November 2, 2017

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VOLUME 136, ISSUE 6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE / COURTESY

LAURA LONG / AGGIE

putting our minds to mental health

Timely Warning issued for hate incident involving anti-Islamic, anti-fraternity/sorority fliers UC Davis Police Department found no threat present

BY AA RO N L I SS city@theaggie.org

On Oct. 12, the UC Davis Police Department issued a Campus Timely Warning, marked as a “Hate Incident.” The incident that was reported concerned anti-Islamic and anti-fraternity/sorority fliers found in bicycle baskets and seats near the International Center.

The police soon discovered these fliers had been posted around town and on campus, near the Chipotle in downtown Davis, the ARC and Mrak Hall.

Sergeant Danny Sheffield wrote the Timely Warning and was part of the investigation. Sheffield maintained that the fliers did not target the International Center.

The police found a link to a YouTube video on the fliers — a 20-minute video of “the same rhetoric that was expressed in the fliers,” Sheffield said. ”It was Christian-based rhetoric and it was verbiage that indicated the distaste [and] dislike for Jesuits, sororities, freemasons [and] the Islamic religion,” Sheffield said. “[They] are taking false oaths and that’s against God’s word — that sort of rhetoric.”

Sheffield said that after the investigation of reviewing the fliers and the linked video, there was no specific threat. He said it was “religiously motivated.”

“It was all pretty general stuff, there was no specific threats or anything like that,” Sheffield said. “It really was just expressing distaste and displeasure toward those groups.”

Sheffield said that the pictures of the fliers will not be available to the public. He defended the legality of the fliers on the basis of free speech, reaffirming the Supreme Court’s position that hate speech has no legal grounds for punishment.

“When we have incidents like this, we generally don’t put that specific information out to the public,” Sheffield said. “Basically, it amounted to free speech, albeit free speech that was offensive or that someone didn’t like — we don’t want to cause undue targeting or repercussions to the person who may have provided that information.”

The Timely Warning was labeled as a “Hate Incident”; however, Sheffield stated that the fliers were “not harmful and not attempting to incite violence.”

“It was documented because it was reported to us and some people took offense,” Sheffield said. “But it really amounted to free speech, because it didn’t direct any hateful language. There [were] no slurs or epithets that were used toward any group.”

Sheffield said he thought it was nothing more than a “benign” group and that “it sounds like a religious group was leafleting.”

WARNING on 9

UC Davis Mental Health Conference sparks conversation, awareness

BY MAR LYS J EANE features@theaggie.org

Earlier this year, UC Davis saw the conception of a new event on campus known as the Mental Health Conference. Spearheaded by Samantha Chiang, a former ASUCD senator, the conference turned out to be quite a hit, and this year it’s planning to be even bigger and better.

“This year [...] it’s going to be a two-day conference instead [of one day like last year],” said Maria Bundang, a fourth-year psychology major and assistant to the deputy director of the Mental Health Initiative. “It’s January 20 and 21 and we’re going to be hosting a bunch of workshops again and have more panels of people to talk about [mental health].”

Bundang is part of the Mental Health Initiative, a movement that grew from the Mental Health Conference last January. The initiative is made up of a group of students passionate about bringing the platform of safety, communication and healing to the entire UC Davis campus.

“We want to make sure that physical pain isn’t the only thing being talked about, that people talk about mental illnesses and disorders,” said Shrishti Tyagi, a third-year biological sciences major and the team coordinator for the Mental Health Initiative. “We’re giving every student a space to come and talk.”

According to Tyagi, studies show that one in four college students actually goes through a type of mental disorder — therefore it’s a topic that more people should be talking about.

“Unfortunately it’s just not talked about, there’s still huge stigma around mental disorders,” Tyagi said. “So as a community, we want to make sure people feel safe, that they can come to us [or] to a counselor [or] their friends. [The Mental Health Initiative] is about making sure that we have a platform [to talk about mental health], so that people aren’t suffering alone.”

Bundang, who plans to pursue a career in clinical psychology, pointed out that rates of depression and anxiety have been increasing over the past few decades.

“A lot of people tend to come into college either having had mental illness problems, or [are experiencing] the onset of it,” Bundang said. “And whether it’s having something really severe or just having trouble navigating the system and getting tired and taking care of yourself, mental health is really important. [But] if you look at rates of seeking out help, they’re very low. People don’t even know what the resources are that we have on campus, so it’s important to have a conversation about it.”

Fourth-year biology and psychology double major Bhavya Panuganti spoke from experience, having noticed throughout her time at college that the challenges of schoolwork can take a toll on people’s mental states.

“I’m in a pre-health sorority, so everyone’s going to have a mental breakdown at some point with their classes being pre-health or premed,” Panuganti said. “I always tell them they can come talk to me, and I know people [they] can go talk to. It gets overwhelming, I’ve been there, I’ve needed to ask for help. [I] don’t want anyone to ever feel alone.”

Panuganti has also watched friends from her South Asian community keep quiet about the mental health struggles they’ve faced in the past. She’s been a team member for the Mental Health Initiative for two years now and wants to make a change in the way people think and talk about mental health.

“Mental health is stigmatized a certain way, but I feel like it’s especially stigmatized in South Asian communities where people don’t talk about it,” Panuganti said. “I’ve experienced it with my friends who [...] have actually had to go through mental health illnesses and did not want to tell their parents, [which was] ultimately worse for them because they weren’t getting help.”

This is part of the mission of the initiative — to spark conversations and raise awareness on the importance of mental health, especially in college student populations. This year’s Mental Health Conference will feature panelists and guest speakers to discuss all topics related to mental health awareness.

$$$$$$$$$ JEREMY DANG / AGGIE

Davis faces housing crisis University and city focus on solving housing shortage

BY AHASH F RA N CIS city@theaggie.org

UC Davis’ enrollment numbers have steadily increased, as the university opened its doors to 1,100 more students in the 201617 academic year. That number is likely to increase in the 2017-18 academic year. This large influx of new students, combined with an increase of residents seeking to make Davis their home, has led to a housing shortage in the city, making it difficult for prospective residents to make the move to Davis.

“When we’re talking about the city of Davis, it includes both the city in terms of long-term residents, but also students,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Brett Lee. “There’s definitely a shortage of rental units available for both students and retirees and also full time workers […] The university has a role to play in adding some more capacity on campus, but the city also has a role to play in making sure that, when apartment complexes are built, that they serve the needs of students, working people and retirees […] There’s a variety of people who want to live in Davis.”

There are thousands of people who commute to Davis every day

to study or even work at the university or in the city. Higher housing prices and a lack of available rental housing have forced them to make the daily trip from Sacramento, Woodland or other neighboring cities.

“The biggest problem is that there’s a 0.2 percent [rental] vacancy rate in Davis, which means that at any one point in time, there are less than 40 available and vacant rental locations, [putting] renters at a severe disadvantage,” said David Greenwald, the founder of The Davis Vanguard and a longtime Davis resident. “Any time there’s a problem with the landlord […] people can’t move out reasonably.

There’s not enough supply, and the university continues to grow. The problem isn’t limited to Davis, but it’s worse in Davis. There’s not much housing I would consider affordable for the average person.”

Greenwald and The Vanguard have hosted several affordable housing workshops to educate the community and increase awareness of the issue. The city and The Vanguard have both called on the university to increase its housing capacity. Under the plan proposed

by The Vanguard, the university would have to build enough HOUSING on 9

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

PAJAMARINO: A UC DAVIS TRADITION SINCE 1912 Celebration takes place on Oct. 27, brings downtown Davis to life before Homecoming football game

TAYLOR LAPOINT / AGGIE

BY RO D N E Y TO M P K I NS campus@theaggie.org

On the evening of Friday, Oct. 27, police blocked the roads of downtown Davis, loud chanting was heard in the distance and attention on Second Street

was turned to the C Street intersection.

A UC Davis fire truck pulled around the corner, and following behind was a massive, pajama-clad crowd — the ensemble was celebrating UC Davis’ annual Pajamarino.

Pajamarino is a UC Davis Homecom-

ing tradition planned and executed by the Student Alumni Association. With over 500 people in attendance Friday night, the annual festivity has transformed since its inception in 1912. “[105 years ago], the alumni were returning for the homecoming celebrations and a group of freshmen [snuck] out of their dorm rooms back when there was a curfew,” said Daniel Erenstein, the SAA traditions director and a third-year undeclared student in the College of Biological Sciences. “[They] met [alumni] at the train station in their pajamas, and, since then, the tradition has been carried on for over a century.”

UC Davis students, alumni, faculty and community members gathered in Central Park at 4:30 p.m. before the parade. “[Pajamarino] bridges that gap between the Davis community and stu-

dents,” said Samantha Teshima, the president of SAA and a third-year pharmaceutical chemistry major. “[It promotes] the fact that Davis is not just a college that [we] attend, [...] it’s also the whole community as well.”

The Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh! and Alumni Band — decked out in pajamas — put on a show before the parade commenced at 5:15 p.m. The fire truck that led the parade carried the parade marshal, the current business manager of ASUCD, Janice Corbett, and Morgan Hashimoto, a student representative and the SAA vice president of outreach.

Upon arrival at the train station, the celebratory crowd was welcomed by UC Davis Chancellor Gary May and head football coach Dan Hawkins. Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan Club, the Popping Club and the Liquid Hotplates put on performances for the audience as the Sacramento

train pulled in.

“I love Pajamarino and my kids love it too, because it’s getting to be part of the UC Davis spirit and [listen] to the Cal Aggie Marching Band and the Alumni Band,” said Janna Tolla, the Memorial Union director, who attended the event with her family. “That’s probably our favorite part, plus seeing the [student performances].”

As the pep rally came to a close, the packed crowd began to disperse into downtown Davis. “[Pajamarino] has evolved into an event that celebrates the connections between alumni and students,” Erenstein said. “[It has turned] into an event that welcomes alumni back to our community and [bridges] connections between students and alumni while also celebrating homecoming and the football team and Aggie pride.”

JORDAN KNOWLES / AGGIE

INVESTITURE OF CHANCELLOR GARY MAY KICKS OFF HOMECOMING WEEKEND Gary May confirmed as UC Davis chancellor at formal ceremony on Oct. 27

BY OLI V I A ROC KE MAN campus@theaggie.org

The Investiture of Gary May as the seventh chancellor of UC Davis took place on Oct. 27 in the Mondavi Center, the first event in UC Davis’ annual Homecoming weekend. The ceremony consisted of musical performances, speeches by UC community members and the presentation of the Chancellor’s Medal by UC President Janet Napolitano, officially inaugurating May into his new position. Speakers repeatedly mentioned May’s community and academic spirit, desire to promote diversity, sense of humor and, of course, his love of Star Trek.

Guests were welcomed into Jackson Hall by a musical prelude from the UC Davis Concert Band, which was followed by an academic procession of UC chancellors, regents, faculty representatives and other senior leaders. Andy Jones, a UC Davis writing professor and a twotime Davis poet laureate, was the master of ceremonies and presented opening remarks after the procession and national anthem.

“The investiture is a public recognition, an acknowledgement of the faith and confidence we have in a leader,” Jones said. “It bestows on that leader the official mantle and trust of the university.

It instills as well our confidence and belief in the Office of the Chancellor, most

specifically in Gary S. May as the new chancellor of UC Davis.”

George Kieffer, the Chair of the UC Regents, followed Jones’ remarks with a welcome speech that discussed the unofficial founding of UC Davis in 1906 and recognized how the university has become “the world’s preeminent university for agriculture, veterinary science and environmental sustainability.” He also emphasized May’s reputation for fostering diversity and advocating for the success of all students, which has the potential to influence the future of UC Davis and California as a whole.

A video presentation then reflected on May’s childhood, his background as an electrical engineer and former dean

and his appreciation for his family. It also showcased May’s accomplishments at UC Davis thus far and highlighted his goals for the future, including plans to develop Aggie Square — a technology and innovation hub in Sacramento.

Next, UC Davis students, staff, faculty, alumni and other community members delivered remarks, wishing May well in his future as UC Davis chancellor.

Speakers included ASUCD President Josh Dalavai, GSA President Roy Taggueg, UC Davis Staff Assembly Chair Kate Shasky, UC Davis Academic Senate Chair Rachael Goodhue and Cal Aggie Alumni Association President Debby Stegura. Each speaker expressed their confidence in May’s ability to work with

Educators anticipate District’s decision toward a proposed educational initiative

Where are the keys?

Oct. 19 “Elderly woman rode bike to this location and locked a bike lock to her bike and lost the key –– requested assistance with getting the bike and herself home. Advised bike is not locked to a rack or anything.”

“Male subject caught twice today sitting in backyard of residence.”

Oct. 20 “Male transient camped out in the middle of the bike tunnel.

Reporting party was cycling and had to swerve to miss him.”

“Occurred past five minutes –– porta potty tipped over in driveway.”

Oct. 22 “For advice –– 17-year-old son is making charges on her credit card without her knowledge/permission.”

Oct. 24 “Heard footsteps in the side yard, also saw a light.”

INVESTITURE on 9

SAC CITY TEACHERS APPROVE STRIKE

Police Logs:

Oct. 18 “Motion detection light on side yard just went off… reporting party thinks he heard side gate open.”

