mental health initiative which is to encompass the conference and a mental health awareness month where we work with multiple different [organizations] to put on different events,” Chiang said. “Because our conference went so well, Student Affairs is actually currently helping us to make a proposal to get an annual income of $20,000 so we never have to worry about our finances concerning the mental health initiative again.”

One of the stumbling blocks Chiang encountered during her term was the bureaucracy of the UC Davis Division of the Academic Senate (AS).

“One of my other parts of the platform, I guess you could say, was getting professors to work more with mental health and I am still

time as senator with a senate voting record of 69 yes votes, 3 no votes and 14 abstentions.

“Being on Senate was such an amazing experience for me,” Molodanof said via email. “I learned so much more about the incredible units, commissioners, and individuals who make up ASUCD and grew so much as a person. Being a Senator has truly made my time at UC Davis unique and unforgettable. I would like to thank everyone who elected me and supported me throughout my time in Senate.”

Molodanof, a third-year English major, ran on platforms related to mental health advocacy, efforts to display nutritional information in the CoHo and increasing amenities on campus.

During her term, Molodanof helped to organize a Student Mental Health and Wellness Fair, worked with the CoHo’s food services director in trying to provide nutritional information and was able to secure an additional microwave for the CoHo as well as a hydration station on the first floor of Wellman Hall.

Molodanof also authored Senate Bill 85 in Spring 2015 and Senate Bill 3 in 2016, and she co-authored and introduced Senate Bill 34.

ASUCD President Josh Dalavai, who served two terms in Senate

with Molodanof, said that Molodanof showed persistence toward the issues she cared about.

“She was very dedicated to her platforms and to the mental health community,” Dalavai said. “I think she put her best foot forward in achieving her platforms and she was good at what she did. She was never afraid to voice her opinion, and it was good to have very vocal people on the table like herself, offering various viewpoints.”

On senate resolutions, Molodanof retains a record of 12 yes votes, 0 no votes and 0 abstentions. Regarding her platform, Molodanof said that she was pleased to have followed through with most of her promises, and she said that she will continue working to complete some of them.

“I’m happy that I was able to accomplish most of my platforms,” Molodanof said. “A few are still in the works, but I know that with a little time, students will hopefully be able to benefit from them.

Through my experience as a Senator, I learned that things don’t change overnight and it takes time to make real progress. Although my term as a Senator has ended, I am committed to making sure that I implement all the changes I ran on.”

LEE AND SANDHU on 10

SENATOR TERM REVIEW Shaitaj Dhaliwal ASHLEY LUGO / AGGIE FILE

BY L I NDSAY F LOY D campus@theaggie.org

At the end of the Winter Quarter, Shaitaj Dhaliwal’s one-year term as an ASUCD senator came to a close.

DHALIWAL on 10

Samantha Chiang ARIEL ROBBINS / AGGIE FILE

BY KENTON G O L DS BY campus@theaggie.org

Senator Samantha Chiang was elected in the spring of 2016 as the top-vote getter in the ASUCD election. Now, she has been elected

CHIANG on 10

Sofia Molodanof MONICA CHAN / AGGIE FILE

BY I VA N VA L E N Z U E L A campus@theaggie.org

ASUCD Senator Sofia Molodanof ’s term ended at the end of Winter Quarter 2017 after a year in the association. She ended her

MOLODANOF on 10

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Michael Chan JAY GELVEZON / AGGIE FILE

BY YVONNE LEO N G campus@theaggie.org

Michael Chan, a fourth-year computer science major, was sworn in as an interim ASUCD senator on Feb. 9 to replace Senator Sam Park, who resigned on Jan. 19.

During Chan’s time as interim senator for ASUCD, he had perfect attendance during Senate meetings. In Chan’s one-month tenure, he never adopted any units, nor did he sponsor any bills for ASUCD. “Michael was often an enigma to other people on the table, and

it took him a while to adjust to ASUCD,” said Senator Samantha Chiang via email. “Yet once he did, he offered keen insight and showed us a different perspective that many of us entrenched in the association would have failed to see otherwise.”

Former Senator Shaitaj Dhaliwal shared the same sentiments on Chan’s insightfulness during Senate meetings.

“Chan was a senator for a one quarter term,” Dhaliwal said.

“During that time, he took his role very seriously and always added wonderful insight and comment during Senate meetings.”

Alex Lee, former ASUCD president, highly praised Chan and wishes he could extend his term.

“Chan helped write a few bills with me, was always critical-minded and voiced his opinions despite them perhaps not being popular with the Senate,” Lee said. “He was brave not to follow like sheep, which most senators easily and happily do. He knew the value of his vote and did not give it easily. I only wish his term were longer than an interim basis, as I believe he would make an effective senator.

Unlike most interim seats, he demonstrated a great capability to be effective inside ASUCD and perhaps then go on to bigger campus projects.”

Chan emphasized that he never had a specific platform he worked for during his time as interim senator.

“I joined Senate less so on any specific platform and more with the intent to add a more representative and equitable voice and thought process to the table,” Chan said. “Discussions went from being relatively one-sided when my term began to having a bit more thoughtfulness for groups of different backgrounds by the time my term ended.”

At the start of Chan’s term, he mentioned that he would like to provide students of all backgrounds access to quality and affordable education.

Chan believes access to affordable education begins with access to

affordable housing in Davis.

“We’ve seen widespread housing issues for our students, which has only been getting worse over recent years,” Chan said via email.

“Because the root of these problems lies, in part, due to a disconnect between the City of Davis and the UC Davis students, one of the things we’ve been working on is re-establishing the roles and responsibilities of a joint UC Davis-City of Davis work force that aims to coordinate common efforts and discuss issues and concerns.”

Although Chan will be ending his tenure with ASUCD, he will continue his efforts outside of the Senate.

“As ASUCD continues to bolster these efforts, I’ll continue separate efforts off of the Senate table, specifically with an initiative that seeks to encourage students to register to vote within Davis and Yolo County, and participate regularly in local elections,” Chan said via email.

Chan wished that he could have reached out more to the computer science department and students during his term.

“This department has been facing issues, both large and small, at least over the past year, if not longer,” Chan said via email. “These issues range from facilities management and cleaning issues to a liberal use of baseless academic dishonesty referrals to Student Judicial Affairs.”

Chan’s advice for incoming senators is to keep up with the fastpaced quarter system and to have an open mind.

“I wish the newly elected Senators the best of luck over the course of the next year,” Chan said via email. “UC Davis quarters go by fast, so once you have your agenda, start working towards it as soon as possible. Always keep your ears open for new voices and perspectives, not only from those on the Senate, but also those in the student body. With thousands of students in various groups across campus, working towards representing each of them is a daunting task, but keep trying and don’t let impossibilities get in your way.”

“He definitely wanted a voice for his community, which I don’t think has very much representation right now,” said former ASUCD President Alex Lee. Martinez managed to develop a Chicanx/Latinx Student Council during Winter Quarter to bridge the gap within the community by inviting multiple clubs, organizations and on campus centers. In general, Martinez hoped to create better understanding and communication between ASUCD and the community of color.

“It takes a long time for something like that to work,” Martinez said. “I’m hopeful in the future there will [...] eventually be a solid foundation for the Chicanx/Latinx community.”

He also met with the Internship and Career Center (ICC) to make the AJL, which was updated during Fall Quarter, more accessible.

Martinez said he struggled to bring more CAN counselors to the Student Health and Counseling Services on campus due to insufficient funds from the UC. Instead, Martinez put his efforts toward creating mental health workshops by partnering with the Cross Cultural Center, Center for Student Involvement, the AB540 Center and other organizations.

Additionally, Martinez adopted Unitrans and Picnic Day as his units. Unitrans unit director Anthony Palmere said Martinez often attended Unitrans advisory committee meetings and helped address any issues that arose. Pamere said he was helpful and accessible and that he cared about the students.

“We didn’t need a lot of assistance, but when we needed it he was there,” Palmere said. “He brought concerns to us that we otherwise would not have been aware of.”

Likewise, Picnic Day unit director Chelsea Hernandez said that Martinez was useful in various situations as an advocate for Picnic Day. “He listened to the concerns we had and really did consider the

issues we brought up that perhaps a lot of people miss and think [are] really simple in putting on this day,” Hernandez said.

Lee said Martinez worked well on the projects he took on but could have better used his position to make progress in the UC Davis community. However, Lee said he was empathetic and took many ideas into consideration.

With the intention of having a higher voter turnout for the senate elections last quarter, Martinez led efforts to reach out to the UC Davis community through Snapchat. The UC Davis Snapchat story received over 4,000 views.

Martinez thinks he was successful in what he hoped to do as a senator: reorganize the Chicanx/Latinx community, update the AJL and improve mental health resources. Additionally, he was absent from one Senate meeting this academic year.

“I’m proud of the work I did in terms of laying the foundation and getting things started,” Martinez said.

However, Martinez said there is still much more to be done and hopes newly-elected Senators Marcos Rodriguez and Yajaira Ramirez will be able to carry on his work.

He helped prepare Rodriguez and Ramirez for their terms and provided them with useful information on how ASUCD operates before they began.

“They are very capable of performing [and] are going to be good representatives,” Martinez said. “They’re going to be continuing what I wanted to do.”

Martinez advises that current and future senators shadow a senator for a couple of weeks to prepare for the position.

“Ask them directly [...] what exactly ASUCD is in terms of the inside [and outside] operations of it and how a senator approached both of those issues,” Martinez said.

Martinez is currently in the UCDC program in Washington D.C. and will graduate this June.

on campus, provide more 24-hour study rooms, increase safety on campus by working with the UC Davis Police Department as well as Specialized Transportation and Tipsy Taxi — which was one of her adopted units along with Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students — sexual assault advocacy, improving cultural awareness and improving campus visibility.

Grewal confirmed that she did make progress in implementing her platforms. As for cultural awareness, she started the initiative for Punjabi classes to be offered; however, she stated that this process “takes years to complete.” Grewal added that she “worked closely with the library committee to develop plans for what students would like and what facilities they want.”

Grewal also sponsored 10 to 15 bills that she said mainly targeted “the courts and my units or if it was for the committee I was assigned to.”

In hindsight, Grewal wishes she had a “better understanding of how all the committees work and also have better collaborations with the units,” as she felt she was properly prepared for some things, but not others.

In addition to her position as senator, Grewal was elected as pro tempore of the Senate by other ASUCD senators.

“My role as pro-temp [was] very administrative,” Grewal said. “I worked a lot on hiring new commissioners, unit directors and committee members. Also, I worked with elections along with working closely with admin.”

She went on to add that “it feels good to be elected by my fellow peers, as I am able to work closely with [the] majority of the senators.”

With regard to Grewal’s position as pro tempore, former Senator Shaitaj Dhaliwal of the Based slate commented, “Irveen took her role as pro tempore very seriously. She was always present at meetings and ready to go. In terms of my experience with her, it has always been pleasant.”

According to Senate recordings, Grewal only missed one meeting in her term, during which Senator Julie Jung acted as temporary pro tempore.

When asked to comment on Grewal’s effectiveness as a senator, former ASUCD President Alex Lee commented that he does not believe Grewal achieved her full potential; however, “few people can say that they do.”

Lee went on to add that the executive office did most of the reform on Grewal’s adopted unit, Tipsy Taxi. He said that Grewal and a few other senators were invited to collaborate on the reform project; however, they did not do so. Lee’s take on Grewal’s role as pro tempore is that she could have displayed better leadership and “capitalized on that opportunity.”

He concluded that Grewal was “not a bad senator, but she was not remarkable.”

With Grewal’s term coming to an end, so has her involvement in ASUCD. “I will be focusing on law school, so I will not be continuing ASUCD,” Grewal said.

