Jan. 16, 2025.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@THECALIFORNIAAGGIE

SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915

@THECALIFORNIAGAGGIE

THEAGGIE.ORG

@THECALIFORNIAAGGIE

VOLUME 148, ISSUE 12 |THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025

Former UC Davis fire chief, assistant indicted on misappropriation of public funds Nathan Trauernicht and Meagan McFadden face felony charges from the Yolo County District Attorney

BY VINCE BASADA campus@theaggie.org Two former UC Davis Fire Department employees, including its former chief, were indicted by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office last month on the misappropriation of public money.

Former Fire Chief Nathan Trauernicht, 45, is alleged to have misappropriated funds between Oct. 16, 2021 and July 22, 2023. Trauernicht’s former Executive Assistant Meagan McFadden, 34, is facing the same charge in a separate case, as well as a perjury charge.

Trauernicht appeared before the Yolo County Superior Court for arraignment on Dec. 9, 2024 and pleaded not guilty.

He is currently out of custody on his own recognisance on the condition he not be put in a position in control of any public money.

The Davis Enterprise has reported, based on search warrant affidavits that The California Aggie has not been able to obtain or verify, that Trauernicht approved fraudulent

Former UC Davis Fire Chief Nathan Trauernicht (left) and former Executive Assistant Meagan McFadden (right) have been indicted for felony charges in Yolo County. (UC Davis Fire Department / Wayback Machine archive) timesheets over a two-year period that resulted in $42,000 in overtime pay for McFadden.

“Nathan Trauernicht never misappropriated a penny of public money, nor did he knowingly assist Ms. McFadden in doing so,” Trauernicht’s attorney, Steven B. Plesser, told KCRA 3 in early December, before The Davis Enterprise’s report on the affidavits was

released.

“This indictment is wholly misguided, and appears to be based entirely on speculation of an improper relationship between Mr. Trauernicht and Ms. McFadden that simply did not exist, and of which there is no evidence,” the statement reads. “Mr. Trauernicht looks forward to using the judicial process to clear his name and to

UC Davis second-year crowned Miss India USA, inspiring young IndianAmerican women nationwide

Caitlin Sandra Neil discusses balancing pageantry, culture and college life at UC Davis

BY JALAN TEHRANIFAR features@theaggie.org 19-year-old Cailtin Sandra Neil, a second-year cognitive science major, was crowned Miss India USA in December 2024 at the national pageant held in New Jersey.

Neil was born in Chennai, India and grew up in the small town of Mountain House, California. She attended Tracy High School before enrolling at UC Davis. Although she began competing in pageants only six months before her win, Neil says her passion for fashion has been a lifelong interest.

“Growing up, I’ve always loved fashion, and I [would] put on little fashion shows for my parents in our living room,” Neil said. “But growing up, I never had the confidence or even the means to go out and go into pageantry.”

Neil credits UC Davis with helping her gain the confidence to begin her pageantry journey, as it gave her the opportunity to explore new opportunities.

Her mother, Angelin Reuben, was a key motivator in encouraging Neil to showcase her talents while exploring her interest in fashion.

“My mom was telling me to get out of my comfort zone and compete in pageants,” Neil said. “So, I competed in

one called Miss Asian Global in August, and that was my first-ever pageant. After that, I got a sub-award called Miss Asian [Best in] Cultural Attire, and then [...] I [didn’t] know if I [wanted to] do another pageant. But I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try it out, maybe one that I can represent my heritage and also my community here in America.’ So I competed in Miss India USA.” The Miss India USA pageant consisted of four categories: Q&A, evening gown walk, cultural attire walk and a talent performance. The talents Neil chose to showcase at the competition were her singing and piano-playing abilities.

“I sang a song and played the piano along with it,” Neil said. “The English song was ‘I See the Light’ from [the movie] ‘Tangled,’ and then the Hindi one was ‘Kahaan Hoon Main.’”

Standing on stage alongside the four other finalists, Neil said she was in disbelief when she was announced the winner of Miss India USA. “It felt absolutely surreal, I couldn’t believe it,” Neil said. “I was like, wait, did they actually say my name? Am I hearing things right now? I was so confused.”

She described trying to stay composed onstage while catching a glimpse of her family in the crowd, who were visibly emotional over her

win, saying that she wanted to “hold it together.”

“I saw my mom in the corner of my eye [...], and I was like, ‘Okay, don’t look over,’ [because] I could see my mom tearing up with happy tears,” Neil said.

Reuben described her daughter’s dedication to her high school extracurriculars.

“Reuben saw the potential in her daughter who was very involved during her high school years at Mountain House, playing varsity basketball and serving as secretary in [the Associated Student Body], student leadership,” an interview with CBS News reads.

Neil plans to continue competing in pageants while balancing her studies at UC Davis. She hopes to represent the United States in the Miss India Worldwide competition, which she said will take place in Mumbai, India before the start of fall quarter 2025.

Academically, she aims to use her education to combine her creative and technical skills.

“I’m hoping to go into [User Interface or User Experience] design or product design; That’s kind of where my interests lie right now,” Neil said. “I want to be able to use my creative side and also my tech side as well.”

CAITLINSANDRANEIL on 9

READ MORE On-campus ‘food hole’ grabs the attention of the community

A recent viral post from local account @ mydaviscalifornia popularized the on-campus anomaly SEE PAGE 10

Caitlin Sandra Neil competes in Miss India USA. (Ashish Nigam / Courtesy)

restore his well-deserved reputation as an honest and dedicated public servant.”

“We take seriously any alleged misuse of university funds and are fully cooperating with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office,” an ASUCD spokesperson told The Aggie in a statement. “We continuously examine and update our oversight practices to ensure that our resources are used

properly and that employees are held accountable for following university procedures and policies.”

The spokesperson also said that UC Davis is performing a “comprehensive, third-party review of fire department operations.”

Trauernicht joined the UC Davis Fire Department in April 2008 and resigned on Oct. 1, 2024 after nearly 13 years as chief. McFadden was employed with the department from Nov. 18, 2019 to Jan. 30, 2024.

Both McFadden and UC Davis’ current Interim Fire Chief Nathaniel Hartinger are listed as witnesses examined by the Grand Jury in Trauernicht’s indictment case, alongside UC Davis’ director of investigations, payroll coordinator, human resources manager and chief operating officer (COO).

Trauernicht is next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 21 for a trial setting conference; McFadden is set to be arraigned on both of her charges that same day.

McFadden could not be immediately reached for comment.

Let Them Eat Cake bakery closes doors on Downtown Davis storefront on C Street

Beloved local bakery transitions to online orders after nearly a decade of serving the community

Shutdown storefront of Let Them Eat Cake. (Jenna Lee / Aggie)

BY ALMA CULVERWELL city@theaggie.org Local Davis bakery Let Them Eat Cake (LTEC), founded by owner Alyssa Bulfer in 2016, closed its storefront on 310 C St. in late December.

The store, which has been a Davis staple since its opening in 2009 by Paulette Coffman, sells a variety of baked goods ranging from cupcakes to larger cakes that cater to a range of dietary needs including vegan, glutenfree and nut-free options. The bakery also offers online kits for customers to decorate their own cookies or gingerbread houses.

Since its original opening on L Street in 2009, the business has changed hands several times. Once from 2014 to 2016 when it was owned by Melody Steeples and moved to C Street, and then again when it shifted to current owner Bulfer, who has run the business since 2016.

Bulfer explained the factors that led to closing the storefront.

“Unfortunately, it was not our decision to close the storefront,” Bulfer said. “We were trying to sell the business in June of 2024, in which it gave our landlord an opportunity to have one of their friends move into our building.

I really wished we could have stayed at our location, it was perfect for us.”

Let Them Eat Cake has been a business beloved by many Davis students and families alike. Delilah Becarra, a fourth-year environmental science and management major, reflected on her years of fond memories at the bakery.

“I frequently went there to study with friends and sometimes by myself because it was a great place,” Becarra said. “I also went there a lot with my friends who graduated a few years ago, and we made the cupcakes a must in all of our hangouts. One of those friends really loved sweets but because she’s vegan, [she] found it hard to find sweets that tasted good and were vegan.

Because LTEC had such a wide range of vegan baked goods, there was no other place to go when we were craving sweets.”

Becarra described her thoughts about the recent storefront closure.

“I’m so sad they’re gone,” Becarra said. “I’m going to miss their flavors, their cute interior and going there whenever I needed a sweet treat. Their treats were affordable and their lattes were underrated. They were a Davis jewel and even though I’m graduating this year, I selfishly wish they chose to close after I was gone.”

Emma Nguyen, a third-year community and regional development major, also commented on her positive memories of the local bakery.

“I used to really love going there on Saturdays and I loved the flavors they had,” Nguyen said. “This is actually the way I’m hearing about it closing so it’s a bit surprising to me.”

Recent UC Davis alum Felicia Chico described her memories surrounding Let Them Eat Cake.

“I recall my experiences with Let Them Eat Cake with great fondness,” Chico said.

LETTHEMEATCAKE on 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025

New police chief pushes for more Assembly Bill 413 and what will change surveillance at recent Police Accountability Commission meeting for Davis drivers Surveillance sparks debate at the Jan. 6 meeting as

California’s new “Daylighting Law” illuminates the dangers of low visibility while driving STEPHANIE CHAN / AGGIE

BY PIPER AWEEKA city@theaggie.org

On Jan. 2 of this year, the city of Davis announced its plan to begin instituting California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 413, dubbed the “Daylighting Law” which will largely impact parking demarcations downtown.

By “daylighting,” the bill is referring to an unobstructed field of view for anyone approaching an intersection. In its press release, the city stated a threephase plan of implementation. The first phase, due to begin this month, will result in parking spaces near downtown intersections painted red. Because of the goal to increase the visibility of sidewalks for both vehicles and pedestrians, the law will yield most of its impacts in Downtown Davis where traffic is most problematic.

Ryan Chapman, Davis’ assistant director of Public Works Engineering and Transportation Department, addressed the varied implementations that will take place across the city.

“The approach is designed to better accommodate the specific needs and characteristics of our various neighborhoods,” Chapman said. “For example, in the downtown area, we have all of these locations marked as timed parking, and the curb faces need to be repainted in order to not conflict with the ‘Daylighting Law.’” While AB 413 stands to result in an elevated level of safety for pedestrians due to increased fields of view at intersections, some citizens express that some of the most dangerous situations involve not just pedestrians but also bicyclists.

Monica, an employee at popular downtown eatery Cafe Bernardo — that

has an outdoor seating area bordering the corner of 3rd and D Street — said that in her experience working at the establishment, commotion most commonly involves these cyclists.

“It’s not necessarily an issue with pedestrians but more with bicyclists not stopping at stop signs,” Monica said.

Travis, a more than five-year-long employee at Starbucks, also noted the severity of issues between vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.

“The hierarchy of walking, biking and driving is not respected,” Travis said.

The implementation of AB 413 aims to result in safety for everyone and the mitigation of incidents that residents like Travis have frequently experienced.

“I have almost been hit many times,” Travis said. “Cars do not stop and look long enough.”

In the press release from the city of Davis, Phase 3 of AB 413 is projected to continue up until October 2025, with an ongoing Phase 4 involving the evaluation of feedback on how the “Daylighting Law” has fared.

Chapman expects that the plan will not only be individualized to this city but that many municipalities across California will adopt similar strategies.

“Many other cities are still planning the changes that are needed to implement this law,” Chapman said.

“We do not expect that their approach will be significantly different from the city of Davis plan.”

As the bill begins to be applied in Davis, only time will tell how it will benefit the city. With concerns from both the city and citizens alike, there is a focus on increasing the safety of all of Davis’ residents and visitors, and the adoption of Assembly Bill 413 marks a first step toward an even safer city.

Davis’ first cat café is now open for business

Cat lovers can now rejoice over the newest fluffy sensation: Cat Tales Feline Health Center and Cat Lounge

Visitors give treats to the cats at the Tabby Tea Cat Lounge. (Jenna Lee / Aggie) this lounge offers a perfect opportunity

BY MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY to get to know some of these cats from city@theaggie.org the shelter a little better while enjoying a complimentary beverage.

On top of this new cat café, cat While many students may have parents can enjoy the highest standard of been scrambling to study for finals at specialized cat care. Attached to Tabby the end of fall quarter, Davis welcomed Tea Cat Lounge, Cole and Shacoski’s its first cat café and feline center into its clinic, Cat Tales Feline Health Center, is city on Dec. 16. hoping to push the standard for quality Tabby Tea Cat Lounge is accepting cat care in Northern California. appointments for visitors to meet, play “We are using the most state-ofand even adopt these adorable cats and the-art knowledge in feline-only care kittens. Pitched and designed by local and medicine to build a practice that Da Vinci High School students in truly delivers the best in medicine Davis, Tabby Tea Cat Lounge is part and concierge-level services tailored of a longtime dream of Davis locals, specifically for cats and the people they Dr. Julie Cole and Dr. Chris “Shac” own,” their official website reads.

Shacoski, to open a space for cat lovers, As a longtime practitioner and by cat lovers. Located at 606 W. Covell managing partner for Cat Tales, Blvd, the cat lounge is part of a cuttingShacoski described the ways, big and edge cat care facility, Cat Tales Feline small, that they have tailored their Health Center. business to appease the appropriately During an interview with Fox40 high standards of their fuzzy clientele.

News, Dr. Julie Cole, the medical From the layout of the clinic to the director and business partner of Cat color of the walls, Shacoski described Tales, described the joy it was to be able how he and Cole hope to create a calm to see this cat café in action. environment for these cats down to the “It’s so beautiful to see people bond, smallest detail. but we’ve also had people come in and “The No. 1 word [that best describes just want to hang out,” Cole said. cats] would be calm,” Shacoski said.

This cat café will hopefully allow cat “Cats are calming for people, but they lovers who either can’t afford or dedicate also need calm around them.” the time to own a cat to be able to spend quality time with them. As for those who are looking to become cat parents, TABBYTEA on 9

commissioners raise privacy concerns

BY OLIVIA HOKR city@theaggie.org On Jan. 6, the Police Accountability Commission held their monthly meeting to review upcoming changes or possible improvements to the Davis law enforcement. There were three main items on this month’s agenda: surveillance technology, audit discussion and the selection of chair and vice chair.

The majority of the meeting was spent discussing the consideration of additional surveillance technology throughout the city, specifically the use of license plate readers (LPR) and the public safety camera system. Davis Chief of Police Todd Henry was present to provide information regarding the importance of surveillance footage and the ramifications surrounding it, as well as answer the commission’s questions.

As Henry explained, LPRs and public safety cameras are both technologies that have already been approved and are currently in place very minimally throughout the city of Davis. The idea is to gain funding to expand the system to provide cameras along the borders of the city.

There are two active locations with public safety cameras, which are the Olive Drive and Richards Boulevard intersection, and another camera located at the Mace and Interstate 80 intersection. These public safety cameras have proven to be incredibly helpful when it comes to investigations. The LPRs are primarily being used for parking enforcement since the city of Davis does not use physical parking meters. The parking enforcement vehicles that drive around Downtown Davis are all equipped with LPRs that are capturing data daily to digitally mark tires.

“The police department is going to be taking to council on Jan. 21, which is informational only, a request to expand the LPR and the public safety camera

system that we currently already have approved,” Henry said. “The goal is also to submit for a grant through [the] DOJ in the community-oriented policing program to fund the initial cost of the project which we’re still working to narrow down, but we think we have a pretty close ballpark as to what that would potentially cost.”

With a grant to increase the surveillance cameras throughout the city, the Davis Police Department would be able to gain a much larger amount of data to assist in possible investigations.

This would not only be of use to the police and their work, but also to citizens who may be victims of crime.

In order to make the most out of the increased surveillance, Henry explained that their idea is to place those cameras around the edges of Davis.

“The desire is to essentially put them on the exterior of the city,” Henry said.

“As you know, a high number of people who are arrested for crimes in the city of Davis do not live in the city of Davis.

And also, when cars are stolen in Davis obviously a lot of times those cars exist through those ingress-egress points to the city [...] The ability to have that fixed LPR is super beneficial when it comes to investigation.”

An increase in camera surveillance also comes with an increase in data being taken and stored by the police department. Although there are policies in place that require the data to remain in the hands of the Davis Police Department, privacy is still a concern for many. Dillon Horton, the chair of the Police Accountability Commission, raised a question regarding those policies.