“Seven vehicles currently parked in no parking area on street from 0200 – 0600 hours and requested vehicles be cited.”

“Female heard shouting ‘Get out of here, leave me alone’ and reporting party hears what sounds like slamming noises.”

their respective branches of the UC system and to help UC Davis grow.

“Chancellor May has already been a great partner to the Academic Senate,” Goodhue said. “His energy, his enthusiasm and his ambitions for UC Davis match the faculty’s own. He has brought to his first months an eagerness to learn and engage, which is essential to understanding the complexity and the depth of UC Davis and its impact on California and the world. In addition, Chancellor May recognizes that the story of UC Davis remains, in many ways, unwritten.”

Audience members also heard from May’s family — his wife LaShelle and

KYLA ROUNDS / AGGIE

BY E LIANA S IS NE ROS city@theaggie.org

For the past year, Sacramento teachers, students and parents have rallied for the acceptance of an educational initiative to make Sacramento a Destination District for California. The Board of Education’s rejection of the proposal moved educators and other Sacramento Unified School District faculty to approve a strike with 97.2 percent endorsement.

“It’s the last thing we want to do,” said Nate Starace, a social science teacher at C.K. McClatchy High School. “We get into teaching for the students, but the process has been so long. There’s been every opportunity to avoid a strike. At some point, you do have to take a stand.”

Proponents of the Destination District proposal call attention to the initiative’s potential to positively impact Sac City students and teachers. The Destination District plan proposes to lower class sizes, ensure credentialed educators for each classroom, improve

psychologist- and nurse-to-student ratios, better resource special education programs and increase student accessibility to arts, music and physical education, among other district goals.

While the district has rejected the proposal on multiple occasions, citing financial stability concerns, the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA) continues to point out that the district is more financially secure than it has ever been, making now the perfect time to fund the initiative. According to statements from the SCTA, the district’s reserves ballooned 320 percent over the past four years, reaching over $81 million. While the district continues to hire new administrators with increasing salaries, Sacramento has the lowest average salary for veteran teachers in comparison to all other California school districts.

In Calaveras County, teachers recently went on strike for four days before securing a deal with the Calaveras Unified School District to improve student and teacher prospects. In a statement released on Oct. 24, the Calaveras Unified Educators’ Association stat-

ed that a new contract with the district will help reduce class sizes, resolve school safety issues and alter teacher salary schedules in order to enhance recruitment and retainment of qualified educators.

David Fisher, the president of the SCTA and a teacher and parent of Sacramento students, equates the District’s rejection of the proposal on the grounds of financial stability concerns to financial misappropriation.

“This is what we say, ‘It’s great in your family — you should save for retirement. But not before you’ve fed your kids,’” Fisher said.

Sacramento educators will wait until Nov. 1 for the fact-finding panel to make a “non-binding recommendation, which either party can reject or accept.” SCTA members hope that the proceedings of the panel will negate the necessity for teachers to strike.

However, with an overwhelming majority of educators in favor of a potential strike, a final rejection by the district would likely result in the closure of many Sacramento classrooms before a resettlement in favor of the Destination District proposal is reached.

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Sudoku

Chess BY AR I FR EEDMAN

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.

This week’s puzzle is a simple solution and little hard because there are creative options, but only one way to checkmate in three moves! Black to move, checkmate in three moves. Hint: any moves made by the opponent will not stop the inevitable. This puzzle is simple, but it’s all about placement.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS CHESS ANSWER Placement of the queen blocks avenues of escape, and leaves enough space to move the king in just right spot.

Either ...Qd1 or ...Qb2, T:11.625” checkmate.

1. Kb3 Kb1 2. Qd1#

Behind life’s best moments is a primary care doctor.

Clinic locations in Woodland and Davis.

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4 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

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Street Smarts calls for improvement of transportation system Promoting student transportation safety through survey, grant

CA ITLYN SA MPLEY / AGGIE

BY DYL A N SVOBO DA city@theaggie.org

Street Smarts, the City of Davis’ bicycle, pedestrian and car safety program, recently surveyed local grade-school parents for their input on Davis’ transportation system regarding how their children are

getting to school.

The survey was administered by The National Center for Safe Routes to School, which uses the data to better understand how children are getting to school and if cities are doing their job in getting them there safely. According to Loretta Moore, the Street Smarts coordinator for the City of Da-

funded by Safe Routes, a locally-based organization.

Street Smarts collects data on the various modes of student transportation in order to get a better sense of the overall distribution. This tally is conducted by the schools themselves and is then sent to Street Smarts. “[The tally] is to both increase our knowledge about how students travel between home and school and to determine where changes need to be made,” said Seth LaJeunesse, a research associate at the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

The parent survey is used to give parents a voice in their child’s transportation options and is offered in both English and Spanish.

“It’s encouraging to see a local organization attempting to get parents’ input in their children’s transportation options,” said Courtney Newton, a Davis resident and mother of two grade-school children. “These types of initiatives are what makes Davis one of the most walk-, bike- and transit-friendly cities in the country.”

According to the last tally in 2015, approximately 46 percent of grade-school students used green transportation (walking or biking) to get to and from school. This is much higher than the national average, which is 13 percent. Despite Davis’ “neighborhood-school” concept, about 50 percent of students still travel to and from school by car. Just

1 percent of grade-level students in Davis travel to school by transit. “[Officials] anticipate interest and engagement in walking and biking among students to increase significantly for the foreseeable future,” LaJeunesse said.

Organizations and events such as Vision Zero and National Bike to School and Walk to School days and the emergence of community-level activity plans are dedicated to pedestrian and bike safety in cities across the world.

The tally and survey are being conducted in 18 Davis grade-schools: four private elementary schools, four public junior highs and 10 public elementary schools.

According to a press release from the city, the California Transportation Commission awarded the city a $3.54 million grant on Oct. 18 to design and construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge connection between the Highway 40 multi-use path, which runs along East Olive Drive and the Pole Line Road overcrossing.

The project emerged from the city’s recently completed Walk Bike Audit Report conducted by Street Smarts, which identified infrastructure safety needs for the City’s 14 elementary and four junior high schools. By doing so, Street Smarts hopes to improve student transportation options and their safety.

UC Davis Indian Graduate Student Association hosts Diwali Night

DIA N A L I / AGG IE

Annual Diwali festivities light up the ARC

BY PRI YA N KA SHR E E DA R campus@theaggie.org

On Oct. 21, the UC Davis Indian Graduate Student Association kicked Diwali festivities into high gear when it brought the vibrant colors and luminosity of the Indian festival of lights to the ARC Ballroom.

According to IGSA’s website, the organization caters to the “Indian and Indophile population at UC Davis.” Plant science professor Sham S. Goyal started the organization in the 1980s with the goal of bringing the Indian community closer and celebrating its culture.

Diwali, or Deepavali, is an extremely significant and widely observed event in India and many Indian communities globally. This Hindu-originated event is marked by the lighting of diyas, or clay lamps, to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

IGSA President Satyabrata Sarangi, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering, detailed the extensive planning behind this popular event.

“We started our preparation around August,” Sarangi said. “I submitted the application on Aug. 5, and then it took a month for overall approval

[since] we had to talk to [the] venue and food [catering]. We have our IGSA board meeting every week, [...] so we started to think about who to invite. We thought [to] invite some of the renowned artists from [the] surrounding areas, [...such as] LA and [the] Bay Area.”

Preethi Indian Cuisine provided catering for the event, which included boxes filled with spicy chana masala, a chickpea curry, vegetable korma, a coconut-based mixed vegetable curry and vegetable biryani, a mixed rice dish.

“This is Diwali, so people love to eat good food,” Sarangi said.

The lineup for the evening totaled nine acts — Sunatya, Rita Sahai Ji and her accompanists, the IGSA Girls Dance Group, Ayal Vishnitzer, the Mona Khan Dance Academy and Bombay Jam, Miran Solanki and the GSM Dance Group.

As the melody of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” flooded through the speakers, audience members looked around, bewildered at the relationship between the famous pop star and the Indian festival.

However, their confusion was short-lived as Sunatya’s performance included a fusion of the beats and style of classical Indian dance, Bharatnatyam. The group was followed by Rita Sahai Ji, accompanied by

the tabla — South Asian drums — and sitar, an Indian string instrument.

Jhankaar, UC Davis’ only co-ed South Asian a cappella group, gave a performance that had the audience clapping along. The group fuses Bollywood music with South Asian and Western music.

“We are an a capella team, so basically all the sounds that we make are all vocal,” said Kirthana Srikanth, Jhankaar’s co-captain and a fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major. “We have no instruments [on stage], and we just come

A LEXA FON TIN ILLA / AGGIE

Yolo Food Bank works to alleviate hunger The Walmart Foundation provides Yolo Food Bank with grant

BY STE L L A T RA N city@theaggie.org

The Yolo Food Bank has started a county-wide food drive. The food drive has just received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation and the food bank continues to reach out to other nonprofits to provide healthy food for those in need.

Zane Hatfield, an agency relations coordinator for the Yolo Food Bank, described the organization’s goals and mission.

“Our organization is about ending hunger and malnutrition in Yolo County,” Hatfield said. “We have several direct services where we give foods for free at certain times. We also work with several nonprofit workers, and we received the Walmart grant because it was available through Feeding America and they have corporate partnerships with entities like Walmart. We saw that the grant was available, and we applied for $25,000.”

As one of the coordinators for the food drive, Hatfield elaborated on how his work helps contribute to this organization. The program has benefited a diverse group of people who are unable to provide themselves with proper nutrition.

“I am the agency relations coordinator, so I work

with all our nonprofit partners,” Hatfield said. “Some of them include family resource centers and nonprofit organizations contracted with the county to work with youth and fostering, along with rehabilitation programs and low income after-school programs.”

The program is constantly trying to improve its food quality because health is a crucial part of one’s diet.

Grants like Walmart’s will help alleviate the financial cost of providing healthy foods.

“So we have our programs that we are currently developing; we just expanded a fresh produce program that is distributed twice a month, and we expanded it to the rural parts of Yolo County where people may not have access to grocery stores,” Hatfield said. “We are also close to renovating the building, which will increase our capacity to find new and creative ways to package foods brought in from the farms.”

Kevin Sanchez, a campaign and project director, explained his role at the food bank and the organization’s upcoming events.

“I was charged with trying to build the capacity of a food bank to strengthen its image within the community,” Sanchez said. “We are building out the warehouse FOOD BANK on 12

together, compose and produce the music ourselves and compete around.”

Srikanth and co-captain Daivik Dinesh, a thirdyear computer science and engineering major, both said performing was a “great experience” and emphasized the responsiveness of the crowd to their act.

Members of the Mona Khan Dance Academy and Bombay Jam, marked by their colorful sashes and gregarious personalities, provided a different intDIWALI on 9

TAY LOR L A POIN T / AG GIE

History Department holds “Ask A Historian” forum In response to Charlottesville riots, seven professors engage in discourse with students

BY ELI ZABETH MER CADO campus@theaggie.org

On Oct. 18, the UC Davis History Department hosted the event “Ask A Historian,” a forum in the multipurpose room of the Student Community Center. Seven professors from the department volunteered to deliver five-minute speeches on issues related to the white nationalist rallies that occurred in August in Charlottesville, Va. After the speeches, the presenters participated in group discussions with students and community members in attendance to further explore the ideas presented.

“We decided pretty early on that we didn’t want to do the ‘stand up and lecture’ mode,” said Sally McKee, a UC Davis history professor and an event coordinator. “We wanted to engage with students and talk to them. We wanted to make it a [...] small group experience so that students feel like they’re really talking to

faculty rather than just receiving what faculty has to say.”

Provost and Vice Chancellor Ralph Hexter reached out for a response from the Department of History following the demonstrations of white nationalism in Virginia and President Trump’s lack of immediate condemnation.

According to Hexter, the purpose of the “Ask A Historian” event was to create student-led discourse on how “history, even in the distant past, affects us today.” On the day of the event, attendees filled in each seat of the multipurpose room as Hexter introduced the speakers.

The forum kicked off with David Biale, a professor of Jewish studies, who touched on the presence of fascism in the United States and its traces in the country’s past. He offered his opinion that a group of neo-Nazis rallying in Virginia isn’t the sudden reappearance of fasASK HISTORIAN on 12

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R AU L M O R A L E S / AG GI E

Keeping the Arboretum healthy A look at effort to re-engineer Arboretum’s waterway

BY B EN JA M I N P O RT E R features@theaggie.org

The UC Davis Arboretum’s diversity of trees, plant and animal life has made it a favorite place for community members and students alike to escape. However, the Arboretum’s calmness was partially inconvenienced when its eastern portion, from the Wyatt Deck to its eastern end, was fenced off, drained and dredged last spring. This was the beginning of the first phase in a multi-year Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project.

Every 20 years, the waterway is dredged to remove sediment deposits, but the current project also includes additional measures intended to keep the many habitats in the Arboretum healthier by re-engineering the water’s flow. For years, algae and duckweed have thrived in the low-oxygen levels of the stagnant waterway, but architectural modifications to the waterway aim to solve this problem.