However, she added that she will continue to work on her platforms and “will offer my help in any way I can.”

Grewal advised new senators “to make sure to organize your time effectively” and “help units through bills and various projects.”

Ricardo Martinez BRIANA NGO / AGGIE FILE

BY JEANNA TOTA H campus@theaggie.org

Ricardo Martinez, a fourth-year political science-public service and philosophy double major, has completed his yearlong term as an ASUCD senator. During his campaign, Martinez promised to expand Chicanx/Latinx retention and recruitment, renovate the Aggie Job Link (AJL) and expand the availability of Community Advising Network (CAN) counselors.

Martinez predominantly focused on bringing together the underrepresented Chicanx/Latinx community.

Irveen Grewal MONICA CHAN / AGGIE FILE

BY KI M I A AKBA R I campus@theaggie.org

Irveen Grewal, a third-year political science major, is one of six ASUCD senators whose terms have come to an end. Grewal ran on the Summit slate with a platform promising to provide student resources. This included plans to increase the number of nap areas

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ALEXA FONTANILLA / AGGIE

A look at Mrak Students appreciate Mrak Hall for aesthetic qualities but rarely enter building

BY ELI Z A BE T H M A R IN featu res@ th e a ggi e .o r g

Between two parallel walkways leading up to Mrak Hall stands an upside down egghead facing away from the building with an eye on its back. According to Cole Caceres, a fourth-year environmental science major, this egghead was carefully placed and has symbolic significance.

“The egghead is called ‘Eye on

Mrak,’” Caceres said. “It was created by Professor Robert Arneson. There’s an eye that faces Mrak so [...] it’s supposed to symbolize how students keep an eye on the administration. [The students are] making sure [the administration is] making decisions in our best interests, that’s what that stands for [...] which I think is pretty cool.”

Built in 1969, Mrak Hall was named after Emil Mrak, the second chancellor of UC Davis. The building stands south of

Shields Library and west of the Arboretum on campus.

Mrak Hall is typically one of the first buildings prospective students see while touring the campus. It was created for the school’s administration, including undergraduate admissions, vice chancellors, the chancellor and other administrative staff.

“It’s definitely one of the nicer parts of campus being that a lot of administration works there,” said Nicole Garcia, a third-year communication major. “The

area is really well tended to and it’s [...] a really nice background for [...] portrait photos.”

While Mrak Hall holds historical significance on campus, it is not typically a building in which students spend very much time. Nonetheless, many UC Davis students choose to have their senior portraits taken in front of Mrak. According to Garcia, students and photographers choose that location for portraits because of the aesthetics that the building and surrounding area provide.

Madison Williams, a fourth-year political science major, believes that the area around Mrak provides a snapshot of the UC Davis campus.

“I actually really like the walkway at Mrak because of all the trees,” Williams said. “I think it’s really beautiful and kind of [...] like a postcard of what the rest of the campus looks like.”

Coming from inside of campus, the parallel walkways leading up to Mrak Hall are surrounded by stretches of grass and trees.

“It’s one of the eggheads that’s much easier to photograph,” Garcia said. “Being that it’s right in front of the actual building [...] as opposed to some others which are angled [...] certain ways.”

Williams was drawn to Mrak Hall on one of her first visits to UC Davis before she became a student.

“Actually one of the first photos I ever took at Davis was at Mrak Hall,” Williams said. “When I visited for Picnic Day I took a photo on the steps.”

What Williams thought was just a photograph to remember on one of her first visits to Davis now has significant meaning after discovering more about Mrak Hall.

“I didn’t know, at the time that it was the Dean’s office,” Williams said. “I just happened to stumble across what I thought was a really pretty building, but […] I’m pretty sure that’s where they approve your acceptance, […] so I was like ‘oh, it’s a good symbol’.”

Mrak Hall is located on campus specifically so that the administration is accessible to students. According to Williams, it is important that more students know the history and significance of Mrak Hall.

“I think people don’t realize what a significant part of our history Mrak hall is,” Williams said. “That’s where our chancellor’s office is and that’s where some major events have happened.”

Emil Mrak himself believed that student voices should be heard by the administration. He believed the the success of UC Davis came through the success of the students, once saying, “the students are the end, the goal and the very purpose of our university.”

According to Williams, many student-led movements have happened within or outside of Mrak Hall because it is the access point for students to reach the UC Davis administration and this adds to its significance.

“There was a sit-in to get Katehi fired [and] there was a Black Lives Matter forum held last year,” Williams said.

“There’s just been a variety of very pivotal events that happened there because people essentially lobby for the attention of the chancellor. I really think more students should know where Mrak is. A lot of the historical events that have occurred in UC Davis have been centered at Mrak.”

100 years of progressive tradition

BY M A D I SO N LYZN I C K ci ty@ th e a ggi e .o r g

The Cal Aggie Christian Association (CA House) is a multi-faith living community that celebrated its 100th anniversary on April 8. Over the last 100 years, the CA House has maintained a platform of support for all UC Davis students.

To celebrate its legacy, the CA House held the “Walk Through History” event on April 8 to provide discussions about the community and programs the CA House offers along with tours and refreshments. The CA House was founded in 1916 before the university, and has served as a pioneer to campus groups such as the Women’s Studies Center. “[The CA House holds] respect for individual cultural and religious tradition,” said Jim Cramer, the chair of the Cal Aggie Christian Association Board.

By the 1960s, the association quickly became a place of counseling and

guidance for students facing the draft during the Vietnam War. “Kids were in transition with issues that were very complicated around world affairs such as Vietnam,” said Reverend Clay Ballard of the CA House. “[We] tried to help college kids who were being drafted into Vietnam […] with the fundamentals of conscious objection.”

As the years continued, the CA House became known for its willingness to take in any and every student seeking a family in Davis. During the 1970s and 1980s, the CA House pushed for research regarding women’s health and gender support for all sexual orientations. This led to the establishment of Alternatives in Birth Control, led by a campus minister adviser, which has now evolved into the Women’s Resources and Research Center and the LGBTQIA Center. The CA House formally announced its living community as an available home for students of all gender affiliations by the late 1980s, ex-

panding its living community on their property.

But, what has kept the CA House successful and growing over the last century has been its dedication to the needs and concerns of students in the context of Christian faith. “[The association has] tried to live out progressive social justice values,” said Joe Archer, the acting executive board member.

The CA House has accomplished this by being involved with major political events such as the farm worker’s movement, voting rights movement, civil rights in the 1960s and current events such as the recent 2016 election.

Multi-faith intern and resident Fathima Mujahed, a second-year biochemistry and molecular biology double major, maintained that the CA House remains successful both outside and within the living community. “[We] attain to all faiths and religions, even those who don’t necessarily believe in a faith,” Mujahed said.

JAY GELVEZON / AGGIE

The Cal Aggie Christian Association celebrates its 100th anniversary

‘Tis the Season: Davis spring pastimes Finding ways to get outside, pass time without commute

KELSEY GREGGE / AGGIE

BY M A RLYS JEA N E featu res@ th e a ggi e .o r g

White snow carpeted the ground and trees, sparkling in the sun like diamonds.

UC Davis students Cielle Watjen Brown and Ruby Baruth sat in their hammocks, accompanied by friends and enjoying the oddly warm day after a hike in the El Dorado Hills. It was in this moment when they realized that what they were doing was not only beautiful and peaceful, but it was also fun — the kind of thing they believed everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy. They figured there had to be others at UC Davis who held shared similar interests.

“I feel like a lot of it people are intimidated to join big outdoor clubs because they’re not really good at skiing or water skiing or whatever [...] so we wanted to make a very inclusive club that anyone could join,” said Watjen Brown, a second-year human development major.

And so came the creation of the Ham-

mock Club at UC Davis, through which people could come together in different places around Davis and relax in their hammocks. In addition to leisure opportunities, the club also facilitates activities and games to spark an interest in hammocking itself as well as a sense of community. Earlier this year, Watjen Brown and co-president Baruth put on a scavenger hunt for their members. “[It] was really, really fun,” Watjen Brown said. “We’re planning on having a lot more events this Spring Quarter because this is more like the season for hammocking and going outside.”

For members of the Hammock Club, UC Davis is great because of the prime location: not too far from the city, the beach or the mountains. But people who live nearby don’t have to venture all the way to El Dorado Hills to fit in a good hammock session for a fun outdoor activity. Watjen Brown points out there are a number of places to hammock or get outside in town and even on campus.

“I definitely feel like the most popular place [to hammock] is the Arboretum in the redwood forest, [which is] beautiful and you can stack your hammocks,” Watjen Brown said. “Rock climbing is really awesome here [too], [...] and even just taking bike rides out towards Berryessa.

Just spending time outside here, there’s more than you would expect. We have Putah Creek, which is really cool, there’s a rope swing and you can go swimming.

There’s so many fun things to do in Davis, I think you just have to [...] find the groups that are on campus.”

One student who is no stranger to taking trips outside of Davis is Matt Finkle, a third-year environmental policy analysis and planning major. Finkle loves to go backpacking, camping, skiing, rafting and, like Watjen Brown, rock climbing.

But Finkle doesn’t spend all of his time in regions outside of the town of Davis.

To rock climb, he will often grab a friend and show up at the local rock climbing gym, Rocknasium. But when the weather becomes pleasant he can sometimes be found outdoors, either on the Quad or other parts of campus walking across piece of flat webbing that resembles a tight-rope — something that’s actually called a slackline.

“There are different types of slacklining,” Finkle said. “There’s tricklining, which is kind of what I like doing, or there’s highlining, which is slacklining really, really high between trees. Even at

Whole Earth [Festival], people come out with their one inch webbing and they string it really high between trees but it’s super loose, so it bends down in a giant ‘v.’”

Finkle believes slacklining is like riding a bike: Once your muscles learn how to do it, the memory never totally fades.

He can get on a slackline after months of being away from one and still do tricks like butt bounces, flips and 360s.

Both hammocking and slacklining are great pastimes in a community like Davis, fashioned with it’s flat landscapes and an abundance of sturdy trees. Not only are these activities relaxing and fun, but they can be done in a group or independently. One that offers all these benefits but without the requirement of specific gear, though, is considered a little less leisure and a little more active: parkour.

“For me, I wasn’t really committed to doing parkour when I first started,” said David Cherney, a lecturer in the Mathematics Department. “For years I was training a lot. A couple of times a week I would go out and train, but I had no idea what any of the names or moves I was doing were or whether or not I was using ‘proper technique,’ but that doesn’t matter. [Parkour is] playtime, it’s fun, it’s loitering, it’s a combination of social time and treating the world as if it’s your playground.”

Parkour is a nebulous discipline that doesn’t lend itself well to competition.

According to Cherney, “having the right technique” isn’t the point. Cherney said that having to explain why he likes parkour is like having to explain why he likes to have fun.

“We go to public spaces, parks, campus, just some places with cool hand railings [...] and just goof around there,” Cherney said. “A lot of it is social, just being silly and joking around with each other like kids would, and part of it is very physical when we go out into a public place and we’re jumping around.

[When] other people see us, a lot of people stop and give indicators that they wish they were doing it too. It seems like everybody wants to play and have fun.”

Cherney often trains for parkour with others, regardless of whether they are students, locals from the community, people from out of town or even kids — whoever wants to join is welcome to participate.

