April 23 2020

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 24 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

DOCTORS SAID A STUDENT IN WEST VILLAGE HAD CONTRACTED COVID-19, UC DAVIS ADMINISTRATORS FAILED TO ASSIST

Student living in West Village reached out to UC Davis for help, said the university did not provide needed help

Graduate student housing. (Aggie Files)

FROM FAMILIES TO RESEARCH: THE UNIQUE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON GRADUATE STUDENTS As all research unrelated to

COVID-19 is halted, graduate student programs are being

extended and students are left in precarity

BY J ESSI CA BAGGOTT campus@theaggie.org

An apartment complex in West Village. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY E D E N W I N N I FO R D city@theaggie.org A UC Davis student living in West Village started displaying COVID-19 symptoms in mid-March. The student, who requested their identity be kept anonymous, was tested by Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento. Although the student’s test was invalid, due to possible issues that come with administering tests through new technological advancements, their healthcare providers believed they still had COVID-19.

A source with a close understanding of the student and their situation, who also asked to remain anonymous, explained over email that the student did not have any other respiratory illnesses. The student had tested negative for influenza A and B as well as mono.

The doctors asked the student to wait outside, because they believed the student had contracted coronavirus, while they prepared the student’s prescription, the anonymous source said. Doctors saw “lung changes” on the student’s chest X-ray and gave the student an inhaler. The source said doctors “agreed” that the student “did in fact have” COVID-19.

UC Davis Health agreed COVID-19 was “the correct diagnosis,” according to the student. Given the confidence in this diagnosis, and the lack of available testing kits, led Kaiser and a physician at UC Davis to opt against retesting the student, the anonymous source said.

“Yolo County takes 9 days to return a result and they were sure [the student] had it anyway, and that getting a positive result wouldn’t change the way they were treating [them],” the source said. “Testing kits were so few that

they couldn’t afford to use another one on [them] when they knew [they] had it anyway.”

Despite the confidence of the health professionals who interacted with the student, UC Davis administrators disregarded the student’s COVID-19 diagnosis. The California Aggie conducted an interview with the student over text after the student experienced difficulty breathing due to their illness.

“Me and my family reached out to UC Davis administration multiple times to inform them of my contagion status,” the student said via text message. “They either didn’t respond, took a long time to respond or didn’t seem interested. The chancellor is not reporting that students on campus are infected nor that you are exposing yourself on campus/around Davis. The two people he did mention he implied got it from Europe. Of course I have no idea where/who I got it from but I have not been traveling nor have been around anyone with symptoms. So I must have gotten it locally.”

Cindy Schorzman, the medical director of UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services, said via email that there are campus resources for students exhibiting signs of COVID-19, such as providing transportation to the emergency room.

“An SHCS provider would determine if someone was sick enough to be sent to the emergency room, based on their clinical judgement, with factors including an individual’s blood oxygen level and how well they are able to breathe,” Schorzman said.

This resource, however, was not made available to the student, who was told by the UC Davis campus police that the Kaiser testing site in Sacramento was too far away for ambulance transportation, according to the anonymous source.

The source said that Kaiser had approved

that initial test for the student, but because of concerns the student would expose and potentially infect others, a request was made that UC Davis transport the student via ambulance and the university “said no.”

“We asked UC Davis to test [the student] then [because] the ambulance would have taken [them] that far and they said no because we couldn’t link [the student] to a covid positive patient,” the source said.

The anonymous source said the student was forced to ask a friend for transportation to Kaiser Sacramento, despite the friend lacking the personal protective equipment (PPE) that an ambulance would be equipped with.

The friend came from Sacramento to pick up the student, took the student to Sacramento and then returned the student to their residence in Davis. During the ride, the student sat in the back seat, the anonymous source said.

Although West Village reassured residents that the student did not test positive, the student said they could still be infected and warned those living in Davis that the virus could be more widespread than it seems because of inadequate testing. “[West Village] did not tell me they were going to send out an email and I want to make sure west village understands that just because I don’t have a positive test does not mean I am not infected,” the student said over text. “This is probably the case for many people since the majority don’t qualify for testing.”

The student said all of the doctors they have spoken with assume they are positive with COVID-19 and “act accordingly.”

WESTVILLAGESTUDENT on 11

UC DAVIS CULTURAL CENTERS CANCEL IN-PERSON GRADUATION CELEBRATIONS Students reflect on what cultural graduations mean to them

Spring Quarter 2020 Commencement will be offered virtually, although UC Davis is planning to offer an in-person commencement later in the year. (UC Davis / Courtesy)

ALLY RUSSEL L campus@theaggie.org Cultural centers on campus canceled in-personal cultural graduation celebrations in response to the state’s stay-at-home directive and Chancellor Gary May’s announcement of a virtual commencement ceremony for those graduating this spring. Centers will consider alternative, virtual ways to celebrate graduating students in June.

The LGBTQIA Resource Center, the Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success (CCLASS), the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and the Center for African Diaspora Student Success are some of the centers that hold annual graduation celebrations for members of their community.

These celebrations allow participating stu-

dents to have the option of taking part in a ceremony that is more private than the larger UC Davis commencement, with friends and family members, that honors their achievements.

The LGBTQIA Resource Center is one center that made the decision to cancel their in-person Lavender Graduation ceremony. Monae Roberts, the director of the LGBTQIA Resource Center, commented on the center’s decision.

“Our decision to cancel the in-person Lavender Graduation was a difficult one,” Roberts said.

“However, given the current pandemic, we felt it best to be cautious for the safety of our most vulnerable populations.”

Although the in-person ceremony has been canceled, according to Roberts, center leadership is in the process of planning a virtual celebration for students to take part in.

On April 7, Cirilo Cortez, the director of

CCLASS, decided to cancel the center’s graduation celebration. Cortez responded to students’ disappointment via email.

“I know this can be difficult news to digest and I do want to offer myself for support if you need it,” Cortez said via email.

Like other centers, CCLASS is looking to students for suggestions for alternative ways to celebrate. During the ongoing pandemic, any graduation ceremony would present a clear, public health hazard, but for many students, the feeling of disappointment remains.

Emily Mijangos, a fourth-year international relations major, will be the first person in her family to graduate college. Mijangos shared her experience with the CCLASS graduation ceremony and what the decision to cancel the celebration meant for her.

“You have to understand that in the Latinx graduation, you are able to bring a family member to the stage with you,” Mijangos said.

Mijangos recalled attending last year’s ceremony. A friend of hers brought his father to the stage and proceeded to remove his own graduation stole and place it around his father’s shoulders.

“Not only did my friend graduate, his family gained its first college graduate,” Mijangos said.

“Through the hard work of his father and the hard mental work of my friend, their struggles finally paid off with this specific moment. I wanted to bring that honor to my family.”

Mijangos planned to invite her grandmother, the matriarch of her large family, on stage with her in June.

“I pictured a horde of family members and students within the pavilion celebrating the graduation of the Class of 2020,” Mijangos said. “I did not predict being confined within my house during my graduation. It’s like I am losing a bit of that magic that you feel when going through that experience. Hopefully our class can, sooner or later, get the ceremony that we deserve.”

Since the beginning of the transition to online instruction for the UC Davis campus, graduate students have had to adjust to online learning as TAs or lecturers, continue their own studies, potentially extend their programs and, oftentimes, watch their children.

“To have to be both parent and teacher, and sort of taskmaster, just to make sure that my own schedule gets completed, it’s exhausting,” said Colin Johnson, a PhD Candidate in performance studies.

Johnson isn’t alone in that struggle, which he called “nearly impossible.” It is estimated that more than half of UC Davis graduate and professional students have at least one child.

While parenting five children, seeing about 20 patients a week as a psychotherapist, supporting an advisor in research, as well as researching and writing his own dissertation, graduate student in performance studies Eric Taggart also struggles with his many roles.

“It’s pretty tricky to be trying to educate our kids at the same time: five kids and five different grades from two different schools, and they all have different requirements […] I’m also trying to make sure that the kids connect with their teachers, get three meals a day and stop harassing one another,” Taggart said. “We’re doing double or triple duty and the workload has definitely increased substantially.”

Though life has changed for both Taggart and Johnson, the fight for a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which began before the switch to remote learning, hasn’t stopped. It just has become more complex.

Graduate student lecturers and TAs who supported the COLA movement at Davis and other UCs were already in a difficult position due to the potential to get fired. Now, they’re in an even more precarious situation because of the dire need for financial support and medical insurance. Graduate students are stuck between a rock and a hard place as they decide whether or not to take part in the COLA movement on campus.

“I think what we’re going to see in the university is things that aren’t as important or in this case, the people who are making a fuss, are just going to be let go, because there’s not enough money anyway,” Johnson said.

This sentiment was repeated by Taggart.

“Whenever there’s precarity among citizens, institutions and governments and so forth usually use it as an opportunity to expand their power […] [they] use it as an opportunity to decrease privacy protections, sometimes to decrease pay or make other sort of administration or policy decisions that wouldn’t be able to be made during normal times but can be made now,” Taggart said. “[These changes] then carry on into the future and things don’t go back to how they were.”

In a public statement regarding the decision to end the graduate student grade strike, UCD4COLA said the following: “The pandemic only amplifies the underlying crisis, producing greater rent burden, increased housing and food insecurity, and underscores a lack of access to healthcare. Our demand for a COLA is more salient than ever before.”

The fear extends beyond just the graduate students’ time at UC Davis, due to worries of a potential recession. While those in science and technology programs are being fast-tracked, the state of jobs within humanities and the social sciences is unclear.

“I’ll probably be on track to finish my dissertation,” Johnson says. “My plan was [to finish] by the end of the summer, but I might not file my dissertation right away. Because the moment I file, my student loans come due and I lose my UC Davis health insurance.”

Though humanities students are able to continue working from home on their research and can still finish their programs on time, labs across campus have entered a “ramp down” phase that only allows research related to COVID-19 and maintenance.

RESEARCHGRAD on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

UC DAVIS COUSELING SERVICES CONTINUE ONLINE Virtual counseling provides more efficient scheduling process, well-being specialist says

North Hall at UC Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY H A N N A H BLO ME campus@theaggie.org UC Davis’ transition to online instruction has prompted changes to campus counseling services, but some students were left unaware that these services were still provided to them despite reduced campus operations.

A third-year student who asked to remain anonymous questioned why campus counselors

have not reached out to students.

“I haven’t heard from counseling services at all,” she said. “This is a time that the entire world is going through trauma.”

UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) will continue operations virtually, and a variety of online mental health and wellness services are provided to UC Davis students for free.

Director of UC Davis Counseling Services

SECURITY CONCERNS OVER ZOOM REMAIN DESPITE UC DAVIS’ UNIQUE CONTRACT TERMS

Zoombombing, surveillance, more: University recommends that although Zoom has been deemed safe enough for wide-spread adaptation, students, faculty should “exercise caution”

Dr. Paul Kim said via email that Counseling Services is now offering appointments via video, with Telemental Health sessions, and via phone sessions to ensure that students are still able to access services.

The SHCS provides free services to all UC Davis students, regardless of insurance plans.

“Students can still access counseling services for free,” said Emilia George, a UC Davis mental well-being health promotion specialist. “That is one of the biggest myths around counseling services, that you have to pay for counseling. As a UC Davis student, you have free access to mental health support.”

George said the SHCS’s transition to an online platform has helped speed up the time between when students ask for services and when they receive them — virtual counseling services currently provide same-day or next-day appointments, and students can either set up one-time counseling sessions or a repeated session plan.

Communicating with counselors is administered through “Health E-messaging,” accessible on the SHCS website.

In the past, accessing in-person counseling services has proved difficult for some. Previously, throughout the academic year, students across the UC have waited up to or over a month to see a counselor.

George oversees the student-run organization Each Aggie Matters, which promotes and spreads awareness about mental health and wellness services offered to UC Davis students. She noted that counseling services have received fewer visits since the virtual transition, but said that may be because students are unaware of pre-existing resources.

“We have therapists who are ready to support students remotely, and we just need to promote that [remote counseling] is an option to students,” George said.

Each Aggie Matters’ student ambassador Bianca Rodriguez said the organization is partnering with other mental health clubs and associations on campus to organize virtual events and to spread awareness to students who may be un-

aware of accessible mental health resources.

“We definitely want to remain in touch with what students are going through right now by finding different ways to reach them, even [with] something as simple as a quick Instagram story,” Rodriguez said.

Both Kim and George said, in addition to UC Davis-affiliated counseling services, UC Davis students have access to free services from Live Health Online, a third-party counseling resource that does not share information with UC Davis.

Current social distancing protocols and the emotional weight associated with a global pandemic might negatively impact students’ mental health and wellbeing, Kim said.

“The impact of COVID-19 will differ for each person, but this is a very difficult time,” he said. “It is common for people to experience increased stress, fear and anxiety.”

Third-year student Nicole Johnston, a representative from the Mental Health Initiative, said students should not hesitate to reach out to others — whether mental health professionals or friends.

