Issue 26: May 1, 2025

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@THECALIFORNIAAGGIE

SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915

@THECALIFORNIAGAGGIE

THEAGGIE.ORG

@THECALIFORNIAAGGIE

VOLUME 148, ISSUE 26 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

23 UC Davis students, recent alumni have visa status reinstated following terminations The news comes as part of the Trump administration’s reversal from cancelling some 1,500 visas in April

terminations.

“We reiterate our strong support for our international students and want all of our students, staff and faculty to know we support your ability to work, learn, teach and thrive here,” May said. “International students are an essential part of this university, and we will continue to advocate for your rights and well-being.”

May also asserted in the April 5 communication that campus police officers will not “undertake joint efforts with federal immigration enforcement authorities to investigate, detain or arrest individuals for violation of federal immigration law.”

Other restorations across the University of California system include all 23 students who had visas terminated at UC Berkeley and 18 of the 36 at UC San Diego.

It is unclear whether the affected UC Davis students and recent graduates have already left the country following the initial termination.

BY VINCE BASADA campus@aggie.org UC Davis announced on April 27 that the federal government had reinstated the F-1 visa status for all 23 international students and recent graduates whose eligibility to remain in the United States was terminated earlier that month.

They include 14 active students and nine recent graduates.

The news came as the Trump administration reversed course late last week, reinstating many of the 1,500 visas that had been terminated earlier in April after being met with several challenges in court. Officials clarified to the Associated Press, however, that the reinstated status may not be permanent and that the government is looking to rework their system of reviewing eligibility. Until that process is over, the students will have their legal status to be in the country restored.

F-1 visas are non-immigrant visas that allow international students to stay in the United States to pursue higher education, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

At UC Davis alone,

UC Davis sign located near the Memorial Union. (Aggie File) some 9,000 international students are currently enrolled of a total undergraduate population of around 30,000, according to UC Davis Global

Affairs.

In a statement addressing the initial visa revocations, originally numbered at 12, Chancellor Gary May said that no

community members were in custody and that federal agents had not entered campus and that the federal government had not provided reasoning behind the

This is a developing story.

Follow The Aggie for continued updates.

ASUCD Spring Phi Beta Sigma speaks out following Picnic Day shooting Elections called,

Davis police confirm multiple shooting suspects in the incident

several candidates disqualified

Senators Julka and Wickramasinghe elected ASUCD President and Internal Vice President; competing executive ticket, other candidates disqualified after Elections Committee and Judicial Council decisions

BY VINCE BASADA campus@aggie.org

A photo of Community Park. (Sacha Chickering / Aggie)

BY YUENJO FAN city@theaggie.org The Davis Police Department has released more details regarding the shooting that occurred at Community Park on Picnic Day, April 12.

In a released update, Davis police confirmed that multiple shooters were involved in the incident that left a 24-year-old and two teenagers injured. The Davis Police Department does not believe that the shooting poses a continued threat to the Davis community. One of the perpetrators is described as a Black male adult between 20 to 25 years old and under six feet tall with an average build. The suspect was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants and a face mask.

The shooting occurred in the afternoon at a block party hosted by the Davis chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. On April 16, the fraternity released a statement addressing the shooting.

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the incident at Community Park during Picnic Day,” the statement reads. “Like many of you, we are awaiting [for] further information and updates. As we respectfully await the Davis Police Department’s investigation, we too are feeling the impact of this occurrence.

Our event has always been a space for unity, celebration and joy. It is never our intention for anyone to feel unsafe or endangered. As UC Davis students, we share the concerns surrounding the situation.”

The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity did not respond to The California Aggie’s request for further comments.

Additional details such as the multiple suspects’ whereabouts, number of rounds fired and motives have not yet been released to the public by Davis police. Lieutenant Dan Beckwith of the Davis Police Department provided more information regarding the current state of the investigation.

“It’s an active investigation, so things are unfolding and we’re still talking to witnesses,” Beckwith said. “We’re still attempting to locate videos and photos that might have been taken. We don’t want to compromise an active investigation by releasing information that may tip off suspects. We’re also discovering new things every day, [...] so it’s also a responsibility of being able to release accurate information.”

Beckwith also mentioned the Davis Police Department’s intentions of addressing ways to prevent incidents in the future.

“What we’re doing right now is we’re reevaluating our process for

providing security to events that happen within the city,” Beckwith said. “We’re looking for ways to improve how we approach these things moving forward, we’re having a lot of conversations between ourselves and the university with that regard and trying to make improvements as we see fit.”

Davis Mayor Bapu Vaitla and Councilmember Josh Chapman released a joint statement on April 17, reassuring the city of their support for the community during this moment of rare violence.

“Our priority as elected officials is first and foremost to protect people,” the statement reads. “When an event like this occurs, we must identify areas of improvement and take immediate steps to examine how we can do better. [...] We are committed to working closely with [the Davis Police Department] and our staff team to examine that process and make improvements. This means that the scale and type of future gatherings must be commensurate with the ability of our Police Department to enforce the law and protect our community.”

The Davis Police Department has requested that any information about the shooting be emailed to tipline@ davispd.org.

Amrita Julka and Dhilena Wickramasinghe of the Bitches slate have been elected as ASUCD President and Internal Vice President, respectively, the ASUCD Elections Committee announced on April 29. The pair currently serve as ASUCD Senators. “[Wickramasinghe and I] pledge to deliver on our promises of making UC Davis and ASUCD safer, more equitable, and transparent,” Julka said in a written statement to The California Aggie. “As your newly elected, we further promise to do as we have championed: unapologetically advocating for what’s right. Even when it’s hard. We are so thankful for everyone’s support, and we cannot wait to serve our community.”

Other newly elected officials include Zack Dollins (Independent) for the role of external affairs vice president (EAVP), Inbar Schwartz (Independent) as student advocate, Robi Castaneda (Bitches slate) as international student representative, and Imani Nur (Independent, formerly Unite for Action slate) as transfer student representative.

The six elected as ASUCD Senators are: Luis Leonardo Garcia (Empoderar slate), Siena Dill-Cruz (Bitches), Jaliah Payne (Bitches), Harshpartap Dhillon (Independent, formerly Unite), Pattarin Khajornchaikul (Independent, formerly Unite) and Phoenix List (Risers slate).

This election saw the disqualifications of several candidates, including the presidential ticket of Aaminah Mohammad and Nanki Kaur. The pair were disqualified on Wednesday, April 27 for “allowing candidates not on their slate to promote their candidacy,” “promoting another candidate’s candidacy on ASUCD [executive] Instagram account,” “promoting candidacy on the Senator instagram account” and for “late night door knocking campaigns,” according to internal elections records shared with The California Aggie.

As of reporting, the Elections Committee has made no statement to the public announcing the disqualification of mentioned candidates. Additionally, all candidates remained on the ballot during the election cycle.

“There’s a common issue where we’ve been asking questions and we haven’t been receiving answers,” Mohammad said on Friday, April 29. She disputes many of the alleged violations, attributing several to miscommunications.

Both Mohammad and Kaur remained on the ballot throughout the end of elections, as they were appealing the decision. The Judicial Council ruled 4-0 Sunday, April 29 that the ticket had committed enough violations to be disqualified.

Mohammad, speaking with The Aggie late Tuesday, said there was palpable “unfairness and inefficiencies in the ASUCD elections,” and called on reforms to the elections process.

In their ruling, the Judicial Council also recommended reforms and expressed discontent with the current election appeals process.

“We sincerely wish that more time could be spent in regards to the appeals process,” the majority opinion states.

“At present, we are tied to a timeline that we feel should be longer. In addition, the Judicial Council is a resource, many of the violation points in this election cycle could have been avoided with proper communication.”

Senate candidates Tianneh Garcia Bonardi (Empoderar), Aria Jalan (Independent), Aubri Lee (Risers) and EAVP candidate Janani Sundaram (Bitches) were also eliminated for failing to submit a required expenditure report by the required deadline of April 25.

The news was announced to candidates early Monday, April 28.

Bonardi, who spoke to The Aggie late Tuesday, maintains that there was a lack of communication surrounding the form from elections officials.

ASUCDSPRINGELECTIONS on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

Yolo County Sheriff ’s Show Izakaya opens in Office holds gun Downtown Davis New Japanese eatery brings authentic izakaya experience to buyback in Davis

Davis Police Department and other organizations helped residents safely discard their firearms

The Yolo County Sheriff ’s Office hosts a gun buyback event to help locals safely discard their firearms. (Sacha Chickering / Aggie)

BY GIA LOOMIS city@theaggie.com On Saturday, April 19, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and the Davis Police Department partnered with the Davis Health and Human Services Agency to host a gun buyback event. The event was fully anonymous and voluntary, maintaining a no-questions-asked model.

The event utilized a drive-up model to ensure a safe, efficient buyback. The officers asked participants to arrive at the buyback with firearms locked in their vehicle’s trunk.

No walk-ups were allowed, and participants were asked to remain in their vehicles.

To encourage participation, the police department offered gift cards in return for functioning firearms. Handguns could be exchanged for $50 gift cards, while long guns or privately manufactured firearms fetched $100 gift cards. Additionally, the event also offered to collect non-functional firearms and boxed ammunition.

By holding gun buybacks, law enforcement ensures that these guns are properly collected and disposed of. While this effort aids in making Davis safer, Campbell Buffington, a fourth-year political science major, said it’s not a complete solution.

“Anonymous gun buybacks are a temporary fix to a larger institutional problem,” Buffington said. “While it’s smart for law enforcement to incentivize gun owners to turn in firearms in the name of safety, there needs to be a stronger set of laws in place to ensure gun incidents are not as common as they currently are. So, while I like to see Davis making a step in the right direction, I’d like to see a stronger push towards state and federal lawmakers to enact laws that protect citizens

from firearm incidents.”

While these buybacks aren’t a complete resolution, it’s still a step toward safety for gun owners and citizens alike. This is especially beneficial as many people unintentionally possess these weapons.

Lucas Frerichs, who represents Yolo County District 2 and who supports the Gun Violence Prevention Collaborative, explained how many participants unwittingly ended up with these firearms.

“Many of the attendees told us that these guns were hand-me-down guns,” Frerichs said. “They don’t necessarily know what to do with them.”

Frerichs said he appreciated the planning, execution and success of the event.

“I was impressed with the turnout of the gun buyback event — over 100 guns were turned in over a few hours,” Frerichs said. “I really appreciate our law enforcement agencies co-sponsoring this event, in addition to their partnership with my office as members of the Yolo County Gun Violence Prevention Collaborative.”

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office was also pleased with the buyback event’s results.

Lieutenant Don Harmon explained its effectiveness.

“We collected about 100 guns consisting of rifles, shotguns and handguns,” Harmon said. “Some were old; some were brand new.

All in all, it was a success. As always, nobody was forced to turn them over. It was just a way of collecting firearms that people no longer wanted.”

Gun buyback events are a great way to dispose of unwanted firearms. While another is not planned with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and Davis Police Department currently, check out their websites for more information.

Davis’ dining scene

BY ALMA CULVERWELL city@theaggie.org Show Izakaya, a new Japanese restaurant, recently opened its doors at 102 F St. The restaurant occupies part of the former Season’s Kitchen & Bar, with the other portion soon to be occupied

by Orangetheory Fitness, scheduled to open in May or June of 2025.

The restaurant was created by Davis resident Wendy Wu and her husband Damon Bai, who also own Four Teasons, a coffee and tea house at 620 West Covell Blvd. (formerly known as Akira).

The couple also previously owned Odori Sushi, a Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto.

An izakaya, known for its Japanese meaning of “stay-drink-place,” is a laidback Japanese pub or bar known for serving a variety of alcoholic drinks alongside small plates or bar snacks.

The Show Izakaya team explained the vision behind opening the restaurant and the welcoming environment of a traditional izakaya they hope to curate for the Davis community.

“We wanted to bring the true spirit of a Japanese izakaya to Davis: a warm, casual place where people can gather after work, share great food and enjoy a drink or two,” the team said. “There’s something uniquely comforting about the izakaya experience in Japan — it’s relaxed, lively and full of heart. We wanted to recreate that feeling here, but with our own creative touch.”

With items ranging from fresh rolls to ramen to karaage, the extensive but affordable menu provides a unique blend of casual and sophisticated flavors.

The Show Izakaya team explained the thought that went into deciding their menu.

“The menu is built around what we love to eat ourselves and what we felt was missing locally,” the team said.

“Every item was carefully tested for balance and we wanted to keep the soul of an izakaya, while also making it exciting for people who may be trying it for the first time.”

The team also shared their favorite menu items and what they would recommend for a first-time visitor to try.

“If it’s your first time, you can’t go wrong with the truffle hamachi, chicken karaage and the shoyu ramen,” the team said. “We also put a lot of thought into our signature rolls — the summer roll and highway 80 roll are fan favorites.

And for something special, the A5 wagyu on the hot stone is always a showstopper.”

The new restaurant appeals to students and community members alike. My Davis California, and its popular group-run Instagram account, @mydaviscalifornia, spotlights new local

businesses and upcoming events. They described their experience attending the soft opening.

“The opening of the restaurant was awesome,” @mydaviscalifornia said via message. “A lot of people came. They had a DJ set up, balloons for the ribbon cutting, and the windows were open for people walking by to see everyone inside eating and having a good time. It was all very well done and organized.”

They also greatly enjoyed the food they tasted at the opening and noted their recommendations for future attendees.

“All of the dishes we tried were very good,” @mydaviscalifornia said. “The fish they use is very fresh and the style is classic. If you like rolls, try any of their rolls. The rainbow roll is a great way to sample their fish options and any roll with unagi is delicious. We also recommend the nigiri and hand rolls.”

The group also commented on their positive experience with the friendly work staff.

“If you need a recommendation, ask the servers and they can definitely help you out,” @mydaviscalifornia said.

“They are very nice and knowledgeable about their menu.”

Tim Brown, a Davis resident who attended the opening, said he enjoyed trying the food.

“My overall impression was that it was a really delightful experience overall, with high-quality fish and a really great atmosphere that felt a bit more high-end than a lot of Davis restaurants,” Brown said. “I would definitely recommend the chef ’s choice nigiri or sashimi dishes.

Their fish was really fantastic, so it’s a great way to try a bunch of what they have to offer. Their dragon roll was also a big highlight for us.”

Jenny Le, a local Bay Area and Sacramento food reviewer who goes by

the Instagram handle, @itadakimasujen, described what she looks forward to trying most.

“I heard about the grand opening on Instagram when I saw @ mydaviscalifornia posted a Reel,” Le said. “I’m honestly not the biggest sushi fan, so I was mostly just excited for Davis to get a new ramen spot.”

The team also reflected on how their opening has gone so far and how they have dealt with challenges along the way.

“Opening any restaurant comes with its challenges, but one of the biggest was building a team that really understood and believed in the izakaya philosophy,” the team said. “It’s not just about service — it’s about hospitality, timing and teamwork. We’ve spent a lot of time developing our team culture and training systems, and we’re really proud of how far we’ve come.”

The team explained their goals and their hopes for the long-term future of Show Izakaya.

“Our main goal is to make Show Izakaya a beloved spot in the Davis community and a place where people come not just for food, but for connection,” the team said. “In the long term, we’d love to host more cultural events, like sake tastings and chef collaborations, and possibly even expand to other cities where this kind of experience is still rare. But most importantly, we want to keep refining what we do and keep earning the trust of every guest that walks in.”

Brown shared his perspective on how the restaurant complements the Downtown Davis dining scene and what makes it stand out from other local options.

SHOWIZAKAYA on 11

Show Izakaya, a new Japanese restaurant, recently opened in Davis.

