Human Rights Studies hosts University of California scholars to discuss memory, culture and justice
The first of four UC conferences brought together students and faculty to engage in meaningful dialogue
BY MEGAN PUSL campus@theaggie.org
The UC Davis Human Rights Studies Program hosted a conference on Jan. 30 and 31, inviting students and faculty from across the University of California system to hold conversations about human rights. Tis frst conference was titled “Te Role of Memory and Historical Consciousness in Understanding Regional Violence, Conflict and Peacemaking.”
Te conference consisted of three parts including a graduate student symposium, a Human Rights Film Festival and conversations among UC faculty, according to their website. Te three events each provided unique opportunities for attendees to learn about human rights through the lens of memory and historical consciousness.
The conversations on human rights, humanity and peacemaking were made possible through the eforts of Keith David Watenpaugh, the professor and director of Human Rights Studies at UC Davis, along with Undergraduate
conference series.
“Witnessing the debate and conversation between scholars was so interesting because every single person there was from such a diferent walk of
American Association of University Women hosts first speaker forum of 2025
UC Davis alum and speakers from UC Davis’ Global Learning Hub attended to represent global possibilities for aspiring young women
BY MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY city@theaggie.org
On Jan. 30, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) held a speaker forum in the Mary L. Stephens Library on the advancement of women in leadership positions. Te speakers shared their leadership experiences in felds ranging from global education, public policy, STEM and the arts.
Joanna Regulska, the vice-provost and dean of UC Davis Global Afairs, spoke alongside Director of Global Engagements Jolynn Shoemaker. Tey spoke about their active roles in the university’s global involvement and initiatives.
“We are proud of our work at UC Davis for the public contributions [made] to the [United Nations (UN)] sustainable development goals,” Regulska said.
Te UN sustainable development goals (SDG) is an agenda agreed upon by all UN member nations for the collective peace and prosperity of people and the planet. Te speakers presented key goals such as no poverty, gender equality, climate action, quality education and zero hunger.
Regulska and Shoemaker were particularly excited to present one of the accomplishments made by UC Davis’ Global Hub, which was to have UC Davis appointed as co-chair for
the SDG: Zero Hunger by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).
Regulska and Shoemaker emphasized the signifcance of UC Davis’ commitment to international collaboration and local outreach through these SDG goals. Trough the leadership of Regulska, Shoemaker and their undergraduate interns, UC Davis’ role in the UNAI and other international organizations assists the university with funding, partnerships and collaborations.
Shoemaker then refected on her prior experience as a woman working for the United States Department of Defense in 2002. She described a conversation she had with an older, more senior ofcial in the government that has stuck with her.
“He said, ‘Tere needs to be more of an emphasis on getting women involved in leadership,’” Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker recalled how important receiving this kind of sponsorship was for her at that point in her career. Furthermore, Regulska added how women in leadership need to be playing a more active role as mentors. Women leaders need to sponsor and support the goals of their subordinates — that is how to advance women in leadership, according to Shoemaker and Regulska. It is only by bridging inter-generational gaps and internalized biases that Regulska and Shoemaker believe that women can break down these barriers to empowerment in the workplace, self-
imposed or systemic.
Annie Chen, a UC Davis alum and co-owner of Sciencely Handmade, hopes that her sustainable, naturally inspired jewelry and lifestyle brand is able to encourage feminine expression in STEM.
She started her business with her sister to incorporate climate consciousness, minority inclusion and scientifc curiosity. Because of these core business values, Sciencely Handmade uses recyclable, biodegradable materials to create everyday products inspired by nature’s scientifc beauty.
“Science does not have to be this Notan (black and white), ivory tower,” Chen said. Chen said she believes the beauty and wonder of science can be made accessible for everyday women rather than an unchanging, privileged space for a disconnected elite. By reclaiming this space for women, Chen hopes this business can make a real impact on having women participate further in scientifc discourse.
Tese accomplishments of local women leaders are a testament to the AAUW’s success in their goals of advancing women in leadership roles, economic equity and eliminating academic bias. To get involved at UC Davis, the AAUW has a student branch on campus that provides updates on future speaker events and opportunities that can be accessed on their website.
[and] their background.”
The graduate student symposium took place on Jan. 30 from 12 to 4 p.m. in Sproul Hall. Four Ph.D. students from across the UCs were given the opportunity to share their experience and research, focusing on how memory contributes to human rights and resistance.
Hannah Bacchus, a fourthyear UC Irvine Ph.D. student in English, shared her paper on black consciousness that highlights the novel “Native Son” by Richard Wright.
Camellia Haghverdian, a UC Merced Ph.D. student in sociology, shared her research and personal experience of how memory infuences women’s resistance in the Middle East.
“Women’s resistance, in whatever shape it comes, forms the way [that] a huge portion of social memory or collective memories are created,” Haghverdian said. “Te way we remember things is going to inform the way we are going to resist in the future. It’s a constant loop that happens.”
life,” Cicchini said. “All of these people coming with their own specifc, niche, personal [and] intimate human rightsbased topics that coincide somehow with their lives, their family history
Davis Odd Fellows hosts sixth annual Chocolate Festival
After sold-out ticket sales, the Davis community enjoys chocolate for a good cause
ALLISON VO / AGGIE
BY PIPER AWEEKA city@theaggie.org
On Sunday, Feb. 2, the Davis Odd Fellows returned for their sixth annual Chocolate Festival flled with every cocoa confectionary imaginable. Te event had everything from folk beats by the local band, “According to Bazooka,” to the smell of freshly popped popcorn.
At the start of the event, Marcus Marino, the noble grand of the Davis Odd Fellows, spoke about the roots of the organization.
“Te Odd Fellows is a 250-plusyear-old organization here in the United States,” Marino said. “It’s called a fraternal organization, although 51% of our members are women, [...] [and] we’re open to everybody over 18.” Kurt Roggli, a member of the committee in charge of the festival, also emphasized the age of the organization.
Tis lodge started in 1870, which is before there was ofcially a Davis — it was Davisville,” Roggli said. In describing the main focus of his organization, Marino discussed the organization’s various charitable causes and the “encampment,” a sect of the Odd Fellows in charge of fundraising.
“All of our events are to raise money for various organizations […] the ‘encampment’ uses their money to send Davis children to summer camps or summer programs who can’t aford it,” Marino said. “Everything is run by the event committee which goes out and asks people in Yolo County if they want to be a vendor. […] We start with the people in Davis, and then we spread out farther.” Roggli recalled the birth of the Chocolate Festival — what has now become one of Davis’ most popular events began with brainstorming between him and Dave Rosenberg, the
retired Yolo Superior Court judge and former mayor of Davis.
“[Rosenberg] and I came up with this idea about six, seven, eight years ago,” Roggli said. “We sell some tickets and we get money, which we then use to help kids in town who otherwise wouldn’t be able to have pool passes during the summer or go to ‘The Nutcracker.’”
Marino then went on to acknowledge none of this would be possible without local sponsors.
“We have 20 or 30 local businesses who help sponsor the event [and] cover costs, and we hope to raise $10,000,” Marino said. Robin Waxman, one vendor representing Avenue Louise Confections — a local chocolatier — discussed the reasoning behind joining the event.
“We support the Davis community and, also, Louise [Uota] wanted to sell her chocolate,” Waxman said. “I’ve never been to this before and it’s going well, people are really enjoying it.” Holly Pabst, with Vacaville’s Caramel Co., expressed her appreciation for the Odd Fellows Festival, which allows her to support the community while promoting her business.
“We’ve only been open for just under a year; Tis February will actually be our one year,” Pabst said. “Te fact that I’m able to do something and sell instead of just samples — everything I’ve done in the past is mostly sampling stuf.”
Sasha Levy, a third-year cinema and digital media major, relayed the success of the event for attendees.
“It was like winning the golden ticket from a Wonka bar but better,” Levy said. “Te reward was contributing to the Odd Fellows’ charitable mission and the chocolate fountain, for sure.”
Student Conference Leads Angelina Cicchini and Gabriella Violett. Cicchini, a fourth-year sociology major and human rights minor, shared the most rewarding part of planning the
The Human Rights Studies Program’s first conference, hosted in Sproul Hall on Jan. 30 and 31, 2025.
(Christian Cendejas / Aggie)
The speakers at the first American Association of University Women forum. From left to right: Jolynn Shoemaker, Annie Chen, Joanna Regulska, Laleh Rastegarzadeh. (Sacha Chickering / Aggie)
Manetti Shrem rings in the winter season with new exhibits
The museum hosted winter season celebration featuring artist Ruby
Neri
BY ALMA CULVERWELL and ELIZABETH BUNT city@theaggie.org, arts@theaggie.org
Te Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti
Shrem Museum of Art welcomed visitors to a free community celebration on Sunday, Feb. 2, showcasing its winter season exhibitions. Te event featured an artist talk with Ruby Neri, the debut of a new interactive gallery experience and a selection of contemporary and historical artworks.
Te museum presented “Trough Their Eyes: Selections from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection” and “Ruby Neri: Taking the Deep Dive.” In addition to these exhibitions, “Light into Density: Abstract Encounters 1920s-1960s,” an ongoing display from the collection by museum namesakes Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem was also included.
Neri participated in an artist talk with curator Ginny Duncan, ofering insights into her background and inspirations for the works on display.
Born to artist parents, Neri has creativity in her blood. Her father, Manuel Neri, is a sculptor associated with the Bay Area Figurative Movement while her mother, Susan Neri, is a graphic designer. Her exposure to art came from all sides. In 1992, Neri began attending the San Francisco Art Institute to study painting while her father worked there as a professor. It was during this time in her career that Neri became associated with several other artists like Alicia McCarthy, Barry Mcgee and Margaret Kilgallen who would also become
founding members of the “Mission School” art movement.
Te Mission School emerged in the early ‘90s and centered around the Mission District of San Francisco. Te artists at the heart of this movement were in or around art school just before the digital age took of and while the San Francisco art scene was at the height of its bohemianism. Neri, along with several other artists of the period, often crossed over into the city’s vibrant grafti and street mural scene.
Te aesthetic of the Mission School movement is very present in Neri’s work and is easily seen in her latest exhibition, “Taking the Deep Dive.”
Despite switching her main medium to ceramics, Neri’s work still feels as if you could walk around a city block and see one of her pieces jumping of a wall at you.
This latest series of sculptures depicts figures of women in states of ecstasy, destruction and despair, exploring the female body as a conduit of both pleasure and terror. Te selfcontaining nature of humanity is mirrored in the ancient use of ceramics as vessels. Trough her work, we get a glimpse at the artist’s view of what it means to be a woman in contemporary society.
Jessica Perelman, a Davis community member, explained her reasoning behind attending the show.
Yolo County announces 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
The ambitious initiative aims to achieve a carbon-negative footprint in the next five years
BY OLIVIA HOKR city@theaggie.org
On Dec. 3, 2024, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). CAAP was built on Yolo County’s previous climate action initiatives, including the 2011 Climate Action Plan and the 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration. The CAAP is a revised, comprehensive plan with an emphasis on both climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation. The 2020 Climate Emergency Declaration brought awareness to the effects of climate change in the area, including the increase of wildfires and extreme weather events and the impact it has been having on the community. In a press release, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs expressed the urgency of climate action.
“Yolo County is already experiencing impacts from the changing climate, and we know we need to take immediate action to reduce our emissions and protect our residents,” the press release reads.
“This plan reflects the County’s unwavering dedication to equity and advancing solutions that will build a more resilient, sustainable community for generations to come.”
With the most ambitious goals of any local government in the United States, the CAAP places Yolo County in the spotlight of climate action, according to the press release. However, this plan does not solely target reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting Yolo County’s natural agricultural resources.
It also pays special attention to helping the community adapt to the changing environment.
The Sustainability Division’s CAAP webpage of the Yolo County website defines their areas of focus for community members.
“The CAAP aims to empower historically disadvantaged communities, create social and economic opportunities, and protect the most vulnerable populations from climate change while ensuring they play a central role in decisionmaking and can fully benefit from the plan’s outcomes,” the webpage reads.
By focusing on both the planet and the people, part of the CAAP works to ensure a just transition. This refers to a unifying set of principles and processes that will empower the society, the economy and the well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.
“This transition balances the urgency of necessary changes with the commitment to sustainable and just realignments,” the CAAP webpage reads. “This transition incorporates the perspectives of all individuals and groups, particularly marginalized groups, to ensure that climate solutions meet the needs of the community at large. A Just Transition strikes a balance between the speed of necessary changes while
still promoting necessary, sustainable, and just realignments.”
To effectively execute programs that will result in negative carbon emissions and support community members, the CAAP outlines three main components: strategies, measures and actions. The strategies are the highest-level implementation piece. There are 10 in total, including decarbonizing transportation, optimizing water use, minimizing waste and supporting climate-smart agriculture. Beginning in the spring of 2025, a CAAP progress tracker will be available for the public to stay up to date on implementation programs and actions. An E-Newsletter is available for residents to join and receive progress updates as well. The complete Climate Action and Adaptation Plan is publicly accessible on the Yolo County Sustainability Division’s webpage for those further interested in the background, strategies, funding or implementation of the project.
Davis City Council recognizes February as Black History Month and Black Futures Month at a recent meeting
The meeting focused on the declaration, public comments and economic development
BY YUENJO FAN city@theaggie.org
Te Davis City Council met on Feb. 7 and discussed various topics, ranging from economic development to Black History Month.
The meeting kicked off with a ceremonial presentation recognizing February as Black History and Black Futures Month. Amy Higgins-Boyd, a behavioral specialist from Marguerite Montgomery Elementary, addressed the council to discuss the importance of this proclamation.
“As we refect on the history of our nation, we honor the legacies of those who fought with courage and resilience for change,” Higgins-Boyd said. “However, this is not merely a time to look back but a moment to celebrate the powerful black voices who are shaping our world today: those who are challenging injustice, those who are advocating for equality and creating pathways for future generations. We must recognize that we are walking in the footprints of all who came before us, and now it is our turn to advance the work they started.”
Furthermore, Higgins-Boyd explained the meaning of the commemorative month’s new component: Black Futures Month.
Tis year, we also honor Black Futures Month, a vision of what is possible where Black individuals can thrive despite the weight of historical
oppression,” Higgins-Boyd said.
Following the ceremonial presentation, the city council turned to public comments, where attendees could take to the podium for up to two minutes and address council members with comments or concerns.
Te topics brought up ranged from the recent rise in trafc accidents to Davis’ lack of music venues to the city’s recent ordinance to add a framework to the down payment assistance program. Davis resident Elaine Roberts-Musser was one of the speakers who voiced her concern about the recent down payment assistance program.
“The ordinance is premature,”
Roberts-Musser said. “One, what are the costs to administer this program? Two, where is the money coming from to take care of the down payment assistance? Tree, why should we put the city at fnancial risk when the city is in dire fnancial straits? We can’t manage to pay for pothole repairs in the roads, but somehow we can aford to help people pay for houses?”
Passed in January 2025 as Davis’ newest piece of legislation, the ordinance to the down payment assistance program plans to provide loans and grants to new homeowners. However, the fscal requirement of upholding such a framework has not yet been made clear and has left unanswered questions for Davis community members.
To wrap up the meeting, the city council addressed the issue of economic development. Intended to provide
both vision and direction to stimulate growth, Davis’ strategic plan for economic development was presented to the council by Katie Yancey, the economic development director for the city of Davis. She explained to the city council how the plan intends to initiate strategies to help launch new opportunities in Davis that can create economic benefts.
Te city council adopted goals in 2024-25 that contained direction to develop an economic development strategy,” Yancey said. “It would demonstrate economic opportunities for the city and provide an action plan that will enhance the jobs to housing balance in this city, encourage growth in areas consistent with the city’s vision and planning documents and result in stronger ties to the business community while all increasing fscal stability.”
Te economic development strategy also included proposals for living wage standards, targeting specifc industry sectors and business retention and expansion programs. After the presentation, Davis Vice Mayor Donna Neville gave her view on the development plan.
“I think we all know there are some things we’d love to get started on right now, and I think we all feel that there are certain things that we can right away get moving forward on,” Neville said. “But, in terms of our overall strategy, I do think there is somewhat more analysis that’s needed to really help us better understand which specifc strategies or approaches are really going to work. I do want to know what is the actual deliverable we’re going to get from that strategy. What’s the timeline, what’s the cost, who are the players? Tat is really going to inform our decision-making.”
