Oct. 31, 2024

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VOLUME 148, ISSUE 6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Women’s Resources and Research Center hosts first installment of ‘Hear Me Out’ series

The topic of conversation was queer womanhood and encouraged participants to engage in dialogue on issues that affect the queer community

BY JORDAN POLTORAK campus@theaggie.org On Oct. 22, the UC Davis Women’s Resources and Research Center (WRRC) hosted the first installment of their “Hear Me Out” series. The conversation was led by the center’s director, Cecily Roberts, and Community Organizer Jenny Pelliconi.

The WRRC’s mission is to challenge all forms of oppression as well as providing education, resources, advocacy and a safe space for all students. The center, having been on campus since the 1970s, is a resource for everyone with the goal of promoting gender equity in the UC Davis community, according to their website.

The event took place in the Joy Fergoda Library which contains over 12,000 books, collections of poems, CDs, comics and zines all related to the topics of women and gender in society.

Roberts said she hoped this event would spark conversation about gender.

“I’m curious to hear what people think,” Roberts said.

“I don’t think there are yes or no answers to these questions [about women and gender].”

The event encouraged participants to engage in dialogue and discuss possible

The “Hear Me Out” series showcases dialogue about queer womanhood at the Women’s Resources and Research Center.

(Jersain Medina / Aggie) misconceptions they had heard about the LGBTQ+ community.

Rishita Kumar, a third-year science and technology studies major, said this event could encourage conversations

about misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community.

“I want to equip myself with both the proper knowledge and experiences so that I can emphasize, resonate and

Unitrans unveils ASUCD’s new Moo-vin’ Moo-seum

The student-curated museum acts as a mobile art gallery with a community-‘driven’ purpose

grow alongside the community,” Kumar said.

The topics covered in the presentation included compulsory heterosexuality and biphobia.

Compulsory heterosexuality refers to the ideal that heterosexuality is reinforced and enforced upon people by a patriarchal society, whereas biphobia is prejudice or fear against bisexual people.

During their presentation, Roberts discussed inherent biases and harmful stereotypes surrounding the bisexual community.

“There’s the stereotype that bisexual people are more likely to cheat,” Roberts said.

“We all know that’s not true. If you’re with someone you’re with someone because you want to.”

Kumar said the presentation helped her reflect on her knowledge about the queer community.

“I enjoy learning about the different distinctions there are in identities, such as the difference [between] fems and femmes,” Kumar said. “There’s so many identities that I haven’t explored but are integral to a multitude of people’s lives.”

Hoping to become a quarterly event, the next installment of the “Hear Me Out” series will be during winter quarter. If you want to learn more about the WWRC and the events they host, you can visit their website or visit them in person at 113 North Hall, 180 E Quad, Davis.

Smoke from Shasta County’s Shoe Fire worsens air quality in Davis

South-blowing winds carry smoke to the valley, prompting health warnings and visibility concerns as fire crews work to contain the blaze in rugged terrain

ASUCD’s new Moo-vin’ Moo-seum at the Memorial Union bus terminal. (Aggie Studios / Courtesy)

BY EMME DUNNING features@theaggie.org The UC Davis Unitrans system is notorious for turning heads as it does its rounds through town. From their iconic double-decker buses, their cherry red color and employing student drivers, Unitrans does anything but play by the rules.

This fall, Unitrans turned heads once again with a completely new project. Through a collaboration with ASUCD and Aggie Arts, Unitrans has revealed its new bus that is already gracing the streets of Davis — The Moo-vin’ Moo-seum. The Moo-vin’ Moo-seum, complete with a cowthemed pun, is a mobile art gallery showcasing the work of UC Davis students and community members alike.

The idea for the Moo-vin’ Mooseum came from Jonah Messinger, a third-year food science major.

As a Unitrans sales representative, Messinger and his friends noticed

extra space where advertisements typically go and saw the opportunity to showcase something else entirely.

“Rather than sell ads, we decided that we wanted to put art inside the buses,” Messinger said.

The project sprouted from humble beginnings, starting with the Unitrans interior art project. The project enlisted community members and students to send in their art to adorn the inside of Unitrans buses in place of typical ad carts. The project was successful, and Messinger’s team began to set their sights on a larger project — the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum.

The completed Moo-vin’ Mooseum is a fully functioning Unitrans bus with a twist. The outside of the bus has been wrapped in a colorful mural depicting iconic spots in the Davis and the UC Davis community, along with bubbly letters reading “Moovin’ Moo-seum” on one side and “ASUCD” on the other. The inside of the bus showcases art in place of advertisements, creating an immersive experience for riders.

The art on the inside of the bus was not created by one artist alone but instead through the collaboration of over 400 students and community members. At the recent Sunset Fest, as well as a Saturday at the Davis Farmers Market, Moo-vin’ Moo-seum curators invited attendees to contribute to a collaborative work of art with a theme centering around Davis. The result is a mural truly representative of the Davis community.

The Moo-vin’ Moo-seum has four overarching goals — to build community, support local artists, promote ASUCD and, finally, to maintain sustainability.

The sustainability goal is particularly important to the organization, which insists that it goes deeper than just environmental sustainability.

“We wanted to think of sustainability not just in environmental terms but in an economic and social model as well,” Messinger said.

MOOVINMOOSEUM on 9

A photo of department vehicles inside the Davis Fire Department. ( Jenna Lee / Courtesy)

BY ALMA CULVERWELL city@theaggie.org The city of Davis has recently faced smoky air conditions and reduced air quality as a result of the Shoe Fire in Shasta County.