“I want to scrutinize a little bit of this ‘do not share with others’ that you mentioned,” Horton said. “I think we all believe and strive for good policies here in Davis which safeguard people’s civil liberties, but once we hand off to another jurisdiction, you know, all of that’s out the window in terms of Davis values being put into those

sorts of policies. So ‘would not share’ is that a ‘would not share under any circumstances’?”

Henry responded to this by explaining the state policy regarding privacy and the steps that fellow police departments have to go through to request data from the Davis police.

Despite this, other concerns were also raised by another commission member, Elizabeth Griswold.

“I would say my ongoing concern is, as the chief was mentioning, those [policies] are covered in the way that Davis Police Department would use this,” Griswold said. “But he’s also discussed how it would be shared with other departments and I don’t think they would say, ‘We are using this to illegally catch immigrants.’ They’re not going to say that, or maybe they don’t even intend that. You know, immigration is huge so they would ask for the data, potentially on a law enforcement basis, and then we don’t know what other departments do with the data.

We don’t know what they do with it related to [Immigrations and Customs Enforcement] ICE enforcement, related to issues involving reproductive justice or anything. We don’t know what their potential safeguards are and I’m not sure that these safeguards are even all that safe.”

This January, the Davis Police Department will be holding four community meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to hear updates directly from the department, ask questions or raise concerns and engage with your community.

These meetings will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The dates and locations are as follows: Jan. 22 at the Redwood Room (1001 Anderson Rd.), Jan. 23 at the Valente Room in the Davis Senior Center (646 A St.), Jan. 29 at the Cannery Farmhouse (1550 Cannery Ave.) and Jan. 30 at the Community Room in the Octave Apartments (1659 Drew Cir.).

Updates on Davis development given at a recent Yolo County/ city of Davis 2x2 meeting

The joint committee discussed the construction and budget for the Walnut Park Davis Library and Pacifico Housing Community

BY YUENJO FAN city@theaggie.org The first Yolo County/city of Davis 2x2 meeting of the year took place on Jan. 8 to discuss the upcoming South Davis Library construction, Pacifico Housing Community and updates from the county administrative officer and assistant city manager. The meeting includes two members of the Davis City Council and two members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

The Walnut Park Davis Library — Yolo County Library’s newest planned branch — is scheduled for completion in 2026 with plans for the project emerging as far back as 2017. There is an estimated size of over 12,000 square feet and a $21.3 million price tag. Following a slight delay due to the winter holidays, Ryan Pistochini, the Yolo County director of general services, is expecting the project to break ground very soon.

“It really depends on the land transfer being signed,” Pistochini said.

“If it’s not early January it would be early February. I do know the contractor and their team have just finished a job [and] they’re going to be ready to stand up [at the] end of January, so the timing will be ideal for them as well as us.”

Planned to be located next to the Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School, Pistochini also addressed the committee’s concern about the potential impact of construction on safety and traffic in the area.

“Our biggest concern is what we call the laydown area, which is the area that the contractors have space to operate,” Pistochini said. “We told them to stay within the parcel, so it will stay far away from the school district. The other concern we have is coordinating,

CRYSTAL CHEN / AGGIE

and we will do further coordination on where the contractor staff will park because that will impact the parking lot. [...] And then in terms of commuting to the school, the reason why we gave the bell schedule to the contractors is to make sure that major deliveries are times outside of [school hours].”

With construction nearing, both the city and county have made preliminary efforts to avoid any inconveniences to students and staff commuting to school.

Yolo County has also been working with the city of Davis to rehabilitate Pacifico housing, a CalWORKs Housing Support Program, buildings A and B. With the 30% design phase reached, the county is now seeking a cost estimate on this impending project.

For Nolan Sullivan, the Yolo County director of health & human services agency, having the ability to make renovations for the housing programs is crucial in supporting locals in need.

“Homelessness is growing across the state and across the county,” Sullivan said. “[...] I just want to set that stage.

We have homeless families tonight that will be in motels because they have nowhere else to go, or on the streets or in shelters, unfortunately. And so the program [is needed] in Davis and in Yolo County.”

Yolo County and Davis’ ability to follow through on the building rehabilitation will largely be decided by the state’s budget and how much is allocated to the CalWORKS program.

As of right now, Sullivan believes there to be enough funding but stressed that the project must be put into motion soon.

“First initial glimpse, the state [budget] looks stable, so hopefully that holds and we’ll be in good shape,” Sullivan said. “We have $1.2 million budgeted in this project in CalWORKS housing support funds. Those funds

do expire on June 30 of this year; they have to be spent or encumbered. We’ve rolled these forward twice now — this project has stretched pretty far — so I don’t anticipate we will be given another grace waiver to roll these funds forward.

So if we do not get this project either built or at least encumbered by June 30, that $1.2 million returns to the state of California.”

Furthermore, County Administrative Officer Dirk Brazil updated the committee about budget issues, also voicing his concern about financial challenges. “[County] departments are going through a 7% across-the-board budget reduction exercise right now,” Brazil said. “We’re anticipating our general fund hit to be about $15 million this year with some subsequent issues in the outyears as well.”

Davis Assistant City Manager Kelly Stachowicz provided her updates on city budgeting, citing an optimistic outlook through a recently passed measure that will benefit the city of Davis by $11 million.

“In November we were able to pass Measure Q which will bring muchneeded revenue to the city starting with the sales tax increase [which] will take place at the start of April 1, and the city will start to see revenues from that toward the end of the fiscal year,” Stachowicz said.

The Yolo County/city of Davis 2x2 committee members are: Yolo County Supervisors Sheila Allen and Lucas Frerichs, Davis City Councilmembers Gloria Partida and Josh Chapman. Also present at the meeting was Pistochini, Sullivan, Kelly Stachowicz and Brazil.

The Yolo County/city of Davis 2x2 meeting convenes on the second Wednesday of every other month.

Dates, times and agendas can be found on the Davis city calendar.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025 | 3

Mayor Bapu Vaitla Dhilena Wickramasinghe elected as senate pro tempore and Vice Mayor Donna Neville at Jan. 9 meeting

Ethnic Affairs Commission Chair Reem Suleiman also asserted her position regarding collaborations and endorsements

BY VINCE BASADA campus@theaggie.org ASUCD Senator Asif Ahmed called the Jan. 9 senate meeting to order at 6:16 p.m. before reading the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.

The first matter for the table was to elect a new senate pro tempore, the presiding officer in absence of the internal vice president and a representative of the senate as a whole.

Internal Affairs Commission Chair Amanda Clark nominated Senator Dhilena Wickramasinghe for the position, noting her work as head of the Ethical Spending Committee and her record as having passed the most legislation of any student senator last quarter.

“I have the utmost faith that she would carry out the role excellently,” Clark said.

With no other nominees put forth, Wickramasinghe was appointed the role and welcomed by outgoing Pro Tempore Ahmed.

The senate then began to designate unit and committee adoptions, which is the process of assigning individual senators to overlook and work with each body within the association. Unit adoptions, however, were soon pushed to the following meeting to get more input from unit leadership. As such, only the internal committees were given adopted senators at that time.

After filling out elected officer and ex-officio reports, Lauren Gomez, a fourth-year biological psychology major, was confirmed as a member of the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee.

Moving to legislation, the senate passed Senate Bill (SB) #26, changing the senate’s Quarterly Town Hall to a Quarterly Showcase.

SB#27, which moves the public discussion section of the senate’s weekly meetings closer to the beginning to make them more accessible to the student population, also passed unanimously after some deliberation.

SB#28, creating the ASUCD 530 Market Committee tasked with planning this year’s market — an Asian & Pacific Islander Community Health and Culture Fair held for the first time in 2023, also passed. The senate had

previously set aside $9,000 in spring 2024 to host the event.

The last bill of the night was SB#30, emergency legislation to restructure the ASUCD Scholarship to improve efficiency. There have been some delays in awarding the scholarship, which is open to all undergraduate students, and SB#30 was needed to help ensure they were given in a more timely manner in the future, according to Academic Affairs Commission Chair Iris Chen.

It passed unanimously.

Returning from a short break and completing the approval of past meeting minutes, Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC) Chair Reem Suleiman addressed her stance on ECAC collaborations and endorsements during open forum.

“I’ve made it abundantly clear that this commission is a pro-Palestinian one, and it is universally anti-genocide, anti-colonial and anti-occupation,” Suleiman said. “[ECAC] and any decent and intellectual human for that matter does not believe there are two sides to the Palestinian experience. ECAC will not endorse or engage in any attempts at creating so-called dialogue. Dialogue between murderer and murdered, oppressor and oppressed is useless.”

Suleiman further expressed her thoughts on the matter.

“Palestinian students are expected to juggle unending traumas every waking moment,” Suleiman said. “When I am here and I sit on this table, I am enduring traumas. I do not wish, nor do I wish on my fellow Palestinian students,

to endure a meaningless confrontation with members of the student body who wish to legitimize their support for the slaughter of my people and the theft of my homeland.”

Suleiman then shared some personal experiences she has faced as a commission chair.

“No Palestinian deserves to come face to face with people, the likes of some on this very table, who wear our keffiyeh as bikini wraps and vacation atop the graves of our families with the most brazen, disgraceful and disgusting disregard,” Suleiman said. “If me and my community’s existence makes you feel unsafe, that is nothing more than a personal problem and a grand illusion that I will not be indulging in. I’ve been too nice this past quarter, and it’s time that I actually stand my ground and back my beliefs.”

Suleiman ended by saying the ECAC will not entertain any future attempts at conversation surrounding the topic.

“If you wish to have dialogue about your feelings, support for genocide and how [that] support makes you feel unsafe, we have a saying in Arabic coming from my village that loosely translates to: ‘You can speak to the walls,’” Suleiman said. “This is the last time I will be addressing this and any attempt to create dialogue regarding this topic will be ignored.”

Following some other brief comments during open forum, the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.

AGGIE FILE

appointed at a recent city council meeting

The Jan. 9 city council meeting was comprised of updates to the General Plan alongside new leadership being appointed

Davis City Council meeting in the Community Chambers on Jan. 7, 2025.

(Andrew Huang / Aggie)

BY RORY CONLON city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council approved a contract with Raimi + Associates for consultant work on the city’s General Plan and appointed Bapu Vaitla as mayor and Donna Neville as vice mayor on Jan. 9.

Sherri Metzker, the community development director for the city of Davis, introduced Matt Raimi, the head of the urban design and planning firm Raimi + Associates. Metzker said she was seeking approval from the city council to execute a contract with Raimi.

“Matt is the principal of Raimi + Associates, the company that we have recommended to you to act as our consulting firm on the preparation of the General Plan itself,” Metzker said.

“Between him and I, we hope to answer whatever questions you might still have in regard to the General Plan.”

The current version of the city’s General Plan was adopted in 2001, and the city of Davis officially began the process of updating its General Plan in February 2024. Metzker listed the eight elements the city of Davis needs to prepare.

“There are now eight required elements: land use, circulation, housing,

conservation, open space, noise, safety and the environmental justice element,” Metzker said. “Davis isn’t technically required to do an environmental justice element, but we have elected to do so, and it is included in the scope of work for Raimi + Associates to prepare.”

Metzker said each of the required elements, with the exception of noise and safety, would be assigned to a different city commission. The commissions would work in collaboration with Raimi + Associates to provide a local perspective.

While the current version of the city’s General Plan took seven years to create, Metzker and Davis City Manager Michael Webb have established a rough timeline of two to three years for the update. The plan is set to go through multiple iterations according to public feedback.

Councilmember Donna Neville raised a concern about how community engagement will be handled by Raimi + Associates.

“I can give a lot of examples, but I’ve participated in these events where folks are brought into a room and asked to [talk about] how [they’d] like to see bicycle paths work,” Neville said.

UC Davis students design and build three unique seating ASUCD worker base pay to increase by areas on campus

The space outside Hunt Hall is transformed by three new structures called “follies,” created by students in the Design & Build Studio course

BY MEGAN PUSL campus@theaggie.org UC Davis students from the course Landscape Design Architecture (LDA) 160: Design & Build Studio, spent fall quarter 2024 designing and building three new seating areas outside of Hunt Hall. Haven Kiers and Gabino Marquez, the course instructors, led students in creating the follies on campus.

The focus of the Design & Build Studio course in the fall was to create structures known as “follies,” according to Kiers.

“My goal for these design-build projects is to give students a chance to not only to see their creative ideas and designs come to life but also to understand the practical skills and effort that go into any construction project,” Kiers said. “My hope is that projects like these provide them with a chance to try new tools, get their hands dirty and learn applied skills.”

The three follies are located outside of Hunt Hall, the landscape architecture building, and Kiers said they have seen much attention due to their close location to the Memorial Union and the Quad.

“The addition of the follies activated an underutilized space in front of Hunt

Hall,” Kiers said. “It’s a great, open, sunny location, but no one ever spent time there. Since the follies have been added, the area has been full of people hanging out between classes, eating lunch [and/or] taking a coffee break.”

Every student in the LDA 160 course dedicated their time and worked hands-on to create the new seating areas on campus during a 10-week time period. Gracie Snedden, third-year landscape architecture major, explained the process of creating the follies in class.

“During the first week, everyone came up with a design without any real constraints, then we picked our favorites and voted on the top three,” Snedden said. “We split into three groups to work on design specifics like how the swings should hang or if we wanted a roof.

We made the construction documents in our groups before beginning the construction process.”

Brianna Bobadilla, a third-year landscape architecture major, designed one of the three follies selected by the class for construction.

“When I was coming up with my design, I wanted it to be something that could be realistically used by the community there,” Bobadilla said.

“The whole purpose behind the design is to make something that could be integrated into the UC Davis campus.”

Bobadilla explained the versatile

The student-designed follies set up outside of Hunt Hall. (Jenna Lee / Aggie)

and inclusive design of her folly.

“The folly consists of three parts,” Bobadilla said. “The [purpose] behind the middle table is that it can be accessed by wheelchair users. Also, the two benches on the sides are at a height where anyone can sit.”

Bobadilla then described the extensive time and energy that every student put into the three follies.

“Everyone in the class worked really hard to get this done,” Bobadilla said.

“It was such a great experience to get to do this.”

Many UC Davis students have already utilized the new seating on campus. Amelia Swanson, a fourthyear sustainable environmental design major, shared her excitement about the new follies.

“I am so excited about the new benches outside of Hunt Hall,” Swanson said. “I have already used them several times to study with friends or to hang out waiting for my next class to start.

They are all uniquely built allowing for a different experience each time I use them!”

Although LDA 160 is only open to landscape architecture students, anyone can enjoy the projects that are created by the class. The follies are open every day and time and can be found on the south side of Hunt Hall.

CITYCOUNCIL on 10

$1 per hour in January 2025

The recently passed Senate Bill #22 and an existing budget allocation raises wages for most ASUCD employees

BY VINCE BASADA campus@theaggie.org Most employees of the ASUCD will receive a $1 raise in January 2025, lifting the organization’s base pay to $17/hour. The increase comes from the recent passing of Senate Bill (SB) #22 on Nov. 26, which raises wages by 50 cents, and a previous budget allocation to raise pay by the same amount.

“Although we would have liked to raise the base pay for everyone by $23, we were constrained by university policies and instead, this was within our reach,” ASUCD President Gaius Ilupeju wrote in an Instagram post announcing the increase. “We are excited by this because it means that for the FIRST TIME EVER in our history, the ASUCD base pay is above minimum wage.”

ASUCD is the largest oncampus employer of students, with around 1,000 students employed within its student government, units and other bodies, according to the ASUCD vacancy page.

SB#22 was unanimously passed through the senate as emergency legislation to meet university deadlines on payroll changes. It allocated

$151,844.12 from ASUCD G e n e r a l Reserves for the wage increases in both winter and spring quarters.

The bill lists employee retention as the main concern and notes issues competing with off-campus employers with higher pay.

“By prioritizing fair pay, ASUCD

will demonstrate its commitment to student workers, ensuring the organization remains a desirable employer and upholds its mission to serve the campus community effectively,” SB#22 reads.

There are exceptions: Unitrans employees are under a different pay structure and are only allocated a 50cent increase for two-thirds of their hours under the bill.

The bill also mentions the failed passing of California Proposition 32, which would have raised the minimum wage to $18/hour. The state’s current minimum wage is $16/hour.

Ilupeju expressed the meaning behind the raise in wages.

“Our underlying intention is always to do right for our workers,” Ilupeju said.

Every ASUCD employee can find their wage information as well as other official employee forms on UCPath. Those who want to find out more about wages in California can visit the Department of Industrial Relations website.