With the economic development strategy plan still in its early stages, many of the details will still be in discussion.
The next Davis City Council meeting will be on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers in the City Hall. Agendas will be posted prior to the meeting’s commencement on the city of Davis’ website.
Pence Gallery to host new Seconds Sale
First-ever Seconds Sale to be held at downtown gallery to promote unique works of art, experimental pieces and overstock
BY GIA LOOMIS city@theaggie.org
Since its beginnings in 1976, Pence Gallery has hosted many annual art exhibits, sales and markets. Yet this February, the gallery is expanding its usual events to feature the Seconds Sale. Opening on Feb. 7, this sale presents a unique selection of works including items of artistic experiment, art pieces with small faws and overstock. In order to pull of a unique sale like this one, a lot of work goes into the brainstorming and planning process. Pence Gallery’s director and curator, Natalie Nelson, explained where the idea for the Seconds Sale came from. Tis is the frst Seconds Sale that we’ve ever had at the Pence Gallery,” Nelson said. “We were inspired by the Artery’s Second Sale, which they have annually in the summer.”
Te sale will be open until Feb. 28 in the second-level Learning Center at the gallery, but on Feb. 14, an open reception featuring the sale will be held. Admission to the sale and reception will be free and open to the public. While Pence Gallery has held many sales in the past, as a non-proft gallery it is not its main focus. Te gallery instead utilizes sales to fundraise when necessary — for that reason, the Seconds Sale was planned in the past few months to help the gallery cover some unexpected
expenses that have arisen, according to Nelson.
“Typically, the Pence as a non-proft doesn’t do a lot of sales,” Nelson said.
“We mainly organize exhibits of work by local and regional artists in order to bring interesting and beautiful original works of art to the community. To support all of our education programs and to host 20 changing exhibits annually, we plan a few fundraising activities, such as this sale.”
Te sale will not only host unique, limited works of art but also a wide variety of media and forms, as over 25 professional artists will be presented at the sale. Some of the varying mediums that can be found at the sale will include glass, ceramics, acrylic painting, prints and more. With so many artists featured, both Pence Gallery and the presented artists will beneft from this experimental sale.
Nelson continued by explaining how the unique nature of the Seconds Sale allows artists to refresh their stock.
“It’s such a great concept to ofer things that might be slightly older or more experimental, or have a faw in them, for sale to the public,” Nelson said. “Artists get to clean out their studios to make space for new work and to sell things that might not represent their interests or style anymore.”
Ruby Neri’s “Taking the Deep Dive” exhibit at the Manetti Shrem Museum. (Julia Heron-Watts / Aggie)
The Davis City Council discusses recent traffic collisions in Davis.
(Andrew Huang / Aggie)
JASON XIE / AGGIE
Artwork for sale at Pence Gallery. (Christian Cendejas / Aggie)
ASUCD Senate puts fee referenda on spring ballot, hears reports at Feb. 6 meeting
The student government also funded the Entertainment Council for its staffers to attend an upcoming conference
BY VINCE BASADA campus@theaggie.org
ASUCD Internal Vice President Aaminah Mohammad called the Feb. 6 Senate meeting to order at 6:23 p.m. before reading the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.
First, the table confrmed several students to the Internal Affairs Commission. In no particular order, they are: Muskaan Bhayana, a frst-year political science major, Bryan Antszak, a frst-year economics major, Raadha Adusumalli, a second-year history major, Angelina Genigeorgis, a thirdyear political science major, and Eliot Ticer-Wurr, a first-year undecided major.
Later that evening, the table heard a presentation from the Innovation and Research Lab (IRL), ASUCD’s in-house software and research group, on Unitrans ridership and trafc. Te speakers were IRL Associate Director Jeremy Elvander, a third-year data science major, and IRL Researchers Isabella Gonzales, a fourth-year applied statistics major, and Brady Horton, a fourth-year political science and applied statistics double major.
Te three spoke of continued issues with Unitrans’ automatic passenger counting systems, noting that the unit has not been able to hire a technical director for the last fve years. Te presentation was also given to Unitrans leadership, who the IRL team said were aware of the issues raised.
In addition, Bike Barn Business Manager Emilie-A. Roxas, a fourth-year sustainable environmental design and English double major, delivered their quarterly report on internal training and promotions of mechanics and a new micro-loan program in association with the University Credit Union.
As for legislative matters, Senate Bill (SB) #42, allocating $485 for food for a Valentine’s Day event, and SB#43, funding $2,400 to the Ofce of the Transfer Student Representative for a headshot and resume-building workshop, passed unanimously.
SB#46, requiring ASCUD senators to complete two hours of volunteering a quarter, passed without discussion as well. Additionally, two fee referenda were placed on the ASUCD spring ballot. Te frst is a proposed $10 per quarter undergraduate student fee for the Entertainment Council (EC) starting in fall 2025. As detailed in SB#44, the fee will increase by 50 cents every following
academic year (e.g. $10.50 per quarter in 2026 to 2027 and $11.00 per quarter in 2027 to 2028) to support the EC and its fnancial independence from “the variability of the ASUCD budget,” according to the bill’s language. The second referendum is a proposed Transportation Equity Fee of $5 per student per quarter (with quarterly Consumer Price Index adjustments afterwards). Te referendum, introduced in SB#48, will be used for the maintenance of UC Davis Transportation Services and UC Davis Division of Student Afairs programs (e.g. bike registration, Lit Not Hit, Helmet Hair Don’t Care) and to fund a Transportation Grant for commuter students and students with dependents. If passed, it will also be efective starting in fall of this year.
Both referenda will require a minimum voter turnout of 20% of the undergraduate student population and at least a 60% afrmative vote in the spring election for approval. Additionally, 25% of both fees will support fnancial aid for those undergraduate students with the greatest fnancial need.
SB#39 was also passed, funding $6,765.80 to the Entertainment Council for its staf to attend a conference in San Diego. Te bill was adjusted during the meeting, with lodging plans for the 24 attendees changed from a Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO) home rental to a hotel in accordance with internal ethical spending guidelines. VRBO is a subsidiary of Expedia Group, a company on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions list which ASUCD follows.
Te table also approved SB#45, allowing the IRL to publish data for educational reasons in a secure manner without the risk of violating ASUCD bylaws.
After some brief procedural matters, the meeting was adjourned at 8:46 p.m.
Segundo Infill Housing Project:
Construction begins on Segundo’s newest residence hall
$100 million dorm project expected to be completed in 2027
BY NOAH HARRIS features@theaggie.org
New construction is starting at UC Davis in its northwest campus as the Segundo Infll Housing Project commences — a massive project that will eventually result in a new residence hall in the Segundo dorm area.
On Feb. 1, Parking Lots 16 and 22 were ofcially closed down next to Primero Grove and Regan Hall on campus, marking the frst noticeable change resulting from the project. Barriers have been erected, and on Wednesday, Feb. 5, workers began to start ushering people away from the bike path to the west of the area.
Tere are currently no additional plans to build parking to compensate for the loss, as Lot 22 will be closed permanently and Lot 16 will only partially reopen, according to the project manager.
Te project’s estimated completion date is July 2027, and it is estimated to cost $100 million. Tere will be approximately 494 beds in the fvestory building, with around 60% of the rooms for double occupancy and 40% for triple occupancy. However, all rooms will be large enough for triple occupancy if needed.
Laura Blosser, the senior project manager of the project, described the time frame for completion of the building.
“We want student occupancy in fall of 2027,” Blosser said. “So if we can complete in May or June from the contractor’s side, then our student housing ofces have enough time to put in all the furniture.”
Jef Fuller, who is the project director for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., the contracting company building the new residence hall, was optimistic about the timeframe.
“We feel like the schedule is very doable,” Fuller said. “Te building’s going to go up extremely fast. Most of the calendar year 2026 will be kind of like building out the inside of the building, so we feel very confdent of being able to get the project done on time, if not early.”
Tis project will be funded with $1.75 million of housing reserves. Te other $98,297,000 will be through external fnancing. It is anticipated that signifcant debt will accumulate as a result, with a projection of the average annual debt service for years one and two at $4.2 million, and for years three through 30 at $6.1 million.
With a loss of parking space, issues could present themselves during students’ annual move-in time. However, Shelby Slutzker, the
engagement and marketing specialist for UC Davis Transportation Services, said that this hurdle is not projected to be difcult to overcome.
“Event parking will have to be distributed to other nearby lots, which will vary depending on where the event is held,” Slutzker said via email. “MooveIn won’t be majorly impacted because we use Lot 25 (Segundo) and Lot 46 (Tercero) for move-in operations.”
Lot 25, referred to by Slutzker, is located next to the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) on the UC Davis campus.
Slutzker acknowledged that the closing of parking lots would cause change on the UC Davis campus, but she did not see it as a cause for concern.
“We do anticipate that losing those lots will result in somewhat of a redistribution or rebalancing of parking across campus facilities, especially impacting those nearby parking areas like lots 14, 25, Quad and even Pavilion,” Slutzker said. “We always anticipate the impact to be greater after the initial change but after some time goes by, we will see that rebalancing.”
While there has not been much construction occurring aboveground, changes will soon be visible in the Segundo dorm area.
“I think a lot of [the time], on sites, you don’t see anything,” Blosser said. “It’s not impressive looking for a little while because they’ll be doing the underground stuf frst. I would say by April and May, you’ll start to see stuf coming up out of the ground.”
Blosser discussed the issue of noise and acknowledged the impacts of the situation.
“[For construction], our typical hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Blosser said. “And we’ve said that during fnals weeks, they’ll start at 8 a.m. instead. Tere’s a little bit of fexibility to try to, you know, we understand people are
sleeping here and that’s rough. It won’t be that noisy once the frst couple of months go by.”
Similarly, Fuller said that while construction will be noisy, there are plans to limit the amount of inconvenience to nearby students.
“Construction is inherently a fairly noisy operation,” Fuller said. “Some activities are [...] noisier than others. We work with the campus on doing the noisier activities at a later start time in the morning so as to not be too disruptive to the students.”
Tis construction comes after 2018, when UC Davis anticipated that the oncampus student population could grow from approximately 33,825 (20162017 academic year) to approximately 39,000 (2030-2031 academic year), necessitating the need for more oncampus housing, especially given a stated commitment to ensuring 48% of students living in Davis are on campus.
Tere were three initial alternative proposals to the current plans that were rejected. Alternative one involved renovating buildings in Primero Grove or the Regan Hall dorm area, alternative two involved replacing the entire area of Segundo and alternative three was a Public-Private partnership — where a private company would pay for the new building and would lease it back to UC Davis. Te building itself was modeled from existing residential areas on campus.
As of right now, there are no plans to add additional space to the Segundo Dining Commons. Amenities in the new residence building include covered bike parking, some of which will be in a locked area, and a “Zoom Room” for video meetings. Tere will also be nooks to sit in and a grassy area outside. More information on the Segundo Infll Housing Project can be found on the UC Davis Design and Construction Management website.
‘Setting the roots for law school’: Las Raíces Pre-Law helps underrepresented students break into
law
Las Raíces board members and founder share the group’s mission, resources available to pre-law students BY EVELYN SANCHEZ features@theaggie.org
Pre-law can be incredibly daunting. Tousands of students spend months, if not years, studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), applying to law schools, practicing interviews and desperately hoping they’re good enough to make it in the competitive feld. However, law practice is incredibly varied and not limited to becoming a lawyer. Pursuing law can earn positions in consulting, human resources and other government sectors. Pre-law is also not only for political science majors — a common misconception often ingrained into university culture.
Students from a variety of backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in areas that desperately need them. Only about 14% of law students identify as Hispanic, with Black students making up only 8.3% and Asian students constituting 7.4%, according to a study done by Enjuris. Las Raíces exists to provide an avenue into the world of law for such students.
Te mission of the Las Raíces
Pre-Law Student Association at the University of California, Davis is to provide a means for educating and creating accessibility into the feld of law for Latinx students as well as students of other historically underrepresented marginalized communities,” Las Raíces’ website and mission statement reads.
Rogelio Villagrana, a UC Davis alum and the current director for UC Davis for Early Academic Outreach Program, alongside six other UC Davis undergraduate students founded the club during his second year, having graduated in 1996.
Tere [already] was a pre-
law society [at Davis], which was informational only,” Villagrana said.
“I wanted something that was more active in the community. I wanted an organization that could be a conduit of resources to the community. It was created by that void that existed.”
Originally established as La Raza
Pre-Law Student Association at UC Davis, the organization’s humble beginnings stemmed from a desire to establish a resource center for struggling Latinx students interested
in pursuing law.
With no formerly dedicated pre-law organization, the name was chosen as an homage to the struggles of the Latinx community. In 2022, the name was changed to Las Raíces.
Te continued Spanish title serves as a tribute to their origins, while students continue to refect on the importance of Latinx individuals within the law feld.
“When we had that name, it was an homage to that struggle,” Graciela Álvarez, a fourth-year history major and the organization’s co-chair, said. “But Las Raíces — which means roots — we are setting the roots for law school. It’s ethnically centered and not exclusive.”
Álvarez discussed why she chose to join the pre-law organization and how it has beneftted her.
“I wanted to pursue teaching something law-related at frst,” Álvarez said. “Ten I saw [Las Raíces] at the Chicanx Center, Bienvenida, and I knew I wanted to go to law school. I knew that possibly during my time here, my mind would change. I met a community through the club.”
Similarly to Álvarez, Tatiana Vega,
a fourth-year political science and sociology double major, did not start out with dreams of law school. Having joined her second year, Vega now serves as the sergeant at arms for the organization.
“I wasn’t interested in law,” Vega said. “I wanted to become an FBI agent until my second year. I started of as a political science major and added another major. After I did all that, I found out about the club.”
Sianna Vega, a fourth-year international relations major and the co-chair of Las Raíces, shared that there is sometimes a level of intimidation shared among her peers toward processes within higher education.
“A big majority of us Latinos don’t know the process in higher education,” Vega said. “We don’t know the steps we need to take to apply to these places. It can be very intimidating.” Vega went on to discuss part of the organization’s goal with undergraduate students. Tere is a very stressful idea around law school,” Vega said. “But we are also trying to make undergrad less stressful too.”
Te organization hosts resume workshops where students can streamline their resumes for law school applications, as well as scholarships twice every winter and spring quarter. Te scholarships are open to any UC Davis students, including those not in the organization, and the next opportunity available opens on Monday, Jan. 13.
Las Raíces hosts multiple speaker and alumni panels, including the former Dean of the UC Davis School of Law, Kevin R. Johnson, and Zuma Alejandra Muñoz, a Latina frstgeneration practicing attorney, to speak on their experiences with law school and admissions. Las Raíces also has connections to the California Latino Capitol Association Foundation Fellowship Program, which hosts an annual 10-week summer fellowship, and often coordinates LSAT study groups, social events and fundraisers.
“I didn’t know there were
programs for pre-law students like KHOP, or [the] King Hall Outreach Program,” Álvarez said. “It’s a oneday-a-week commitment program that helps you know what’s expected on the law school application. It helps keep important things in mind, discerns what makes a law school a good ft and informs you on fnancial aid. I met a bunch of people through that program that [do not] only go to Davis.”
Gerardo Medina, a fourthyear political science major and the organization’s historian, discussed the impact of the Las Raíces.
“We are here to continue the legacy of those before and after us,” Medina said. “At the end of the day, we are always here to help each other. We are all trying to succeed.”
Las Raíces also hosts feld trips to law schools and courts to expand students’ perspectives. Tough still in the works, they have been facilitating a feld trip to meet up with the Latine Pre-Law Society (LPLS) at UC Berkeley. Te goal is to organize panels between LPLS Berkeley, La Alianza at UC Berkeley Law and Latinx Law Students Associations at the UC Davis School of Law.
Villagrana continues to give back to the organization as a mentor and occasional speaker.
“It’s a very safe space for people to come together and contribute and share,” Villagrana said. “It’s important to have a group you can belong to when you run into difcult times as a student.”
To learn more about joining the organization, feel free to follow @ lasraicesprelawucd on Instagram or visit their website at ucdlasraicesprelaw. com.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article did not include accent marks in Las Raíces and Tatiana Vega’s name was originally written as Tatiana Varga. We have updated the story to better represent the communities and sources covered.