Occasionally he can be found around campus or town with a scaffolding setup for himself and others to train on. He also uses it to set an example for passersby that parkour is not just doing backflips off of two-storied buildings like it’s often depicted on YouTube. “[Parkour is] all sorts of tiny fun movements,” Cherney said. “I like to be in public for part of my training to help normalize it and generally give people the impression that they can do whatever OUTSIDE on 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OUTSIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

GUEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

seat at the seminar table. Academic philosophy has a serious diversity problem, and we are still figuring out how to solve it. A recent study found that in the United States, women comprise only 25 percent of the faculty in philosophy departments. There’s no question that this gap has influenced how women in philosophy are treated and how their work is received (or not received).

As a fourth-year philosophy major, I find it pretty depressing that I’ve read more papers written by women in three classes taught by women than in all of my other philosophy courses combined.

I don’t know if students interrupting women contributes a lot to this deep institutional problem in philosophy, but I do think our lack of exposure to women and other minorities in academia starts early and shapes our expectations and perhaps the classroom dynamic. This isn’t to say that male philosophers or my male classmates are malicious agents with agendas to keep minorities out of philosophy. But recognizing the circumstances under which marginalized philosophers are conducting their work is important.

Philosophy majors are among some of the most well-meaning students on campus, second only to the heroes majoring in viticulture.

We discuss the existence of G-d, abortion, infanticide — virtually all topics of passion that are unsuitable for light conversation — but I have yet to see a debate become uncivil. Being charitable and respectful is necessary to be a good philosopher, and our professors never fail to remind us of this. So why is it that at least

once a week I hear my ethics professor remind my mostly-thoughtful peers to let her finish her sentences?

I don’t think the interrupting students are intentionally trying to derail women from speaking. I just don’t think they notice when they do it, and this is why it’s so dangerous.

The cases we do notice are the obvious ones.

When Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was silenced on the Senate floor in February, it ignited a firestorm. Hashtag-worthy stories of the issue got the attention they deserve.

But the fact remains: when women choose to speak, we are faced with threats of interruption or silencing. Eliminating the more apparent injustices requires that we give equal and more diligent attention to the commonplace interactions perpetuating them.

And this is why I hope anyone called out for interrupting women has felt uncomfortable. We should all be uncomfortable that women have to remind people to listen when we speak. We should be uncomfortable that our culture favors female silence and passivity. We should also be moved by our discomfort to do better by our peers and ourselves by being more conscious of the way we communicate.

As a more reserved student, consistently hearing someone I admire defend her own voice and the voices of others reminds me that when I do choose to speak, my voice is valued.

So I want to thank my professor for defending women’s voices. These moments don’t go unnoticed, and they carry a greater meaning.

they want, they can expand their horizons of all the stuff around them. Hand railings don’t have to be just to help you get down the stairs, they can also be a playground.”

UC Davis is conveniently close to places like Point Reyes and Tahoe, but there is a plethora of fun activities in which students have the opportunity to engage every day right here at school.

People often find unconventional ways to spend their time outside and make friends while they’re at it.

“Of course there’s the mountains and the ocean really close by, but it’s awesome that you can do things in Davis,” Watjen Brown said.

“There’s a lot to do here as well, which has been really fun to discover.”

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8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion the California Aggie

editorial board

EDITORIAL BOARD SCOTT DRESSER Editor in Chief

Memorial Union completion pushed back...again New completion date to be May 1

ELLIE DIERKING Managing Editor ALYSSA VANDENBERG Campus News Editor SAMANTHA SOLOMON City News Editor ELI FLESCH Opinion Editor EMILIE DEFAZIO Features Editor AMANDA ONG Arts & Culture Editor BRYAN SYKES Sports Editor ARIEL ROBBINS Science & Tech Editor

CHIARA ALVES New Media Manager JAY GELVEZON Photo Director HANNAH LEE Design Director EMILY STACK Copy Chief OLIVIA ROCKEMAN Copy Chief VERONICA VARGO Website Manager ALEX GUZMÁN Social Media Mangager MADELINE ONG Newsletter Manager

As students begin the final sprint of Spring Quarter, with all of its anticipated events such as Whole Earth Festival and Picnic Day, they will note that there is one promise that has yet to be fulfilled — the finished Memorial Union (MU) in all its wonder.

With indoor spaces limited on campus due to ongoing construction, the closure of the MU creates a lack of available study space on campus. All the more aggravating is the absence of the MU Games Area, a cheap place to destress and the only bowling alley available in a 15-mile radius, especially considering that graduating students believed they would have all year to partake in the glories of bowling and Dance Dance Revolution.

The deadline for the completion of the MU is now May 1, although with all of the previous setbacks, it is unclear whether this is a definitive date.

Equally frustrating is the fact that while the MU was in the midst of renovation, the Ann E. Pitzer Center and the International Center were built from the ground up and have since been open and welcoming students. Construction for the Pitzer Center began between late 2014 and early 2015, around the same time as the MU, and was completed in the fall of 2016, the same timeline as was originally given for the MU. The International Center, seemingly built over the course of a single summer, had a similar timeline, with plans for the building finalized in 2014 and completion of the building in under a year and a half.

In light of the subsequent push backs, the stalls in construction and the ever-changing final deadline for the MU, The Editorial Board also fears for the influx of students coming to UC Davis, not only in the fall of 2017, but even now, with tours and visitors. Spring is an optimal time to visit our beautiful campus, but with very little space indoors, the

CoHo has been bombarded with people.

The new MU is meant to take some of the weight off of these spaces, but we can already predict shortcomings.

A brand new, never-before-seen MU is sure to be crowded with both anxious fourth-years and innocent first-years.

Furthermore, with the trend of increased enrollment at UC Davis, we can only hope that the administration prepared wisely for a record number of students on campus. Otherwise, extra indoor space will mean very little.

For fall 2017, the future seems grim. We hope to see the MU open by then, but the very culture of the MU will have changed drastically. The last class to see the MU open in 2015 will be fourth-year students in the fall of 2017. How can we uphold UC Davis’ culture and the uniqueness of our campus when three generations of students have never seen the bowling alley or even looked at the second floor of the MU? Will they even know that they won’t have to walk all the way around the CoHo in order to get to the bookstore?

While we appreciate the work of everyone involved in the project, we wish the initial projections had been more accurate.

The Editorial Board expresses our frustration at the lack of a definitive timeline, especially considering the graduating students who will only be able to enjoy a new Memorial Union for little over a month. Similarly, with the recent announcement that Freeborn Hall will finally be undergoing much-needed renovations for the 2020 Initiative, which will include a record amount of indoor seating, we can only speculate that construction on campus is ceaseless. So, the Memorial Union will look great...in three years.

Our own solution: Take advantage of the upcoming sunny weather as a way to declutter the CoHo. And graduating students, hang in there for one final bowling fest.

LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

The Real Co-opers of UC Davis CO-OP LIFE AS DISCUSSED BY UC DAVIS TRI CO-OPERS

BY C AMI LL E C H A R G O I S cachargois@ucdavis.edu

Generalizations of co-ops and their occupants create false impressions that co-opers are anti-establishment and that this is a negative thing. But most co-opers, especially the ones I have talked to, wouldn’t even consider labeling themselves as such. Instead, they will gladly tell you their ideas about reforming flawed but functional systems. Neil Singh, a third-year transfer and ecological management and restoration major, said, “You can’t just knock something down that’s doing good things. You can criticize it for the bad things but understand that it’s ultimately trying to provide something good for folks.”

The Pierce co-opers talk about sustainability in a way that advocates heavily for agriculture.

“This is like every first-week lecture being in sustainable ag and food systems,” said Kaitlin Oki, a fifth-year sustainable agriculture and food systems major. “Any time you take a class that has the word sustainability in the title, the first slide is like ‘What is sustainability anyway?’ My favorite outcome of these conversations is always that you cannot define sustainability. It is, one, a buzzword and should be treated as such. Two, trying to define sustainability is like drawing a map. Zoom out and it makes a lot of sense, in broad, abstract terms.

But on a map, if you’re looking at a border of a country, you zoom in on it and the less accurate it becomes and it has to get more detailed.

The same goes with sustainability. You could abstractly say holistic sustainability is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable but if you’re going to zoom in on that you are going to have to define that in more specific terms. Like what is environmental sustainability? Well, it promotes biodiversity and it conserves water.

But you can’t quite get it all the way zoomed in and it starts to lose its meaning as you zoom in more.”

The Davis Tri Co-ops try to tackle the intersections of social, economic and environmental sustainability by putting on many spectacular programs run by co-opers such as a new seminar, PLS 198, for which they get paid to both promote sustainable living education and support their residents financially.

They also protect native plant species and wildlife, host garden parties, and have community dinners Sunday through Thursday at 7 p.m. each week. From April 14 to 16, they will host WestCo, a conference for co-opers across the West Coast to come together and exchange resources and ideas.

I was personally surprised when Oki mentioned that when The Aggie stopped by in years past that co-opers were either misrepresented or underrepresented in pieces. Given the rich and lengthy history of the Davis Tri Co-ops prior to my recent arrival and how long the

co-opers have been here waiting for someone to accurately tell their stories regarding co-op life, I expected there to have already been a wealth of articles authored by The Aggie and other Davis media outlets.

Because the true opinions of co-opers are often overlooked or simply unheard of, I asked them if there was one thing they would want the general student body to know about their way of living.

Leland Howard, a fourth-year biomedical engineering major, said that co-opers are “like a family with a mission.” Neil Singh added, “It’s important to remember where everything comes from” and to “understand issues arise from a lot of things being interconnected under oppressive systems.”

“I swear I’ve learned 100 times more about life, how to be a good, compassionate person and how to navigate the world living in this co-op for three years than I’ve learned at UC Davis in classes and lecture,” said Oki. “You want some real education? Come live at the coops or hang out here at the very least. You want to apply the badass social justice shit you’re learning in your classes? Come do it here! We like to play hard.” She then proceeded to recite the Solar Community Housing Association mission statement verbatim.

Fellow sustainable agriculture and food systems major Peter Varas concluded, “come eat dinner with us,” a sentiment that embodies the essence of co-op life.

The most interconnected yet disconnected generation MILLENNIALS ARE THE MOST STRESSED-OUT, SLEEP-DEPRIVED AND PREOCCUPIED GENERATION IN HISTORY

BY BRODY F ERN A N D E Z bwfernandez@ucdavis.edu

How human beings connect with one another is what sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that humans are heading in the wrong direction when it comes to interpersonal communication, and it’s solely the Millennial generation that may be to blame.

The most influential, prominent, successful and domineering generation may be the most socially inept of all. This isn’t a surprise.

The world has watched as this young generation has become more and more zombified through smartphones, tablets, laptops and television. The baby boomers would be disappointed in a generation that holds the key to the world’s future, yet at the same time, stops to take a picture of the key for their Snapchat story (which will disappear 24 hours later).

It’s incredibly ironic, really, that a generation that essentially created its own country in Silicon Valley founded on wealth, technology and intelligence finds itself unable to organically create romantic relationships, or even friendships, as well as preceding generations.

Those who masterfully pioneered the country’s World Wide Web and the networks administering them can’t even pick up a newspaper or strike up a conversation with the opposite sex or a stranger. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Bumble, Tinder, OkCupid, Myspace

and several other social media apps have severely stifled a natural skill vital for everyday life: the human connection.

We live in a world today where college students have to monitor and caution themselves against pedestrian traffic. Yes, I said “pedestrian traffic” — mainly because there are those individuals so focused on the next text message, Facebook post, Snapchat story or recent Instagram picture that they are completely oblivious to the world around them. They expect their surroundings to adapt to them and for people to weave around them on the sidewalk because their order from Amazon just arrived. Millennials have a lot of strengths, and surely much to be proud of, but it’s the embarrassing and very evident weakness of their human connections that should frighten them about their future.