Rodriguez suggested that students create a routine for their days to keep their minds balanced.

“Now that the boundaries between work and home are blurred, it is really hard to keep it separated,” Rodriguez said. “Establishing some type of routine does help.”

Johnston also said counselors may also be adjusting to changes in their home life.

“Everyone has to have a mutual understanding that counselors are human too,” Johnston said.“But they will get back to you, they are not going to leave you hanging.”

Johnston and George both said scheduling appointments has been surprisingly uncomplicated — arguably easier than accessing services prior to campus closures.

George recommended that students “take things day by day.”

“There is slight pressure that you have to be super productive right now,” George said. “But it is perfectly okay if all you do is just ‘be.’”

OSSJA MAKES MINOR CHANGES TO JUDICIAL PROCESS, NO UPDATE ON POSSIBLE INCREASE IN CASES

OSSJA operations remain continuous during COVID crisis, process not set to change

KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY A N JI N I V EN U GO PA L & JANEL L E M A RI E SA L A N GA features@theaggie.org As universities rapidly transition to online learning for their Spring Quarters and semesters, Zoom usage has increased significantly. According to CEO Eric Yuan, usage for the video conferencing app has seen daily usage increases of up to 1900%. In December of 2019, the app, founded in 2011, saw daily usage of around 10 million users — fast forward a few months to March of 2020, and there were over 200 million users on any given day.

Amid these changes, concerns about privacy and security have emerged, to which Zoom announced a 90-day moratorium where all engineering resources would be focused on safety and privacy issues. A revised policy on March 29 stated that data and content collected via Zoom would never be used for advertising.

In addition, Yuan began a weekly webinar called “Ask Eric Anything” in order to “address security, privacy, data and any other concerns from Zoom users.” Yuan plans to hold these webinars for the next three months.

One of those concerns is Zoombombing, or online harassment through the takeover of virtual meetings by people with humorous or, in some cases, malicious intent.

UC Davis has been using Zoom as a platform since at least 2016, according to university spokesperson Julia Ann Easley.

“UC Davis was already using Zoom as part of a UC-wide contract that dates back a few years,” Easley said via email. “Zoom agreed to UC’s data security and privacy terms and conditions. Zoom is familiar to many people on campus, and was readily available for quickly increased use. These were, and still are, attractive qualities.”

Joshua Clover, a professor in the English department, bought his own personal Zoom account, which he shares with two of his colleagues, through which he administers lectures.

Before classes moved to Zoom, he had fairly limited experience with the platform and said he was pleased with its functionality, given that he had struggled with Skype in the past. But when he found out that the university was implementing the platform on a larger scale, he did what he called “his due diligence” and researched the platform.

“There’s always exportable data to summarize, [from] past statistics, right down to individual meetings and users and who used it [Zoom], and

how and who’s an active and inactive user,” Clover said. “It’s built this way for admin. and corporations who are using Zoom to engage in this sort of surveillance for bosses to surveil employees to see who’s working as much as the boss wants to, and in the way that the boss wants to, which is to say it’s designed to be a disciplinary tool.”

For instructors who use Zoom as provided by the university, Clover sees their data being used

by UC Davis in three different ways: to see if staff positions can be eliminated or folded into others, to support the idea that university courses work well online and to track student participation.

Clover, who has been teaching at UC Davis for about 17 years, said he’s watched the UC system for a long time. To him, these data-driven outcomes complement the “future the university wants.”

“To many of my colleagues, this seems like a movement where the university’s goal of moving courses online is an opportunity for them to push things forward, and that’s something that people need to push against hard,” he said.

Despite characterizing Zoom as a platform designed “for business surveillance,” Clover said the choice to buy his own Zoom account was motivated by a desire to protect his students’ data — not necessarily his own.

“I don’t want the university [...] sitting in my classroom, knowing what people are doing,” he said. “That’s my classroom. That’s not theirs. And the university absolutely belongs to students.”

The UC Davis College of Engineering implemented Zoom in 2017 and said it has taken advantage of newer features, such as digital signage and Zoom Rooms in common spaces, with other units on campus looking to the college as an example.

In light of Spring Quarter moving online, the College of Engineering decided to recommend — but not enforce — password protection of Zoom meetings through the first week of Spring Quarter instruction.

This recommendation was enforced by the College of Engineering and other colleges on April 7, with the College of Engineering providing responses via email through the university.

“The four colleges working alongside campus officials have restricted in-meeting annotation and made recommendations on in-meeting settings that can improve the privacy and security of Zoom meetings,” the college said,

ZOOMPRIVACY on 11

The Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs is based out of Dutton Hall at UC Davis. (Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie).

BY ALE X W E INST E IN campus@theaggie.org Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UC Davis Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) is taking no new initiative to combat alternate forms of academic dishonesty.

“We are encouraging faculty to inform students about expectations for academic integrity in a remote environment, and we want students to understand the importance of remaining honest in their work when completing assignments and taking exams without proctoring,” said Donald Dudley, director of OSSJA. This quarter, judicial proceedings through OSSJA are occurring through Zoom, but the rules and sanctions remain the same.

“Most information is electronic,” Dudley said. “Gathering information is the same as normal quarters.”

In response to questions of confidentiality,

given the recent lawsuits against Zoom for lackluster privacy protections, Dudley said OSSJA has been taking precautions to ensure anonymity.

“OSSJA uses necessary Zoom features for the confidentiality of meetings and hearings,” Dudley said. “Students are required to show ID cards when they schedule meetings.”

One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said they weren’t “asked to show ID or confirm [their] identity when setting up a Zoom meeting with OSSJA.” When asked about the possibility of an influx in cases, Dudley explained that the office is doing the best it can “to manage cases in a timely manner.”

“I can see reasons that might lead to more cases or fewer cases,” Dudley said. “In our current environment, a quote by C.S. Lewis is highly relevant: ‘Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.’”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 | 3

ASUCD LEADERS WORK ON REMAINING CONNECTED WITH STUDENTS DURING REMOTE SPRING QUARTER

Senators highlight innovation of units, committees amid COVID-19 completed

ASUCD Senate meetings will be hosted virtually this quarter. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY GRASCHELLE FARIÑAS HIPOLITO campus@theaggie.org With COVID-19 disrupting the plans of ASUCD units and committees, members of the association’s student government and leadership have emphasized the visibility of available resources to continue supporting students.

In terms of academics, ASUCD Student Advocate Ashley Lo said she is glad to see that the Academic Affairs Commission, for example, has proposed ways to alter grading policies in order to be more accommodating for students during this time. Lo has been in contact with the director of the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) to address issues that may arise with online instruction, such as additional reports of plagiarism or cheating and collaborating

with peers.

“I plan to start having online advising soon for students through the Student Advocate’s Office for anyone who may be in a situation where they’re accused of any sort of academic misconduct,” Lo said. “I want to take the training that I got from our Campus Judicial Board Director to advise [students] through that process, tell them what rights they have and how they can best prepare for their meetings with OSSJA.” Some student senators have also worked with their respective adopted units and committees to aid in fulfilling their specific missions, goals and scheduled programming for Spring Quarter while adjusting to public health and campus directives.

Senator Khalil Malik, who readopted The Pantry and the Mental Health Initiative (MHI)

for Spring Quarter, highlighted a few of the ways his adopted units and committees have continued to provide resources to students.

For example, for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, MHI had originally planned to host in-person events to address the mental health needs of marginalized folks, such as formerly incarcerated students and LGBTQIA+ students. MHI is working on moving its programming online.

“One of the things MHI is doing very successfully is partnering with other campus organizations and clubs for each of their events,” Malik said. “They are able to promote their events through their own connections and the organizations that they partner with can bring their own crowd in to increase the audience, which is so important, especially since it’s so hard to get the word out at this time.”

The Pantry has partnered with the Basic Needs Center on campus, Aggie Compass, to implement a grocery bag program in which students can sign up to receive a prepared grocery bag once a week. The grocery bags, prepared by Pantry volunteers who follow social distancing guidelines, are spaced out in the Quad area for students to pick up without needing to interact with others.

Malik called Ryan Choi, the director of The Pantry, as well as Deborah Widjaja and Cindy Chen, the directors of MHI, and their team of volunteers “heroes” for taking on these new responsibilities.

Senator Shreya Desphande has also engaged with their adopted units and committees to check in with them and offer assistance. Deshpande also adopted MHI. Among other units they adopted were the Disability Rights Advocacy Committee (DRAC), Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS) and Aggie Reuse.

“I had a conversation with the Aggie Reuse unit director [Elisabeth Huynh] and focused it

around their values of upcycling, diverting waste from landfills and engaging her with how we can move this online and how we can plan for the future,” Deshpande said.

Deshpande said they are working with HAUS to tackle housing insecurity, which has been a prevalent concern during this pandemic.

“HAUS is really important, especially now with the coronavirus [because] people don’t have homes or lots of folks don’t have a place to shelter under shelter-in-place, so it’s a really big avenue for ASUCD to expand its advocacy and increase its influence as the student voice both in the City of Davis and on campus,” Deshpande said.

In efforts to increase visibility of resources to students during this time, Deshpande said ASUCD has strengthened its social media campaigns to ensure that available resources are being advertised.

“We also have three mass emails that the executive team gets to send out every quarter and it reaches every undergraduate student, so they’re always staying connected that way,” Deshpande said.

As a personal project, Malik is promoting the ASUCD newsletter and encouraging senators to gather content from their adopted units and committees to share with students.

“The newsletter is so that students might feel that they’re a little less disconnected and that they know where to find resources, especially now that we can’t just put a flyer on a bulletin board,” Malik said.

Malik also stated that the slate he ran on, BASED, is creating a graphic with Senators’ office hours because students may not know where to find that information.

Senators’ office hours remain available online each week to maintain outreach to and engagement with students. Senate meetings are also hosted virtually and remain open to anyone interested in attending.

GENERATION Z TALKS ABOUT LONELINESS IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS Studies describe a current “epidemic of loneliness,” the impact of social media on relationships RA BI DA / AG G I E

BY REBECCA BINH-WALLACE campus@theaggie.org Studies show that the U.S. is currently experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Approximately two in five Americans have reported feeling that their relationships are “sometimes or always not meaningful,” and one in five reported feeling socially isolated or lonely, according to an article by the Health Resources and Services Administration. These feelings may be compounded by a decline in household size and more people living alone than before, the study noted.

This issue can cause adverse health effects, with some researchers concluding that it’s as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The problem isn’t limited to Americans, either — the U.K. appointed a Minister of Loneliness in 2018.

“Loneliness is not necessarily having few friends,” said Cynthia Pickett, an associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychology. “The idea is that people crave and need deeper social relationships.“ Pickett believes this lack of meaningful social interactions may be due to changes in the way we communicate as a society.

“When you have a face-to-face interaction,

you get more [social] information from that interaction,” Pickett said. “And when people are communicating over social media or text, those are fairly impoverished forms of communication — they’re fleeting.”

Pickett identified loneliness as different from forms of depression because it is intrinsically tied to “awareness of one’s social standing.” She added that there may be people who are lonely but not depressed, or depressed but not lonely. The two can, however, coincide.

“Loneliness can lead people to feel like they’re not socially valued, which can lead to a drop in self-esteem,” she explained.

According to Pickett’s research, loneliness can also lead to a heightened awareness of social cues in situations with other people.

“My research was looking specifically into the cognitive changes that occur when people are lonely,” Pickett said. “People become more attuned to social information in their environments — they’re better at decoding facial expressions, they’re better at decoding social activities than non-social activities. To form those social connections, you have to have those social skills.”

A recent study by Cigna, a global health service company, said that people from Generation

DEVELOPMENT OF NISHI PROJECT ABLE TO CONTINUE AFTER APPEAL AGAINST PROJECT WITHDRAWN

With appeal withdrawn, case concludes

The lot in which the Nishi Project was proposed to be built on. (Aggie File)

BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org In a press release published on April 2 by the City of Davis, it was announced “that the appeal of the Yolo Superior Court decision regarding the Nishi project has been withdrawn” and the case is now “concluded.”

The Nishi 2.0 project is an apartment complex project aimed at students located on a 47acre site between UC Davis and Interstate 80. It consists of 700 units, with a total of 2,200 beds.

The project was originally approved by the Davis City Council in February of 2018. Following this, it was approved by 11,638 individuals in a Measure J vote in June of 2018, or 60.6% of

Z — composed of individuals between the ages of 18 and 22 — make up the loneliest generation. Members of Gen Z also claim to be in worse health than their older counterparts. But the study didn’t find great differences in loneliness based on whether the person used social media frequently or not.

Instead, a growing scarcity of neighborhood communities, family fragmentation and a decline in religious affiliation has led young people to feel lonely, according to an op-ed published in USA Today. People who are employed are also not as lonely as students or the unemployed, said CNBC, and exercise and sleep might also play a role in these feelings.