(Christian Cendejas / Aggie)

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Walnut Park Library

Yolo County begins construction on a new library for South Davis, set to open in 2026

BY SUNNY LIU city@theaggie.org On April 18, the Yolo County Library, in partnership with the city of Davis and the California State Library, held a ceremony for the planned Walnut Park location at 2700 Lillard Dr. The planned 12,857-square-foot library will feature an audio-visual community room accessible to not-forprofit organizations, computers, WiFi, study rooms and a “Community Resiliency Center.”

The project is decades in the making and will serve the unmet needs of South Davis residents in accessing library services. The construction of the Walnut Park branch is intended to meet Yolo County’s 2018 to 2035 Library Facilities Master Plan, which recommended another branch to be built in Davis by 2025. The current library serving the area is located within Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School and is only open for eight hours a week to the public. The only other library serving the city of Davis is the Mary L. Stephens Library, located in Central Davis.

Josh Chapman, who represents District 5 and the South Davis area, described the difficulties that local residents face when attempting to access library services.

“For me and for us here in South Davis and for the city as a whole, we haven’t had a place like this,” Chapman said. “We all know that [Interstate] 80 runs straight through the city […] and the barriers for young people or people with disabilities to have access to a library, right? You’d have [a library] that’s almost three miles away, the Mary [L.] Stephens branch. It’s often overcrowded. You have to bike, walk […] drive or take a bus and those are all barriers to people.”

Jim Provenza, a former Yolo County supervisor who had previously pushed for the project, commented on the need for a new library in South Davis.

“What we found was that there was less usage of the library here than in other areas, and it was really important to fill that gap,” Provenza said. “In addition, the largest number of lowincome and English learners were in this very area, so it was essential to have a library here.”

The library will cost an estimated $22.8 million and will be financed through a mix of funding streams.

Notably, the funding includes a $8.7 million grant from the California State Library, a $1.5 million pledge from the city of Davis and $850,000 from Congressman Mike Thompson.

Provenza described the remaining local funding sources.

“The rest of that had to be raised locally,” Provenza said. “Some of that was the money we saved. Some of it was money in various capital funds that the county replenishes over time. And when it was decided that this library was the next project that would go forward, the money was allocated and we were up to over $20 million to build this, for the solar panels, the parking lots, the

whole thing.”

Provenza also brought up the importance of libraries in protecting democracy and knowledge.

“I probably wouldn’t have mentioned [this] had we not been in the current climate in Washington, D.C.,” Provenza said. “Libraries stand up [and] are an important part of our democracy.

They are holders of knowledge. They teach our children, and they teach adults. And [...] everybody can have their own opinion. But if you want to find actual facts, go to a library [...] In terms of democratic values, democratic rights, free expression, free speech, free press [and] due process at any point in my life, I’ve never felt that our country was so threatened and a library really is something that pushes back the other

way.”

Thompson was responsible for obtaining federal funding for the project. In a speech, he described his motivation for backing this project.

“Because libraries, as you know, are incredibly special,” Thompson said.

“They’re important to our democracy.

They’re important to freedom of information, access to information and it just really makes a community.”

Thompson then lightheartedly recognized Provenza’s role in securing funding for this project.

“Two happy outcomes,” Thompson said. “One, we get the library.

[Provenza], you no longer get to twist my arm saying we need federal money.”

Rebecca Wendt, the deputy state librarian of the California State Library,

Local leaders celebrate the construction of Walnut Park Library. (Everett Smith / Aggie)

explained why the state grant was awarded to the Walnut Park Library. “[Libraries] are guardians of democracy,” Wendt said. “This is the place where you get your information, where you can make your decisions and library staff make the choices as to what is going to be included in the collection space [based] on best practices and [...] making sure that they’re collecting the best resources. So here we have a community. The state was happy to read the application for the grant. We were happy to provide the $8.7 million as part of the puzzle piece for this library.

But it was because the community was there, the local match was there and the support was there.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | 3

Faculty advocated for an ethnic studies requirement for five years, but its proposal was recently rejected

UC ethnic studies educators, concerned about censorship of Palestine in curricula, say the failed proposal faced a ‘procedurally irregular’ journey

BY KHADEEJAH KHAN campus@theaggie.org Students and University of California ethnic studies faculty have been advocating for an ethnic studies admissions requirement since 2020. A proposal that was initially intended to take one year took five — and advocates have linked this delay to the UC’s alleged efforts to censor conversations surrounding Palestine in the state’s K-12 curriculum.

The proposed Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies would have required high school students to take a non-additive, one-semester ethnic studies course for admission into one of the UC’s nine undergraduate campuses. It was rejected by a vote of the UC Academic Senate late last month.

Ethnic studies emerged out of students protesting United States imperialism in the Vietnam War as they demanded education that critically analyzed systems of imperialism, capitalism and settler colonialism.

“Ethnic studies — it’s about reality,” UC Davis Cultural Studies doctoral candidate Beshara Kehdi said. “It’s about history. It’s about why our communities are here and why they are the way that they are. We can’t explain those things without referring to the violent displacements resulting from racism, capitalism and ongoing imperial wars.”

Timeline of Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies proposal Initially, the Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies proposal was unanimously approved by the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) in November 2020.

A 20-person Ethnic Studies Faculty Workgroup was then appointed to develop new ethnic studies course guidelines to recommend to BOARS. In November 2021, BOARS approved the recommended course criteria by a vote of 10-1, with one abstention, which would send the proposal to the Academic Council for consideration. The Academic Council sent the proposal for systemwide review, and by March 2022, the proposal was sent back to BOARS with feedback from each campus.

At this time in the process, Li Cai, a UC Los Angeles professor serving on BOARS, broke Academic Senate policy by leaking internal emails, according to a 2022 article from the Daily Bruin. Cai sent communications on Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies to opponents of the proposal, including Tammi RossmanBenjamin, a former UC Santa Cruz faculty member and co-founder of the AMCHA Initiative, a non-profit organization committed to combating antisemitism in higher education.

The AMCHA Initiative previously released a letter in 2022 alleging that the proposal would “unleash hatred and bigotry, especially antisemitism.”

However, in a 2014 letter, Jewish studies professors across the UC system described AMCHA’s definition of antisemitism as too broad. In their letter, they also critique AMCHA’s methods of monitoring, documenting, boycotting and doxxing of professors and students who are pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist in a way that can “deaden the kind of spirited academic exchange that is the lifeblood of the university.”

A press release issued by the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council in 2022 rejects claims of antisemitism and questions the influence of “racist external pressures that inform [UC’s] deliberation around its proposed A-G ethnic studies requirement.”

“We also understand that the UC caved to spurious charges, in some cases advanced by people and organizations with a known history of racism, that our proposed criteria are ‘anti-Semitic’ and disparaging to Jewish Americans,” the press release reads. “This is a LIE. Nowhere in our course criteria do we mention Israel, Jewish people, or Judaism, much less any specific religion.”

In June 2023, BOARS approved the revised A-G ethnic studies course criteria by a vote of 9-2 with one abstention. While the vote was solely focused on the content of the criteria, members of BOARS shared concerns regarding implementation and access, according to meeting minutes.

BOARS was to vote on the proposal again in November 2023, but for the first time, the committee voted against sending the criteria to the Academic Council, despite it having previously been voted on and sent to the body.

Members of the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council had previously described this voting process as “procedurally irregular,” noting that the first time BOARS voted in opposition to the proposal was following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, despite having received strong support in past votes.

“We have to raise the concerns in terms of why this requirement has been handled and subjected to this systemwide review in a completely different way than other requirements,” Natalia Deeb-Sossa, a UC Davis professor of Chicano and Chicana Studies, said.

Former UC Academic Senate Chair James Steintrager said the Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies proposal was concerning to the Regents due to its association with an October 2023 letter written by the Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, according to meeting minutes.

In the letter, members of the council rejected UC administrative communications that they allege “misrepresent the unfolding genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and thereby contribute to the racist and dehumanizing erasure of Palestinian daily reality.” The Ethnic Studies Faculty Council also called on the Regents to “uplift the Palestinian freedom struggle, and to stand against Israel’s war crimes

Activism posters and historical documents line the Hart Hall staircase.

(Christian Cendejas / Aggie) ASUCDSPRINGELECTIONS FROM FRONT COVER

She also added that she had no expenses to report, not having spent any money on her campaign.

“I’m just very disappointed [for] all those people who voted specifically for Luis and I,” Bonardi said. “I’m just so disappointed that all those votes don’t matter.”

Bonardi, Jalan and Sundaram are planning a joint appeal to the ASUCD Judicial Council to overturn the decision, according to Bonardi. Lee has chosen not to appeal, though she supports the others in doing so.

The margins for victory and the total vote counts for each candidate have not been released as of time of publication; ASUCD elections use a ranked-choice system. Because of this, the outcome if the appeal were to succeed, or if the vote would be changed substantially enough to result in new elects in the Senate/ EAVP race, remains unclear.

The Unite for Action slate, of which Mohammad and Kaur were members, was also dissolved as result of the alleged actions of slate manager and ASUCD President Gaius Ilupeju. The slate’s candidates remained on the ballot, though their profiles were changed from identifying them as members of

the Unite slate to Independent.

The alleged violations include “sharing Senate candidates on ASUCD [executive] account” and “promoting slate to all University Honors Program (UHP) students.”

Ilupeju maintains that he did not intend for his campaigning email to be sent to the UHP listserv, rather a member of faculty mistakenly forwarded a separate communication sent to a student identity group.

“The United For Action Slate was dissolved by the Elections Committee for asking UHP faculty to share a flyer on our behalf, however we never requested them to do so,” Ilupeju said.

ASUCD bylaws require that any candidate, ticket, slate manager or slate that accrues three violation points during the course of a campaign shall be disqualified or dissolved by the Elections Committee.

In other results, Constitutional Amendment (CA) #94, making the process of appointing interim officials more democratic and decentralizing appointment power away from the ASUCD executive, passed with a 87.6% majority; 1,979 for, 280 against and 1,908 abstaining.

CA #95, implementing stricter repercussions if the student body’s elected officials are unable to meet training and volunteer requirements,

against the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people.”

“I will do everything in my power to never let that happen,” UC Regent Jay Sures said in an open letter, calling the faculty council’s letter “appalling and repugnant.”

During that same period of time, Abigail Thompson, a UC Davis professor of mathematics and member of the UC Academic Senate, wrote a letter to the editor of The Davis Enterprise on campus protests by Students for Justice in Palestine titled, “Recognize True Evil.”

Thompson did not respond to requests for comment.

Dylan Rodríguez, a UC Riverside professor and member of the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, has been a strong advocate for Arab American and Palestinian curricula in ethnic studies.

He considers the opposition he has faced for his advocacy “well beyond censorship,” describing emailed threats of violence and death he had received.

“Anti-Palestinian racism has actually defined the terrain of the struggle [of advocating for Area A-G/H Ethnic Studies],” Rodríguez said.

Despite BOARS voting against the proposal in November 2023, the Academic Council sent the proposal for systemwide review in January 2024 as a response to the previously approved request to consider the proposal. In a December meeting that year, the Assembly of the Academic Senate voted to postpone the vote on the proposal to April 2025.

Current status of the A-G/H Ethnic Studies proposal On April 23, the assembly rejected sending the ethnic studies proposal to UC Regents and President Michael V. Drake by a vote of 29-12, with 12 abstentions.

For that meeting, the UC Students Association filed a petition to indicate student support for the proposal.

Christine Hong, a UC Santa Cruz professor of critical race and ethnic studies, believes that the assembly’s vote is not only a rejection of the proposal but a show of its failure to serve student needs.

“We should be humbled before the fact that students have brought this forward and told us what they need,” Hong said. “We should be humbled before the fact that this is the sole field that has consistently been initiated by students — students who are oftentimes the most vulnerable within the institutional settings in which they’re fighting for ethnic studies.”

As ethnic studies advocates like Kehdi look toward the future of their discipline, the inclusion and expansion of Arab American and Palestinian studies remains essential in their advocacy.

“Whenever we see racial progress as in the expansion of Palestine and Arab American studies like in California, we see racist progress and Zionist pressures to eliminate them and turn the clocks back,” Kehdi said. “Genocide is the consequence of racism, and Israel’s U.S.backed genocide in Palestine continues.

There is no going back.”

Despite the outcome of the vote, the fight for ethnic studies continues — a characteristic that ethnic studies scholars believe define the movement.

“Ethnic studies is a grassroots struggle,” Sean Malloy, a UC Merced professor of critical race and ethnic studies, said. “We can win and lose individual battles, but the strength of this movement is in the community and student centered struggle — something they can never take away from us.”

This article is the second part of a continuing series on ethnic studies requirements for UC admission. Read the first part online. passed with an 84.4% majority; 2,209 for, 407 against and 1,551 abstaining.

The Transportation Equity Fee, a fee referendum to collect five dollars from students per quarter to support Transportation Services, failed with a 67.70% majority. Additionally, the 20% undergraduate turnout required for it to be implemented was not met.

The vote margins for the constitutional amendment and fee referendum were provided in an Elections Committee memo provided to The Aggie.

The election results, which are normally supposed to be released within 48 hours of the end of balloting, were delayed after the bylaws were suspended by the ASUCD Elections Committee, according to emails from the ASUCD Elections Officer to candidates provided to The Aggie.

The reason for this suspension was due to technical difficulties, according to a communication from ASUCD Elections to candidates.

The ASUCD Elections Officer did not provide comment on the results or disqualifications of this quarter’s election in time for publication.

This is a developing story, follow The Aggie for continued updates.

Aaliyah Español-Rivas contributed reporting to this piece.

UC launches workgroup, survey to see if systemwide academic calendar should be adopted Input is requested from community members before a final report is submitted to UC leadership

BY JESSICA YUNG campus@theaggie.org Several University of California bodies, including the Office of the President (UCOP), the Academic Senate and the UC Provost, have launched a workgroup looking into whether all UC undergraduate campuses should operate under a common academic calendar. The initiative does not seek to endorse either the semester or the quarter system, but is instead looking at the potential benefits of adopting a shared systemwide calendar.

The program, according to a letter from the workgroup, is an “information gathering exercise.” The final report will aim to “help answer the question of whether UC should return to a common academic calendar, but it will not recommend one calendar over another.”

Currently, all but two of the nine UC undergraduate campuses use the quarter system; UC Berkeley and UC Merced use the semester system.

The workgroup is not examining the calendar of UC San Francisco, a graduate medical school or any other UC-affiliated graduate program.

Stett Holbrook, the associate director of Strategic and Critical Communications for UCOP, described the workgroup as a way to expand the UC’s mission.

“In September 2024, UC’s systemwide Provost and Academic Senate Chair formed an Academic Planning Council (APC) workgroup with faculty, staff and student representatives to examine the current academic calendars and calendar features that can advance the University’s teaching, research and public service mission,” Holbrook said.

Cindy Brown, the executive communication specialist in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, stated that the workgroup has produced a draft report on the proposal. “[The draft report summarizes] information collected on existing and optional calendar features, a proposal of an alternate quarter calendar, factors to consider before making any calendar changes and optional common calendars to consider,” Brown said in a press release.

The draft report also notes issues with the system using different calendars at different campuses,

KAYLA TRAN / AGGIE including varying start and end dates and other complications to cohesion and collaboration within the UC. These include “providing comparable UC student access to summer jobs and internships, expanding cross-campus or dual enrollment to unique language courses or programs, and leveraging resources across campuses.”

The UC previously operated on a common semester calendar before UC campuses converted to a common quarter calendar in 1996. In 1983, UC Berkeley converted back to the semester system, citing opportunities to improve academic preparation and student success; UC Merced opened under the semester calendar in 2005.