The Shoe Fire, northwest of Shasta Lake in Shasta Trinity National Forest, was started by human activity, according to the Cal Fire website. The fire that was started at 1:18 p.m. on Oct. 9 and has burned an estimated 5,124 acres is approximately 60% contained as of Oct. 27, according to Cal Fire.

“Additional personnel continue to arrive to provide support, incoming hotshot crews are set to perform planned tactical firing operations alongside aerial ignition teams,” the Cal Fire status update reads.

Cal Fire further explained the team’s plan to prevent the Shoe Fire’s

expansion.

“The fire is expanding in the Sulanharas and Beartrap creeks,” the status update reads. “Given that the fire has reached areas that are inaccessible to ground crews, aircraft will prioritize operations in the creeks to mitigate further fire growth.”

The rapid growth of the fire into steep terrain territory has posed a significant barrier for the first responders working on containing the fire. Firefighters are working to contain the fire in the air and on the ground; Structure defense is also in place in key areas.

“Crews will work to reinforce and strengthen control lines on the western side of the fire, which has experienced a significant reduction in heat,” the Cal Fire’s update reads. “Structure assessment teams will remain deployed for the remainder of the day to evaluate risks to residences in areas of concern.”

SHASTAFIRE on 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

The Avid Reader holds Cross Cultural Center hosts annual historical fiction panel on prejudice, politics and escapism Light Festival

The Light Festival seeks to highlight cultures of Asian and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian communities

One of the performances from the Cross Cultural Center’s Light Festival on Oct. 19. (Jessica Yung / Aggie)

BY JESSICA YUNG campus@theaggie.org On Oct. 19 from 1 to 7 p.m., the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) hosted their annual Light Festival on the East Quad. The event had a diverse variety of activities and vendors selling food and various trinkets.

CCC Program Coordinator Mónica Aceves Robles elaborated on the center’s mission statement.

“The mission of the Cross Cultural Center at UC Davis is to work towards a more just and liberated world,” Robles said. “We create compassionate community spaces that foster identity development, critical consciousness and collective innovation.”

The Light Festival celebrated Asian and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian cultures. “[The festival] shines light on these communities through performances, music, dance, art, food and activities,” Robles said.

There were performances by both student and professional groups including Neil Nayyar, Raga Academy, Kohaku, Siona Bhasme, Eastern Ways Lion Dance Team, Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, Nã Keiki O Hawaii (NKOH), Lao Association of Sacramento Group, KOMOLIKA and Blooming Lotus Dance Team.

Attendees enjoyed food from vendors such as Mak and Grille, Dumpling House, Fresh Off Da Boat, JoJo’s Hawaiian, Halal King and Kona Ice. Some activities included henna and crafting mosaic wooden coasters, mandela suncatchers, lanterns and leis.

The festival had a children’s booth as well.

Due to the popularity of some of the events, a few activities had to be

shut down early.

Ava Jabari, a fourth-year environmental policy and planning major and CCC MENASA student coordinator, acted as the master of ceremonies for the Light Festival.

Jabari said the festival is an educational opportunity for those who may not know about these cultures.

“It can give people a safe space to enjoy and learn about different cultures,” Jabari said. “I am Iranian American, [and] I will say I don’t know much about Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. Today was the first day I saw a Lion Dance for the first time, so that was nice.”

Christy Vong, a fourth-year Asian American studies and community and regional development double major, also said the event was a way to explore cultures.

“I got to see different cultural ethnic groups and organizations,” Vong said. “It’s nice to have that space to interact with them because otherwise, in everyday life, I feel like you just walk past people, and you can’t just stop and be like, ‘Oh, hi. What do you do?’”

Jabari explained the time and effort that went into planning the Light Festival.

“I’ve been working on planning the festival since August of this year, and it’s been really hands on with weekly meetings,” Jabari said. “It’s been a lot of communication work, like seeing who can be vendors or performers.”

Jabari mentioned that she would like the Light Festival to have better advertising and to connect with other campus units in the future.

“I would have better publicity, maybe working more with ASUCD because they reach all the students at UC Davis,” Jabari said. “But otherwise, I think we did a beautiful job this year, and I’m so excited to work on it next year too.”

Three authors discussed their approaches to writing historical fiction in recognition of California Writers Week

BY RORY CONLON rhconlon@ucdavis.edu The Avid Reader Bookstore hosted a panel of three historical fiction authors to discuss their books in honor of California Writers Week on Oct. 22.

The authors, which included Tim Schooley, Judith Starkson and Laura Jensen Walker, have written historical fiction novels set as far back as the Bronze Age and as recent as the 1940s.

Schooley said that the main aspect tying their books together is the ways in which history connects to the present.

“George Santayana said it best: those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” Schooley said. “We wanted to talk about that and see how some of these themes resonate throughout history.”

Starkson showcased “Priestess of Ishana (Tesha),” the first book in a series following the journey of a Hittite queen in the Bronze Age. Starkson said she wanted to learn more about Hittite, an empire in the 12th century that stretched across Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, and tell the story of a powerful female ruler that transcended the norms of her time.

“How does an autocratic, patriarchal world have a queen who was famous in her day [for] bossing Ramses the Second around and negotiating a treaty that kept an incredibly disrupted world from breaking into pieces?” Starkson said.

“I looked at that mature woman and said, ‘Who were you in the beginning, and how did you get there?’ My series is about her rise to this extraordinary throne.”

Starkson also drew parallels between the queen, Tesha and Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.