A third-year political science and human development double major anonymously spoke to The California Aggie about their experiences with this phenomenon, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think [this loneliness stems from] an understanding of what it means to have meaningful relationships,” they said. “When I think about my parents or older people, they find value in knowing someone [...] just as acquaintances.

Their relationships seem not easier, but less substantive.”

People their age might be more inclined to categorize their friends, they explained.

“For Gen Z, it’s more of a matter of saying, ‘These are my friends, these are my best friends,’” they said. “We don’t necessarily reach out to everyone, we have certain categories of friendship.”

And sometimes, fear of burdening others prevents individuals from connecting.

“I think it also goes into the concept of awareness of other things — mental health, how dumping your thoughts on someone can be hard on someone,” they said. “You want to be sure to trust the person [that you’re talking to]. Just knowing that someone might not be on your side, might not like you venting to them.”

Describing a recent volleyball injury that prevented them from going out during Winter Quarter, they said they were unsure whether they could rely on friends to sacrifice finals studying to spend time with them. Volleyball was a big part of their identity, they said, and the injury changed them completely.

Although their health improved, they have been unable to go home during the shelter-inplace orders, and staying in Davis, without their

roommates, was the “only thing that was feasible.”

“I’m from SoCal and my parents are older, and I was scared for them,” they said. “Since the whole thing started, they’ve been staying indoors.

I was afraid I was one of those people who was asymptomatic and [could give it to them].”

Another interviewee, a third-year communications major who also wanted to remain anonymous, said she hoped college would be different than her high school experience, when she was largely preoccupied with academics and extracurriculars and didn’t always have the time to build sustainable relationships with people.

“I would give up on potential friends and friendships because it was a one-way street and just me reaching out,” she said. The shelter-inplace orders during the current pandemic have affected this too.

“Right now, with COVID-19, it’s putting relationships and friendships to the test — who are you really going to talk to when you’re not seeing one another?” she asked.

“Who do you invest more time in — somebody you think is going to be there in the long run or the one who isn’t? It’s hard to understand, it depends on the person’s interests and maybe not being lazy at the same time.”While she clarified that she didn’t think Generation Z is necessarily lazier, she noted that the availability of FaceTime sometimes eliminates the need to talk to people face-to-face.

When it comes to social media sites like Facebook, things can get confusing.

“It hurts with the loneliness a little bit because you see people liking your pictures and commenting, but they haven’t reached out to you in months or maybe even years,” she said. “It’s not efficient communication.”

On the other hand, she explained, Zoom has helped her connect with friends during the current shelter-in-place conditions. She said they spent two hours talking and reconnecting by playing an online game together.

According to Pickett, social media creates “pluralistic ignorance,” defined as the belief that one is different from one’s peers despite behaving the same as they do.

“In order to decide that your social interactions are lacking, we compare ourselves to other people,” she said.

the total voters.

In March of 2018, the Davis Coalition for Sensible Planning filed a lawsuit, according to an article from The Davis Enterprise, saying that while approving the Nishi 2.0 project, the Davis City Council had not followed the California Environmental Quality Act, among other zoning and planning laws, as well as Davis’ “affordable housing ordinance.”

“This group filed repeated lawsuits and appeals to try to block the Nishi project,” said Davis Councilmember Dan Carson, according to the news statement. “It’s worth noting that they lost every single legal claim they made that came before the courts even after dropping some of their dubious claims before they could even be tested.”

Before the Nishi 2.0 project was able to be voted on by voters in 2018, a previous version of the project was passed by voters in 2016. It was known as the Nishi 1.0 project, according to The Davis Enterprise.

The initial proposal for the project had fewer beds available than the Nishi 2.0 project, specifically 1,920. It also had 325,000 square feet of office space for research and development and would “require changes to the west end of Olive Drive to provide access to cars driving to and from the Nishi property,” according to an article from The Sacramento Bee. “The city prepared an Environmental Impact Report for the original Nishi project in 2015 — one upheld by the court in that lawsuit — and prepared an addendum to the [Environmental Impact Report (EIR)] for the new project two years later, contending the original EIR adequately assessed the impacts of the revised project,” according to The Davis Enterprise article.

The Environmental Checklist Addendum, which is available on the City of Davis’ website,

includes an introduction and description of the project, as well as an “environmental checklist for supplemental environmental review” and further descriptions on the factors present in the environmental checklist.

The addendum to the original EIR contains an analysis and description of the impact that changing the circulation of traffic and land uses would have. For instance, the EIR mentions that office space for research and development would be eliminated in the second stage of the project, alongside removing condominium units that were meant to be on-sale, increasing the numbers that are available to rent and “revisions to the circulation network.”

The addendum also analyzes the impact the project would have on various environmental factors, such as water and agriculture.

“No new circumstances or project changes have occurred nor has any new information been found requiring new analysis or verification,” the addendum read. “Therefore, the conclusions of the Nishi Gateway EIR remain relevant and valid, and approval of the project would not result in new or substantially more severe significant impacts to agriculture and forestry resources.”

Ultimately, the withdrawal of the appeal to the development of the Nishi project will allow the project to be carried out.

“After 11,638 voters approved Measure J and the Nishi project, the appellants then defied the will of the voters and filed a motion specifically asking that the Measure J/R vote of the public be set aside,” Carson said, according to the press release. “I am glad to see the decision of the voters will be finally carried out so that we can take another major step forward to provide critically needed housing for our students and our community.”

LONELI NESS on 11

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4 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

CITY COUNCIL FOCUSES ON DAVIS COVID-19 RESPONSE, CONTRIBUTES TO YOLO COVID-19 RELIEF FUND City Council meeting held via Zoom with restrictions on public comments due to prank calls TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E

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BY MA D EL E I N E PAY N E city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council discussed the COVID-19 crisis and the City of Davis’ response during an online City Council meeting on April 7. Councilmembers approved the contribution of $50,000 to the Yolo COVID-19 Relief Fund in an effort to aid local nonprofits.

The meeting began with a presentation from Yolo County’s Health Officer, Dr. Ron Chapman, who responded to questions about COVID-19 and recommended steps for community members to take in order to protect themselves. He emphasized that the stay-at-home order is the best way to limit the direct impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on residents of Yolo County.

“The stay-at-home order and social distancing are the key measures to slowing and eventually stopping the spread of this virus, given that there is no treatment, and there is no vaccine,” Chapman said.

Chapman also said medical services in Yolo County are preparing for an increase in capacity,

as confirmed cases of COVID-19 increase.

“Both of the hospitals have dedicated space in their facilities for what we call a ‘surge’ — a huge number of sick people with COVID-19 needing to be hospitalized,” Chapman said. “We’ve identified beds in the hospitals and beds in some of our nursing homes for folks recovering from COVID-19 post hospitalization.”

Yolo County has prepared various resources to clearly communicate coronavirus information to the public, including a coronavirus dashboard listing the county’s virus statistics. Chapman warned of reading too much into each city’s numbers, however, as they are not an accurate reflection of any individual’s risk of catching the virus.

“Just because one city has more cases than another that does not mean that that particular city is necessarily sicker,” Chapman said. “The reality is that this virus is everywhere, and testing is a challenge, so we’ve only really tested the tip of the iceberg.”

Presentations from City Manager Mike Webb and Police Chief Darren Pytel focused more on the practical changes occurring within agencies

in the City of Davis, including how city officials are adapting their roles and planning for future summer events.

Several public commenters noted that one of the most glaring structural differences in city proceedings is the online nature of the City Council meetings themselves. Some said councilmembers were not doing enough to address the crisis and continuing with “business as usual” in a setting limited in public contribution.

Davis residents were asked to share their public comments by email and voicemail before the meeting, held via Zoom.

Comments sent in during the meeting were not guaranteed to be shared. Community members were banned from participating during the Zoom meeting due to inappropriate messages and prank callers during the last City Council meeting.

Mayor Brett Lee addressed these concerns, saying the City Council was only proceeding with necessary items.

“We are definitely not treating things as business as usual — as you saw from the staff report on this,” Lee said. “There are many things that

CITY COUNCIL MOVES FORWARD ON NEW SOLAR-FARM PLAN AMID SOME CONTROVERSY

we are not taking up as a council. Obviously, our priorities are around things that are urgent in nature, [and] the COVID crisis obviously is urgent in nature. But I do believe we have the bandwidth to continue on with things that are high in importance.”

Among items approved during the virtual meeting was a $50,000 contribution by the City of Davis to the Yolo COVID-19 Relief Fund, which is, “primarily intended to maximize and coordinate large donations from institutional donors,” to nonprofits, according to the Yolo Community Foundation website. The Yolo County Board of Supervisors donated $250,000 to the relief fund on March 24, encouraging other institutions to donate as well.

The proceeds will go directly toward helping non-profits like Davis Community Meals and Housing, Empower Yolo, Inc. and Meals on Wheels Yolo County provide essential services to the community.

The relief fund website encourages individuals to donate directly to the nonprofits, as the relief fund is set up for managing larger institutional donations.

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Councilmembers approved plans to lease city land for 235-acre solar farm, but many complained about approval process

KA IT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY T I M L A LO N D E city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council proceeded with plans that would allow for leasing public land to the energy company BrightNight on March 24, with plans to use the site and build a 235-acre commercial solar farm and testing facility. But some members of the council and the public expressed skepticism towards these plans, as well as the process through which they were approved.

In February, the renewable energy company BrightNight approached the city with an unsolicited offer to lease unused county land, according to Assistant City Manager Ash Feeney. The proposed site is adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant on County Road 28H, close to the Yolo County Dump. The land was formerly occupied by ponds used to purify the city’s wastewater. Recent upgrades to the city’s treatment plant eliminated the need for these ponds, leaving the land unused, according to the staff report. Feeney presented to the council during the March 24 remote council meeting.

The staff report encouraged the council to approve the project. The unused land did not bring in revenue, according to the report, and leasing it would result in a net-positive fiscal impact for the city. Preliminary estimates of the plans suggested that the solar farm would bring in roughly $80,000 in city revenue per year, once it was up and running.

Moreover, the staff reports claimed that the new solar farm would help the city meet its own sustainability goals.

“The proposed solar panels, which are estimated to be able to produce about 25 megawatts of solar power per year, will help the City meet

its climate goals under the City’s 2020 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Update which calls for the City to be carbon neutral by 2040,” the report reads.

There was implied urgency for the council’s vote in the staff report — pending approval from the council, BrightNight would apply for connection to the California Independent System Operator (ISO), the non-profit body that manages the majority of the California electric grid.

The deadline for this application was April 15, according to Feeney, but BrightNight wanted to apply by April 1 to allow a two-week window for feedback on their application. Missing this deadline, according to Feeney, would push the application process back another year.

Though the entire council expressed support for the spirit of the proposal, Mayor Pro Tem Gloria Partida and Councilmember Lucas Frerichs voiced concerns about the approval process. Due to Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders, March city commission meetings had been cancelled. Consequently, the solar-farm proposal was not reviewed or vetted by commissions as it might have been during ordinary circumstances.

Frerichs also argued that the city should solicit other proposals before approving BrightNight’s to ensure the city was getting the best deal possible.

“We’re responding to someone that came in the door,” Frerichs said. “They may have a very good proposal in front of us, but I think that we are doing ourselves a disservice — if this is such a good proposal — by not comparing it to other proposals that may exist.”

Much of public comment on the matter — which was submitted via email, due to zoombombing issues earlier in the meeting — also

urged the city to wait on approving the plans, until further review and further study by city staff and relevant commissions, such as the Utility, Finance and Budget in addition to the Open Space and Habitat Commissions.

Councilmember Will Arnold, however, argued that the council should act quickly on approving the deal, calling BrightLight’s offer to buy the land a “bird in the hand.” He disagreed that it would necessarily be better to wait for a better deal or committee review.

“I don’t get the sense that we’re going to be in a much better and more informed position a week from now, or two weeks from now, if we allow for more process and recommendations that we may or may not be able to act on,” Arnold said.

Mayor Brett Lee agreed, pointing out that the significant amount of clean and sustainable power the solar farm would provide to Davis and other communities.

“What I think is being lost here, is this is a very exciting opportunity,” Lee said. “In spite of the Covid-19 issue, the reality is we face a longterm issue regarding greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. With a stroke of the pen tonight, we literally can have 25 megawatts of generating power for our community or located adjacent to our community.”

Three of the councilmembers — Arnolds, Partida, Lee and Councilmember Dan Carson — voted to approve the project, while Frerichs voted against it. The council’s approval allows BrightLight to apply for the ground lease for the project. After the company secures entitlements from the county, including compliance with CEQA, the proposal will return again to the council for a vote, according to the staff report.

Don’t pick your nose before serving ice cream — it’s a pandemic!

April 9 “Guest upset over incorrect change given, was banging on drive thru window.”

April 10 “Abandoned rolling suitcase left at the front door.”

“Ice cream trucker driver picking nose prior to servicing ice cream.”