The draft report notes that in 2026, the California State University (CSU) system will have all of its 23 campuses on a semester calendar, completing a 13-year effort to have six of its campuses converted from quarters to semesters.

The change will mean that all CSU campuses and 113 of 116 California Community College campuses will be on a semester calendar.

The workgroup took public comments, meeting with representatives to come to their conclusions.

“To produce this material, the workgroup drew upon panel discussions with individuals from UC student affairs, related campus offices and representatives from peer institutions that have already completed or are undergoing calendar conversion,” Brown said.

ACADEMICCALENDAR on 11

ASUCD Senate meeting delayed due to miscommunication within Senate table

A lack of senators present at the April 24 meeting caused confusion in quarterly reports and legislation

beforehand they couldn’t make it.

BY AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS But for everyone else, this is lowkey campus@aggie.org ridiculous.”

The ASUCD Senate heard a quarterly report and a proposed resolution at its April 24 meeting, called to order at 6:33 p.m. after technical delays and miscommunication between senators over whether the meeting was to be held at all.

Only three of 12 senators were physically present at the meeting: Mia Cohen, Zack Dollins and Amrita Julka.

Six others joined the meeting through Zoom: Senators Siddharth Jasthi, Nanki Kaur, Lexi Raben, Solana Rodriguez, Dhilena Wickramasinghe and Jenna Younes.

At the start of the meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., ASUCD Internal Vice President Aaminah Mohammad expressed frustration with the elected officials present for setting up the meeting earlier and instead waiting for her arrival.

“It is the responsibility of the people here to set up the [Senate] meeting,” Mohammad said. “It is a joint responsibility. You guys can’t just sit around waiting for me to come and set up the meeting when I have a mandatory class that ends at 6 p.m.”

Julka agreed with Mohammad’s sentiment and attributed the shortcoming to the lack of officials present.

“I think the confusion was just in the fact that literally nobody was here [in person],” Julka said.

Mohammad responded to this comment, voiced her disappointment with those who did not give prior notice of their physical absence.

“That is kind of disappointing,” Mohammad said. “It is your job, the one thing you’re supposed to do. Thank you to everyone who is actually here and is doing their job, it means a lot.

And thank you to those who told me

Quarterly Reports: While originally slated to hear two reports, due to miscommunication and the absence of senators at the scheduled meeting start time of 6 p.m., members of Creative Media and Aggie Studios were incorrectly told that there would be no Senate meeting.

The Senate instead heard only one quarterly report from Picnic Day. Picnic Day 2025 had a high turnout and successfully introduced the “Picnic Day Pitstop” on Russell Field, according to Chair Mina Sarmah and Vice Chair Rishita Dwivedi.

For next year, they hope to speed up the hiring process, reach out to Greek life organizations for volunteering, bring back food booths and have smaller hotspots around campus to split foot traffic. In the long run, they hope to improve local sponsorship, increase sustainability and expand opportunities for more students to join their team.

Legislation: Senate Bill #75, seeking to allocate $607.50 to the Office of Senator Julka for ASUCD Study Jams on April 30 and June 4, was withdrawn during the meeting.

After, the table considered Senate Resolution (SR) #11, introduced

by Dollins. The resolution seeks to “demonstrate association-wide support for the funding of the Botanical Conservatory on campus,” in light of its possible shut-down due to University of California-wide budget cuts set to occur next year.

External Affairs Commission Chair Henry Rosenbach raised concerns about the resolution, explaining that he felt no real call to action was expressed.

SENATESQ5 on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

A higher education equals inferior housing

I guess my car is my new home?

does my use of all lowercase make me seem chill?

The primary contention with “monkey see, monkey do”

BY ABHINAYA KASAGANI akasagani@ucdavis.edu

NOVA MAI / AGGIE

BY NEVAEH KARRAKER nakarraker@ucdavis.edu The roommate search is coming to a close for the next school year, but if you feel like you don’t have everything figured out, you’re not alone. Housing is only guaranteed for incoming first-years and transfers, and as the years progress, the number of admitted students continues to increase. Universities, including UC Davis, are struggling to meet the ever-multiplying demand for undergraduate, transfer and graduate student housing.

Consequently, off-campus housing rapidly fills up — requiring up to a year in advance to validate a lease. On top of that, many students choose to share rent with a group of people. Whether it’s due to affordability or availability purposes, living in doubles and triples indicates the severe gravity of a lack of university housing.

What’s more, waitlists don’t inform you of your placement number; for all you know, you could be the last of hundreds. If you’re someone who is overly prepared, you may put yourself at jeopardy and sign a lease that you cannot withdraw from and risk getting notified later that you got off the waitlist. Or, on the other extreme, you decide not to sign a lease in hopeful patience, and, by the time final decisions have been released, all of the apartments have been taken. It’s a lose-lose situation with countless repercussions.

The assignment system itself, while efficient, contains flawed logic. It deems rejection from on-campus housing as a minor inconvenience, rather than an

urgent crisis for low-income individuals — even after stating that it’s their last resort on applications.

It seems as though housing acceptance is determined by a dice roll: a rather immoral and apathetic process. In a time when we are so focused on helping the homeless, it’s ironic that distressed students who are at risk become cast aside so easily by the housing system.

While there are some housing accommodations available via the Student Housing and Dining Services, oftentimes it’s nothing more than a half-hearted pat on the back. Helping students acquire an Electronic Benefit Transfer card with CalFresh for inexpensive meals, while impactful, does little in the grand scheme of rent and utilities.

While it is an option, searching for a “cheaper” apartment is not always realistic. For full-time students, not everyone can manage a job on top of their schoolwork. Additionally, many parents cannot supply a monthly rent allowance given the current state of the job market and rising inflation.

Resources from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is another option. However, this system also contains defects. Despite medical bills, geographical location and parents’ willingness to pay for tuition, income largely determines eligibility. For instance, the same income in one state will provide vastly different services in another. In a way, the personal circumstances of students are based on monetary worth.

This disparity accentuates the widening chasm between the rich and the poor, stranding the middle class

— they earn too much to qualify for aid, yet an insufficient amount to comfortably afford necessities, let alone the rising housing costs.

Having said that, considering every unique situation sounds ideal — in practice, though, it’s a logistical mess that only extends the process. There’s clearly no easy or pleasant fix, placing the burden yet again on students and their families.

Proactiveness won’t determine the outcome of housing, but it can help.

Students who know for certain that they will be living off-campus should avoid applying for on-campus housing to provide higher chances for those who are unsure. Budget management through summer jobs and scholarships are also great methods to alleviate some financial stress.

In terms of universities, the least they could do is provide the placement number for those on waitlists. And, maybe with enough persistence, housing services can work cooperatively to avoid future debt for students.

When universities enroll students without the proper infrastructure or means to provide them with adequate housing, it sets them up for failure. It’s an essential part of education, not an afterthought, and it’s time universities treat it as such. Until this mindset is changed, the system will continue to unjustly prey on the vulnerable.

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

I turned off my auto-capitalization sometime in 2020 and haven’t looked back since. Little did I know that what I had assumed was a temporary change would stick. I never questioned why I had been asked to do this — until now, I suppose — or what the end of autocapitalization meant, optically. Five years have passed, and still we SHOUT IN ALL CAPS, feign indifference in all lowercase and alternate between the two to communicate sArCasM. This grammatical shift has been attributed to several different things: some admit to having adopted this lettering to seem nonchalant; others attribute this to Tumblr in the 2010s, while others claim that the origins of such lowercase lettering can be traced back to the feminist writer Bell Hooks, or even the poet, E. E. Cummings.

Hooks once said that her intention behind the lowercase format of her name, “bell hooks,” was to keep the focus on “the substance of books, not who I am.”

This stylistic choice was later coopted by online poets, most notably Rupi Kaur, as a way of “breaking the rules.” By 2020, the Internet had popularized the use of solely lowercase letters, with several mainstream pop artists — Charli XCX, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande — immortalizing their discographies in all-lowercase: “brat” summer, “evermore” fall and “eternal sunshine” spring. Soon after this, tech companies — namely Facebook, X and Tumblr — embraced the use of all-lowercase lettering for corporate branding.

The move away from auto-caps became more than a stylistic choice; It marked a cultural shift wherein digital minimalism and casual or informal conversation were prioritized. Lowercase lettering was a way for one to assert their individuality more quietly. Formality began to feel stuffy and ingenuine in comparison to the approachable, laidback lowercase.

Linguist Gretchen McCulloch, in her book “Because Internet,” explores these rampant Internet phenomena that have long dictated our dialects of Internet communication. She discusses how “emphatic caps feel like the quintessential example of internet tone of voice,” describing this lettering as a “typographic way of conveying the same set of cues [that one would use in speech].”

There remains no definitive way to claim that lowercase writing while texting is incorrect, or that it reliably conveys some sort of emotional nuance that is otherwise lost on the texter, just

STEPHANIE CHAN / AGGIE

as one cannot fully grasp how lowercase text asserts digital autonomy purely by controlling the visual aesthetics of a word.

Naomi Susan Baron, a professor emeritus of linguistics at American University, likens typing in lowercase to “the ripped jeans fad of the ‘90s that cyclically comes back into style every decade.” What is more concerning, however, is this desire to perform, even within the private space of a chatroom to which only chosen members are privy. Some might not even be thinking about it that deeply. They might’ve simply followed along to ensure that they wouldn’t lose their front-row seat to generational ostracization.

This collective adoption of all lowercase letters is somewhat frightening if assessed as more than a frivolous stylistic choice. The prescriptivist critique of this form of texting argues that it abandons conventional grammar rules, potentially breaking down clarity or littering academic and professional spaces with informality. Occasionally forgetting that Internet language, like all other languages, evolves with its users, this critique fails to recognize that none of these rules are governing, nor were they ever meant to be standardized for the “capital T” Texter.

This collective embrace of the alllowercase feels as if it were a marker of social and cultural change. Capital letters once denoted the start of a sentence, a proper noun or the urgency of a cry or shout. The letter “I” was perpetually capitalized in a way that individualism was originally prioritized.

LOWERCASETYPE on 11

The rise of automated consumption

Buying things is easier now than ever before: a trend that harms both the planet and individual consumers

BY GEETIKA MAHAJAN giamahajan@ucdavis.edu I love when people tell me they shop at Shein because it’s the most affordable option for them. I love it because it gives me the opportunity to ask my favorite question ever, which is: “How much do you usually spend there?”

Every time I ask this, the answer is never below $200 — which suggests, to me, that it’s not about the affordability at all or about other extraneous factors like the quality of the products or how durable they are. In our current era of $2 lipsticks and $15 dupes, it’s not actually about what you’re buying: it’s about how much of it you can buy at once.

Shein, Aliexpress, Temu and other such companies have been hit by wave after wave of controversy — from exploitation to plagiarism to being vehicles for the Chinese government to spy on us. Yet, they endure; The siren song of a good deal on a product that everyone but you seems to have is apparently impossible to resist for the average consumer. Virality and affordability go hand in hand, and it seems like certain brands have mastered the ability to capitalize on the most popular styles and products to generate the maximum amount of buyers.

On TikTok, you can find a million people who “can’t believe” that a lip stain is as cheap as it is. On any dropshipping website, you can look up any designer item of clothing and find it for a fraction of the original price. It’s so easy and convenient to add products to a cart that follows us no matter where we’re scrolling. Buying things is a natural byproduct of being on the Internet.

But our unconscious consumption has ramifications beyond those that have already been recorded in exposés about exploitative working conditions or fast fashion. They have a circuitous effect on everyone, including consumers. But there are also more direct and prevalent consequences, ones that are becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Growing up, many of us were taught to distinguish between “needs” and “wants” when it came to spending.

Now, however, it’s more of a question about whether you actually want something or if you just think you’re supposed to want it. If social media is able to convince us, within the span

SAVANNAH BURGER / AGGIE

of a 15-second video, that we need a certain celebrity’s lip liner or mascara, we lose the ability to decide for ourselves whether a product is worth having and the ability to develop personal tastes or do any kind of independent research into the actual value of a product.

In an era where consumption is as automatic as it is, our collective ability to make conscious decisions about what we buy is slowly being chipped away.

When consumers wield their purchasing power so carelessly, companies are able to get away with more and more — advertising their products based on virality, or because an influencer declared it essential.

For instance, almost every hair care brand is selling hair oil now. It’s not because $38 scented grease is going to magically erase the damage that years of bleaching and heat have done — it’s because the product is a goldmine for marketing and markups. A bottle that costs $2 to produce can be sold for more than 10 times that, if you convince people that it’s what every clean girl on their “For You Page” is using.

The same goes for Hailey Bieber’s glazed-skin campaign that took the Internet by storm a few years ago, when the epitome of skincare was piling on layers of moisturizer and oils to achieve a dewy look. But the

thing is, healthy skin is not perpetually wet and healthy hair is not achieved through the application of a singular overpriced product. Skin is dry and hair is frizzy, and these are facts that should be apparent if one does even a few minutes of thinking before making a purchase.

When people buy these things, however, they aren’t really thinking about what’s in them, or even the results that they’re trying to achieve.

Oftentimes, it’s less about the product itself and more about the fantasy — a concept that has been true of most advertising campaigns since advertising was a thing. What’s different now is

how easily it works and how easily these items are bought, used and discarded as soon as something else goes viral.

As consumers, we need to start asking questions again, before putting our card details into whatever website promises us the cheapest price for the most popular product. We need to ask: What’s in this? How is it supposed to help me? And, most importantly, do I even really want it at all?

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

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | 5

EDITORIAL

Once again, the presidential administration has weaponized the status of immigration for its political agenda

Trump’s back-and-forth policies are a dangerous tactic used to manipulate the American people WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, a slew of direct attacks that seek to eradicate members of diverse communities from the United States began. However, the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts are not limited to individuals without citizenship status — despite holding legal status in the country, international students’ visas and their ability to pursue a higher education were revoked.

One consistent characteristic of the Trump administration lies in its ability to declare a harmful promise and then subsequently recant its actions. Students across the country had their legal status threatened — as of April 24, more than 1,200 students had visas revoked

SEE ONLINE Read our editorial about Earth Day

— many on the baseless grounds of crime accusations, participation in activist efforts or simply countering “national interests.” On April 25, the administration restored legal status to some international students following pressure from the courts.

At UC Davis, 23 students and recent graduates, whose F-1 visas were terminated, had their legal status reinstated. While the restoration of their legal statuses is a positive development for international students, these actions hold the potential for impermanence as the administration reworks their eligibility processes.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not, by any definition, halting deportation efforts, and this reversal of significant actions taken toward achieving campaign promises brings up a disturbing reality. In a political landscape where the president’s actions are unpredictable and easily reversed, one thing is clear: The Trump administration wants you to believe that his word means nothing.

Trump’s longevity as a right-wing leader relies on his ability to make radical promises to his supporters, as well as make claims so ridiculous that those who aren’t supporters believe him to be nothing more than an all-talk figurehead. It’s this ability that allows for Trump to lay the groundwork — by relying on the public to take his claims as improbable conjecture, his administration is able to expand its breadth of harm.

Amid speculation that Trump is aiming for an unconstitutional third term, it is clear that his respect for

democratic processes is non-existent.

An addition to the Oval Office and to the official Trump Store merchandise, a Trump 2028 hat is just the most recent nail in the coffin. It is acts like these that are easily dismissed as impossible or, as the U.S. Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said: “Just a hat.” However, the product’s description — “The future looks bright!” — should remind us that, if there’s anything we know about his presence in American politics, Trump’s claims for another term are never as far-fetched as they seem.