As a matter of disclosure, The California Aggie is a unit of ASUCD, though it re t a i n s editorial

KAYLA TRAN / AGGIE independence and is managed separately. Paid staffers of The Aggie will receive a 50-cent per hour pay increase under SB#22, but will not receive a full dollar raise as the paper is not included in the earlier planned wage raise in the budget.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2025

Wealth inequality will and is killing America

A very brief look about the largest inequality in American society: class

BY CALEB SILVER chsilver@ucdavis.edu On Election Day 2024, it was quickly apparent that Donald Trump would be our 47th president. Right away, like hearing a friend tell a story they’ve already told, many liberals began to scramble with questions and condemnations. “Republicans are to blame.” “Kamala is to blame.”

“Joe Biden is to blame.” “Obama is to blame.”

Though our collective culprit is not clear, Trump won — both the popular vote and the electoral college.

We chose him to be our leader, our president. And, if we drop the voracious scapegoating for a minute, we could see that American voters have told us why they voted for him for the second time since 2016: “The economy.”

Of course, asking any expert about how the economy is fairing under Biden, they’ll tell you that, if this was truly a marker of concern, Harris would be handing a bible in a couple months, or perhaps an 83-year-old Biden would be grinning from ear to ear in a new presidential portrait. What I believe is meant by a perceived issue with the economy is the real issue of unaffordability — the unaffordability of everything. Despite

all of the progress everyone tells you we have made within the realm of equity (which, perhaps, isn’t as great as everyone champions), the wealth gap in this country is larger than ever, making everything from groceries to technology unaffordable for most people.

Maybe you’ll take me at my word that the wealth gap is insurmountable, but, even so, I’d like to paint you a picture. For one, CEO of Tesla, X, formerly known as Twitter, owner and right-wing egoist Elon Musk is currently worth over $332 billion. It would be impossible for any American worker, even one making a salary above the $64,000 average, to make that in 10 lifetimes. Given the disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) court case, which asserted that money is a part of free speech, Musk currently possesses more free speech than anyone else in America. However, it isn’t just Musk; The top 1% of Americans hold 15 times more wealth ($34.2 trillion) than the bottom 50% combined ($2.1 trillion).

Therein lies America’s largest problem, which is much more vast and complex than this article has room for.

Neither Harris nor Trump can fix it on their own. In fact, Trump’s plan is to reduce the corporate tax rate from 21% to 18%, channeling Reagan-era levels of ridiculousness. This would

follow Trump’s 2017 tax cut plan, which gave preposterous discounts to corporations and handouts to the ultra-elite.

Ironically, for a country that is so against the idea of welfare, we give a lot of it to large corporations and banks that lobby and befriend our politicians. In the eyes of many conservative politicians, fundamental aspects of public national social security and healthcare are perceived as unnecessary and unfavorable when it’s for the majority of the nation, but necessary and “American” when it comes to billion-dollar multinational corporations.

Democracy is not going to collapse in one day — it is going to erode over time, as it has been in recent years.

America’s erosion is oligarchic. We are feeling the corporate consolidation of Reagan’s presidency today, and we will feel Trump’s now and perhaps in even greater force in 20 years.

When the ultra-wealthy (which can mean both people and companies, since they are practically the same) have everything and can do anything, things are naturally harder for the average citizen. And, when things are this hard and this unaffordable, we all look for one person to save us, even if it isn’t possible. Like it or not, Trump campaigned on change, he campaigned on making the unaffordable affordable and he did so through hate — which

The detrimental nature of current beauty standards

Modern beauty trends and their effect on our definitions of conventional beauty

BY SABRINA FIGUEROA sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu What makes a “beautiful” person?

Or, rather, what is “beauty”? I think it’s safe to say that it’s a subjective concept, because not everyone will find the same person attractive, and, if they do, perhaps it’s for different reasons.

That might seem obvious, and it definitely is. But why is it so hard for people to actually take it to heart? We tend to place emphasis on our physical appearance more than anything else when it comes to beauty, and though it does play a factor, we could be playing a dangerous game here. This overemphasis is apparent in recent beauty trends that have spread on the Internet.

Of course, it all starts off as fun and no one’s real intention is to hurt anyone’s perception of themselves. For example, the “deer pretty” or “bunny pretty” trend on TikTok started off as a non-serious, unique way to call people pretty. As stupid as it was, its intention wasn’t to make other people feel insecure or bad — however, social media shapes our perceptions of things nonetheless.

When the internet was going crazy over “cortisol face” or jowls, commenters would swarm random videos of people drinking coffee through straws, warning them that their actions could give them jowls — as if the posters asked. Though

If the answer is that euro-centric features are the standard, this trend is dismissive of cultural diversity and reminiscent of eugenics and phrenology — concepts that were used to spread racist ideology. And even if that wasn’t the standard, it’s still harmful to give features characteristics of morality.

We need to realize that social media is a facet of mass communication that molds our world, our society, our perceptions and our concepts. This is especially true since social media is an inherently neutral technology, with VERONICA THEN / AGGIE the power to both create and destroy progress.

If we allow content like “facial harmony” to trend without thinking twice, our perceptions of beauty will be distorted. Maybe it’s a sign that they already are.

Decentering p h y s i c a l appearance as the only aspect of beauty and asking ourselves where we even got our standard of beauty to begin with might be a good place to start if we want to reevaluate our beauty standards. calling them “good” or “bad” features, With all this being said, I leave you with “in” or “out” of harmony with each a question: What is beauty to you? other.

This line of commentary on the Disclaimer: The views and opinions inherent “goodness” of facial features expressed by individual columnists is concerning: Should we really be belong to the columnists alone and do describing features with words that are not necessarily indicate the views and used to describe morality? Because what opinions held by The California Aggie. is a “good” feature? What is a “bad” one?

What is our standard for that?

proved to be very effective.

However, the reality is that his presidency, like last time, is not going to deregulate corporations — it’s going to do the opposite. If we want our economy and our society to ever progress, we need to convince America that universal healthcare, an increase in taxes on the wealthy and a modern day trust-busting are the steps forward. Because America works in the ugly way that it does, it seems

that what we need most is a figurehead to convince us of the virtues and necessities of progressive policy and economic populism.

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.

Kitchen conversations

Like father, like daughter NOVA MAI / AGGIE

trends like these drive me insane, I’m not saying that all beauty trends should stop, as some are harmless and, in many cases, inevitable. However, I believe we need to stay skeptical about many of them, especially the whole “facial harmony” trend.

The “facial harmony” trend, at a very basic level, has to do with facial aesthetics. In this trend, people strive for their features to be in balance so that no single feature “stands out.” At a glance, it’s not serious — until people start recording their facial features and

GUEST SUBMISSION

The No. 1 sustainable campus in the nation partners with the No.2 leading global plastic polluter Pop-blocking sustainability on campus: Pepsi contract to generate 1.7 million more plastic bottles bodies representing these groups (i.e., ASUCD, Gay Straight Alliance, Academic Senate and Academic Federation Executive Councils) passed motions or resolutions opposing another pouring rights contract.

UC Davis loves flaunting its sustainability successes — being named the most sustainable school in the country — yet they are contracted with the second-largest plastic polluter. In 2023, “for the first time, PepsiCo branded plastic waste items outnumbered those of The Coca-Cola Company.”

PepsiCo was also sued in 2023 by New York Attorney General Letitia James “both for misleading the public about its goals to eliminate singleuse plastic and for endangering the environment.” It is incongruous with university values to continue to exclusively support PepsiCo. Even worse, the administration announced this decision over the summer when students were not around, despite our request that it be

BY ASUCD ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND PLANNING COMMISSION eppc@asucd.ucdavis.edu Hi. Did you miss us? We have a lot to catch up on. For starters, the Pepsi Pouring Rights Contract (PRC) was renewed, continuing Pepsi’s monopoly on campus for another 10 years. You heard right, with Pepsi, the world’s No. 2 leading plastic polluter.

The 10-year contract will generate an estimated 1.7 million [JF1] more plastic bottles on campus, making a mockery of UC Davis’ sustainability and zero-waste commitments. That’s because the contract requires the campus to sell almost exclusively Pepsi products, including the following drinks, which Pepsi cannot or will not provide in non-plastic bottles: Naked Juice, Pure Leaf, Gatorade, Propel, Tropicana and Muscle Milk.

And you guessed it, the administration did this despite strong opposition from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and academic staff. Governing

JASON XIE / AGGIE

done during the school year. We, the students of the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) of ASUCD, have been lobbying the administration against a new Pouring Rights Contract since January 2023.

We authored Senate Resolution No. 9 in 2024 and No. 6 in 2023 requesting the administration not sign another Pouring Rights Contract and that they thoroughly research more sustainable alternatives.

A working group of faculty and staff was assembled and charged with the task of considering multiple vendors, but the administration dissolved the group after UC Berkeley re-signed its Pepsi contract. The administration bypassed the usual process of vetting multiple vendors because it believed no other company would be qualified to meet the UCD demand given Berkeley’s few bids last year. How can the administration side step the legal process and justify that UCD’s needs are equivalent to those of Berkeley’s?

For Pepsi fans out there, abolishing the Pepsi contract does not mean giving up all Pepsi products. A PRC

BY NEVAEH KARRAKER nakarraker@ucdavis.edu My father’s favorite word is “facetious.” He bellows it while cooking spicy ramen at 10 p.m., he whispers it during our debates and chuckles it out while telling cheesy dad jokes. It’s become a consistent inside joke between us, especially in the kitchen.

Cooking is a creative endeavor with endless possibilities, and the kitchen is somewhere we can discuss any subject: where flavors are like opinions. As we stir in the ingredients, he presents his claims with evidence and I counter with my own. And, as he tosses in data, he educates me on new recipes.

Eventually, the term “kitchen conversations” became established. At the time, it was a fun way to bond and refer to our nightly ritual. Gradually, it evolved into a nostalgic tradition that heavily influenced how I approached many things in my life, including philosophy, my research process and the importance of being properly informed before making assumptions on controversial topics.

It’s common knowledge in the culinary field that temperature, humidity and other external factors affect the concoction of delicious dishes.

Correspondingly, our environment shapes who we are in ways we often don’t notice. We adopt a select few mannerisms of those we spend our time with, like speech patterns or hand gestures.

As my father fell into the role of a public figure in my hometown and at his work, I began to hear the term “kitchen convos” thrown around by the people I knew. He nourished an openmindedness so unconventional that it enabled him to educate anyone within his vicinity about recent events and theology in a factual, unbiased manner.

This environment my father cultivated attracted everyone to the kitchen, even if he wasn’t there. It made me excited to begin making my own meals and having discussions with friends.

Attempting to cook in community kitchens, though, is vastly different — I’m sure Davis students can attest to this.

It’s eerily quiet, you have to awkwardly establishes a beverage monopoly on campus, enabling a single company like Pepsi to control the market, limit competition, influence industry dynamics and aggressively market to students while co-branding with UC logos. Ending the contract will allow the university to purchase from sustainable, healthy and local business alternatives. We have recommended that the university buy a variety of beverages in non-plastic containers to better align with UCD’s sustainability policies and goals, which is what universities like the University of Michigan, San Francisco State University, the University of Vermont and the University of California, San Francisco do.

The Pepsi contract directly affects YOU by raising the prices of products

shuffle past people and you probably want to avoid storing food there.

I presumed I would frequently utilize that space; Instead, I rarely entered it. When I did, the noodles lacked the flavor they once had — as good as they tasted, they would never compare to his company. There now exists the incapability to make these noodles alone. Tradition is practically insignificant if it’s not shared and experienced with others.

The more I observed this phenomenon, the more I began to understand. It’s like music. We find an artist or song and it’s all we consume.

When someone asks us about it, we can’t help but grin as they listen to it because we were the one that recommended it.

They save it in their song library, and occasionally we’ll notice them post on social media attending the same artist’s concert months later. With food, they might bake us the same sweet treat we made them when we visited.

Reenactment is a reminder of how deeply that interaction meant to us.

Something as simple as ramen taught me how influential and valuable our relationships can be, and, in exchange, how we gain transferable skills.

When adding egg to noodles, it’s important to incorporate them properly, rather than scramble them. Similarly, when placed under pressure, either we can flourish or we can wither. We need to accept constructive criticism, rather than reject it. And, we need to learn from others’ opinions — flavors — instead of assuming indifference. The application of this knowledge allows us to not only be a teacher, but be teachable.

In a way, the world is a kitchen: a place where perspectives are mixed and critical thinking skills are strengthened.

Instead of turning on a stove, we ask questions. Instead of reading instructions, we analyze reasoning.

And, instead of plating, we present evidence. All of this boils down to two foundational ingredients — objective truth and affection.

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. on campus locations. For example, buying an Aquafina on campus costs, yet an alternative sustainable company we recommended, Open Water, has 16oz water cans rather than plastic bottles that retail for $1.34.

This contract costs students, while the administration receives money to remain exclusively committed to Pepsi.

That sounds awful, right? So why would UC Davis want to support a contract that undermines their own single-use plastic commitments and student choices?

PEPSICO on 9

5 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION EDITORIAL

Amidst the L.A. wildfires, disinformation is spreading fast: We need to stay informed and involved The Editorial Board discusses the politicalization of natural disasters and ways to support your local and statewide community

WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

On Jan. 7, Los Angeles saw the beginning of some of the most catastrophic wildfires in California history. The original fire that started in the Palisades has now split into three major fires that have burned more than 23,000 acres, killed 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, leaving thousands of people displaced with more standing by for evacuation.

Apocalyptic-like images of fire tornados and an AI-generated flaming Hollywood sign are circling mainstream media, causing panic and fear among California residents.

However, the situation is being further exacerbated by the mass spread of disinformation surrounding the details of the fire. Countless people, namely prominent political and business figures, have taken to social media spreading baseless claims about the fire, further putting the L.A. community in danger.

For clarification, the Editorial Board wants to acknowledge the difference between misinformation and disinformation. The American Psychological Association defines misinformation as “false or incorrect information,” while disinformation refers to “false information that is deliberately being spread to mislead.”

The claims that many public figures have been making about the fires are

SEE ONLINE Read our online editorial about how to have a successful winter quarter!

deliberate disinformation, as these people are in positions where they have unlimited access to the correct information yet intentionally choose to spread false claims.

One of the main instigators spreading disinformation about the fires is President-elect Donald Trump.

He took to his site, Truth Social, blaming Governor Gavin Newsom for the severity of the fires by saying that Newsom failed to sign the “water restoration declaration.” However, Newsom’s office revealed that the document that Trump refers to doesn’t even exist.

Furthermore, figures like Elon Musk have been piggybacking off of conspiracies from far-right individuals, such as Alex Jones, that are claiming the fires are a “Globalist Plot To Wage Economic Warfare & Deindustrialize The United States Before Triggering Total Collapse.” MSNBC also revealed that Musk attacked the identity of Kristin Crowley, the first openly LGBTQ+ woman fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), by saying that she prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion training over saving lives.

All of these rumors are false, and all of them have been spread by individuals that are supposed to be leading our country. Disinformation is harmful and shows a lack of empathy in order to serve a political message.

Additionally, being in the middle of a natural disaster and not having the correct information could be the difference between life and death. The Editorial Board urges you all to look past these baseless claims and educate yourselves about the facts.

First and foremost, we encourage you to look at science. The cause of harsher and more frequent wildfires can be attributed to climate change, as NASA confirms that 2024 was the hottest year on record. There are many policies that can be reworked to more effectively address these natural disasters, but climate change has created conditions in which wildfires thrive.

Adding on, one important fact that should not be ignored is the countless incarcerated individuals fighting on the front lines of the fire.

On the most recent ballot in 2024, Californians rejected Proposition 6,

which would have banned forms of involuntary labor in prisons and jails, including incarcerated people fighting fire. Since the proposition did not pass, it allowed for more than 780 incarcerated firefighters to be deployed to the L.A. fires as of last week under the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Fire Camp Program.

Despite the help that the firefighters provide, there are many controversies surrounding the program, including the pay that rests at or under $10.24/hour and the fact that most of the incarcerated people fighting fires are barred from becoming firefighters after their sentence due to background checks.

Pointing fingers in the midst of natural disasters accomplishes nothing and takes the attention away from the people fighting and suffering from the fires in real time. Many people online have been claiming that “rich people are the only ones that have been affected by the fires,” which completely disregards countless middle and lowincome communities who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

The Editorial Board encourages that empathy should be held for everyone affected by the fires, regardless of class, race or identity.

Being educated is a form of empathy — and one that we implore you to practice. With that being said, here are some resources for you to stay updated on the fires, as well as to give back to the impacted communities.