STEPHANIE CHAN / AGGIE
The Las Raíces Pre-Law Student Association. (Julián Gutierrez Cabrera / Courtesy)
DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO / AGGIE
The secret to happiness
Mutual support sets the foundation for a healthy relationship
BY VIOLET ZANZOT vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu
I think my list for a perfect partner, relationship or love story started when I was probably 12 years old — when my best friend and I danced in the kitchen at her mom’s house late one night. From there, my list grew and changed, taking on as many diferent lives as I did.
Here’s about where it stands today: He must be my friend, swing dance with me as we cook dinner, there has to be chemistry, he has to be funny, he has to support my ambitions, I should never wonder how he feels about me, we have to have what I have called the “Obama factor” and timing — we have to have the timing right. Over the years, this semi-incoherent list of ingredients has come together to be the recipe for my perfect relationship: At least, I would imagine. Like I said, things have been
crossed out, erased altogether, added, put back, highlighted, bolded, bent over backwards and underlined as I learned more and more about romantic relationships. By watching my parents divorce, my cousins marry (not each other), friends cry, strangers smile hand-in-hand and through experiencing my own trials and tribulations with matters of the heart, I have cultivated my list. Now that we have arrived to this point: Generally speaking, what makes a good relationship?
It is that time of the year again when it’s a little colder and chocolates look like they should be bought for you by someone else (they are heart shaped, after all), and everyone seems to be coupled up. But which of these couples are in “good” relationships and, more importantly, what makes them so? Is there a universal “something” that couples need to have in order to be in a healthy relationship?
My answer: mutual support — “security in an insecure world.”
In 2011, Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifords survived an assassination attempt. Mark Kelly, astronaut and now congressman, never left her side. Teir story began as a friendship, with each bringing along their own complicated histories, as we all do. Over the years, they have stood by each other as strong as twin pillars. Tey have supported each other’s careers, their passions, their families — in sickness and in health. Even as their needs changed, they were there for each other. As Gifords’ health declined, Kelly nursed her; Teir needs changed, but the efort never faltered.
Te moral of their story is this aspect of mutual support. In a world where everyone has their own lists of needs for romantic relationships, individual aspirations and life goals, a need for overall support is the constant.
So, when you’re asking yourself if your partner is right for you, check in with yourself frst. What do you need? Is your partner supporting that? Michelle Obama speaks to the challenges that come along with relationships — love is hard, after all. Her main points: Marriage is never 50-50, don’t quit too soon and be your authentic self. Relationships are not always easy, but the work is as much necessary as it is worth it. Because, when you put in the
individual work and the teamwork, you get what I referred to as the “Obama factor.” When Michelle walks into a room, people take note. When Barack walks into a room, people take note. When they walk into a room together, people take note. Tey stand independently as amazing and successful people and together as the same — they only ever celebrate and amplify each other. Tey put in the individual work and the team work: that’s how power couples are born — all of the efort for all of the reward. I implore you now to go out and fall in love, with yourself or with someone else (hopefully both). Remember that beyond your chemistry in a relationship, you must put in the work to support one another. Tis Valentine’s Day, share the fowers and the chocolate with the one who tickles your fancy, and be there for each other a little more than usual.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie.
Everyone plagiarizes their love letters, even my cat
How we learn to love from one another
BY TARA ROMERO tcrome@ucdavis.edu
If there is one thing notable about my cat, it is that she loves to clean her friends. When I lived at home, we had two other cats, and my cat Athena ran the kitty bathhouse like it was the Navy for nine years. Cleaning herself and the other two created the biggest hairballs the world had ever seen. When Athena and I embarked on our journey to UC Davis, she continued her tradition with my roommate’s cat. Last month, I had one of those moods where I suddenly wanted to get into photography, and I remembered that I had our cheap, old family camera in a box under my bed. We got the camera when Athena was a kitten, so it was full of adorable Athena kitten content. Looking through all of the
photos and videos, one video of hers inspired me to write this column.
Let me set the stage for you. A bright teal bedspread. A shaky camera held by yours truly. My old cat. By old, I mean OLD — this man was 17 years old at the time. Microscopic baby Athena. On this 11-year-old camera was a video of our old cat cleaning baby Athena — the Athena cleaning origin story. Tis was the frst time I had ever seen Athena let another cat clean her.
Usually, she bats away the other cat so she can go back to cleaning them. For cats, grooming one another indicates their strong social bond — it’s not just an Athena-specifc trait, as much as I wish it was.
However, I choose to believe that she learned to clean as an expression of love from her old friend. Could
Athena simply have learned this from her mother? Sure. Is it natural cat behavior to groom? Yes. But as an English major, I can’t help but believe in the beautiful narrative unfolding before me.
Anyways, this is the Valentine’s Day issue, so why did I just spend half of my column talking about my cat? It’s partly because I love her and partly because this is the most heartwarming story to ever grace the pages of Te California Aggie. But most importantly, it’s because I think there is something very special about this little story. For Athena to receive love from her cat friend and then give love in the same way to her new cat friends is very similar to how we all learn to express love. In the world of science, psychologists debate about to what extent nature and nurture infuence human behaviors like love. Te
The plight of the hopeless romantic
Sad, beautiful, tragic
BY MOLLY THOMPSON mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu
I am the poster child for a specifc subset of my generation: those of us who grew up with our heads in the clouds. We spent our youth running through backyard felds — in our minds, frolicking through fairytale kingdoms. I worshipped the Pevensie kids in “Te Chronicles of Narnia,” and I was wholly convinced that I would grow up to be Annabeth Chase from the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. I spent my formative years immersing myself in Taylor Swift’s discography, meaning that the brain I grew into is practically forged from the lyrics “How You Get the Girl” and “Sparks Fly.” To my very core, I’m a hopeless romantic.
I’m a daydreamer — I love grandeur, idealism and melancholia. I love riding the train just to stare out the window and lose myself with a carefully curated playlist. I love falling asleep to fctitious scenes of my own design, as I play them out in my mind. I love fantasy, glamour and revelry. Let’s call a spade a spade: I’m absolutely delusional.
Modern collegiate culture, as much as I love it, decidedly does not cater to my illusory tendencies.
Romance used to mean idealistic (of course, it still does in the literal sense), but now it seems to encompass fash-food fings, petty games and the hellish fate of being left “on read.”
Before I get too far into this, let me get of my high horse for a second; I’m not trying to place myself above all of this. I’ve spent as much time deep in the throes of timing my texts to save face as the next girl (reader, there was no face to be saved). But that doesn’t mean I don’t still yearn to experience the thrills that inspired the entire “Speak Now” album. Yes, yearn.
It’s ostentatious, I know, but it’s true. C’est la vie.
So, what’s a girl to do when current societal expectations don’t match her level of delusional fantasy? God only knows I’m less qualifed to provide advice than commiseration, but I do have thoughts on the matter.
A and the Z bus
They will live happily ever after
BY ALLISON KELEHER
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away called Davis, California, two bright and shiny red buses were born. Little bus squeaks flled the air as they took their frst breaths. On this day, in adjacent bus hospital rooms, two new buses joined the feet of Unitrans bus lines. Tey were later known as the A and the Z. But don’t let me get ahead of myself. It would be a long time before these buses would mature into the bus lines that they are today. In the meantime, these baby buses grew up together, since their moms were best friends. Tis meant frequent play dates and shared birthday parties throughout the years. Tey saw each other through all of life’s struggles: from playground drama to puberty to their frst loves in high school. Needless to say, the A and the Z have always been best friends. It wasn’t long before these little buses grew up into young adult buses and were of in search of higher education. Following in their parents’ footsteps, they both decided to attend UC Davis as legacy Unitrans lines. Tey were welcomed with open windshield wipers to start their roles as the A and the Z bus lines. When they were frst-years,
the A and the Z spent a lot of their time together. However, as they both found their niches on campus, the two buses drifted apart. Te A invested herself in political activism and worked hard toward her political science degree. On the other hand, the Z was across campus studying to become an electrical engineer. Despite the distance, they were determined to maintain their lifelong friendship. Every week on Fridays, they met at the Silo and ate at the Crepe Bistro together. Tey would share details about their weeks and occasionally reminisce about their childhoods.
One Friday, the Z was getting ready to go to the Silo, when his roommate suddenly began a conversation with the Z. After a polite amount of time, the Z told his roommate that he needed to go see the A.
“Oh, that’s right now? Yeah man, go see your girl.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” the Z corrected him.
“Really? Oh, my bad,” his roommate replied.
Tis really short and uneventful conversation wormed its way into the Z’s brain and plagued his mind as he went to meet with the A. He wondered how many buses thought that he was with the A and what made them think that. He tried to shake these thoughts as he met up with the A. It was a very
Firstly, I think the biggest thing we all need to do is take a deep breath. Tere comes this fear of missing out (FOMO): of never being able to fulfll expectations. I get a periodic sensation of falling behind because I’m not as engaged in the contemporary (or any) dating scene as much as I perceive my peers to be. But even if that’s true, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Te way that I try to see it, not having a lot of romantic prospects or experience (even if it doesn’t feel like a choice) isn’t a refection of one’s lack of value or desirability, but rather a result of having high standards and specifc intentions. You’re not undateable, you’re choosy. And honestly, that’s a point in your favor. You’re not wasting your time or losing out on missed opportunities — it’s quite the opposite. You’re saving yourself from situations that aren’t actually what you long for while keeping yourself open to the opportunities that will fulfll your heart’s desires. After all, if you’re involved in a relationship — or even less dignifying, a situationship — just for the sake of it, you’re going to miss out on the other shooting stars that could have swept you of your feet.
Te beauty of being a daydreamer is that no one else will appreciate the idealism of romance as deeply as we do.
HOPELESSROMANTIC on 9
uninteresting conversation about their respective professors and their experiences driving people around Davis.
At least it was until the A looked up from her crepe in excitement.
“I forgot to tell you! I’m going to Washington D.C. during spring quarter for an internship!”
Tis was very exciting for the A, because she had always dreamt of a career in politics, so this would set her up for success. Te Z congratulated her, and they fnished of their crepes talking about the internship. Tis conversation relieved the Z because he felt that some space would be good to clear up any rumors about them being together.
Many months later, the A was of to Washington D.C., and the Z was ready to spend his spring quarter without her. Te quarter started out swimmingly, as the Z dedicated the majority of his time to his senior design project for engineering. However, as he worked on it, he soon realized that he missed updating the A on his project. In the quarter prior, the A would always ask a bunch of questions about his project, because she always thought it was so cool that he was interested in engineering.
act of love is genetically natural to humans for reproduction and child development, but how we love can also be heavily infuenced by our environment. While I can’t claim that love is entirely a learned behavior, I can say that, to a certain extent, we do learn how to love from one another.
To give an example from my life, my friend in high school once baked me a cake just because she wanted to — now I bake treats for my friends and partner regularly. When I was a kid, I never felt more loved by my mom than when she would go to a “safe spot” in the game “World of Warcraft” so that she could listen to my stories from school — now I always pause whatever I’m doing to give full attention to the person I’m talking to.
Tis phenomenon manifests diferently for everyone. Maybe your parents used to bring you cut-up fruit
or make you a certain meal when you were sick, and now you do the same for your loved ones. Perhaps your friend listened to you talking about your favorite anime and got you a keychain from it, and now you try to listen more so you can fnd them their perfect gift. Tere are so many diferent ways to express love, but the way others love us inspires us to love in the same way. It may not be entirely scientifcally proven — but, just like the way I choose to believe Athena learned to clean as an act of love from her old cat friend, I choose to believe that we are an amalgamation of those who have loved us.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie.
Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers
A different way to think about what Valentine’s Day is all about
BY SABRINA FIGUEROA sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu
During the winter break, I visited a local Walmart with one of my hometown friends, wandering among the aisles and into their holiday section. Tough it was the beginning of January, they had already put up their Valentine’s Day merchandise. As we walked down the aisles of candy and stufed animals, my friend expressed her disdain for Valentine’s Day, all because she had no one to celebrate with.
Tis is a belief that many people hold during this season, and I don’t blame them. Valentine’s Day — if not the whole month of February — has been branded as a holiday celebrating lovers and romance. In every store you walk into, you’re immediately bombarded by heart-shaped candy and cards with poorly-written pickup lines. Or, even worse, you overhear your friends making plans with their partners to celebrate the holiday.
While this day of celebrating romance might make you feel overwhelmed because of how lonely you may be, we need to be reminded that love is not a fat concept. Tere are diferent types of love that we often forget about, given the fact that society often places a disproportionate amount of emphasis on romantic relationships. We also just tend to forget about the other types — platonic, familial, selflove — because it’s easy to overlook the things that you’ve always had when you’re looking for something new. Every laugh, hug or moment of silence shared with friends and family are afectionate, loving gestures. It’s helpful to think of where and when the Valentine’s Day conditioning starts: elementary school. You would
spend your parent or guardian’s money buying candy or cards for your entire class — and, if you were fancy, you were the kid who would spend their time writing classmates’ names on each piece. But none of this was mandatory, nor did you have to be in love romantically with all your classmates to give them a piece of candy or a tiny card. Tis childhood tradition was simply about showing appreciation and humanity for the people around us, no matter how close we were to them.
I used to think about this day with disdain just like my friend does, and it was hard to get out of that mindset. But sometimes, all it takes is looking at the people around you, seeing friends, families and couples, knowing that love exists everywhere and it manifests itself in so many diferent ways. To be able to love is a human gift that has historically prevailed over times of oppression, war and economic turmoil. Especially in times like these, where it seems like hatred is seeping in through every crack, any kind of love is both an act of humanity and resistance — it’s surely enough to fulfll your Valentine’s Day needs. So, I strongly encourage you to get out of this narrow idea of what Valentine’s Day actually means and celebrate. Go bake red velvet cookies with your friends or go to a bar with them, plan a date with your partner or even go see a movie with your siblings. And, even if you don’t have these people in your life, take yourself out on a date. Do something that you love to do — any kind of love is worth celebrating.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie.
NOVA MAI/ AGGIE
EMILY TRAN / AGGIE
KAYLA TRAN / AGGIE
SAVANNAH BURGER / AGGIE
Trump’s recent executive order on women’s sports pushes a transphobic agenda
Time and time again, the alt-right has weaponized female empowerment for their culture war
WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
While Feb. 9 was Superbowl Sunday, just four days earlier was the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Initially established as a day of celebration and empowerment for female athletes, 2025’s celebration was instead marked by another dangerous executive order by President Donald Trump.
On Feb. 5, Trump signed an executive order, titled “No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order,” efectively banning transgender women from participating in female sports and from entering women’s restrooms. Tis comes after three separate executive orders targeting the transgender community.
It is also worthwhile to note that all mentions of “LGBT” on federally funded websites have removed the “T” following Trump’s return to ofce. From just one month into the second Trump term, it is clear that the administration’s focus on trans erasure is an active danger to the LGBTQIA+ community’s safety.
Te Feb. 5 order’s language includes decreasing the administration’s focus on Title IX — a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs and schools
Read our online editorial about the recent plane crashes
that receive federal funding. Title IX requires the inclusion of trans athletes in school sports and allows trans athletes to participate in other athletic activities segregated by sex.
With this switch from the Biden Administration’s enforcement of the law, Trump has begun dismantling pre-existing measures that include and uplift trans athletes. While White House ofcials have claimed that the signing of this executive order is not targeted toward the transgender community, the order’s language and Trump’s statements demonstrate otherwise.
Te radical left has waged an allout campaign to erase the very concept of biological sex and replace it with a militant transgender ideology,” Trump said. “With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”
However, this anti-trans rhetoric does not just apply to academic settings. Ofcials have stated that not only will the Trump Administration work with sports governing bodies to enforce the executive order, United States visa policies will also be impacted — an especially disturbing addition considering Trump’s mass deportation eforts.
“If you are coming into the country and you are claiming that you are a woman but you are a male here to compete against women, we’re going to be reviewing that for fraud,” a White House ofcial said.
Marketed as an efort to protect the safety and fairness of women’s sports, this executive order is an attack in disguise. With dozens of young women stationed around Trump’s desk, the Trump Administration has attempted to convince the American people that trans athletes are a threat to young women and that, with the signing of this bill, the future of women’s sports will be protected. Te truth, however, is that this is not an issue of women’s rights to the Trump Administration — this is another act of power-hungry greed and blatant transphobia.
Performance advantages have often been used as evidence against the inclusion of trans athletes, with many believing that biological diferences between males and females give
trans athletes an unfair edge against cisgender competitors. However, existing studies have not proven this supposed advantage.