The Editorial Board encourages you not to fall victim to the Trump administration’s strategic incompetence and absurdity — we need to take him at his word. Fear mongering and lies are, at this point, synonymous with his administration, but that does not mean that Trump does not have the power or the will to meet his authoritarian goals. Visa revocations and reinstatements are just another step down an already trodden path, and the threatened deportation of those legally residing in the country makes one thing painfully clear.

Time and time again, the Trump administration has endangered democracy and the livelihood and safety of innocent people. Trump’s decisions are not in the name of the country’s well-being or protecting American values; they are in the name of cultural eradication and mass harm.

Moving forward, the Editorial Board encourages you to remain educated — we cannot treat this presidential administration’s actions as something to normalize.

An ode to fiction

How constructed realities help us understand the world

Make Lawntopia “lawn” again

BY KATHERINE ONG keong@ucdavis.edu

CRYSTAL CHEN / AGGIE

BY TARA ROMERO tcrome@ucdavis.edu The world is confusing, and humans are naturally curious. That’s why we’ve developed different ways of understanding the world — through belief systems, natural sciences, philosophy, every major that UC Davis offers and every form of knowledge gained outside the classroom. There are so many ways to acquire knowledge and feed our hungry minds with concrete facts, so why do we even bother with fiction?

Fiction isn’t real anyway. It’s all unicorns, Smaug and Bella Swan.

What’s the point of reading “Crime and Punishment” when I can just go read a scientific study on how murderers deal with guilt? Why pick up a copy of “Beloved” when I can go read the old newspaper clippings about Margaret Garner?

What’s especially funny about those questions is that the answer is in the novels themselves. Fiction represents the world in ways that scientific theories and historical records cannot do on their own. Through stories, we can step into someone else’s life (even if it’s not “real”) and assign meaning to it. We use invented stories as a way to understand the world and ourselves as individuals within it.

Think of your favorite childhood fairy tale. “Little Red Riding Hood.”

“Goldilocks.” These fictional stories are

constructed to teach children lessons: don’t talk to strangers and beware if your grandmother looks like a wolf.

Meet in the middle and don’t go into random bears’ houses. These stories construct worlds that exist in a vacuum to relay certain morals and values; there’s rarely anything included in the story that doesn’t have a direct meaning to it. Simply telling a child these lessons does not help them understand the consequences of their actions. Worldbuilding allows children to understand these lessons as they are acted out, so that they get a better grasp of how the world works, even if it’s told through wolves and bears.

Yet, most fictional stories are much more than simple moral lessons. If the main takeaway from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is “and that’s why you shouldn’t be vain,” then we lose so much of what the story is truly presenting us. The story forces the reader to sit and reflect about what art means, imitation compared to reality, how we deal with aging and queerness through the construction of its own world.

Yes, themes and lessons can be drawn from it, but the story itself presents the author’s own unique understanding of how the world works, embedded within this narrative. We don’t just learn a simple lesson; we learn to understand this fictionalized version of the world.

No matter what genre of fiction, invented stories will never quite represent reality as it is. Many authors try to portray our world as it exists.

Stories like “Anna Karenina” or “Of Mice and Men” place fictionalized characters within the “real world.”

Although there’s nothing inherently “unreal” about these depictions, these representations of reality are limited to what the author needs us to see for the sake of the story. Fantasy worlds like “Lord of the Rings” or “The Poppy War” are purposely constructed as metaphors for different parts of how the world works. Fiction represents and misrepresents reality with intention.

Authors need us to view the world in a certain way, so that their stories have meaning.

Fiction constructs different versions of reality, or unrealities, with the purpose of assigning structure to the chaos of life. It presents hypothetical universes and places parts of reality under a microscope to help us see things that might be hidden within us and our society.

The world is confusing right now, but reading stories helps us find patterns within the confusion — every story we read tells us a little bit more about how the world works. Understanding the “unreal” gives meaning to what is real.

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

Disclaimer: This cartoon is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and names of “sources” are fictionalized.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

6 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

OPINION Pop-Tarts for muscle growth

Since when was there so much protein in the ice cream aisle?

BY MOLLY THOMPSON mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu “Try our new protein donuts!” proclaims the advertisement on my Instagram feed, followed by another showcasing protein-packed cereal, protein-fortified lattes, protein-filled Pop-Tarts and protein-enhanced tortilla chips. Nowadays, grocery stores are filled with protein-forward products — the social media landscape has become overrun with innovative snacks aimed at helping people meet their daily protein goals and protein has become the focal point of every healthy recipe on TikTok. Needless to say, increasing protein intake is the current diet trend. This cultural hyperfixation is no different than any other fad diet we’ve seen over the past century (or more) — it’s another way to glorify thinness and feed into diet culture. It’s no better than the Special K diet of the early 2000s or the low-fat fad of the 1990s.

But like many other health trends in the era of body positivity and size inclusivity, it’s disguised. It’s unacceptable to outright state that smaller bodies are more desirable than larger bodies or that people should change the way they look to appeal to the norm in our current zeitgeist. So instead, the regimens are repackaged as “wellness” techniques.

Protein is important for our health — that’s indisputable. Along with fats

and carbohydrates, protein is one of the essential macronutrients our bodies need to survive. Of course, we should make sure we’re eating enough of it, just as we should with fats, carbohydrates and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. The issue only comes into play when we glamorize protein as the only acceptable macronutrient and, in doing so, continue to demonize the others.

Fat and carbs have both historically been regarded as “unhealthy” at various points, especially within the fitness industry. But protein, which plays an especially important role in muscle development (along with many other areas of the body) is valued above the others.

The obsession with protein is just another way to control food intake and body size. The idea that a “protein pastry” is better than a regular PopTart just continues to reinforce the idea that certain foods are morally superior to others because of how they supposedly make you look. Protein products are marketed as “better” than their conventional counterparts when, in reality, they simply serve a different purpose. They play a different role in your diet, but that doesn’t mean the traditional versions of the foods are inherently bad because they lack protein.

But the existence and prevalence of these protein products make us feel like we should choose these alternatives. It’s diet culture, once again. Protein is no longer just a macronutrient — to many,

JASON XIE / AGGIE

it’s become equated with weight loss or muscle growth, both of which are longtime pillars of the diet and fitness industry.

It’s important to focus on ensuring we get enough protein in our diets; I’m not denying that protein is important for daily bodily functions, but it’s become an obsession. Experts say that most Americans get enough protein from their regular diets without having to consume protein-fortified foods — if it is unnecessary for basic health, it’s diet culture, which is no more than yet another way to control and glorify a specific physique. Just like every other body trend, the focus on proteinfortified foods will be replaced just as easily as it came.

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

We need to resurrect the valuable art of hat-wearing

BY MADISON SEEMAN meseeman@ucdavis.edu

NOVA MAI / AGGIE control technology in buildings and a changing view of social class following World War II, slowly replaced the hat’s previous functions both as protection and as a status symbol. Kennedy only cemented that trend when he refused to wear a hat for his inauguration, and, by the early 1960s, hats had mostly disappeared from daily life.

As much as I appreciate my car, air-conditioning and relatively more integrated social classes, I have to admit I miss hats. Sure, baseball caps — the hat of the everyday man — have stuck around. And yes, fedoras experienced somewhat of a moment in the early 2000s and bucket hats had their own turn in the spotlight around 2020. But hats used to be a staple, a language, an art. Let’s leave the class baggage behind: what I wouldn’t give to see an earnest bowler hat on the heads of my peers.

Hats communicate intention. A sunhat for vacation, a fishing hat for a day out on a boat. If I see someone wearing a ski mask — which I do count as a hat, despite the name — I assume he’s either skiing or robbing a bank.

More than function, hats have character! A grand flashy hat for a derby, a thick, long hat for cold weather and a floppy nightcap with a ball at the tip

for bedtime; There’s a hat for everyone.

There are hats for the little hotel bellboy, berets for the hipsters out there and fedoras for avid Reddit users. Even the bow, which is not a hat, is a step up from the unadorned head.

You don’t have to go full top hat; we can enjoy hats in a modern way. But, just as fashion goes in cycles, it seems odd that hats, which have such potential for personal expression, haven’t quite made it back into circulation beyond a few small trends and the simple cap.

Finally, more than all of that, hats are fun! There are so many outfits out there that don’t even realize they’re missing a hat. It’s a statement piece, effortless intrigue — the cherry on top of any successful outfit.

Try a trilby, don a deerstalker, bring back bowler hats; Next time you’re going out on the town, consider topping off your fit with a hat. They’re functional, they’re fashionable and they need to come back!

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

HUMOR

There’s a new bus in town

Watch out, ladies

BY ALLISON KELEHER adkeleher@ucdavis.edu

In a not-so-far-away land, dubbed the “Pad,” there slept many Unitrans buses through the night. Not a single bus was stirring, not even the Z line (he’s a heavy sleeper).

You see, these buses need their sleep because their days start bright and early.

To make matters worse, they have to spend over 12 hours a day carting around smelly undergraduate students.

So, the least we can do is let them get some beauty sleep.

One morning, the buses woke to the sound of an alarm, which startled everyone and prompted them to get ready for the day. The buses entered their rhythm as they whirred to life and organized themselves into their assigned bus lines. The Memorial Union (MU) buses tend to stick together away from the Silo buses, since they see each other most often. Then, they all filed into line and sped off on their routes.

It seemed like every other day to the buses, but they were in for a surprise — some may say a bombshell. Today was the unveiling of the Yolobus route addition to the Silo. This bus was set to travel between the Silo and the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. In comparison to the Unitrans routes, this

was way more dangerous and exciting.

When the Silo buses rolled onto campus, they were astonished to see a bright, shiny, blue relative at their bus stop. The Yolobus was parked, standing in all his glory, with a brand-new sign marking his spot. The Silo buses halted in their tracks to admire this newcomer.

The Yolobus stood regally and didn’t even turn his wheels to acknowledge the Unitrans buses arriving. He didn’t care.

The natural leader of the Silo buses, the J line, stood tall at the front of the fleet of buses to assess the new arrival.

The Yolobus was navy blue, with tinted windows and an adult driver. Much more dignified than the Unitrans accommodations. The Yolobus knew this, too, because he didn’t care to give the Unitrans buses a glance. Not even the J. This angered the J, because he was used to a certain level of respect from his fellow buses. In his day-to-day life, the J faces a high amount of foot traffic and stress from undergraduate students; However, it’s all worth it because he gets to come home to the Pad and get some respect from his bus family. So, this new Yolobus was ruining things for his ego.

Since the Yolobus wasn’t acknowledging any of the buses, everyone filed into position, keeping one eye turned toward the Yolobus to monitor the situation. This was a

Coachella isn’t that fun when you don’t have the money for it

BY JHANA RHODES jsrho@ucdavis.edu

Bring back hats!

Walking through the streets of Davis, I’m assaulted by the tragic absence of hats. Sure, there are a few brave little baseball caps and a beanie or two in the winter, but these are underwhelming in the face of our largely hatless society.

Hats used to be everywhere. My friends and I frequently watch old movies, dazzled by the unusual shapes and patterns of hats for every occasion, every mood — some horrendously ugly in the most charming way. My personal favorite is Rosalind Russell’s hat in the 1940s movie “His Girl Friday” — it’s so whimsically nonsensical!

Hats — which are nearly as old as humanity itself — used to be a crucial part of the everyday American outfit ecosystem, a key indicator of social status, the subject of scandals, the center of idioms. For decades it was an embarrassment to leave the house without one.

Now, everywhere I look, I see naked heads: hair up, down and everywhere but in a hat. What was once scandalous is now the status quo. So, where have all the hats gone?

Some blame World War II, some blame John. F. Kennedy. I blame cars.

In the 1950s, the average American’s transportation was shifting away from public transit toward the automotive.

The government funded public projects to construct interstates and establish highways and suburbs, with the personal automobile taking center stage.

Hats — which had, in part, functioned as protection from the elements — became redundant in the face of the enclosed interior of the car.

Cramped cars sometimes even made a hat more difficult to wear, unless the driver was keen on bumping their head on the ceiling.

This, paired with a wave of climate-

The rich don’t wait in lines

JASON XIE / AGGIE

quiet day, because everyone was afraid to say something. So, the Unitrans buses entered their driving rhythm and set out to complete the noble job of transporting thousands of students around Davis, California.

Later that night at the Pad, everyone was talking about the new arrival, without worrying about being overheard.

“The girls are obsessed with the Yolobus!” one of my sources at the Pad said. “They’re calling him Yolo.”

You heard it here first. Yolobus is the bad boy on campus. He’s different, misunderstood and all of the girls are going to fix him.

Disclaimer: (This article is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional.

The story and the names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

Coachella 2025 has officially wrapped after two weeks of iconic performances featuring some of the most talented artists in the world.

Lisa and Jennie from Blackpink, Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, Charli XCX and Green Day were some of the many talented artists that performed at Coachella this year. Amidst the absurdly overpriced refreshments, dust devils and a surprise guest appearance from Bernie Sanders, what really made this year’s festival truly unforgettable were the glaring disparities in social and economic dynamics amongst the VIPs and everyone else.

The rift was clear: While the wealthy, celebrities and influencers ate $1,000 dinners at Nobu and enjoyed the privileges of non-existent wait times, the rest of us common folk spent what felt like an eternity in lines for everything from entry to the campsites to the showers and even to the stinky porta-potties. This great divide in the Coachella experience shows us that the status symbol the music festival claims to be remains unattainable for many.

In fact, it shows us that universal access to hedonistic pleasure is, unfortunately, a myth.

Hedonism is a philosophical concept that defines the pursuit of pleasure as the most important goal in life. In other words, this means seeking out experiences (physical or mental) that you enjoy while avoiding what causes worry or pain. Because we are talking about Coachella, this could mean seeking out a wide range of experiences, such as paying for a $649 general admission (GA) ticket to experience sensory pleasures such as good music and delicious and diverse food options, to more emotional pleasures like seeking social connections, excitement or joy.

Since 1999, Coachella has had various vibrant art installations, interactive activities and musical performances.

It has marketed itself as the golden standard for a good period of time.

Coachella’s promise of hedonistic pleasure is quickly debunked when you realize that to truly enjoy your experience, you need to be rich, a celebrity or an influencer. If you’re not any of those, you better hope to be on a first-name basis with one of the artists.

While a few of the privileged attendees stay in palm spring villas and are invited to various air-conditioned brand events and star-studded pre-parties, the remaining 60% of ticket holders

STEPHANIE CHAN / AGGIE who purchased a GA ticket by using a payment plan (nothing wrong with that!), were sleeping in makeshift tents, packed in like sardines in a crowded GA standing area.

Of course, anyone looking for a little more luxury can purchase a VIP festival pass for the small price of $1,399. And, if you don’t want to wait over four hours in traffic to enter the campgrounds, you can always stay in an Airbnb or hotel, with prices ranging upwards of $300 (depending on the accommodation). And don’t even get me started on how much you have to pay when you get hungry.

With all of the astronomically inflated costs, it’s become apparent that attendees on a budget are forced to pick which experiences they value more: food, shelter or music. The more money and influence you have, the better your experience will be at Coachella, whether it’s access to exclusive opportunities, improved amenities or a better viewing experience. In cases like this, money really does buy happiness.

Coachella’s cultural prominence comes from its star-studded line-up, abundant celebrity attendance and its virality on social media. However, this air of exclusivity only adds to the economic exclusion we see year after year at Coachella. While Coachella is a great festival to experience at least once, if you don’t have the money for it, you’ll have a different experience than those in the VIP sections.

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

Are the kids really alright?

Social media might be affecting kids more than we think

BY SABRINA FIGUEROA sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu If you ask a 10-year-old if they have a social media account, they probably would have at least one. Whether it’s through TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, their brains soak up what they see and internalize it — sometimes, this can be detrimental.