Surrounding the mass spread of disinformation, Newsom has launched a website called californiafirefacts. com that debunks current falsities being spread. Additionally, various news sources such as PBS, ABC news, the L.A. Times and many more are publishing daily content certifying which facts are true about the fires.

Make sure you double-check your information before you spread it!

If you wish to donate to impacted communities, many organizations and individuals in the Davis community have started supply drives and fundraisers. The UC Davis Foundation Board has a Student Fire Relief Fund for Davis students that have been personally affected by wildfires. Community members are even standing up for animals that have

Editorial Board CHRIS PONCE Editor-in-Chief ALYSSA CREVOISERAT Managing Editor MADISON PETERS Campus News Editor HANNAH SCHRADER City News Editor MAYA KORNYEYEVA Opinion Editor ZOEY MORTAZAVI Features Editor ANA BACH Arts & Culture Editor MEGAN JOSEPH Sports Editor KATIE HELLMAN Science Editor 0DQDJLQJ 6WD̆ JENNA LEE Photo Director ARIANA NOBLE Layout Director LANHUI ZHEN Design Director JOANNE SUN Social Media Manager AARON POTTER Website Manager CASSIDY GILLIS Distribution & Outreach Director TIFFANY HE Copy Chief JENNY DYE Copy Chief SAMUEL RUIZ Translation Director ILEANA MERAZ Translation Director LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

been impacted by the fires with a pet supply drive.

Alongside taking action to help victims of the fires, it is important to simply be kind to your fellow students and community members, who may be experiencing personal loss or grief.

Additionally, some people have not only lost their physical assets, but they have also lost their entire livelihoods in which many memories were created.

Natural disasters of this caliber are worsening and will be happening more frequently as climate change continues, and coming together is the only way that we will be able to get through these traumatic events.

Whether it’s through donations or education, there are countless ways that you can help — but, above all, we encourage you to care for your fellow people.

A crash course on dealing with negative emotions Remember Sadness from “Inside Out”?

BY MAYA KORNYEYEVA mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu Negativity — the expression of criticism or pessimism toward ourselves or others — is a train of thought that is often brought on by unwanted change, unfavorable circumstances or mistakes. Often, our mindset shifts negatively whenever we feel like we messed up; maybe we weren’t a good friend, we failed an exam or we forgot something important.

However, “the negative” is a dimension that is not so easily overcome. Negative thoughts and emotions tend to strike us frequently and with reckless abandon, and, in each of our lives, we will inevitably come face-to-face with negative experiences that push us into the darkest corners of our minds. Because of its frequency, it is crucial that we become well-versed in techniques for dealing with negativity in a healthy way and train ourselves to direct our thoughts to be both positive and productive.

While I am no licensed expert, I (like I’m sure, many of you) have dealt with my fair share of negative emotions. From epicly disastrous failures to days on end dragging myself through life, it’s definitely taken me a while to learn my thought process inside and out — to observe how I deal with negative thoughts and slowly direct myself to be less destructive.

This is a crucial step in learning to objectively regard your feelings; to understand that being in a negative mindspace can make us less receptive to help, more cynical and dismissive of our support systems. For all these reasons (and many more), I hope this mini crash course on dealing with negativity will prove thoughtprovoking, if not directly helpful.

To start off, it is important to differentiate between different forms of negativity and determine whether the sadness, distress or despair you are feeling is productive or unproductive.

Productive negativity is characterized by a form of negativity that is, for

MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE lack of a better word, “character building.” In a productive negative state, you understand that you need this moment to grow — to make positive changes in your life and to become a better person as the result of carefully working through your negative emotions.

On the other hand, unproductive negativity is the very opposite; Rather than understanding that these emotions can be channelled into positive change, you dwell on things you cannot control, falling deeper into a spiral of unnecessary pain. In my case, unproductive negativity often arises from either a place of blame or comparison. Whether it’s blaming myself for not doing something I should have done or meticulously dwelling on the differences between myself and others, unproductive negativity doesn’t result in any healthy

thought processes — let alone positive action.

The next step, after reflecting on the source of your negative emotions, is to channel that negativity into positivity. While this is easier said than done, it is extremely effective (at least for me) in raising all the gloomy energy off my shoulders.

Channelling your negativity can be achieved in many creative and introspective ways, and, before anything else, you should take a moment to pause and breathe in order to regulate your heart rate and calm your mind. Then, once you have collected your thoughts, you can direct them towards setting goals for yourself — making decisions on how to move forward with everything you learned while you were feeling blue.

As an example of this methodology in action, let’s imagine that you are

experiencing some miserable selfcriticism because you failed your economics midterm. After wallowing for an hour or so, you have the energy to think about what went wrong — did I not study enough? Is there something that I can fix going forward, like studying more in advance, going to office hours or consulting a friend?

In this way, generating potential solutions is vital to moving past any negative emotions and bringing yourself out of the self-depreciating hole you may have been digging.

After deciding on an actionable item (for instance, “In the future I will take more thorough notes during lectures”), don’t forget to remind yourself that you are ultimately in control of who you are and who you want to be, and that (no matter what), you should always be there for yourself.

It all comes down to continuously

supporting your body and mind and, most importantly, being gentle on yourself.

In the end, my advice is almost exactly like the message of the Pixar movie “Inside Out”: Negative emotions are an undeniable part of our everyday lives, and, rather than avoiding these feelings and experiencing guilt for having these emotions, we need to remember that all our emotions are valid — even sadness (not just joy) can help us learn about ourselves and grow as individuals.

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.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

6 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

The biggest novels of 2024

Top reads according to fans, critics and publishers

BY ELIZABETH BUNT arts@theaggie.org

BY CHARLIE MCBRIAN arts@theaggie.org Movie: “The Queen” (1968) dir. Frank Simon A little over two decades before “Paris Is Burning” came its spiritual predecessor — “The Queen,” documenting a 1967 drag pageant. Shot as a fly on the wall, it allows the story and characters to speak for themselves, covering topics like gay individuals in the military, gender-affirming surgery and marriage — all topics that would later reach the forefront of queer rights discourse. Clearly defined characters like narrator/emcee Flawless Sabrina, Pepper Labeija and the pageant’s favorite Rachel Harlow push forward the narrative toward the end.

Although her appearance is brief, Crystal Labeija (mother of Ballroom’s legendary House of Labeija) pulls focus and hijacks the narrative to expose the inequality and artifice of pageant culture. Overall a great snapshot of a period of time through an, at the time, more hidden culture, this film is a must watch for fans of drag, queer history and the 1960s.

Album: “From a Basement on the Hill” (2004)

by Elliott Smith After simmering for his previous six albums, Elliott Smith’s sublimated bitterness comes to the surface.

Years of “burning every bridge that [he] crossed” makes the album throb like an exposed nerve.

Released roughly a year after Smith’s untimely death, sometimes it reads like a suicide note — ”Fond Farewell,” “Kings Crossing” and “The Last Hour.” But also on other tracks, like the explosive “Shooting Star” and “Coast to Coast,” it felt like Smith had a lot more to give. It’s a messy and difficult but ultimately beautiful album that stands apart from the rest of his discography and music in general. I recommend this to people who like The Beatles (“White Album”) and other all-overthe-place raw albums.

TV Show: “Hacks” (2021 to present) “Hacks” revolves around the relationship between aging comedy legend Deborah Vance and her younger new writer Ava Daniels. Their clashing statuses and personalities allow the show to explore the power dynamics inherent to comedy. “Hacks” asks: How much of yourself and others around you are you willing to sacrifice for success? Who’s laughing and who’s being laughed at? “Hacks” doesn’t answer these questions, with Ava and Deborah having moments of admirability and detestability, often simultaneously. While constraining her, Deborah weaponizes the expectations and assumptions toward female comedians to stay afloat and maybe even get ahead. Ava works with someone she sees as a “hack” in order to rehabilitate her image after her self-centeredness causes her to lose her life in Los Angeles. In its bluntness, it goes places a lot of shows don’t yet attempt to and preserves its heart and humor.

Song: “Fingertips Suite” (1997) by They Might Be Giants Consisting of 21 songlets ranging in length from four to 61 seconds, “Fingertips” is a highlight off of They Might Be Giants’ 1997 LP “Apollo 18.”

They Might Be Giants can make high-concept pop from a Do it Yourself (DIY) approach. “Fingertips” sees this project at its creative peak featuring wit, humor, genre-play and, above all, hooks — as there’s not much room for anything else. Pieces vary from ballads (“Mysterious Whisper”) to power pop (“Hey now Everybody”) to country (“All Alone”). Songs cut off midway through and make way for a fresh idea. The pieces are strong enough to not get disoriented or exhausted, making for an exhilarating listen. I dare anyone to listen through the LP without getting a song segment stuck in their head.

Channel your inner main character this winter season

If you are over the ‘clean girl aesthetic,’ try something a bit more chic and realistic

A new year has begun, and for many people that means New Year’s resolutions are in full swing. While some may pledge to hit the gym every day or add to their bucket list, the arts & culture desk — which is staffed almost entirely by English majors —- is busy crafting reading lists for 2025. For anyone else looking to read more this year, here are several books that made a big splash in 2024.

Literary Fiction Two novels have received endless accolades this past year: “James” by Percival Everett and “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar.

“James” is a retelling of Mark Twain’s classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” In his novel, Everett traces the story of Jim, an enslaved Black man whose escape places him on the same journey as young Huck Finn. “James” was awarded the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction.

“Martyr!” tells the story of Cyrus Shams, the orphaned son of Iranian immigrants who is struggling to understand his mother’s senseless death while coping with his own addictions.

An outstanding debut novel for Akbar, “Martyr!” was a finalist for the National Book Award. Both novels were featured on the New York Times and The Atlantic’s lists of top 10 notable books

BY BETH MUNRO-MORRIS arts@theaggie.org As the new year unfolds, so too does the familiar urge to reinvent ourselves.

It’s that time once again to revisit neglected intentions and create a version of ourselves that is polished, poised and, above all, impeccably dressed. So, as we dive into the winter quarter, the burning

question remains: Which microtrend will redefine your wardrobe this year?

Many trend-conscious consumers flock to TikTok or Pinterest, endlessly scrolling to see which wardrobes the hottest influencers are showcasing. But what if we looked beyond the fleeting influence of “nepo babies” and instead drew inspiration from a more timeless source: cinema.

Enter the “Frazzled English Woman”

Historical Fiction Fans of historical fiction are no stranger to Kristin Hannah, whose work includes bestsellers “The Four Winds,” “The Great Alone” and “The Nightingale.” This year, she is back on the top of the charts with new novel “The Women,” which debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times fiction bestseller list. “The Women” follows Frankie Mcgrath, a young woman serving in the United States Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. Above all, it is a tale about a girl coming of age in the changing political and social atmosphere of the 1960s. In addition to its popularity with readers, “The Women” is being adapted into film by Warner Bros.

Mystery/Thriller “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore dominated the thriller charts in 2024, winning the accolades of the New York Times Best Crime Novel of 2024, the New York Times Notable Book of 2024 and the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery and Thriller novel.

The novel explores the story of Barbara Van Laar, a 13-year-old from a wealthy family who disappears from her summer camp and whose brother vanished in the exact same way a decade earlier.

Moore slowly unwraps the secrets of the Van Laar family while following the panicked hunt for a young girl lost in the Adirondacks.

Fantasy “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo got lots of attention from fantasy enthusiasts in 2024 as well as making the New York Times bestseller and Notable Books lists. Set in the Spanish Golden Age in the new capital of Madrid, “The Familiar” follows Luzia Cotado, a servant girl with a talent for performing small miracles. When this talent is discovered, Luzia is thrust into the world of power and Spanish nobility in the face of the brewing Inquisition.

Romance In 2024, the romance genre was once again dominated by Emily Henry, author of bestsellers “Beach Read” and “People We Meet on Vacation.” This time, Henry won acclaim with her novel “Funny Story,” which tracks the love story of Daphne and Miles who happen to be exes of each other’s exes.

In building her relatable rom-com world, Henry explores the impact that past relationships have on shaping personal identity. “Funny Story” won the Goodreads Choice Award for Romance, was named a Must Read by TIME Magazine and is reportedly being adapted into a feature film.

Even though 2024 has come to a close, these books are certainly here to stay. So, if you have some extra time on your hands, dabble in some of the notable reads that this past year had to offer.

Review: SZA is everlastingly emotionally honest on ‘LANA’

On her latest album, SZA reckons with healing and the cost of growth

BY NATALIE SALTER arts@theaggie.org SZA is not afraid to contradict herself. On the title track of 2022’s “SOS,” the lyrics read, “No more fuck-shit, I’m done / Damn right, I’m the one” — but 12 tracks later, she laments upon her misgivings and crushing self-loathing post-breakup: “If I’m real, I deserve less / If I were you I wouldn’t take me back” (“Nobody Gets Me”). “SOS” plays out like a high-stakes tennis match between SZA’s ego and insecurities, swinging between effervescent self-confidence (“Conceited”) and a desperation to not be alone so intense it drives her to the point of plotting bloody vengeance (“Kill Bill”).

The triumph of “SOS,” and SZA’s artistry as a whole, is her ability to exist within both of these two extremes and the expanse of emotions in between without once coming across as disjointed or confused. Accentuated by diverse instrumental landscapes and delightfully cheeky lyricsim (“Damn, bitch, you so thirsty” from “Shirt”), SZA’s willingness to be simultaneously ferociously self-assured and self-critical makes her songwriting not only deeply relatable but a refreshing dose of genuine vulnerability in an industry that only celebrates authenticity so long as it isn’t too uncomfortable for commercial audiences.

Just before 2024 came to a close, SZA announced that she would be expanding “SOS” to a deluxe album, with the inclusion of 15 new tracks and a new title, “LANA.” Though perhaps more sonically consistent than its tempestuous predecessor, “LANA” is a clear continuation of the original album’s assertive yet unguarded storytelling.

An aptly titled first note of the album, the ensuing slew of tracks candidly present her deepest desires and worst hurts without restraint.

“I wanna feel sun on my skin / Even if it burns or blinds me / I wanna be purified within,” the lyrics read on “No More Hiding.”

As before, SZA refuses to let herself be strictly defined on this album. She gracefully dances between identities from track to track. The SZA we hear aesthetic — a style pioneered by iconic British film characters such as Bridget Jones, from the film of the same name, and Kate Winslet in “The Holiday.”

It’s an aesthetic that celebrates realism over perfection, embracing the chaos of everyday life whilst maintaining a subtle air of elegance. Here’s how to pull it off in just seven steps:

Kate Winslet as Iris Simpkins in “The Holiday.” (Columbia Pictures / fair use)

of 2024.

Invest in timeless staples Transcend fleeting microtrends, and your wallet will thank you. Think knit sweaters, tailored coats and chunky scarves. You don’t need a closet full of designer pieces to nail this aesthetic.

Instead, fill your wardrobe with quality fabrics like wool, cotton and cashmere that stand the test of time — and also trends.

Layer, layer, layer With the cold weather creeping in, why not embrace the art of layering?

This aesthetic thrives on the practicality of throwing together cozy pieces.

Between classes, extracurriculars and the occasional late-night study session, who has time to curate the “perfect” outfit? Pile on your favorite knits, coats and scarves and you’re good to go.

on “Drive” regrets her inability to make good on her promises of selfimprovement and the lack of fulfillment she suffers within her current lifestyle.

Then, on “30 for 30 (with Kendrick Lamar)” she tosses out expletives and dismissals with a devil-may-care attitude. She swings back into heartaching introspection on “Kitchen,” but her bravado returns in full on “My Turn” — a fiercely infectious revenge track that channels “Kill Bill,” though is decidedly less bloodsoaked in its narrative.

SZA’s dissatisfaction with the pitfalls of modern life takes the front seat on “LANA.” “Saturn,” a track which predated the full deluxe album by over six months, lets her turn deeply philosophical as she wonders upon her purpose in a world filled with so much suffering.

“If there’s a point to being good, then where’s my reward? / The good die young and poor,” the lyrics read.

She fantasizes about floating away to another planet against a soundscape as exquisitely dreamy as its lyricism,

maintaining a delicate balance between melancholy and hopefulness.

Where “SOS” thrived on roaring hooks as a framework for SZA’s intense declarations, the introspective thematic storytelling of “LANA” is composed of more diaphanous sounds. The chorus of “Kitchen” floats over a twinking, ethereal melody; “Crybaby” is enchantingly hypnotic in its slow-paced string backdrop. Side by side on the album, they work in tandem to create a soothing and near-divine listening experience.