“By introducing flow into what had been a stagnant system, we are creating new conditions where mats of algae can’t form,” said Andrew Fulks, the assistant director of the UC Davis Arboretum. “[Algae] like stagnant water, so we are removing the stagnation. By drawing from water at Lake Spafford and pumping it to the east end of the waterway, we are pulling water with higher oxygen and keeping it circulating through the system.”

According to the Waterway Project’s website, this new flow will be accomplished by installing pumps and creating water level gradients. Since the campus stormwater system drains into the Arboretum waterway, sediment accumulation is a constant issue, but the increasing flow will simplify waterway management in the future.

“We incorporated some design elements in anticipation of future removal needs [...] that would allow us to flush sediment and organics to Lake Spafford,” Fulks said. “I suppose we’ll see if we helped matters in 20 years.”

In the meantime, new water and vegetation management strategies will be developed to ensure that the Arboretum’s habitats remain healthy after this drastic alteration of the channel.

“I think we’ll have to figure out how best to manage flow rates, and how to manage weeds that will grow on the banks,” Fulks said.

“Now, we’re going to be growing emergent marsh plants, but that will also mean weeds will come in as well. That’s probably the biggest challenge I foresee.”

As Fulks said, each section of the Arboretum presents its own unique management and construction-access challenges throughout the project.

“On the east end, the paths are close to the water so you can’t let the water get too high,” Fulks said. “In the Redwood Grove you don’t have a lot of sunlight, so you have to find wetland plants that can handle shade. Lake Spafford is more like an urban pond, so the vegetation needs to look more manicured [...] Adaptive management is key.”

JESSE STESHEN KO / AGG IE

Processing pain inflicted by fire Northern California by fires, UC Davis students affected

Quinlan Kezer, a third-year managerial economics major, was woken up to his mother’s frantic warning that there was a fire and they had to get out. He was forced to flee to Davis, leaving his family in Santa Rosa behind to cope on Monday after the fire began.

“We were out of control of the fire, but the fire was very in control of what it was doing,” Kezer said. “It looked like it was alive, it looked like it was methodically bouncing through a house, dropping the house and then moving to the next one. I mean, you could see the fire going from one house to the next and in just a couple minutes it was studs or nothing, and it didn’t take long.

And so it kind of looked like it was alive, like it was methodically just moving.”

The Northern California fires have ravaged much of Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino, Butte, Yuba, Nevada, Orange and Lake Counties. These fires are different from previous California wildfires because of their unusual impact on suburban areas.

UC Davis and City of Davis fire chief Nathan Trauernicht understands this impact.

“We’ve seen a lot of wild land fires in moderate to sparsely

with the UC Davis Fire Department among those who contributed. “[The department worked] 36 hours straight because there just weren’t enough resources and the fire was moving so incredibly fast,” Trauernicht said. “The UC Davis fire department [is] a part of the California Mutual Aid System [...] the concept of it is that whenever there’s a major disaster or a major fire somewhere in the state, other places in the state send resources knowing that someday, you may need them. So it’s kind of a reciprocal system of help and support.”

While most students can’t provide support on the front lines, Trauernicht encouraged the Davis community to donate to reputable organizations like the American Red Cross. As a student from the Sonoma County area, Kezer noted the consistent contributions from Redwood Credit Union’s fundraising effort to benefit Sonoma County.

Kezer, who was asleep at his childhood home near a devastated neighborhood FIRE RELIEF on 11

counties devastated

BY STE L L A SA P P I N GTO N features@theaggie.org

Even with these known challenges, Fulks and the management team are continually learning how to adapt and better prepare for future phases.

As the sustainability and aesthetics of the Arboretum are improved, the Waterway Project has also opened up new involvement opportunities for students.

“Now, with Nina Suzuki as our waterway steward, we have the Waterway Internship,” Fulks said. “Students learn how to monitor water quality, [do] habitat enhancement plantings along the banks, come up with outreach programs and [work] with faculty on studies.”

The Waterway Stewardship is a three hour per week internship that gives students hands-on water management and habitat restoration experience.

“The Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship [student] team is learning about urban watershed management and will soon be planting thousands of native sedges and rushes on the banks of the Phase 1 project area,” Suzuki said. “With active management, we can transform the Arboretum Waterway into a campus amenity that complements the beauty and educational value of the plant collections, increases water quality and supports native wildlife and plants.”

Giving students these opportunities to engage in maintaining the Arboretum’s many habitats ensures that the park will remain a vital escape to find inspiration and serenity. Despite the construction going on in the park, students are still able to relax in this part of campus and explore different activities.

“I think that painting in nature can sometimes yield a lot more variety than just buildings or still lifes that we set up,” said Emily Clark-Kramer, a graduate student in the Art Department who took her painting class outside to paint in the Arboretum. “Because you’re painting outside everything is constantly changing. Having to deal with constantly changing shadows and light provides a different type of painting experience that I think is valuable.”

The array of easels perched on the grass above Lake Spafford is emblematic of that unique blend of tranquility and invigoration that nature can stir in people. As the Waterway Project progresses, this generation’s stewardship of the park will allow its beauty to be enjoyed by generations to come.

populated areas,” Trauernicht said. “What separates this one I think for most people was the amount of homes, structures, and commercial businesses. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a fire get into a suburban area with the population density that this one did. And it’s pretty devastating.”

The devastation did not end at structures. As of October, the death toll from these fires stood at 42. UC Davis environmental science and policy professor Mark Schwartz works with management teams of national parks and forests to develop land management strategies that take into consideration climate change and wildfire risk. Schwartz’ research has lead him to speculate on the cause of the fire’s high death toll and its vast physical destruction.

“Certain amounts of changes in land use management in California have changed ecosystems such that they’re more likely to sustain high-temperature fires now than they were in the past,” Schwartz said. “Once that fire got going under [the] dramatic conditions, it [was] very, very difficult to stop that fire.”

Schwartz said he is surprised by the damage since suburban areas do not burn easily, as they are not rich in fine fuels necessary for fire to spread. However, unusual conditions enabled the fire to spread rapidly, and Governor Jerry Brown declared states of emergency on Oct. 9, 10 and 17 for all of the affected counties. This led to increased support and resources from the state and country

6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion editorial board

the California Aggie EDITORIAL BOARD

Keep national parks affordable

BRYAN SYKES Editor-in-Chief

Federal budget, not entrance fee, should cover increasing expenses

EMILY STACK Managing Editor HANNAH HOLZER Campus News Editor KAELYN TUERMER-LEE City News Editor TARYN DEOILERS Opinion Editor GILLIAN ALLEN Features Editor ALLY OVERBAY Arts & Culture Editor VERONICA VARGO Sports Editor HARNOOR GILL Science & Tech Editor

CHIARA ALVES New Media Manager BRIAN LANDRY Photo Director CHRISTIE NEO Design Director AMY YE Layout Director MAXINE MULVEY Copy Chief OLIVIA ROCKEMAN Copy Chief JAYASHRI PADMANABHAN Website Manager ALEX GUZMÁN Social Media Mangager CARAJOY KLEINROCK Newsletter Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Recently, the National Park Service announced an increase in entrance fees at 17 of the most popular national parks including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Grand Teton National Parks. The proposed fees would be “$70 per vehicle, $50 per motorcycle, and $30 per person” from May to September — the busiest months of attendance. This fee increase would double the pre-existing fee per vehicle at places such as Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks and would triple the existing fees at others. At Grand Canyon National Park, for example, the price per cyclist would quintuple and the price per pedestrian would triple.

According to the NPS, the fee increase will result in an additional $70 million of “badly needed revenue for improvements to the aging infrastructure of national parks.” A record of 330 million people visited national parks in 2016 alone, a 7 percent increase from the previous record of 307 million visitors in 2015. Of the 417 park service sites, 118 have implemented an entrance fee. 80 percent of the revenue generated by these 118 parks is used for the maintenance of facilities, projects and general upkeep, while the other 20 percent is allocated toward the remaining park sites free for public use.

The Editorial Board recognizes the necessity of the currently-implemented entrance fees for the upkeep of America’s beloved national parks, as well as the importance of heightened fees to match inflation over time. The proposed fee increase, however, would exclude those who do not have the financial resources available and, in effect, privatize these 17 national parks for nearly half of the year.

The Obama administration increased the national park entrance fee in 2015 during the summer season from $20 to $30. At the same time, a new program was implemented that allowed for fourth-grade students and their families to visit national parks for free in an effort to promote exposure to the great outdoors. The Trump administration’s proposed fee, on the other hand, would discourage new visitors.

We take issue with the reasoning behind the fee increase, especially in light of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s approval of the Trump administration’s proposed $1.6 billion budget cut to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS. Zinke said, "This is what a balanced budget looks like” –– an ironic statement from someone asking park visitors, most of whom pay taxes, for an additional $70 million. It is the opinion of the Editorial Board that the majority of the funds needed to maintain park infrastructure should come internally, from the federal budget.

Additionally, the majority of the 17 national parks in question are located in the West — Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Parks are all located in California. For many UC students geographically situated near these national parks, a $70 fee per vehicle could be a deterrent.

A 30-day period has opened for the public to voice their opinions about the proposed fees on an online forum on the NPS website. The forum is accessible on nps.gov and will close on Nov. 23 at 11:59 p.m. We urge community members to challenge this proposed fee hike to keep public lands accessible.

In defense of the liberal arts THE HUMANITIES BRING SKILLS VITAL TO A WELL-ROUNDED AND FUNCTIONING SOCIETY

BY NICK IRVIN ntirvin@ucdavis.edu “This is what the real, no-bullshit value of your liberal arts education is supposed to be about: how to keep from going through your comfortable, prosperous, respectable adult life dead, unconscious, a slave to your head….”

So said David Foster Wallace, the author of “Infinite Jest,” in “This is Water.” His attempt at justifying the liberal arts shows just how ingrained criticisms of the discipline have become. As many literature, history and philosophy majors will attest, one of the most persistent

JAMIE CHEN / AGGIE

questions thrown at them is this: What do you plan to do with it?

College is awash with various major and minor degree programs. The problem is some garner more respect than others — based on perceived employability or earning potential.

It wasn’t too long ago that Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, argued in an interview that the liberal arts would make a comeback after decades of overhype surrounding STEM majors. He reasoned that, as future jobs become increasingly automated, there will be less room for technical jobs and more room for workers IRVIN on 11

Don’t let social media control your time and mental health POLISHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CAN FUEL FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY, LONELINESS SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

BY JOLENA PACHECO mspacheco@ucdavis.edu We constantly walk around campus with our eyes glued to our smartphones. Some people like taking notes on their computers,

which provides easy internet access in class. The blood of social media sites runs through our devices. We’re always scoping out what’s new on Instagram, Facebook and any number of other social media platforms. We’re much more interested in other people's lives than our own. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we spend our time following everyone else’s daily lives. Allowing our attention to be focused on others takes away from the attention we should be giving ourselves.

The amount of time spent on social media can play a role in damaging our mental health. Users log in to view what’s happening in the lives of the people they follow. It’s human nature to see someone’s status and compare their life to our own. There are several reasons why this is a bad habit to pick up. Users delegate what they put on their own social media profiles, and what they choose to show is not their whole personal story. The majority of what they choose to post will, of course, display positivity and make it seem like their lives are perfect.

However, there is more to someone than what’s on their Facebook timeline. Users need to remember to not think of one person as bet-

ter than themselves. Social media is basically a cover page, and users shouldn’t assume that what a person decides to share publicly — often a polished version of themselves — is an accurate depiction of their life. There’s more to the people on the other side of the screen.

An article in “Time” discussed a recent survey of almost 1,500 teenagers and young adults, who were asked to score how the social media platforms they use impact wellbeing-related issues. Some of these issues included anxiety, depression, body image and the fear of missing out. Instagram was ranked at the bottom of the five most popular social media sites for having the most negative effects on a person’s mental health.

“Social media posts can also set unrealistic expectations and create feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem,” Amanda MacMillan reported for “Time.”

Instagram is a platform strictly for posting pictures that users wish PACHECO on 11

Climate change should be a bipartisan issue FAILING TO ADDRESS CLIMATE ISSUES AFFECTS EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION

BY JESSICA DRIVER jmdriver@ucdavis.edu A friend of mine has a theory: “The surest way to world peace is an alien invasion.”

While I’m not totally convinced, it’s an interesting thought. Everyone uniting for a common goal — to save the planet.

With what we know about Hollywood movies, it makes sense. We’ve seen the imagery before: a storefront lined with television screens, each one showing a catastrophe unfolding somewhere in the world.

Today, it’s not far from the truth. Only we’re not under attack from aliens. It’s ourselves we have to worry about.

Turn on the news. You’ll see wildfires and hurricanes in the United

States, melting ice in Greenland, a bleached Great Barrier Reef and rising sea levels threatening an entire Pacific Island nation. Climate change is unfolding on our planet, and whether we like it or not, we’re in it together.

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush recently spoke out about the polarized state of politics in our country.

“Our politics just seem so divided, and so angry and so nasty,” Obama told crowds in Virginia.

“At times, it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity,” Bush said in New York.

They’re both right. There’s a major division between the country’s two primary political parties who seem to work against instead of with

each other. We’re living in an age of bitter uncooperativeness.