I’m not one to judge the kids themselves, as I also used social media from a young age. I, like them, grew up in the thick of the digital age — the only difference is that I grew up with my mom telling me my headache was because of my damn phone. We as a society have begun to ignore the fact that social media use at a young age can have numerous underlying impacts for kids because almost everyone uses it — what’s one more kid?

When it comes to social media, we must be more careful with the content we allow the younger generation to consume. Kids, especially young girls, are frequently exposed to the beauty standards of adults. Thus, the awkward tween stage of being emo or wearing anime shirts and thinking you’re cool for it, disappears. Maybe this example is not as serious, but it does make you think about how quickly kids learn from social media, and how rapidly they internalize the content they see.

On a more grave note, red-pill content often lurks the waters of the internet. People like Andrew Tate and Myron Gaines set up podcasts where they talk about how women walk all over men and how men should rise up and be these “alpha” males. If that sounds misogynistic, that’s because it is.

A big part of the trend has to do with rejection from women — how to deal with it and what to do about it.

But, the dangerous solution Tate and Gaines always come back to is not to accept that rejection, but resorting to male rage and violence instead.

When young boys watch these podcasts or videos unsupervised, you can end up with an “Adolescence” situation. Young men take out their

CRYSTAL CHEN / AGGIE feelings on young women, disrespecting them and, in some cases, hurting and even murdering them.

While children are still responsible for their actions, as adults we are also a bit to blame because, in many cases, we let it happen. Some of us may think that red-pill content is odd to watch when you’re grown up and that adults should know better, but we don’t often think about how this content and its philosophy can make its way to youth.

Childrens’ brains are not fully developed, and they are more prone to believing what they see online. When they’re exposed to adult content on social media — for example, violence or sex — at an early age, they begin to become desensitized to those themes and start to normalize it. Once young boys swallow the red-pill, it’s often difficult to get it back out.

This is not to say that social media is the new social ill, because technology is neither bad nor good. It also has its benefits; Children nowadays have access to more information than past generations, helping them learn. But it’s important to understand and care about the downsides, before it’s too late.

SMKIDS on 11

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ARTS & CULTURE Bestselling fantasy author Leigh Bardugo presents ‘The Art of Discomfort’ talk at TEDxUCDavis speaker event

The “Six of Crows” and “Ninth House” writer shared her secrets for creative success

BY SAVANNAH ANNO arts@theaggie.org On April 26, TEDxUCDavis hosted their latest installment of speakers at UncharTED, a day-long event featuring presentations by scientists, musicians, artists and more along with free food, raffles, music performances and even a guided meditation.

Speakers included videographer AJ Bleyer, percussionist and UC Davis Professor Christopher Froh, UC Davis Physics Professor Andrew Wetzel, “The Princess and the Frog,” animator Sonya Hassan-Carey, medical student and researcher Jade Tso, Dan Firstenberg, a third-year computer science and statistics double major, and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Best known for her young adult fantasy “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows” series, Bardugo’s fan base has followed her from their middle school reading list to their college ones, as she’s more recently completed adult fantasy works like “Ninth House” and “The Familiar,” released last April. Many of Bardugo’s listeners sat with their personal copies of her novels out, taking notes and photos of the beloved author.

Bardugo, who opened up the second half of UncharTED, following the event’s lunch period, delivered a presentation titled “The Art of Discomfort,” in which she explained various myths and truths about the creative process.

“Why do so many artists fail before they ever really begin?” Bardugo said.

“I think the answer lies in a forgotten skill: the ability to tolerate discomfort.

It’s one that our culture rarely recognizes when it comes to the arts.

Most of us have grown up absorbing the idea that our work should not only look effortless in its final form, but that it should feel effortless in the making, too.”

Through her presentation, Bardugo presented various myths

surrounding the idea of discomfort and what to do with it as an artist.

Bardugo argued that today’s media depicts artists as geniuses who never struggle while they work on what turns out to be an award-winning novel or a masterpiece of a painting.

In real life, however, that struggle is an integral part of the creative process, one that can feed and shape your work into something even greater than your original idea.

“We have to get rid of the idea that discomfort is a warning sign, and move toward the idea that discomfort points the way,” Bardugo said. “What does good discomfort feel like? It’d be easy to say it feels like challenge, but challenge sees a goal and understands it. Art requires that we throw ourselves into the unknown. It feels less like challenge, and more like curiosity.”

Once you find the resolve to throw yourself in that mysterious direction, Bardugo suggests that the process then continues through extensive revision.

What the media often doesn’t show when praising artists and writers, Bardugo argues, is the hundreds of edits and changes made to their work along the way to create a presentable form.

“The book on the shelf, the painting on the wall, those are not first drafts,” Bardugo said. “They aren’t even second drafts, or fourth or fifth drafts; art is iterative. If we don’t understand this truth, that art happens in revision, we sit down and work and compare our first draft with the finished work of all the artists we admire.”

The myth that art is something that only comes from a single strike of inspiration or stroke of genius can be fatal to artists, Bardugo explained. The gap between the truth of the creative process and what’s shown in everyday media can lead to artists, including Bardugo herself, to experience selfdoubt.

BY JULIE HUANG arts@theaggie.org Song:“Seven Wonders” by Fleetwood Mac (1987) Like many Fleetwood Mac songs, “Seven Wonders” discusses a life-defining romance and how it is something to be mourned and celebrated alike. The song has a sonic quality that I feel is best described with the image of a sunny sidewalk punctuated by the leafy shadows of the trees swaying overhead. After all, there’s a sparkling lightness and fond reminiscence to this track that is only slightly underscored by flashes of melancholy. There is also something near regret, but it never quite gets there.

Book: “A Paradise Built in Hell” by Rebecca Solnit (2009) “A Paradise Built in Hell” discusses the seeming contradiction of how human beings behave in times of disaster. Instead of panicking or acting selfishly, as popular perception might suggest, people instead demonstrate more altruism and solidarity than usual, coming together in times of crisis to offer and accept mutual aid and cooperation that strengthens the community. This positive perspective is not baseless fluff but rather a result of her thoughtful examination of five different historical disasters, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires, the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Amidst the downcast state of current affairs, “A Paradise Built in Hell” offers a source of hope that is not saccharine or overwrought, but stirringly genuine in both content and delivery. It asks simple but piercing questions: Is it still possible for us, living day by day, to aspire to the kind of life-saving altruism that people show in times of crisis?; Can our sense of solidarity transcend the disasters where they are born and become a new societal norm?

Album: “Inbred” by Ethel Cain (2021) As a slight tonal shift from the other choices on this list, “Inbred” is the perfect listen when I want to take a straightforward sunny day and infuse it with a vague sense of heaviness and loss. It’s easy to get lost in Ethel Cain’s vocals, which are haunting and evocative of a whole slew of time-honored tropes like old family sins and unraveling first loves that collapse into years of pain. The album is a paradoxical project shining with bright emotion and weighed down by dull resignation. The listening experience is just as restrained yet indulgent.

Movie: “Pride and Prejudice” dir. Joe Wright (2005) A quintessential historical romantic drama, the 2005 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” may not be as accurate to the original novel as the 1995 television mini-series is, but instead of coming off clumsy, every change that is made simply elevates the film-viewing experience. The emotional beats are hit at the exact right moments in the film’s two-hours-and-seven-minute runtime.

The visuals are absolutely gorgeous. Each shot is beautiful on its own, but the camerawork transports you into the backdrops and makes you feel like you’re walking through the story itself. Lastly, the two leads, Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightley, play their parts to perfection. It is their chemistry that makes this version of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s love story believable and keeps you rooting for them until the end.

LEIGHBARDUGO on 11

Don’t Nod proves they still have ‘game’ with their latest release: ‘Lost Records: Bloom & Rage’ A spoiler-free review of the newly released installment by the beloved video game developer

BY BELLA PETERSON arts@theaggie.org The developers of the original beloved “Life is Strange” game, Don’t Nod, just released the second and final part to their newest game “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.” Having been known best for their choice-based storytelling, it’s safe to say that Don’t Nod has proven that they still know how to do it with this installment.

The subgenre of choose-your-own adventure storytelling in video games isn’t new, but “Life is Strange” certainly made an impact with its initial release in 2014. Since the popularity of “Life is Strange,” Don’t Nod has made various games unrelated to the series that utilized a similar format. It wasn’t until “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage” that Don’t Nod was able to make nearly the same impact as “Life is Strange.”

“Lost Records: Bloom & Rage” follows the friendship made between four girls in a mysterious summer before they all eventually go their separate ways. The story bounces between the adult and teen timeline as more information is given to the player of what made these girls choose to split apart in the first place. Similar to the game that put them on the map, this game makes no shortage of choices for the players to make that will shape their story.

If you have played both parts of this newest game, it is evident that what Don’t Nod was able to accomplish with “Life is Strange” really shines through in this newest piece. The gimmick of “your choices will have consequences” was really nailed in by Don’t Nod. Though, it isn’t said outright in this game, it’s present in the story that everything you do has an effect.

A commonly teased factor of Don’t Nod’s original hit game was its dialogue, and for the time it was

Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me whose culture should I wear and doll?

Navigating where admiration ends and appropriation begins, one trendy dupatta at a time

BY IQRA AHMAD arts@theaggie.org

Cover art for “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage,” a two-part adventure game.

(Don’t Nod / fair use) relatively accurate. In “Lost Records,” the dialogue echoes a similar tone.

It felt like the developers may have an inkling of this reputation, but certainly didn’t shy away from it.

“Lost Records” allows the players to shape the story however they want. The player is allowed to build and neglect relationships with the other supporting cast of characters, and even build a connection with one of the girls that are a part of the core four. Depending on the choices the player makes, it will result in a different ending — allowing for great replayability. There’s so much you can miss on the first playthrough. The game gives you a good amount of motivation to see all of the possibilities within the crafted narrative.

Another main aspect of gameplay is recording your environment with a retro video camera. It’s a refreshing take on a creative outlet for your main character as it allows for real influence by the player — compared to their previous games only allowing the player to press a few buttons in this aspect of the gameplay. The player can capture some of their favorite moments in the story and rewatch them later; Along with being able to watch these clips, the player can also

edit them into whichever order they want. Essentially, you can make your own movies on top of playing the game, which is truly unique.

There’s also a supernatural element to “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage” similar to “Life is Strange.” This element was manufactured into the story smoothly — not feeling forced or too far-fetched. Almost feeling like the presence of this supernatural element was symbolic of the main girls’ journey in the story.

“Lost Records: Bloom & Rage” felt very reminiscent of Don’t Nod’s previous games, bringing a great deal of nostalgia in its content. As you explore the environment in the game, you can feel the heart of what makes these game developers so good at their niche. With many recent games coming up with the same cookiecutter gameplay, it’s refreshing to see a company still committed to their low maintenance-format of gaming.

There’s so much life to these characters and the main story. It’s a big task to try to reach the iconic level that “Life is Strange” had, but it seems that Don’t Nod was able to take it on. It’s exciting to see that the company still holds a lot of potential — whatever their future projects may be.

Is it a fashion statement, or did someone just hit copy and paste? As social media influencers strike poses and film videos draped in dupattas, South Asian-inspired scarves, and lehengas, often under hashtags that make no mention of Desi culture, one can’t help but pause. Where is the line between admiration and appropriation?

Brands like Oh Polly have recently come under fire for releasing partywear that unmistakably echoes the ornate South Asian bridal and traditional attire with jewels, gems and embellishments, all without proper context, credit or care. Meanwhile, in Internet spaces, the debate rages on, with an endless stream of videos with creators sharing their views. Some defend it as appreciation, while others call it erasure in disguise. As Western brands dip into centuries-old cultural aesthetics, the question remains — who gets to wear the culture and who gets worn down by it?

A wave of new fashion drops from Western brands has sparked déjà vu for many South Asian individuals online.

“Some say a new Reformation blouse and skirt set looks a lot like a 2000s Bollywood-era lehenga,” an article by The Washington Post reads.

“Others are claiming that an Oh Polly gown resembles a sharara, another popular South Asian outfit. And some say that H&M’s ‘long camisole’ and trouser set for spring sure looks a lot like a shalwar kameez, a tunic paired with trousers.”

Even influencer Devon Lee Carlson, in a recent collaboration with Reformation, wore a look many described as South Asianinspired, a flowing two-piece set reminiscent of Desi fashion. The

Oh Polly has recently been criticized for cultural appropriation in their new partywear. (Oh Polly / fair use) outfit sparked comments across social media platforms, with many South Asian users pointing out the striking resemblance to clothing they or their families wear during weddings, Eid, Diwali and other cultural celebrations.

The growing discomfort stems not just from the visual similarities, but from a long-standing pattern of cultural appropriation. When Western brands adopt elements of South Asian fashion without naming or crediting the cultures they draw from, it contributes to a cycle of erasure, where garments that once marked identity and tradition are now rebranded as “boho,” “festival” or “exotic” for mainstream appeal. What’s seen as trendy on a Western influencer was, for years, considered “too ethnic” or “unprofessional” when worn by South Asians themselves. Instead of being shared, culturally inspired outfits and jewelry are being rebranded and sold as their own.

This pattern is not new. The history of South Asian fashion, particularly under British colonial rule, was shaped by the suppression and dismissal of traditional clothing as “primitive” or “backward.”

CULTURALAPPROPRIATION on 11

8 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

City of Davis holds annual César Chávez celebration

This year’s theme was Sí Se Puede: The Power of Collective Action

BY OLIVIA HOKR city@theaggie.org Since 2001, the city of Davis’ Human Relations Commission has hosted an annual César Chávez celebration in late May or early April.

On April 26, the event was held for the 25th year in Central Park. The celebration focused on advocating for collective action as well as farmworkers’ rights.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the event consisted of various speakers, dance performances, a mariachi performance and a poem reading from the current city of Davis poet laureate.

To kickstart the celebration, Mayor Bapu Vaitla gave an opening welcome.

In the press release from the city, he shared a statement about the aim of the community gathering.

“Each year with this event, we honor the remarkable life of civil

rights leader César Chávez,” the press release reads. “In fighting for the rights of farmworkers, Chávez taught the world that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of livelihood or immigration status. Each of us contributes our work to the betterment of society; each of us has value. These simple and powerful ideas are César Chávez’s legacy.”

César Chávez is recognized as a labor leader and civil rights activist.

As a co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, which eventually grew into the United Farm Workers labor union, he brought to light the struggles of farmworkers. The labor union focused on improving working conditions and wages.

The celebration centers around a different theme every year. “Sí se puede,” which translates to “Yes, we can,” is the motto for the United Farm Workers union and also the theme for this year’s event. Community

Relations Program Manager Carrie Dyer shared further insight into the theme.

“The planning committee selected the theme of ‘Sí Se Puede: The Power of Collective Action’ to acknowledge that it takes communities working together to make strides,” Dyer said. “The event will focus on the overarching theme of collective action, with speakers and performances addressing it.”

The speakers included people from organizations such as NorCal Resist and a case worker for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

Natalia Deeb-Sossa, a current professor in Chicana/o studies at the UC Davis, also gave a speech. Deeb-Sossa has worked in public higher education for 18 years and has published a number of books and articles highlighting the sociological issues that different Latinx communities are facing. At the Chávez event, she connected the theme of collective action to modern-

The César Chávez Celebration in Davis at Community Park.

(Andrew Huang / Aggie) day society.

“Chávez taught us how to organize, how to dream for a just and equitable world that does not exist and make it exist,” Deeb-Sossa said.

“It is not enough to have great moral indignation. We need to act through rallies, boycotts, marches [and] hunger strikes. Everyday we need to risk it all as César Chávez and the farmworkers did with courage and determination.