On “BMF,” SZA interpolates “The Girl From Ipanema” to craft a blushing, bright ode to new crushes and fluttering first attraction. “Another Life” is elevated from a mere breakup piece to a transcendent reflection on love that could have been thanks to its warm, soaring tune. A bittersweet mixture of affection and mourning seeps into her mesmerizing vocals as she wishes for the stars to align for the love she knows could be the one.

SZALANA on 10

Cover art for “SOS Deluxe: LANA” by SZA. (Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records / fair use) Mix colors Toss color theory out of the window, and play around with mismatched patterns. In the world of the “Frazzled English Woman,” even navy and black can coexist. Why waste time coordinating colors when you could be studying for a midterm — or better yet, sneaking in an extra 10 minutes of sleep?

Re-wear outfits Celebrate the lived-in look — whether it’s the jeans you can’t seem to take off or the sweater you wear for the fourth day in a row, the more lived-in, the better. Who wants to stress over a new outfit every day when you’ve got papers to write and exams to cram for?

Wash clothes only when necessary Coffee stains aren’t just allowed but encouraged. Embrace the messy side of femininity and let your clothes tell a story. Grab that shirt off your bedroom floor and wear it with pride (no one likes doing laundry anyway).

Accessorize Don’t overlook the power of accessories — they turn clothes into an outfit. A leather bag with perhaps a few

keyrings, a casually draped scarf or even a mug that you clutch on your way to class all add that effortless flair. If you’re feeling daring, pair this with smokey eye makeup and a faux cigarette. The best accessories always feel like they’ve been added accidentally, just like the rest of your look.

Embrace your ‘main character energy’ “The Frazzled English Woman” may seem a little tousled and frantic, but she carries an undeniable self-assuredness.

Channel the quiet confidence of your favorite film character and move with purpose. Whether you’re rushing out the door with a coffee in hand, running late for class or riding your bike through the rain, own it. Mess is part of the appeal.

So forget about curating the perfect Pinterest-worthy outfit and welcome the glorious chaos of real life. Own your disheveled self, because often, the best dressed is the person who’s too busy to care. After all, if Bridget Jones can win over her dream man in granny panties, you can certainly handle a few missed laundry days and still ace this quarter.

7 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

The 2025 awards season is here, and it’s kicking off in ‘golden’ fashion

A recap of some notable moments from this past Golden Globe Awards

Logo for the Golden Globe Awards. (Dick Clark Productions / fair use)

BY SHREYA KUMAR arts@theaggie.org The 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards took center stage on Jan. 5 at the iconic Beverly Hilton Ballroom in Los Angeles. Host Nikki Glaser made history as the first woman to solo host the Golden Globes, and engaged the artists in the ballroom as well as the viewers at home. Glaser kept the energy up while staying respectful, and her rendition of a “Wicked” and “Conclave” mashup song — “Pope-ular” — has already gone viral.

As always, the Globes celebrated the most outstanding and talked-about films and TV shows of the year. Netflix’s original Spanish-language musical crime comedy “Emilia Pérez” led the pack with the most nominations going into the night and delivered on expectations, taking home several awards including the coveted Best Motion Picture in the Comedy or Musical category.

The film has been polarizing since its release and portrays a Mexican cartel leader who starts a new life after transitioning into a woman. Despite receiving praise for its performances, directing, music and ambitious story, it has also received criticism for its stereotypical representation of Mexican culture, clunky Spanish dialogue, and for its somewhat flippant portrayal of gender transition. Despite the controversy, the film’s accolades are still a win for Spanish-language films and transgender representation on the big screen, indicating that audiences and critics alike are willing to expand their boundaries and enjoy unique foreign stories.

“The Brutalist” claimed the award for Best Motion Picture in the Drama category, with its star Adrien Brody also

earning Best Male Actor in a Drama for his poignant performance as a Holocaust survivor trying to make a living in post-war America.

“I was told this film was indistributable,” director Brady Corbet said in his acceptance speech. “I was told that no one would come out and see it.”

The film is one of the rare few in Hollywood to include a 15-minute intermission in the middle of its three-and-a-half-hour runtime — yet it remained a critical favorite and commercial success.

In a historic moment, Fernanda Torres became the first Brazilian actor to win Best Female Actor in a Drama for her role in “I’m Still Here,” over 25 years after her mother was the first Brazilian actress ever nominated for the award.

Demi Moore, after years of being one of Hollywood’s more iconic faces, won her first Golden Globe for her role in “The Substance” at the age of 62.

In terms of television, “Shōgun” had a major sweep, taking home Best Drama TV Series, with both of its leads winning Best Actor and Actress in a Drama TV Series. On the comedic side, “Hacks” continued its reign as a fan and critic favorite, winning Best Musical or Comedy TV Series for its razor-sharp wit, as well as Jean Smart winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series for her standout role.

From groundbreaking wins to historic moments, the night highlighted the industry’s ability to evolve while honoring its roots. With standout performances, innovative projects and a diverse array of voices taking center stage, this year’s ceremony set a high bar for the awards season ahead.

As Hollywood continues to push boundaries and redefine entertainment, the Golden Globes reminded us why we need these stories to resonate, inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.

Track your media in 2025 with these three apps

Letterboxd, Goodreads and Airbuds are apps that allow users to track their media consumption in an interactive and social way

BY AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS arts@theaggie.org It is nearly impossible to remember every piece of media you’ve ever consumed. From film, TV shows, music and books, there is no guarantee one will be able to recall a movie they watched eight years ago. However, many apps have been created with the intent to provide users with the ability to log every piece of media they have ever consumed. Mixed with rating systems, lists and social aspects, these three apps make logging media activity enjoyable.

Letterboxd is a social media platform that allows users of varying interests in film to log, rate and share every film they have seen. Founded by Matthew Buchanan in 2011, the app was initially launched in New Zealand. “[Letterboxd was] designed to foster a community of film lovers who would share, log, rate and watchlist films,” the Letterboxd website reads.

The platform now has over 13 million users across more than 190 countries. For Joselino De la Rosa, a second-year human biology major, he enjoys using Letterboxd as an avid movie watcher.

“I’ve been using Letterboxd for two years now and wish I could’ve downloaded it sooner,” De la Rosa said. “I heard about it from a friend

and thought it was so cool to have a place where I could track every movie I’ve seen and refer back to it whenever I wanted, with all my notes and thoughts on the film. Also, I like how I can see what my friends log and read their opinions on films I’ve seen.”

For music lovers, Airbuds is an app that allows users to share their music listening history from apps such as Spotify or Apple Music with friends, with the option of adding a widget on their phone screen that shares what their friends are listening to. Launched in 2023, the app takes what people love about “Spotify Wrapped” and “Apple Music Replay,” making user listening habits accessible year-round with features such as “Weekly Recap” and “Daily Roundup.” Additionally, users can “react” to their friend’s listening habits with emojis.

Evelyn Romero, a second-year political science major, uses Airbuds because she likes connecting with her friends and family through music.

“I like following my friends and family on Airbuds, because I think that through music, you are able to build a connection with others and bond over similar things,” Romero said. “Not only are you able to view what others are listening to but you can also view your music compatibility score with them, it’s so fun.”

As for bookworms, Goodreads is

an app where you can track what books you’ve read and write recommendations for other users to see. Launched in 2007

by Otis Chandler and Elizabeth Khuri Chandler, the app was later acquired by Amazon and now has over 150 million users. “[Goodreads] is a place where you can see what your friends are reading and vice versa. You can create ‘bookshelves’ to organize what you’ve read (or want to read). You can comment on each other’s reviews. You can find your next favorite book. And on this journey with your friends you can explore new territory, gather information, and expand your mind,” the Goodreads website reads.

Andrea Rojas Norato, a secondyear political science major, loves using Goodreads to look back on how she felt reading certain books and their impact on her life.

“I love that I can go back and read a review I wrote about a book I found impactful (or not) at the time and why I felt that way,” Norato said. “It’s like traveling back in time to see what the me from the past was feeling.”

Next time you blank when someone asks you for a book recommendation, forget if you watched a certain movie or want to know what artists to listen to less before your “Spotify Wrapped,” consider using these three apps to refer back to your media consumption this 2025.

Apps like Letterboxd are helping people rate their favorite media and track their friends activity.

(Goodreads, Letterboxd, and Airbuds logos / fair use)

New year, new you, same movies Ring in the Lunar Movies start your New Year off right and on the path New Year on campus to success

BY DEVANSHI AGNIHOTRI arts@theaggie.org As the New Year has started, many of us have been experimenting with new habits and regimens to achieve our New Year’s resolutions, but the commitment can get overwhelming. Here are a few movies that embody the hard work and dedication to inspire you to get back on track.

The first movie that describes perseverance in a unique way is “Forrest Gump,” which follows a man of the same name who has experienced various lives, reliving these experiences while he passes time waiting for the bus. He played college football, joined the U.S. Army fighting in Vietnam, received the Medal of Honor and captained a shrimp boat — just to note a few of his accomplishments. Gump later proposes to his childhood love, Jenny, but once she rejects the proposal, Gump runs around the entire country while distraught. But eventually, Gump comes back and everything falls into place.

In the film, Gump proudly acknowledges that he has always strived to live a life full of experiences, even if they weren’t necessarily easy.

“Always be able to look back and say, at least I didn’t lead no humdrum life,” Gump said.

This film emphasizes the importance of finding your true meaning in life and being fearless of a new experience despite what others may say. Regardless of the obstacles in Gump’s life, such as his friend Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue passing away, he managed to push forward and leave no dreams unattended. For example, he ended up captaining the shrimp boat despite it being the dream he shared with Bubba.

Another movie that many of us need to manifest is “Legally Blonde,” a film that follows Elle Woods, a fashion merchandising major. Her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, is set to attend Harvard Law the following year but abruptly breaks up with her. In order to get Warner back, Elle aims to follow him there after studying and passing the law school admission test (LSAT).

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. (Paramount Pictures / fair use)

Once they run into each other, Warner is shocked to see her but even more shocked to find out that she attends the university. He questions her ability to get into the law school program to which she delivers the iconic response — “What, like it’s hard?” After working to be with Warner, she slowly realizes that he will never want to be with her, so it is time to make a name for herself, which she does by being invited to one of Boston’s best law firms after many doubted her ability to succeed in the industry.

This movie is sure to make you laugh and feel inspired to go after what you want, even if you are told otherwise. In 2025, we could all use a little more confidence. No dream was too big for Elle Woods, so why should it be different for you? Every time she formed a new goal, she put in all the necessary work and marked the goal off her checklist.

When thinking of inspirational films, “Ratatouille” definitely fits the bill. Through the way Remy, the rat, gains inspiration from French chef Auguste Gusteau and maintains his passion for cooking despite the rest of the rats ridiculing him for not scavenging for garbage with them.

But, Remy keeps his mind set on what his heart desires and eventually opens “La Ratatouille,” a bistro that welcomes both rats and humans.

One notable quote that guides Remy in the right direction after being discouraged is from Chef Gusteau: “You must be imaginative, strong-hearted.

You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from.

Your only limit is your soul.”

We are the only people that can hold us back. So, this year, do whatever your heart desires and take on the challenges others have scared you away from. If Remy, a rat, can cook in a kitchen and open a bistro, there is no reason for you to let your dreams go.

If you feel the load of this quarter getting heavy, just take a moment, sit back, turn on one of these movies and let your imagination fly. Remember how Forrest Gump, Elle Woods and Remy achieved their biggest dreams that even us, the audience, couldn’t believe. They ignored the people (and rats) who doubted them and continued living their life the way they saw best.

So, take a deep breath and stay on track!

A guide to celebrating the Lunar New Year and embracing traditions while away from home

Lunar New Year celebration in Vancouver, BC. (Albert Stoynov / Courtesy)

BY IQRA AHMAD arts@theaggie.org Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is celebrated across East and Southeast Asia. This year, the festivities begin on Jan. 29 and will usher in the Year of the Snake. For those who can’t make the trip home, celebrating on campus can still honor these traditions and foster a sense of connection. With a little creativity and collaboration, it’s possible to bring the spirit of the new year to Davis.

Enjoy a Lunar New Year-themed meal Invite your friends to a shared meal featuring traditional dishes from various cultures at Latitude or any Dining Commons on Jan. 29. With a New Year-themed meal, you can enjoy the holiday camaraderie alongside your favorite foods and people.

Decorate your space Transform your common areas or dorm rooms with Lunar New Year decor accompanied by friends. Hang red lanterns and paper cuttings to set a festive mood. Many stores and online retailers sell affordable decorations, but you can also organize a craft night to create your own unique designs.

Decorating together provides a fun and interactive way to learn about Lunar New Year traditions while fostering

creativity and community.

Exchange red envelopes Exchanging red envelopes filled with money is a well-known Lunar New Year tradition that symbolizes prosperity and good luck. On campus, you can adapt this custom by using red envelopes to share encouraging notes, small candies or thoughtful tokens of appreciation. Whether exchanged with close friends or dorm mates, this gesture is a heartfelt way to spread joy and build connections during the holiday season.

Host a game night Games like mahjong, yut nori or even card games can bring people together in the spirit of the New Year.

Teach your friends the rules and enjoy a night of friendly competition.

Share stories and customs One of the best things about going to Davis is the people and all of their unique experiences. If you or your friends celebrate Lunar New Year, host a storytelling night to share personal traditions and memories. This is a wonderful way to educate others and appreciate celebrating the New Year with new people.

By bringing Lunar New Year festivities to campus, you can celebrate with your community, and with some thoughtful planning, your dorm and campus can feel just like home, full of joy and new beginnings.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

8 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

Davis United Methodist Church set to hold monthly political forums

The Davis United Methodist Church reintroduces its political forums to foster civic engagement in the community

Front of the Davis United Methodist Church. (Jenna Lee / Aggie)

BY GIA LOOMIS city@theaggie.org In light of the recent presidential election, the Davis United Methodist Church (UMC) has decided to shift the focus of its upcoming educational forums to feature national politics.

Prior to COVID-19, the forums were hosted weekly, but since then, they have switched to a monthly basis.

The Davis UMC has hosted these educational forums for the past 35 years; However, they typically explore social justice issues, not explicitly political issues.

While the church chooses a broad array of topics to explore with the community, it typically focuses on immigration, housing/homelessness, environment and LGBTQ+ issues — in the past, it has also held forums to educate on poverty, voting rights, race and more.

The church has decided to shift the topic of the upcoming January and February forums to allow them to explore the possible effects and implementations of the 2024 presidential election. These forums will work with the local community to investigate possible policy shifts resulting from this change in national administration.

The November Election Day precedes a period of change and adjustment for national and local governments. Through these forums, the church is striving to inspire local community members to work toward the change they want to see.

“The November election indicates that major changes in social policies will be coming,” an article with the UMC by the Davis Vanguard reads.

“Progressive responses should occur at both the national and local levels.”

The importance of political literacy and education was highlighted by a member of the Service & Justice Ministry of Davis United Methodist Church, Jim Cramer, who works to organize the church’s forums. Cramer explained the church’s aspiration to educate the local community.

“The U.S. still is a democracy, and democracy flourishes best when the electorate is informed about important issues,” Cramer said. “We aim to educate the local electorate, that’s all we can do in terms of education.”

However, Davis UMC pushes for local political advocacy in more ways than one. Aside from the opportunity for church and community members to increase their civic education through educational forums, the church additionally holds multiple opportunities to increase political advocacy. These opportunities include progressive advocacy task forces to focus on important social justice issues

along with offering advocacy sessions where people can send postcards to political leaders on chosen topics.

Cramer hopes that these events will increase political education and motivation in the community.

“We hope that when people are informed about what seems likely to happen, they will be motivated to engage in advocacy,” Cramer said.

The first of Davis UMC’s electioncentered forums will take place on January 19th and will focus on “Immigration in President Trump’s Second Term” with guest speaker Kevin Johnson, a Mabie/Apallas professor of public interest law & Chicana/o studies at the UC Davis School of Law. “Trump campaigned promising mass deportations,” a Facebook post by the Davis Community Church reads. “What might this mean in terms of policies and the impacts on immigrants?”

Johnson explained how local action and discussion, like these forums, can create an opportunity for people to get informed and involved in important issues like immigration.

“I think it’s important that we have a full and fair discussion of the very complicated issues that immigration implicates,” Johnson said. “The more people know, the more they’ll be able to voice their concerns or support for various immigration reforms as well as understanding what is at stake.”

Attending civic engagement events, like political forums, can be a great step toward becoming a more informed and involved citizen.