“Presenting that model of unexpected female leadership to the world in an emotionally engaging,

immersive form is my subversive way of persuading people that women can [do it],” Starkson said. “You know that hesitancy some men in America are currently having as they cast their ballots? I’m hoping I’ve soothed some qualms in my readers.”

Schooley’s novel, “The Wool Translator,” also included women who defied tradition. He said that Aisha, a math prodigy in his book, was inspired by his research into the Nasrid Kingdom during the medieval age.

“I found a lot of original sources from the Nasrids talking about these unusual women in their community who were recognized for their brilliance,” Schooley said. “They were allowed a measure of freedom to conduct studies and some of them were considered very important people in their community.”

“The Wool Translator” follows the relationship between Aisha, a Muslim girl, and Newt, a Catholic boy. Schooley names Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” in 2017 as having inspired his decision to explore religious divides in the novel.

“I started thinking, ‘How would it be possible for me to have a young

Authors Tim Schooley (left), Judith Starkston (center) and Laura Jensen Walker (right) discuss their books and answer audience questions at The Avid Reader on Oct. 22, 2024. (Christian Cendejas / Aggie)

person in this Muslim kingdom meet a Catholic boy from England?’” Schooley said. “The theme of religious intolerance drove the idea of the story and the plot developed from that.”

Walker’s debut historical fiction novel, “Death of a Flying Nightingale,” is set in England during World War II. The Nightingales were a lesser-known, all-female part of the Royal Air Force that cared for wounded soldiers and shuttled them to safety, according to Walker.

“They went to Normandy the week after D-Day to bring back wounded men from the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy,” Walker said. “They took care of these men on the flights home, and they weren’t allowed to have parachutes because if the plane went down, their job was to stay with the patients. So, every day, two times a day, they risked their lives.”

Walker interviewed the last living Nightingale, who was 106 years old, and included some of her anecdotes in the story. She said the Nightingales showed her how women’s contributions can be overlooked in the past and the present.

“Most of these women became wives and mothers, and that generation didn’t talk about the things they went through,” Walker said. “Many of their children didn’t even know what their mothers had done until 40 years later when they somehow found out about it or mentioned it.”

The authors also discussed reasons why World War II fiction has experienced a resurgence in the 2010s.

Starkson said that in a time when people have mixed feelings about conflict, it can be comforting to look back on a time when people were more united.

“I think partly because so much is really problematic these days, we don’t have the mental space to step into fiction where it’s equally problematic,” Starkson said. “We want an escape. It’s reassuring to look back and say, ‘See, people faced a time of great evil, and they responded in a way that was victorious.’”

Good and Weird Davis hosts a bike tour throughout the city’s iconic spots

“Dis-orientation: A Good and Weird Bike Tour of Davis” was held on Oct. 17

BY OLIVIA HOKR city@theaggie.org Good and Weird Davis, a media platform devoted to sharing exciting events in Davis, recently hosted a bike tour throughout the city. On Oct. 17, people gathered for a bike ride starting at Third Space Art Collective and ending at Delta of Venus. Bikers got the chance to interact with various businesses and stores along the route.

Good and Weird Davis’ online presence provides a community calendar with local activities and events. They share information about farmers markets, art shows, poetry and band performances and even educational clinics. They also share links to a myriad of businesses and organizations in Davis where community members can find exciting events throughout the year.

To bring people together, Good and Weird hosted their own bike tour called “Dis-orientation: A Good and Weird Bike Tour of Davis” earlier this month. Anyone was welcome to ride along as they showed off the variety of places and businesses Davis has to offer.

Along the route, participants had the chance to learn about different projects and visit new, iconic and essential locations all in one ride.

Good and Weird Davis hosts “Dis-Orientation,” a bike tour of Davis starting at Third Space Art Collective on Oct. 17, 2024. (Jenna Lee / Aggie) Throughout the tour, they made stops at Third Space Art Collective, Secret Spot, Central Park, Davis Food Coop, Davis Bike Collective and Delta of Venus.

“We’ll visit these spaces, hear from some people doing cool things and we’ll point out a bunch of other rad things along the way,” a Good and Weird Davis Instagram post reads.

Businesses such as Third Space Art Collective and Davis Bike Collective are prominent community organizations in Davis that were both

featured on the bike tour. They each hold open hours one to two times per week where they interact with the community and offer different services to enrich artists and bicyclists, respectively.

Davis Bike Collective was one of the final stops along the ride. As a nonprofit bicycle organization, Davis Bike Collective has become a staple in the biking community of Davis. They host open hours weekly on Thursdays and Fridays to provide tools and a space for community members to work on

their bikes.

“We provide a public DIY shop where folks share tools, skills and knowledge about bike maintenance and repair,” the Davis Bike Collective’s website reads. “Our aim is to empower confident and committed cyclists through education and community building, and to encourage more cyclists by making bikes and bike maintenance fun, safe and accessible for everyone.”

All of the projects and places riders got to experience along the ride can

also be found on the Good and Weird website for those who want to take a self-tour at any time.

Good and Weird Davis promotes community building and ensures everyone in Davis has somewhere they feel they can fit in. It is an informative resource for those looking for new spots to check out and meet new people. If you’re looking for more information on upcoming events in the city of Davis, take a look at Good and Weird Davis’ website and community calendar.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024 | 3

ASUCD Senate passes SB#6

City of Davis recognizes Oct. 14 as Indigenous Bill makes Ethical Spending Committee Peoples’ Day permanent ASUCD entity; Bike Barn sales at a record high

AGGIE FILE

BY RIVERS STOUT campus@theaggie.org On Oct. 24 at 6:10 p.m., Internal Vice President Aaminah Mohammad called the ASUCD Senate meeting to order and began with a land acknowledgement to the Indigenous Patwin people.