But climate change hasn’t always been a divisive topic. Until the 1990s, it was a bipartisan issue.

As a 1988 Republican presidential nominee, George H.W. Bush addressed climate change in a campaign speech.

“These issues know no ideology, no political boundaries. It’s not a liberal or conservative thing we’re talking about,” Bush said.

How did we move so far from the truth that was right under our noses 30 years ago? Climate change should not be about politics. It shouldn’t be used to leverage political agendas or take sides during political diatribes. It shouldn’t be attached to political parties or their DRIVER on 11

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HUMOR

Katehi memoir: “I would’ve gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids” CRIMINAL WHO’S INEXPLICABLY STILL AN EDUCATOR FOUND YET ANOTHER WAY TO SCAM

BY AARON LEVINS adlevins@ucdavis.edu After Linda Katehi became unemployed (re: “fired,” except in a nice way that preserves her already flimsy reputation), she needed to find a new hustle. The whole moonlighting-at-textbook-publishers thing wasn’t gonna cut it now that she didn’t have a position of power to exploit. So Linda thought long and hard. What are things that people love? Well, they sure do love pop culture, especially beloved children’s cartoons. What else do they love? Autobiographies written by washedup public figures who scrape by looking for any way to monetize whatever life situation they find themselves in. Aha! A lightbulb went off.

“I can totally use my infamous name to sell books!” Katehi mused.

“And guess what? I’ll write a semi-autobiographical detective mystery that riffs off of people’s love of that silly dog cartoon. What was it again? I can’t remember things these days because my brain has begun to rot from the unethical plotting I’ve been doing all these years.”

So here it comes, something all of us never wanted! A Katehi autobiography. Looks like Christmas came early this year. I’m sure that, considering all of the legitimate achievements that Linda Katehi has made throughout her life (she is an accomplished scholar and a woman in STEM), everyone will be able to look past the way in which she represents a large ugly symptom of public education and higher education in general, where the administrative class of the university system

gladly gleans cash off the backs of hardworking, often starving, students. Surely we will be able to ignore the festering sore that is public figures like Katehi, whose self-interest and greed are the reason most things are shitty in the first place.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for Katehi to write her semi-autobiographical detective Scooby Doo fiction. I’m sure we will get a wonderful snapshot of all the ways in which public figures try to manipulate us — and the way in which Katehi represents just one among many who seek to take advantage of students or the working class or the poor or the minorities or any other group of people who find themselves constantly under the boot of a corrupt leader.

And I hope in the end we meddle enough to foil their plans.

How drinking Davis water ruined my financial, physical and emotional wellbeing AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DRINKING CULTURE IN DAVIS

BY ROSIE SCHWARZ rschwarz@ucdavis.edu I will preface this by saying I am in no way a science major nor intend to do anything science-related ever. But from time to time I like to dabble in the idea of it. Over the last three years, I have conducted extensive case studies and experiments to test just how capable Davis water is of wreaking havoc on the student body. I will try to describe my findings in the best way I can to convey just how special Davis water actually is.

While my practices were slightly unorthodox — and by that I mean they didn’t follow the scientific method (a thing I learned about once but then forgot the details of ) — they led to results. I’m here to expose them to the world, or at least to my parents’ friends who read these articles. Anyway, here are some things I managed to

contract from the Davis water and some reasons why I have personally chosen to stop drinking it.

Lowered IQ: Davis water is the only way I can explain why I’m not doing as well at college as I was while I was drinking the pristine mountain runoff water from my hometown. Once I realized it was the Davis water that was affecting my academic habits, I made the switch to caffeine and alcohol. While this hasn’t improved my academics at all, at least I know that I’m not destroying any more brain cells by drinking Davis water. Oh, I also drink Smart Water™. I heard that helps.

Pink Eye: This is something nobody wants to talk about, but it happened. All I did was wash my face with the water from my sink, and both my eyes contracted pink eye. While this only happened once and I wash my face every day, I’m sure it was the water and nothing else.

Freshman 15 (apply this to every year): Every time I eat, I wash it down with water, and it’s certainly not my diet that’s sponsored by Trader Joe’s™ and Peets™. They’re corporate, but they appeal to the average healthy American, and I trust them. Davis water? Not so much.

Student Debt: Simple as this: The longer I’ve been here, the more debt I’ve acquired and the more Davis water I’ve drunk. I heard all about “correlation equals causation,” and I’m using my own inference to support my hypothesis. (Sorry if I lost you there, I can’t help that I set the curve in O-Chem). Honestly this water makes you poor. Go buy some Voss™ or something — or, even better, move back home and watch your debt begin to shrink as you switch back to your home system of drinking water that provides you with home-cooked meals and minimal stress.

Study Concluded: Davis water is dangerous and should be dealt with carefully.

Amazon to offer same-day delivery on books, pencils, will to live AMAZON BECOMES THE SAVING GRACE OF THE QUARTER SYSTEM CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

BY OLIVIA LUCHINI ocluchini@ucdavis.edu Amazon has been upping its game lately, whether it’s through

buying Whole Foods (RIP) or, more recently, becoming the Superman for sad quarter system boyz everywhere. Yes, you heard it here first: Amazon is offering same-day delivery on a will to live.

Everyone was dazzled when the announcement was made. Even those weird little buttons that you can have in your home to press when you run out of toilet paper mid-“making a deposit in the porcelain bank” are going to be offered this new product.

“Gee-whiz!” second-year Penny Wiseman said. “I used to have to order my wills to live on eBay, and you really never know what you’re going to get from them. One time they sent me a will for thrill, and then I wound up at Six Flags instead of at my midterm. You live and you learn.”

UC Davis thankfully has a partnership with Amazon, as noted by the Amazon lockers scattered across campus. Students can get their boxes of wills to live right at the MU. “I ordered a jumbo box the day of my O-Chem midterm,” second-year Pete Zaria said. “I used two of them beforehand and then

just went ham on the rest after I took it. Thanks, Amazon!”

Some alumni are not as pleased with this new speedy method of obtaining a will to live. They find it is the epitome of Millennial privilege.

“Back in my day, you had to earn your will to live,” alumnus Harold Oldman said. “I’d walk 42 miles once a week to get my wills fresh from the factory. Sometimes I’d have to go for weeks without a will to live when the bills were slim, but that was life in the old-time years! You’re all weak, little kitty-cats now! Argh!”

There are several different types of wills to live available online today. “Hey, I got into UC Davis, so I must be doing decently” and “College is a social construct” are some examples, but the most popular is “Thanksgiving break is near, so let’s just hold on tight and prepare for impact.”

“Honestly, Amazon is leading this nation down a better path than any president could,” Melania Trump said, as she ordered seven wills to live to last her until December.

WHERE THE HAMMOCKS GO AT NIGHT

BY JULIE TORRES

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

ISSUE DESIGNED BY AMY YE | CHRISTIE NEO | CINDY CHEUNG |JONATHAN CHEN | PATTIE CHEN | SHEREEN NIKZAD | LILY LEAVESSEUR | GENESIA TING | NICKI PADAR

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

8 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

SCIENCE+TECH CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

Bacterial DNA simplifies in stepwise fashion Computational modeling reinforces biological hypothesis of DNA-unlinking mechanisms

BY G EORG E UG A RT E ME NDIA science@theaggie.org

A team of international scientists have provided compelling evidence of how complex chains of bacterial DNA can unwind from interlinked states. A paper in Scientific Reports compiled the student’s findings, which build on previous work performed on the bacteria E. coli by this team in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States over the last decade.

Biologists assumed there existed a unique pathway which methodically unlinked knots one by one to separate replicated strands of genetic material in the minimal number of steps. More evidence was needed to back up these assumptions, and mathematical data from this research team supports the shortest possible pathway hypothesis.

E. coli is a model organism used in scientific experiments due to its quick generation time and ease of use. Scientists have mapped the entire genome of the bacteria. Although DNA differs greatly in size and structure between living organisms, cells share remarkably similar processes and machinery to uncoil knotted strands. These similarities allow the results of the experiment to transcend beyond the mechanisms E. coli uses to unlink DNA. “When you look at the bacteria E. coli, the bacterial chromosome is a circle — big and all crunched up inside the cell, but it’s a circle,” said Mariel Vazquez, the senior author of the paper and a professor of both mathematics and microbiology and molecular genetics at UC Davis. “Before the cell divides into two cells, this circle needs to be copied.”

DNA exists in a coiled state within living cells.

During replication, DNA is copied by certain enzymes before the cell can divide, which leaves each daughter cell with genetic instructions for normal processes.

“As a cell replicates its DNA, the cell volume increases in proportion, so at least roughly the concentration of DNA in a cell is always the same,” said David Sherratt, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Oxford and one of the authors of the paper.

Molecular machinery unzips portions of the chain to expose the code to be transcribed, which builds up tension. Complicated knots are relaxed downstream by other enzymes, but the copied DNA structures are interconnected and need further coaxing to be separated.

“Instead of having two newly replicated circles that are separate, so that each one of them can go to separate cells, they are interlinked in very complicated ways,” Vazquez said.

The long chains of DNA have multiple enzy-

matic methods of unlinking. One process uses enzymes called topoisomerases, which cut the backbone of one or more DNA molecules and feed a strand through the break to reduce supercoiling.

In another process, an enzyme called recombinase chops both strands at a specific site, unwinds them and reseals the break.

“The two strands of duplex DNA are interlinked — one link per 10 base pairs,” Sherratt said. “This means to copy the E. coli chromosome, around 450,000 links need to be reduced — every single one if the newly replicated sisters are to separate from each other!”

To simulate the genetic knot complexes, the team created models representing DNA chains with possible sites where enzymes could snip and reconnect the chains. Hundreds of different spatial orientations, or topologies, were considered and millions of possibilities were simulated. Vast computing power was necessary in order to calculate the probabilities of the different unlinking pathways to determine which was most likely under certain mathematical assumptions.

“We were very fortunate to have access to a new cluster that we built at UC Davis fairly recently, called CRICK,” said Robert Stolz, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in integrated genomics and genetics at UC Davis and the paper’s first author.

After organizing the data and investigating the probabilistic pathways of DNA unlinking, the interdisciplinary team compiled evidence to support the hypothesis of the biologists.

“What happens is the that the unique shortest pathway identified under the strongest assumption is most likely,” Stolz said.

The team focused on macroscopic conformations of DNA strands for their analysis. Modeling each base pair of a DNA strand, even relatively small ones, and then simulating knot topologies is beyond the current computing power of researchers.

“I am most interested in studying DNA structure — not at a very high-resolution level, but rather at the large scale,” Vazquez said. “When you look at the DNA molecule, there is an extremely long chain that fits in a very small environment. What is the geometry that this chain adopts?”

Knot theory is useful in understanding how DNA can unwind in living systems, but also generates interest in diverse fields such as engineering and astronomy. Smoke rings, liquid phenomena and the flashes of solar corona exhibit similar reconnection characteristics as DNA. “It turns out that the work that we’re doing is of a lot of interest to people doing fluid dynamics because the same sort of networks of different topologies that we observe in our study also emerge in other systems,” Stolz said.

NIGEL WALKER / COURTESY

Sponsored research funding aids UC Davis in taking on major challenges UC Davis receives $760 million in funding, allowing faculty to tackle some of world’s most pressing issues

BY K RIT I VAR GHESE science@theaggie.org

Think about a world that identifies potential pandemics before they even occur, or a world where there’s a reduced risk of obesity. With $760 million in funding, programs like the multi-institutional PREDICT and the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program might just make that a reality.

PREDICT contributes to global surveillance for zoonotic diseases, diseases that exist in animals but can infect humans. Operating in 35 developing countries, it focuses on diseases emerging from wildlife.

“With additional funding, a global consortium could identify 99 percent of all high-consequence viruses in wildlife hosts that are most likely to carry the next pandemic so that we can characterize the ones most likely to become zoonotic,” said Jonna Mazet, a principal investigator and global director.

This new initiative, called the Global Virome Project, would offer a proactive approach to poten-

tially deadly viruses before an outbreak occurs.

Another major program tackling the challenges that come with helping people make dietary choices is the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program.

“We’re funded to provide nutrition education for obesity prevention to help transform low-income communities and individuals, to improve access to healthy foods, to reduce food insecurity, to increase physical activity and to reduce obesity,” said David Ginsburg, the director of UC CalFresh.

The funding will allow the program to reach even more communities and create a supported system of providers and buyers. The more accessible healthy food is for families, the more demand there is, helping growers and agricultural providers.

“We work in tandem with our state all the way down to the local level so we can really work on transforming the community,” said Andra Nicoli, a UC CalFresh program analyst.

Here’s to another year of UC Davis achieving success with creativity and ingenuity.

KAYLE ABAD / COURTESY

New club on campus: Aggies for CureDuchenne UC Davis forms first university-based organization for raising Duchenne awareness

BY DAVID SOLTER O science@theaggie.org

Duchenne, a fatal muscle disease in children, is a form of muscular dystrophy. Primarily affecting boys, Duchenne leaves most patients in wheelchairs by the age of 12. Cases of boys who have Duchenne all show that they experience social isolation and that most do not live past their mid-twenties. Around 15,000 boys have Duchenne in the United States and around 300,000 worldwide.