Tere is no signifcant scientifc research that has determined a conclusion on performance diferences between trans and cis athletes — meaning there are no empirical grounds for excluding an entire group of talented athletes. Te baseless vilifcation and segregation of one group is targeted discrimination that paves the way for mass hate.
With this order, Trump has declared transgender individuals a danger to both athletics and to United States citizens as a whole. Tis widespread hate spearheaded by far-right extremists is an issue that has already caused unimaginable devastation to the trans community.
Stereotypical commentary, political campaign strategies and discriminatory legislation have placed the lives of gender non-conforming people in danger. Trans individuals are more susceptible to mental health struggles, have higher suicide rates and are sufering from an extreme growth in hate crimes. Te trans community has already been subjected to the efects of bigotry, and further violence and discrimination is not only promised under Trump’s leadership — it is guaranteed.
Te Editorial Board condemns the Trump Administration’s disgusting and hate-flled rhetoric that aims to vilify and isolate the transgender community. Trump’s attempts to paint trans individuals as a “militant” threat are an abuse of power and a direct attack against social progress and equity. Gender non-conforming people are entitled to the same respect, dignity and basic human rights as any other human being.
While it can be difcult to stomach the current administration’s actions, it is important to remain educated and active in your local communities. Educating those close to you and ensuring you respect people’s pronouns and preferred names are the bare minimum — no matter where you’re from, there are ways to uplift trans voices and protect trans rights.
Even in a college town in a blue
They will love you: flaws and all
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
Managing Staf
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
state, there are anti-trans activists who aim to diminish trans rights and prevent transgender inclusion.
Showing up for the transgender community starts at the local level: Attending school board or city council meetings and supporting LGBTQIA+ organizations and clubs
Being the perfect person isn’t a prerequisite for finding love and connection
BY JHANA RHODES jsrho@ucdavis.edu
Valentine’s Day comes around yearly, reminding me that I am still single. And, recently, I’ve been the only single person among my friends. Don’t get me wrong: I am ecstatic that they have all found people who can appreciate them as the fantastic human beings they are. Not too long ago, I cried tears of joy after my friend told me her boyfriend told her he loved her (three times in a row). In the past, she has been through tumultuous relationships that have left her traumatized. It took years of re and self-care before she was ready to move forward. Although she’s stronger now, some wounds still need tending.
As a part of her journey and a key witness to her ups and downs, I realized that if she can work through her trauma, then so could I. For the past few years, I’ve been telling myself that the day I’m fully healed is the day I’ll be ready for a relationship. I’ve spent hours writing imaginary checklists of all the things I believed I had to do before I could even consider a relationship:
1. Lose a few more pounds
2. Make more money
3. Go to therapy
Te conditions were endless. But, if I’m being honest, the more I added to my list, the more I felt like I needed to become someone else entirely.
Recently, after one of my infamous cry sessions with my friend over the phone and a little self-re realized something important. I don’t need to be fully recovered to deserve love and connection — and neither do you. Being completely healed is a myth. We would all like to think that life can be perfect, but that isn’t the case. Life is complicated, insecurities exist and bad things happen. Unfortunately, we have to deal with those insecurities and experience trauma. However,
it’s important to remember that real healing is an uphill, continuous journey you must go through for yourself. It’s not a mirage, and it’s not easy. Don’t get me wrong — it’s perfectly fne to recognize that you need personal time for growth before dating. If anything, I encourage it. It shows that you are independently taking the time to work on becoming the best version of
I saw in the media was only a fraction of the relationship. Te relationships I see in real life are, in fact, not perfect, and neither are the people in them. Individually, they all have insecurities and trauma that they are dealing with, just like me and just like everyone else. Nonetheless, they are learning, growing and healing as individuals and as couples. In fact, an imperfect relationship can have many benefts. Finding someone you can learn and grow with is a mutually benefcial experience. As you become the best version of yourself, it’s nice to know that you have a partner with whom you can practice
vulnerable communication. Mutual trust and vulnerability, when shared consensually and respectfully, create a space for you to share your experiences and support each other’s healing processes. Tat being said, here’s a disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, psychiatrist or expert on love and relationships. I’m not promoting or condoning unhealthy relationships. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take personal time to work on
are just a couple of ways to become active in your community. Te trans community is in danger, and it is more important than ever to stand up against transphobia, discrimination and global apathy.
bodies, perfect lives. Everyone appeared to be healed and have found their inner peace. However, I failed to realize that what
yourself, neither am I implying that being single is bad. Whether you’re looking for a partner or not — you know yourself best, you know what you need to work on and you know what you’re looking for. However, do what makes you the happiest and the healthiest. Please remember to be gentle with yourself, set realistic expectations and continuously practice self-awareness.
It’s okay to have insecurities while in a relationship. However, we must recognize and avoid unhealthy and dysfunctional behaviors. Tese behaviors include (but are not limited to) neglecting your personal needs and manipulating, controlling or being violent. Instead, we must seek out and practice healthy behaviors like efective communication, patience, trust, honesty — the list is endless. Remember, it takes two to tango. Tis applies to both partners, as healthy relationships require mutual commitment and efort. You should never tolerate or remain in a relationship where you or your partner feel abused, unsafe, unhappy or neglected. If you fnd yourself needing more support, you’re not alone. Speak to a professional, a friend, a family member or someone you trust. UC Davis has an amazing team of counselors and counseling services, such as the Student Health and Counseling Services, that can hopefully aid your healing process. Tey ofer psychiatric services, individual and group therapy and 24/7 crisis support. You can fnd more information about these services at https://shcs.ucdavis.edu. We all should learn to love ourselves frst instead of trying to become the perfect person for someone else. No matter who you are, you are worthy, loved and accepted. One day (if you haven’t already), you will fnd someone who treats you with respect and sees all the extraordinary qualities you have. And, of course, they will love you unconditionally — faws and all.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie.
VERONICA THEN / AGGIE
ARTS & CULTURE
Tracing the evolution of the vampire
An exploration of sexuality and romance portrayed in vampire media
BY JULIE HUANG arts@theaggie.org
As the recent release of “Nosferatu” proves, the vampire continues to fascinate the human mind, whether onscreen for modern-day audiences or in pages thumbed through by 19th-century readers. Originating in Slavic folklore and made popular through gothic literature of the 1800s, centuries of portrayal have cultivated diferent interpretations of the vampire, but some core traits have shone through in each variation to be passed onto the next.
Now, due to wildly popular teen franchises like “Twilight” and its slew of contemporaries, everyone knows vampires are supernatural monsters, dangerously alluring and if not good, at least interesting candidates for love interests.
Although often mocked and derided, and equally celebrated and idealized, the association of vampirism with forbidden but sexy romance has its roots in the archetype’s gothic origins. Te frst few instances of the vampire as a literary character took place in the Victorian era, well known for its sexually repressive values. In those strict societal conditions, while simultaneously condemning social transgressions through the vampire’s otherworldly nature.
One of the frst examples of literary vampires can be found in Joseph Sheridan le Fanu’s 1872 novella “Carmilla,” featuring the titular female vampire who reveals herself to be a beautiful yet dangerous predator of innocent young women. Portraying destructive passion alongside corruption of innocence, the descriptions of Carmilla feeding upon young women feature queer undertones, ultimately tying into the vampire’s overall reputation as associated with taboo notions of sexuality.
At some point, Carmilla expresses something similar to regret for her need for blood, stating that she “cannot help it,” yet she remains a stark antagonist. She can only be an antagonist, as her plain existence is a threat to the dominant social order, perhaps shedding light on why vampirism remains an apt metaphor for non-conforming identity that transcends Victorian-era repression.
Decades after “Carmilla” came out, Bram Stoker’s more well-known “Dracula” was published in 1897, gripping the public imagination and not letting go ever since. Count Dracula follows similar shades of characterization as Carmilla — an ancient vampire who derives strength and beauty from feeding on human beings, especially innocent and lovely young women.
Interactions between Dracula and human women are similarly conspicuously sexualized, as sucking blood becomes a clear metaphor for intimacy. Women who initially possess the appropriate amount of purity and innocence lose these traits after unnatural encounters with Dracula and consequently being turned into vampires. All of the female vampires associated with Dracula in the novel are characterized as coquettish at best, and at worst — sexually deviant — an obvious warning on how overt female sexuality is unnatural and twisted.
As two of the leading gothic examples of vampires, “Carmilla” and “Dracula” have aligned vampires with alluring passion, corruption, destruction and loss of innocence, inspiring a tradition of vampire stories with sexually and socially transgressive themes.
Following in this vein, the 2024 release of “Nosferatu” is itself a remake of the earlier “Nosferatu” flm released in 1922, which was intended as a flm adaptation of “Dracula,” that was refused copyright and subsequently passed of as an “original story.” Tus, Dracula became “Orlok,” but the central plotline of preying on young women remains.
In the 2024 release, Orlok’s yearslong obsession with Ellen Hutter and his unwelcome advances makes the traditional theme of sexuality as horrifc more explicit. Rather than condemning raw sexuality itself, the nonconsensual aspect of the vampiric relationship is emphasized, highlighting the violation of Ellen’s physical boundaries as a personal tragedy that afects her for life. Te remake translates the supernatural horror of the vampire into solemn commentary on the enduring struggle for bodily autonomy and the horror of having it ripped away — an issue that is far from otherworldly.
Te “Nosferatu” remake, leading back to the trope’s 19th-century origins, features a vampire so clearly villainous that it seems like a breath of fresh air, partially due to an infux of media in recent decades that have lightened the reputation of vampires.
In particular, Anne Rice’s “Te Vampire Chronicles” book series, beginning with “Interview with the Vampire” in 1976, left behind the heavy themes of nonconsensual sexual activity and predation previously associated with vampirism. Instead, the novel characterized its vampires through more straightforward sex appeal. Tis resulted in the now familiar depiction of vampires as tortured but beautiful, lonely but not beyond redemption.
Rice’s portrayal of vampires has massively infuenced the modern-day conception of vampires in popular culture and media. Te more palatable reworking of the archetype has led to vampires becoming a popular choice for romances and love stories that require a bit of an edge, but not too much.
Te most well-known and infuential of these stories is, of course, Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, a collection of young adult novels as well as a billion-dollar flm franchise featuring the romance between selfloathing but ultimately good vampire Edward Cullen and somewhat-normal human Bella Swan.
Meyer’s famous take on the vampire love story has become one of the hallmarks of 2010s pop culture, spawning waves of imitators in the forbidden love department. Yet, the element of alluring but dangerous love is a noticeably diluted variant of the vampire’s original alignment with taboo expressions of sexuality.
Depictions of vampires have clearly evolved over time, building of of previous iterations. However, even when not explicitly discussed as such, the vampire persists as a haunting symbol of sexuality in its most challenging and dangerous forms.
The art of wintering
How Katherine May’s “Wintering” can remind us of the importance of rest and introspection in difficult times
BY NATALIE SALTER
BY AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS arts@theaggie.org
If it’s complicated — Book: “Normal People” by Sally Rooney (2018)
“Normal People” sets the precedent for “situationships.” Te book tells the story of Connell Waldron and Marriane Sheridan over the course of four years as they navigate their complicated feelings for one another. With heavy ties into class divide and social standing, the book explores a difcult emotional relationship between the two as they struggle to efectively communicate their feelings with one another. Encapsulating the “right person, wrong time” trope, the book goes from chapter to chapter displaying both the intimacy and distance between Connell and Marianne, with their dynamic changing nearly every page. Rooney’s writing demonstrates the intricate emotional relationships one can have both romantically and platonically, leaving you with the desire to ask your situationship: “What are we?”
If there’s someone new — Song: “Begin Again” by Taylor Swift (2012)
One of Taylor Swift’s more subtle love songs, “Begin Again” describes the thought process behind the frst date with someone new following the end of a previous relationship. Troughout the song, Swift describes her grievances and doubts stemming from her last relationship while juxtaposing these thoughts with all of the new, positive and opposite qualities her date has — with lyrics such as: “I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny, ‘cause he never did.” With a light guitar strum in the background, Swift not only explores the diferences between the two relationships but also the back-andforth thinking that all love does is hurt and burn. Despite these conficting thoughts, she realizes that while all things may come to an end, they can always begin again.
If they’re the love of your life — Movie: “Te Notebook” dir. Nick Cassavetes (2004)
Te Notebook” is the quintessential romance movie. Based on the Nicolas Sparks novel, the flm follows the story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton’s enemies-to-lovers relationship. Following the trope of “he fell frst, but she fell harder,” the flm shows the ups and downs of their relationship in the 1940s, including the class diference between the two and Noah’s departure to fght in World War II. However, after calling it quits when they were merely teens, the flm takes a turn years later: After thinking Noah didn’t write to her during his time in the army, Allie meets someone new. When their paths cross again years later and Allie sees all of the promises Noah kept start to come into fruition, along with 365 love letters she never received, Allie soon realizes that she might not be over Noah after all. After watching Te Notebook,” it may be a good idea to keep your phone far, far, away just in case you get any ideas.
If you’re crushing — Album: “Yours Truly” by Ariana Grande (2013)
chill. You also might think of winter as snow and holidays with heavy jackets to ward of the cold. You would, of course, be right either way — but winter is as much a state of mind as it is a season.
Katherine May’s “Wintering: Te Power of Rest and Retreat in Difcult Times” chronicles May’s personal and familial troubles in the wake of her 40th birthday and her attempts to alleviate her own distress through an assortment of eccentric methods. Though this period of turmoil begins for the author in July, she describes it as her “winter” — a length of time where unexpected external and internal troubles force one to recenter and look inward to endure. Of course, the metaphorical and literal winters can and often do overlap. For those who struggle with bouts of seasonal depression during the greyer months of the year, the dreary rains and early nights of wintertime dampen one’s mood. Dragging oneself through a torrential downpour for an earlymorning midterm is hardly conducive to lifting spirits. You might be in a winter of your own right now, whether due to the environmental conditions of the season, the state of the world in general or a personal struggle. Whichever it may be, it is important to understand what you can do to endure these winters and to use them as an opportunity to grow.
For May, the most intuitive way of dealing with her winter was to retreat into the familiar, immersing herself in old habits and family traditions to bring a sense of comfort and predictability in a period of instability. Te certainty of
One would argue “Yours Truly” is Ariana Grande’s best album — and that person would be me. “Yours Truly” takes inspiration from doo-wop music from ‘50s and ‘90s R&B, being an eclectic mix for Grande’s debut album. Te opening song, “Honeymoon Avenue,” sounds nothing like songs released at that time, with an entire orchestra in the background setting forth the uniqueness of the album. Following this, the 12-track album covers multiple interpretations of a relationship, with “Daydreamin’” describing what it’s like to crush on someone, “Tattooed Heart” for when you’re fully enthralled and “Almost Is Never Enough” if it doesn’t work out. While Grande now leans into one specifc sound for each album, “Yours Truly” shows her versatility and is a standout in her discography. Regardless of where you stand this Valentine’s Day, there is a song on the album for any situation.
what is known can be a sort of anchor for those of us dealing with our own winters: rereading a favorite book, picking up a forgotten hobby or elsewise turning your energy toward what we understand completely.
May stresses the importance of acknowledging a winter when it comes. It is not something to be ignored or powered through with superhuman will. It can be hard, of course, to recognize that something is very wrong rather than attempt to mask it with distractions. If you can’t take a moment to be with yourself during a winter, it might stretch on longer than you’d like.
Slowing down to nurture your soul might oppose what you have heard winter ought to be for. Social media tends to venerate wintertime as a period in which one must fiercely pursue personal growth; Working in tandem with the high expectations of one’s New Year’s resolutions, the pressure is on to start regularly visiting the gym and trading out comfort foods for spinachgreen breakfast smoothies. Being told it’s okay to rest and look inward is, well, in steep contrast to that idea.
What the online valorization of productivity culture fails to understand is that self-care requires gentleness, too. Being able to take a long, deep breath and fnd what will make you feel centered and stable amid inner and outer conficts is an invaluable skill.
If your energy is already being spent dealing with your other troubles, you can’t expect to have much left over for these rigorous self-improvement projects. Furthermore, improving
yourself is not merely a matter of getting ft or accomplishing more tasks — it’s just as important to treat yourself with care and consideration.