April 11 “Saw possible mountain lion run across Covell past apartments and into greenbelt.”

April 12 “Lawn was spray painted overnight.”

April 13 “When asked to turn music down, respondents have been turning it up.”

April 14 “Noise complaint. Two units above respondent stomping loudly in one unit and the other is closing windows loudly.”

April 15 “Bob cat was in his backyard, went into neighboring yard.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 | 5

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Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor

UC Davis makes the most out of commencement with virtual, winter options Chancellor Gary May empathizes with graduating students, encourages student input

KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor STELLA TRAN City News Editor HANADI JORDAN Opinion Editor CLAIRE DODD Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor CECILIA MORALES Science & Tech Editor

HANNAN WALIULLAH New Media Manager JUSTIN HAN Photo Director SYDNEE RODRIGUEZ Design Director ARIANA GREEN Layout Director SABRINA HABCHI Copy Chief ISABELLA BLOOM Copy Chief

The Editorial Board commends UC Davis’ decision to move its Spring 2020 Commencement to a virtual platform and potentially offer an in-person ceremony option in December during this uncertain time. Students are currently dealing with anxieties associated with the current health crisis and the inability to see loved ones during shelter-in-place in addition to the added stress of taking virtual classes. It is reassuring that UC Davis’ administration is taking student consideration seriously and doing its best to ensure that this important tradition is carried on, despite trying circumstances.

This situation is nowhere near ideal, but students have worked incredibly hard during their time at UC Davis to earn a degree, and they deserve accomodations for an event that celebrates this. The Board, which is composed of nine graduating seniors, agrees with the decision to offer commencement options, as not all graduating students will be able to return to campus for an in-person ceremony held at a later date. Likewise, a virtual platform by itself might not best serve those students who wish to have a celebration in person — especially those who have the ability to return to campus at a future time.

The university’s implementation of a survey to gauge student interest and allow students to provide feedback should be a model for other universities. At other universities, students have expressed frustration with their administration over commencement decisions — for instance, there was vocal disagreement over Chico State University’s decision to postpone commencement until 2021, effectively combining different graduating classes. Frustration at this time is understandable,

but students and their administrations should also have patience with one another.

While we understand that commencement is not a top priority during a pandemic, we are grateful that Chancellor Gary May is taking commencement earnestly, as indicated in his announcement video.

“Since I have a daughter going through a similar experience, I first want to acknowledge the disappointment, the sadness and the frustration that many of you are feeling,” May said. “We had every hope of being able to somehow host commencement in June and much deliberation and care went into this decision. But the health risk is just too great.”

We appreciate May’s empathy and his recognition of the frustrations many of us feel. We also appreciate that soon-tobe graduates have been provided with options. This ultimately lessens a burden on students who should, at this time, be prioritizing their own health and the health of their family members.

These moments necessitate unity among, rather than animosity between, one another. As universities have struggled to come up with adequate alternatives in so little time, students at other schools have had their commencement ceremonies completely canceled. While we acknowledge that commencement will not be carried out as initially expected, this is the best possible solution for students at this moment. This is not ideal, but very little is at this time. We hope that students can show understanding moving forward and work with the administration to ensure that commencement can still be as memorable an occasion as possible.

ZOË REINHARDT Website Manager SYDNEY ODMAN Social Media Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Russia’s suspicious calmness during COVID-19 THE NATION’S PAST ISSUES WITH TRANSPARENCY MAY COME BACK TO HAUNT THE GOVERNMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC

BY JU L IE T TA B IS H A RYA N jsbisharyan@ucdavis.edu

MA RIO RODRIG U EZ / AGG IE

“Under control” are the two words President Vladmir Putin used to describe Russia’s current management of COVID-19. And up until recently, the numbers reported seemed to be saying that too.

Despite Russia’s large population and close border with China, the number of coronavirus cases are lower than many other countries –– at one point, they were even lower than Luxembourg, a nation with only 628,000 citizens, compared to Russia’s population of 146 million.

Russian news broadcasts are evidence that the government isn’t afraid to boast its excellence during the crisis. Countless reports show Russia sending aid to suffering countries, including Italy –– a gesture that exudes confidence amid the pandemic.

According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, however, 80% of the coronavirus supplies sent by Russia were “useless.”

Dr. Melita Vujnovic, the World Health Organization’s representative in Russia, asserted that the country took extensive measures early on, including testing, case identification and isolation.

As the numbers are starting to pick up, so are questions of transparency between the Russian government and its people.

“Glasnost,” which translates to “openness,” refers to the Soviet Union’s final leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s attempts to democratize and open the political systems to the people. The reform effort was catalyzed by the USSR’s poor track record of transparency, such as with the cover up of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe in 1986 and the country’s silent HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

On social media, many Russians express doubts over the official number of cases, comparing the situation to the aforementioned Soviet-era cover-ups.

In Moscow, the number of pneumonia cases grew by 37% in January compared to the same time last year. Some speculate that the Russian government is misdiagnosing patients with pneumonia instead of coronavirus to keep infection numbers low.

“It’s impossible to know the real situation, but we know one thing for sure: the state is ready to manipulate medical statistics for political purposes,” said Anastasia Vasilyeva, the head of the independent Doctors Alliance trade union.

Although these theories should be taken with a grain of salt, they do have some basis in the post-Soviet era.

Back in 2015, Putin announced that he wanted to lower the death rate caused by cardiovascular disease, the country’s leading cause of death and disability. Shortly after, hospitals began reporting a drop in death rates from heart-related illnesses. At the same time, there was a rise in deaths from other causes, namely rare or unclassified diseases.

Given its history, similar manipulations are likely at work today.

In March, a 79-year-old professor died at a Moscow infectious diseases hospital.

Russian officials initially attributed her cause of death to the coronavirus, but later changed it to “blood clot.”

Vasilyeva suggests that such incidents may imply either a purposeful cover-up or simply a lack of equipment, testing abilities or know-how. Still, Russia’s emergency response hasn’t been as pristine as Putin may impress upon the rest of the world.

While nations such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan evacuated citizens on regular planes from Wuhan, China during the initial outbreak, Russia’s government sent in two military cargo planes –– not intended to transport humans –– to evacuate its citizens.

During the 10-hour flight, small tents with buckets inside were used as restrooms, and there wasn’t any heating or air conditioning. And while citizens were informed that they’d be sent to Moscow, they were instead dropped off at a hotel outside Tyumen, a region about 1,000 miles from the capital city.

Despite opposition against the unconventional evacuation plan, the Russian state media insisted that military planes are much easier to clean and disinfect.

“Our big and great country follows a certain protocol in such emergency situations,” said Russian television presenter Evgeny Popov during a live broadcast. “The protocol says that health and safety of the citizens is the most important thing. But of course, nobody ever thinks about that. What’s more important now is to try to get some clout from the situation.”

Putin is not one to be the bearer of bad news. The virus’ effect on Russia has made that clear. Especially with cover-up claims reminiscent of the Soviet Union era, transparency and trust in Russia is clearly still an issue. In a time of global crisis, honesty and safety should be prioritized, not the finish line of a pandemic-response race.

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THE SHORT-LIVED BENEFITS OF FAST FASHION

The ugliness of fast fashion is no secret, but where does that leave consumers?

J OEL L E TA H TA / AGGI E

BY S I M RA N KA L KAT skkalkat@ucdavis.edu Americans have a shopping problem, and it’s easy to see why consumerism has skyrocketed.

Major retailers are now mass producing fashionable and trendy clothes so fast that consumers are overwhelmed with a plethora of options. But as many know, fast fashion comes with environmental and ethical costs that greatly outstrip the benefit of engaging in such a rampant consumer culture.

Sustainability has become a key talking point within the fashion industry in recent years and for good reason. The manufacturing process requires intense water consumption and uses various chemicals and hazardous materials,

polluting rivers and other bodies of water. But what’s more astounding is what happens to the clothing once it’s been manufactured. “Each year over 80 billion pieces of clothing are produced worldwide,” according to Greenpeace. Of the clothing produced, three-fourths will end up in the landfill or be incinerated and only a quarter will be recycled.

Albeit shocking, these figures are just a surface-level look into the complex web of consumption patterns and corporate behaviour.

I was really excited to see H&M roll out its Garment Collecting Program and Conscious Collection, which promised to put sustainability at the forefront of its business model. I now had a place to send my jeans that were too torn for charity donations and could get a 15% coupon

for my very eco-conscious actions — what I thought was a “win-win.” Ironically, however, such programs are likely counterproductive to the goal of sustainability.

The 15% discount is a smart marketing trick that boosts consumerism and protects the company’s profit margins. I gave H&M old sweaters that I was bored of and jeans that had gone out of style only to use the 15% discount and come out of the store with new sweaters and jeans. Although H&M has made strides toward more sustainable practices and may genuinely aspire to be a part of the solution, they are still not the eco-conscious company they’ve marketed themselves to be.

Our consumer culture also plays a heavy hand in supporting the fast fashion industry. Demand

for trendy yet cheap clothing allows for retailers like Zara and H&M to continue operating their business in such an environmentally unsustainable fashion. For many, however, fast fashion can be more important than a meaningless shopping spree — it allows people to get the clothing they need at an affordable price.

Patagonia is one of the most sustainable and ethical clothing companies, but their prices, however reflective of the product’s quality, make their clothing unaffordable for many.

The issue with fast fashion lies within the name itself — production is fast and longevity is short. These businesses are modeled to create clothing that is disposable, bringing consumers back to buy new clothes frequently. But it’s hard to know what the appropriate response to this problem is when prices are alluringly affordable, and there is lots of contradictory information on the scope of the problem and its solutions.

A number of varying responses have manifested within the fashion industry itself.

At last year’s G7 summit, French President Emmanuel Macron debuted his Fashion Pact, headed by Kering chair and CEO FrançoisHenri Pinault, bringing together some of the biggest names in fashion to collaborate in making substantive, long-lasting change. Then, there was the instance of many brands at Paris Fashion Week directly incorporating themes of the environment and climate into their shows.

Although such initiatives are commendable, we also need to hold retailers and clothing companies accountable for destructive and problematic manufacturing and supply chain problems that make the industry so unsustainable. This isn’t just a problem for the fast fashion retailers that produce cheap, affordable clothing — luxury brands like Hermès and Dior have much work to do. The pervasiveness of sustainability issues in an industry as impactful as fashion is a clear sign that long-lasting solutions are urgently needed.

SOCIAL MEDIA AS A WINDOW, NOT A MIRROR With all this free time, be mindful of your social media use

K IYO M I WATS O N / AGGI E

BY KAC EY C A I N klcain@ucdavis.edu With more time on our hands than ever before, checking social media has never been easier or more appealing. We now find ourselves spending many hours scrolling (possibly stalking) on Instagram or watching thousands of videos trying to learn the newest TikTok dance. While this may seem like a great way to stay occupied, it’s not the best use of our time.

By Psychology Today’s stated measures, I’m what you would call a “passive user.” I have one picture on my Instagram profile and I almost

never update my stories or Facebook status. But I am no stranger to the rabbit hole of social media.

I find myself reaching for my phone throughout the day to observe the lives of “active users” for hours on end. Before I know it, five minutes turns into two hours and I’ve watched over 10 videos of Charli D’Amelio doing the same TikTok dance.

All of which has taught me nothing other than that I will never be famous because I can’t dance.

Yes, social media is a beautiful advancement which I am grateful for. It brings people together, especially in times like this, when we cannot physically be near each other. But no matter what type of user you are, overuse of social media is

never good.

Constantly looking at other people’s pictures makes it easy to compare our lives to others, leaving us feeling insecure and anxious. And regularly posting gives people the feeling that they have to filter their lives in order to maintain their persona. Either way, we all face judgement for how we portray ourselves.

Today, our feeds can only be filled with memories or trending DIY projects and activities.

It is not until you see a picture from a festival you went to last year or a date night that you realize how much you miss the way life used to be. Confined in our houses and with our phones,

we begin to fear we are missing out on some of the most important years of our lives.

There are some people, though, who are taking this time as a challenge where they make delicious food and write their first novel — kudos to them. For those of us who are taking this time to binge watch Netflix and play Animal Crossing, seeing others be more productive may make us feel lazy and unaccomplished.

Ultimately, we are all just trying to cope with the scary world in which we are living. No one way is better than the other.

It would benefit us to admit that right now is not the time where we have to maximize productivity and happiness. It is okay and should be encouraged to be honest with yourself about your state of mind. Post about your life even when it’s messy. Reach out to people when you need to be uplifted. Show your “followers” that you’re human too and that we are all experiencing the stress and pressures of our new reality. Expressing yourself in this way may also encourage others to do the same.

I am by no means boycotting social media, but there is a tangible harm in constantly comparing ourselves to others and only sharing the highlights of our lives. Social media makes it easy to filter out the bad and ignore the good around us. Not everyone who reads this article will reduce their screen time, but if there’s one thing you do take away, I hope that it is to be mindful.