Our democracy, our rule of law, our intellectual freedom, our reproductive rights and education system are at

stake. Given this, we must be willing to make the personal sacrifice and the life commitment required to motivate and inspire others to join us to overcome all our obstacles for as long as it takes.”

The annual César Chávez celebrations continue to motivate the community to support one another.

By looking back on times prominent with discrimination and injustice, it is also important to remember the sacrifices and the actions that people made to bring forth change.

Undergraduate Co-operative living in Downtown Davis: Turtle House students showcase A behind-the-scenes look into why 17 residents left the house in the span of two weeks

Turtle House, a housing co-op on 2nd Street. (Jessie Baltaxe / Aggie)

BY NOAH HARRIS features@theaggie.org “Who wouldn’t want to live here?

It’s a party. That’s the thing. People love going to a party. They don’t want to live at a party,” an anonymous exresident of Turtle House said.

Turtle House, a co-operative house near campus in Davis’ downtown, is one of several co-operative living locations in the area. They exist both on and off of UC Davis’ campus, with some of them including the Tri Co-ops and the Domes. In these situations, residents essentially live and work with each other, cooking, cleaning and sharing responsibilities.

For the privacy of past residents who have been interviewed and to ensure the focus remains on Turtle House, most interviewees will be anonymous, with the exception of the Turtle House owner.

Right before the 2022-23 academic year began, 18 people moved into Turtle House, a place selftouted as “a special home for creatives and musician Davisites.”

A few community members had previously lived in the house, but most were students who had only seen or visited the house as outsiders, not tenants. One of Turtle House’s appeals is its recognition as a residence that hosts frequent concerts and house shows.

The lease signed was for 24 months, starting on Aug. 27, 2022.

“It was a two-year lease,” one resident said. “Which is kind of nuts.

I’ve never seen anywhere else that has you sign on for two years.”

Just over one year after their lease was signed, there was just one person left in the 12-bedroom residence.

Turtle House, a place intended for collaborative living, soon became a ghost town.

One resident described what viewing Turtle House for the first time felt like.

“Just like seeing it for the first time in person, I knew it was a space that I wanted to live in,” one resident said.

“I’ve always said it looks like if you asked a three-year old kid to draw a house, that’s kind of like what it would look like. It felt like a place where, [when] you walked up, you could tell that the people that lived there loved it.”

Another resident discussed the communal aspect of Turtle House living.

“We had a lot more communal dinners,” one resident said. “I remember I would get stuff from Trader Joe’s. A lot of them made homemade food.”

Another resident expressed a similar appreciation for the house’s dynamic.

“I really liked it there,” one resident said. “My friends [now are] pretty much from there. Yeah, I would say it was pretty good. It had a big effect on me.”

However, friction slowly developed between many of the tenants and the owner of Turtle House, Michael Harrington. Several months into the lease, Harrington was allegedly sent evidence of lease violations from

multiple people within the house.

“It became clear to me that they were operating the place extremely unsafely,” Harrington said.

One source alleged that the only person that continued to live in the house had shared the lease violation evidence with Harrington. The source also said that the remaining resident informed past tenants of their intention to leak the allegations to Harrington.

Some of these allegations included evidence of unsafe practices, such as alleged selling of alcohol to minors, as well as smoking and going onto the roof, all of which could result in fines under the lease agreement. “[Harrington], actually being semi-smart, realized that with the information that [this person] was feeding him, he could scare all of us to leave,” one source said.

Harrington described his perspective of the situation.

“The word I want you to use is embezzlement,” Harrington said.

“They were embezzling my resources.”

He had two main claims of what he perceived as embezzlement. “[There were] 18 people on the lease,” Harrington said. “They were jamming up to 24. I heard the maximum number was 24. [...] They were packing in people, they were sleeping on the floor, they were triplebunking in bunk beds.”

Piper, a former tenant who wishes to leave their last name anonymous, dismissed the claim.

“That’s a crazy claim, [and] I completely refute that,” Piper said.

The second claim was in regards to concerts held at the house. On the Turtle House lease, residents were told that they were not allowed to have a commercial operation and charge for concerts.

“What I found out later was the reason why they wanted to pack the front yard [was] because they got more Venmo money,” Harrington said. “It was always $10 or $12. Always. They had people at the gate in the front and they had people in the back and they had people at the side gate at 215 [University Ave.]. And they had their little Venmo tables out there with the barcodes.”

Every concert was NOTALOF, which means that nobody was turned away through lack of funds or donations, and the money received was used to pay the bands and artists that played, with the rest being distributed equally among the house’s residents.

In September of 2023, Harrington decided to seek action against certain residents.

“I went after four [house] leaders,” Harrington said. “I had the data. I had the dirt. I had the photos. I had the stuff. I had everything.”

Harrington shared the actions he took with the aim of encouraging residents to move out prior to the end of the lease.

“I decided on how I was going to do it,” Harrington said. “I went after one of them and I said, you will sign a lease termination. You will be out of here by the end of September, or I’m suing on Monday morning in Yolo County Superior Court for eviction and for lots of other things. And I will

attach my data to the complaint.”

After these individuals were sent the emails, almost every other resident also decided to move out.

“The rest of them are like, ‘Oh, can we take an early termination too?’”

Harrington said. “Yeah, sure. Sign below. 17 people left in less than two weeks. Voluntarily. They signed the lease termination. I let them off scotfree. Sayonara. Have a nice life. Hasta la vista baby — get off my premises.”

As part of the agreement to leave, tenants had to pay the rest of September’s rent, as well as October’s if their room was not occupied by new tenants, which ended up being the case for most.

Piper detailed the struggle of leaving Turtle House during the beginning of the new academic year.

“It cost me $4,000 to move out of Turtle House because of the eviction, of doubling my rent [and] taking my entire security deposit,” Piper said.

“Then I had to pay for a rent and security deposit at a new place all at the same time.”

Harrington claimed to have lost tens of thousands of dollars in future rent as a result of 17 out of the 18 residents leaving. Harrington reportedly went to the house for an inspection toward the end of the lease, according to multiple sources.

“Judgment Day, otherwise known as walkout day, was Sunday at 2 p.m. on Sept. 17,” Harrington said. “That’s when I got to the house and there was this mob of tenants and their parents on the front porch all angry. They were yelling at me. The parents were yelling at me. I go, ‘Oh, now I know why your kids are [the way that] they are.’”

After September of 2023, that iteration of Turtle House officially ended. As a result of these claims, as well as many others not mentioned, Harrington decided to formally issue a trespass notice to many of the former tenants.

“I have a list of 34 people that have been formally trespassed off this property,” Harrington said.

Current residents were informed

by Harrington to report if former tenants become present on the premises, emphasizing that immediate law enforcement contact and arrests would be made, according to an email sent to a former resident from Harrington.

Tenants also mentioned that they only received a small amount of money from their security deposits.

“I got like 80 bucks back,” one resident said. “I mean, individually, I think I paid like 700 [dollars] for the security deposit.”

It has been over two years since the residents of Turtle House left the building. In September of 2023, 18 people lived in Turtle House together.

Two weeks later, there was just one.

Currently, 12 people live in Turtle House.

Harrington shared his thoughts on the newest residents.

“It’s now rented to a pretty good bunch of people who are kind of serious,” Harrington said. “They’re taking care of their business. They’re not living off of dad or mom’s money.

They’re working hard for their future.

The house is not their life. The house is a great place to do things. A great base to have, but it’s not their life like the old group.”

One resident currently living at Turtle House shared their thoughts on the living environment.

“I don’t hang out with everyone here all the time,” the resident said.

“You know, we don’t go out and do things all the time 24/7, [and] that’s totally okay. Because when things need to get done, we need to get together and do something, we do it. That’s it and that’s all we need. It’s been peaceful.”

This is the first part of the Turtle House articles, follow The Aggie for more coverage.

presentations at 36th Undergraduate Research Conference

UC Davis students shared their research presented at the Undergraduate Research Conference and their experiences surrounding it

BY EVELYN SANCHEZ features@theaggie.org The 36th annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) was held on April 25 and April 26. The 36th year of the conference saw a recordbreaking attendance of over 1,000+ students presenting their research.

The URC welcomed research from all disciplines, making space for research in the arts, STEM and humanities by dividing the conference into three possible events. These events included the poster session, arts and design exhibitions and oral presentations. The poster and art exhibitions took place inside of the University Credit Union Center, whereas the oral presentations took place in Wellman Hall on campus in various rooms.

The conference offers a great opportunity to undergraduate students looking for a place to not only present arduous research, but to also gain experience and establish networks with professionals in the field.

Komolika Basu, a fourth-year cinema and digital media (CDM) and theater and dance double major, presented in the arts and design exhibit.

“I’m presenting my honors thesis, which is under the CDM Department and interdisciplinary with the [Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies] Department,” Basu said. “It’s about understanding and analyzing queer and [transgender] representation in Indian cinema, specifically about films from Rituparno Ghosh, who was a queer icon in Bengali cinema.”

Basu’s project was titled “An Indian Film Realism: The Politics of Gender Identity in Indian Cinema Through the Art of Rituparno Ghosh.”

The exhibition was featured during the poster session on Friday, where a small tent enclosed the space for a unique viewing experience within the University Credit Union Center.

“I made a short film,” Basu said.

“Which is like an experimental video essay that’s going to be on a loop, and a few other objects will be next to it to create an atmosphere. It’s selfreflexive.”

The film was projected for four hours and allowed visitors to walk in and interact with the exhibition.

Three posters were on display beneath it, and a few other objects were scattered around in a style similar to an interactive art installation. There was a QR code available for attendees

to scan and learn more about Basu’s research.

Prati Mehta, a second-year cognitive science and statistics double major, presented her research on Wav2vec, a speech-learning model, and its tracking of phonetic differences in duration.

“I worked under the Phonetics Lab, and my research is centered around computational linguistics,” Mehta said. “The data was provided [...] and my responsibilities were focused on plotting data through models, which also involved training the models using the data, and making visualizations for it.”

Mehta presented at the last poster session from 4 to 5 p.m. It was also her first time presenting.

“I worked on my poster throughout spring quarter,” Mehta said. “I worked on making graphs for it, and the project went through two rounds of editing.”

Alan Abdrazakov, a fourthyear managerial economics major, presented on the “Impact of Government Subsidies and Credit Markets on Corn Oil Prices: A Study of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard” under the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“I found that credit prices, which are regulated by the California Board of Fuel Consumption, vary,” Abdrazakov said. “I’m trying to find a correlation between increasing [Low Carbon Fuel Standard] credit and corn oil prices. I found that in the end, the credit prices do have an effect on corn oil’s market price.”

Abdrazakov also discussed his experience with compiling lengthy research.

“What really helped me was my professor, Andrew Swanson,” Abdrazakov said. “He helped guide me through the process, and it’s helpful to have a real professional who knows a lot about environmental policies.

Every day I’m learning more about this, and the knowledge I had at the beginning of my project versus now is greatly limited.”

Straightforward and great for experience, the Undergraduate Research Conference provides special opportunities to undergraduate students, who have spent countless hours compiling data and research, to present and publicize their work.

For more information on how to register for next year, regardless of major or topic of study, visit https:// urc.ucdavis.edu/.

A student presents their research at the 36th Annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference.

(Veda Jadaprolu / Aggie)

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle 04/24/25

Crossword

Answer to previous puzzle 04/24/25

HUMOR

Davis in Wonderland

BY AILI KOGA aakoga@ucdavis.edu

Disclaimer: This cartoon is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and names of “sources” are fictionalized.

10 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders spark hope — and tension — in a divided Folsom

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders draw a crowd of 26,000 in the polarized community

BY EMME DUNNING features@theaggie.org It’s April 15, 2025. A modest black stage sits at the east end of a California college athletic field, looking out over a sea of 26,000 people.

They’re here to see Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders on their nationwide Fighting Oligarchy tour, a call to action aimed at mobilizing workingclass voters ahead of the 2026 midterm election.

Outside of the stadium, lines stretch up to three miles, winding through sprawling suburbs and shopping centers.

This isn’t Los Angeles. It’s not San Francisco, either. This is the track at Folsom Lake Community College.

Although located in the notoriously liberal state of California, Folsom tells a different political story.

Folsom is nestled in California’s third congressional district, a district that voted 55.5% in favor of incumbent Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley.

Kiley is a traditional conservative and shares core values with President Donald Trump regarding shrinking the size of government and condemnation of growing protests at college campuses across the nation. The listed goals of his office include introducing a resolution calling for an end to “illegal” encampments on college campuses and introducing the Coastal Commission Accountability Act to “strip the California Coastal Commission of its powers under federal law.”

The city of Folsom itself is narrowly split by party, with 35% of Folsom voters identifying as Democrats and 34% identifying as Republicans, according to 2025 Sacramento County data.

In this growing crowd at Folsom Lake College, it’s easy to forget these statistics.

A reminder comes just over the hill.

Half a dozen cars — trucks, SUVs and sedans — can be seen cruising up and down the heavily trafficked East Bidwell Street, donning pro-Trump and Elon Musk memorabilia.

A flag reads “I’ll be back — Trump 2024,” overlayed against a weathered American Flag and photo of the president. A fake wanted poster accuses California Governor Gavin Newsom of treason. One particularly committed supporter hauls a trailer bearing a handmade plywood sign praising the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency and affectionately likening Elon Musk to the bogeyman.

These counter-protestors actively clash with those in line to see Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, both sides throwing insults at each other.

Minutes before the event begins, a small plane hovers above the track, circling the ever-growing crowd.

Attached to the plane is a simple

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speak to a crowd in Folsom.

(Mick Dunning / Courtesy) message, written in bold, capitalized red letters: “Folsom is Trump Country!”

The scene in Folsom reflects the polarized atmosphere that has become the norm for many Americans on both sides of the aisle, and particularly those in rural areas. Across the nation, widespread division has taken hold — at town halls, in classrooms and around family dinner tables.

Alice Malmberg, a UC Davis political science Ph.D. candidate, has spent years researching these topics.

Malmberg’s study focuses on American public opinion and political behavior, which becomes especially relevant as division seeps into the everyday life of Americans.

Malmberg believes that Folsom is indicative of a larger divide in the United States more broadly.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Malmberg said. “If national polls for years and years and years are showing increased affective polarization, which is simply that Democrats hate Republicans and vice versa, and also ideological polarization, which speaks more to these deep-rooted questions about beliefs and values, [...] then that polarization is increasing.”

And still, in the sun-baked track of Folsom Lake College and the grassy hills beyond the fence, a blue wave quietly grows.

People from all walks of life slowly squish their way into every available patch of grass, buzzing and chattering in anticipation. Teachers, veterans, union workers and students fill the stadium — students like 19-year-old Avril Amendola.

Amendola is a current Sacramento City College student and will be attending UC Davis as a transfer student this coming fall. Economic concerns are top of mind for the longtime California resident.

“What’s affecting students like me is affordable housing and the affordability of living,” Amendola said. “I wish I

could live in California forever, but I just don’t know if I’ll be able to afford it.”

As a first-generation American herself, Amendola also joins many who are troubled by the unprecedented immigration action being taken by the Trump administration.

“I think the way that deportations and the immigration process are happening right now is very unfair and brutal,” Amendola said. “It’s just not good. It feels like we’re going backward, and I want to be a part of being able to move forward.”

This sentiment, along with the amplification of working-class values, was core to the speeches given by Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. The pair specifically advocated for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a detained Maryland father who is now being held in a facility in El Salvador.

“He must be returned,” OcasioCortez said. “It is criminal that he is being held.”

The New York congresswoman also called out her colleague, Kiley, for his conservative policies that have hurt working-class constituents in the area.