Currently, Duchenne does not have a cure.

CureDuchenne is a nonprofit organization that spreads awareness about the disease and raises funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“CureDuchenne has funded nine research projects that have gone onto human clinical trials, and we were an early funder of the first drug that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Duchenne, which was approved a year ago,” said Karen Harley, the vice president of market communications at CureDuchenne.

CureDuchenne hosts two different types of events: fundraisers and outreach. Funds raised go toward Duchenne research. The outreach events are focused on building a community for children who have Duchenne and informing communities with

guest speakers and other events.

Aggies for CureDuchenne (ACD) is a new student organization at UC Davis that centers on building a community for children with Duchenne.

“We help put on fundraisers for CureDuchenne charity to help them find a cure, and the unique part of the club is we are setting up a social support network for local boys and men who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” said Alyssa Valentine, a thirdyear genetics and psychology double major and the president of ACD. “We are basically going to try to make them feel as normal as possible, hang out with them, just set up fun events like movie nights and video game tournaments to give them a sense of belonging that sometimes they don’t get from their peers because of their physical disabilities.”

ACD personalizes its events and activities to individual interests.

“Each person who has Duchenne is different, and what their wants are changes, like if they like sports we try to get them out to football or basketball games. We tailor it to each person,” said Ramsey Hufford, a fourth-year religious studies major and the vice president of ACD. ACD is currently on the lookout for new Aggies wanting to join.

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WARNING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

On behalf of the International Center, Vice Provost and Associate Chancellor of Global Affairs Joanna Regulska responded to the fliers with concern.

“Across Global Affairs and at the International Center, we are committed to the UC Davis Principles of Community, which reflects the ideals we seek to uphold in creating an inclusive and vibrant community — and describes the principles we are pleased to see here most often,” Regulska said via email. “We do not support intolerance of any kind,

including on fliers. Instead, [we] encourage discussion among our diverse UC Davis community, one that we are proud is comprised of individuals having many perspectives, and coming from a variety of backgrounds.”

The Islamic Center of Davis also responded, taking a stance against “hate and intolerance.”

“Our action in light of incidents like this is to educate people about us and about tolerance,” the Islamic Center wrote via email.

HOUSING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

housing for all new students and half of the overall student population. The university has agreed to house 90 percent of new students and 40 percent of the total student population, placing the burden of housing these remaining 10 and 60 percents on the students themselves and the city.

“We understand that economists and urban planners consider a vacancy rate of 5 percent to be the ideal balance between the interests of the landlord and tenant,” said Emily Galindo, the executive director of Student Housing and Dining Services, in an email interview. “Based on that, the low rental vacancy rate has its greatest impact on our students. In addition to our recent projects, we have plans for new residence

halls in the Cuarto area and new apartments at the Orchard Park site and in West Village.”

At 0.2 percent, Davis’s rental vacancy rate is 25 times lower than the healthy 5 percent that Galindo recommends. The university has continued work on a Long Range Development Plan to create more housing for students. The city has approved a plan for Sterling Apartments and is looking into a project called “Lincoln 40” on Olive Drive as well as a proposal for Nishi Apartments in a field on Olive Drive and Richards Boulevard. The City Council, The Vanguard, ASUCD and the university have all focused their efforts on creating more housing opportunities for students and other potential residents alike.

MOMIX

Kudiyattam

Kudiyattam is the last living representative of the classical, 2000-year-old form of Sanskrit drama. This is a rare chance to behold one of India’s oldest living theatrical traditions.

Free Pre-performance Talk by Professor David Shulman • 7PM

FRI-SAT, NOV 3-4 • 8PM

UC Davis Student tix only $10

MENTAL HEALTH

MOMIX

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

But the Mental Health Initiative offers more resources than the conference in January. It is also responsible for an entire month’s worth of workshops centered around healing, understanding and self care in May, which is the national month of mental health awareness.

“Every single day [in May] we have multiple workshops,” Tyagi said. “There’s the LGBTQ workshops and there’s just workshops oriented toward women. We’re trying to incorporate and make it more inclusive for the male-identifying gender as well, because we realize there’s not enough talk for them. There’s [also] ‘knowing your rights’ [and] healing workshops. You can do Question, Persuade and Refer training, which is suicide prevention, and mental health awareness training, which is open to anyone.”

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ing that reads, “If you see a turtle on a fence post, it didn’t get there on its own.” The new chancellor also talked about his belief in a strong work ethic, the power of education and the importance of diversity.

“With diversity comes a wider and more interesting range of experiences, ideas, opinions and perceptions,” May said. “The greater the mix, the more likely we will make discoveries and solve problems — the hallmark of academic excellence.”

The address continued with May’s recognition of UC Davis’ world-renowned reputation and its potential for continued worldwide impact.

“I have heard many alumni and others describe Davis as kind of a ‘sleeping giant,’ a powerful institution that is yet to show the full extent of its power,” May said. “Well I’m here to tell you it’s time for this giant to wake up. Whether it’s our record fundraising, our record research expenditures, our athletics teams making campus history, our noteworthy achievements in scholarships or our overall ranking as a top-10 public research university, UC Davis is unmistakably on the rise.”

In closing, May delivered his slogan: “I am ready to help UC Davis go boldly, as no university has gone before.”

After May’s speech, attendees stood for the performance of the UC Alma Mater “Hail to California,” which was followed by the recession of the UC deans, chancellors, regents and senior leaders.

Guests were then invited to a reception outside of Jackson Hall, where they could meet other attendees and UC Davis community members.

Jones’ words from the beginning of the ceremony summed up the Investiture’s common theme — “Chancellor May has made an immediate impact on our campus and on our region. His openness, his candor and his sense of humor have appealed to everyone he’s met.”

DIWALI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

erpretation on the typical Hindi movie dance moves.

The group of women soon had the stage overflowing with people after inviting audience members to participate in a demo filled with a medley of popular remixed Hindi songs.

Ayal Vishnitzer, a Los Angeles-based composer, treated the audience to an eclectic performance on the electric guitar. The renowned musician performed for the first time here at UC Davis and was met with an enthusiastic round of applause.

“The initial goal was [to] invite some of the performers to perform some Indian dance or Indian music, and then we thought of [going] toward the Western [side of ] things, so we invited Ayal,” Sarangi said.

Toward the end of the lineup, solo artist and current UC Davis student Miran Solanki, a third-year design and computer science double major, sang three well-known Hindi music songs.

The dancer-illusionists of MOMIX bring the landscape of the American Southwest to life through a new rendition of the troupe’s classic Opus Cactus.

WED, NOV 8 • 7PM

UC Davis Student tix start at $12.50

Pete Souza

Former chief official White House photographer takes us on a visual tour of key moments in Obama’s presidency and shares his recollections.

FRI, DEC 1 • 8PM

UC Davis Student tix start at $15

UC Davis students:

• Your first ticket is FREE! • 50% off all tickets, everyday

INVESTITURE daughters Simone and Jordan. LaShelle delivered a heartfelt letter to her husband in which she said “the bottom line is [that in] my very short time here at Davis I have realized this is a family community, and in my eyes, UC Davis is getting a remarkable family man.”

During the event, Fred Taverner, a board director of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and a UC Davis alumnus, commented on his impression of May thus far.

“I met [May] yesterday and spoke with him about his projects during a meet-and-greet session,” Taverner said. “[May] is from Georgia Tech and turned around their College of Engineering there. I found him to be very personable [and] very intelligent, and I think he will be a good addition to this campus.”

G. Wayne Clough, May’s longtime friend and colleague from Georgia Tech, presented after the May family. Clough, the President Emeritus of Georgia Tech and former secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, said that May’s experiences in Georgia will help the him adapt to “opportunities and challenges” that UC Davis will face going forward.

Napolitano gave a short address before presenting May with the Chancellor’s Medal: “We are indeed fortunate to gain a chancellor whose accomplishments, breadth of academic and administrative experience and distinguished record of public service [will contribute] to the role of UC Davis chancellor.”

May’s inaugural address came directly after the presentation of the Chancellor’s Medal. He spent time thanking friends, family and colleagues from UC Davis and Georgia Tech for standing by him in his career. To recognize the support he has received throughout his life, May referenced a Southern say-

Opus Cactus

While the Mental Health Initiative may be a new group on campus, it is bringing positive awareness to a topic that affects many students at UC Davis through the Mental Health Conference. The team members of the initiative hope to see mental health become a normalized conversation in the future, something that anyone can talk about intelligently and comfortably.

“There [are] so many workshops happening, a lot of people are actually learning about the student health and counseling center,” Tyagi said. “We’re reaching out to freshman and making sure that they’re aware of [mental health], so that if ever in the future they need to go to [counseling], they can.

It’s really motivating to see that people are talking about mental health.”

“I performed at a number of [...] other IGSA events before,” Solanki said. “[The audience members] were amazing. They all came to support, and I knew a lot of them, so it was great to see everybody having a great time. The highlight for me [was] the last song where I saw people clapping and dancing.”

Sarangi said that overall, the event was a success based on positive feedback from the audience.

“We had a feedback form [which] everyone submitted [...and] most of the people liked the event,” Sarangi said. “There [were] some [...] technical glitches with the sound, [...] but otherwise [the audience] was super happy with the performances, and it was a variety of performances.”

The IGSA hosts Diwali Night annually and plans to hold next year’s event in early October 2018. Its next major event, Holi, the Indian festival of colors, will take place in early March 2018.

Restrictions apply. See mondaviarts.org/uc-davis-students for details.

Aggie DUE: Run: NOV 2, 2017 5.8125 x10.75

Production: Erin Kelley 530.754.5427

eekelley@ucdavis.edu

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

ARTS & Culture KY L A ROU N DS / AG GIE

N ICKI PA DA R / AGG IE F IL E

Upcoming Movies for November Diverse movies for all

BY CAR AJ OY KLEI NR OCK arts@theaggie.org

Sacramento Arts Festival celebrates 20th anniversary Festival to showcase variety of local art

BY SY D N EY OD M A N & JOSH M A D RI D arts@theaggie.org

Just in time for the holiday season, this year’s 20th annual Sacramento Arts Festival, with 225 vendors and over 15,000 original works this year, will feature a vast selection

of elaborate and one-of-a-kind artworks, including jewelry, ceramics, clothing, furniture, woodworks, drawings, paintings, sculptures and photography. Artists come locally and from across the nation to showcase their talent and hardwork.

“People come by my booth, and we just talk about travel and share

TREVO R GO O D M AN / AGGI E

Andrew Bird displays eclectic music style Singer-songwriter performs folky pop with multiple instruments

BY R OWA N O’CO NNE L L- GAT E S arts@theaggie.org

On Sunday, Oct. 22, Andrew Bird’s tour stopped by UC Davis at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. Bird, an acclaimed violinist and whistler, presented a three-part performance with a visual solo act as

that love,” said local photographer Darlene Riel. “My photos remind them of where they’ve been, which is really the reason why I do these shows.”

Riel has been showcasing her photography for over 30 years, participating in a variety of local art shows and events. Her work can be

well as a complete band and acoustic set.

As I took my seat in the Mondavi Center, I overheard the couple in front of me apprehensively discuss whether they should have taken a chance on Bird. A unique artist in his own right, Bird is certainly not for everyone. But by the end of the night, the couple (much like the rest of the audience) had little reason to doubt the musician.

As the lights dimmed, Bird didn’t waste time establishing his style and winning over the crowd. He began the performance with his signature violin plucking, an unorthodox style in which he plays the violin like a guitar. Just as the crowd adjusted to his rhythmic plucking, Bird added another intriguing element.

A series of short films were projected behind Bird as he played. The films, titled “Echolocations,” consisted of Bird playing songs from his instrumental album of the same name in various locations such as the Los Angeles River and Coyote Gulch in Utah. The films combined real-time shots with scenes of a linear topographical map of the area in which Bird was playing, creating a psychedelic experience.

Bird, who played both guitar and vio-

S I C K S P I TS / CO U RT E SY

Sick Spits: UC Davis’ spoken word collective Davis student poets provide community, safe space

BY CEC I L I A M O RA L E S A N D C AR OL I N E RUT T EN arts@theaggie.org

Community and accessibility are not qualities often associated with poetry. Most of the time it is feelings of alienation derived from frustration, confu-

sion and an unavoidable aura of elusiveness. This attachment of exclusivity to the medium is hard to detach because it requires a willingness and commitment to view it in another light, a personal investment in something that may just further alienate you in the end. However, Sick Spits, a poetry collective at UC Davis, can make this jump from estrangement to a form of expression you can actually appreciate easy and worthwhile.

For Matt Fyhrie, a fourth-year material science and engineering major and “honorary member” of Sick Spits, the community was immediately welcoming. His first open mic night involved a debut poem about marmots casually getting it on 10,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains as they

found in places such as Davis’ Avid Reader and the Auburn Old Town Gallery of Fine Art. Riel is also a retired employee of UC Davis, having worked at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine as a registered veterinary technician for over 20 years.

SAC ARTS on 11

lin during his set, is a man of many instruments. In addition, he consistently implemented whistling into his songs. His live performances emulate his studio work through his use of music looping. This allows him to start a plucking bass line, loop it, and add whistling, conventional violin or even guitar. This effect sets Bird apart from many other artists.