Be mindful of how you use social media and how much you use it. Challenge yourself to put down your phone and pick up a book instead. When you do use social media, use it as a window to admire people for who they are, rather than as a mirror through which we judge ourselves and others too harshly.

HUMOR

LOCAL MAN HAS TROUBLE BEING OUTSIDE AGAIN News from the future TE SSA KO G A / AG GI E

BY MAT T H E W S IMO NS mrsimons@ucdavis.edu “Apple, ” says Alan Chen, gesturing with his finger.

“Apple,” agrees Terry Fulton, who points to the card between them. “Good.”

I am sitting down at a table, observing this session and taking notes. Terry Fulton, 28, was a UC Davis student during the Great Coronavirus Outbreak of the early 2020s. This was when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued his famous shelter-inplace order. Terry has been in his apartment for about six years now.

Alan Chen, 25, is a volunteer with UC Davis Medical Center’s Social Re-Entry Initiative. Alan works with Terry on weekdays, until he can recognize the outside world again. Today, their topic is fruits.

“It’s hard work,” Chen said. “But it’s good work.” Behind him, Terry begins eating the “apple” card.

The room we are in is filled with former students and members of the UC Davis community. Each is trying to relearn basic outside-the-home objects after their quarantine.

Dummy trees have been installed inside the room to re-acclimate patients to nature. They also come equipped with Kevlar armor in case patients mistake the trees for apex predators and attack them.

Alan shuffles a deck of cards with images of daily life on them: a dog playing in the grass; two children flying a kite; a graph that shows his tuition going up. All things that a college student would recognize. He shows them to Terry one by one.

Terry’s life and the lives of millions of Americans changed with the COVID-19

outbreak. Prior to his rescue by law enforcement earlier this month, Terry was in dire straits. He finally upgraded his Hulu account from the student plan, “just to check it out.” Sources close to the story believe that he may even have started delving into that Netflix backlog he’s been talking about.

“I was about to start ‘Friends,’” he admitted in a separate interview. “That’s like, nine seasons, man.” He buried his head in his hands and sobbed. “I was out of control.”

Last Wednesday, local law enforcement responded to reports of “loud complaints about season three of “Cake Boss” at Terry’s F St. Apartment. At approximately 3:32 p.m., a rescue team broke down Terry Fulton’s door and carried him out of his apartment.

Eyewitnesses report him clutching a bag of Fritos and screaming about the show “Lost,” saying “The ending was never really resolved and could have been expanded on much more!” before he was placed into an ambulance and made to look at pictures of nature and potted plants for three hours.

Terry is currently being housed at the UC Davis Medical Center. Aside from one aggravated assault on a potted plant in the recovery wing, he seems to be readjusting well.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it figured out,” Terry said, after their third session of the day. “This,” he points to the half-chewed card, “is an apple.”

“Yes,” Chen said. Terry takes another card from the deck.

“This,” he says, “is an orange.”

“Yes!” Chen said. He leans forward in his seat.

Terry wears a triumphant smile.

“And you,” he shouts, “are a pear!”

Chen’s mouth is hanging open. He sighs and reshuffles the cards. “Let’s try this again.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

BILL WITHERS: REMEMBERING A LAID-BACK LEGEND IN SOUL Withers passes away at age of 81

Bill Withers in 1976. (Photo Courtesy of Public Domain)

BY A N D REW W I LL IAMS arts@theaggie.org It’s not every day that a middle-aged aircraft toilet mechanic decides they are going to try their hand at becoming a musician, and even less often that it actually works. But for a 32-year-old Navy veteran from the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, that’s exactly what happened — and the world is better off for it. Bill Withers, whose songs “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Use Me” and “Lovely Day,” among others, continue to delight anyone with a soul. I was saddened to learn that this timeless, straight-talking legend passed away on March 30 at the age of 81.

Withers, the youngest of six children, came from modest means in coal country where he was an outsider — not by choice, but by default. Born with a stutter, he was both the butt of jokes from his peers and the ire of impatient folk, berating him with remarks like, “Just spit it out already” (as if he had any choice in the matter). Withers found solace in his family and “learned to love through [a] fine old lady,” — his grandmother who helped raise him when, at the age of 13, his father passed away from a heart attack. In the documentary “Still Bill,” Withers fondly recalls that his grandmother’s church was filled with his favorite kind of singing: spontaneous singing.

Whether intentional or not, this effortless quality seeped into Withers’ musical repertoire.

During his nine-years in the Navy, while stationed in Guam, Withers began playing music as a way to pass the time. Returning from Guam, he worked at Weber Aircraft installing toilets. In a moment of clarity, Withers decided to record a tape and try his hand in the music biz. He played his tape to pianist and “guardian angel” Ray Jackson of the 103rd Street Watts Band, where it then made its way through the grapevine and finally landed on a desk at the Los Angeles-based label Sussex Records. They immediately signed him to a record deal.

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The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels, music

From there, he began performing and touring with a couple of Jackson’s bandmates, including Ray Jackson, James Gatson, Melvin Dunlap and Benorce Blackman — a group of audaciously talented musicians worthy of their own signatures in the history books of soul, funk and rhythm ‘n’ blues. Despite his newfound success, Withers, being the sensible man he was, refused to leave his day job. After a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Withers’ popularity swelled and his songs filled the radio waves alongside the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, Al Green and Led Zeppelin.

Although Withers gradually evolved into a household name, he never truly embraced superstar status. He was satisfied to play music and make a good living doing it, preferring to opt-out of the industry hullabaloo. His laidback persona shone through his performances. Withers was probably best known for his abilities with pen in hand, writing songs that sheared off any hint of malarkey and cut straight to the heart. Withers said during his acceptance speech for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that “every kind of music has its own constituency,” and yet his own reach knew no bounds. He managed to tap into a spectrum of emotions from sorrow to safety. Honesty inherent in his technique, he wrote about everyday life and love — not just for a lover, but also for a friend and beloved relative. His songs were by no means engineered for the masses, but seemed to connect with most all the same.

Despite his rise to stardom, he remained true to himself. When the business and the Artists and Repertoire (or in Withers’ words “antagonistic and redundant”) staff tried to bend him to fit a mainstream mold, he put his foot down and walked away on his own terms. From that point on, he slowed down the pace, shifting his energy and time to enjoy the company of friends and family.

This past summer, at a camp for children affected by different forms of grief, I was huddled with kids who were given the opportunity to share whatever was on their mind. By the end, just when all involved were either nearing or already in tears, Withers’ “Lean on Me” came through the stereo. Every kid and counselor from the ages of six to 23 stopped, sang and swayed together. Withers once remarked that all he wanted was to make simple but profound songs. Withers turned a few solemn chords on the piano, three verses and a chorus into an instant classic. “Lean on Me,” released over 48 years ago, is still admired as a paragon of amity and hope for a better tomorrow.

There is a dark irony in the time of Withers’ passing — a time in which we crave the solidarity and love infused in his music now perhaps more than ever before. At the same time, it is also a moment in which his music’s grace and power rises to its highest ebb. We are all due to crank up some Withers and pay our respects to the tenderness and integrity of both the sound and the man.

BY JOS H MADRID arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Cheer” on Netflix This show is ideal for pure shelter-in-place reality TV cravings. The show follows the lives of a niche community — a collegiate cheer squad — and how important the star team of that community is to its members. Each year, there is a national college cheer competition in Daytona Beach, Florida where teams from around the country compete to show off their athleticism and the best pyramid they can put forward. It’s the collection of an entire year’s work played out in a few minutes. There are genuine moments of compassion, and the audience sees how tight-knit the cheer community is.

Movie: “The Platform” directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia Walking the line between thriller and drama, this film is a metaphor for classism in society. The Spanish film stars Iván Massagué who plays Goreng, a man who wakes in a concrete cell to serve his voluntary time in prison to receive a diploma. The prisoners spend a few months at their randomly assigned level from 1 to 333. The lower the number, the better. Fine food is placed on a platform at level 1 and slowly makes its way down to each level. Those at the top are the haves and those on the bottom are the have nots. Goreng realizes that the only way to break the cycle is to send a “message” to the top from the bottom.

Book: “The Second Machine Age” by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee I read this book almost two years ago in a class focused on contemporary trends in technology and how it relates to society, particularly the future of work. This is in an interesting read in the context of this pandemic that’s changing how we see work. The authors discuss how 19th Century economic theory wasn’t prepared for the digital realm, nor the rules it would transcend in the tangible world. The book builds on that fact and how it has created a society of “superstars” that create something, make a lot of money and then completely put an entire sector of the economy out of work. They draw comparisons to the industrial revolution as well as give recommendations about where we go from here.

Album: “Love + Fear” by Marina This album is wholehearted craftsmanship that imagines beautiful images of human existence, struggle and beauty. The title of the album is inspired by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist, who theorized that all good emotions come from love and all bad emotions from fear. In this time of uncertainty, I recommend “To Be Human.” It’s a song that reminds us all of our humanity — despite the obvious truth to those words, this can be easy to forget. Marina sings, “And if there is a god, they’ll know why it’s so hard.” My personal favorites are “Handmade Heaven” and “Orange Trees” because the visual and olfactory sensations create a floating bliss.

The poetry in “Handmade Heaven” is great with lyrics such as “I envy the birds high up in the trees. They live out their lives so purposefully.” It’s quite different from her previous work on “Froot” and “Primadonna,” but it’s a great evolution.

THE NEW OUTFIT: LIVING QUARTERS AS SELF EXPRESSION How where you live can be where you thrive TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E

BY ILYA SHRAYB E R arts@theaggie.org On a normal day, I would awaken and immediately begin thinking about what I wanted to wear for the next eight hours or so. Who did I want to be today? It should be nice out; I could finally break out those new loafers I’ve been wanting to try. Maybe I could pair that with my old Mercedes jumpsuit, I would ponder. Although, on the other hand, there is that blazer I’ve been wanting to throw on for a while…

The love I have for clothes is a mixture of self expression and appreciation — the former scratching my creative side, while the latter soothes the obsession I have for good aesthetics. I assume that many others feel the same way.

Overall, I absolutely love getting dressed.

Which is why, in the time of COVID-19, I have become saddened. Am I really going to look like an absolute snack, just to get a can of Pringles from the Walgreens a block away? (The answer, as most people who follow me on Instagram know, is yes.) I missed the satisfaction of putting something together that brought me joy, through

nothing else but its visual construction.

In the midst of my woes, I stumbled on the latest Instagram story by Bobby McCole, the owner of my favorite establishment for San Francisco crate digging, Pyramid Records. Whenever I’m home, I try to stop by to check on prices of hard-to-find Stereolab first pressings. I quickly realize I am a baby and have absolutely no money for any of these. Inside the shop, records in blondewood boxes are juxtaposed with ferns and other plants. It is a deeply relaxing, meditative space. McCole himself once came up to me in the shop and remarked, “Those are some funny shoes.”

Indeed they were. I bought $20 white canvas sneakers and sharpied Saint Laurent on the side.

I thought it was avant-garde, like Marcel Duchamp. I think Bobby thought it was avant-garde too, but more like the sushi-burrito place that opened a couple blocks away.

In the Instagram story, McCole proclaimed, like Moses on Mount Sinai, that “ROOMS ARE THE NEW OUTFITS. DON’T HAVE AN UGLY ROOM PEOPLE!” I stopped in my tracks, which is quite easy to do when you are fully immobile at home, adhering to CDC

guidelines and also practicing adequate social distancing. The man was absolutely right! McCole was no influencer, at least not in the traditional, bothersome way, but the interior of his shop was impeccable. He did, in a sense, influence me to begin thinking of my room as an extension of myself, much like an outfit.

I started to look around my room, which I had been living in since childhood. Oh God. Oh my god. What is going on. Is this really who I am?

I didn’t need to live in a Pinterest mood board or a Reddit approved man-cave, but there were some changes I could definitely make. I put up some more posters. I got a couple of plants I began to take care of. I organized all my books and displayed all the old cameras I have been collecting over the years. Heck, I even ordered some room spray, which made my place smell more like Douglas Firs and less like Jewish adolescence.

Immediately, I felt better.

The act of re-designing a room is much like curating an outfit for the day — endless combinations with the best results coming only after some trial and error. To stare at a room you want to perform aesthetic surgery on may be a little

intimidating, but once you get into a groove, it suddenly becomes clear. It is equivalent to when one you cut something, and the scissors steadily begin to glide. A bit of a therapeutic element is at play here, one that forces you to take stock of what’s important in your own space and what is not.

There is also, of course, a performative aspect to the room becoming the new outfit as well. You could opt-in for some clever virtual background on Zoom, but the true flex is having a space that you are proud of as your background, one that doesn’t just look good, but makes you feel good as well. Investing in a space, one that you’ll be operating out of for the majority of the time, is not only smart — it’s practical.