“Wintering” will leave you with a comforting message waiting in its pages. It’s okay to need time for yourself alone in hardship. Life is not a competition measured by who has the most trophies sitting on their shelf. In simpler words, you don’t always have to be at your most productive or most sociable or even at your most happy to be deserving of care and love. It is a heartwarming idea that the love and attention you direct inward is just as important as that which you devote to your pursuits, most of all when you’ve been knocked down and need to fnd your way back onto your feet.
Whether your winter is today or in the middle of summer, try practicing the art of wintering. Hibernate a bit, make your favorite meal, watch a flm you loved as a little kid, cry when you need to cry and call a friend when you need someone to make you laugh. Life is too complicated to expect perfection from yourself every moment of every day. Learn to hold yourself with kindness when you fall, and you will spring back up stronger than ever before.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in “Twilight.”
(Summit Entertainment / fair use)
Sipping chai and crafting away: MENASA Chai Chat Winter Craft Bazaar
Getting closer to the Davis community through crafts and conversations
BY DEVANSHI AGNIHOTRI arts@theaggie.org
Golden beads and endless colors of clay greet students as they enter the Chai Chat Winter Craft Bazaar hosted by the Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian Student Resources (MENASA) on Jan. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Manetti Shrem Museum’s Art Studio.
Te programming team of MENASA was primarily behind the decision to host the crafting event in the art studio. Te event provided various craft stations that included bracelet making, working with clay, painting, coloring pages and more. Te planning for this event began during the fall quarter and eforts were refected in feedback from the event.
Troughout the event, I heard students were enjoying the crafts and de-stressing from their busy lives, as well as doing crafts they hadn’t done in a while or crafts that were new to them completely,” Program Coordinator of MENASA Mahum Manan said.
“I hope students were able to relax during this time and de-stress because I know it’s midterm season. I hope students were able to connect with the community, and just relax and engage in meaningful crafts with fellow peers.
Snacks and boba tea were provided but were lightly indulged in, as most students were deep into their craft and making new friends. Icebreakers were placed on each table along with crafting supplies, making every student feel welcome. Te crafting event has been around since 2015, and MENASA has consistently kept up its eforts in providing a space for students to mingle while relaxing.
“With this Chai Chat, I hope they are reminded they are able to really center wellness and creativity at any point in their daily life,” Director of MENASA Student Resources Afaf Waseem said. “Tere are so many stressors that come up as a student that I think we forget to center that creativity [and] that feeling of the joy of creating something fun for the sake of creating something fun.”
MENASA focuses on creating spaces that are culturally afrming, and Chai Chats provide an environment that is non-judgemental to help students build skills, while having hard and honest conversations regarding the topic of Chai Chat.
“I think every part of our time is set aside for these larger things that we are working towards, and even as a full time professional I forget the fun things now and then,” Waseem said.
“I think it is important to have that for your own mental health, your own self, and feel that spark of creativity.”
As midterms and assignments have been piling up on your to-do list, remember to make the time to decompress. If you were not able to make it to this Chai Chat, MENASA hosts a Chai Chat around three times every quarter, so there will be more opportunities to participate. Tey ensure that at least one event focuses on creativity — but if crafting is not your thing, Chai Chats revolve around a variety of diferent topics.
“We are eager to help students in any way, through providing resources, or if they just want to talk with us for support,” Manan said. “We are here to meet you where your needs are. It’s a great community and you don’t need any prior experience to join.”
Commentary: There’s more to the cannibalism metaphor than all-consuming
romance
Media and literature seem increasingly obsessed with the idea of people eating other people…but what is it really all about?
BY SAVANNAH ANNO arts@theaggie.org
With the week of Valentine’s Day upon us, it is only natural to gravitate toward the usual roses and romantic comedies. And, if you’re anything like the average all-media-consuming 20-year-old girl, chances are your tastes also tend to lean toward the creepier side of love. Recent flms like “Nosferatu” (2024), “Bones and All” (2022) and “Saltburn” (2023) tie desire, complex relationships and horror elements neatly together with a bloody red bow.
What is it about that sort of package that makes it so much more appealing than a regular box of chocolates?
More and more, cannibalism in pop culture is gaining a cult-like following as fans move back and forth between hit shows like “Hannibal” (2013) and “Yellowjackets” (2022). Most often, these extreme acts are interpreted by fans as the ultimate metaphor for love.
But is that all there is to it? As Chelsea G. Summers — author of “A Certain Hunger” (2019), which follows a female food writer and cannibal — writes for British Vogue, “cannibalism speaks our language.” While the thought of it may revolt or shock you, there’s something about a never-ending hunger that’s universal no matter your romantic status. Temes of class confict, bodily autonomy, revenge and even queerness can all be represented through the singular, seemingly damning act.
Insatiable grief: Beyond pop culture, cannibalism’s inclusion within literature can be traced all the way back to works like Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” (1588), which follows the title character, a Roman general, as he comes to blows with Tamora, Queen of the Goths. At the end of the play — spoiler alert — Andronicus kills Tamora’s sons, bakes them into a pie, feeds it to her, reveals what’s in the pie and then kills Tamora as well just moments later.
In an insightful deep dive into “Titus Andronicus,” and various other dramatic works that utilize cannibalism,
Embracing the broken in kintsugi
Ph.D. scholar and YouTuber, who uses the name GlutenbergBible, explains an interesting interpretation of the horrifying plot line. In many performances of the play, directors push the act of cannibalism further by having Tamora actually continue to eat the pie after learning it is her children.
“In order to try to protect them, she eats them to return them to the safety of her body,” GlutenbergBible said via a video essay.
It’s not only “Titus Andronicus.” For centuries, cannibalism has been used in stories, and in real life, as a funerary ritual to honor life and represent its never-ending cycle. Of course, it’s not an act to be defended, but it makes sense that one of the most inexplicable crimes is often paired with grief, one of the most inefable emotions.
Girls have to eat, too: Moving away from Early Modern literature and into the exciting works of today, it is easy to see that mentions and acts of cannibalism in media are becoming increasingly female. In her own novel and in cult classics like “Jennifer’s Body” (2009) or “Yellowjackets,” Summers explained that the act of consumption isn’t simply about sexual desire or desperation.
“So much about femininity centers on consumption,” Summers’ British Vogue piece reads. “What we can eat, how much we can eat, how to present yourself as appealing, and how those questions are inextricably intertwined.”
In these newer iterations, cannibalism is used to show women reclaiming the body and leaning into the monstrous as a way to challenge what we see in our everyday world — bodily autonomy constantly at stake and women’s appearances being picked apart daily. Moving even further away from the male gaze and straight into the grotesque, female writers and flmmakers are proudly subverting any and all expectations.
“Horror belongs to women because we understand, on a gut-punch level, how it feels to be viewed as a monster,” Summers said. “As well as how it feels to be reduced to body parts.”
Control, violation and the other:
While it is maybe more interesting and entertaining to think of cannibalism in these metaphors of reclaiming power or coping with grief, it is also important to remember that cannibalism can also be just that — cannibalism, a method of murder. As much as media can attempt (and oftentimes succeed) at poeticizing the act or romanticizing its intensity, works like Ethel Cain’s “Preacher’s Daughter” (2016) remind us of cannibalism as a complete violation of boundaries. A universally understood subversive act, it can also be used to signify “the other” in today’s stories. In her two-hour video essay, “Hunger Hurts: Cannibals and Why We’re Obsessed with Tem,” YouTuber Lola Sebastian examined the many layers of interpretation of the act, one of them focusing on how new media can be used to highlight the political and colonial roots of cannibalism in the real world.
Beginning with Christopher Columbus’ false accusations of the Indigenous people of Latin America eating one another, cannibalism has been used for centuries as a justifcation for colonialism and a way to dehumanize Indigenous people of color. In reality, it was Europeans and white Americans who were doing the eating, as explained in Vincent Woodward’s “Te Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism within U.S. Slave Culture” (2014).
“‘Bones and All’ is specifically the story of a Black girl navigating a landscape intrinsically hostile to her,” Sebastian said. “It was extremely deliberate who the author [Camille DeAngelis] chose to otherize. All of the monsters in the novel are white.”
As the cannibalism plot device climbs the ranks to join vampires and zombies, it’s important to not just brush each iteration of it of as a symbol for love. Exploring the metaphor through various lenses honors the intricate thinking of each writer and artist trying to push the boundaries of their audience’s comfortability.
Broken, mended and more beautiful: Kintsugi turns flaws into gold and imperfection into art
BY
Have you ever broken something precious — perhaps even beyond repair? In most cases, we discard broken things, deeming them useless. But in Japan, there is an ancient art form that transforms damage into beauty, teaching a profound lesson about acceptance and imperfection. Tis art is called kintsugi, which translates to “joining with gold.” Instead of concealing cracks or throwing away shattered pieces, kintsugi highlights them, using lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum to mend broken ceramics. Te result is an object that tells a story of its past, with veins of shimmering gold running through its once-broken form. While the precise origins of kintsugi remain a mystery, one legend traces its beginnings to the 15th century and the powerful shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Te story goes that Yoshimasa accidentally broke one of his most cherished tea bowls and, feeling distraught, sent it to China for repairs. When it was returned, he was disappointed to fnd it crudely mended with unsightly metal staples, a common practice at the time. Unwilling to accept this harsh repair, he sought a more refned solution.
Japanese craftsmen rose to the challenge, developing a technique that not only restored the bowl but enhanced its beauty. Tey used lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold to seamlessly piece
the fragments back together. Te result was breathtaking: a bowl that did not attempt to hide its past damage but instead celebrated it, with golden strokes turning chips into a work of art.
Kintsugi embraces the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which fnds beauty in impermanence and the natural cycle of growth and decay. Te term wabisabi is a fusion of two distinct yet
complementary concepts. “Wabi” originally referred to a sense of rustic simplicity and solitude, fnding peace and fulfllment in nature and modest living. Over time, it evolved to embrace
diferences and the understated beauty of the asymmetrical and unpretentious. Similarly, “sabi” speaks to the passage of time, the beauty of aging and the natural wear that comes with experience. It refects the charm of weathered objects, the patina on a well-loved piece of wood or the cracks in a ceramic bowl that tell the story of its past. For those who want to experience the art of kintsugi frsthand, it is possible to practice at home. While traditional kintsugi involves natural urushi lacquer derived from tree sap, which can be difcult to work with, modern Do-ItYourself kintsugi techniques use simpler materials. With kintsugi kits available online, you can restore your broken items while embracing their unique faults and the stories they carry. Kintsugi is more than just a method of repair — it is a refection of life itself. Just like the mended ceramics, we all carry cracks and fssures and are shaped by our experiences and challenges. Yet, rather than hiding these faws, kintsugi teaches us to embrace them, to see beauty in resilience and growth. Whether through art or mindset, this philosophy reminds us that brokenness is not the end of a story but the beginning of something even more extraordinary. So the next time something breaks — whether it be an object or a part of yourself — consider not discarding it but instead fnding the gold within.
Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet in “Bones and All.” (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. / fair use)
Korean tea bowl fixed with kintsugi. (Creative Commons)
JOANNE SUN / AGGIE
‘Keep
looking up!’: How to get involved in astronomy at UC Davis
Students and staff discuss view of the universe, hope to involve students of all backgrounds in the field
BY AMBER WARNKE features@theaggie.org
The stars have been objects of fascination for as long as humans have been around to see them — and the students and faculty at UC Davis are no exception. UC Davis ofers a variety of ways students can learn about astronomy, including lower-division courses open to all majors, physics and astronomy clubs on campus and occasional speaker events.
Kathryn Galdamez, a fourth-year physics major and vice president of the Physics and Astronomy Club at UC Davis, assists in coordinating public and private viewing events. Te club provides telescopes at these events and guides viewers on what they are seeing in the night sky.
“Being able to learn and then making that kind of information digestible to the public — I think that’s what really keeps me in physics,” Galdamez said.
Public viewings are accessible to all students regardless of major and occur two to three times in fall and spring quarter, but they are not held during winter quarter due to less ideal weather.
Galdamez also said that joining the Physics and Astronomy Club is an accessible way for students to learn more about astronomy. Te club is currently planning a visit to Lick Observatory near San Jose, which is owned by the University of California, as well as a Women in Physics Q&A Panel on Feb. 14 and a Physics Picnic day show, information on which can be found on the club’s Instagram: @ astronomyatucdavis.
Lynn Hironymous, a fifth-year
physics major and project team lead of the Physics and Astronomy Club, expressed appreciation for the experience that the club has provided to him.
“Last time we had a viewing, we pointed [the telescope] at Orion’s nebula, which is just under the belt of the Orion constellation, and got a really nice picture of the nebula,” Hironymous said. “We also could see with our own eyes the milky spurt where new stars are being born.”
Hironymous pointed out that the club is open to all majors and explained how studying the night sky has changed his view of the universe.
“Tis is just this small section of our universe and there’s millions of galaxies surrounding that,” Hironymous said. “I take up such a small portion of it, but it doesn’t make me feel small; It makes me feel like my problems are less and that I can handle what I’m doing.”
Galdamez holds a similar view, sharing that studying astronomy has forced her to take a step back and understand the bigger picture of her life.
“Earth is exactly what it needs to be away from the sun in order to have life here, and I think that makes us pretty special,” Galdamez said. “I think that should motivate us to really make the most of [life].”
Patricia Boeshaar, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UC Davis with a Ph.D. in astrophysics, believes that astronomy has the potential to beneft students across UC Davis.
“I think we tend sometimes to get overwhelmed with the immediate, instead of putting everything into perspective,” Boeshaar said.
Paywalled articles can make research difficult for college students
While subscription fees provide income for news outlets, they also create barriers to reliable journalism
BY LAILA AZHAR features@theaggie.org
For college students, research sessions are often interrupted by a barrage of pop-ups. The Atlantic, for example, does not permit nonsubscribers to read its articles. Te website fashes a screen that reads: “To read this story, sign in or start a free trial.”
The New Yorker, on the other hand, allows access to a few articles before obstructing access. When the user is reaching their limit, the pop-up instructs them: “Your window is closing. Get full access for $2.50, $1 a week for one year, plus a free tote.”
A 2019 study by Reuters Institute found that while hard paywalls, which completely prohibit access to nonsubscribers, are rare, more than twothirds of leading newspapers across the United States and European Union operate behind some form of paywall. Te study also found that in the United States alone, this has seen an increase from 60% to 76% since 2017.
Jeanine Mora, a second-year international relations major, explained the frustration from attempting to complete class assignments when there is a paywall.
“Trying to fnd good, reputable
Students discuss their difficulties in the queer dating scene
UC Davis students delve into the different facets of navigating the LGBTQ+ dating scene
BY EVELYN SANCHEZ features@theaggie.org
Navigating the labyrinth of love can be especially difcult when Feb. 1 hits. During the month of romance, Valentine’s-related items and rhetoric can be ubiquitous and discouraging for people who aren’t lucky in love. For the LGBTQ+ community in particular, dating can often come with its unique ups and downs.
When describing the queer dating scene, UC Davis students shared many grievances.
“It is monotonous,” a fourth-year student, who requested to remain anonymous, said. “It is the same type of person, same shit. Tere’s not a lot of variation inside the dating pool. People ft inside this kind of bubble.”
Ana Julia Breves, a third-year political science and history major, expressed her opinion on the queer dating community at Davis specifcally.
“It’s a little weird, since everybody seems to be connected,” Breves said via text message. “Like, you can’t talk to anyone without them either having a thing with someone you’re friends with or having beef with someone close to you.”
With the LGBTQ+ community already being relatively small, the number of single individuals is also drastically cut down. As these students shared, it is seemingly rare to fnd a person disconnected from the web of singles in a small college town like Davis.
“I think it defnitely has a smaller pool,” Amaya Hamilton, a fourth-year psychology major, said via text message. “A lot of sapphics know each other and have shared partners.”
Hamilton explained her thoughts on the queer dating scene as a queer Black woman.
“Grievances? I guess being Black in a majority white and Asian space,” Hamilton said. Te dating scene is pretty difcult for me as a queer Black woman. I fnd that I am not that many people’s type. I have faced discrimination from previous partners.” Even amongst a population of
65,832 people, according to the United States census, Davis can seem homogenous and small to some students. Te transactional nature of dating culture tends to perpetuate a specifc type of relationship, especially among sapphics.
“Personally, I’m tired of people only wanting to hook up but that might just be because I only really use dating apps,” Breves said. “I’m kind of a clingy lover girl, unfortunately.”
Hamilton continued by sharing the prominent issue she has noticed in the dating pool.