After establishing his solo presence, Bird invited out his band to play songs from his new album “Are You Serious.” Bird also brought out Jonathan Richman, a close friend and a famed songwriter. The two performed three acoustic songs together.

With this new infusion of musicians, Bird upped the energy — and the crowd loved it.

Coupling his unique picking and classical violin skills with up-tempo drum beats and great bass, Bird captivated his audience for the next hour — only stopping to unplug and perform acoustically.

Much to the delight of the crowd, Bird capped off the night with an enlivened rendition of his hit single “Pulaski at BIRD on 11

This November, there are a lot of highly anticipated movies being released in theaters — a variety of movies to choose from that will help distract you from the hell that is the middle of the quarter. (Disclosure: Ticket prices at Regal theaters are $5 on Tuesdays.)

Don’t forget: critically acclaimed fan-favorite Netflix series Stranger Things had Season 2 released on Oct. 27.

Nov. 3 Thor: Ragnarok — This is the third movie in the Thor franchise. For those who want some action, this is for you. There are expected to be a lot of hidden surprises and cameos from other Avengers films.

A Bad Moms Christmas — This hilarious and raunchy movie is great for a girls night out. The first movie was unexpectedly funny, and this one will likely improve.

The characters’ moms join the cast for this sequel, which will only lead to even more memorable scenes than the first.

Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is a hit.

This indie movie will satisfy your appetite if you are looking for something different. Saoirse Ronan plays a teenage girl who is rebellious and deeply opinionated while attending a Catholic high school. She faces the same stress as many high school students, making this film relatable to most.

Nov. 10 Murder on the Orient Express — This film has a stellar cast, which includes Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer and many others. The plot is a race for time as the characters attempt to identify the murderer among them. The film is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name.

Nov. 17 Wonder — Get ready to cry. The power of kindness is the key to this movie. Starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts, this movie is about a young boy who has a disfigured face and has difficulty making friends in his first year of school.

Nov. 24 Call Me by Your Name — This movie takes place in the French countryside, involving a high school boy who starts a relationship with an older man who is staying with his family for the summer. This is a movie about self-realization and showcases struggles faced by the gay community.

enjoyed the beautiful scenery. This story well exemplifies the welcoming, relaxed community feel of Sick Spits and the ease with which they make poetry come alive.

Reyna Adams, the president of Sick Spits and a fourth-year English and psychology double major, describes Sick Spits as having five core crew numbers, but notes that this can fluctuate. The core members are tasked with keeping the collective afloat by sharing roles such as secretary and treasurer, etc. The group plans events such as laidback open mics which held every first and third Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. They also host workshops, quarterly slams and collaborations.

Fyhrie commented on how slams are a little different than the casual setups Sick Spits usually hosts.

“Most of the open mic nights are not competitive, it is just people coming, healing, and sharing their space,” Fyhrie said. “But once a quarter everyone comes and [...] brings their best, and there is a competition at the end of the night. [...] You get to see how much talent is in the people you know and who are around you, it is mind blowing.”

Slams are held once every quarter, but throughout the rest of the school year, the community primarily bonds through open mics.

“What happens here stays here because we want it to feel safe [...] we are not going to go around sharing your stories or name with other people,” Adams said.

This standard translates into being a “safer space” as Adams coined it.

“We don’t want anyone to feel like they are not welcome, that they are not surrounded by people who are willing to support them,” Adams said. “When it comes to wanting to share your love and your truth

and your story we welcome that. We ask if anyone comes to an open mic night and feels threatened that they talk to us about it with our community members [...].”

Creating a safer space allows performers to be vulnerable on stage through a variety of art forms, such as improv comedy, standup comedy and even interpretive dance. The freedom that comes with this platform often results in a clash between the safety and acceptance that core members seek to uphold and the first amendment right to free speech.

“The voices that are not usually heard are the under represented ones, the queer ones, people of color,” Fyhrie said. “Sick Spits and those voices are so easily drowned out by narratives of hate and violence.

Sick Spits is a place for you to share whatever you want but we are trying to make it for voices that are not usually heard.”

Participating in an open mic night includes agreeing to be respectful and welcoming in the space.

“But when you are coming into a space like Sick Spits, you are entering a social contract,” Adams said.

“When you come to this space and you want to use our equipment and time [...] you are implicitly agreeing to our guidelines.”

When considering the unique perspectives and life situations of performers, intolerance of hate is essential for them to be confident and spill magic off the stage.

“I write really well after heartbreak,” Agrawal said.

“I write a lot about what is going on around me in the world — the environment, being a woman of color, being bisexual [...] I wrote about SICK SPITS on 12

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

FOOD BANK

ASK HISTORIAN

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we have now into the food bank of the future — as we like to think of it — to serve the community for the next 20 to 25 years with this new facility.”

The food bank, with the help of funding, will broaden its scope to provide the best possible foods for those who really need it.

“We hope to expand from a passive, charitable organization to a more proactive and sustainable model,” Sanchez said.

Linda Zablotny-Hurst, a director of development for the organization, explained how the Walmart grant will impact the community.

“Walmart has several different grant or giving opportunities,” Zablotny-Hurst said. “Not all grants are going to be in interested in food security or nutrition [...] one of [Walmart’s focus] areas was on health and nutrition for children. We have our kids’ farmers markets, for example, and we are exploring funding for those programs, so we wrote for a grant asking for money from them to help support the kids’ farmers markets.”

Not only does the food bank have to consider the amount of food it gives out, it must also make sure the food it receives helps benefit the community as much as possible.

“We’re always looking for ways to serve our clients better to help them get healthy and nutritious foods,” Zablotny-Hurst said. “In the last few years, our focus has been increasing the amount of fresh produce we make available. In the next few years, we hope to keep increasing that amount. We are also pursuing [...] a way to renew our food drive. Instead of accepting all types of food, we will be concentrating on 12 to 15 items that are particularly nutritious and needed, like canned tuna, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables [and] beans.”

The Yolo Food Bank offers many people a chance at finding themselves again amid difficult situations.

“Helping people really gives purpose to my life, and I think we need more compassion in the world to help people to at least level the playing field so they have the opportunity to get a better life,” Zablotny-Hurst said. “Getting people food is the most basic need [...] which can allow them to concentrate on getting a better job or being engaged in their kid’s school. When you don’t have to worry about where your next meal comes from, you can then turn your attention to doing a lot of other things that help make your life better.”

cist ideas in this country.

“There’s a tendency we have [to think] about ourselves as an enlightened country,” Biale said. “I think it’s really important for us to be aware of the dark chapters in our own history.”

Current political disputes, such as the controversy over preserving Confederate statues, were discussed by history professor Gregory Downs. An analysis into the hatred of minorities throughout history was discussed by history professor Susan Miller.

Conversations over the government’s treatment of refugees and Mexican immigrants were also addressed and then explored further in group discussions following the talks. Groups were composed of small clusters of roughly 10 individuals, including at least one of the speaking professors.

“I think the number of students that came shows that there are a lot of students interested in these questions,” Downs said. “My hope is that there are a range of ways that students are working out to talk to each other.”

McKee also said she was pleasantly surprised by the

turnout and hopes to see more opportunities for peaceful dialogue between students and faculty in the future.

Biale, Downs, Miller and McKee all spoke to the importance of meaningful communication with students in a time when hatred toward minorities and the mishandling of history has become increasingly prominent.

Faculty members involved made themselves available to answer ideological questions in a way a classroom setting might otherwise not have provided.

“Professors in my day were not interactive,” Miller said. “Having this kind of open discussion where students and faculty are at least accessible to each other was really, very special.”

The four professors also stated their observations about the willingness of students to approach and condemn racism, xenophobia and white nationalism.

“This is the way we send a message that the university and its students are taking all these issues very seriously and are going to resist,” Miller said. “We want to give them the tools so that they can go out and debate.”

IRVIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

FIRE RELIEF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

of Santa Rosa on the night that the fires encroached, emphasized the importance of both monetary donations and communities for healing. Kezer actively initiated this kind of support system through his creation of a rideshare page on Facebook for students with families in the Santa Rosa area. “[Students from Santa Rosa] could talk to each other and communicate and know that people are on the move, people are aware of what’s happening and they can at least care more than someone that might not be from the area could even potentially care,” Kezer said. “It was kind of just more or less a place where people could know they weren’t alone.”

While grassroots support systems like the rideshare page developed, UC Davis Student Affairs has resources for those seriously impacted by the fire, whether monetarily or emotionally. Evacuation centers also populate the affected counties where organizations like the American Red Cross are providing practical resources.

Kezer recounts driving by a major evacuation center in his hometown which was ridden with tents and the suffering of recent disaster.

“You could feel the emotion, you could feel the community coming together, which was really great,” Kezer said. “Then when you were in areas that weren’t really affected it felt so eerily normal [...] I think everyone’s kind of doing what they can to help everyone else that was affected more so than they were, but you have to get back to work, you have to get back to school, you just kind of have to move forward.”

Erica Larson, a third-year managerial economics major, had returned to Davis from her home in Sonoma the day before the fires began and woke up Monday around 4 a.m. to a barrage of missed texts and calls.

“My house didn’t get hit or anything, but just from where they were there was a fire probably like half a mile away,” Larson said. “They could see it when they were evacuating.”

While the impact of the emergencies was inevitably felt in the counties affected, it is difficult to be as aware of the tragedy from a distance. Larson expressed being shocked by the normalcy of her Monday morning in Davis, a sentiment echoed by the sometimes isolated voices on Kezer’s rideshare page.

“It’s hard,” Larson said. “You don’t know how it feels and there’s nothing you can really do or say to give them back their house.”

This disconnect between bystanders and victims is mirrored by the experience of those from Northern California counties affected compared to the general UC Davis community. Kezer recounts returning to Davis the morning after the fires began. He went to class following a shift at work and expressed regret for his uncharacteristic behavior to colleagues, admitting he was distracted by the fires. They responded, to his surprise, with ignorance of the tragedy.

“I think everyone’s kind of doing what they can to help everyone else that was affected more so than they were, but you have to get back to work, you have to get back to school, you just kind of have to move forward,” Kezer said.

Although his memories of the fire and its devastation are haunting, Kezer believes that the community will rebuild itself. To aid in this, UC Davis has counseling available for students and professors are ready to alert crisis management teams on students in need of support. If the way in which local organizations, such as Larson’s sorority and Kezer’s rideshare page, have rallied together is any indication of the momentum toward change, counties will recover.

DRIVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

candidates running for office. It’s bigger than that.

It affects us all — regardless of our political affiliations.

Pollution kills nine million people a year, according to a recent study conducted by “The Lancet” in 2015. The study revealed that poor air quality contributed the most to pollution-related deaths in over 130 countries.

Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator, discussed the importance of the study in thinking about climate change.

“There will be more contagious and infectious diseases. There will be more lives lost, more injuries, if we don’t identify a path that gets us out of the hole that we’re in,” McCarthy said.

The Lancet study shows just part of the problem, though. It can’t really capture what the world will look like if we don’t ease the problem we’ve created.

It’s difficult to imagine a world where kids can’t play outside because of poor air quality, a world depleted of plants and wildlife, with less beaches and more natural disasters.

Some recent developments have only worsened the magnitude of our problem. Earlier this year, the National Health Institute removed climate “change” references from its website. While the group claimed the edits were minor, the choice reflects an attitude that permeates the public sphere. Climate change has become a hot-button issue.

The EPA also removed over 200 pages of climate change-related information from their website, including pages that discussed how local governments could prepare for extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change — a scary fact given the nation’s recent wildfires and hurricanes.

But there’s still hope. The House Climate Solutions Caucus, the first bipartisan caucus on climate change, has 50 members. If average Americans can learn to agree about climate change, maybe we can make a difference.

If we’re too busy arguing, we won’t be able to help each other. We won’t be able to save our little blue planet or preserve our quality of life.

Let’s make peace before the aliens get here.

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“The thing I’m most looking forward to is seeing the artists do well,” said Sacramento Arts Festival producer Warren Cook. “It’s hard to be an artist these days.”

Also featured at the festival will be local woodworker David Levy. Levy has been involved in woodworking for over 40 years and is no stranger to art shows. Throughout his career, Levy, who is based out of Woodland, has participated in many art festivals in Sacramento, Mill Valley, Sausalito and beyond.

“I like to make functional artwork that can be enjoyed in the home but also allow the person that buys it to be creative with it,” Levy said. “For example, the

Trivet Susan set that I make allows the customer to create their own design.”

In addition to the various art booths at the event, the Sacramento Arts Festival will also feature live music and food of all kinds. Bands such as the GG Amos Blues Band and The Kurt Ribak Jazz Quartet will provide live entertainment for all visitors throughout the event. Attendees will also get a chance to participate in a raffle to win special works and prizes from the artists.

The festival will take place from Nov. 3 to 5 at the Sacramento Convention Center. For ticket information, visit the festival’s website.

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Night.” The song injected new life into the onlookers, who implored Bird and his band to perform an encore. After the obligatory walk off stage, they hap-

pily returned with more music. In his final song of the night, Bird left the audience as he had first greeted them, with a picking of his violin.

with alternative forms of training — those with liberal arts degrees, for example.