The students of UC Davis are a resilient bunch; I’ve seen this firsthand, from the way we have adapted in our situation to the commitment we have to not letting it defeat us. Perhaps the room, in this snapshot in time, is the oasis in the desert, a small lantern in a tunnel we can’t spot the end of (yet). To give it the same function as the outfit — a self expression, a therapeutic space, an investment — we are only adding to that resilience.

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8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

AGGIE ANIMALS: GOAT AND HORSE BARNS CONTINUE THROUGH THE SPRING

Spring Quarter is a time of new life for animal barns on campus, and students, staff at the goat, horse barns continue animal care

Livestock cared for on campus. (Photo by Trevor Goodman / Aggie)

BY S OP HI E D EW E E S features@theaggie.org Waking up multiple times a night is not out of the ordinary for fourth-year Teresa Greenhut and third-year Craig Miramontes. With goats about to give birth and kids to feed, it is common for these two animal science majors and residents at the campus goat barn to keep irregular hours in the spring.

“We were just in the vet hospital at two in the morning the other night with a doe that was having kidding difficulties,” Greenhut said.

These middle-of-the-night wake up calls are a fairly ubiquitous experience for the staff at

many of the animal barns on campus, as spring is the season when baby animals are born.This requires intensive attention from barn staff. Although classes officially moved online and many UC Davis students vacated campus, the students and staff at animal facilities continue to provide necessary care for each animal.

Kidding around Spring Quarter is an especially busy time at the goat barn, as it falls during kidding season. In an average Spring Quarter, over 60 kids will be born, requiring attention and bottle feeding, according to Ben Rupchis, the manager of the goat barn facility. With fewer student interns, staff members have had to take on more hours outside

RECIPES IN QUARANTINE: ROPA VIEJA, A QUINTESSENTIAL CUBAN DISH Tips for making ropa vieja, maduros, Cuban-style black beans

of their regular schedule.

“Labor-wise, it’s a really intensive time of year,” Rupchis said. “We feed at 6 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and we would have two or three interns for each of those shifts. We’ve cut back all shifts to have a single intern or myself or one of the student staff.”

Due to the restricted staff, the reliable work of the barn residents — Greenhut and Miramontes — is crucial, Rupchis said.

“The barn residents who live out here, undergraduate students, they’re really key in making things function ideally,” Rupchis said. “If there are kids born in the middle of the night, they still process those kids even if it’s one or two in

the morning.”

Helping in the horse barn Similarly, the on-campus horse barn is particularly busy in the spring. In addition to new births, the barn would normally participate in events such as Picnic Day and Decision Day. As a result of COVID-19, however, many events were canceled, and the barn has restricted the number of student interns, according to horse barn facility manager Kelli Davis.

“We don’t have all of those big events, and I don’t have all of my students here,” Davis said.

“We’re down to the very core group of interns.

We had to, unfortunately, not take a lot of interns.”

Despite widespread cancellations and conversion to online platforms, the barn will continue its daily operations in the spring, which, according to Davis, is one of the best times of the year.

“Spring is definitely my most favorite time because we’re having babies and halter-breaking them and training them,” Davis said.

Life as a barn resident As residents of the goat barn, Greenhut and Miramontes live one door away from the animals, so they can easily make routine check-ups near the end of their gestation period. Although this quintessentially Davis job requires odd hours, it also offers the opportunity to live in a barn and gain hands-on experience in animal science. Greenhut has lived and worked at other animal facilities, but she said working at the goat barn provides a greater level of animal interaction.

“I think that there’s a lot more getting to know the animals because there’s less of them,” Greenhut said. “If you compare it to the sheep barn it’s just a lot of heads and a lot of numbers.

With the dairy goats, each goat has a name that we use, and there’s less of them. It’s a lot of taking care of the animals as individuals.”

For Miramontes, the goats show more personality than other animals with which he has worked.

“The goats, in general, are a lot more personable, unlike a lot of the other livestock species,” he said. “There’s kind of a more name to a face versus the overall health of the herd.”

AGGIE PROFILE: SAMANTHA SHEPHERD, A STUDENT LIVING ON-CAMPUS DURING A PANDEMIC “Quiet” and “empty” — a look into a student’s daily routine in the freshman dorms during a unique quarter KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AGG IE

BY NO RA FARAH DE L features@theaggie.org

Features writer Athena Aghighi tries out a new recipe. (Photo by Athena Aghighi / Aggie)

BY AT HEN A AG H IGH I features@theaggie.org Ropa vieja, Spanish for ‘old clothes,’ is named for its famed shreddy texture and possesses a balanced taste between the fatty nature of the braised, shredded beef and the acidity of the tomatoes and onions it’s simmered in. Randall Dobkin, a second-year political science and economics major, found this recipe on the Bon Appetit website and recommended it as a potential meal for quarantine cooking.

When making this dish, I also made the sides that the recipe recommended: maduros and Cuban-style black beans. Maduros, fried sweet plantains, proved to be the most complicated part of the meal, as ensuring they were at the correct ripeness and then frying them proved challenging for a novice cook such as myself. In addition, the plantains were sometimes too starchy in order to obtain the almost custardy texture inside, and the thickness of the plantains was hard to gauge, making it increasingly difficult to come out with a consistent result.

On the other hand, the Cuban-style black beans were a more basic addition to the meal.

The slightly salty and tender black beans made the dish feel more authentic. This recipe would work well in omelets, tacos or even as a simple addition to salsa. By putting them on the stove to boil for three hours with onion and bell peppers, the beans become an intrinsic, hearty part of the

meal. The beans balanced the meal of ropa vieja and can be substituted with other sides if time is a factor when making this dish.

The ropa vieja itself was relatively easy to make — I threw a variety of vegetables along with flank steak into the oven for three hours.

The same recipe could be made even easier by using a slow cooker. Using a chuck roast, however, could be a better, and cheaper, substitution to the recipe. When cooking the flank steak, it was more difficult to create the soft and juicy texture that a chuck roast would have been able to perfect.

I finely chopped the onions and bell peppers that were put in, but I think the textural integrity of the dish was compromised by doing that. If I were to remake the dish, I would have thicker cuts of the vegetables, as the thin cut that I used made the onions and bell peppers less prominent in the final product.

The acidity of the tomatoes paired perfectly with the softness of the meat, and the final product was ideal for a lazy Saturday afternoon. In addition, any leftover meat can be eaten with a soft roll the following day for an American fusion lunch — a Cuban-style sloppy Joe of sorts.

I thought the recipe was incredibly easy, but the addition of the sides was stressful at times.

Focusing on the ropa vieja itself or choosing to make just one of the sides with rice would have made it more enjoyable, instead of trying to make everything at once.

A majority of the class of 2023 said goodbye to their freshman dorm experience early this year in response to COVID-19 and the switch to remote instruction. Although many have moved out of Davis and back to their hometowns, there are still a number of freshmen who decided to continue living in the dorms.

Samantha Shepherd, a first-year math and scientific computation major, is living in the Tercero residence area. While many have been busy creating new quarantine routines in their hometowns, students like Shepherd have had to create a routine of their own in the dorms.

To start the day, Shepherd tries to attend lectures at the regularly scheduled times, whether they are pre-recorded or live on Zoom, in order to maintain some kind of academic structure.

Shepherd made the decision to return to Davis in order to learn and study in the environment that she was used to, fearing the impact of distractions from living at home.

Although she isn’t the biggest fan of online classes, she concedes that returning to Davis put her in the best position to succeed.

“I’ve known this about myself for a while, but I can’t focus very well in online classes,” Shepherd said. “I knew that this quarter was going to be rough going in, and I knew that if I stayed at home, it would be even rougher. So that’s why I came back, to try to make the best out of it.”

Shepherd either eats in her room or goes to the dining hall when it’s time for a meal. The dining halls on campus have changed their policies this quarter to keep students safe. All food

is take-out with disposable condiments and utensils, and each student gets a limited amount of servings rather than the usual unlimited amount.

Shepherd described her experience adjusting to these changes. “[It’s] really, really weird going in there,” Shepherd said. “It feels very methodical, instead of more casual, which is how it was back then.

You could just grab your food and sit down.”

For the rest of the day, Shepherd does school work either in her room or in her floor’s lounge and gets food again at the dining commons. Later in the day, Shepherd incorporates a workout in her room, using a yoga mat and online videos to make do without the availability of the ARC. With such a small number of people in the dorms, Shepherd described her experience as “quiet” and “empty.” Shepherd listed one of the most notable differences this quarter as the change in her dorm life environment.

“Definitely, not hearing dorm shenanigans — those have gone down so much,” Shepherd said. “There’s no random running through the hallways, singing, you know, those sort of things are just non-existent.”

Shepherd believes she made the right decision to return to Davis, even as she continues to adjust to the circumstances and general uncertainty of the time.

“I’m still getting everything done that I need to do for my classes, going to my classes and I know that if I needed to cancel my housing contracts, it would prorate it,” Shepherd said. “I feel like there’s more freedom this quarter, which is a good thing and a bad thing. And it’s just really interesting to be living through a historical event, a major historical event like this.”

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Sudoku

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row, column and 3x3 square must contain one of each digit. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 | 9

Answer to previous puzzle

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10 | THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020

COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES LAUNCHES NEW COVID-19 VIRTUAL, CAPSTONE LAB COURSE Course features remote lectures, labs, weekly town hall meetings

MA R IO R ODR IGUEZ / AGG IE

BY DI N A G A L L ACH E R science@theaggie.org Amid mass transition to remote learning, professors and faculty members within the College of Biological Sciences have collaboratively launched a virtual COVID-19 capstone lab course. The course is set to cover a variety of modules ranging from evolution and ecology to biochemistry.

The capstone course encompasses a variety of scientific disciplines that are relevant to COVID-19 research and thus welcomes students from a range of majors. The course primarily consists of graduating students who were previously enrolled in other capstone lab classes, such as within the departments of molecular and cell biology (MCB) and microbiology. “[The course] really started with concern by

several of the instructors of the capstone courses in MCB and in microbiology that our seniors were really going to lose out because they couldn’t take their capstone lab courses, and this was a real problem,” said Mitchell Singer, a professor from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.

In order to combat this issue, professors and faculty members within the College of Biological Sciences, including Dean Mark Winey, Associate Dean Michele Igo, Professor Ken Kaplan, Professor Mitchell Singer and others, joined together to create an alternative option for students.

“Dean Winey came up with a brilliant suggestion, [which was] when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” Singer said. “[In other words] that was to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and treat it like real scientists do. [This involves] bringing in people who do biochem-

istry, genetics, microbiology, immunology and epidemiology all together to attack the problem.”

Beyond teaching critical problem-solving and scientific skills, professors leading the capstone course hope to demonstrate the value of teamwork in the scientific field to their graduating students.

“I think this course is one of those examples of a silver lining from an obviously very stressful and difficult situation,” Kaplan said. “I hope it will show students the power of team science […] that progress is never made by a single lab but rather by a group of scientists.”

The layout of the course is set to follow a progression of modules covering a variety of topics, including pandemic coverage in the media, the evolution and phylogeny of viruses, host-pathogen interaction, COVID-19 tests, viral detection and vaccine development.

Course components include remote lectures and labs, homework, pre-lab and post-lab assignments and weekly town hall meetings, which are live-streamed and feature speakers with expertise in a variety of fields pertaining to the subject matter.

For the first week of the quarter, guests included a public health professor and virologist, both from UC Davis. During Week Three, two medical school deans spoke on public health policy and “how the epidemic is exacerbating inequities in public health,” according to Kaplan.

“What’s nice about that town hall format is that students are getting this broad view from experts in the field, even as they are working in the virtual lab, to understand methodologies for studying viruses,” Kaplan said.

The town hall meeting component of the course features a different expert in the field each week. This expert is then available for students to learn from, as they can ask them questions during the live-streamed sessions.

“They have one professor that comes up and starts introducing themselves, what they do, why they matter in this circumstance and then we just get to ask them whatever questions we want about what’s going on in the world,” said Reese Carlson, a fourth-year genetics and genomics and food science double major. “And they’re honest with us, which is wild, but awesome.”

For students not previously enrolled in virtual lab courses, there is an opportunity to take part in the COVID-19 remote course by enrolling in BIS 198, a one unit Pass/No Pass seminar-style course that allows students access to the weekly town hall live streams.

“I know staff and faculty have also been listening to [the weekly town hall] recordings,” Singer said. “I’ve actually emailed the links to groups that I interact with — friends of mine and my family so that they have a better understanding of what’s going on.”

Though the course highlights important aspects of the scientific process as well as problem-solving strategies in light of the pandemic, both Kaplan and Singer agree that the course also emphasizes the importance of collaboration within the scientific community.

“The course would not be where it is today if everybody in the college was not really on board with it […] that’s been really the best part of it,” Singer said.