“[Some] issues would be immaturity,” Hamilton said. “ T at would be number one.”
Breves continued saying that the limited options present a signifcant struggle in fnding connection.
“I think it’s defnitely harder to get through,” Breves said. “Tere’s obviously so many more straight people, so it’s easier to fnd someone you might click easily with. But the queer dating scene is much smaller so it feels like you have to talk to [an] endless amount of people before you fnd someone that might maybe have the same intentions as you do.”
Embracing non-heteronormative approaches to relationships is inherent to queerness. While heterosexual couples are able to engage in these types of relationships, the notable
prevalence of polyamory seems to be most commonly found in queer spaces.
“I do see a lot more people who are poly, and not that that’s not a bad thing either,” the anonymous student said. “But, they’re not looking for the same type of relationships. I see more poly desire [in general]. It makes me question whether I want to be in a poly relationship, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
This student continued by discussing the lack of connection and complexity in the online dating scene.
“There’s no depth in the conversations you’re having, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s happening to everyone,” the anonymous student said. “But as a queer person on dating apps, there’s not a lot of organic [relationships] happening. I want [them] to be a complex character, and I feel like a lot of people aren’t — that might not be an issue in the queer dating scene [specifcally], but it’s probably relatively true for a lot of people in the dating scene overall. Te culture we are in doesn’t encourage authenticity.” Despite sharing similarities, queer dating culture continues to be very different from heterosexual dating culture, according to students.
sources when you’re writing a paper can be hard when a lot of the newspapers and sources that are known for being reliable and recognizable by their name make you pay to read them,” Mora said.
“Sometimes you see a title that seems like it would perfectly talk about what you need, but you can’t read anything past that.”
Additionally, Layla Abedini, a second-year biological sciences major, pointed out that placing journalism behind paywalls may encourage people to rely on social media for news.
Tese days, most people get their news from social media,” Abedini said.
“Social media is free and it’s easy to access, but that means that people usually don’t read beyond a headline or a post by someone who might not be really informed. Tings you post online aren’t fact-checked the way things printed in a newspaper are.”
On the other hand, subscription fees provide publications with the steady funding they need to produce the stories they want to tell. A reliable stream of income is essential for a newspaper to operate and compensate their writers and workers.
Te alternative to a subscription system often results in a webpage covered with advertisements. This model can lead to an overuse of clickbait headlines, as outlets prioritize increasing web trafc to generate ad revenue over
producing meaningful journalism.
However, Ivan Lai, a fourth-year human biology major, said subscription models create a disparity between the types of information people are able to access.
“Putting information behind a paywall means that people with more money are able to access more information and potentially higherquality sources or reporting,” Lai said.
While paywalls are an important source of funding for many publications, they create barriers for students who rely on accessible, credible information. Subscription models, while they may help keep publications a f oat, may exacerbate inequalities in access to reliable journalism.
Balancing financial interests and accessibility remains a critical challenge for outlets. In the meantime, UC Davis students have resources available through UC Davis’ Ofce of Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Services to help them access more outlets.
For example, students have free online access to Te New York Times and Te Economist websites. Te UC Davis Library also hosts newspaper collections, both historic and contemporary, and provides access to a collection of academic journals, books and documentaries.
How technology can help students stay on schedule
UC Davis students utilize calendar apps and digital notes to stay organized
BY GRACIELA TIU features@theaggie.org
Whether it be classes, homework, club meetings or jobs, college students are constantly carrying heavy schedules on their backs. Staying organized can feel difficult, but a common way students keep track of their schedules is through the use of calendars, both on paper and online.
UC Davis students have shared that utilizing technology through calendar and reminder apps can help keep them on schedule and productive.
Alex Monroy, a fourth-year aerospace science and engineering major, prefers a calendar app like Google Calendar when keeping track of academic and extracurricular schedules.
“I use it all the time from scheduling my classes, clubs, setting time to study, going to the gym and organizing my work schedule for the upcoming week,” Monroy said. Monroy then discussed why he prefers Google Calendar over other options for schedule building.
“I like the simplicity of it compared to other apps like Notion and Outlook,” Monroy said. “It’s reliable and doesn’t require you to spend much time organizing things throughout your day.”
Although Google Calendar may be a common app among college students, others on the market ofer similar features.
“I use Timepage by Moleskine, because it seemed like it had the highest quality and the brand is good,” Mark Copple, a third-year managerial economics major, said. An integral part of many students’ daily routines, calendar apps often feel like a big contributor to staying on top of responsibilities.
“I use it every day to schedule my meetings for work and all school assignments,” Copple said.
Recent years and a focus on technology have brought about many diferent scheduling apps, but some
students prefer to write out a physical schedule every day. Trinity Salus, a thirdyear animal science major, discussed her notetaking routine.
“I usually have like a little note page on my iPad and I’ll write down Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Tursday,” Salus said. “And I’ll write down diferent days of the week that I need to do diferent assignments and check them of as I go.”
A lot of calendar users utilize diferent features such as recurring events, syncing and even different design options.
“I enjoy color coding my diferent tasks throughout the day and Google Calendar provides a simple but timeless color palette,” Monroy said. “I enjoy how I can set reminders for classes and assignments and how early I like to be reminded, [all of which] can be set by the user.” Salus described how utilizing specifc pen colors and design features on an iPad can play an important role in keeping her schedule organized.
“Highlighting with diferent colors, so, [for example], if I write something in red that means that is a priority and that’s something that I have to pay attention to more,” Salus said. “If I write something in black, then that’s just something that I need to check of later on.”
Some people who transitioned into using digital calendars recently noticed a change in their overall work experience.
DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO/ AGGIE
KAYLA TRAN / AGGIE
ASTRONOMY on 10
DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO/ AGGIE
A person reads a print issue of The New York Times with their laptop on in the background.
(Courtesy / Creative Commons)
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 02/6/25
Crossword
HUMANRIGHTS
FROM FRONT COVER
During the second panel, Eliana Fonsah, a UC Merced Ph.D. student in sociology, spoke about the role of historical consciousness and memory in the Cameroon Anglophone Movement.
Sekou Jabateh, a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student in comparative politics, shared his research about the memory of the civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The conversation among the graduate students was guided by UC Davis Spanish and Portuguese graduate students Emily Nelsen and Chandler Thompson, along with UC Davis History Professor Adam Zientek.
Te Human Rights Film Festival was hosted in Cruess Hall on the evening of Jan. 30 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Te 2024 flm “So Surreal: Behind the Masks” was presented to the many students and faculty in attendance. Te documentary highlighted the history of Indigenous ceremonial masks belonging to the Yup’ik and Kwakwakawakw nations of North America. The documentary follows the quest to locate the Raven Transformation Mask, bringing together diferent people to join the search in many locations across the world. After the flm screening, special guest Chuna McIntyre, a prominent fgure in the highlighted flm, as well as a Yup’ik artist and master storyteller, presented to the audience. McIntyre performed a traditional Yup’ik song to the audience, shared pieces of his culture and answered questions from the audience.
“Our masks were created to appease the spirits of the sky, the land and everything in between,” McIntyre said.
“We still have our language. Within our language is locked in the secrets of our masks.”
Te last event, the University of California Faculty in Conversation, took place on Jan. 31 from 12 to 5 p.m. in the International Center. Te frst panel of the day featured four professors from across the UC System. Te faculty in this panel included UC Davis Professor of Human Rights Studies Lucia Luna Victoria, UC Santa Cruz Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Alice Yang, UC Merced Professor of Anthropology and Heritage Studies Robin DeLugan and UC Irvine Assistant Professor of History Kevin Antonio Aguilar. The conversation and audience questionnaire was guided by UC Davis Professor Marian Schlotterbeck of the History Department.
Tree UC professors participated in the second panel, engaging in conversation about the preservation of culture, the role of memory and the act of resistance.
Mark Levine, UC Irvine professor of modern Middle Eastern history, talked about the importance of protecting culture, specifcally in the examples of Palestine and Chiapas.
“The production of culture is crucial to keeping communities whole and allowing them to survive,” Levine said. “Culture is like a weed. It always survives. It always fnds a new way. So how is culture going to be expressed within the devastation that Palestinians, at least for now, are returning to?” Watenpaugh exemplifed the role of memory with a story from his time spent as a graduate student at the University of Damascus in Syria. When visiting a mosque in the city of Hama, he explained the horror of seeing bullet holes covering the walls.
“When the people in the city of Hama, the survivors of this terrible massacre, went to pray in that mosque, they knelt in prayer not just in the direction of Mecca,” Watenpaugh said. “But they knelt in the direction of the public memory [...] that they had
resisted, and that the price of resistance was being executed. As you prayed you were forced to remember that act of violence.”
Jennifer Mogannam, UC Santa Cruz professor of critical race and ethnic studies, spoke about her piece on the act of resistance and the reframing of violence through people-centered research.
“For colonized peoples, the act of resistance is the act of resisting disappearance,” Mogannam said. “It’s the act of becoming human in the face of dehumanizing machines.”
The conversation and audience questionnaire in this panel were guided by UC Davis Professor Michael Lazzara of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
This conference is the first of four in the human rights conference series on the UC Davis campus. Te second conference is set for Feb. 27 to 28 focusing on “Artistic and Literary Freedom and the Destruction of Culture, Education and Heritage in Times of Mass Atrocity.” Te third conference will take place from March 6 to 7 focusing on “Reparative Responsibility in the Face of Discrimination and Hate.” Te fourth conference will be from April 24 to 25 and will highlight “Te Human Rights Framework and Global Solidarities.”
CHOCOLATEFEST
FROM FRONT COVER
Tough the festival used to be free for students, Roggli emphasized how the chocolate fountain Levy referenced is what drove the Davis Odd Fellows to institute ticket sales.
“Pre-Covid, we had somebody in the lodge who was tech-savvy about social media,” Roggli said. “Te line [for the chocolate fountain] went down
the stairs, out the front, all the way to the end of the street. […] UC Davis students seeing free chocolate said, ‘Man, I’m gonna go for it.’”
With passersby peeking into the lodge, Marino made sure the focus of the Davis Odd Fellows Chocolate Festival was clear.
“Our hope, primarily, is to raise money to send kids to summer camp,” Marino said. “Secondly, it’s always fun to have community members come to our building, get to know us and possibly become new members.”
PENCENGALLERY FROM PAGE 2
Additionally, by supporting the Seconds Sale, patrons are also supporting numerous local artists that Pence Gallery commonly features. Davis-based artist Jennifer Nachmonof will present many pieces at the sale ranging from her one-of-a-kind pottery to functional ceramics.
Nachmonof explained the type of products she will present at the sale and how it difers from her usual selection.
“I’m ofering a variety of functional ceramics at the Seconds Sale — cups, bowls, plates and a variety of servingware,” Nachmonof said. “Tese are pieces that may be the extra leftover piece from a set or something that didn’t come out exactly how I hoped or have a small defect of some sort. Te Seconds Sale is a terrifc opportunity for artists like myself to clean out our storage a little to make way for new work — and for shoppers to get a really good deal on some very nice work!” Te Seconds Sale aids artists in cleaning out works that may have been sitting around for a while or funding more exploratory projects, making it unique from other sales Pence Gallery has done in the past. Oil painter Marlene Lee, whose work will be featured at the sale, explained the importance of unique sales like this from an artist’s perspective.
“I love the idea of the Seconds Sales,” Lee said. “Te Seconds Sales allows my older paintings to fnd a home. Also, it provides more exposure.”
Te Seconds Sale will be open until Feb. 28, Tuesday through Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 pm. Due to the experimental nature of the sale, items come in limited or single quantities, making each piece unique. Check out the Pence Gallery’s website for upcoming events and more information.
HOPELESSROMANTIC
the “Why not me?”) can be devastating, but the depth of it will be rivaled by the starburst of elation when your time fnally comes. To love deeply is to wallow
profoundly, but it takes a certain type of person to fnd so much joy in
much space to be flled with rhapsody. I think there’s hope in the “not yet” of it all. No, I haven’t had a whole lot of romance in my life yet, but how exciting is it to think that it’s all still to come? Tere’s so much to look forward to, like a luminescent glow of the rising sun peeking over the horizon. A glass half empty is just as legitimate as a glass half full; A perceived lack of romantic attention can just as easily be the perfect canvas to be painted with the radiant purple pinks of future stories — a veritable cradle of endless possibility.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie .
4
After many weeks of enduring this pain, the Z was a wreck. He would only go to work and class, and then go sit in the bus garage and be sad. Ten, one day, his phone started buzzing — it was the A. He waited a moment so as to not seem too eager, and then he picked up the phone. She started the conversation by apologizing for their last phone call and flled in the Z on her exciting internship. Tey ended up chatting for hours and by the time they hung up, the Z was an even brighter shade of red than anyone thought possible.
After that, the A and the Z began fnding reasons to call and update each other about their daily lives. After a while, it became clear to both of them that they missed each other greatly (although neither of them would admit it to themselves). It wasn’t until the A was set to return to Davis that the Z was flled with anxiety about how to greet the A. Tings felt diferent for him, so he was afraid to speak with the bus that he grew up with. However, he didn’t need to worry, because everything fell into place when she returned. Te Z picked up the A from the airport and gave her a great, big hug with his windshield wipers. Tey both turned a brighter shade of Unitrans red, returning to Davis together. Tey spent the majority of their time together upon their return, and it wasn’t long before they admitted their feelings for each other. It was a match destined to happen, so it wasn’t a surprise that they lived happily ever after.
Disclaimer: (Tis article is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fctional. Te story and the names of “sources” are fctionalized.)
Sun, surf and spring break: how UC Davis students are spending their week off
UC Davis students share their spring break plans, from classic Florida parties to local getaways
CRYSTAL CHEN / AGGIE
BY JALAN TEHRANIFAR features@theaggie.org
Spring break as we know it today traces its roots back to the 1960s, when movies like “Where the Boys Are” romanticized the idea of students focking south for sun, surf and socializing. Over the decades, the tradition has evolved, shifting locations and growing in scale. By the 1980s and ‘90s, MTV’s “Spring Break” turned it into a national spectacle, with live concerts, celebrity appearances and, of course, non-stop partying.
For some students, spring break is all about embracing that classic college experience. Nicole Whitacker, a thirdyear linguistics and anthropology double-major, is planning for the typical “college spring break” in Florida.
“My friends and I have always wanted to go to Florida for spring break because that’s what was always in the movies growing up,” Whitacker said. “We haven’t picked exactly where yet, probably Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but you best believe we are going to party on the beach one way or another.”
While many students jet of to beach destinations, not everyone is packing their bags for spring break. For those staying in Davis or heading home, the week of can still be a chance to unwind and make the most of local adventures.
Neeka Raie, a third-year political science major, is skipping the Florida party scene and heading home to the Bay Area instead.
“All these crazy spring break trips are expensive,” Raie said. “I could plan something in my budget, but I just know once I get there I would just spend all my money. I have no selfcontrol when it comes to money.”
Instead of a tropical getaway, Raie plans to take day trips around Northern California with her hometown friends. Tis may include destinations like San Francisco for nightlife, Lake Tahoe for jet skiing or Santa Cruz for beach-side fun.
“A lot of my friends aren’t going
FROM PAGE 2
“I came to the museum on Sunday because of the Ruby Neri show, ‘Taking the Deep Dive,’” Perelman said. “I like her sculptures a lot. And as an artist who works in clay, I never skip the chance to see ceramic art in person. I really appreciate Ginny Duncan’s curatorial work as well. Ruby Neri’s artistic talk was both enjoyable and inspiring. Te whole of the day was fantastic.”
Perelman continued by discussing the importance of attending museums and viewing artwork in person.
“I think that, especially now, it’s very important to see artwork from a wide range of women’s viewpoints,” Perelman said. “I would highly recommend visiting the museum for everyone. All of the current exhibitions were worthwhile in their own way. But altogether it gave me a lot to think about the way we create narratives in art and new ways to own that as artists.”
Attendees also engaged with “POUR ME,” a newly commissioned interactive piece by Danish artist and UC Davis Ph.D. student Dorte Bjerre Jensen, which explores art through relational presence and sensory engagement. Te celebration highlighted the museum’s commitment to presenting diverse artistic perspectives and fostering community engagement through accessible programming. Attendees left with a deeper appreciation for contemporary art and the unique contributions of artists like Neri.