Only in the 21st century are we discussing what screen addiction is and how to combat it. Previous generations may have had to deal with post-traumatic stress syndrome after World War II, the addiction to narcotics and hallucinogens in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but Millennials today have difficulty connecting with one another face to face because they’re battling “screen addiction.”

We must begin to ask ourselves if the Millennial generation has reached a point of no return, if they’ve drifted too far into the realm of their own virtual reality. Some argue that it’s not too late for the Silicon Valley kids to make a change for the better. Lessons can be learned from older generations if we analyze how they spend their

free time vs. how Millennials spend their free time — and any other points of separation.

What about college students? The hot bed for sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, right? Not so fast — we’re talking about the most stressedout, sleep-deprived and preoccupied generation in history. Sure, all that fun stuff is still happening on college campuses, but not nearly as much as prior generations. Some would ask, “Isn’t that a good thing?” Not quite.

We already know that most college students are enjoying themselves and having fun when they drink, smoke or have sex in a responsible and safe manner. Those things are expected simply because they lower stress levels, allow students to relax and, most importantly, allow students to connect with each other in natural, organic ways, which this generation seems to have almost lost.

What’s the solution to this dilemma? How does this young generation get back on its feet and get their eyes off the screen? Put down the tablet, and pick up a book. Instead of exploring Yosemite National Park in the newest version of virtual reality, plan a weekend trip with some friends and drive down there. Stop crafting your resume, and start writing a personal journal. Maybe even write a letter on actual paper. Don’t worry — the trees will be fine.

Millennials must find a way to break their bad habits and get out in the world and make a difference by engaging in the oldest form of communication: human to human interaction.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

GUEST A lesson in persistence from my philosophy professor I’M SO ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING WOMEN BEING TALKED OVER THAT IT SHOCKED ME TO HEAR IT DISRUPTED

BY G ABRI EL L E M A R K- B AC H O UA

“Excuse me, wait until I’m finished speaking.”

I’ve heard my philosophy professor direct this statement and its variants multiple times at male students — but she isn’t sexist. Given the opportunity, I have no doubt she would say the same to a woman. But my female classmates simply don’t interrupt, while my male classmates do.

Over the course of nearly six months in her classes I’ve watched my professor interrupt interrupters regularly and without hesitation. She’s defended her own speech and the voices of other women, but in every case the story is the same: someone is speaking, another person starts to respond or comment, and she tells them to hold their thoughts until the speaker is done.

I was uncomfortable the first time I witnessed my professor do this, but not for the right reasons.

In fact, I was completely startled when it happened because I hadn’t even noticed she was being talked over. I think the disruptive student was just as stunned, mortified even, that he had done such a thing (to an ethics specialist, of all people). I remember he approached her after class to apologize, and I left the room trying to make sense of what happened. Did he really interrupt? Were they simply engaging in discourse and she misread? And even if he did interrupt, was her response too abrasive?

All of these questions are, of course, ridiculous. It took longer than it should have for me to recognize these incidences as interruptions and realize she was responding appropriately.

It’s no secret that women (and any group that deviates from white cis men) have to demand a GUEST on 7

Trump sells out Americans on internet privacy REPUBLICANS PUT CORPORATIONS OVER CONSTITUENTS IN REPEAL OF FCC REGULATION

BY TARYN D EO I L E R S tldeoilers@ucdavis.edu

President Trump and Republican lawmakers recently demonstrated that when it comes to internet privacy, they intend on satisfying corporate interests rather than safeguarding the personal information of the American people.

Trump signed a resolution earlier this month that overturned a spearheading privacy regulation developed last October by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during the Obama administration. The rule would have reigned in the level of authority broadband providers maintain over customers’ online data, prohibiting massive telecommunication companies from compiling and selling internet users’ activities to advertisers and other buyers.

By revoking the resolution, however, Congress is allowing internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast Corp., AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Corp. to continue to turn a profit from their customers’ browsing histories, shopping habits, app usage and recorded locations — whether they consent or not. Most alarmingly, the new measure also obstructs legislators from adopting similar privacy regulations in the future, shattering the possibility of progress for internet privacy advocates.

The Republicans’ explanations for repealing these regulations are — as expected — nonsensical, transparently corrupt and insulting to those they’ve been elected to represent. Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the FCC, claimed that the rule would give social media websites and search engines, which are permitted to sell internet users’ private data, an unfair advantage in advertising over phone and cable companies. Other Republican politicians argued that rescinding the regulation therefore levels the playing field, allowing both types of companies to generate ad revenue from their customers. Just as with websites, they asserted, consumers who are rightfully appalled at corporations making money off their search histories and sensitive information can simply switch to an ISP that promises better privacy. The market, proponents of the anti-privacy law proclaimed, will then adjust itself accordingly.

But drawing comparisons between website and broadband marketplaces is a deceitful and half-hearted attempt at justifying the destruction of shields that guard consumers from hungry corporations. Unlike social networks and other sites, the telecommunications industry is not a free market. Local governments and public utilities ensure that the barriers of entry for broadband companies remain staggeringly high, rendering competition within the ISP sector practically nonexistent. Many Americans have few to no alternatives to their current home broadband provider, chaining them to a company whose privacy policies they may not agree with whatsoever — especially in rural areas. With access to the Internet becoming increasingly vital to life in the 21st century, Americans essentially have no choice but to pay for an ISP that can be — and most likely will be — utilized for their private information and financial gain.

On the other hand, citizens aren’t forced to pay for services like Facebook and Google, and they can easily opt out of using certain social media sites and search engines if they are dissatisfied with their privacy practices. These websites consequently maintain an incentive to listen to their customers, while government-regulated broadband companies simply do not. Although highspeed Internet providers have sworn to respect consumer privacy in the days following the repeal, what's truly motivating them to shy away from nefarious business practices? To add even more salt to the gaping wound that is this ruling, consumers already pay for ISPs, shelling out considerable amounts of money to have their sensitive information sold to the highest bidder.

Even beyond the flimsy reasons for backing this law, Republicans must answer to a swarming sea of frustrated Americans — both liberal and conservative — who have consistently and bipartisanly prioritized internet privacy. With conservatives valuing liberty and liberals wishing to protect everyday citizens from corporate interests, individual privacy is an increasingly rare issue that both the far right and far left agree on. So the rhetorical question looms over the majority party: how can lawmakers believe that Americans really want less digital privacy?

The answer is, of course, they don’t. Congress’s decision to undermine their constituents’ overwhelming concerns about privacy, as well as the thousands — and sometimes hundreds of thousands — of lobbying dollars funneled into politicians’ campaigns from the interest group 21st Century Privacy Coalition, shows that the repeal serves only to benefit broadband behemoths and politicians.

To combat this resolution, Americans should begin turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) and encryption services to protect their browsing information, while state governments need to strengthen local internet privacy. Red and blue states like Montana, Minnesota and Illinois are already taking additional steps to preserve their residents’ data in response to the federal law. These state regulations will be crucial in the fight for consumer rights, especially if Republicans continue their streak of harmfully backtracking for the sake of party politics.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie . Letters to the editor can be addressed to opinion@theaggie.org.

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HANNAH LEE | AMY YE | CHRISTIE NEO | CINDY CHEUNG | JONATHAN CHEN | PATTIE CHEN

HUMOR UC Davis cows to be featured in Animal Planet reality show LOCAL ANIMALS TAKE NATION BY STORM IN NEW TELL-ALL SHOW

BY E TH AN VICTOR ejvictor@ucdavis.edu

Once seen nearly solely on the UC Davis website, Instagram and Facebook feeds, the UC Davis cows are hitting the small screen. Animal Planet has decided that it wishes to get involved in Davis’ local cow obsession. Located near Tercero, the UC Davis cows have become something of a novelty — a idiosyncratic quirk listed as something new students must check out.

Animal Planet announced that it will begin shooting Lord of the Cows during the first week of May. The new show will follow the UC Davis cows to see how animals interact with one another and the social systems that come into play when living in a confined space. Similar concepts have been done with humans, but the new animal subjects have raised many questions that only the TV show can answer. Which Tercero cow will be most dominant?

After a test run, two cows emerged as favorites to run the space. Animal Planet released an initial trailer showing Cowabunga and Coward overpowering the other cows in daily life.

“This is an awesome way to publicize the school and show off what the school can offer in terms of resources for our animal science program,” said Beau Vines, a spokesperson for the Animal Science Department at UC Davis.

Lord of the Cows will feature a small human presence. Animal behavior experts will explain the intentions of the cows, but persons appearing on-screen will be kept to a minimum. The new show hopes to increase understanding of animal behavior and the similarities that can be drawn to humans.

Such an idea has prompted questions concerning social climbing and the allegiances that may or may not be made in the process of completing various tasks.

Animal Planet has announced that the show will consist of twelve one-hour episodes that will also feature various shots of campus. One episode will be centered around how the students and surrounding Davis community interact with the animals. Advertising and announcements will be posted shortly for the exact date and time of shooting.

10 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

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CENTER

classes for all fields of study, yet they lack gender-neutral facilities. However, according to elizabeth coté, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Asexual (LGBTQIA) Resource Center, the center will continue to collaborate with campus departments and facilities staff to “continue the expansion of gender-inclusive restrooms” in areas that lack such facilities.

For Bloomfield, the inclusion of gender-neutral restrooms on campus is about “social inclusion” and “not feeling like a second-class citizen.” According to Alison Tam, a fourth-year English major and commissioner of the ASUCD Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC), gender-neutral restrooms on campus are more than utilitarian.

“It’s not just about having bathrooms that people can get to,” Tam said. “It’s about whether or not students are safe on this campus.”

In addition to increasing the number of gender-neutral restrooms on campus, a recent GASC meeting brainstormed areas of improvement on the UC Davis campus to increase and ensure the safety and inclusion of transgender and non-binary individuals. Ideas included promoting consciousness of intersectionality on campus, publicizing Hate and Bias Reports and respecting and promoting the usage of preferred gender pronouns on forms and Canvas portals.

In 2016, Constance Fuller, a project manager in the Information & Education Technology Project Management Office, started a petition calling for the addition of gender pronouns in the profile pages of students on Canvas. Fuller, a parent in the Davis community, said that she and her child often ruminate on the UC Davis Principles of Community to address situations of discrimination or exclusion at the local schools.

“When I attended a student meeting to present information regarding UC Davis Canvas, [...] I observed the student placards not only with their names and roles, but also with their pronouns hand-written,” Fuller said.

“Feeling that need from both our current students and our future students, I saw an opportunity to request an update to the Canvas profile that would fill this void in the learning environment. The response from the community, both at UC Davis and amongst other major institutions, was predominantly positive.”

According to Fuller, although the petition received

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double the votes needed to pass, the request ultimately failed, likely due to “resource limitations.” However, coté said it is important that transgender and non-binary students, in particular, see their identities reflected in aspects of academic life such as Canvas.

In terms of mindfulness regarding the needs of transgender and non-binary individuals on campus, Bhat said administrators do not factor in such needs in the decision-making process.

“Whatever change is happening is the result of long periods of hard work and a lot of labor from student activists,” Bhat said. “It has taken a lot to get the administration to make the tiniest of changes, which says a lot about how much the administration really cares about us.”

Both Bloomfield and Becca Nelson, a third-year psychology and Spanish double major and commissioner in GASC, recounted a transphobic incident that occurred on campus during the Fire Katehi movement that they both felt was particularly telling.

While occupying the fifth floor of Mrak Hall, student protesters converted the male and female restrooms into gender-neutral facilities with signs that were subsequently torn down by either administration or faculty members. “[They tore] down the signs and explicitly [said], ‘I really don’t care about trans people,’” Bloomfield said. “[They] were so upset over the making of these bathrooms gender-neutral [and] completely ignorant of the broader, ideological push for firing Katehi, which included [...] more trans-inclusivity and fair treatment on campus.”