HOW UC DAVIS ENGINEERS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO COVID-19 RESEARCH

SCOTT CARRELL DISCUSSES READJUSTING HIS TEACHING STYLE

Researchers outside of health field also contribute to minimizing problems posed by coronavirus

Professor of economics provides perspective on teaching online, maintaining a sense of humor

KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

Scott E. Carrell, professor of economics, the co-faculty director of the California Education Laboratory and the Faculty Athletics Representative at UC Davis. (Courtesy Photo)

BY LYRA FARRE L features@theaggie.org

BY MI C HE L L E WO NG science@theaggie.org In addition to efforts by the UC Davis Medical Center and other university health facilities, UC Davis engineers have been working to address problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts include manufacturing alternative personal protective equipment (PPE) to use in instances where traditional PPE is not accessible, according to Steven Lucero, a development engineer and manager of TEAM and 3DPrintViz labs.

In his laboratory, Lucero is currently attempting to adapt off-the-shelf, commercially available gear in order to manufacture emergency PPE. Although he did try to create fully 3D-printed alternatives, he found that these models would not be safe in the long-term and could not be used properly. The main purpose of his research is to have usable PPE if facilities run out of traditional ones — but he hopes his gear will not have to be used, as manufacturing facilities increase their supply of PPE. “I would say that 3D printing, while not specifically well suited for this climate, does have a purpose in this current situation,” Lucero said via email. “While it’s unlikely I could furnish the necessary supplies to satisfy our entire local healthcare system (my facilities and my equipment are not set up for this kind of scale), there are creative ways in which I can at least prepare emergency backup supplies, or fill partial shortages (specifically, in the case of clear face-shields).”

Many other engineering researchers, as well as researchers in other fields, are collaborating with each other as well as with medical facilities to contribute to growing COVID-19 research.

To facilitate such collaboration, the Office of Research has launched the COVID-19 Research Working Group, led by Prasant Mohapatra, the vice chancellor for research and a distinguished professor of computer science. Although this group started organically as a Slack channel, the need for more structured collaboration grew as more people joined the group.

“There was a lot of energy and excitement shared in the COVID-19 research group in order to collaborate and look for opportunities and how to find solutions related to testing, treatment, vaccines and diagnostics,” Mohapatra said.

UC Davis faculty within the group have recently announced their opportunity to submit short proposals in order to receive seed funding to continue their studies. With this funding, in addition to providing specimens and facilities for research, Mohapatra hopes they will be able to produce tangible results in six months, if not sooner.

“As an engineer, I think my role at this point is to listen to clinical input (needs), and attempt to identify engineering solutions to those problems,” Lucero said. “Many different medical supplies are experiencing shortages, and much of my time has been focused on how I might develop and implement alternatives to those supply — but only where it’s safe to do so, and where no other alternative exists.”

Professor of economics Scott Carrell has a keen sense of humor and a spirited demeanor while teaching, according to his students. Carrell said that although transitioning to online learning has negative aspects, such as not being able to see his students’ faces, it’s mostly akin to the real thing.

“It’s really interesting,” Carrell said. “It feels to me like 80% of a live lecture because I am getting that feedback in real time. A disadvantage is that I don’t see the students’ faces, so I feel like I’m not getting to know any of the students. With 400 students in a lecture hall, you don’t tend to get to know the students, but you do recognize the faces.”

When Carrell first began as a professor in the Air Force Academy, he taught classes of only 15 to 20 students and would learn every student’s name. When he moved on to teaching at Dartmouth College, there were 40 to 50 students in his class, and he would still learn every name eventually. Now, teaching lectures of 400 or more students at UC Davis, he says he only gets to know the students who attend office hours but said there’s an added difficulty to establishing relationships now that they’re held on Zoom.

“I get to know students who come to office hours, when I had regular office hours when they’d come to my office, I’d get to know them pretty well — but that’s obviously a little tougher on Zoom [...], and they don’t show their face on office hours most of the time either,” Carrell said.

“There is this culture among students not to show their video feed. Even in my graduate course — I have 15, 16 students in my graduate course —

and only one or two have their video feed going.”

Although face-to-face interactions between students and professors may be lacking, Carrell said he continues to add the same humor and anecdotes to his lectures as before, whether or not there’s an audible response on his end.

“I still try to have a little bit of sense of humor,” Carrell said. “The problem is, you don’t know if people, you know, are laughing or not.

But I have a few stories that I’ve told for the last fifteen years, and so some of the ones that the students seem to like, I still try to tell the same jokes or stories and have a sense of humor online.

I don’t know how those are going via Zoom, but there’s four hundred students out there you could ask.”

The feedback he has received on his online lectures so far has been indirect, in the form of a social media post his son passed on to him.

“I have an iPad that I’m using and I didn’t have an Apple pencil, I had this cheap pen that I got off of Amazon,” Carrell said. “But I was drawing my graphs the other day and my son, who’s a junior at Davis High, [...] shows me a picture of his, I think it was Snapchat, and says, ‘Dad, your graphs are horrible.’ So someone in my class had put on Snapchat, ‘Someone tell Professor Carrell to get an Apple pencil’ [...], so I rush-ordered an Apple pencil, which I will use in my next lecture.”

During one of his online tests, in which students are proctored by having their webcams turned on, Carrell witnessed something that he deemed to be meme material.

“One person left their camera on and left, and their roommate was out in the hallway dancing,” Carrell said. “I thought that if someone was watching that, it would definitely be a meme.”

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“I want people to know that covid is in davis and on campus and can make even young people very very sick,” the student said via text. “I want people to be informed and take precautions, especially west village since I am quarantined here.”

After experiencing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and current testing procedures, the student urged young people to take the virus seriously, whether or not they display symptoms.

“I mainly just wanted to say that I feel like everyone should assume they have the virus and are asymptomatic,” the student said via text. “It might put things into perspective.”

Disclaimer: The identities of both the UC Davis student and the source with knowledge of the student’s situation have been kept anonymous to protect their identities.

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Though people initially supported the University’s “ramp down” due to the importance of physical distancing and isolation, said Prasant Mohapatra, the Vice Chancellor of Research, there is now a sense of “I want to get back to my research now.”

First-year chemistry graduate student Anthony LaBarbera wasn’t able to even start his research before the “ramp down” phase began.

“Now, I’m [just] looking up every angle the reaction I was going to observe — to have every backup plan imaginable,” he said.

Though he said his PI hasn’t expected many results from his research until after his first summer in the program, LaBarbera may have to extend his time

in graduate school depending on what happens this summer. “[During the first summer] [...] we don’t have TA responsibilities and classes. so we can really just focus on our research,” LaBarbera said. “I’m not too worried about [my timeline being pushed] until it starts to hit summer and then we still can’t go [into the lab]. At that point, I’d [...] be about a year off [in my timeline].”

Following county and state-wide governmental guidance on how and when to resume normal research operation, Mohapatra expects a gradual return to research and “new normals.”

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“By comparison, people feel like their social relationships are lacking. It leads people to think they’re lacking those activities or friends. Social media creates pluralistic ignorance around social relationships and leads people to feel lonely even if the quality of their relationships are fine.”

Despite these difficulties, the political science and human development major said, the epidemic has given them a new perspective.

“We’re coherent enough [to see] where things affect our adult lives and our adult futures,” they said, adding that before, during instances like the 2008 recession, the effects were not experienced directly.

“You were there and you experienced the effects, but you didn’t have to deal with it, [your parents did].

But now people are figuring out what it means to be lonely, not to have enough money and not to have enough people in your life to help you turn things around.”

Now, ordinary activities, like going to a coffee shop, seem like a luxury, they noted. The pandemic has also given them insight into the quality of their relationships, including those in their family.

“Even though people kind of hate spending so much time with their families, they’ll have a different perspective on what family means,” they said. “I come from an immigrant family and there are a lot of memes about that — like, your mom being disrespectful when you’re on Zoom — but I’d love to be with my family right now. It’ll give you a fresh perspective on what and who is important in your life.”

The anonymous communications major has also

had a similar realization.

“I definitely think the pandemic has shown me who my real friends are and who are the ones who are going to try to reach out to me,” she said. “It’s going to make me appreciate so much more going out with friends. A year from now, it might make us think twice about cancelling plans just because we’re so lazy.”

Students who returned home for Spring Quarter are similarly unable to utilize services they may have previously depended on and have contributed campus fees toward.

Deborah Agee, the executive director of UC Davis Financial Aid, said the office is continuing to find different ways to assist students.

“Every year there are some students whose family financial circumstances are significantly different than from a couple years ago,” Agee said. “UC Davis Financial Aid and scholarships can evaluate a student’s 2020-21 FAFSA or Dream Act application data in such cases to reflect significant changes to family financial conditions due to unusual circumstances such as job loss, loss of a family member or medical expenses.”

The same procedures are now being used to assist students impacted by COVID-19.

While Spring Quarter financial aid has been distributed already, Agee said students enrolled in Summer Sessions or Fall Quarter can go online and apply for additional aid, adding that students in crisis can contact the UC Davis Emergency Crisis Response Team for immediate help.

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For Nosek, who was set to teach an aerobic swimming course as well as an ultimate frisbee course this quarter, this has meant making some adjustments for individual student resources. His ultimate frisbee class became a general fitness class, and his swimming class has focused on giving students dryland workouts thus far. He is also planning to introduce workouts that can be done in a pool if a student has access to one, though he will continue providing general workouts for students without access.

YouTube and other online resources have made this process much easier. Through YouTube videos, Nosek can easily demonstrate these workouts for the students and ask students to keep track of their progress through online journals on Canvas. Although learning to use Canvas more efficiently and effectively has, by his own admission, taken some time, Nosek said it has not been a huge challenge.

Like Johnson, Nosek found that Canvas in particular has allowed him to check in with students and remain connected through the distanced learning structure. On the first day of the quarter, he had a wellness check where he listed the benefits that can come from physical fitness and asked students what they were most concerned about.

“Almost [for everyone] anxiety was the number one choice of all these students,” Nosek said. “They’re feeling stressed about their own remote learning and online courses. And hopefully, as a whole faculty, not only in physical education [but] across the globe, we’re able to provide enough of the resources to take away the anxiety. We hope our physical education classes do that in two ways, both through activity and health and fitness, but also by providing them an easy platform for them to manage [their anxiety].”

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Any city that takes on the burden of these events is risking a lot. In December of 2019, the Tokyo Olympic organizers announced they would be spending the equivalent of $12.6 billion on the event. Questions were raised over that figure’s accuracy, and soon after Japan’s National Audit board prepared a 177-page report that showed that the claim was in fact false. The actual cost of the games was more than double that amount, costing an estimated $28 billion.

This was all before the current coronavirus situation, which now poses the question of how much more money this will cost the City of Tokyo. The organizers now have to revamp their plans for next year’s games, which includes logistical and promotional factors that will require more spending.

On top of that, they must now maintain stadiums and facilities for another year, renegotiate business

deals and much more. Various reports have estimated the added costs to be anywhere from $2 billion to $6 billion, but the exact amount won’t be known until there is more clarity moving forward. Regardless, the amount is expected to be quite large, and the hosts have begun looking for ways to cut costs in order to limit losses as much as possible.

We are living in an unprecedented moment in history. For many, including the IOC, the hope is that next summer’s games will take place when this pandemic is in the rear view mirror. There is a lot at stake for the athletes and the organizers. The decision to postpone has caused ripple effects that impact participants and hosts alike. Many are confident that the games will take place during the rescheduled dates, but with so much of the future uncertain, it is hard to say what will happen.

Originally believing they were saying goodbye to their sport, college seniors now have the opportunity to decide if they want to return to compete for another year.

But this does not mean that every athlete who wants to return can do so easily.

This decision is especially difficult for those who have already made other post-graduation plans, such as job opportunities or graduate programs, which they have already applied for. There are also financial considerations that some athletes have to account for before in making such a big decision.

Although some of the women on the team are trying to adjust accordingly, in order to compete at UC Davis for another year, Byrne has already made the decision that she will not be returning.

Being an undergraduate student for the last five years, and having made adjustments to her major courses over those years in order to maintain the ability to play in her fifth year of college, Byrne has decided it is time to focus on what comes next for her.

“I’ve been making sacrifices for the sport for 11 years now but there comes a point where you have to stop sacrificing your life plan for a sport,” said Byrne. “I just didn’t want to continue sacrificing my academics for my sport — as much as I love it.”

Student-athletes do have the option to take their eligibility with them somewhere else, however, so Byrne believes she may not be looking at the end of her water polo career just yet. For her, the ideal situation would be to move on to a graduate program that also allows her to play water polo, giving her the ability to recreate the senior season that she missed.

Although missing out on the end of your season is a very difficult thing to process, Byrne remains positive while looking back on the most memorable moments from her time as an athlete. She recounts this season’s match against Michigan as the team’s “peak of performance” in which everyone contributed to victory over a team that was ranked No. 7 in the nation.

As far as her favorite career memory, Byrne often looks back at when she scored the game-winning goal against Pacific in

sudden-death overtime during her redshirt-sophomore season. She describes the reaction of her teammates and fans as something akin to a fairy tale.