Cuban praised the critical thinking skills cultivated by a liberal arts education, citing organizations like Americorps, which use these skills to great effect in grassroots communities.

Cuban argues from an economic standpoint, but a business-focused approach isn’t the only way to see the liberal arts in a positive light. Society is weakened if we ignore the benefits of a well-rounded liberal arts education.

Such an education generally involves reading, writing, discussing and a lot of critical thinking.

These are skills vital to an educated public, through which creative ideas flow continuously.

STEM and the liberal arts represent two sides of the same coin: while STEM fields provide a means of figuring out how the world works using empirical data, the liberal arts offer a way to communicate that knowledge to others.

If the sciences rely on discovering truth to create a better world, the liberal arts provide a means of creativity and questioning that becomes necessary when the world has no truthful answers to give.

Where STEM gives us data and ostensible solutions, the liberal arts give us ethics. Where STEM gives us roads and vaccines, the liberal arts give us culture and meaning.

Meaning is subjective, of course, but it plays an

important role in balancing a world where the objective truth gets center stage. Musical performances and stories can provide meaning or analysis in their purest forms. A landscape painting or a documentary that offers unique interpretations of war can elicit certain emotions that transcend the objectivity of science. These are all rooted in the liberal arts.

Of course, the world needs science and technology. Scientific discoveries have generally made the world a better place to live. But we need the flipside as well. A world without literature, language or logic lacks the creative spirit vital to bridging differences and enhancing our way of life beyond the reach of science.

Diplomacy, as well as the world’s legal codes and systems of government, traces its foundation to the thought processes inherent to the liberal arts. In an otherwise disorderly society, the disciplines of creative thought and rhetoric can help keep things in check.

The sciences and the humanities are complementary, a sort of yin and yang that falters when one takes precedence over the other. If Cuban is right — that the liberal arts will experience a resurgence in the coming years — perhaps not all is lost. The flight path will correct itself, if you will, and the “no-bullshit” view of the liberal arts will once again receive proper recognition. It’s the best way forward.

PACHECO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

to share with their followers. A majority of these posts are “selfies,” and with the number of filters and edits that can be applied, it’s easy for someone to manipulate their self-image to “perfection.” Scrolling through pictures of people who appear put together can lead users to jump right into forming comparisons. Being solely a feed of photos, Instagram provides the most space for people to display their most attractive features and appealing adventures. These refined images can affect anyone who opens their social media apps and can consequently lower self-esteem.

Matters are made worse when the viewer sees the amount of attention and “likes” the post receives.

Jealousy can also result when friends on social me-

dia appear more popular and attractive, which can trigger feelings of loneliness. On Instagram, users pay particular attention to the appearance of their profiles — aiming to include only eye-catching, high-quality photos.

Because social media platforms often exclusively display the good side of life, users shouldn’t allow what people post to impact their emotional wellbeing.

Reconditioning ourselves to avoid getting intensely drawn into status updates and profiles pictures will allow us to maintain our mental health. Social media does not reveal everything about a person, so the content that’s shared shouldn’t make people think less about who they are and what they do possess.

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“You’re going to make a difference in somebody’s life and you’re just going to be having fun and hanging out with somebody, but at the same time it’s going to be making a huge impact,” Valentine said.

ACD is currently working with a power soccer team that consists of people who are in power wheelchairs. Based in Sacramento, the team holds practices

in Davis.

Along with raising funds for CureDuchenne, Aggies can get involved by spreading awareness and empowering people with Duchenne “There is something for everybody,” Hufford said.

More information can be found on the club’s Facebook page.

POLO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

cases,” Addington said. “They just come to practice, grind every day, put it all out there, and they’re just awesome guys.”

Despite all these festivities, and the sentimental goodbyes to their home crowd, the season is not over.

The Aggies have three more games on the road before they head into the postseason, and Leyson hopes to build off their now eight-game winning streak going

forward into the final three games of regular season, two of which are against their conference opponents.

“There’s always things we can get better at,” Leyson said. “Our goal is to win, and that’s what we want to do, and there’s a lot of things that we can work on.”

The Aggies will travel to Loyola Marymount today and will play at UC San Diego on Nov. 4.

12 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SICK SPITS

AMY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

body issues once and I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk about that before but it was a good space to do it because I could talk about it and get it out of the way — but no one has to ask me about it later.”

Yet the pressure is also off on making sure you arrive at a substantial social commentary, truth or existential revelation in your work.

Every syllable uttered from your lips is valid and supported. The community is there for its members no matter what.

This is especially important in making sure everyone, from all backgrounds, humanities to STEM, are encouraged to release their thoughts.

“All the happiest and most engaged and smiling enthusiastic engineers in my program are the ones who do something else on the side,” Fyhrie said. “All these people in science have these untapped feelings that they don’t know how to get out [...] Everyone wants the ability to say ‘I feel bad, I have these concerns, listen to me.’”

In showcasing student perspectives, Sick Spits fulfills a niche and creates a mutually beneficial experience. Students can enjoy artfully delivered stories of their peers’ lives and can therapeutically let go of some of their own insights. The collective welcomes everyone with open arms who desires an outlet for creativity or simply wants to be an audience member.

Although this tends not to be the case, Adams details how people often change their minds about passive enjoyment and choose to

actively participate instead.

“We always start off our open mic nights with a half full roster, but by the end more and more people want to perform,” Adams said.

“People get inspired by poets. I have seen people shake the whole time and thank us later for providing that space.”

But if stage fright still has you worried, Fyhrie has some advice.

“I think [you can be] nervous to perform something very vulnerable about yourself, but the more you get the wind knocked out of you and the more you perform, the best way to not be nervous about it is to just jump right into cold water,” Fyhrie said.

The beauty of poetry and spoken word lies in how deeply personal it is, while simultaneously tying people together. It also sprouts from the simplicity of everyday life, allowing for everyday thoughts to take on a breath of life.

Sick Spits takes those elements of connection and accessibility and runs with them. Doing so provides a platform by which you can express yourself, as well as a community of caring, warm people to share it with.

“No plant would grow without nitrogen fixing bacteria,” Fyhrie said. “I’d like to think about ourselves [Sick Spits] as beneficial bacteria. Small but crucial work.”

Keep up with Sick Spits on its Facebook page for event information.

TENNIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

some confidence-boosting victories on the singles side as well. “[The freshman] are great,” Maze said. “They’re fun to be around. They’ve got the right attitude, they’re soaking it all up. They’re good in both singles and doubles. I think they’re really going to help us.

It’s going to be tough for them to make the starting lineup but they got shots [to do that] for sure.”

As a senior and a co-captain, Green plays a major role in facilitating the development of these younger players –– a role that she embraces. She remembers when she was in Hall and Walker’s shoes just a few seasons ago; a young collegiate athlete who “looked up” to the experienced members of the team. Green is now one of those experienced players who hopes to shape the freshman into better versions of themselves. She realizes that best way for her to achieve this is by representing UC Davis well and “leading by example.”

“Honestly, I think our freshman are very good,” Green added. “They’re very self-sustaining people. It’s not much of a challenge [to lead them]. It’s just steering them, saying ‘Okay, this is what we’re doing today –– this is how we treat this situation, this is what we do on these occasions.’ They’re ready for any sort of challenge we throw at them, they’re fitting right in and they’re ready to go to. It’s really fun when your freshman come in ready like that, it makes our job easy.”

Green and her fellow seniors, Kristy Jorgensen and Jessie Lee, will have plenty of time to lead their younger teammates over the next several months. The period between now and January is what Maze calls the “dog days.” Maze knows that with no tournaments coming up and December finals looming, it can be a challenge at times for the team to remain sharp on the court. But with this particular team’s work

ethic and passion for tennis, Maze feels “the most comfortable” he has ever felt.

“The challenge the last several years, for me personally, has been to look at it as a growth period,” Green explained. “You have a solid month of practice to really work on getting better at something before the season starts, because once you hit season, it’s more about maintaining [...] Like [Maze] said, our team is going to have zero problems playing. We’re all very competitive people. We don’t want to come back [from break] and realize, ‘Man, I’m a little out of shape, I’m not performing as well as I used to and this person next to me is beating at all these things they didn’t beat me in before.’

There’s always that friendly competition, we love competing with each other.”

With players who possess a mindset like Green’s, it is easy to see why Maze is so excited about the upcoming season. The atmosphere of hard work and competition surrounding his team this year has led Maze to buy into this squad’s potential to compete at a high level. Maze, who has over two decades of coaching experience, explained how his team’s love for the game is extreme.

“I’ve been here a long time, but [this is] unusual,” Maze said. “I think now we can be in the top half. What is that thing? It’s an intangible.

It’s sort of an attitude and I can’t really tell you what it is, but it’s there. I know it when I see it [...] I’m chomping at the bit.”

This year, the Aggies aim to build off last year’s 15-10 record –– the program’s first winning season since 2011. The way that the team has performed this October is certainly a step in that direction. The competitive drive, along with the mix of young and experienced players, will make this team one to watch come January.

watch him be that vulnerable and tender about how he felt about the perfect game and the people around him… I thought he was exceptional in his reflection about that game.”

Gutierrez also addressed issues that women face in the sports broadcasting field. “[There is] the pressure to be perfect in your delivery,” Gutierrez said. “I do not have the room for error. There is not a margin of error for me. I have enough respect now that if I mess up, I mess up, but it’s social media that crushes you. If I make the same mistake as a man, if I say the wrong name, I am crushed. That’s the issue we’re still tackling.

That is where I would like to see it be more equal.”

She also discussed the issues that many professional women face: being a working mother. Because of the long hours that her career demands, Gutierrez prioritizes being there for her children and chose to write her series of “Smarty Marty” books as a way to stay connected to her family and children, who inspired the characters in the books.

“My philosophy on balance as a working mother is you better really love what you do,” Gutierrez said. “Be-

cause you have to leave the most precious people in your life to go do it. And there is nothing worse than them holding your leg when you’re trying to get to work. [But they] saw that I loved what I do. It is being present, being in the moment.”

The struggles and issues that a lot of women, Gutierrez said, face in the workplace resonated with the students and faculty at the event.

“She is so inspiring to me because she is a woman in a career where men dominate,” Garcia-Espino said. “Not only that, but she is also a wife and mother off of the field.

With Amy G. being an alumni of UC Davis and in a career that is so fulfilling, this makes me feel like with hard work I can aspire to achieve my dreams even if I am a woman.”

Gutierrez ended the event by answering the question that is currently at the forefront of every baseball fan’s mind: who is going to win the 2017 World Series?

“I actually think the Dodgers are going to win,” Gutierrez said, much to the displeasure of the Giants fans in the room. “But I would like Houston to win for their community. It’s going to be a great series.”

FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

A fumble on the next Cal Poly possession set up a 31yard field goal from sophomore kicker Max O’Rourke, giving the Aggies a 31-14 lead. Facing this 17-point deficit, the Mustangs decided to start pounding the UC Davis defense with their misdirection running game. Cal Poly ran the ball on 13 of its 14 plays on its next drive, but again ended up coughing up the football –– this time on the UC Davis nine yard line. This second Mustang turnover preserved UC Davis’ lead going into the break, but the Aggies had an opportunity to add to their lead just before the half. Maier, staying aggressive as he often does, tried to force the ball downfield on the Aggies’ next possession, but was picked off in the endzone by a Cal Poly defender.

At the outset of the contest, UC Davis looked as if it was going to run away with the game. But the Aggies’ 21-point lead slowly evaporated as the game progressed, especially in the game’s second half.

Cal Poly opened the third quarter with a seven play, 75-yard drive that culminated in the team’s third touchdown. Just two plays later, Maier threw his second interception of the game and momentum really looked to be tilting in Cal Poly’s direction. The UC Davis defense, however, quickly shut down the next Mustang possession, forcing a punt after three plays.

The Aggies then drove 87 yards on their next drive, sparked by another big catch-and-run by Moore, who juked defenders and sprinted down to the Cal Poly eight yard line for a gain of 56. But UC Davis would come away with no points on this possession, as the team failed to convert on fourth and goal from two yards out instead of electing for the short field goal try.

This third quarter drive would be the last genuine scoring opportunity for UC Davis, as Cal Poly’s defense tightened up for the remainder of the contest. The Mustang offense continued to play tough as well. On their ensuing drive, the Mustangs looked as if they were going to be forced to punt backed up in their own end, but a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the UC Davis defense kept the Cal Poly drive alive. The fresh start allowed the Mustangs to mount a 17-play, 99-yard

drive that spanned into the final frame. Cal Poly’s senior fullback, Jared Mohamed, rumbled his way into the endzone from 12 yards out to cap the drive and make it a 31-28 ballgame with 14 minutes to play.

While the UC Davis offense struggled to move the ball in the fourth quarter, it was the defense that kept the Aggies ahead. The Aggies stopped the Cal Poly offense on downs in each of the Mustangs’ final two possessions. Pass break-ups from junior defensive back Isiah Olave and senior defensive back Keleen Culberson were key in halting Cal Poly’s attempts to at least tie the game. It took a fair amount of drama –– perhaps more than expected –– but the Aggies walked off the field Saturday night with the win. While acknowledging that this was not his team’s cleanest game, Hawkins was satisfied with the victory.