For reporting complaints or concerns about faculty or staff members, Tam specifically recommends the Hate and Bias Report. Fortunately, Bloomfield said, she has never reached the point where she felt a Hate and Bias Report would be necessary. However, she also said she has experienced ignorance and feelings of discomfort and annoyance.

“Treat people like human beings, love your neighbor [and] acknowledge the irreconcilable otherness of your neighbor,” Bloomfield said. “I feel like it just comes down to relational ethics — [...] respecting difference without erasing difference. Don’t stare at people. It’s really basic, standard ethics.”

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tween the senate and executive branch,” Chiang said.

“It has been very difficult additionally, from a financial perspective due to the fact that once the presidential budget, once given to them has little to no oversight on the part of the senate, which is why they were able to spend an exorbitant amount of money on their farewells at the end of the year. I think that [Lee] has done many great things in terms of individual projects such as the student ID card, but with building interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships, I believe that this next presidency will be able to do a more representative and well-thoughtout job.”

Chiang also noted that she observed a lack of communication between Lee and Sandhu.

“I think [Sandhu] did the best he could with the cards he was dealt,” Chiang said. “But, for a large portion, [Sandhu] was largely sidelined in the executive office. He was a great presiding officer in the senate, he always knew how to communicate with us. That being said, Alex never communicated with [Sandhu] [...] He knew just a little as the Senate did a lot of times. Abhay was never fully brought into the vice president role.”

As president, Lee used his veto power a total of

five times, although two of his vetoes were overturned. Additionally, Lee penned eight senate bills between 2015 and 2017, but he noted that once elected into the executive office, he wrote far fewer bills, and instead assisted in writing more. Sandhu did not write any senate bills as vice president and did not vote on any senate bills, as there were no voting ties during his term.

Current ASUCD President Josh Dalavai said that he thought Lee and Sandhu were successful professional figures for ASUCD during his term.

“They were definitely very professional and poised,” Dalavai said. “They presented a strong face to the external bodies they interacted with.”

Dalavai also noted that he and ASUCD Vice President Adilla Jamaludin will have a comparatively different approach during their term due to differences in personalities. However, both executive terms share an emphasis on solving the growing housing crisis in Davis. Lee noted that he had hoped to create more bonds with the City of Davis in hopes of remediating the housing shortage, a feat that Dalavai and Jamaludin will continue.

Sandhu did not respond to The Aggie’s multiple requests for comment.

MOLODANOF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Maria Wong, a fourth-year pharmaceutical chemistry major and unit director of The Pantry, one of the units that Molodanof adopted during her term, said that Molodanof was supportive when it came to a number of issues.

“I do remember one instance during budget season that she was very supportive of the Pantry, and she supported us all the way even though the Senate wanted to make really big cuts,” Wong said. “She stood by our side all throughout. That was one of the main things that I remember about her as a senator.”

During her term, Molodanof was absent for three meetings and arrived late for one. These instances led to most of her abstentions, including five on May 5, 2016, when she arrived at 9:41 p.m., four on Dec. 1, when she was absent and three on Feb. 2, when she was absent.

Molodanof also authored a constitutional amendment during her term. Constitutional amendment #48, which passed with a vote of 10-0-1, changed the ASUCD constitution to allow the Chief Justice of the ASUCD Court to replace an Elections Committee chairperson as a member of the Interviewing Committee for ASUCD Court members.

Most notably, Molodanof was the only “no” vote on two other constitutional amendments, #49 and #50.

Constitutional Amendment #49, which passed with a vote of 10-1-0 and moved to abolish the Judicial Branch, was approved during the Fall 2016 elections.

Constitutional Amendment #50, which passed with a vote of 9-1-1 and moved to create a replacement for the Judicial Branch, was subsequently vetoed by former President Alex Lee. “Sofia was a wonderful Senator,” Lee said. “She was always courageous and spoke her mind, even when it wasn’t popular with the Senate. She voted her conscience and did not follow like sheep during most topics/votes — not something I can say of most senators.

She pursued her goals diligently, despite even being mocked for her platforms during the election. Overall I would say she admirably represented students and was reliably open minded.”

Molodanof said that she is grateful to have served as a senator for ASUCD. “It has truly been an incredible experience serving as one of your ASUCD Senators,” Molodanof said.

“Thank you again to all those who supported me and were there for me the entire journey.”

Editor’s note: Molodanof also served as an adopted senator for The California Aggie during her senate term.

Cultural gatherings are also organized through the center; last quarter the center’s staff held a spaghetti and bingo night for students. Although the center focuses on Native American students, Frazier said that all students are welcome to participate.

“Oftentimes in college we just focus on getting [students] to graduate but we also need to provide them resources and tools to get students to the next step,” Frazier said. “Because these students will be our future doctors [and] leaders.”

Frazier hopes that the center will build strong students who can then go back to their communities and help more native Americans graduate from high school, and in turn empower the Native American community.

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Duckett said in a UC press release.

Although the Teamster’s main goal will be completed if the potential contract is implemented, the Teamsters will continue to press forward, focusing on various issues that were not dealt with during contract negotiations.

“Going forward, we will be enforcing our new agreement, plus building campaigns to address the issues which, were left at the table,” Richardson said via email. “We continue to have a few issues, such a misclassification of workers and protection of our bargaining unit work, that face our membership. In the coming months and years, we will make sure that the University sees and feels our most important concerns, as problems for them too.”

DHALIWAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

“[Alex Lee] was in the works of getting the fee referendum with the Entertainment Council [for the music festival], which is essentially another student fee that students would be paying for in order to fund, which I was really against,” Dhaliwal said. “I already know [UC Davis is at] the top of the list […] for the highest tuition and fees of all the UCs.” Instead, a tentative music festival is scheduled for fall 2017. The event is a collaboration of Dhaliwal, Senator Jose Meneses and possibly the executive branch and will showcase student talent on a stage that UC Davis already owns for use during the Whole Earth Festival. The event would be student-run and completely ASUCD funded.

In addition to working on her platforms, Dhaliwal was able to establish UC Davis as the first college to host a Silver Ribbon Campaign, an event that promotes women’s reproductive health and rights. Dhaliwal hopes that with help from new Senator Rahi Suryawanshi, the campaign will become an annual event on campus. Also during the 2016-17 year, Dhaliwal worked with the ASUCD Entrepreneurship Fund and the club Start Up Hub to organize the first UC Davis conference for business and entrepreneurship. The event is slated to be held May 28 this year.

KDVS and Picnic Day were Dhaliwal’s adopted units — units that she felt were sufficiently self-reliant. Her involvement within these units consisted mostly of assisting with bureaucratic processes and scheduling quarterly check-ins.

“We did not have a lot going on while she was our adopted senator, so we did not do much one-on-one,” KDVS general manager Olivia Henderson said. “Our major stuff wasn’t major. It didn’t require her to get down and dirty. She was a supportive senator and a great person.”

As a senator, Dhaliwal sponsored five bills and had a staff of six, two of whom, Meneses and Suryawanshi, are now current senators. According to Lee, Dhaliwal voted “occasionally” during Senate and had a lack of noteworthy achievements during her term.

“Aside from the Silver Ribbon Campaign, I cannot think of any other remarkable feats,” Lee said. “I am not too sure about the remarkableness of her term.”

Lee also noted that this lack of term accomplishments was common in Senate and attributed it partially to lack of accountability enforced from the student body and little competition during elections.

To future senators, Dhaliwal gave the advice to find a work-life balance. She noted that often senators deal with copious amounts of criticism and stress.

“I would definitely say a work-life balance is really important,” Dhaliwal said. “If you just see [senators] at senate meetings, the reasons why they get so upset over minor things are because they are really stressed out over everything else that’s going on [...] Senate I would say is more stressful than exec, and that’s just because you’re criticized so much more whereas exec you can always fall behind your office, close those doors and just take some time.”

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working on that because it’s just an ongoing process,” Chiang said. “I am currently working with the UC Office of the President as well as our Academic Senate, which is extremely difficult to work with.”

In evaluating Chiang’s work, former ASUCD President Alex Lee corroborated Chiang’s experiences with the AS. “When I was engaging with the Academic Senate, some of her projects and things were kind of in the periphery but I don’t think it made any more progress than I ever got because of the Faculty Senate,” Lee said. “Same challenges, but I think the effort has been there, not sure just what results have been there yet.”

Lee also noted what he saw as a lack of effort toward institutionalizing Chiang’s mental health conference.

“The only thing I’ve yet to see is her institutionalizing it,” Lee said. “I know she wants it to do it for 2018, though, and she’s doing it still through the senator office. I don’t know how she’s going to institutionalize it to outlast her […] I think that has yet to be decided upon from her.”

This push toward institutionalization is clearly visible in Chiang’s current work in securing annual funding for the conference.

One of the greatest struggles that Chiang faced during her first term as senator was learning how to navigate ASUCD and its inner workings.

“One of the biggest challenges was coming in and trying to navigate the institutional knowledge of the association because we don’t have a lot of documents to pass down,” Chiang said. “It’s really difficult for new senators to figure out what they are supposed to be doing, outside of just attending meetings and making office hours.”

Apart from challenges, Chiang discussed some of the things that made her a strong senator, especially compared to her colleagues.

“I think as a senator, one of my greatest strengths was my ability to navigate a system that wasn’t built for me,” Chiang said. “I think that, yes, it took twice as much effort, but eventually I was able to get my voice on the table heard. And I do think that as a senator I was one of the people that was able to accomplish the most. I was able to found a conference that will institutionally live on. It wasn’t just a one-off kind of thing.”

Lee, when asked to give Chiang a letter grade for her term, gave her a B. He justified this grade with what he saw as some of her strengths and weaknesses.

“Definitely very, very strong-willed and sometimes stubborn about things,” Lee said. […] Overall, she produced a lot, which I think a lot of students are impressed by, and that works to her advantage a lot of times.”

Chiang has served as an adoptive senator for five units during her term: Cal Aggie Camp (which is no longer a part of ASUCD as it moved to Campus Recreations and Unions), Creative Media, the Experimental College, Entertainment Council (EC) and The Office of Advocacy and Student Representation (OASR).

“Sam is the epitome of what an adopted senator should be,” said Georgia Savage, the director of OASR, via email. “She is extremely involved in our unit and has been the ideal liaison and advocate for OASR to senate. Sam is an extremely hard worker and her efforts to be inclusive and intersectional in her approach to mental health, which is a priority of this office, is unparalleled.”

Chiang resigned as adoptive senator for EC early on in Myers’s term. However, EC Director Rachel Myers declined comment for the interview. The unit directors for Cal Aggie Camp, Creative Media and the Experimental College did not respond for comment.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SCIENCE+TECH UC Davis Body Donation Program as an educational resource Program offers academic means for medical students, support for mourning families

BY EM M A SA D LOWS K I AND ARI EL RO BBINS sci ence@ th ea ggi e .o r g

Although many people traditionally opt to cremate or bury their own and loved one’s bodies after death, the UC Davis Body Donation Program proves that giving back to society doesn’t have to stop post mortem. In donating one’s body to the program, the donor provides an educational resource for medical students and researchers.

Since 1968, the UC Davis Body Donation Program (BDP) has received thousands of donated bodies from all over Northern California. The donated cadavers are used at UC Davis, California State Universities and private undergraduate and medical school classes to enhance students’ understanding of anatomy.

“Our goal is to help train future doctors, orthopedics, physical therapists and surgeons,” said Aron Davis, the program’s director. “We help facilitate amazing things; it’s great to see the students grow from their experiences with the cadavers.”

