October 12, 2023

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VOLUME 148, ISSUE 3 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023

Annual Davis Neighbors’ Night Out to be held on October 16 The citywide social event will feature potlucks, tea parties and more BY RIDDHI PURANIK city@theaggie.org Davis Neighbors’ Night Out is a yearly event hosted by the city of Davis along with UC Davis and the Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD), according to the city of Davis website. The event is a celebration of the community and an opportunity for residents to foster a sense of camaraderie in their neighborhood. According to Carrie Dyer, Management Analyst for the City Manager’s Office, this year’s Davis Neighbors’ Night will be the 16th annual — it has been held every year since 2006 with the exception of 2020. “Davis Neighbors’ Night Out is an opportunity for neighbors to get together, connect and meet due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” Dyer said. “The true goal is to build connections and establish relationships because connected neighborhoods are ones that tend to be safer.” The day’s events will be held all over Davis and can be located using the locator map available on the city of Davis website.

Programming will be hosted by event sponsors which consist of apartment complexes, neighborhood watch liaisons and homeowner associations. The city of Davis website lists that there will be between 100 to 125 events held throughout town on the 16th. Elizabeth Wisnia, a long-time Davis resident, has been hosting one of these events, a neighborhood potluck party, for the past 13 years. “We do a potluck in our neighborhood,” Wisnia said. “We use the foldout tables, set sidewalk chalk out for the kids and close off the streets. Everyone comes and shares the food. It is a fun way to get to know our neighbors and catch up with the people we wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to.” Nine-year-old Sarah Luckenbill has also been hosting tea parties for the Davis Neighbors’ Night Out since age four. “Every year we celebrate with our neighbors by having a tea party gettogether,” Luckenbill said. “My family brings tea and biscuits, you can bring food and Pattie brings a big inflatable cat and it is very fun to go underneath it. We all share everything we bring and enjoy hanging out with old neighbors and getting to know new neighbors better.” In addition to Wisnia’s and Luckenbill’s parties, the locator map shows a wide array of events that will

JOANNE SUN / AGGIE be held all over town, including picnics, scavenger hunts and talent shows. Wisnia explained why the Neighbors’ Night Out event is so special to her, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With everyone being so busy, we don’t always make the time to get together and hear about what is going on with the neighbors,” Wisnia said. “Especially after 2 ½ years of not being able to congregate in the ways we all

need, it is a wonderful way to integrate newcomers into the neighborhood and meet the bigger community.”

ASUCD holds first Senate meeting Campus feels the of the quarter loss over iconic

Senators elect Senate President Pro Tempore and debate respectful communication at Oct. 5 meeting

AGGIE FILE

BY LILY FREEMAN campus@theaggie.org

Vice President Aarushi Raghunathan called the Oct. 5 Senate meeting to order at 6:14 p.m. After roll call, she read the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement. Next, Zahar King, a third-year English and design double-major, was confirmed and seated as an ASUCD senator. Senate President Pro Tempore elections followed this confirmation. JT Eden, third-year international relations and environmental policy double-major and ASUCD interim senator, was nominated by Senator Dani Antonio. “Senator Eden has shown confidence, efficiency and deep knowledge of the ASUCD operations since his term as [internal vice president] and now interim senator,” Antonio said during the nominations. “I have only personally known Senator Eden for two months, but it is in these few months that he has earned my respect and trust inside and outside of work.” Following Antonio’s nomination, Eden was elected to the position with a unanimous vote. DONATE TO THE AGGIE

READ MORE Community meeting held to gather community input on future G Street refurbishments

Businesses, residents and city of Davis workers presented their proposals for G Street renovations SEE PAGE 2

Arboretum tree

The Arboretum’s Japanese Zelkova tree was recently removed due to safety concerns, but paved the way towards potential future projects to combat climate change BY SYDNEY AMESTOY campus@theaggie.org