For those who missed the event, the exhibitions will remain on view at the Manetti Shrem Museum through the spring. “Ruby Neri: Taking the Deep Dive” is open until May 5, 2025 and “Trough Teir Eyes: Selections from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection” runs until June 22, 2025. Te museum encourages visitors to explore these compelling showcases of artistic expression.
Prytanean Women’s Honor Society brings together highachieving UC Davis women
The society aims to promote core values of scholarship, leadership and service
BY EMME DUNNING features@theaggie.org
Tere is a certain stereotype associated with honors societies. Historically, they have followed in the footsteps of many societal biases, overrepresenting men and often perpetuating elitist and exclusionary views. Despite this history, the reality of modern honors societies is quite diferent. UC Davis Prytanean Women’s Honors Society has been at the forefront of this change on the UC Davis campus.
Prytanean Women’s Honor Society was founded at UC Davis in 1952 and is recognized as the only women’s honors society at UC Davis. Te name Prytanean is said to originate from the Greek word “Prytanes,” which loosely translates to “a representative.”
anywhere for spring break either, so we’ll probably just plan something fun during the week and drive,” Raie said. “Honestly, what makes spring break fun isn’t where you go — it’s more so who you’re with.”
While Florida remains a top choice for many spring breakers, some students are looking beyond U.S. borders for their getaway. Destinations like Cancun and Cabo San Lucas have become increasingly popular, especially for students under the age of 21 who want to take advantage of more relaxed drinking laws and allinclusive resort packages.
Janna Fasheh, a second-year data science major, is among those opting for an international spring break experience.
“A big group of my friends and I are going to a resort in Cabo for fve days,” Fasheh said. “I think we’re like 15 or 16 people. Most of us aren’t 21 yet, so we chose Cabo because we can legally drink there, and I know a lot of college students go there for spring break, so we’ll probably meet new people our age from diferent schools.”
Spring break is full of unforgettable moments — but not all of them are Instagram-worthy. While most students enjoy a fun and carefree trip, the chaos can sometimes lead to trouble, from excessive drinking to reckless behavior. 44% of female college students and 75% of male college students drink heavily daily during spring break, according to Psychology Today.
Although spring break is all about having fun and making memories, it is just as important to stay safe, whether that means looking out for friends, drinking responsibly or being aware of your surroundings.
For some, spring break is a oncein-a-lifetime experience, a chance to let loose and a time to make memories with friends before adulthood takes over. For others, it’s an overhyped tradition flled with overpriced hotels and sunburns. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that college spring break is a uniquely American tradition — one that keeps drawing students at UC Davis and beyond back year after year.
QUEERDATINGINDAVIS FROM PAGE 8
“Queer people, especially queer people of color, are forced into personality moratoriums much earlier than others because you have to hide a part of your personality, and that means when you’ve left hiding yourself behind, you come out as a new person,” the anonymous student said. “Tat does help with being able to communicate your boundaries.
Hamilton discussed the sentiment of community and understanding found in queer spaces.
“I think a positive would be the community that sapphics have,” Hamilton said. “It’s nice to have a partner who cares a lot. I feel like that’s rarer in straight relationships.”
Te anonymous student, on the other hand, commented upon the diferent fears and insecurities faced uniquely by queer people.
Tere’s a massive diference in what we are afraid of,” the anonymous student said in reference to targeted violence, familial and cultural pressure.
“Oftentimes, a queer identity is at odds with the cultural hegemony. A lot of it has to do with queer people already breaking away from patriarchy or [trying to], but they’re not perfect. I think we are all trying to break away from harmful cultural norms, but I still think that queer people are doing it a lot better.”
LGBTQ+ students experience a vast amount of struggles, and openly seeking partners in a tense cultural climate is a challenge itself. Tough Valentine’s Day can serve as a yearly reminder to those still looking for their other half, students agree that the general culture of dating is hard to navigate efciently.
“Despite how agonized I feel about the queer dating scene, I would still rather go through it than the straight one,” Breves said. “As a lesbian, I think queer women would easily understand what I want much more than a straight man. Tere’s already a level of understanding and I think that’s comforting.”
and how helpful it can be.”
In addition to gaining a sense of the importance of service, Strohmeyer has enjoyed connecting with likeminded women in Prytanean.
“What I’ve gained the most is a community,” Strohmeyer said. “I think the type of community Prytanean ofers is something that is pretty rare.”
Chloe Even, a fourth-year sociology major, has also found some of her closest friends through Prytanean.
“I felt like I had community at Davis, but I wanted a broader group of people who really understood what I was going through,” Even said. “Prytanean was really able to do that. It’s really just a close-knit community where we can all come together and share our experiences and foster really great friendships.”
Te society consists of nearly 100 women at UC Davis, who meet regularly for general meetings, networking, socials and service events. Together, these meetings hope to fulfll Prytanean’s three core values — scholarship, leadership and service.
Sophia Strohmeyer, a third-year animal science and management major, serves as the current president of Prytanean. She joined the society during her frst year and asserts that it has been transformative in her undergraduate experience.
“Prior to coming to college, I didn’t have any service experience,” Strohmeyer said. “Being a part of this community has allowed me to realize how big service is in the community
As the current historian of Prytanean, Even’s main role is to document the events of the society, as well as to ensure that current activities are in line with the historical roots of Prytanean. Even has also played a major role in coordinating their main winter quarter event — Dinner for Ten.
Te event encourages current members of Prytanean to invite professors, faculty and other mentors for a night of food and networking.
Te dinner is part of a larger goal of Prytanean to aid their members in creating strong relationships with faculty and more broadly preparing them for professional success after graduation. Te professional development I learned in Prytanean I will be using
every day in my future,” Even said. “It’s really just a great opportunity to develop skills in a low-stress and lowstakes environment.”
Joshlyn Aguirre, a fourth-year communications major, joined Prytanean this past fall. Although she is fairly new to the organization, she expressed that she has already reaped the benefts through her involvement.
“I think that what I’ve gained for sure is a better understanding of how to have relationships with staf and faculty,” Aguirre said. “Tey do a really good job of connecting us with mentors, as well as shaping us into being mentors.”
Aguirre also noted that Prytanean being a women-specifc honor society brings members together in ways that might not otherwise be possible.
“Tere’s a certain sense of responsibility, especially in afnity groups,” Aguirre said. “You have the responsibility to be there for each other in ways that a non-afnity group wouldn’t. We’ve been through certain things in life that make us see things diferently than others, and I think that it’s really important to have these spaces as ambitious women who want to succeed and do very well in life.”
For Aguirre, this unique nature of Prytanean has been encouraging in a society where the voices of women are not always heard.
Tere aren’t a lot of women in the room sometimes,” Aguirre said. “To have a room full of a hundred women, as someone who went to an all-girls school, is pretty comforting.”
CALENDARAPPS
FROM PAGE 8
“Since using Google Calendar, I’ve felt more relaxed and productive with my time as a student,” Monroy said. “It helps me stay on top of everything and remember important tasks.”
Regardless of your calendar preferences — whether you schedule your life by writing all of your tasks on paper or by utilizing a calendar app, keeping track of your schedule and upcoming tasks can be a very helpful way to stay organized and alleviate stress.
Tese Davis students have ofered many specific suggestions if you’re looking for a new app to get your upcoming events in order, as well as shared that utilizing apps to track your tasks, meetings and classes can be a game changer in day-to-day life.
ASTRONOMY
FROM PAGE 8
“And that’s what [astronomy] helps you do.”
Boeshaar’s career has allowed her to see incredible astronomical events, including one instance on Feb. 23, 1987. She was working on the four-meter telescope in Chile at the time, when she experienced the frst supernova seen on the Earth since the 17th century.
“I have to tell you, being there at the time was really, really exciting,” Boeshaar said. “It’s just serendipity.”
Boeshaar has been fascinated by the stars since 1952, when she received a book about them for Christmas at fve years old.
“Women were not expected to do science in the ‘50s, but I really wanted to do it,” Boeshaar said. “I was frst generation.”
Despite societal views, Boeshaar was determined to study astronomy.
“Back then, they thought of me more or less as, ‘You go get the donuts, you go get the cofee,’” Boeshaar said. “But I knew what I wanted to do.”
Galdamez has similarly experienced a lack of representation in her feld.
“As a woman, as hispanic, as someone of the queer community, it’s really hard to fnd role models in these kinds of spaces,” Galdamez said. “If I’m able to do it, then I hope someone else sees it and is like, ‘Oh maybe I could do it, too.’”
For students hoping to learn more about astronomy, a free public lecture will be held at the UC Davis Conference Center on March 4 by Nobel laureate Adam Riess, who is known for
discovering evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Tere will be a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the lecture at 7 p.m.
Students looking to experience astronomical events frsthand should also prepare for a total lunar eclipse on March 13, 2025, starting at 8:57 p.m.
Totality will occur at 11:58 p.m., and the eclipse will last until March 14 at 3 a.m.
Boeshaar shared what a lunar eclipse is and what to expect.
“When you have a lunar eclipse, the moon goes through the Earth’s shadow,” Boeshaar said. “Te moon typically turns blood red because the Earth scatters out the blue light and what the atmosphere bends around tends to be the leftover red light.”
On other nights this quarter, students can look for Orion, Gemini, Taurus, Ursa Major, Andromeda and the Pleiades, which can be spotted in the sky until late March. In conclusion, to quote the motto of the Physics and Astronomy Club: “Keep looking up!”
UCDBIKECLUB
FROM PAGE 12
Being on the cycling team has generated positive outcomes in both Hughes’ and the team’s lives, and they want to share the experience with more students in Davis.
“I think that it’s fun to have people start out just milling around town on their bike and then get really, really fast,” Hughes said. “We have so many resources: we have bicycles, free clothing, we can pay for the races, get new uniforms. [...] I’d just like to see as many people out racing in Davis.” Davis’ expansive bike culture has made it easier than ever to dabble in the sport — whether it’s a trip to Trader Joe’s or rushing to Wellman Hall. Te bike team ofers a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves in a friendly and supportive environment. For more information on the UC Davis Cycling Team, check out their website and Instagram page.
UC Davis’ Prytanean Women’s Honor Society. (Chloe Even / Courtesy)
SCIENCE AND TECH
New research looks at the role of cnidocytes in ancient oceans
Cnidarians are well known for their “stinging cells” called cnidocytes
BY KATELYN BURNS science@theaggie.org
Cnidocytes are known as the “stinging cells” of Cnidarians, consisting of jellyfsh, sea anemones and corals. If you have ever been stung by a jellyfsh, that was a cnidocyte. All Cnidarians have cnidocytes, and these cells are incredibly complex.
“Although cnidocytes are best known for ensnaring and/or envenomating prey, they come in a variety of forms with distinct functions,” a study published in the Evolution & Development journal reads. Tis includes substrate attachment, construction of tube-dwellings, selfdefense/intraspecifc competition, and mating.”
David Gold is an associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences with a lab specializing in animal geobiology, and his research focuses on using jellyfsh as model organisms.
“[Jellyfsh have] this capsule made out of a kind of collagen protein that we don’t fnd in any other group, then within that there’s a really pressurized structure with a harpoon and a thread within the harpoon,” Gold said.
Tese harpoons create the sticky feeling that comes from touching sea anemones. Gold further discussed the complex nature of the cnidocytes found within Cnidarians.
Tere’s also typically really complex venoms in the cells,” Gold said. “Te venoms are evolving extremely fast as each group specializes to diferent prey; Tere are venoms and counter-venoms.”
When you think of jellyfsh, you might think of just the free-foating, reproductive stage found in various species called a medusa. However, not every jellyfsh has a medusa stage. Hydra, a type of jellyfsh, actually have no medusa stage and exist only in the
polyp stage, where they remain attached to a surface.
Jasmine Mah, a postdoctoral scholar in the Juliano Lab studying Hydra, commented on the origins of cnidocytes.
Te frst cnidocyte to evolve in Cnidaria was probably one called the isorhiza cnidocyte, the simplest type of cnidocyte,” Mah said. “It is hypothesized that the very frst Cnidarians may have used these isorhiza cnidocytes to fght of competitors, adhere to the ground and maybe capture prey.”
The fossil record of jellyfish is heavily debated due to lack of defnitive fossils, from jellyfsh being soft-bodied. However, when combined with genetic data, researchers have been able to get a better understanding about the history of jellyfsh.
As the temperature of the climate has increased, so has the temperature of the water. Nutrients from farming and agriculture have been pumped into the ocean, and as a result, blooms of bacteria have resulted in low oxygen levels that create more dead zones — an area of the ocean without oxygen levels high enough to sustain marine life. Where other animals have failed, jellyfsh have thrived in these environments, and there can be hundreds of thousands of jellyfsh in one area.
Gold commented on the impact that jellyfsh have on the ecosystem in these environments.
“They can cause all kinds of ecological havoc,” Gold said. “Tey eat larvae of other animals, making it harder for other animals to get reestablished [...] and they clog up power plants.”
Tracing the evolution of cnidocytes, the focus of the study in the Evolution & Development journal can help us better understand the role of Cnidarians in oceans over time. More information on the study’s details can be found in the research article online.
What goes on inside the UC Davis Crocker Nuclear Lab?
Let’s dive into the processes going on inside one the most unique labs at UC Davis and in the U.S.
BY EKATERINA MEDVEDEVA science@ttheaggie.org
In the southeast part of the UC Davis campus, amid numerous complexes dedicated to sciences, there stands an inconspicuous yellowish building named the Jungerman Hall. Despite its plain appearance, the Crocker Nuclear Lab (CNL) concealed beyond its doors is truly exceptional. At the center of all the processes happening in CNL is the 76-inch isochronous cyclotron that accelerates particles. It is “one of the few of its kind still in use,” according to the CNL webpage. Unlike most modern cyclotrons, the CNL cyclotron can be tuned at relatively low energy levels within the range of four MeV to 67.5 MeV, enabling it to operate without energy degraders and produce a “high quality, stable beam [of particles] with lower energy spread and emittance.”
So how does it accelerate the particles? At the very core, a cyclotron can be pictured as a hollow vacuum disk with an electric voltage applied across its two insulated halves (called the Ds). When a charged particle (usually a proton, deuteron, helion or alpha) is placed inside, it is attracted to the half with the opposite charge, meaning that the force of the electric feld accelerates that particle in its direction. At the same
time, a magnetic feld that is applied through the plane of the disk causes the particle to experience centrifugal force, turning it around on an arc and returning it back to the center axis.
At this point, the polarity of the Ds switches so that the particle always fnds itself in the half with the opposite charge. However, now that it has some velocity, it goes around on an even bigger arc due to the force of the magnetic feld. As this process goes on, the particle gains velocity and spirals further out of the center until it reaches the edge of the disk and is allowed to escape. One particle, of course, would not be able to do much, so numerous particles are accelerated and allowed to escape in beams. When they leave the cyclotron, but still remain in a vacuum chamber, these beams are “steered and focused by magnetic elements” manipulated from the control room and are transported to the beam line. Tere, they are collimated (parallelized) and directed toward their fnal target, as described by the 2001 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Radiation Effects Data Workshop record. Te applications of this technology at CNL are broad, ranging from treatment of ocular melanoma (a rare type of eye cancer that forms behind the retina) to testing the efects of cosmic
What just happened in AI?: a simplified report on DeepSeek
BY NAREN KRISHNA JEGAN science@theaggie.orgt
Artifcial Intelligence (AI) is defned as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy.” From being a vision in the 1900s as a way to automate our human lives to now being integrated in everyday life as educational tools, such as Khan Academy and Google, AI has grown massively.
Part of the recent movement that spurred the interest in AI was a natural learning processing model called ChatGPT. From its inception by the company OpenAI, ChatGPT has quickly grown to popularize large-scale AI adoption, with sources currently estimating around 300 million users weekly across the globe. ChatGPT’s ability to process human inputs, compare it to an astronomical dataset that it was rigorously trained on and output a (mostly) accurate, relevant response caught on early with most users. As such, the feld of AI has grown exponentially to include players such as Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Co-Pilot and even Facebook’s Meta.
Recently, a Chinese company called DeepSeek released a natural language processing model with responses rivaling those of GPT4, ChatGPT’s latest model. Te kicker? Tey had a lower six-million-dollar budget in comparison to the $100 million dollar budget allocated for GPT4. Moreover, DeepSeek was able to produce a highlevel product using lower-powered chips.