Aside from supplying students and researchers with cadavers, the BDP also assists mourning families by filling out death certificates, tracking the locations of the cadavers and coordinating trans-

portation services.

“Every family calls us during one of the worst times of their lives, when they have lost a loved one,” said Juliet Barbich, the BDP’s administrative assistant. “We’re here to honor the wishes of their loved one.”

A prospective donor can register for the program by filling out an online application, which is reviewed and verified by the BDP administrators.

At the time of death, a team sets out to bring the body into the program’s care. Once the retrieved cadaver is evaluated, the staff members decide what plan of action the body will follow. BDP assistant director Kimberly Pipe explained that family members are not informed as to what the loved one’s body will be used for.

“This is our way of giving closure to the mourning families,” Pipe said.

The BDP hosts a memorial service every September at the UC Davis Mondavi Center to pay tribute to the donors, in which UC Davis medical students help to organize.

“At the end of the semester before we prepare the bodies for cremation, the medical students will leave cards and flowers for the cadavers,” Pipe said. “Everything is cremated with the cadaver.”

After the cremation, the ashes of each body are scattered along the San Francisco coastline.

Families must also ensure that donors register in advance (that is, before death) and are committed to the program.

The BDP does not accept unregistered donations as the facility does not have enough space for extra cadavers, according to Davis.

“With our current facilities, we’ve maxed out all that we can do,” Davis said.

There are currently 11,000 living people registered with the BDP, according to Pipe, with around 30 to 40 signing up per month. BDP staff believe they can extend their resources and, in turn, advance the program with more funding.

“Not only are we servicing our community, but we’re servicing future doctors and research programs,” Pipe said.

“It’s the future of medicine.”

With empathy at its core, BDP’s work deeply affects all those involved and is a valuable resource for both the community and researchers.

“I didn’t realize the impact we have [...],” Barbrich said.

“It really shows when we get feedback from the families about how pleased they were with our services. They refer family and friends to us, and sometimes family members sign up themselves because of the work we do.”

Most of BDP’s outreach is through word of mouth, however, those who are interested in donating funds or registering as a body donor can find more information at ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/bodydonation/.

BLACKHOLES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

applications because very thick layers are needed to absorb light efficiently. Thick layers prevent the detector from having a fast speed and therefore produce a low data transmission.

However, the new silicon wafer technology simultaneously has features of high data collection efficiency and high data transmission rate.

“Our designs use very thin silicon layers with photon-trapping holes, and the light coming into the photodetector is bent sideways so that it can be absorbed efficiently,” Gao said. “At the same time, the thin active region results in the data conversion rate of 25 gigabits per second and higher.”

Currently, when computer engineers want to move large quantities of data at a fast rate, the use of fiber-optic cables are employed. These cables transmit the data as pulses of light, and at the receiving end of the transmission is a detector that converts these signals to electronic pulses.

Unfortunately, in order to capture the all the data and be efficient as possible, the downside is a slow rate. In these situations, materials such as gallium arsenide can be used to increase speed and efficiency about 10 times more but it is significantly more expensive.

“This new [silicon wafer] technology [with tapered holes] and many others can make the optical communication more affordable, more efficient and ultimately improves the user experience that benefits everyone,” Gao said.

The ability of electrical engineers at UC Davis to collaborate with other engineers and scientists both within the UC system and in other laboratories has contributed to the success of an experimental photodetector and solar cell using the new technology.

“UC Davis is luckily backed by a wide spectrum of available microfabrication tools and facilities both at Davis and in UC system,” Gao said. “We have access to several national leading nanofabrication research facilities including Center of Nano-MicroManufacturing (CNM2) at UC Davis, and Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory at UC Berkeley.”

High speed connections are increasingly vital at data centers, and the silicon wafer technology can be a game changer for how data is transmitted.

“The publication of this technological breakthrough has the potential to spark new design ideas and impact academic and industrial research toward the development of higher efficiency photodetectors,” Gao said.

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12 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

ARTS & Culture SA HA R FOR OU Z A N FA R / AGGIE

Newly-released books to read during spring quarter JAY GELVEZO N / AGG IE

Spring reads and sunny days on the Quad — the perfect pairing

Camped Streetwear Club to present night of hip-hop entertainment

BY PAR I SAGAFI arts@theaggie.org

Spring Quarter is here, and with it comes the slow but inevitable approach of the disgusting Davis heat, the bittersweet ending of the school year and the opportunity to finally relax in the Quad and soak up some sunshine. So if you’ve found your coveted spot in the grass, sit down, relax and enjoy some spring reads.

Event will host variety of music and dance, including local and Bay Area performers

BY ALLY OV E RBAY arts@theaggie.org

Simply put, the Camped Streetwear Club fills a niche on the UC Davis campus. With several renowned a cappella groups, talented instrumentalists and local garage rock bands dominating the Davis music scene, this UC Davis club is bringing an already-established hip-hop community to the forefront of students’ attention.

“It’s the first of its kind here at Davis,” said Brandan Nhan, a third-year managerial economics major and a co-founder of the club. “There’s multiple artists coming out, from students to local artists. We wanted to do a show that, one, has not been done here in Davis before, and two, changes the image of streetwear.”

Camped will be hosting its first hip-hop show on Saturday, April 15. The event, “Campsite: Hip-Hop Performance,” is primarily a celebration of hip-hop culture.

With performances by campus favorites including the Liquid Hotplates and MK Modern, the event has booked over 10 performers.

Corey Wolff, a first-year graduate student in the Design Department, is the face behind hip-hop violin project Crywolffs Violin.

As a performer for the Campsite event, Wolff prepares by catering his set list to events’ hip-hop focus.

“I’m thinking [I’ll perform] Drake, maybe Rihanna,” Wolff said. “I don’t know how many people listen to the oldies, because one of my favorite hip-hop songs is ‘No Diggity.’ I’m definitely going to be playing a song by a group called Nuttin’ But Stringz, who won [third place] in America’s Got Talent […] the song is called ‘Thunder.’ It’s a great hiphop violin song, not my own, but it’s a cover song.”

As a classically-trained violinist, Wolff

believes violin can be adapted to any genre or culture; his music is exemplary of the kind of genre-bending ideals Camped Streetwear will be showcasing.

“Violin fits everywhere,” Wolff said.

“That’s one of the things about violin.

You can look at almost every culture in the world, and they have taken violin and made it somehow authentically their own — from Indian, Irish, Chinese, Japanese — everywhere. So, it’s not that it fits, it’s how I decide to use it. How I decide to use it is to replace the vocals. And then I produce the track around that. I’m classically trained […] so what I do is much more straightforward, not as flashy.”

Crywollfs Violin is one of the many musicians and artists performing at the Campsite event — though certainly the only classically-trained hip-hop violinist.

Nhan emphasized that the purpose of the event is to give the audience a wellrounded perspective of hip-hop art and culture.

“Since we have such a variety of performers coming, we hope the audience will just get the whole shebang — an MC, a DJ, breakdancing — and along with breakdancing comes dancing — and rap,” Nahn said. “We want it to be an outlet for hip-hop culture.”

Though a primarily new club, Camped Streetwear has lofty goals for its future on the UC Davis campus. Initially inspired by the documentary “Fresh Dressed,” the club began as an embodiment of street fashion and overall hip-hop culture.

It was only recently that its members decided to host a performance show in an attempt to revitalize their status on campus and to encourage new and old members to become more engaged.

“The first [meeting] turnout was pretty good, and we liked the feedback we got,” Nhan said. “It started trailing off towards the end of Fall and middle of Winter Quarter because everyone got really busy.

How to master the FarMar

ZOË REINHARDT / AGGIE

From live music to tasty food

END OF

APRIL

EVENTS

CALENDAR Spring activities in the Davis area

We weren’t very active, in a sense. But Nikko [Alegre] brought in the great idea of, ‘Let’s bring this back. Let’s do a hiphop performance show.’”

Nikko Alegre, a fourth-year communication major, is described by Nhan as the brains behind the operation.

Alegre hopes that Camped will evolve into a more permanent part of UC Davis — and ideally the Davis community as a whole.

“I think we’re just an outlet for people that are into fashion and hip-hop, if anything,” Alegre said. “A lot of our general members and board members listen to hip-hop, and some of us are hip-hop dancers, so Camped is definitely a way to share this common interest with others […] we’ve also tried to assign significance behind famous brands such as Nike or Adidas. We want people to appreciate streetwear and hip-hop by understanding what they represent, and not just because Kanye or Justin Bieber [are] into it.”

In terms of their upcoming event, Alegre hopes students involved in streetwear and hip-hop will use this event as a means of expression and that the event will serve as a greater outlet for the local hip-hop and streetwear community.

“This is the inaugural year for Campsite, so there have been a few bumps in the road, but nonetheless we’ve worked extremely hard to put together this event for the community,” Alegre said. “Hiphop and streetwear have started to become more visible throughout the years, so I think a lot of people can appreciate what we’re doing with Campsite, regardless of if you’re into streetwear or not. I just hope that this event changes the perspective of how others perceive the streetwear community.”

The Campsite event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 15, and tickets can be purchased online for $8 or at the door for $12.

BY CARAJOY K LE INRO CK arts@theaggie.org

The Davis Farmers Market is the place to be during Spring Quarter.

There’s always live music playing on Wednesdays, fresh food to eat and the guarantee of running into people you know. Below are a few tips on how to master the farmers market!

Bring a blanket to sit on, because the grass might be wet and most likely all the benches and tables will be taken. Bring a jacket for later, because, even though it’s springtime, once the

Short Stories: What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi (Riverhead Books) Oyeyemi invites us into the lives of her characters, who are searching and longing for human connection and who are all linked to each other in some way by the constant re-emergence of key connections throughout the short stories. The author does an excellent job of blurring the lines between reality and imagination, sprinkling elements of magic and secrets into the plot that’ll have you impatiently flipping to the next page to see

sun goes down, so does the temperature.

On Wednesdays there is always live music, all performed by local bands and ranging from blues to jazz to surf music. There will always be at least five little kids dancing and some older folks who most likely went to Woodstock in the ’60s.

There is an abundant number of food options. All the different stands make it easy to meet up with a big group of people because everyone can pay separately, and people don’t have to worry about the hassle of splitting

BY MYAH DANIE LS arts@theaggie.org

tickets are $8 and tickets at the door will be $12.

It’s said that April showers bring May flowers, but Davis community members can also expect tons of exciting events this month.

Third Thursday Manetti Shrem Museum Where? Manetti Shrem Museum When? Thursday, April 20, 5 to 9 p.m.

What is it? On the third Thursday of each month, the Manetti Shrem Museum hosts an exhibition featuring different artists. This month, audiences can expect spoken word and music from KDVS DJs as well as exhibits on social justice, the postwar world and creating your own cultural flag. You can find more information on the Manetti Shrem website.

Campsite: Hip-Hop Performance Show Where? Wright Theatre When? Saturday, April 15, 7 to 9 p.m.

What is it? Campsite is the first hip-hop performance show hosted by Camped Streetwear Club, a club that strives to cultivate a community that educates students about streetwear. There will be several different types of performances, including dance, poetry and music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Pre-sale

Non-Fiction: Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw (Da Capo Press) Given the current stress-inducing political climate, it can be refreshing to take a step back for a moment and to dive into the mysterious wonders of our universe to help put everything into perspective. Acclaimed physicists and bestselling authors Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw reintroduce us to questions that we might have pondered as kids and have long forgotten about — how old is the universe?

How big is it? And how exactly do scientists go about collecting the data that leads them to their conclusions?

The authors explore the scientific process and the answers to these questions in a way that is understandable and fascinating to the average reader.