Johnson spoke on the importance of staying educated on important issues like immigration but still maintaining an open mind.

“I think educating everybody is important,” Johnson said. “Students as well as community members generally should try to understand the issues as opposed to having knee-jerk reactions to the sort of news items that come across the wire. Immigration is a complicated issue with economic, political, social and cultural impacts in our society that aren’t always fully understood, and the more people know, the more they can make educated judgments about what our policies should be.”

Johnson will serve as a guest speaker on Jan. 19 at 11:20 a.m. at the Davis UMC forum consulting potential immigration changes postelection. Next month, the church will host a similar forum on Feb. 9 focused on effective local climate action with guest speaker Richard McCann, who serves as an energy consultant and founding partner of M. Cubed. For more information on these political forums and future events, check out their website.

START and The winter blues: A guide to health committees at UC and wellness during the daunting Davis work to assess winter quarter UC Davis students offer advice and strategies for maintaining unit allocation for their mental and physical health during the winter season academic coursework

UC Davis students are required to take the most classes to graduate of any University of California

BY NOAH HARRIS features@theaggie.org UC Davis requires its students to complete 180 units to graduate. The amount of units allocated to a class impacts the total number of courses that a student ends up completing — taking five-unit classes instead of four enables a student to graduate with fewer overall courses.

One task force at UC Davis, Sustaining Teaching And Research Task Force (START), as well as committees under the same initiative, are seeking how to best evaluate how units are assigned to classes at UC Davis. START is one of Mary Croughan’s initiatives as the current Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. Their Future of Undergraduate Education Committee is in charge of the unit allocation project.

Vice Provost Michael Bradford, also the dean of undergraduate education and one of the committee chairs, mentioned that there were around 70 or 80 potential ideas that they initially looked into before settling on three final topics to pursue in depth.

John Stachowicz, a professor in the department of evolution and ecology and a member of the Future of Undergraduate Education Committee, commented on START’s goals to improve student life at Davis.

“The goal of the undergraduate education part of the START task force is to figure out ways to improve the success of our undergraduate[s] here at UC Davis in whatever way we can,” Stachowicz said.

A main finding from their 25-page report was that UC Davis has the lowest credit value per course in the University of California system. Essentially, this means that on average, students at UC Davis will have to take more courses to achieve the same amount of units prior to graduation.

The UCs operating on the quarter system have to take more classes on average, with Davis being at the top

of the list in terms of courses needed to achieve the required 180 units. UC Berkeley and UC Merced are exceptions to the system-wide pattern due to being on the semester system.

“That’s a concern to us because if you’re taking [that] 15 units [...] spread across three courses, it’s a lot different than if you’re taking that 15 units spread across five courses,” Stachowicz said.

UC Davis students in the 202223 school year took an average of 3.9 classes a quarter — the most among UC schools, according to figures from START’s recommendation. However, those classes only yielded an average of 14.3 units, which is below the average of 15 units required to graduate on time without summer classes or nonUC Davis units, including Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework.

For Stachowicz, an average of less than 15 units per student is a problem that UC Davis needs to address.

“We want our students to have the possibility of graduating in four years — that’s what they should be able to do,” Stachowicz said. “There are lots of good reasons why it might not happen, but it should be possible to do that, and if students aren’t taking 15 units a quarter on average, then they’re not going to be able to [graduate in four years].”

This was also something that the report addressed — it showed that only approximately half of first-year students complete 45 units by the end of their first academic year. In other words, nearly half of all first-year students will be behind in their degree progress at the end of their first year.

Unless students enroll in summer school or enter UC Davis with 11 or more AP credits, the average California resident starting UC Davis as a first-year will not fulfill the 180 credits required for graduation in four years, according to the report.

COURSEUNITBREAKDOWN on 10

Caffeine culture at UC Davis

The different types of collegiate caffeine consumption, according to students

BY GRACIELA TIU features@theaggie.org Caffeinated drinks, whether it’s coffee, tea or energy drinks, remain a staple for many UC Davis students.

Each student’s caffeine consumption varies, with some drinking it multiple times a day, others only a couple times a week and some drinking none at all.

“I drink some sort of caffeine maybe twice a week,” Tiffany Liebelt,

a third-year biochemistry and molecular biology major, said. “I love Monsters, tea and Dutch Bros Rebels.”

Alex Wyman, a third-year design major, also shared her typical caffeine habits.

“I drink coffee almost every day, usually in the morning,” Wyman said.

“I usually make it myself or I get one from a coffee shop.”

Luckily for the university’s caffeine drinkers, Davis has plenty of spots to grab a cup of coffee — including at the

BY JENEVAH HARRISON features@theaggie.org

The winter blues are starting to return; During these trying times, many UC Davis students struggle to maintain their mental and physical health.

But try not to despair too much and take these tips from some of your fellow students on how to beat these incessant blues.

“Winter quarter is definitely the toughest quarter for me,” Julie Marquez, a second-year English major, said. “The weather tends to affect my mood, and since I’ve never liked the cold, I would rather stay inside than go out with friends or study elsewhere.

Consequently, I end up getting a little sad and unproductive.”

Marquez’s experience echoes that of many students who find themselves wrestling with low energy and mood swings as the days grow shorter and colder. Subsequently, the temptation of remaining in the comforts of one’s home arises, often leading to patterns of isolation and depression. Marquez said it’s important to resist that temptation to decrease isolation.

“I’ve found that it’s beneficial when I push myself to interact with people and study around campus instead of rushing back home as soon as classes are over,” Marquez said.

Marquez also said staying off the phone helps to stimulate the mind.

“Also, [I try to] spend as much time off of social media as I can,” Marquez said. “I spent the majority of my winter break reading, and I’d like for that to follow into the quarter. It always feels like a better alternative to mindlessly scrolling on any app.”

Besides engaging the brain, Huy Tran, a third-year international relations major, said physical activity is another way to beat the winter slump.

Memorial Union (MU) Coffee House (CoHo), or one of the six on-campus Peet’s Coffee locations.

“I love going to Dutch Bros or the Coffee House at the MU,” Liebelt said.

Besides the enjoyable taste of coffee and other caffeinated drinks, students tend to drink caffeine primarily for its other benefits.

“A lot of students drink caffeine if they have to stay up late to study or anything like that,” Lia Reznik, a fourth-year clinical nutrition major, said. “Or, if they have an 8 a.m. or an early class, a lot of people will drink caffeine to be able to stay awake.”

With so many students drinking these beverages, many notice a culture of habits established surrounding consuming caffeine.

“People are always drinking caffeine and keep drinking it nonstop,” Liebelt said. “I’ve seen a lot of people comparing how many energy drinks they drink a day or comparing how many milligrams of caffeine they’ve had, and it’s interesting to see.”

For many students, another part of caffeine consumption is the social aspect of it.

“Caffeine is definitely a social thing too; It’s really easy to go on a coffee date with someone,” Reznik said. “Or if you’re looking for a place to study, going to a coffee shop with friends can be a really cute idea.”

Despite the various fun and beneficial things about caffeinated

“One way I manage my stress levels is going to the gym,” Tran said. “The gym is one of my favorite places to go because I don’t have to think. There [are] no thoughts in my head at the gym, and I feel very relaxed.”

Tran also highlighted the importance of picking up new hobbies to combat the long and draining season.

“I feel like especially with the weather, it gets very depressing — but that’s why it’s the perfect opportunity to try something new, like learning a new hobby,” Tran said.

Anna Petruzzi, a second year biological psychology major, said the lighting changes in winter tends to make her feel less motivated.

“The sun setting early is just so depressing,” Petruzzi said. “It makes me want to sleep instead of doing my work.”

To combat these feelings, Petruzzi said she likes to make her room cozy to create a safe place to return to after classes. She also said she gives herself

plenty of breaks in between study sessions to ensure her energy and motivation remain intact.

The UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services also offers tips to manage stress levels. In their article “Feeling Stressed?” they suggested implementing a regular exercise routine.

“Exercise can help bring your body back to normal levels and releases feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins,” the article reads.

They also emphasized the importance of proper nutrition and eating habits.

“Eating three or more small to medium meals on a regular schedule that include fruit and vegetables can help maintain a balanced energy level,” the article reads.

Students can also find support through campus resources and organizations. Clubs and organizations on campus may provide opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities.

HEALTHANDWELLNESS on 9

DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO / AGGIE

beverages, some students make the decision not to consume caffeine for different reasons.

“When it comes to focusing, for me caffeine makes me really jittery and anxious,” Reznik said. “I feel like my mind is kind of like everywhere if I drink caffeine, especially a lot of it.”

Another big reason people tend to cut out caffeine relates to their sleeping habits.

“I noticed that it’s hard for me to sleep if I drink caffeine in the evening or at night, so I usually make sure to only drink it in the morning,” Wyman said.

Health is also a popular topic people bring up when discussing caffeine consumption. Consuming over 400

VERONICA THEN / AGGIE

milligrams of caffeine a day can be dangerous for one’s health and wellbeing, and it can also be dangerous at lower levels if a person has certain underlying health conditions, according to the American Medical Association.

With that being said, the right amount of caffeine often depends on each person’s individual circumstances.

“I do agree that there are a lot of health implications that can come with drinking a lot of coffee or caffeine, but I think it depends on the person,” Reznik said. “For me, I noticed the health implications really quickly, like not being able to sleep — so that’s kind of why I cut it out, but I think for some people it might not be as big of a deal.”

9 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle 01/09/25

Crossword

CAITLINSANDRANEIL FROM FRONT COVER Neil also expressed gratitude for her friends that she made at UC Davis, saying they were supportive of her during her pageant journey and that they were excited for her when she won. “[My friends] let me practice with them,” Neil said. “They’d practice Q&A questions with me so I could get the hang of it and be able to not freeze up on stage.”

Neil shared that she never imagined that she would become a role model, inspiring young Indian girls to chase their dreams.

“A little girl came to my house after, [...] and she said, ‘I want to do pageants just like you,’” Neil said. “I never thought that I would be able to inspire people like that, but to see how other young women are inspired and want to pursue their dreams as well [...]

I’m honored to be their representative.”

With her crown in hand and her goals set high, Neil is ready to continue breaking barriers, inspiring others and representing her culture, as well as the UC Davis community, with pride and grace.

“When I was on the news with CBS and FOX40, everyone referred to me as a student from UC Davis — and I was like, ‘That is me, that’s my identity, that’s who I’m apart of and to be able to represent such a huge campus is truly an honor,” Neil said.

LETTHEMEATCAKE FROM FRONT COVER “To me, Let Them Eat Cake was one of the quintessential ‘Davis’ businesses that prided itself on delivering to the local community. I remember going in to buy whole trays of cupcakes to celebrate the end of finals, as gifts for

friends or just as a pick-me-up when the quarter got hectic and I felt like a sweet treat.”

Chico further described her appreciation for the bakery.

“I would recommend the shop to all new Aggies I met and was always shocked when someone admitted to never having tried it,” Chico said. “It was definitely one of the places I knew I was going to miss once I graduated, and I am so sad to hear that the storefront will be closing. I wish the owner, Alyssa, nothing but the best in her future endeavors.”

The Let Them Eat Cake business continues to be open for online wedding and custom cakes, but their storefront will surely be missed by many.

Bulfer reflected on her favorite moments and described the focus for the future of the bakery.

“I can’t pick out just one favorite memory or milestone, but I really did enjoy celebrating the bakery’s anniversary year after year,” Bulfer said. “Going forward, Let Them Eat Cake will primarily be a wedding cake business. We are currently working on getting a permit and licenses to be a cottage food facility. We did 88 weddings in 2024, and we can’t wait to serve more 2025 couples.”

TABBYTEA FROM PAGE 2 “The No. 1 word [that best describes cats] would be calm,” Shacoski said.

“Cats are calming for people, but they also need calm around them.”

To achieve this, Shacoski said that Cat Tales opted for telephones that vibrate instead of ring and chose wall colors that have been proven to be calming for cats. They also chose decor that cats wouldn’t feel startled by — cats are often startled by paintings of people and animals that face toward them — and specialized in cat care exclusively to

eliminate the sounds caused by other pets like dogs. Furthermore, Cat Tales has procedures in place and a clinic layout designed to put cats at ease.

“Cats really like to be in one place, so if you have to move a cat, the cat wants to be moved once,” Shacoski said. “[At Cat Tales], the cat doesn’t move like waiting in the lobby, waiting in the exam room, going to the treatment area and coming back to another room — we try to do it all in one room if we can.”

By accommodating cats and tailoring a pet care experience for their needs, Shacoski and Cole hope that their clinic can be somewhere cat owners feel comfortable taking their cat back to regularly. This is especially important for cats in this current veterinary landscape as they receive a fraction of the preventative care that dogs receive, precisely because of the stress involved with a run-of-the-mill vet visit.

As they continue to gain traction in Davis, Shacoski hopes that they are eventually able to host informational programs, tours and events in their space. It is confirmed that Cat Tales is partnering with Meals on Wheels to donate pet supplies for an animal companionship program, but Cat Tales is also discussing the possibility of having a booth for Picnic Day. Cat Tales hopes to get UC Davis veterinary students involved in future programs such as externships and a possible collaboration with Yolo County Animal Services’ Trap-Neuter-Return program.

At the moment, however, Shacoski described that their biggest focus is to master the basics of Tabby Tea Cat Lounge and their clinic. To do that, Cat Tales wants to focus on the most important parts — the people and the cats. “[For our visitors] at Tabby Tea Cat Lounge, I just want them to feel refreshed after being able to sit, hang out with a cat and have a little fun,” Shacoski said. “Out of the clinic, we really want our visitors to think, ‘Wow,

this is really different,’ […] and that’s the one thing that’s going to make a difference in these cats’ lives.”

PEPSICO FROM PAGE 4 Money. Of course, it’s money.

PepsiCo pays Davis an initial payment of $300,000 90 days after the agreement is signed, and $412,000 each year after for 10 consecutive years, according to the official Beverage Sales and Sponsorship Agreement between UC Davis and PepsiCo. So what do we do? BOYCOTT PEPSI products.

This means boycotting all beverages sold in UC Davis vending machines and campus stores except the CoHo, which is not part of the Pepsi contract.

Instead, bring your refillable water bottle or buy your drink from the CoHo. Remember, Aquafina, Lipton Tea, Naked Juice, Gatorade, Propel and Muscle Milk are ALL PEPSI PRODUCTS. We cannot sit back and watch the administration make our decisions for us. We didn’t want this contract, and we need to make our voices heard. Now is the time to Smash the Pepsiarchy!

[JF1]In a footnote, explain the calculation: based on the one year sales of Naked, Pure Leaf, Gatorade, Propel, and Muscle Milk from 2022 to 2023 multiplied by 5.5 years because Pepsi is not eliminating plastic packaging from these products until 2030. (Double check the contract or Mike’s email on the 2030 date).

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual guest contributors belong to them alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

HEALTHANDWELLNESS FROM PAGE 8 For more information on specific groups, the UC Davis website provides club and organization lists, as well as further resources for students.

For those who prefer indoor activities, campus locations including the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) provide many activities for students including yoga, badminton, volleyball, an indoor track for running and even a rock climbing wall.

Whether it’s joining a creative writing club, engaging in group study sessions or taking part in cultural organizations, there are plenty of ways to stay connected, active and motivated this winter quarter.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

On-campus ‘food hole’ grabs the attention of the community

A recent viral post from local account @mydaviscalifornia popularized the on-campus anomaly

BY RACHEL GAUER features@theaggie.org “What is a food hole?” — that’s the opening title phrase that captured audience attention on a recent video published by the local Instagram account, @mydaviscalifornia. The account, which showcases Davis restaurants, spots and other unique details the city has to offer, posted the video across its social media pages on Dec. 28, 2024.

The Instagram reel currently has 2.2 million views and follows one of the account’s co-owners, Gray Eby, discovering the anomaly, located near Mrak Hall on campus. Eby is seen uncovering the green “food” lid — revealing just a few candy canes, a small bottle of water and a single orange — and then refilling its stocks with packs of various candies.

The inspiration for creating the video came from a Reddit post that had begun to grow traction as a user had posted they had refilled the hole. The original post, published two months ago, shows a user having replenished the food and has received over 800 upvotes.

Having not heard of the food hole prior to the post, the account’s co-owners, Eby and Richard Jia, felt an immediate desire to discover the peculiarity.

“We were both out of town for the holidays, but somebody had put on Reddit that it was restocked,” Eby said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, the day I get back I’m going there and making a video.’”