“26,000 of you have gathered to tell Kevin Kiley — ‘Hell No!’” OcasioCortez said. “Hands off our Medicare.

Hands off our Medicaid. Hands off our social security.”

Sanders stayed true to his long-held views of a Democratic socialist economy that benefits the working class, a group that has seen increased financial stress since the election.

“We have got to, together, create an economy that works for working people, not just Mr. Musk and the billionaire class,” Sanders said.

The Vermont senator also directly addressed Congressman Kiley.

“I don’t know if Mr. Kiley is watching or not,” Sanders said.

“Well, Mr. Kiley, I think some of your constituents have a message for

you: Don’t vote to give tax breaks to billionaires and cut programs that the working class of this country desperately needs.”

After each remark, members of the energized crowd expressed their approval in shouts, claps and chants of solidarity that echoed across the college campus and neighboring communities.

Despite these strong reactions, Malmberg, among others, has doubts that constituents will feel any lasting impact from this tour.

“Is this actually going to change anything about what’s going on?”

Malmberg said. “I doubt it will.”

Part of the Ph.D. student’s hesitation to classify the rally as impactful for conservative communities comes from Folsom’s proximity to the overwhelmingly liberal regions of Davis, Sacramento proper, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I have to wonder how many of the people who attended the rally came from places like Davis and Sacramento rather than from Folsom itself or are more conservative,” Malmberg said.

With these statistics in mind,

Malmberg believes that the Fighting Oligarchy tour is less of an attempt to connect with entrenched conservative voters and more about appeasing concerned Democrats.

“First and foremost, they’re trying to demonstrate that members of the Democratic party are actually doing something to stand up to Trump’s agenda and what’s going on federally right now,” Malmberg said. “I believe it is a symbolic message to Democratic voters and ordinary Democrats and Democratic-leaning individuals who oppose Trump’s agenda that people are speaking out.”

Despite doubts about the larger impact of the rally, many attendees still found hope and community in the event.

Nicole Miller, a third-year applied chemistry major at UC Davis, was impacted not only by the words of the speakers, but also by the crowd itself.

“It was really really awesome to hear [Sanders] and [Ocasio-Cortez] speak and be in that energy, but honestly it was much more of a cool experience to just be in an environment of likeminded people,” Miller said. “It was really refreshing to just be in a mass of people that also have the same feelings that I do. I am not alone, change is actually something that can be attained because we’re all on the same page.

There’s a genuine feeling of anger and of power and motivation to do something.”

By 7:30 p.m. on April 15, East Bidwell Street was once more filled with a sea of bright-eyed rally-goers interspersed with the Trump supporters of the afternoon, all en route back home — wherever that may be.

Whether the Fighting Oligarchy tour will have any impact on the intense polarization facing the United States remains to be seen. But as the sun set over the track of Folsom Lake College, one thing was clear: A willingness to fight for change — whatever that may look like — is very much alive in Folsom, California.

A crowd cheers, raises fists during the “Fight Oligarchy” rally.

(Mick Dunning / Courtesy)

Recent updates: President Trump’s executive actions face legal pushback

UC Davis students and law professors discuss new updates on the legal challenges surrounding Trump’s executive actions

BY GRACIELA TIU features@theaggie.org For the past four months since President Donald Trump took office for his second term, his administration has been progressing its agenda through numerous executive actions. Many of these measures have faced various legal challenges since day one, raising significant questions, particularly surrounding the Constitution and the scope of executive power.

These multiple examples of legal pushback against the Trump administration aim to utilize one of the largest checks on presidential power — the judiciary’s power of judicial review.

This gives federal courts the power to consider whether or not certain actions taken by the executive or legislative branches are constitutional.

Each week, new updates arise, giving the public more information surrounding the various lawsuits and their progression in the courts. Given the vast number of executive actions that have faced legal challenges, thoroughly covering all of the details of each case would be difficult. However,

many of these executive actions and their lawsuits can be categorized into specific sections of his agenda.

One of the most contested actions has been Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which he invoked to impose tariffs, which are currently under a 90day pause. While the power to enact tariffs generally rests with Congress under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, the IEEPA allows the president to act unilaterally during national emergencies. Legal challenges have arisen, with lawsuits filed by multiple states, including California, questioning whether the president’s use of the IEEPA oversteps his constitutional boundaries.

Regarding federal funding cuts, Trump has faced opposition over his decision to halt federal funds to universities, Harvard University in particular, with the Trump administration citing the university’s lack of protection against alleged antisemitism on campus. The lawsuits filed against the administration argue that Trump’s actions violate the First Amendment by targeting free speech and academic freedom. These actions have prompted a broader debate about

Trump supporters counter-protest the “Fight Oligarchy” rally in Folsom.

(Mick Dunning / Courtesy)

the relationship between the federal government and academic institutions.

In March, Trump’s efforts to dissolve the United States Department of Education also provoked legal challenges. The lawsuit against Executive Order 14242 argues that dismantling the department violates the separation of powers, as only Congress has the authority to eliminate federal agencies. The legal fight continues as courts evaluate whether such a significant restructuring of the federal government is within the president’s jurisdiction.

Another measure, Executive Order 14248, that has drawn substantial legal resistance involves Trump’s efforts to restrict voting rights. This executive action, which limits mail-in voting and changes voter ID laws, has sparked lawsuits from civil rights organizations arguing that these measures are discriminatory.

However, on April 24, 2025, a Washington, D.C. federal judge, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, put a pause on a primary section of that executive order.

Trump’s controversial push to end birthright citizenship also continues to face legal opposition. The president’s Executive Order 14160, which sought to change the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, faced a major setback when the Supreme Court set dates to hear the case in May, after three district courts halted its implementation.

In another area of legal contention, Trump’s executive orders limiting transgender rights, particularly in the military and in women’s sports, have faced multiple constitutional challenges. His executive order barring transgender people from the military has been temporarily blocked, while the order barring transgender women from women’s sports is still undergoing legal contestation.

Additionally, Trump’s efforts to make it easier to fire federal employees have raised concerns over executive overreach. The president’s Executive Order 14183, which changes civil service protections, is seen by critics

as an attempt to weaken federal labor rights. A new rule proposal on April 18, 2025, which would recategorize thousands of civil servants as “at-will” employees, would remove civil service protections and make the process of firing federal workers much easier.

Trump’s Executive Order 14151, ending federal support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, has similarly sparked lawsuits. These orders are being challenged on the grounds that they violate First Amendment protections for free speech and academic freedom. The efforts have been partially and temporarily blocked by various federal judges.

Trump’s decision to suspend asylum processing has faced significant legal pushback. While lawsuits are still ongoing, an appeals court in late March allowed for the suspension of new refugees while the litigation continues.

The president also enacted Executive Order 14169 that would put a 90-day pause on most foreign aid, but faced legal challenges from various groups.

Following a similar district court ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump must pay around $2 billion in foreign assistance throughout the litigation process.

Rominna Sharifi, a third-year biopsychology major and a member of Davis Pre-Law Society and Phi Alpha Delta, the UC Davis pre-law fraternity, discussed her thoughts on the freezing of foreign aid and its global implications.

“The U.S. has a responsibility to support global development, especially because so many of the issues other countries face — like climate change or political instability — have roots in U.S. policy,” Sharifi said. “Foreign aid isn’t just charity; it’s about justice and global solidarity. The president should have a role, but not unchecked power.

Decisions about foreign aid should go through Congress and be informed by experts — not used as a political bargaining chip.”

UC Davis Distinguished Professor of Law Vikram Amar outlined his thoughts on whether the court system

is equipped to respond to numerous executive actions facing legal pushback.

“Courts by their nature are slow, ponderous, transparent and processoriented,” Amar said. “The executive branch, by contrast, can act quickly and energetically along several dimensions at once, and can do so based on information and processes that aren’t always open to public view. Courts are not at their best when they have to act quickly, but in the present situation, they have no choice.”

Sharifi mentioned how recent executive actions and legal proceedings have changed her view on the role of the executive.

“I used to think the president had a lot of symbolic power, but now I see how real and far-reaching executive authority can be, especially when it’s unchecked,” Sharifi said. “It’s made me more skeptical of expanding presidential powers, no matter who’s in office. We need more oversight and accountability from Congress.”

Campbell Buffington, a fourthyear political science major, shared her hopes for her generation’s political engagement.

“I hope that my generation is inspired to be much more active in government as a result of these events,” Buffington said. “I feel that my generation has a tendency to want to see change in our government, but they do not want to run for a government position or petition [or] protest against what they see.”

Though all of Trump’s executive actions and the ongoing legal proceedings mentioned are just scratching the surface, students like Buffington recommend that community members step up in terms of their civic and political engagement.

“I understand that as college students, it is difficult for my generation to take the time to actively protest, run for government, etc.,” Buffington said. “I do hope that when the time comes, we step up and actively go after what we want to see changed in our government.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | 11

SCIENCE AND TECH The key to saving Emerald Bay State Park’s forest

A recent fire modeling study showcases the best management practices to keep this forest thriving

UC Davis researchers conducted their study in Lake Tahoe.

(Soly Moses / Creative Commons)

BY MADELINE HASS science@theaggie.org A team of researchers from UC Davis and the University of Nevada, Reno conducted a fire modeling study within Lake Tahoe as the development of forest management practices and strategies centered around reducing the severity of forest fires continues to become increasingly imperative.

Their published study, “Burn to Save, or Save to Burn? Management May Be Key to Conservation of an Iconic Old-Growth Stand in California, USA,” aimed to provide necessary information to develop an appropriate risk-management plan for this site in hopes to lower the effects of a forest fire, while also offering crucial insight to help similar forests across the western United States.

The location of their study site was a mature old-growth (MOG) forest within Emerald Bay State Park, on the southwestern shores of Lake Tahoe, that has received no management or mitigation relating to fire or droughtrisk in over a century. MOG forests offer habitat for numerous plant and animal species, while also serving as significant carbon sinks and offering important ecosystem services. Most MOG forests in the West were historically adapted to frequent and low-severity fire, yet the withholding of fire and management has greatly changed their composition; instead, they are now at risk of suffering substantially from fires.

Dr. Hugh Safford, a research ecologist in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis and the head of the Safford Lab, remarked on the importance of developing new management plans for these MOG forests.

“In most of the west, the big fire tolerant trees were logged and fire has been suppressed, and the forests have greatly changed as a result,” Safford said

SHOWIZAKAYA FROM PAGE 2 “I think it fits into the Davis scene really well and adds a more upscale option that still is affordable and accessible,” Brown said. “You can really feel the care and attention the staff put into the experience. It can be hard in Davis when people come to visit and you want to take them to a more upscale place to eat at. There’s been a lack of options for that for a while now in town, and Show Izakaya is a great option without having to make the drive into Sacramento.” @mydaviscalifornia also offered their thoughts on the future of Show Izakaya and what they look forward to seeing from the restaurant.

“Show Izakaya is a perfect addition to Davis,” @mydaviscalifornia said.

“It filled the shoes of the old Seasons restaurant, a formal yet casual dining option. It’s great for getting some food with friends or celebrating any special events. They are working on a happy hour, which we are very excited for.

Some small bites combined with drinks should do very well in Davis, as not many places in town have that option.

It’s usually one or the other. There definitely isn’t a Japanese restaurant doing it either.”

Show Izakaya is now open for regular hours, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Reservations can be made by emailing info@showizakaya.com.

ACADEMICCALENDAR FROM PAGE 3 At UC Davis, flyers on this proposal have appeared on various television and advertising screens across campus spaces, including at the Memorial Union and Silo.

One transfer student, Brian Vuong, a third-year human development major, detailed his thoughts.

“My community college had a

via email. “They are now very dense, composed of mostly fire intolerant trees, they are full of dead fuels, and they are super stressed due to high density and competition for water. Fires under these conditions tend to kill most of the trees and can lead to major ecosystem transformations.”

Jenevah Harrison, a second-year environmental policy and analysis major, commented on what protecting this forest means to her.

“Visiting the forest at Emerald Bay State Park has always been one of my favorite things to do with my family,” Harrison said. “I always look forward to spending time in Lake Tahoe and being able to see such a beautiful area, but with each year I worry more about the risk of a forest fire destroying it.”

In order to conclude what management plan is best for this forest, their team started by using a forestgrowth simulation model, called Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS), where they were able to simulate four different management scenarios each ranging in the amounts of forest intervention.

They then applied the Fire and Fuels extension to the FVS simulation to see which strategy would accomplish reducing fire risk the best.

“We worked with State Parks and [United States Forest Service (USFS)] staff to identify the most typical weather and fuel moisture conditions for severe fires in the Lake Tahoe Basin and used those in our simulations,” Safford said.

“We also used field data we had collected in the stand itself, and our simulated vegetation management options are standard State [Parks’] management practices, so we are confident that our modeling results are representative of the likely effects of wildfire under typical State [Parks’] management.”

The recommended management plan that arose is to carry out a thinning of the forest located in Emerald Bay State Park to reduce the amount of live and dead fuel, followed by a semester system,” Vuong said. “I think the benefits of the system is that you get more time to do your work. If you are behind, you can have more time to catch up. You don’t have to worry about tight deadlines. You don’t have to worry about taking a lot of classes in a series.”

The workgroup is asking that students and other campus community members share their opinions about this proposal so university leaders can hear further feedback. Those interested are invited to fill out an online survey or email calendar@ucop.edu.

The comment period runs through May 30. A final report incorporating feedback will be produced for UC leadership to consider, according to Holbrook.

SENATESQ5 FROM PAGE 3 “The resolution has a wonderful cause,” Rosenbach said. “But it just lacks action. I think it would benefit from a bit more digging and more actual solutions proposed. We need concrete solutions, especially if we’re gonna be sending this to chancellors and deans.”

SR#11 was then tabled for the following Senate meeting.

Open forum: Following legislation and approval of past meeting minutes, the Senate moved into open forum.

Cohen took a moment to recognize April 24 as Holocaust Remembrance Day, sharing her family’s history, as well as her feelings about antisemitism at the Senate table.

“Today is a really hard day for Jewish students,” Cohen said. “It is Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks a horrific period where millions of Jews were killed. If my greatgrandparents hadn’t left the ghetto and come to America less than a century ago, I would not be here today. They never heard back from anybody. It frightens me to see the antisemitism, especially at this table. I don’t want to relive what my ancestors had to go through, it is unacceptable.”

Younes then asked senators to

controlled burn. The two strategies that implemented this technique proved the most likely to allow the MOG forest to return to a restored state while also permitting the most large-tree survival.

Historically, this MOG forest would be dominated by larger trees that depend on low-severity natural fires in order to both reduce the competition from fire-intolerant species and limit the amount of excess fuel on the ground.

The study further showcased that in the two simulations where no forest thinning took place prior to a fire, the forest suffered complete mortality when fire did strike.

“Conservationists in the [United States] tend to operate from the principle that we should just stay away from older forests and it will be fine,” Safford said. “But in areas of high fire risk, that is a strategy doomed to failure.

Because of the huge amounts of fuels in these stands after [120+] years of fire suppression, in most cases we cannot simply burn the stands. We need to reduce fuels first, and also reducing the density of small and medium trees is important. Direct action is the best way to do this in many locations.”

This type of strategy for maintaining forests continues to be a prime topic of discussion as forest fires proceed to gain relevance. Modern forest management still shies away from most types of intervention prior to a fire striking, allowing these forests to become so dense that it is inhibiting the ability of native fire tolerant trees to thrive.

“We keep seeing new research in my classes that shows how the importance of removing excess fuel off forest floors is important to keeping a forest healthy,” Harrison said. “It’s constantly articulated that sometimes intervention within ecosystems is key to allowing them to thrive, and that means that implementing different new forest management strategies that are demonstrated to work could be necessary to stop forests from facing harm beyond recovery.”