As The Guardian writer John Crace described, “….what this book is going to do is allow you to answer some of the big cosmic questions while lying down in your back garden after having a few drinks” — you might as well do this in the Quad, sipping on an iced coffee.

HellaCappella

the check like you would at a restaraunt. The tamales are always a big hit; so are the corndogs. At the Saturday farmers market, the breakfast sandwiches are sure to cure any morning blues.

Visitors should make sure to bring cash, because many vendors do not accept credit cards. There is an ATM located at the park, but generally there is a long line to access it.

Check out all the different produce vendors before you buy. The apple juice is one of the best things about the farmers market, so make sure to

Where? Mondavi Center When? Friday, April 21, 7:30 p.m.

What is it? Interested in a variety of music and dancing? Come and see college groups from all over the West Coast perform at Northern California’s 13th Annual A Cappella Showcase.

Hosted by UC Davis’ very own The Spokes, it is the most highly anticipated a cappella concert of the year.

The event will feature several other a cappella groups from UC Davis as well as groups from other campuses. Tickets can be purchased on the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center’s website.

Picnic Day Where? UC Davis Campus When? Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.

What is it? Picnic Day is an annual

what happens next. The stories are crafted so uniquely, with weird and vivid descriptions, that they create a certain darkness that is intriguing and exciting — if not a bit ominous at times. This eccentric and heavilypraised book is the perfect storyteller to put you into an almost dream-like state, so be careful not to miss your next class.

Fiction: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (Penguin Random House) Celebrated author George Saunders, perhaps best known for his acclaimed short stories, has released his first full-length novel about a father and son, focusing on none other than Abraham Lincoln and his deceased 11-year-old son, Willie. Publisher Penguin Random House may sum the novel up best: “Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: how do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?”

Humor: It’s All Absolutely Fine

by Ruby Elliot (Orion) If you’re looking for a light read while you’re soaking up the sun in between classes, check out Elliot’s book of cartoon drawings with text that have garnered her massive online fan base. Her spot-on and witty style captures the basic struggles of young adults and can be best described as “an honest and unapologetic account of day-to-day life as a groaning, crying, laughing sentient potato being for whom things are often absolutely not fine.” The 22-year-old Londonbased illustrator captures the difficulty of a variety of relatable struggles, from the general “adult-ing” to mental illness and anxiety, in a brutally honest and amusing way that reminds us that everything is going to be ok, even if it’s not always “all absolutely fine.”

try some. Also, most vendors give samples if you ask. All of the produce is either grown or made by the seller.

Finally, don’t forget to look at all the interesting crafts people make.

The magic of FarMar during Spring Quarter can be felt with the mere sight of Central Park covered with people, from college students to families all mixing together. This is a great place to take pictures, laugh with friends and soak up the sun.

The Wednesday farmers market hours are 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

event at UC Davis that welcomes family and friends to participate in a day full of exhibits, shows, competitions, animals, athletic events, food and more.

This year’s theme is “Growing Together.”

With over 200 events, there is something for everybody to enjoy.

Chance The Rapper Concert Where? Sacramento Golden 1 Center When? Thursday, April 27, 8 p.m.

What is it? Grammy award-winning musician Chance The Rapper will be performing in Sacramento for his spring tour.

Audiences should expect some changes from last year’s Magnificent Coloring World Tour. Sacramento will be the third stop of the tour, which lasts all the way until June.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017| 13

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

student sounds:

Lo & the Mix

cappella groups All-female a cappella group Afrom all over West The Spokes to host Coast to perform HellaCappella showcase alongside The Spokes

Local Davis band talks funky outfits, importance of change LO & TH E M I X / CO URTESY T HE SPOKES / COU RT ESY

BY C A ROL I N E RUT T E N arts@theaggie.org

Some of the specifics of Davis band Lo & the Mix’s history could not be recalled by those in the band themselves, even the original members.

What followed was a comical span of stuttered and confused recounts of the band’s past.

“He was definitely there. Maybe?”

“No, remember he had left by then.”

“This particular project has been through so many changes in personnel, style, genre and where we play,” said Bennett Hannon, a UC Davis alumnus from the Class of 2016 and a guitarist and singer. “The one we were in before this was called the Sunday Slippers, which had [Stuart Sugar, 2016 UC Davis alumnus and guitarist] and me in it. We had two other singers and a sax player, a totally different lineup. Before that [Lo & the Mix band member Jacob Dorn] and I were in a band called Sleazy Beats. All of these led up to Lo & the Mix, which started a year ago.”

Lo & the Mix currently has seven members: Bennett Hannan, Jacob Dorn, Stuart Suger, Caleb Sanders, Evan Daly, Micah Marmorstein and a new drummer who joined a month ago.

“I think that fluidity is what makes the title,” Hannan said. “‘Lo’ is the formation and roots of the songs and ‘the Mix’ is everything that has changed with personnel and style and place. This band is like a blooming bud in the spring, where it is far enough into spring in that it is a fully formed bud but not to where it has exploded. We are actually getting a recording done within the month of our new four-song EP, which will come out the beginning of summer. When it goes out online, that’s the moment. It makes this band legitimate; it makes the bud explode.”

The band’s sound mirrors the eclectic group of members — sound is a well-composed jumble of influences from classic rock to jazz to even hints of reggae and funk. On paper, it seems unorthodox. Yet the professionalism of the band crosses the fine line between chaotic and purely creative.

“You grow up and if you’re someone who is passionate about music, you learn how to be keen to sounds that your ears like,” Suger said. “Over the years, you copy that in your own music. There is a phrase that ‘it’s not about copying music, it’s about copying it and covering your tracks,’ or something to that effect. Everything that you’re going to play is a reflection of your creativity which is only a reflection of what you’ve heard before.”

For Bennett, the “components of music are so old that they encompass what is original” and how you tweak the fundamentals is how their creative sound comes into being.

“It will be like I want a beat from this type of drum, and I want a sound from this period of music,” Sugar said. “It’s about playing, fooling around and tweaking different sounds with each other.”

The band is able to create such a distinct and cohesive sound due to the musical experiences of each band member.

“Your music is a reflection of your creativity and what you heard, right, and we all had pretty different musical backgrounds,” said Micah Marmorstein, the band’s trumpet player and a thirdyear biochemical engineering major. “My dad writes a lot of folk music and gospel. He put the whole Book of Psalms to music — it is hours and hours of just music. It has definitely influenced my playing style; jazz music has been my base. I think that now we have developed as musicians and have listened to a lot of different genres, it’s not hard to work with different genres.”

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Such variety of experience has made the creative process of Lo & the Mix resemble that of one big jam sesh. Indeed, according to Suger, by the time he joined and until recently, most of what the band played was Hannan’s past music, yet “has morphed from the previous bands he worked with.”

Indeed, altering the nature of the band has added diversity into the mix, allowing the songs to not stay stagnant.

“It’s the whole concept of Lo & the Mix again,” Hannan said, “While we have a solid frame of new stuff we have done together, we have been playing a lot of the songs I wrote when I was 19 — the ‘Lo.’ But who you play with and how you play it is how it has changed over the years — the ‘Mix.’” Many of Lo & the Mix’s songs have been about development and change. With enthusiasm in their voice, the band recounted a gig they did at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen in October. Marmorstein knew the song lineup by heart.

“Everything went perfectly,” Hannan said.

“It was this clean sound, and a bunch of people showed up. They had a back room and when the other members would play, I would sneak off undetected and change my outfit into these different, vibrant, flaring outfits.”

Hannan noted there was no reason for the costume change: “It was just fun, I’m sure you could make some meaning out of it if you wanted to.”

That show’s song lineup was intentionally done in chronological order based on the the emotions of when each song was written.

As Hannan put it, “this tells a story because that’s how life goes.”

“The older lyrics were a lot about me going from high school to junior college and then transferring to Davis,” Hannan said. “A lot of the lyrics were the emotions a young person goes through as big as university.”

Heavier topics inevitably started the show with darker vibes.

“We played ‘Comfortably Numb’ by Pink Floyd at that show, and [Suger] killed the guitar solo; it’s a pretty dark song but it was beautiful. Then we played ‘Back Brace’ which is pretty heavy too.”

The song “Back Brace” is a hallmark song for the band and has a personal connection to Lo & the Mix, specifically for Hannan.

“The song is about my graduation night,” Hannan said. “One of my friends did a bunch of coke, got really drunk and actually wrapped himself around a tree. And it was a really harsh time for a year and every graduation time after that is pretty hard. But with the horns, the jiving bass and happy drums, it ironically seems like a good, happy song. It went through a similar process of development from its original meaning.”

Inspiration for changing “Back Brace” came from jam sessions, borrowing a horn line from “Sky’s the Limit” by Rebelution and turning it into a fun, hip-hop beat, according to Marmorstein.

While the other band members may not have felt the same immediate emotions for “Back Brace,” a well-composed and emotional song can transcend such physical boundary.

“The first time I heard [Hannan] play that song with his full emotion I wanted to cry,” Marmorstein said. “He has this lyric ‘hurts most when I hear his mother cry and his father sigh.’”

Hannan clarified that many of the new songs have a “party vibe” to them — the old emotions have passed in their immediacy. Lo & the Mix seems to be an ever-changing entity; it is raw, it is real, welcoming with open arms the concept of change and development.

BY SYDNEY ODMAN arts@theaggie.org

The art form of a cappella is a growing phenomenon, especially on college campuses. On April 21, UC Davis’ very own all-female a cappella group, The Spokes, will be putting on its 13th annual HellaCappella showcase. At HellaCappella, one of the biggest a cappella shows in Northern California, groups from other universities along the West Coast come to perform for a night of fun and entertainment. For those unfamiliar with a cappella, it involves singing without instrumental accompaniment. That means every single sound, melody and beat comes solely from human voices.

“We arrange all our own music for the most part and choreograph everything ourselves,” said Amanda Beardsley, the president of The Spokes and a fourth-year biopsychology major. “Our main priority is performance.”

The Spokes have been preparing and rehearsing for this major event all year long. What sets HellaCappella apart from other a cappella showcases in Davis is the fact that this particular show incorporates performances from other a cappella groups from a variety of different schools. This year, there will be groups from UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, USC, Stanford and even the University of Oregon.

The Spokes will be performing six songs.

“We do everything from pop songs to oldies,” said Mary Grafilo, a fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major. “In the past we

typically have had two arrangers for our sets, but this year we have four, so there will tons of different sounds to hear from.”

HellaCappella will be taking place at the Mondavi Center; tickets can be purchased online or directly from The Spokes, who will be tabling in the Memorial Union leading up to the event. In contrast to past years, however, there will be assigned seating arrangements this year, so interested students are encouraged to get their tickets as soon as possible. “[The Mondavi Center] is such an amazing facility, and we’re so lucky to be performing there,” Beardsley said. “I’m especially excited for our newest members to experience what it’s like to be on that stage.”

From its last round of auditions, The Spokes have two new members in the group who will be experiencing HellaCappella for the first time, including Gwen Little, a first-year animal biology major.

“I think my favorite part of being in The Spokes that I didn’t expect to become so close with all of them,” Little said. “We spend so much time together, and it’s amazing.”

The 2017 HellaCappella even will take place on Friday, April 21 at the Mondavi Center. Tickets can be bought on the Mondavi Center website.

For students and children, presale prices will be $15, and tickets cost $20 at the door. For general admission, presale prices will be $28, and tickets are $35 at the door.

14 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE R AU L MOR A LES / AGGIE

N ICKI PA DA R / AG GIE

Baseball (Dobbins Baseball Complex)

Thursday, April 13 vs. Cal Poly at 2:30 p.m.