The video took off almost immediately on their various social media accounts, gaining around 200,000 views in the first 24 hours on Instagram.

Eby commented on one of the reasons why he thinks the video particularly caught attention.

“One of the strange things that I think helped propel the video was that it was called a ‘food hole,’ but I filled it with candy,” Eby said. “So there were so many comments that said, ‘That’s not food’ and ‘Put real food.’ The perfect imperfection of a food hole filled with candy stirred enough people to catch the algorithm’s attention.”

Many of the comments under the post complain that the items Eby put into the hole are “junk” and lack nutritional value. However, many comments also reveal that many students and community members had never seen or heard of the on-campus hidden gem.

Jia, a UC Davis alum and a co-owner of @mydaviscalifornia, emphasized the peculiarity of the installation in its relation to the city of Davis.

“Not a lot of places in the world have a hole that is filled with fun food,” Jia said. “It’s definitely unique — it’s very, very Davis.”

Claudia Loomis, a first-year Ph.D.

CITYCOUNCIL FROM PAGE 3 “None of us have any idea how they should be engineered, so we’re offering up suggestions that, in some cases, are not useful. How do you counter that?”

Raimi said he would rephrase the questions to make them more accessible to community members.

“We would ask the questions: ‘How do you want to use this space? How do you get around the community? What does safety mean to you?’” Raimi said.

“You know how you engage in your environment, in your community. It’s our job to take that information and give you options to achieve what you say you want to achieve.”

The city council approved the contract with Raimi + Associates, kicking off work on the General Plan.

Webb also asked the city council to self-appoint a new mayor and vice mayor for 2025 according to a list of principles.

“Factors to be considered include seniority, consensus building skills, experience presiding over legislative bodies and any other factors that may just be taken into account to promote good governance,” Webb said.

The decision was opened up for public comment. Davis resident Connor Gorman said mayor and vice mayor positions should be assigned using a rotational model, which is based on the numbers of the councilmembers’ districts, rather than through the selfappointment process.

“I do generally continue to favor the rotation model, meaning these positions are rotated unless there’s a reason to do otherwise,” Gorman said. “There is not a reason to do otherwise in this case. So I would support continuing to rotate these positions here, which would lend itself to Bapu [Vaitla] as mayor and Donna [Neville] as vice mayor.”

Councilmember Linda Deos said she was open to a different way of deciding mayor and vice mayor.

“Connor [Gorman] brought up the rotational thing,” Deos said. “In the past, we had done whoever got the most votes, but we couldn’t do that in districts in the same way. I would like to know if there’s still the will of the body to keep it as these factors being important or if it’s worth looking at a rotational system or other ways of doing it.”

The process of self-appointing a mayor and vice mayor started last year,

The food hole, located between Shields Library and Mrak Hall, filled with snacks. (Sacha Chickering / Aggie) candidate in the political science program, first heard of the food hole in September through Reddit and named it a goal of hers to find the hole.

“It’s such an odd thing — from the concept to the name, ‘food hole,’” Loomis said via email. “It just felt like such a good bit.”

It wasn’t until @mydaviscalifornia posted their discovery of it that she went to seek out the hole herself. To her disappointment, the hole was found in a state of disarray.

“On Dec. 30, my partner and I went to walk around the Arboretum and campus and I remember[ed] seeing the video from the mydaviscalifornia account,” Loomis said. “I recognized the

location so we backtracked to find the food hole. When we did, the container in it was cracked with water inside it.”

Loomis noted that since it strives to be a fun, peculiar installation on campus as opposed to a primary food source for the hungry, it’s important to note that alternatives for safe and fresh food can be found on campus or around Davis, such as the Freedges around Davis that provide free food donations for those in need. Other on-campus resources include the ASUCD Pantry, which aims to resolve food insecurity in the community, as well as the Aggie Eats program, a food truck which hosts a “pay-what-you-want” system; Both programs are available to all UC Davis

when Davis transitioned to a district election process. Former Mayor Lucas Frerichs and Vice Mayor Will Arnold were chosen for their seniority in city council.

Mayor Josh Chapman said that the council should appoint a mayor and vice mayor for 2025, but he would direct city staff to provide feedback on other options in time for 2026.

“I think [self-appointment] creates confusion and unnecessary conflict between colleagues around who is next up and who is not next up,” Chapman said. “Everyone sitting up here is qualified to sit in this seat, and everyone wants to be fair around it. [...]

I really want to make sure that we dive into what we can do differently in the next cycle.”

The conversation then turned to who should be chosen for 2025. Vaitla nominated himself for the position of mayor.

“The duties of helping set the agenda, of speaking in public and trying to deliver a consistent message across the year, trying to figure out what colleagues want to see get done that year and trying to figure out how to make it all happen — that stuff is exciting to me,” Vaitla said. “For that reason, I would like to be in this role.”

Councilmember Gloria Partida made a motion to appoint Vaitla as mayor and Neville as vice mayor.

Linda Deos seconded that motion, and it passed.

In his last statement, Chapman said he appreciated his colleagues’ respect for one another and reaffirmed their commitment to the community.

“In order for us to get things done and move things forward, we have to work together,” Chapman said. “We have to work together with not just the five of us, but with our staff. Setting the tone of unanimity when we elect mayor and vice mayor is an important message to the community.”

singular universe of her own.

Of course, some things never change. Damaged relationships occupy her psyche as much as ever — on “What Do I Do,” SZA finds herself paralyzed in the wake of an accidental discovery of her partner’s infidelity. “Love Me 4 Me,” which is made otherworldly by its atmospheric production and haunting instrumentals, gives her the chance to admit that she “romanticize[s] the scariest things,” chasing red flags only to be unloved by their bearers.

Likewise, she’s just as ready to get her knuckles bloody here as she was on “SOS.” A rippling, almost alien sequence of notes skips like a pebble across a lake behind a series of threatening assertions on “Get Behind Me (Interlude).” But where attacking her problems with a headstrong attitude was at the top of her rulebook before, the SZA of “LANA” seems more interested in analyzing her own behavior in order to free herself of it. She’d now much rather blame herself for being foolish and trusting than condemn an ex for betraying her, and she’s choosing to get her hands dirty by digging into her own misgivings rather than swinging at someone else’s.

From as early as 2017’s “CTRL,” SZA has mused upon the idea of healing, questioning if she will ever achieve serenity with herself and the world. She’s danced around it, masked her desire for it with romantic escapades and proclamations of an unbreakable self-worth and even toyed with it momentarily before dropping it for the edgier pessimism that dots the album’s 23-track run.

But on “LANA,” she finally dives into it headfirst. She knows she has a long way to go — (“Maybe if I stopped blaming the world for my faults, I could evolve”), the lyrics read on “Crybaby” — but 15 tracks later, she’s ready to face the challenges it may bring. After all, she said it herself that one must “break it if you want it to grow” (“No More Hiding”). She’s broken herself already; years of bitingly self-effacing lyrics guarantee that.

She’s grown too, as an artist and as a person, “LANA” in particular glowing with emotional maturity beyond what she’s ever done before. And not only is she ready to grow and heal through music again — but this time, it’s in lyrics meant to be screamed along to in cars and cried alongside of during nights of despair, she’s taking us along with her.

SZALANA FROM PAGE 6 SZA’s touch is verifiable magic — whatever she chooses to bring to life with her captivating voice is instantaneously alchemized into an extraordinary blend of burning emotions and everlasting dreams. Furthermore, the production on “LANA” is arguably her best yet, ascending beyond what SZA has ever done before to create a unique, entirely

students.

Despite its recent popularity, the hole has existed for quite longer than just a few months. Artist and UC Davis alum Paul Taylor originally installed the food hole as an art “intervention” during his time as a student, according to his website.

The food hole on campus is part of an ongoing effort to create art out of everyday infrastructure that normally escapes our attention, according to his website.

“The context of these bits of infrastructure becomes a part of the pieces themselves, and often they evade detection through a form of camouflage, by looking like they belong,” the website

COURSEUNITBREAKDOWN FROM PAGE 8 Laci Gerhart, an associate professor in evolution and ecology at UC Davis, was not completely convinced that a lack of units per course was affecting graduation amongst UC Davis students.

“Our graduation rates are quite high, especially for 6-year graduation rates,” Gerhart said via email.

“Graduation rates are affected by more than just how many units a student takes (including things like changing majors and repeating courses).”

If class units on average are raised, then it would mean students would be able to take less courses to graduate.

Bradford discussed his thoughts on the benefits this would have for those teaching the courses.

“It is our hope that — let’s say we move from four to five credits so students have to take less courses — this may open up the faculty workload in the amount of courses that they need to teach across a major,” Bradford said. “It might be possible for a faculty member that has some space open up to teach another section of a course that has traditionally had waitlists and overloads.”

However, Bradford said that units for courses should not go up without the necessary review into each course.

“These courses that we’re teaching are really important, and we want to make sure that they’re given the proper amount of credit, and we don’t want just an arbitrary move from four to five credits,” Bradford said. “We think that [would] dilute the quality of the education.”

Gerhart shared why changes to units assigned to courses should not be done in individual circumstances.

“These sorts of issues have to be dealt with long-term and campus-wide,” Gerhart said. “Faculty can’t (and in my opinion shouldn’t) unilaterally alter the units of our courses in ways that are inconsistent with other courses or departments.”

Bradford was in agreement on this point.

“We certainly looked at other campuses who’ve gone down this road; I can say that at UC Santa Barbara, if I understood [their vice provost and dean] correctly, it was an individual program, a particular major, that really wanted to rethink the credits per course,” Bradford said. “There was a decision made by

reads.

Taylor did not respond for a comment for The California Aggie, but he has been active on Reddit threads encouraging progress on fixing the hole’s lid — which recently broke but was fixed, according to a post on the platform.

For readers who want to discover this peculiar installment for themselves, the food hole is located between Shields Library and Mrak Hall and, to the naked eye, appears to be any other sewer hole aside from its label that simply reads “food.”

administrative folks [at UC Davis] that if we’re going to do this, we probably shouldn’t try to do a one off. It should be [something] that we look at across all of the institutions.”

At UC Santa Barbara, this review resulted in changes to course units.

“I think it was just over 270 courses that they were able to move from four to five credits,” Bradford said.

Stachowicz struggled to find a reason for exactly why UC Davis students have to take the most classes to average 15 units a quarter.

“I don’t have a great answer for you on why that is — my guess honestly is [a] historical accident,” Stachowicz said.

One potential issue the report foresees for implementing changes to units per class is with faculty, who may not adapt expediently to changing major degree requirements if changes in the amount of units take place.

Another potential issue is with course completion — with classes being worth more units, failing courses may be of greater risk for students than before.

Students may be at risk of not earning 12 completed units for the quarter, which can result in penalties such as not receiving financial aid or scholarships, being placed on academic probation or potential expulsion, in certain longterm instances.

Stachowicz shared the purpose of publishing the reassessment proposal.

“I think the idea here behind this proposal is in part to ask the Academic Senate, who makes decisions on curriculum, to have a look and [see if we’re] properly valuing the courses that we have now,” Stachowicz said.

There is a “deadline for review” set for Jan. 31, 2025 on the recommendation. However, Stachowicz explained that this would not result in any concrete solution.

“Changes of the curriculum […] will take much longer to implement,” Stachowicz said. “This is a deadline for [the provost] to receive open comments on this [proposal], but it doesn’t mean that it would be the last chance for anyone to have any say.”

Possible changes are not expected to benefit students currently enrolled at Davis, but the aim for those on the Future of Undergraduate Education Committee is that this review will benefit future UC Davis students.

11 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SCIENCE AND TECH Polarized CMB light: Breaking Bredt: A new era of strained molecule synthesis A new look into the origins of our universe at UCLA

UC Davis researchers analyze the polarized light data from the South Pole Telescope, corroborating the standard cosmological model

BY EKATERINA MEDVEDEVA science@theaggie.org A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Actually, if we look far enough into space, we will not find any galaxies. The light from those places was traveling to Earth for such a long time — meaning that its photons were emitted so long ago — that we have a chance to see what the universe looked like before the formation of galaxies.

The remnants of the first light that was ever emitted when the universe cooled down enough to allow photons to travel freely through space, about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, are known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Studying this relic light can give us the key to understanding how the universe came to be.

There are three main sources of data for analysis of CMB: the South Pole Telescope (SPT) in Antarctica, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in Chile and Planck mission in space that was operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) from 2009 to 2013.

The frontier of CMB research for the past few years has been the analysis of its polarized portion of the light. Most light that we encounter in our daily lives is unpolarized. This is when the electric field component associated with a light wave oscillates in various directions perpendicular to its direction of travel. When the light is polarized, however, the electric field component oscillates in a single preferred direction.

In a recent study, a team of UC Davis researchers in collaboration with their colleagues from the South Pole Telescope analyzed this polarization data from the SPT, collected in 2019 to 2020, in an innovatory way to test certain aspects of the standard cosmological model (also known as CDM), which describes how the universe evolved.

“This paper is a combination of really good data and a new state-

of-the-art method for analysing it,” Marius Millea, one of the co-authors of the study, said. “ The main way in which this analysis is different from previous studies is that it is done using the socalled Bayesian technique. A lot of the older methods pick out only some part of the data to analyze and this method is really able to consider the full data set — the entire [CMB polarization] map that we make and extract all of the information that’s in there.”

The computing for this study was done on a supercluster of Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) nodes called the National Energy Research Scientific Computing (NERSC) center located in Berkeley, California. Using the SPT data, which encompasses 1500 square degrees of the sky, researchers were able to derive the most precise measurements ever from the CMB polarization data, as opposed to a combination of polarization data and other measurements.

One of the most important measurements is the Hubble constant, which is the rate of the expansion of the universe. Currently, there is disagreement about its value that is known as the Hubble tension. The conflict stems from the fact that its value measured locally (by looking at supernovae) significantly differs from the value measured via studying the CMB. The Hubble constant estimates range from 67.4 km/sec/Mpc to 74.0 km/sec/Mpc, according to a NASA article published in 2019. The UC Davis team’s precise measurements, yielding 66.81 ± 0.81 km/s/Mpc, thus reinforce the discrepancy.

“Before our measurements, if you ask, well, ‘What is the expansion rate if you only use the polarization of the CMB?’, the air bars were too large and it could have actually agreed with the value that you get from these local measurements and sort of saying everything is alright,” Millea said.

“But we just said no. What we actually find is something totally in line with the whole host of other measurements SLUG on #

Timeline of the universe. (NASA / Courtesy)

“If you’re going to take on a rule that’s been around for a hundred years, you have to have a certain type of mindset — being willing to go out on a limb.” — Neil Garg

BY NAREN KRISHNA JEGAN science@theaggie.org In 1924, organic chemist Julius Bredt created an empirical observation about ringed molecules with a bonded carbon above or below the plane of the ring. He noted that an alkene (doublebonded carbon) cannot be placed at the bridgehead carbon (a carbon bonded to a sub planar or super planar branch with respect to the ring).

Dr. Jared Shaw, an organic chemistry professor at UC Davis, provided insight behind this observation.

“A doublebonded two-carbon molecule is flat,” Shaw said. “If each carbon atom has two substituents bonded to it, then those substituents will be in the same plane as the carbon. As you start to connect those atoms with rings, you introduce strain. A little bit of strain is okay, but if you have a double bond that’s at the bridgehead position [...] then one of the rings has to be pretty big or there will be so much strain that the molecule will be very difficult — even impossible — to create.”

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found a way to create antiBredt olefins (ABOs), or molecules that systematically violate Bredt’s rule. While ABO research has been ongoing for multiple decades, this work provides a novel generalizable approach to synthesize ABOs that has a plethora of potential areas of future research.

Synthesizing ABOs is no easy task. UCLA graduate students Luca McDermott and Zach Walters, along with Professor Neil Garg, highlighted three main parts of the synthesis.

“People have performed ABO research in the past,” McDermott said. “All of them rely on some form of precursor you make. The ways a lot of people have done in the past to activate these precursors is very harsh; These methods allow you to generate ABOs but not in the presence of other functional groups.”

One major consideration of the precursors was stereochemistry, or the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

“If you had the incorrect stereochemistry, the elimination reaction wouldn’t work at all,” McDermott said. “I remember heating our vessel higher and higher to see if it would react, but you wouldn’t get a reaction if you had the incorrect stereoisomer.”

Garg, Shaw and McDermott then explained one of the key mechanisms responsible for creating the ABOs the team was working on. In the context of precursors, McDermott introduced

the Kobayashi method’s versatility with a variety of functional groups.