Next, the Senate confirmed Zach Boggeln, a fourth-year philosophy major, as the new Internal Affairs Commission chair. Then, Jonathan Ng, a second-year political science major, was confirmed as the new Aggie Mentorship Committee chair. Lastly, Jordyn Kosai, a fourth-year sustainable and environmental design major, was confirmed as the new chair of the Student Sustainability Career Fair committee. Several commissioners were then confirmed for the Internal Affairs Commission, the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission and the External Affairs Commission. Following the confirmations, the senators moved into senator adoptions, where each senator chooses a few ASUCD units and/or committees to adopt for the fall quarter. These adoptions allow for senators to collaborate with and provide support to the ASUCD groups of their choice. Next, the Senate opened the floor to public comments. There was one comment made by a UC Davis student. “I learned very recently that participating in [the UC Washington program] or any other program where students leave Davis, like study abroad, students sacrifice their guaranteed student housing,” the student said. “This, in my opinion, is entirely inequitable. When signing on with Davis, I felt secure knowing I could live at the Green for my two years here. Now, I am left with a risk of going to DC and risking my home and thus my livelihood when I return. Furthermore, the fact that this practice was subtly hidden within the Green’s lengthy housing contract and not mentioned at all in the Washington Program housing contract is very troublesome.” Raghunathan then assigned specific senators to work on the issue raised by this public comment. Then, the Senate introduced seven new pieces of legislation, however, there were no bills voted on during the meeting. Next, the senators approved

past meeting minutes and moved into open forum. Raghunathan raised a question regarding the dinner that was provided for the Senate during the meeting. “Did everyone like the Beijing beef [from Panda Express] or are you actually very strongly against it and want orange chicken instead?” Raghunathan said. After two senators voiced that they would prefer orange chicken, the senate debated on the comparative qualities of the orange chicken and Beijing beef from Panda Express. Senator Gaius Illupeju then expanded on the difficulties of coming to a consensus about foods provided at the meeting. “I think you’ll find that ordering food is kind of difficult,” Illupeju said. “No one is on the same page about what they want. You’ll find that when you go to buy Mexican food [for the meeting], it is expensive… Students provide the table with food every quarter, and I tried to make the best choices that I could. I think the fact that we’re debating between Beijing beef and orange chicken shows the dilemma [Raghunathan] is bound to be dealing with every week. I’ll be praying for you.” Raghunathan went on to raise an issue that she has experienced in the Senate as ASUCD vice president. “Please set boundaries,” Raghunathan said. “I am a student, and also a person, not a robot… I, in fact, do not live here. Please don’t text me at 2 a.m. on a Saturday about work, because I am not going to respond to you… I have a social life. I have responsibilities. I don’t live and breathe ASUCD. I am a person. Calm down. No weekend texts, please. We are very busy people, please keep that in mind.” Raghunathan continued.

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The UC Davis Arboretum recently saw the removal of one of its most iconic trees due to a safety issue caused by a structural flaw in its trunk. The historic Japanese Zelkova tree has sat on the shore of Lake Spafford since it was planted there in the 1960’s. It was removed on Sep. 14 after the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Gardens (APG) crew discovered a large crack in the tree’s trunk. Crews attempted to preserve the tree through a series of corrective measures, according to the APG’s press release. This included eliminating 50 percent of the tree’s canopy to correct the crack. Andrew Fulks, assistant director of the APG, spoke with KCRA news about the emotional decision to take down the tree. “It’s hard to see it go,” Fulks said. “This is one of the most beloved trees on campus.” However, there are plans in the works for a planting event in honor of the tree, according to the APG website.

Tyler Kern, a campus urban forester with APG said that the crack shows us that there have been advancements in forestry since the tree was planted. “Over the years, we’ve gained valuable insights into the significance of proper pruning and maintenance for young trees,” Kern said in the press release. “[This is] knowledge that this tree would have benefitted from.” The removal comes as the area once home to the Zelkova tree is planned to be revitalized in the coming years. This is part of the Arboretum Waterway Flood Protection and Habitat Enhancement Project, according to a press release about the effort. The multi-million dollar project seeks to protect the Arboretum Waterway from the effects of climate change by controlling the flow of stormwater with new pumps, and eliminating the concrete edge running along the creek, according to the press release from APG. “This was a very sad and difficult decision,” Chancellor Gary May said in a tweet on Sept. 12, just before the tree’s removal. “I want to thank our amazing [APG] staff for keeping our natural spaces iconic, safe and healthy. We’ll miss [the Zelkova tree].”

The UC Davis Arboretum serves as an excellent outdoor trail and frequent picnic spot for students. (Maia Zhu / Aggie)


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October 12, 2023 by The California Aggie - Issuu