New committee leaders were sworn in, including those for the Student Sustainability Career Fair Committee (SSCFC) and STEM Committee.

Tianneh Bonardi, a second-year political science and managerial economics double major, was sworn in as the fifth interim senator. She also occupies the position of social chair of the Danzantes del Alma, a Folklórico group on campus. Bonardi said that during her time in office, she wishes to increase ASUCD visibility so that students have better engagement with student government.

A new chairperson for the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC) was also sworn in. They stated that they wish to combat discrimination while in office, specifically discrimination against the Palestinian community on campus.

Senator Jacob Klein, who previously abstained from voting on SB#52, raised his concern over the appointment due to the politics of the constituency. His concern was widely dismissed by the table.

Quarterly reports soon followed.

Disability Justice Committee (DJC) Chairperson Noa Sumner was first to present. Before the official quarterly report began, Sumner shared the committee’s concerns with the ASUCD onboarding process and how it was not friendly towards people with disabilities, specifically citing a lack of communication. Additionally, DJC and Unitrans collaborated to replace signage on buses, with new signs noting that Unitrans drivers are available for help if needed.

ASUCD President Gaius Ilupeju acknowledged the ASUCD onboarding difficulties. He revealed that practices were currently under investigation following the recent hiring practice misconduct.

A break was called at 7:02 p.m., and the senate was called back into session at 7:22 p.m.

The Academic Affairs Commission then gave their quarterly report. The chairperson stated that they were in the beginning stages of an initiative to change when midterms could be conducted.

There were also talks about the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) disproportionately targeting international students and how this could be rectified. Banning Turnitin was mentioned, as it counts Google Translate as AI software. The chairperson explained that this causes an issue, as many international students who don’t speak English as their primary language rely on translation websites and software.

The Bike Barn’s quarterly report soon followed. Business Manager Emilie-Anne Roxas stated that this year’s Mooove-in Week saw the most sales the Bike Barn had ever had, with $100,000 of profit being made between opening day and the first day of classes.

Roxas also noted that they’ve seen more crashes involving e-bikes and e-scooters than ever before.

Ilupeju commended the Bike Barn, saying that he wished other units could be as “on it” as them.

R o x a s then raised a question to the senate concerning how much solidarity workers at the Bike Barn can show for fellow students, citing last year’s United Auto Workers (UAW) strike.

Ilupeju said that the senate was working on the issue, but that units should not have differing stances on what he labeled “social issues.” Ilupeju

specifically mentioned ASUCD units displaying the flag of Palestine in their Instagram profile pictures.

Quarterly reports ended, and the senators went over their weekly activities.

Public comment ensued, with two speakers declaring their support for SB #6, and the importance of ethical spending.

The senate then discussed SB#6. The bill would make the Ethical Spending Committee (ESC) created by last year’s SB#52 into a permanent entity under the Internal Affairs Commission (IAC).

Before official debate began, the house was divided. Senators Ezra Ruben and Mia Cohen signaled that they would vote against the bill, while a few other senators indicated they were in favor of the bill.

Ruben said he liked the bill but had major concerns — many of which echoed the arguments posed by Senators Gabriel Gaysinsky and Klein during the passing of SB#52 last year. Concerns included Israeli and Jewish students feeling excluded and unable to express a positive Israeli identity, that focusing on one issue is unfair to other issues, that there might be biased decision making without guidelines and that committee members “unaffected by these issues can go home and put it aside.”

The ESC at this point has functioned since SB#52 passed and has guidelines and procedures established.

Senator Siddharth Jasthi expressed his opinions on the bill.

“I think we should keep in mind that this bill and committee is made specifically to divest the ASUCD from companies supporting human rights abuses,” Jasthi said. “The reality is that Israel is responsible for abuses. If a nation or state is committing abuses and a corporation is participating in it, divestment is called for.”

Earlier, Ruben called for a diverse set of goals to be present on the committee.

Senator Jasthi continued expressing his reasoning for supporting the bill.

“This committee is set for divestment,” Jasthi said. “Divestment is the end goal, and diverse goals on divestment when divestment is the end goal is kind of silly.”

Senator Ruben responded.

“We have to be conscious of the fact that we’re not experts,” Ruben said. “It’s naive to say that we can have the authority to speak on these things, [and] it’s not as simple to say that these corporations are committing human rights abuses. You might be right but I don’t know if it’s your right to say so.”

ASUCD President Ilupeju added his thoughts on the matter.

“This is not a controversial piece of legislation,” Ilepeju said. “How many of us here have degrees in transportation management? In dining services? How many of us are even aware of the permits? I’m assuming not many of us are aware of these things but the senate sits here and makes decisions on these things…We’re in the top 100 universities in the world. We’re not kids anymore.”

The senators voted 9-2-2, passing SB #6, with Senators Ruben and Cohen voting against the bill.

Ruben apologized repeatedly over having possibly offended others in the room.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:11 p.m.

Vice Mayor Bapu Vaitla proclaims day of recognition and observance during city council meeting

and observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” communities in Davis was felt through

BY MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY James Kinter, the tribal secretary of these words, and also by the activism of city@theaggie.org the Yocha Dehe Wintun nation, along the Davis community. with his family expressed gratitude The city council also invited for the city’s acknowledgment of Nizhoni Ellenwood, a NimiiPuu/Nez On Oct. 15, the Davis City Council Indigenous history and perseverance.