“The real beauty of the

solvents at elevated temperatures,” Walters said. “Using the tetra-butyl ammonium bromide meant that having a solvent where CsF would be insoluble was very important.”

Using this approach, the team was able to create e i g h t t y p e s

SAVANNAH BURGER / AGGIE Kobayashi method is that you put the two substituents where you want the bond to form,” Garg said. “One side you put a silicon, the other a triflate or halide.”

The Kobayashi mechanism uses a fluoride source to attack the silyl group. Shaw points out that trimethylsilyl (TMS) contains silicon and, when near fluoride, will create a very strong interaction. This results in a simultaneous elimination reaction that results in the formation of a TMS–F complex, a triflate anion, and the strained bond between the locations of the original triflate and TMS groups. Using this principle, the team created a precursor compound with a silyl group and nonaflate, chloride or bromide leaving group at the location of the carbons where the double bond would exist. Adding a fluoride source, the TMS-F complex and the leaving group anion would be freed, resulting in the formation of an ABO with the desired location of the alkene.

Walters discussed how the team was able to contain such an unstable molecule. He rationaled that ABOs can react not only with other molecules, but even with themselves.

In order to verify the presence of an ABO, they would need to trap it with something else, another reactant, such as anthracene.

“A big challenge that we encountered with strained compound chemistry was generating the compound slowly and using an excess amount of reactants to ensure proper synthesis,” Walters said.

One of the strategies used was pairing caesium fluoride (CsF) with tetra-butyl ammonium bromide, which was expected to undergo a double displacement reaction which would slowly release the fluoride ion in toluene to generate the ABO in small amounts.

“The key there was using toluene [...] We saw poor reactivity in other

of ABOs, confirmed by analysis of trapping reactions using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the team was able to show that the ABOs were chiral, showcasing the ability to design stable yet highly strained molecules with well-defined stereochemistry, expanding the field’s understanding of molecular stability and reactivity.

“There are a few scattered examples of people making ABO’s over the last few decades [...] so it’s not shown to be impossible,” Garg said. “The purpose of our paper is [...] to show that you can make ABO’s in a general way; and that’s what now makes it really possible. It shouldn’t be lost upon anybody the amount of work and creativity from the students and postdocs that went into this is enormous [...] This [work] is the result of four PhD students, two postdocs and our UCLA collaborator Professor Ken Houk.”

Research on this topic will continue for years to come, and the results of this study will be an avenue for future discoveries and scientific progress. For more information about this work and the members who contributed, check out the original study and the Garg Lab’s website.

Original Article: Luca McDermott et al., A solution to the anti-Bredt olefin synthesis problem.

Science386,eadq3519(2024).

DOI:10.1126/science.adq3519 Contributing Authors: Luca McDermott, Zach Walters, Sarah French, Allison Clark, Jiaming Ding, Andrew Kelleghan, K.N. Houk, Neil Garg More Information About the Garg Research Group: https://garg.chem.ucla.edu

UC Davis Physics Club host tours of the Crocker Nuclear Lab

The tours showcased the lab’s various technological projects and machines being used to treat ocular cancer

Dr. Eric Prebys leads a tour of the Crocker Nuclear Lab. (Jessica Yung / Aggie)

BY JESSICA YUNG campus@theaggie.org The UC Davis Physics Club partnered with various other oncampus organizations to give tours of the Crocker Nuclear Lab (CNL) from Jan. 6 to Jan. 10, 3:10 to 4 p.m. and 4:10 to 5 p.m., at Jungerman Hall.

The Physics Club partnered with the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative (BPSHI) Clinic and the Office of the Transfer Student Representative, as well as the CNL. The tours were also a part of the Nuclear and Medical Physics Initiative (NAMPI) at UC Davis.

The tours were led by the

Director of the CNL and Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Eric Prebys, as well as graduate students Logan Knudson and Lena Korkeila.

The Physics Club promoted the tours on their Instagram by elaborating on what the CNL has to offer to students.

“Learn about our on-campus nuclear lab and its use in ocular cancer therapy and radioisotope production,” the post reads.

Crocker Nuclear Laboratory has a cyclotron, a particle accelerator machine that is being used to make many scientific discoveries, according to their website.

“Crocker Nuclear Laboratory

is home to a 76-inch isochronous cyclotron built by the UC Davis physics department in 1966 in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Naval Research Laboratory,” the website reads. “Originally designed for research, CNL’s cyclotron can produce high-intensity, external beams of light ions that can be tuned to energies between 4 MeV and 67.5 MeV.” Cyclotrons use electromagnetic fields to function, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “[A cyclotron] is a particle accelerator, a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, used to produce radioisotopes,” the article reads.

Prebys elaborated on the medical and research work that the Crocker Nuclear Lab does with the device.

“The cyclotron does photon therapy to treat a rare form of ocular cancer,” Prebys said. “This is a tumor that forms behind the retina and we treat patients here once a month.

The medical end is run by UC San Francisco, and the course of treatment is four days.”

The CNL website further elaborates on the treatment of ocular cancer using the cyclotron.

“Since 1994, more than 1,600 patients have been treated at CNL for ocular melanoma, a rare cancer of the eye,” the website reads. “The low energy, high quality and stable proton beam produced by our cyclotron is

ideally suited for the treatment of this disease.”

Prebys said the treatment is innocuous and has a high survival rate.

“It’s very effective,” Prebys said. “It’s got about a 92% five-year survival rate. They almost never retreat. Since I’ve been here [seven years], they’ve retreated once or twice.

Usually, one course of treatment is enough. There’s no sensation. Some of them see little flashes of light. There are no side effects [and] no radiation sickness.”

Prebys also added that the cyclotron provides services for the aerospace industry.

“We primarily provide beams to the aerospace industry to test for radiation damage,” Prebys said.

The Treasurer of the Physics Club Pahulpreet Cheema, a fourthyear physics major, elaborated on the radiation testing.

“The U.S. Air Force, or the U.S. Space Force [and] other companies, come to UC Davis to get their electronics tested for radiation effects,” Cheema said. “So for example, SpaceX want[s] to send out electronics into the Earth’s atmosphere. They’re going to get exposed to a lot of radiation up there because they’re not protected.

So they take the electronics here and they expose them to large amounts of radiation. That allows them to test the effects on Earth and not waste a million dollars sending up something to space.”

Prebys also said that there are other

areas of research that the cyclotron is involved in.

“We’ve started a bunch of initiatives [using the facility],” Prebys said. “We have got a grant to develop the production of Astatine 211 which is a potential cancer-treating isotope.

We’ve got an instrumentation grant.

I’ve got one student working on trying to resurrect the nuclear cross-section.”

Cheema elaborated on what he hopes students take away from the tours. “[I hope that students learn that] there’s a lot of research that’s done at UC Davis,” Cheema said. “Dr. Prebys is more than happy [...] to host the tour because he also believes that students should be able to come in and learn about research.”

Cheema added that the next step for the NAMPI is an upcoming nuclear physics conference.

“I’m planning on bringing in researchers from different universities [such as] UC Berkeley, Duke [and] University of Texas A&M [to] talk about radioisotope production and general nuclear medical physics research,” Cheema said.

Cheema also said that students can learn about future events by following the club’s Instagram. Additionally, he said that the nuclear physics conference should take place in the next couple of months, so students should keep a look out for that information.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

12 | THURSDAY, JANURARY 16, 2025

SPORTS

StudentA look into the historic season athletes explore for UC Davis football extracurriculars in The Aggies were defeated by South Dakota in the their off-season NCAA quarterfinals FOOTBALL

BY LUCIENNE BROOKER sports@theaggie.org A historic season for UC Davis football came to a close end in the NCAA quarterfinals with a loss to the fourth-ranked University of South Dakota Coyotes. The 21-35 defeat on Dec. 14 in Vermillion, South Dakota marked only the third loss of the season for the Aggies, where the team blossomed into a national contender. New Head Coach Tim Plough breathed new life into the team, inspiring them to only their second appearance in NCAA Division 1 quarterfinals in team history. Going into the tournament as the No. 5 seed was another recording-breaking moment for the team.

Despite an earlier-than-hoped exit from post-season playoffs, the team, coaching staff and fans experienced a groundbreaking season. The Aggies won 11 of 14 games, including a ninegame victory streak in the middle of the season.

Highlights included decisive wins over rivals Sacramento State University and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as well as a rousing defeat of 12th-ranked Illinois State University at the UC Davis Health Stadium in the second round of playoffs. In the final match of the 2024 season, the Aggies fought

hard to advance to the next round, but they were outmatched against a strong South Dakota team.

South Dakota scored first in the first quarter, but the Aggies were quickly able to fight back to tie the score at 7-7. Unfortunately for UC Davis, South Dakota cut off their momentum and capitalized twice to make the score 21-7. The Aggies cut the deficit to seven points again before halftime, however, a third quarter in which they failed to take advantage of any scoring opportunities set them too far behind to catch up.

South Dakota scored again in the third and then once more in the fourth quarter, pushing them to 35 points. While the Aggies also scored one more touchdown to increase their score to 21 points, they weren’t able to overtake the Coyotes’ lead. A final interception by South Dakota sealed their spot in the next round.

Despite the loss for the Aggies, there are a lot of positive takeaways from the game and the season as a whole. Trent Tompkins, a fifth-year communications major and wide receiver, finished the quarterfinal with a career-high 11 receptions. The Aggie defense was also able to limit scoring opportunities for South Dakota, denying them any points in several close calls.

“I appreciate these players and I’m grateful to be in a position to coach

at a school I really love, and it was a good season for us,” Head Coach Tim Plough said in a UC Davis Athletics article. “So hopefully we can get back to work and figure out how to get back here again in the future. Despite the result, there was a lot of joy out there today.”

Several players received postseason awards. A total of 13 players were named to Big Sky All-Conference teams, including six to the first team.

Lan Larison, a fourth-year managerial economics major and running back, and Rex Connors, a third-year human development major and defensive back, were unanimously picked for the first team.

Larison and Miles Hastings, a fifth-year communications major and quarterback, were also named finalists for the Walter Payton Award. David Meyer, a third-year undeclared major and linebacker, was named a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and Hunter Ridley, a third-year communications major and kicker, was named a Fred Mitchell Award finalist after stellar performances from both players throughout the season.

Although the season didn’t end in a national championship, the future of UC Davis football is bright. Under Head Coach Tim Plough, fans look forward to more exciting football in 2025 and beyond.

UC Davis falls to No. 4 South Dakota in the NCAA Division 1 Quarterfinals. (Julia Heron-Watts / Aggie)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UC Davis women’s basketball takes the win over Fullerton to extend hot streak

Davis students pursuing outside passions experience benefits in their well-being, athletic performance

BY EMME DUNNING features@theaggie.org For most student-athletes, sports are a major part of their identities. Many have dedicated years to honing their athletic skills, spending much of their time at UC Davis practicing and playing the sport they love. While athletes are in season, they are often occupied with the rigorous schedule of the season on top of academics. As a result, many athletes lose time for extracurriculars.

Once the season ends, however, athletes find themselves with more free time to pursue their passions and maintain a balanced lifestyle. The offseason provides student-athletes with a unique opportunity to explore other interests, invest in their academics and ensure they are rested and recharged for the next season.

Brody Crouch, a third-year communications and psychology double major, is on the UC Davis men’s water polo team. During the fall water polo season, Crouch and his teammates can be found in the pool practicing, watching films or on the road for games and tournaments. Although water polo season is an exciting time for the team, it is also a major mental and physical commitment. After a long season, Crouch and his teammates take time to pursue personal interests.

“During the off-season we have a lot more free time, giving my teammates and I more time to play games, relax and take more classes,” Crouch said. “My teammates and I have gotten really into pickleball and going to the [Activities and Recreation Center] ARC to play pickup basketball.”

Crouch asserted that the off-season also provides an opportunity for him to prioritize his educational pursuits.

“I also enjoy the off-season for academics,” Crouch said. “It allows me to spend more time on schoolwork and classes.”

Crouch believes that pursuing outside interests in the off-season is an important part of how athletes balance sports with their day-to-day-lives, and can even help improve performance in season.

“Having an off-season is crucial to an athlete because it gives the body and mind a new routine,” Crouch said.

“During the season with traveling and working out, our schedule can get very repetitive. Getting a change every quarter is super nice.”

Joshua Davis, a fourth-year political science major on the UC Davis men’s

water polo team, uses the off-season as a time to reset and recharge. Davis said that this time allows him to put more effort into academics and hobbies that are more difficult during the season.

“I enjoy focusing on school and playing golf, which are both hard during the season with the huge time commitment,” Davis said. “Outside the season, I have so much time to do those things that help me decompress.”

Even in the off-season, studentathletes take time to stay active — which, for water polo athletes, often means a mix of activities both in and out of the pool.

“I swim once in a while, and then [I] play pickleball or other sports here or there that help keep me in shape,” Davis said.

Katie Sullivan, a fourth-year design major on the UC Davis women’s lacrosse team, finds many ways to fill her time in the off-season. As a design major, Sullivan often spends the extra free time she finds in the fall and summer fostering her creative interests.

“I really like just being creative,” Sullivan said. “It’s part of my major so I’m lucky to have an outlet through school. Diving into creative projects like sewing or building things, and just designing in general.”

In addition to cultivating her artistic passions, Sullivan also stays active in her off-season.

“I love being active, especially when it’s not required for my sport,” Sullivan said. “Anything outdoors like hiking, surfing and pickleball. I also love getting out on trail runs, where it’s not just sprinting on the field, but more for enjoyment.”

Sullivan noted that although sports performance can serve as an important part of an athlete’s identity, leaning into other hobbies is vital to maintaining a healthy balance.

“I think [finding interests outside of your sport] is very necessary,” Sullivan said. “For my sport, it’s definitely a mindset whether or not you weigh your self-worth based on how you do in your sport. It’s important to detach from that identity and find other hobbies.”

While Sullivan practices this mindset in her own life, she expressed that for her and many other athletes, it is an ongoing process of discovery and growth.

“I feel so lucky that I’ve been drawn to so many other things that have allowed me to separate from that identity a little bit, but it has definitely been a struggle throughout the years,” Sullivan said. “It’s a journey.”

The win marks a strong start to the new quarter for the Aggies

BY DIEGO CERNA sports@theaggie.org On Jan. 9, 2025, the UC Davis women’s basketball team faced off against the California State University, Fullerton Titans in an away game for their 15th game of the season.

The Aggies took control of the game from the start: Tova Sabel, a fourth-year psychology major, and Megan Norris, a third-year political science major, led the team with strong performances. The Aggies entered halftime with a commanding 41-19 lead, only giving up six points to the Titans in the second quarter.

Despite a significant deficit, the Titans showed resilience and scored a total of 20 points in the third quarter.

However, the Aggies responded just before the end of the quarter when Victoria Baker, a third-year psychology major and guard, scored the final six points of the third quarter, giving the Aggies a 59-39 lead heading into the fourth.

The final quarter saw the first-year Aggies shine. Avery Sussex, a first-year undeclared major and guard, nailed two three-pointers, while Sahana Kanagasabay, a first-year undeclared major and guard, contributed with back-to-back layups to help seal the game with a dominant 80-54 victory for the Aggies.

Sabel ended the game having scored 24 points and 10 rebounds on a 10-18 clip with 50% shooting from the three-ball. This is Sabel’s second double-double of the season, the first in UC Davis’ most recent loss to Portland State back in November.

The week prior, Sabel was named to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Basketball starting five for Week 10 of play, which highlights the best performances nationwide from NCAA Division 1 players. Sabel dropped 21 points, six rebounds and three steals against California State University, Bakersfield on Jan. 2 and 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against California State University, Northridge on Jan. 4. She also surpassed 1,000

points in her collegiate career.

Norris delivered 10 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, along with two steals and two blocks. Baker also delivered 10 points of her own on an efficient 4-5 record from the field.

This is the Aggies’ eighth straight win, as they remain at the top of the Big West Conference. They continue their undefeated month of December, as they have beaten four out of the five conference teams with a margin of 20 points or more. Additionally, the

team has proven its ability to win close games, securing two wins by margins of 10 points or less with a 66-60 win in their conference opener against California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and a 57-50 win over Arizona State University.

The Aggies currently sit second in the Big West Standings, remaining 5-0 in conference play. The Aggies’ next home games will host Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on Jan. 16 and UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 18 at the UC Davis Credit Union Center.

UC Davis triumphs 81-37 over Cal State, Bakersfield on Jan. 2, 2025. (Aggie File)

VERONICA THEN / AGGIE