Friday, April 14 vs. Cal Poly at 6 p.m. (at Raley Field, West Sacramento) Saturday, April 15 vs. Cal Poly at 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 vs. Nevada at 2:30 p.m.

Men’s golf (El Macero)

Thursday, April 13, All Day Friday, April 14, All Day

Women’s tennis (Marya Welch Tennis Center)

Friday, April 14 vs. San Jose State at 2 p.m.

Softball (La Rue Field)

Friday, April 14 vs. Cal State Fullerton at 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 vs. Cal State Fullerton at 12 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 vs. Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m.

Track and field (Woody Wilson Track)

Friday, April 14 at Woody Wilson Classic, All Day Saturday, April 15 at Woody Wilson Classic, All Day

Women’s lacrosse (Aggie Stadium)

Sunday, April 16 vs. Oregon at 12 p.m.

Men’s tennis (Marya Welch Tennis Center)

Wednesday, April 19 vs. Nevada at 2 p.m.

HAWAI’I EDGES UC DAVIS 7-6 IN BIG WEST SHOWDOWN Aggies score two late goals, could not complete comeback

BY ROWAN O’CONNELL-GATES sports@theaggie.org

The UC Davis women’s water polo team, ranked 12th by the NCAA, spent Saturday afternoon hosting the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine. Coming off a recent loss to Long Beach State, the Aggies had their work cut out for them.

Two weeks prior, the NCAA eighth-ranked Hawai’i nearly upset the top-ranked University of Southern California. The Aggies battled all throughout the game but ultimately came up just short of the upset in a 7-6 defeat.

The two teams struggled to find net for the first five minutes of the opening quarter. UC Davis opened the scoring at the 3:13 mark with a goal from junior center Greta Kohlmoos. The goal gave Kohlmoos 58 goals on the season, moving her into sole possession of seventh place in the Aggies’ single-season goal records. The lead would not last long, as Hawai’i answered moments later with a goal of its own.

The Rainbow Wahine held a 4-2 lead over the Aggies at the half, largely due to their ability to keep playing fresh athletes. “[The Wahine are] good all around, they have six great players that [start] and another great three or four [players] that come off the bench, so they’re [really] stacked,” said junior utility Paige Virgil.

In the third quarter the Aggie offense came alive.

Goals by senior utility Hannah Harvey and Virgil put the Aggies at an even 4-4 against the Rainbow Wahine.

However, Hawai’i once again rose to the challenge and retook the lead 5-4 before the third came to an end.

In the final quarter, the Rainbow Wahine scored two

quick goals to take a commanding 7-4 lead over the Aggies. But the Aggies would not go down without a fight, as Virgil added two more goals to bring her total to three on the day and 56 on the season. The first of Virgil’s two goals in the quarter was a swift behind-the-back no-look screamer that the Hawai’i goalie had no chance of saving.

“My team [contributed to my performance], we were so positive, we kept pumped up,” Virgil said. “[Even when] we [got] down 7-4, we came back, set up a play and executed it well.”

Despite Virgil’s stellar performance, the Aggies simply ran out of time, and the clock expired with Hawai’i playing keep-away from UC Davis. In the end, Hawai’i squeaked by with a 7-6 victory.

Despite the loss, UC Davis head coach Jamey Wright was proud of his team’s performance. “[Hawai’i is] very skilled and I was so proud of how we kept it together, that’s a team that lost to USC by one about 10 days ago and [U]SC is the number one team in the nation,” Wright said.

The thriller dropped the Aggies to 14-15 and 2-2 in the Big West conference.

When asked about next week’s matchup against the sixth-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters, Wright recognized the differences between Hawai’i and Irvine. “[UC Irvine] present a lot of problems, but different problems than Hawai’i so we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Wright said. “[UC Irvine is] really good. We’ll be there and we’ll be ready to go.”

The UC Davis women’s water polo team will matchup against UC Irvine on Saturday, April 15 at 12 p.m. in Irvine, Calif.

What’s in a walk-up song?

Before at bats, baseball players choose songs to prepare them for competition

BY LIZ JACOBSON sports@theaggie.org

Before a batter steps up to the plate and his name is announced, a ten-second snippet of a song blasts from the speakers. Every player’s walk-up song is different, with the genres ranging from country to R&B to chart-topping pop hits. The Aggie sat down with the UC Davis baseball team’s captains to talk about their walk-up songs and some of the traditions behind them.

Redshirt junior pitcher Zach Stone listens to Kid Cudi’s “Dat New ‘New’,” but that wasn’t always the case. Per team tradition, newcomers to the team don’t always have the luxury of choosing their own song.

Stone’s first year on the team, his walk-up song was “Blow” by Ke$ha, which he stresses that he did not pick for himself, but rather the team picked for him.

“The fans liked it,” Stone said. “You could see some of the them singing along every once in awhile.”

A walk-up song can have a big affect on a player’s psyche, and players will often change their song if they’re not hitting well. Senior first baseman Cameron Olson recently changed his walk-up song to “Country in My Soul” by Florida Georgia Line.

“I had to change up the mojo,” Olson said. “I just try to pick a song that I enjoy.”

Redshirt senior first baseman Mason Novak, whose walk-up song is “Danger” by Mystikal, knows that a walk-up song can really set the tone for a solid at bat.

HA N N A H LEE / AGGIE

“I picked it because it’s kind of funny,” Novak said.

“It kind of starts out goofy because it just yells “Danger!” and I think it’s kind of funny. I’m not a big guy on getting charged up, so it’s all about staying loose.”

His teammate Stone agrees.

“I didn’t want something that was too aggressive,” Stone said. “I just want to stay calm out there. In the past, I’ve had a little bit faster-paced stuff and this

year, I just wanted something that was a little more mellow and [to] try and stay relaxed.”

Dobbins Baseball Complex has been the host to some rather unusual walk-up songs, but if they work, they work. Most memorably, a few seasons ago, former redshirt senior infielder Nick Lynch had “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King as his walk-up song.

Walk-up songs, regardless of which song the play-

er chooses, are an integral part of the game, and they’re beloved by both fans and players.

“I love having a walk-up song,” Novak said. “I think it’s part of the game [and] I think it’s kind of funny seeing different guys and what they like.

I don’t think any song will get you too charged up because it’s only ten seconds long, so it’s kind of just a fun part of the game.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | 15

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Christian Pulisic is on track to become an American Legend

18-year-old wonderkid taking American soccer by storm

BY MI C HAEL W E X L E R sports@theaggie.org

At 18, we were all high school seniors, completely checked out of our last year of school and ready to embark on the college journey. We felt a looming sense of independence with our departures to college imminent, but we were still kids. At 18, I would go home after my fifth period reprographics class, a course I dedicated to beating my best friend’s high score in Fruit Ninja, only to eat leftovers out of the fridge and binge-watch reruns of The Office and How I Met Your Mother. At 18, Christian Pulisic has already been deemed “The Savior of American Soccer,” and he is starting for one of the most revered European clubs in Germany, Borussia Dortmund.

Pulisic, at 17, was the youngest American to score a goal in a World Cup qualifying match, just after becoming the youngest foreigner to score a goal in the German Bundesliga. Whether that’s more impressive than my Fruit Ninja high score of 957 is for you to judge, but Pulisic is the present — and the future — of American Soccer. The 5-foot-8 winger out of Hershey, Pennsylvania was raised by George Mason University soccer players Mark and Kelley Pulisic. While he spent most of his childhood in Hershey, he spent some time in Michigan and England as well.

Despite his age, Christian Pulisic has an incredible amount of composure. He never drops his head, and he has yet to seem noticeably fazed by the spotlight.

“I’m sick of people saying, ‘He’s only

17.’” Pulisic told ESPN FC back in September. “It doesn’t really matter to me. I feel like I can make an impact. That’s it.”

The US Men’s National Team head coach, Bruce Arena, has stated that Pulisic “has a long way to go before he gets to stand next to Landon [Donovan],” and while this comment is relatively benign, it completely understates just how exceptional a player Pulisic actually is. Obviously, Landon Donovan is the gold standard of players when it comes to American soccer, but there is a clear consensus that Pulisic is miles ahead of where Donovan was at his age, a sentiment that Donovan has stated himself. The expectations for Pulisic are so high that it would be underwhelming if he ends up being only as good as Landon Donovan was at the prime of his career, which is saying something.

The wunderkind has the tools and demeanor to grow into a global superstar, as Carsten Cramer, Borussia Dortmund’s marketing executive, put it. Arena was most likely trying to temper expectations for the 18-year-old amidst a flurry of attention that has come Pulisic’s way, as well as give some love to Donovan, who the previous head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, had a falling out with. Nonetheless, it simply is not an apt comparison. Americans should revel; we may finally have that generational talent that has been absent in our soccer world.

Those currently engaged with American soccer already know what I’m talking about with Christian Pulisic. But for the pseudo-soccer fan whose knowledge of the sport is limited to their knowledge of FIFA 17 ratings, for those of you who show up every four years for the World Cup and buy the newest kit after John Brook’s 85th minute header against Ghana (okay fine, that one was me), you should be excited. We got ourselves quite the gem, and if you aren’t like me and have no qualms with sporting the gear of an athlete who is younger than you, I suggest you go out and grab yourself his jersey — the name is only going to get bigger.

JAY GELVEZON/ AGG IE F IL E

UC DAVIS LEADS COMMISSIONER’S CUP STANDINGS Understanding intercollegiate competition that averages, ranks athletics program results

BY BRADLE Y GEISER sports@theaggie.org

All across the Big West Conference, schools are doing everything they can to get their hands on the Commissioner’s Cup. The Commissioner’s Cup is an all-encompassing contest which factors in every sport that is part of the conference. With UC Davis’s success in women’s and men’s basketball (first place and second place in the Big West Conference Championship, respectively), the Aggies are headed into the spring season holding the lead for the Commissioner’s Cup. Commissioner’s Cup points are based on a team’s competitive results and are adjusted according to how many teams are participating in a given sport within the conference. The scoring system does not simply add up every point that a team earns within every sport, but rather adds together all of the school’s points and divides it by the number of officially sanctioned events in which the school participates. This means that if the school does not compete within the conference or offer the sport itself, those points are not counted toward the total. The standings are based on averaged scores for each university, ensuring that smaller athletics programs are not at a disadvantage.

The first place team within one sport gets the most points (when applicable, men’s and women’s team are counted separately and then averaged), with each following team getting an increasingly small ration of the points. Totals vary depending on how many teams compete.

Currently, UC Davis leads the Cup with a score

average of 118.6, edging out the Long Beach State Gauchos with a score average of 111.7.

For the most part, the Cup has favored two schools: UC Santa Barbara with nine wins from 2000-10 and Long Beach State with seven wins, all coming in the past nine years. Pacific holds the other two titles, both from the first two years of the Cup’s existence.

The Cup includes basketball, baseball, tennis, softball, soccer, women’s volleyball, cross country, track and field, women’s beach volleyball (the only sports team in the cup that UC Davis does not have), golf and women’s water polo. Now, with spring season sports remaining, UC Davis’ success in baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, golf and women’s water polo will need to guide the Aggies toward the win.

While winning the conference is big for any sport, the Commissioner’s Cup rewards success across all participating sports and rewards teams who are able to sustain success throughout athletic competition, with the top school getting accolades for finishing the year with the most success. While something such as a trip to March Madness brings the spotlight to one sport’s success, overall success can look good for the entire school and show that they are not just one or two sport success stories.

The Commissioner’s Cup was introduced in 1998.

Before this year, UC Davis had never stood atop the standings. With just a couple of months to go, the Aggies’ continued success across different playing fields will be worth keeping an eye on. Keeping the lead would bode well not just for the school’s athletic department, but the athletes as well.

16 | THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

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