Perce tribe and Apache tribe artist as convened to proclaim Indigenous “On behalf of my tribe, thank you well as the president of the Davis-Joint Peoples’ Day as the first item of their for doing this,” Kinter said. “All of Unified School District. meeting agenda. On behalf of all this [history] happened to us and to “Just this last week, we opened a members of the Davis City Council, acknowledge that benefits everybody Native Resource center for our K-12 Vice Mayor Bapu Vaitla read aloud the in this country. That way we can families here in Davis, so this is our city’s proclamation that recognized and understand some of the atrocities the very first time that our communities observed the holiday before some of tribes faced during that time.” have had a place for our families to go Davis’ Native American residents and The importance of Native American to,” Ellenwood said. members from the Yocha Dehe Wintun visibility is a forefront issue of the Eligible Davis K-12 families Nation: one of the three Patwin tribes nations of the Patwin tribe, but it can receive grants and support for indigenous to the land Davis resides. is also the case for Native American extracurricular activities. Further Vaitla said it was important to communities all over the country. This information regarding meetings is recognize this holiday and what diverse heritage of Native American accessible on the Davis Joint Unified ostensibly is the history of the atrocities families who call Davis their home was School District website. For Ellenwood, committed at the expense of these put on display. these programs and resources mark a Indigenous communities in America.

Jesus Valle, a professor at American positive change for empowering Native “Indigenous people, the original River College and a Davis resident, American communities that have inhabitants of this hemisphere, suffered reaffirmed the proclamation made by persisted in spite of powers that have injustice, exploitation and genocide the Davis City Council. sought to erase their history. through forced removal, war, broken “This means a lot,” Valle said.

“In regards to Indigenous Peoples’ treaties, rape and the implementation “Words matter. These things have Day and giving back to the community, of laws and policies to support such meaning, and it creates an atmosphere one thing that I always ask for are exploits by the United States of and an environment of awareness.” donations to things such as our Native America,” Vaitla said. “Indigenous Valle expressed his gratitude for the resource center which helps us build a Peoples’ Day replaces Columbus Day in nations that have lived here before him better space, allows us to offer more to order to dispel the historical falsehood through a folk song in his own Native our children and helps support our next that Columbus discovered America.”

American language. generations,” Ellenwood said. “There Vaitla then gave recognition to the This desire for awareness and is so much more that we want to do.”

Patwin tribe nations that have been empowerment in Native American stewards to the land where the city of Davis currently resides.

“For thousands of years, the land that the city of Davis sits on has been the home of Patwin people,” Vaitla said. “Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.”

Vaitla concluded the proclamation by expressing the community’s gratitude for the lasting legacies left by these Patwin tribe nations.

“We are honored to be here today on their land to reaffirm our relationship to these tribal nations,” Vaitla said.

“The city of Davis has benefited from the values and contributions of these Native Americans’ knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts, culture and resources. Therefore we, the Davis City Council, on behalf of Davis City Council Community Chambers, where the city council declared Oct. the residents of Davis, now recognize 14 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. (Christian Cendejas / Aggie)

Here’s how and where you can cast your ballot on campus

We’ve gathered what you need to know about voting and registration on Nov. 5

BY VINCE BASADA campus@theaggie.org With the General Election just around the corner on Tuesday, Nov. 5, we’ve collected the information you need to know about casting your vote on campus and getting same day registration if needed. Make sure to check out The California Aggie’s Davis Voting Guide to learn more about the candidates and measures on this years’ ballot.

Where to vote on campus: 1. The UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), Ballrooms A & B, 760 Orchard Road. Voting Assistance Center and Ballot DropOff Station.

Hours: Nov. 2 to Nov. 4 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election Day, Nov. 5 – 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

UC Davis Transportation Services will be providing complimentary 30-minute parking in Lot 25. Voters must check in at the ARC’s front desk with their vehicle’s make, model and license plate number for an electronic pass.

2. Ballot Drop Box for Yolo County ballots only, located between Hunt Hall and the tennis courts, 282 Tennis Court Lane.

Open 24/7. Last pick-up will be at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.

To be eligible to register to vote in California you must be a U.S. Citizen, a resident of California, 18 years or older on Election Day, not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court of law. Residents must have their registered address be within Davis or Yolo County to be able to vote for candidates and measures in those areas.

Residents who have missed the Oct. 21 voter registration deadline can instead apply for Same Day Voter Registration (also called Conditional Voter Registration).

Yolo County residents wishing to apply for Conditional Voter Registration must appear in person at a voting location and can do so from now until polls close on Election Day. Conditional ballots will be processed and counted once the county elections office have completed the voter

Ballot drop box in front of Hunt Hall. (Ojas Mishra / Aggie)

registration verification process.

Voters who hope to register the same day must still meet all regular eligibility requirements.

I n California, mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day and received by the collecting election office within seven days after the election.

All registered voters in California are sent mail-in ballots, though voters can choose to vote in-person if they are able.

If you’re not a resident of Yolo County or California, refer to your county and state for specific voting information and instructions on casting an absentee or mail-in ballot.

Additionally, voters sending mail-in ballots to areas outside of Yolo County should do so as soon as possible and are recommended to drop off their ballots directly at the Post Office.

For more information and a full list of Voting Assistance Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes, visit the Yolo County Elections website at elections. yolocounty.gov.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

GUEST COLUMN

The Man from Plains

BY LEALAND STEWART

Peanut farmer. Nuclear engineer.

Governor. President. Humanitarian.