NVIDIA is one of the world’s leaders in producing high-level graphics processing units (GPU). Tese chips have various purposes such as gaming, data processing and AI. GPUs act as high-performance engines, accelerating AI computations by handling multiple tasks simultaneously. Unlike regular computer chips (CPUs) that do one task at a time, GPUs can handle many tasks at once, making them perfect for training AI models and making fast predictions. Tis speed boost is why
AI, like chatbots and image recognition, runs much faster and more efciently with GPUs. NVIDIA chips are used by a variety of AIs such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta’s Llama for these reasons.
NVIDIA has developed various high-level chips such as the A100 and H100 that are currently used in the United States models. Te U.S. government placed restrictions on the types of chips and their processing power that NVIDIA could export to China. To comply with U.S. regulations, NVIDIA developed modifed versions — H800 and A800 — specifcally for the Chinese market. Tese chips have reduced interconnect bandwidth, which slightly limits their performance in large-scale AI training but still makes them powerful for AI workloads.
Te rise of DeepSeek and its ability to produce competitive AI models using lower-powered chips has raised concerns about the need for expensive, high-end GPUs. Additionally, increasing global competition and U.S. government regulations limiting NVIDIA’s ability to export its most powerful chips to China have also impacted investor confidence. As a result, NVIDIA’s stock has seen a drop of a staggering $600 billion as markets react to the shifting AI landscape. Analysts predict that while NVIDIA remains a leader in AI hardware, emerging players like DeepSeek may infuence future chip demands, forcing the company to adapt its strategies. Memory efciency plays a crucial role in AI development, as training and running large-scale models require vast amounts of memory storage. UC Davis Emeritus Professor of Computer Science Dr. Norman Matlof explained how DeepSeek was able to tactically optimize their performance using memory.
“Traditional AI models typically use a 32-bit foating-point (FP32) format, which allows for storing numbers between zero and four billion,” Matlof said. “DeepSeek has opted for an eightbit foating-point (FP8) format, which only stores numbers between zero and 255. While this might seem like a limitation, it is actually a strategic advantage. FP8 reduces memory
radiation on the electric equipment used in space missions.
One of the most notable examples of the latter is the testing of Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which are critical light sensors used for imaging. Te research team conducting these tests simulated conditions of cosmic radiation using the CNL cyclotron, irradiating the devices at varying angles of incidence and then evaluating their sensitivity to make sure that they pass the set benchmarks to be used for JWST. Te CNL cyclotron is also used for other projects including the production of Astatine-211 (a cancer treating isotope), development of detectors to look for dark matter and many more applications.
Recently, the UC Davis Physics Club teamed up with CNL and other initiatives to conduct tours of the laboratory. Tey 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. To learn more about the UC Davis Physics Club, check out their website and Instagram page. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Crocker Nuclear Lab, you can fnd a short tour posted on Dr. Eric Prebys’ YouTube channel and more information on the CNL webpage.
requirements by a factor of four, meaning that for the same AI application, only a quarter of the memory is needed. [...] It is important to note that this does not impact processing power.”
Let’s use an analogy. A 32-bit system is like using a large book for each piece of information, even if it’s just a short note. It takes up a lot of space but can hold a lot. An eight-bit system is like using a small notebook for each note. It holds less, but you can ft more of them on the shelf. Switching from large books (32-bit) to small notebooks (eight-bit) saves four times the space while preserving the same information.
DeepSeek AI does something similar — it fnds ways to store and process information more efciently, using smaller “notebooks” (lower-bit numbers) to save space and run faster. By leveraging FP8 precision, DeepSeek has demonstrated that high-performance
AI can be achieved with signifcantly lower hardware demands, making AI development more cost-efective and accessible. Why is this a game-changer? FP8 cuts down the cost of training and running AI models, making it easier for smaller companies to compete with giants like OpenAI and Meta. Tis shift makes AI more accessible and pushes the industry toward more innovation. DeepSeek’s R1 model combines FP8 with multi-token predictions, setting a new standard for speed. Whether it’s chatbots, voice assistants or search engines, users will get quicker responses without losing accuracy. With R1’s reasoning abilities, AI can take on more complex problems, explain its answers clearly and even double-check its own work.
The significance of DeepSeek’s breakthrough cannot be overstated. By leveraging FP8 precision rather
than the standard FP32, DeepSeek R1 has demonstrated that AI models can achieve high performance with signifcantly reduced computational costs. As AI models like DeepSeek become more powerful, they will play a larger role in our lives. While there are concerns about misinformation and ethical use, experts are working to ensure AI is used responsibly. Te future could include AI assistants that help doctors, lawyers and even teachers in ways we have never seen before. So, whether you’re a student, a professional or just someone curious about technology, DeepSeek AI is a name to watch. AI is no longer just science fction from the 1900s — it’s here, it’s constantly changing and it’s shaping our world in real time.
JASON XIE / AGGIE
Moon jellyfish in the Red Sea.
(Alexander Vasenin / Creative Commons, CC by 3.0)
LANHUI ZHEN / AGGIE
Dr. Eric Prebys in the control center of the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. (Julia Heron-Watts / Aggie)
review of the 2025 men’s soccer team season SPORTS
A look into the only bike club at UC Davis: the Cycling Team
For everyone, at any level, on any day
BY ABIGAIL DESA sports@theaggie.org
Te UC Davis Cycling Team is a student-run, co-ed club sports team that provides a community to undergraduate and graduate student bike lovers. With 67 members, the team is full of bikers of all experience levels for mountain bike and road cycling. From competitive road races to cofee stops in Winters, the club hosts a myriad of events and provides a safe space to exercise and socialize.
From the mountains to the sea, the club facilitates a variety of cycling and encourages its members to enter races no matter their level.
“It’s one team with all the disciplines — we have no cuts for any races except for nationals,” Alden Hughes, a fourth-year environmental science and management major and public relations ofcer for the team, said. “And the collegiate leagues work so that every fnisher gives us points no matter how slow they are, so there is no reason for us not to send as many people as possible.”
Over the course of the year, the team partakes in a variety of competitions — competing in fve mountain bike races in the fall and nine road races in the spring. To prepare for the road events, the team does 50-mile race rides once a
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week to improve endurance and mental strength.
Te club team competes in the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference (WCCC) and in USA Cycling’s regional and national competitions. With four national, three state and 15 conference championship wins under their belt, these Aggies have a legacy of victory.
Some of the destinations that the club embarks on are the Sonoma Coast, North Bay, Mendocino, Humboldt County, Tahoe and UC Los Angeles, with nationals taking place in Minneapolis.
“It’s really cool to go to the ocean and just be in the middle of nowhere with some friends on a bike,” Hughes said. “And it’s really pretty out there on Highway 1. It’s sort of a great way to explore where you live, because I bike to be outside, to spend time with people and for exercise.”
Hughes emphasized the value of community within the team and the supportive environment that elevated his college experience.
“I feel like it is a great use of my time,” Hughes said. “I love getting outside with other people and, instead of going to the gym, we’d go outside for a ride to the next town over. It’s pretty great.”
UCDBIKECLUB on 10
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UC Davis secures a Big West Conference Championship, perseveres through ups and downs
BY COLINA HARVEY sports@theaggie.org
After letting the Big West Conference slip through their fngers last season, the UC Davis Aggies came into this season with a mission: securing the Men’s Big West Soccer Championship title.
Te championship game against the UC Irvine Anteaters in 2023 ended in a penalty kick shootout where the Anteaters came out on top, ending the Aggies’ hopes of making it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
“[Last year] defnitely gave us some [motivation],” Zack Lillington, a thirdyear international relations major and midfelder, said. “It proved to us that we could get to that point, that it’s only a small margin between us and everyone else.”
Cason Goodman, a third-year communications major and forward, said the loss made them realize how close they were to greater success.
“We talked about [the loss] a lot when we frst got back,” Goodman said. Tat was our main thing. Tere’s one more step to climb here, and we’re more than capable.”
Coming into the season, it was clear that the Aggies had a mission. After losing to Pacifc University and tying with Utah Valley University, UC Davis went on a four-game winning streak, beating Santa Clara University, Oregon State University, Saint Mary’s University and the University of San Francisco.
A 1-0 loss against Stanford University ended the Aggies’ winning streak. Despite UC Davis being competitive throughout the game, Stanford scored a winning goal in the 85th minute. Tis loss for the Aggies was the start of a six-game winless streak, damaging the team’s chances of
Men’s basketball falls to UC Riverside in a heartbreaker
The UC Davis Aggies suffer last-second defeat after a game-winning three-pointer
BY THEO KAYSER sports@theaggie.org
On Jan. 30, the UC Davis men’s basketball team visited one of their Big West Conference rivals, the UC Riverside Highlanders, for a late-season matchup. Coming of of three straight wins, the UC Davis Aggies looked to continue their streak with the season beginning to come to a close.
At the end of the game, the Aggies nearly accomplished their goal for victory — but it was thwarted after a last-second, game-winning threepointer that secured UC Riverside’s victory, 60-58.
Te early moments of the game were dominated by the Aggies, holding an 8-1 score within the frst fve minutes of the game, later turning it into 14 points in the frst 20 minutes. UC Davis reached this lead after back-toback possessions, which led to the game only staying in the painted area of the court for the frst 20 minutes of the game.
Te momentum quickly changed, as the Highlanders responded with a run of their own, surging ahead 20-16. Te fnal minutes of the opening half saw the teams trading baskets, with the Aggies retaking the lead to close the half after a three-pointer by TY Johnson, a fourthyear communications major and guard.
Te teams entered the break after trading possession for the last 20 minutes of the frst half, the score being 26-24 in favor of UC Davis. Individually,
Johnson played an impressive frst half, accounting for over half of his team’s total points with 14 scored.
The second half began with UC Riverside immediately retaking the lead after a three-pointer by Highlander Kaleb Smith. Tis was the frst of a series of three-pointers from Smith during the second half, as he went on to nail three more before the game concluded. Smith’s four-of-four shooting performance contributed to UC Riverside’s mark of 40% from beyond the arc throughout the night.
Te following few minutes saw both teams continuing stride for stride with one another. With just under 12 minutes remaining, the Aggies tied the score at 40, after Connor Sevilla, a second-year undeclared major and guard, scored back-to-back threepointers.
Te remainder of the game followed a similar trend, with the lead never surpassing three points for either team.
As four minutes remained, a mid-range jumper from Carl Daughtery Jr., a third-year human development major and guard, gave the Aggies a 56-55 lead.
After that shot, both teams ran into a dry spell on ofense, with the next three and a half minutes seeing both teams fail to score a single point.
This drought was broken after Johnson hit a mid-range jump shot with just 30 seconds remaining. Tis basket extended the lead for UC Davis to 58-55, giving the Aggies the upper hand with the game entering its fnal moments. On the following possession, Smith made two free throws to minimize
making it to postseason play.
“[Te loss] against Stanford kind of put us in a spiral,” Keegan WalwynBent, a fourth-year animal biology major and forward, said. ”We were really trying to fgure out what was going on and what we could do to kind of pull us out of the rut that we were in.” Goodman said this loss motivated their team to improve for future competitors.
“We were looking for answers,” Goodman said. “Some people thought we were done. Te ones that really didn’t want it to be over — we locked in.”
A 2-1 win against California State University, Fullerton on Oct. 12, 2024, on home turf helped the team gain confdence and momentum for the rest of the season. Te Aggies fnished the season strong with three wins in a row to top it of
There are no longer ‘untouchables’ in the NBA
Reviewing the biggest trades in the 2025 NBA trade deadline
BY DIEGO CERNA sports@theaggie..org
Te National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline has ofcially come and gone after a very hectic period. Te growing rumors of players wanting out and teams needing change brought some of the most shocking and exciting news to NBA teams and fans.
On Jan. 31, NBA news reporter Shams Charania reported that the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers combined in a three-way trade. Te trade sent superstar point guard Luka Dončić, forward Maxi Kleber and forward Marcus Morris Sr. to the Lakers in exchange for star power-forward Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a frst-round pick to the Mavericks.
Tis came as a shock to everyone in the sports world, and for good reason.
the defcit back to one point.
With the game clock now at 16 seconds — below the shot clock timer of 30 seconds — the Aggies were faced with the opportunity to dribble the clock out and walk away with the win. In such situations, with a score as close as this, it is commonplace for the losing team to then intentionally foul to stop the clock and instead force their opponent to shoot free throws, before the ball then turns over.
However, instead of this predicted series of events unfolding, the Aggies turned the ball over just three seconds into their possession, giving the Highlanders 13 seconds to score and seal a comeback win. With four seconds remaining, UC Riverside player Nate Pickens hit a dagger three-pointer, giving the Highlanders a 60-58 lead, one which they would not forfeit.
In spite of the loss, the Aggies had several fantastic performances throughout the night. Johnson led the team in scoring, as has been the case throughout this season, with 20 points. Sevilla followed with a highly efcient 15 points, including an impressive three of fve on three-pointers. Niko Rocak, a Master of Business Administration graduate student and forward, also fnished with a near double-double, as his eight points were paired with 10 rebounds. With the loss, the Aggies fell to 12-9 on the season. With just 10 games remaining, they will look to return to their winning momentum against the UC Irvine Anteaters on Feb. 1.
Don č i ć is a generational talent — drafted in 2018, Dončić has been transformative to the Mavericks organization. He’s led them to their frst playofs since 2016, their frst conference fnals since 2013 and their frst NBA Finals since Dirk Nowitzki — who led them to a championship in 2011, falling to the Boston Celtics in fve games this past 2024 season.
“We think defense wins championships,” Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison said in a press conference with Head Coach Jason Kidd. “We feel like we’re built to win now as well in the future”. Fans, however, might say otherwise. Crowds showed up at the Mavericks’ American Airlines Arena the day after the trade to cope with the departure of their beloved fan favorite. Viral videos on social media have shown fans placing memorabilia such as jerseys and other merchandise of Dončić outside of the arena.
Many speculate that the Mavericks traded Dončić because they did not want to extend his eligibility for a supermax contract, which would have been $346.3 million over the next fve years. Another reason may have been Dončić’s workout conditioning, as he currently has an injured calf.
“When we win, I feel like the frustration will go away,” Harrison said. Still, many label this trade as one of the most unexpected trades in NBA history.
For the Lakers, they have shifted the dynamic of their team completely.
By pairing Dončić with forward Lebron James and also acquiring center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for rookie forward Dalton Knecht and a frst-round pick to replace Davis, they have not only a strong team for the season but also young players to build around in the future.
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka has received criticism for his inability to make moves in the past, but this trade deadline has shown major progression throughout his time with the Lakers.
Shams reported another major trade that occurred on Feb. 5. In a massive five-team trade, the Golden State Warriors acquired Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler in exchange for Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, forward Kyle Anderson, guard Dennis Schröder and a frst-round pick.
Currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference, Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy has made it clear that they are “all in” to maximizing 36-year-old superstar point guard Stephen Curry’s time left in the league. One other concern experts have is the price the Warriors signed Butler for, as they signed the 35-year-old to a $121 million contract over the next two years, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
After two f nals appearances in four years, things seemed to end in a stalemate between Butler and Heat General Manager Pat Riley after Butler publicly requested a trade. Suspended for seven games because of his protest of participating in team activities, Riley decided to deal Butler away and end his saga with the Heat.
On Feb. 2, the San Antonio Spurs made headlines with their blockbuster trade to acquire Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox to pair alongside global phenom center Victor Wembanyama. In a three-team trade, the Spurs acquired Fox, the Kings acquired Chicago Bulls’ star guard Zach LaVine and Spurs guard Sidy Cissoko, three frst-round picks and three secondround picks. Te Bulls received Kings guard Kevin Heurter, Spurs center Zach Collins and Spurs guard Tre Jones.
After the Kings fred former Head Coach Mike Brown earlier this year due to the team’s early struggles, rumors were speculating that Fox would be traded after being with the team since 2018. In return, the Kings will pair LaVine with his former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan, who both made a playof appearance together in 2022.
Tere’s no doubt that this has been one of the most interesting NBA trade deadlines in recent league history. With multiple all-stars being dealt, rumors manifesting to be true and surprising trades, the NBA landscape has dramatically shifted for years to come.
Goalkeeper Noah Schwengeler makes a save, leading UC Davis to a 2-0 win against UC San Diego on Oct. 26, 2024. (Julia Heron-Watts / Aggie)
UC Davis secured a spot in the Big West playofs as the fourth seed. However, all six teams in the tournament were very close in terms of points earned during the season,
JASON XIE / AGGIE