“I still think about that now and realize this is why I play,” Byrne said.

Byrne’s new day-to-day life without water polo consists of class three days a week, but she wakes up early each morning to maintain a regular schedule. Water polo players and swimmers in general are placed in an especially difficult situation, as workouts in the water are limited because athletic pools are shut down during this time.

“I love the pool, it’s an outlet for me and a source of comfort, so not being able to get in a pool during a time like this has been another mental block for myself that I’ve had to push through,” Byrne explained, adding that she has been swimming since she was three years old.

As far as staying in shape, Byrne is eating well and developing creative ways to work out at home in case she does end up going back to playing the sport she loves.

One of the ways the team is keeping in touch throughout this time is through Zoom meetings, which helps the athletes communicate and continue to support one another. The coaching staff has also been working to have different people speak to the team during these meetings. Byrne has been reaching out to alumni athletes for support as well, to learn how they managed to say goodbye to their sports.

“People don’t really understand what we’re going through,” Byrne said. “Unless you really listen and see our perspective, or if you are or were a student athlete and know what goes on behind the curtain before our games.”

Regardless of the unfortunate ending that the UC Davis women’s water polo team — among many other teams — endured this season, Byrne stays positive by reminding herself how much love she has had for this sport through her entire life. The amount of energy invested into each season is almost always going to be worth it, even if you do not get the most ideal outcome.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING MODEL

Fitness classes adapt to provide students with physical activity through distant learning

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BY PRIYA REDDY sports@theaggie.org With the shift to online learning for Spring Quarter and summer sessions, many classes have had to adapt to a virtual plan. And physical education classes are no exception.

For physical education lecturer Mark Johnson, the transition to online classes has had a steep learning curve. Johnson is teaching weight training, aerobic running and general fitness classes this quarter, and he has had to figure out how to transition these classes to an online environment.

The first week of the quarter served as his transition period, as Johnson worked to explain the new course structure and syllabus to his students. As the next week approached, he began to post assignments for students to complete. Each assignment was posted to Canvas and students

were expected to respond to the post once they had completed the assignment. Students were also asked to track their workouts in a fitness app of their choice.

“The second week I did too much, and I was doing too many assignments,” Johnson said. “I had an assignment for every aspect [of the class].

And I said, ‘Guys, I apologize. Your instructor is technically challenged. I'm a dork.’ And so I combined all of that into one assignment.”

To help make sure he’s listening to his students, Johnson has worked to solicit feedback on the assignments and instructional videos that he posts. He makes an effort to respond to every comment that students make after their workouts, whether it be a follow-up question about how the workout went or a smiling emoji. To him, these interactions are just as important and equal to the encouragement he would give his students if he was standing next to them at the

2020 OLYMPICS BECOMES LATEST DOMINO TO FALL AMID PANDEMIC Postponement of Summer Games leads to more questions, has far-reaching impact

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BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org With the uncertain future that lies ahead for the country and the world, major events have been canceled or postponed. Concerts, sporting events, festivals and more have all been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. With no clear end in sight for this global pandemic, those in charge of these events have been forced to make tough decisions.

Arguably the largest event forced to change course was the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan starting in July. As the pandemic spread and the pressure to act grew, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the body responsible for organizing the games, was somewhat cautious to make an im-

mediate decision regarding the worldwide event held every four years.

In late March, the Olympic Committees of both Canada and Australia announced they would not be sending their athletes to the games if they were to be held this year. They urged the IOC to postpone the event until 2021.

“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community," the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement. "This is not solely about athlete health — it is about public health."

The message was echoed by the Australian side, and shortly thereafter countries like Norway and Brazil expressed similar concerns. This put

end of a workout telling them to be safe and have a great day.

This communication is important to Johnson, whose background as a football coach means he feels it necessary to stay in tune with his students’ emotions in order to give them the best experience.

“I'm big on tuning into my people,” Johnson said. “So when I see my people, and I can see they're having a bad day [where] I need to pump them up or I need to back off. I just say positive things [so] that they can understand that, ‘This guy’s paying attention to me and cares about me.’”

For second-year theater and dance major Yvette Carillo, the transition to online learning was not easy either. Carillo signed up for an advanced kickboxing class for Spring Quarter after taking beginning and intermediate kickboxing with the same instructor in previous quarters.

When she heard that Spring Quarter classes were being moved online, she wasn’t sure what to anticipate from the class. But when her instructor posted an announcement saying the class would no longer be a kickboxing class and would instead become a physique training class, Carillo was understanding and excited that she would still be able to get a good workout.

Despite the adjustment to completing her workouts in her living room and watching the lecturer demonstrate techniques through YouTube videos, Carillo found that the workouts themselves were still as physically intense as they had been in previous quarters.

As the workouts ramped up and the instructor asked the class to purchase dumbbells, Carillo decided to drop the class. Though Carillo acknowledged that requiring the class to have dumbbells “makes sense because we can get a better workout with them,” she said it proved difficult to find the weights.

“I didn't really know anyone who had them, or there were stores running low, and if [the stores] had some they were really expensive,”

Carillo said. “So I was like, ‘Well, if I want to get a good workout in I can probably look at and save the homeworks that she gave us or go back to my knowledge of the previous courses from beginners or intermediate and do my own workouts because she's given us workouts in the past that are really great without those dumbbells.’”

Although she dropped the class, Carillo still uses the workouts from that class and the previous classes she has taken with that instructor regularly. She said she hopes she can retake the class at a later time.

Carillo said working out and remaining physical every day has served as a stress release from a hectic quarter.

"One of the reasons I was bummed that I decided to drop it was the fact that I personally am one to always find a time in my day to either work out or go for a walk or run or something,” Carillo said. “And I really think it's important to stay physical.”

For Kevin Nosek, a physical education lecturer and the UC Davis men’s basketball associate head coach, teaching students the benefits of physical activity is the mission of these fitness classes. This has remained his mission even throughout the changes that the online course structure has brought.

“Our mission is, has been and always will be to provide physical and mental well-being for our students,” Nosek said. “With that in mind, we've got to be cognizant of what each student has at their disposal. And we've got to be a little more resourceful, a little more ingenuitive in providing the students a platform that they can continue to have the physical and mental well-being that we provided so many thousands of students on an annual basis.”

the IOC in a position it had not been in since 1980, when over 60 countries chose not to participate in the games being held in Moscow, as part of a boycott of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

Finally, on March 24, the IOC, alongside Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, released a statement saying the games would be rescheduled.

“In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community,” the statement read.

The much-criticized IOC finally made a decision and, for the first time in over 70 years, the Olympic Games will not be held on its originally scheduled date. This is the first time the games will not be held as planned for a reason other than war. The games have only been canceled three times in history: in 1916 and then consecutively in 1940 and 1944.

The 1916 Summer Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin, but due to the outbreak of the first World War, it became the first Olympics ever to be canceled. In 1940, Japan was scheduled to become the first non-Western Country to host the games, but it had to forfeit that opportunity when it went to war with China, and the games were canceled altogether. The same decision was made for the 1944 games in London, as World War II was still ongoing.

It is rare for the Olympics to not be held at its normal time, as even dangerous political situations, boycotts or civil unrest — short of a world war — have not deterred its occurence.

This puts into perspective just how serious and widespread this pandemic has become in such a short amount of time.

The health of the athletes, the local population and everyone involved is the major concern that trumps all else, but that does not mean the decision to postpone was a straightforward one.

Although the IOC said athletes who had qualified for the 2020 games will be able to keep their spots for 2021, this extra year can serve as a bless-

ing and a curse.

“I was having the best swimming year of my life, and so this is a very, very hard time for me,” said Olympic swimmer Kathleen Baker to GQ. “My whole world has been flipped upside down — all of my purpose has been shifted and all the sacrifices I've made will be sacrifices for another year.”

Chuck Aoki, a wheelchair rugby Olympian, spoke about his teammates’ reaction to the postponement.

“I have teammates who are — they're okay,” Aoki said. “There's nothing quite as great as representing your country and getting to compete and travel the world. But it’s going to be hard for some guys.”

Rai Benjamin, a track and field Olympian, was preparing for his first Olympic Games.

“Preparing for these Olympic games I was locked in,” Benjamin said. “And now I've had to ask myself like, ‘All right, what's your motivation?’ Like, ‘Why am I doing this right now?’

And it's kind of heartbreaking to have no end goal in sight for right now. It’s like, ‘Do I just relax and start over again in July?’ Because it's just really unclear as to what's going to happen.”

The decision to postpone has come with mixed reactions, and many athletes are now faced with tough decisions. Some will now have to put their education on hold, some will struggle to make ends meet and some will have to decide if they will be able to handle another year of waiting. It is a difficult mental hurdle for many competitors, and the postponement could make it even more difficult on some of the older athletes.

Behind the scenes, the postponement means a great deal for the city of Tokyo. The Olympics have never been thought of as a profitable event for the host city or country — a 2012 study conducted by the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School shows just how much the cost of hosting the games has increased since 1960.

Taking into account both the Summer and Winter Games, the average cost overrun stands at around 179%.

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PROCESSING AN UNEXPECTED END TO THE UC DAVIS WOMEN’S WATER POLO SEASON

Senior standout Emily Byrne discusses cancellation, plans moving forward

Senior Emily Byrne (5) of the UC Davis women's water polo team in action. (Photo Courtesy of Jerry Kohler)

BY PRIYA REDDY sports@theaggie.org Following the decision to cancel all sporting events due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, student-athletes are having to adjust to remote instruction for the first time while still processing the suspension of their seasons.

Emily Byrne of the UC Davis women’s water polo team is a fifth-year transfer from Loyola Marymount University who began playing water polo when she was 12 years old. The utility from Orinda, California has dedicated a large amount of her life to the sport ever since.

Byrne has had an impressive career as an Ag-

gie. Last year, she earned a Big West Conference Honorable Mention and finished the season as the program’s No. 5 all-time in drawn exclusions, with 168 through her almost three years competing at UC Davis.

When the cancellation was announced, the women’s water polo team had a handful of games remaining in its 2020 season, including the Big West conference tournament set to begin on April 23. The entire team — along with several other programs at UC Davis and many more across the nation — now has to cope with the loss of its season and the inability to practice, including senior athletes who face the especially disheartening reality of this being the end to their final season as college athletes.

“I think some of us were really devastated,” Byrne said. “[For] myself personally and for most of the seniors, it was just heartbreaking to have something you worked so hard for taken away in a matter of seconds.”

Byrne recalls finding out about the end of her season by waking up to messages from friends and relatives. Within the next two hours, Head Coach Jamey Wright had gathered the team for a final meeting to allow them the chance to cope with the news together.

According to Byrne, Wright’s primary concern was the emotional well-being of the team.

He wanted to hear from players while they processed the news, though he was just as devastated as the rest of the team, she said.

“We are all a family, and to be told you can't spend time with your family anymore is just a horrible feeling,” Byrne said regarding the final team meeting, which took place before the guidelines about gathering in large groups had been issued.

There is a great deal of sacrifice, both physically and mentally, invested in being a college athlete, and there is no way to make those sacrifices without being “absolutely in love with your sport,” Byrne said. This is why watching her season come to an end in such a way was especially difficult for her.

Although athletes and coaches have the ability to prepare themselves for tough games and difficult losses, there is no way any athlete could have prepared for something so life-altering as this current pandemic.

Byrne provided a metaphor for the loss of her team’s season, saying it felt almost like “having a limb severed off of you immediately with no warning,” because the amount of dedication that goes into a college sport makes it a part of who you are.

The Aggies had just played their first Big West

matchup against UC Irvine the week prior to the cancellation and had six more matches scheduled in the weeks leading up to the conference tournament.

Regardless of the fact that the Aggies were defeated by Irvine 14-8, according to Byrne, UC Davis captured a good amount of “small accomplishments” that the team had been working toward in practice. It was hoping to build upon those successes through the rest of the season.

The team also had a match scheduled for April 4 that would have been played in Hawaii. With the Big West tournament also scheduled to take place in Hawaii, the cancellation essentially took away the team’s chances of traveling to the islands together on two separate occasions. Because not every athlete on the current roster travels with the team for road games, earning a traveling spot is typically seen as a big deal for most players. Being able to travel with the team and experience that sense of comradery on the road is a big opportunity on its own even if you do not end up playing in any matches, said Byrne.

For the seniors on the team, traveling to Hawaii twice would have been a memorable experience for their final season. In Byrne’s case, her family had already booked hotels and flights to watch her perform in Hawaii, and she wishes she had been able to provide them with the finish she knew they all were hoping to see.

“Your family puts in a lot of sacrifice as well for you to play the sport,” Byrne said. “This season for me was more about giving back to family, it wasn’t so much about myself.”

Seniors were also presented with a very difficult decision after the NCAA announced its decision to allow certain student-athletes to extend their eligibility.

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