These titles all describe the life of one person, someone Americans learned to love, hate, and love again. He was a son of the Deep South whose obsession with moral virtue was a refresher from the dark days of Nixon, a fact that swept him into the White House, but ultimately paved his ouster. In exile, he foresaw a greater destiny, one that would eradicate diseases and spread democracy.

He remains an incorruptible constant.

Who else but Jimmy Carter?

Jimmy who? Many voters asked that in 1974, when the governor of Georgia announced his longshot bid. He was an outsider, but leaned into being the Sunday School alternative, tying his opponent Gerald Ford to the Watergate debacle and the need for administrative reform.

Through that and a lack of scandal, he won both longitudinal ends of the nation, securing victory.

Question Americans today, and most will mention the Hostage Crisis and the oil embargo. Few will remark on his clean energy goals, the Panama Canal treaty, his elevation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Court of Appeals, the Camp David accords, or diplomatic normalization with China. No matter how visionary he was, a tidal wave was coming, one long in the making.

In 1953, Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh of Iran was

overthrown. Shah (King) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi replaced him. His pro-Western regime was a reign of terror, creating a groundswell of anti-American insurgency soon led by cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. The situation turned violent by 1979, and Iran was taken over. Advisors planned responses, but Carter would not sanction bloodshed. Granting the Shah entry did not alleviate things, but he thought the embassy would be protected. He was wrong. Militants stormed it and bound sixty-seven Americans.

Negotiations quickly ran cold.

Even worse, oil prices skyrocketed, dampening Carter’s chances against the Republican star, Ronald Reagan. An actor, he was noticed for his speaking talents and was raised to the 1980 nomination. He asked voters whether they felt “better off” than four years ago, and they answered with an electoral college landslide: 489 to 49. It reflected how Carter’s brutal honesty was no longer desirable. The thirty-ninth president was expected to fade away. They had no idea what would happen next.

In the Navy, a young Jimmy graduated near the top of his class, fell in love with his hometown sweetheart Rosalynn, and was drawn to nuclear submarines.

This stint is best remembered by how he helped stop a reactor meltdown, but his engineering acumen bled into all pursuits, including politics. He perceived the presidency as a chance to correct degradations in the office, inserting values into policy. He was branded an ineffective preacher,

but that combination of religiosity and social justice birthed a new mechanism of change: the Carter Center.

He was inspired by Camp David, and his organization would be a continuation of that but on a greater scale. His efforts centered on sub-Saharan African, which was affected by Guinea worm disease, and Carter funded trainings on parasite control and water filtration. As of today, the illness has been nearly eradicated. He also promoted election fairness, finding himself in many geopolitical entanglements.

He would even meet with dictators, intent on giving people a voice. At home, he strived to improve livelihoods through Habitat for Humanity’s housing projects, a non-profit assisting millions. What he did with the Carter Center angered some as overstepping, but he never cared.

Carter entered hospice with his wife in February 2023. Rossalyn, the woman he married seventy-seven years prior, died that November. This tragic loss darkened him, but his spirit has not waned completely. His grandson Jason spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he related how the current choices facing America has reinvigorated him. He looks forward, most of all, to voting for the first female president in Kamala Harris.

He is the farm boy who grew peanuts. He is the lover who wrote poems to his wife. He is

A photo of former President Jimmy Carter. (Wikimedia Commons / Courtesy) the honest man who admitted to having “lust in his heart.” He is the governor who fought for school integration. He is the president who ended the stain of Watergate. He is the negotiator who used the power of words.

He is the family man. He is the

environmentalist. He is the woodworker. He is the preacher who taught a religion of love. He is Jimmy Carter, whom I respect and admire with all my heart.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

HUMOR

Big dust ensures that the TLC is never cleaned

I’m coughing just thinking about it

BY ALLISON KELEHER adkeleher@ucdavis.edu Me and all of my faithful readers can agree on one thing: The Teaching and Learning Complex (TLC) is nasty. As I ascend the stairs, I can see the clumps of dust and hair floating around at my feet. One time, I almost tripped over one because it was so big.

This matter is near and dear to my heart, because I love vacuuming. One time, I dreamed about sneaking in there in the middle of the night with my vacuum to finally give the TLC a good clean. There’s something satisfying about a vacuum cleaning up immense amounts of dust and hair all at once.

After this dream, the idea of cleaning the TLC has plagued my mind. The other day, I woke up holding my vacuum and my keys — that’s how I knew it was getting serious.

So, I began plotting. I’ve conducted heists before but this one was going to be tough solely because of the vacuum.

For context, my vacuum is bright pink, essentially ruining the aura of mystery.

However, it enhances my aura of cutesy, so that makes up for it. Rather than fight it, I leaned into the pink and wore a monochromatic pink outfit to pair with my vacuum. After taking several mirror selfies, I headed out on my mission.

The plan was simple: Hide out in one of the TLC classrooms under a desk until everyone leaves. Walking in wasn’t easy, because so many people loved my outfit and begged me for details. After valiantly fighting off my fans, I found an empty classroom on the third floor to camp out in.

I brought some snacks for the wait, including an iced coffee, baby carrots, Trader Joe’s soup dumplings and a Snickers bar. While eating the soup dumplings, I feared that the slurping would give me away — but I got lucky. After my feast, I passed out into a food coma for several hours. When I finally woke up, I was upset with myself because I lost valuable vacuuming time.

After a brief scolding in the mirror, I shot to my feet and grabbed my vacuum.

As I inched out of the classroom, I scanned the hallway for anyone who would try to stop my mission.