“I was really happy that we were able to win and learn, instead of lose and learn,” Hawkins said. “There are lessons always from every game. It’s not an art contest. At the end of the day, we scored more points than they did and that’s kind of what we were trying to do. It’s been awhile since we got it done against those guys, so I’m just happy for the seniors to go out on a positive note that way.”

Junior wideout Keelan Doss, despite not scoring, finished the game with a team-leading 14 catches for 145 yards, putting him over 1,000 yards on the season. His fellow receiver, Moore, had a career-high 159 yards and two TDs. Maier completed 33 of 43 passes for a UC Davis Big Sky-era record 459 yards. On the defensive side, senior linebacker Ryan Bua also set a Big Sky-era record with 16 total tackles.

“I just want to say, about those 16 tackles,” Bua said.

“Some guy’s job is to sacrifice and take on a double team or submarine the blocks, so there’s a lot of sacrifice that goes into that.”

Currently ranked eighth in the Big Sky with a conference record of 2-3, UC Davis has some ground to cover in its final three games if it wants to move up in the standings. The Aggies will travel to Idaho State next Saturday and then return home for senior night against Southern Utah on Nov. 11.

The kickoff for this final home game is set for 4 p.m.

13 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS INFIELD REPORTER AMY GUTIERREZ COMES TO UC DAVIS

ZACK ZOLMER / AG GIE

UC Davis alumna speaks to students about career an SF Giants fan for a really long time,” said Deborah Kagan, a third-year communication major. “I always see Amy G. on their social media platforms, as well as the news, and I think what she does is really cool.

Being a communications major, seeing the many opportunities out there is interesting to me because I can shape my career in the direction I pick. Amy G.’s career path was so great to learn about.”

The event didn’t just attract communications or athletics-related majors with an interest in following Gutierrez’s footsteps. Gutierrez also drew in students who admired her because she is one of the faces of the San Francisco Giants.

“When I heard that Amy G. was coming, I was so excited.” said Ruth Garcia-Espino, a second-year political science major. “I always see her from a distance at the Giants games and the only time she was close to my seat, she was live on camera so I didn’t bother calling

BY LIZ JACOBSO N sports@theaggie.org

NBC Bay Area sports reporter Amy Gutierrez, better known as Amy G., returned to her alma mater, UC Davis, to talk with students about her life and career on Friday, Oct. 27. Gutierrez is a sideline reporter and covers the San Francisco Giants. She is also the author of the Smarty Marty children’s book series and owns a social media business that helps Petaluma business owners navigate their social media accounts.

In the Art Annex, students of all majors, some decked out in their San Francisco Giants gear, had an open discussion with Gutierrez about how she got to where she is today. Gutierrez gave advice and shared personal stories as she spoke.

“I came to see Amy G. because I am from San Francisco and I grew up there my whole life, so I have been

You’re going to be nervous until you’re not.

Know your sport and stick to what you know.

Be true to yourself.

You need to outwork and outlast.

her over. My family and I are huge Giants fans and we have followed the team for years. I actually found out through my mother, who is an alumna, that she was coming. I quickly adjusted my schedule and put the date on my calendar.”

Gutierrez graduated from UC Davis in 1995 with a B.A. in communication. A Bay Area native, Gutierrez chose to attend UC Davis because it reminded her of home. At UC Davis, she had the opportunity cultivate her passion for television. She participated in the UCDC program and interned for CNN in Washington, D.C. “I just really liked how I felt when I was here,” Gutierrez said. “I had the opportunity to play volleyball here, and honestly at that time, I did think about television. My mom will tell you how I used to play pretend news anchor in my room.”

Gutierrez just finished her 10th season and 11th year as an ingame reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area, but getting to this point in her career did not come easy — or quickly.

Before receiving an offer from Larry Baer, the chief executive officer of the San Francisco Giants, to cover the team, Gutierrez had worked retail, moved multiple

MEN’S WATER POLO GROUNDS THE SUNBIRDS

times and worked for KFTY Santa Rosa, NBC, Fox News L.A., and then NBC Sports Bay Area, all in producer roles. Her new position as an ingame reporter allowed Gutierrez to combine all of her skills.

Gutierrez reminisced about her favorite interviews to date.

“For so many years, I have said Jonathan Sánchez’s 2009 no-hitter [was my favorite interview],” Gutierrez said. “It was my favorite for so long because of the elements surrounding it. Most people do not know that Jonathan Sánchez was given that start as a final try to see if they were going to keep in the rotation; he was having a horrible season. His father flew in from Puerto Rico. He had never seen his son play in a Major League game and then watched him throw a no-hitter. And he ended up being an absolute hero. That moment launched his forever success as a Giant and it was my first milestone interview.”

“But I think I’ve trumped [the Jonathan Sánchez interview] with Matt Cain this year,” Gutierrez said. “[It] was one of the most emotional interviews I’ve ever conducted. Matt does not show emotion often, so to AMY on 12

A N H T RA M / AG GIE

Aggies extend winning streak to eight in final home game

BY B RA D L E Y G EI S E R sports@theaggie.org

Coming into its final home game against Fresno Pacific University, the UC Davis men’s water polo team was hoping to extend its seven game winning-streak as it headed into its final three games on the road before the Western Water Polo Association Championship. With the extra motivation of senior day and a large crowd behind them, the Aggies responded with a flurry, scoring 24 goals while allowing just two. It was an emotional day at the pool, especially for the seniors, as this would be the last time they performed in front of their home crowd. Head coach Dan Leyson heaped praise on to his team, acknowledging the heavy hearts.

“It’s a sentimental day,” Leysen said. “On one hand it’s great — the victory today was great — on the other hand I’m really going to miss these guys, so it’s a little bit — there’s kind of like some melancholy associated with it.”

That melancholy mood was not evident once the ball was dropped. The Aggies came out strong, and after four straight goals to kick off the first four minutes, the outcome was never in doubt. Sophomore center Eric Martel and junior attacker Marcus

Anderson led the Aggies with three goals apiece, with Anderson recording a hat trick. It was overall a team effort, however, as six other Aggies scored multiple goals themselves. This sort of offensive domination is a welcome sight for first-year goalkeeper Jonah Addington, who split time in the goal with junior R.J. Quigley.

Addington, who had three saves of his own, praised his team’s relentlessness in going after the other team’s goal, shooting the ball 38 times to get 24 goals.

“It makes things so much easier,” Addington said. “The game was flowing really well, and we were firing on all cylinders, so it was great.”

Though senior day is typically the final game for seniors such as center Morgan Olson-Fabbro, there’s still a possibility that the Aggies take their home pool one more time.

“Hopefully we can get one more if we can beat UOP and get that play-in game here,” Olson-Fabbro said. “But that’s looking a little far ahead.”

Senior day still added motivation for the Aggie team. Olson-Fabbro loved seeing the crowd fill up the stands and noted the benefits of having such a great support behind the team, noting that while it was bittersweet to know this could be the last time, it was a great

seniors on his team, Addington praised his teammates for all their years of hard work and relentless attitude toward building a winning culture which would spread throughout the team.

“They’ve stuck through it four years — five years for some of the other POLO on 11

GOLDEN HORSESHOE COMES HOME

DOG DAYS OF FALL Women’s tennis completes fall tournaments, looks forward to new season

UC Davis football defeats Cal Poly 31-28 on homecoming weekend

BY D OM I N I C FA RI A sports@theaggie.org

October is not usually considered the height of the tennis season. For the UC Davis women’s tennis team, however, playing autumn tennis is not such a strange concept, and is in fact an integral part of gearing up for a competitive regular season.

Over the course of October, the Aggies competed in three separate tournaments, all taking place in the Bay Area: The Cal Nike Invitational in Berkeley, the Saint Mary’s Invitational in Moraga and the International Tennis Association Northwest Regionals in Palo Alto.

While the regular season is still almost three months away, these fall events were the first opportunity for teams to gather invaluable, in-game experience for new players and to recalibrate into a competitive tennis mindset.

The Aggies, led by co-captains Lani-Rae Green and Kelsie Bryant, were largely successful in all three tournaments. The highlights for the Aggies, however, came in the Saint Mary’s tournament. In Moraga, sophomore Kristina Breisacher defeated top seeded singles player Elizaveta Volodko of UC Santa Barbara in a hard-fought three sets. Green also had a chance to defeat Volodko, as the two went head-to-head in the flight A singles final, but came up just shy of victory.

It was in the flight B doubles draw of the same tournament where the Aggies collected a finals victory.

Breisacher and her fellow sophomore Nikita Pradeep completed a run through the tournament and defeated the number two seed tandem from UC Santa Barbara in the final match. This doubles crown was the team’s most significant feat in October, but head coach Bill Maze was pleased with the overall performance from his squad as they took on opponents from across the country.

“It’s the best we’ve been in a long time,” Maze said.

“The team played a ton over the summer, they’re raring to go. The seniors are leading the way. It’s just a

way to close out the home season with such a dominant win.

“It’s always fun to play for a crowd, and play for people cheering you on,” Olson-Fabbro said. “It’s always a good time, and when you get a good crowd like that, you’ve kind of got to play up and perform well.”

Reflecting on his time playing with the

BY DO MIN I C FAR I A sports@theaggie.org MEEN A R U GH / AGGIE FILE

great vibe and the tournaments show it [...] I can’t wait for the season to start.”

The matchups and victories against conference rivals during the tournaments are especially significant to Maze. He acknowledged the high-caliber players that typically flock to Big West conference schools like Santa Barbara, admitting that “it’s always fun to win” against such formidable teams. Maze is eager to see how this Santa Barbara rivalry will unfold in the regular season, confident in his team’s ability to compete with any powerhouse program. Green also shared her similar feelings about how the team competed this October, adding fuel to Maze’s belief that the team can play tough against any opponent.

“Everyone had really good matches,” Green said. “Everyone really competed and put everything out there any given day. We’re just as excited for the season as [the coaches] are, if not more excited. Fall tournaments are always interesting to figure out the new players and who other people have, so it’s nice to see that we were out there competing with some of the top players in the country. We were right in it.”

As Green pointed out, the fall tournaments also served as an opportunity for new faces to establish their place on the team. The Aggies added two freshman to the roster this offseason: Shirley Hall of Chico, Calif. and Jessica Walker of San Diego, Calif. The two competed alongside each other in the doubles draw in all three tournaments while also being able to gather TENNIS on 12

In front of the fourth-largest crowd in Aggie Stadium history, the UC Davis football team battled past the winless Cal Poly Mustangs, 31-28. The Aggie offense hummed early and the defense was able to fend off a late Cal Poly surge, securing UC Davis’ fourth win on the season. After losing to Cal Poly in each of the last two seasons, the Aggie victory also meant that UC Davis won back the Golden Horseshoe –– the rivalry trophy given to the winner of the UC Davis-Cal Poly clash each year.

The game kicked off in the middle of an unusually warm October afternoon. But the temperature did not interfere with the UC Davis offense, which found the endzone on each of its first three possessions. In fact, the Aggies scored on just the third play from scrimmage, when sophomore quarterback Jake Maier completed a 24-yard pass to his wide-open sophomore tight end, Wesley Preece. Maier found Preece streaking up the seam again, off a similar play-action fake, on the next UC Davis possession. The 28-yard hookup completed a two-play drive and was Preece’s second touchdown on the afternoon, putting the Aggies up 14-0 after only three minutes of play. Preece finished with five catches for 96 yards, garnering praise from head coach Dan Hawkins. “[Maier] has got a couple guys here that he can really go to,” Hawkins said. “And he knows that he can count on [Preece] to really make a play. He’s a really solid blocker as well and we missed him last week.

He’s a good blocker on the edge and a big, tall target and he’s very reliable with his hands. We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of guys play in the National Football League that have played for us, and this guy is as good as those guys for sure. He’ll be another one.”

It took a third UC Davis score for the Mustangs to finally awaken. On the Aggies’ third possession, sophomore wideout Aaron Moore caught a ball from

WAY N E T ILCOCK / AG GIEPHOTO.COM

Maier on a hitch route, shook off his defender and dashed 50 yards down the sideline to the house.

The Mustangs responded three drives later, completing a deep pass play to set the offense up on the UC Davis one yard line. Cal Poly ran the ball into the end zone two plays later, cutting the Aggie lead to 14 at the end of the first quarter. Cal Poly would score again on its next drive, as senior slotback Kyle Lewis caught a pass over the middle, broke away from a pair of missed tackles by UC Davis defenders and finished the 42-yard score.

After two straight punts, the UC Davis offense scored on a six play, 59 yard drive. Maier completed the drive when he tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the game, dropping a lofted ball in between defenders to allow Moore to make a diving, 30yard touchdown grab.

“It’s funny cause sometimes the best plays in a game aren’t exactly how you draw them up,” Maier explained. “It’s just playmakers making plays.

That’s something that Aaron Moore is really, really special at. He makes some of the most unbelieva ble plays I’ve ever seen, in practice and out here he puts on a showcase every now and then. That’s just me trusting him.”

FOOTBALL on 12

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