Despite this concept seeming unusual, prescribed burns and thinning of forests has proven to be the best course of action for not just protecting some of our beloved forests but also keeping them healthy and sustainable.

Utilizing modeling strategies and planning appropriate courses of action for sites, similar to those outlined in Safford and his colleagues’ research, could be the key to stopping forest fires from decimating areas year after year.

“Conservationists need to understand that in many ecosystems, recurrent disturbance is the only way to preserve them,” Safford said. “In these circumstances, human management can be an important part of conservation.

This is not a controversial idea in Europe, where many rare species and ecosystems depend directly on human management, but here it is still a novel topic.”

Let’s Explorit: Davis science non-profit with an uncertain future

The Explorit Science Center faces financial challenges and is turning to the community for help

Entrance to Explorit Science Center, a local non-profit. (Jenna Lee / Aggie)

BY IHA RASTOGI science@theaggie.org Founded in the 1980s by Davis residents who wanted to bring UC Davis-level rigor to scientific education in local schools, the Explorit Science Center is in danger of shutting down as early as this upcoming summer.

Throughout the decades, Explorit has reached hundreds of thousands of people through its dedicated camps and school programs. The non-profit’s website cites connections to 17 different California counties, all of which operate science programming through donations. By hosting several activities for schoolchildren and their families to participate in, including public exhibits, workshops, an astronomy club and even a Science Exposition in the past fall. The center offers numerous opportunities to directly engage in the same science concepts often taught passively in school textbooks.

Glen Lusebrink, a retired schoolteacher who now serves as a board member for Explorit and a volunteer, particularly enjoys the Family Science Night tradition.

“An Explorit team loads a van with plastic tubs full of hands-on science activities and drives to a school sometimes up to an hour away from Davis,” Lusebrink said. “They transform the school’s multi-purpose room into a pop-up science museum. Fossils, earthquakes and reptiles are all part of the experience — and you might even get to hold a Madagascar hissing cockroach.”

During the rocky stretch of

LEIGHBARDUGO

surviving the pandemic where all inperson programs were suspended for over 18 months, Explorit staff and board didn’t sit still.

“We have seen growth in both our public visitation and school program participants every year since re-opening after [COVID-19],” Program Director Emily Anderson said via email. “Studies report most science-learning occurs outside of the formal education setting.

People, young and old, need places to ignite curiosity and self-directed exploration. Explorit provides those experiences.”

Explorit is actively seeking donations and advocates to fuel its mission.

Board President of Explorit and UC Davis Professor Ken Kaplan advises that making donations through the Explorit website in time for the “Big Day of Giving” on May 1 or reaching out to a board member to get personally involved are excellent ways to support the center.

“Everyone can help ‘Save Explorit,’” Anderson said. “Ask people you see at the farmers market if they’ve heard of Explorit, and encourage them to visit during our open hours. Talk to leaders, school principals and science teachers — spread the word.”

Kaplan emphasized the importance of educational centers like Explorit for local communities.

“In a time when we find it hard to agree about the very facts that describe our world, isn’t investing in the next generation of citizens and thinkers one of the most important things we can do?” Kaplan said.

even being comforted by compliments or praise.”

FROM PAGE 7 spread the word about a newly launched project that allows registered student organizations to fundraise in the Coffee House.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m.

LOWERCASETYPE FROM PAGE 4 Lately, however, it has felt as if this generation’s individuality has subsumed into a collective, making this deliberate staging of personality for the sake of communicating a certain aloofness ironic and somewhat oddly sincere.

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

SMKIDS FROM PAGE 6 Parents can take caution and monitor their children’s screen time.

If they notice signs of their children disrespecting others, it’s also best to have a talk with them: ask why they think the way they do, where they get their information from and why what they say or do matters.

However, the full responsibility does not fall solely on the shoulders of parents. Social media companies need to do a better job of filtering and regulating adult content for children under 18.

And, of course, content creators need to be held accountable for their actions of spreading harmful rhetoric and allowing themselves to profit off of children. Though it seems like a lot of work, pressure creates change, and it all starts when we acknowledge the effects of social media on children.

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

“It nearly kept me from writing my first novel,” Bardugo said. “It took many questions, decisions and many moments of discomfort for my very first idea to become a book, that then became a trilogy, that became two spin-off series, and then became two seasons of a television series on Netflix that should’ve been three.”

As a fantasy writer, Bardugo creates entirely new worlds, magical systems and creatures in order to tell each story.

“Six of Crows,” the follow-up series to “Shadow and Bone” — which were both adapted by Netflix into a 2021 television show — featured a variety of elements far outside of Bardugo’s comfort zone as a writer.

“I’d never written a heist before, or a prison break, or a story from five different points of view — I was terrified,” Bardugo said. “But, I really wanted to tell this story, so I lived with that unknown for the better part of a year, and I fell back in love [with writing]. That book, that difficult book that had me wallowing in self-doubt for a year, changed my life. That book stayed on the bestselling list for over a year, and popped back on recently, 10 years after it was published.”

While she didn’t share a fool-proof outlining technique or a presentation on how to craft the perfect plot lines, it’s clear that utilizing the tool of discomfort hasn’t resulted in anything but success for Bardugo.

“If we want to make art, and make it consistently, and if we want it to be our job and not just something we dabble in, then we have to cultivate and recognize these moments of discomfort,” Bardugo said. “We have to welcome the bad days, and that’s hard.”

Rather than switching ideas or putting your pencil down the next time you experience a creative block, or are inspired by something that scares you, Bardugo urged listeners to imagine her voice telling them to keep working — and if something feels uncomfortable or scary, to pursue that feeling instead of running from it.

“The job of the artist is not to skip to the good part,” Bardugo said. “The job of the artist is to make art when no one gives a damn, when you’re not

CULTURALAPPROPRIATION FROM PAGE 7 Today, watching Western brands profit off those very styles without acknowledging their histories can feel like a painful rewriting of the past.

To complicate matters further, not all South Asians feel the same way. Some are thrilled to see Desi aesthetics being appreciated by many people across the world and sharing it with media platforms, especially if it leads to greater interest in South Asian designers and stories. Others argue that representation without recognition is hollow and that true appreciation means more than just aesthetic borrowing; it means creating space for South Asian voices, honoring style traditions and offering economic opportunities to the artisans and communities that have created these cultural styles.

There’s also the issue of access and power. When Western brands commodify South Asian fashion, they often sell it at high-end prices, making traditional styles inaccessible to the very communities from which they originate. It raises the question: Who gets to profit from a fashion trend and who remains on the margins?

For many, the line between appreciation and appropriation isn’t always clear. Some argue that Western designers should be able to draw inspiration from various cultures, but the key lies in how they approach it. Is it with respect, research and collaboration? Or is it just another way to profit from something new and different without understanding its roots?

As the trend takes center stage, whose stories are getting edited out of the script? Maybe it’s time we stop admiring the sequins and start seeing the stitches, the hands and history behind them.

12 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS WOMEN’S TENNIS

Aggies defeat the Idaho Vandals in the Senior Day match

Strong performances in doubles and singles play secured the win for Davis

BY COLINA HARVEY sports@theaggie.org On April 17, the UC Davis women’s tennis team took on the University of Idaho Vandals on their home court.

As it was their last home game of the season, they honored three fourthyear team members who will not be returning the following season.

The three honorees were Claire Galerkin, a fourth-year managerial economics major, Daisy Maunupau, a fourth-year cognitive science major, and Solia Valentine, a Master of Business Administration graduate student.

Before the game kicked off, the team took time to honor the fourthyears with speeches and flowers. Each fourth-year gave a speech, as well as Head Coach Sara Jackson and Assistant Coach Matthew Foster-Estwick. The heartfelt speeches were a testament to the tight-knit nature of the team, making the final home match of the season even more significant.

The match started with three simultaneous doubles matches. On court one, Co-Captain Maunupau partnered with Mika Ikemori, a secondyear psychology major. Together, the duo competed against Idaho’s Valentina Rodas and Naomi Schraeder.

Maunupau and Ikemori dominated the match, with Maunupau hitting an ace to win the first game. They only allowed Idaho to win one game before reaching six games and winning the set.

On court two, Valentine teamed up with Polina Marakhtanova, a firstyear cognitive science major, to face Idaho’s Ida Johannson and Lena Beckx.

The UC Davis women’s tennis team defeated Idaho with a 5-2 win. (Walter Scott Ringler / Courtesy) They also made quick work of Idaho, conceding only two games and clinching the doubles point for the Aggies.

Galerkin and Kaia Wolfe, a thirdyear aerospace science and engineering and mechanical engineering double major, competed against Idaho’s Diana Khaydarshina and Hanna Koprowska on court three. They also prevailed against their opponents, completing the Aggies’ sweep in doubles play.

UC Davis had the advantage going into singles play, but the match was far from over, with six points up for grabs in the singles matches.

Ikemori, Maunupau, Marakhtanova and Valentine competed in singles play

along with Penelope Wong, a first-year environmental engineering major, and Maya Youssef, a third-year political science major.

The first to finish was Marakhtanova, who swiftly took down her opponent, Schraeder, in two sets, giving up only two games total.

Next to finish was Valentine, who decisively defeated her opponent, Koprowska, in the first set, winning 6-1. In the second set, Koprowska fought back, sending the set to a deuce. Valentine persevered and won the second set, securing the match for the Aggies.

Youssef ultimately clinched the

UC Davis baseball tops Washington State in dominant fashion

Aggies pair excellent pitching with offense to win 6-1

On April 23, the UC Davis baseball team hosted the Washington State University Cougars for an afternoon game. The UC Davis Aggies sent the Cougars home defeated, winning by a final score of 6-1.

The game started with Noel Valdez, a fourth-year human development major, pitching a scoreless first inning.

This was then followed up at the bottom of the inning with a lightning-fast offense, as the first two batters of the inning, Braydon Wooldridge, a thirdyear human development major, and Mark Wolbert, a fourth-year managerial economics major, doubled and then singled sequentially to take a 1-0 lead.

In the second, Valdez finished his afternoon with another scoreless inning. The Aggies’ offense struck once again at the bottom of the inning as Alex Gouveia, a fourth-year human development major, hit a sacrifice fly so Zach Story, a first-year undeclared major, could score.

Through the third and fourth inning, the score remained 2-0 in favor of the Aggies behind two more scoreless frames with Tyler Wood, a second-year

record of 3-6. As the eighth seed of 10 teams in the Big West Women’s Tennis Championship, the Aggies will have a chance to prove themselves to their conference.

They will take on the fifth-seeded UC San Diego in the first round of the weekend-long tournament. Early in the season, they fell to UCSD in a close 3-4 match. While they took the doubles point, they were only able to win two of their singles matches. The rematch provides an opportunity for UC Davis to go against UCSD and have a favorable outcome in their upcoming games.

GOLF

BASEBALL

BY THEO KAYSER sports@theaggie.org

match for the Aggies when she defeated Rodas in three sets, taking the score to 4-0.

Maunupau and Wong struggled in their matches, with Maunupau losing in three sets and Wong losing in two sets. Fortunately, their teammates had already sealed the deal. Last to finish was Ikemori, who managed to win her match after being bested in the second set.

Ultimately, the Aggies prevailed, ending the match with a score of 5-2.

The Aggies will head to the Big West Championship in San Diego from April 24 to 27. The Aggies struggled in conference play this season with a

managerial economics major, pitching.

At the top of the fifth inning, Washington State finally broke into the scoring column with consecutive wild pitches. This was their only run of the afternoon.

The Aggies’ offense awoke in the sixth inning after a three-inning slumber. After Story doubled, Evan Gentil, a first-year undeclared major, singled and Gouveia walked to load the bases. A run came into score when the next batter, Wooldridge, walked as well, allowing Story to score. The Aggies were unsuccessful in capitalizing further, though, leaving the score at 3-1.

The Aggie offense later added some insurance runs at the bottom of the eighth. These runs came first from a Wolbert single, then by an errant throw from the Cougars’ shortstop, which would allow two more runs to cross the plate.

These insurance runs would prove to be unnecessary, though, as Mason Lerma, a second-year human development major, slammed the door shut at the top of the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, topping it off with a strikeout to close.

All in all, the winning effort was led by strong performances from the Aggies on both offense and defense. The Aggies

deployed an unorthodox pitching plan, with Valdez and Wood each pitching multiple innings to consume the bulk of the game.

After a strong showing from this pair, the Aggies’ bullpen shone perhaps even brighter, with Keenan Anzai, a first-year undeclared major, then Wooldridge, Jack Meek, a third-year undeclared major, and lastly, Lerma, combining for four scoreless innings, allowing a staggering zero runners to reach base.

Offensively, the Aggies executed their signature “small-ball” style to perfection. Wolbert and Gouveia each reached base three times in the game, while Wooldridge reached base four times, executing his job as leadoff hitter masterfully.

A win in this unique one-off Wednesday game set the Aggies’ record back to even, with 20 wins and 20 losses. UC Davis has just over three weeks left in its regular season, making every game at this juncture all the more crucial.

The team will square off next against California State University, Fullerton for three games beginning on April 25, again hosted at the Ann and James Dobbins Baseball Complex in Davis.

Tyler Wood pitches the ball. The Aggies defeated Washington 6-1 on April 23, 2025. (Julia Heron-Watts / Aggie)

UC Davis women’s golf team dominates the Big West Championship

The Aggies finish second overall, book a spot for the NCAA Regional Championship JAMIE CHEN / AGGIE

BY DIEGO CERNA sports@theaggie.org From April 13 to 15, the UC Davis women’s golf team competed in the Big West Women’s Golf Championship at the Spanish Trail Country Club located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three-day tournament was to set a new crown for the Big West women’s golf teams, with strong performances from all participating teams.

Yu “Jade” Bai, a first-year, started the first day of the tournament off with five birdies in the first 18 holes, sitting at second overall. Skyler May, a fourthyear, recorded six birdies of her own, finishing in second place for that event.

The second day featured Vani Karimanal, a second-year, who birdied for three holes and placed herself in the top 10 of competitors.

The Aggies saved their best play for last. As a team, they collectively shot one above par which put them at second overall in team standings. Bai was able to finish in the top 10, recording an even par and finishing seventh overall.

Abby Leighton, a fourth-year, moved up an astonishing 15 spots on the leaderboard to 11th overall, sinking one birdie.

May moved up an impressive nine spots to finish 11th overall. Lauren Calderon, a third-year, placed 24th overall, shooting 10 above par and with two birdies. The impressive efforts of the Aggies on the last day earned them second overall out of Big West teams for the championships, finishing behind the 2025 Big West Champions: California

State University, Fullerton.

On April 22, the Big West Conference announced All-Conference teams and honorable mentions.

Leighton made the first team, which is the second time she has achieved this in her collegiate career. May made the second team, while Karimanal and Elina Kuang, a first-year, received honorable mentions.

On April 22, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that the team would compete in the 2025 NCAA National Championships in the Lubbock Region on May 5, hosted by Texas Tech University. This is the first time the Aggies have qualified for the championship in 10 years, and only the eighth time the Aggies have competed in school history.

“Earning our spot at regionals is a direct result of their heart, grit and relentless pursuit of excellence,” Interim Head Coach Amelia Hicks said.

This is Hicks’ first season as the interim head coach, as she has been with UC Davis since 2021. She will watch her team compete for the National Championship, a remarkable milestone for the Aggies’ women’s golf team, as this marks the first time the team has made it to Regionals since 2015.

The NCAA Women’s Golf Regionals will be held from May 5 to 7 at six different locations, with the top teams and individuals continuing on to Nationals. The Championship will be televised live, so stay tuned for the UC Davis Aggies’ performance.