Thankfully, no one was there. Due to my lost time, I decided to focus on the front steps since those were the most nasty. Dragging my vacuum behind me, I made my way downstairs to the contaminated area.

We made our way to the front and I got to vacuuming. As I turned it on,

VERONICA THEN/ AGGIE

the noise made me worried that the mountains of dust had already clogged my vacuum. It was a shrill, squeaky noise that almost hurt to hear. When I knelt down to inspect the vacuum, I almost fainted from shock because it wasn’t a dust clump — it was a dust bunny. During normal business hours, those phrases mean the same thing, but at 3 a.m. in the TLC, there are living, breathing dust bunnies.

This dust bunny was squeaking up a storm because I had trapped it in my pink vacuum. I tentatively touched the dust bunny, and it growled at me. I retracted my hand quickly out of fear of a bite, but then I remembered that dust can’t bite you. So, I got a firm grip on the bunny and pulled it out of the vacuum. This bunny had a particularly large tail, causing it to get stuck.

As I placed it on the dirty ground, it hopped away quickly into the darkness.

After this interaction, I decided that maybe it was a good idea to leave, since it’s clear that I’m sleep deprived. But then, a hoard of dust bunnies came charging at me out of the darkness, causing a cloud of dust to fill the air.

The dust filled my lungs, and I started coughing relentlessly.

This caused the bunnies to stop in their tracks since I was clearly not a threat. At this moment, they were able to get a good view of my pathetic image: Hunched over and coughing, I was an ugly thing to behold. However, this coughing fit subsided after a moment which allowed me to stand up straight.

I got a clear view of the bunny army, which was fairly large considering that the TLC has a lot of dust to contribute.

However, as I gazed upon them, the bunnies started to look up at me differently. Like I was one of them.

I decided to accept the role as their fearless leader and began leading them through the TLC. I have a feeling that my monochromatic pink outfit gave me the resemblance of the notorious pink energizer bunny. Clearly that was the reason since they accepted me as their leader so quickly.

In the end, these bunnies really shouldn’t have trusted me as their leader.

I guided them to the back of the TLC where I coached them to jump off of the railing to their death. Sadly, this was for the greater good, because now the TLC is clean as a whistle. But now, I wait anxiously for their revenge.

Demon King picked the wrong day for world domination

An interview with the devil

BY AUDREY ZHANG aurzhang@ucdavis.edu A hundred voices cried out in agony. Ash blackened the sky. Sulfur steam burned animals alive as they fled ground zero of the apocalypse, and with a roar the Demon King ripped the earth asunder right in the middle of a haunted house.

“Wow, they really went all out on the special effects this year,” a passerby remarked.

King ZZZaz has unfortunately been overlooked by modern historians, because people saw his name in ancient texts and just assumed the author was sleepy. He is, in actuality, a hardworking and detail-oriented King of Hell looking to make his resume stand out against all the other devilish deeds majors.

“Everyone’s collecting pitchforks and going into coding nowadays, so I wanted to do a project that showed I had initiative,” King ZZZaz said. “I figured a college campus full of students would be sympathetic about how hard it is to find a job, especially when you’re only seven feet tall. If I just asked really nicely with a sword, they’d probably just let me take over Davis and enslave them.

You know, out of solidarity.”

In exchange for writing him a glowing reference in blood, he has agreed to explain exactly what went wrong with his hostile takeover.

“It started to go wrong when little children came up and demanded tribute from ‘me’ — it’s supposed to be the other way around,” King ZZZaz said.

“I don’t know how they ever got their license to pillage and terrorize, because they were asking for candy of all things.

When did a nice sacrificial lamb go out of style?”

“It got even worse when my general popped out of Hell in the middle of a costume contest,” KIng ZZZaz said.

“Before he could even start threatening anybody, they declared him the obvious winner. It was for who had the ugliest costume. I’d never seen him look so defeated. I can’t even get him to stab people anymore, not even a little bit!

He’s too busy trying to put on makeup, but his tears keep washing it off.”

When asked if he learned anything, King ZZZaz shared a statement.

“Let me tell you, this whole trip has been a disaster,” King ZZZaz said.

“I don’t even want to make a report on it, not even for extra credit.”

Indeed, King ZZZaz has made the same mistake hundreds of demons have made before him. Every year, several Demon Kings attempt world domination, and every year, if they don’t

accidentally kill each other, they pick the one day humans aren’t dressed like humans.

“One of my subordinates stabbed me. Me!” King ZZZaz said. “You’d think the crown of fire around my head would clue them in, but no, they just complimented my cosplay and asked how I got my blood to look purple.”

King ZZZaz shared his optimistic outlook on the unfortunate situation.

“It hasn’t been a total loss though,” King ZZZaz said. “The torture department has gotten so many new ideas about how to punish people back home. I would love to shake the hand of the person who came up with midterms.”

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

NOVA MAI / AGGIE

Choose your fighter: TA edition!

BY SANDHYA PFILE sbpfile@ucdavis.edu

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

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

5 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION EDITORIAL

The rights of journalists are on the line this election season

With Election Day around the corner, press ownership blocks endorsements from newspaper editorial boards WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD Disclaimer: While this editorial will be discussing pressing issues facing reporters this election, The California Aggie Editorial Board is not able to make formal political endorsements, according to external bylaws. This story will discuss the anti-press policies of certain political candidates, but not by name.

Election Day is rapidly approaching — in less than one week, mail-in ballots are due and the country will soon see new leadership that will impact day-to-day life for Americans for years to come. There is no sugarcoating it this time: the stakes are high and lives are on the line.

With polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in a tight race, endorsements are all the more important. Unfortunately, things may look a little different this year. Over the last week, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post have both been prohibited by their ownership from releasing endorsements for Democratic nominee Harris.

Editorial boards serve as part of the opinion section of the newspaper,

SEE ONLINE Read our editorial about staying safe this Halloween

represent the beliefs of the paper’s editorial staff and speak out on critical issues. In a democracy, fair reporting from newspapers is essential to keep an eye on unchecked powers and local authorities, as well as telling people’s everyday stories. However, publications offer more than news.

Commentaries on local opinion, reviews and political endorsements are all vital services independent newspapers can offer.

The L.A. Times Editorial Board had drafted an endorsement article for Harris when owner Patrick SoonShiong decided the paper would not be offering an endorsement for any candidate this election. The Post Editorial Board also had plans of endorsing Harris until CEO Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, stopped not only this endorsement but the opportunity for the Editorial Board to endorse any presidential candidate in the future.

Following these recent restrictions, many editors have left the L.A. Times and more than 200,000 subscribers have canceled both their print and online subscriptions to The Post.

“We are deeply concerned about our owner’s decision to block a planned endorsement in the presidential race,” a statement from The L.A. Times Guild Unit Council and Bargaining Committee reads. “We are even more concerned that he is now unfairly assigning blame to Editorial Board members for his decision not to endorse.”

The California Aggie Editorial Board condemns the recent restrictions on newspaper editorial boards’ right to endorse a presidential candidate. The leadership of every newspaper, from student to local to national, deserves the right to weigh in on elections.

These restrictions also set a dangerous precedent that ownership can intervene in editorials whenever they see fit. This is why, in part, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has condemned these recent announcements.

“If ownership begins dictating what

stories can or cannot be published, it sets a precedent for compromising journalistic independence, which could lead to deeper restrictions on news coverage over time,” the former National President of SPJ, Lynn Walsh, said in their statement.

This is especially distressing in an election where journalists’ First Amendment rights are being called into question. One of the two major presidential candidates has continuously threatened these rights and scrutinized the press.

The aforementioned candidate has proposed stripping news outlets such as ABC and CBS News of their licenses, taking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under full control under the executive branch and jailing reporters; they have also suggested jailing publishers and “top editors.”

Last year, Politico reporters broke the news that the Supreme Court was going to draft plans to overturn Roe v. Wade after a source leaked the draft opinion to them. Following the leak, the court shared they would investigate the situation, and the candidate mentioned demanded their arrest.

“They’ll never find out, [and] it’s important that they do,” the candidate in mention said in a Truth Social post.

“So, go to the reporter [and] ask him/ her who it was. If not given the answer, put whoever in jail until the answer is given. You might add the editor and publisher to the list.”

This is unprecedented, anti-press and violates the protections journalists are given under the First Amendment — this type of rhetoric about the press undermines democracy itself. In an election that will affect reporters so greatly, editorial boards must be allowed to speak out.

Other than the repercussions for news publications, this election will greatly affect everyone. From access to reproductive healthcare to immigration and potential mass deportations to the Supreme Court, your ballot will have nationwide

Friendship is fuel Coming into college, I knew I’d be learning a lot. What I didn’t expect to learn was the value of social relationships.

I thought I was done learning my lesson about the importance of friends back in middle school or maybe early high school when I was having revelations about the “true meaning of friendship.” But lo and behold, there’s more where that came from.

In my middle-teenage years, I was the type of kid who took a lot of my friendships for granted. I was so focused on school, extracurriculars and other aspects of my personal life that I didn’t invest a lot of time into my social life.

At the time, that was fine. My friends and I were secure so it didn’t hurt our connections.

The way I saw it (and this may come across as pretentious), spending time with my peers was less productive and less valuable than the time I spent studying, working, at mock trial practice or at dance rehearsal. My friends ended up at the bottom of my priority list, and by the time everything else was checked off, I didn’t have any time or energy left to give to them. Throughout high school I rarely saw my friends outside of campus — it wasn’t until I got to college that I understood what I missed out on.

I’ve always been a social person, but I definitely underestimated the effect that social interaction has on my quality of life. I now see it as a necessity for my well-being, the same way that I see exercise or rest or therapy. That mentality shift is a part of growing up.

For some of us that comes naturally and it’s not as much of a revelation, but it’s a milestone nonetheless.

Learning what to prioritize is part

JASON XIE / AGGIE

of maturing. We have to figure out how to take care of ourselves, and that means covering basic needs like food and water, keeping our spaces clean and well-curated and staying on top of schoolwork and other logistical responsibilities.

But it also means learning to tend to your emotional and mental needs.

It means taking breaks when you need to, even if it feels unproductive.

It means redirecting your inner monologue when it’s being too harsh or derogatory. It means understanding that social interactions are important and productive and shouldn’t be written off as unnecessary or frivolous.

Appreciating time with friends is healthy; we really do need each other.

I didn’t come to this realization until this past summer between my first and second years. I returned to my hometown, a suburb of Santa Cruz, after a year of living in constant connection with my peers. I had a busy schedule lined up — I was interning in Monterey, working my local ice cream shop job from my fourth year of high school, teaching weekly classes at my old dance studio and trying to spend time with my family while I was home. But even amongst all of that, I felt unfulfilled. I was discouraged, pessimistic and disillusioned. In reality, I was lonely. Yes, I was surrounded by people for most of the day, but I wasn’t spending any quality time with my friends.

I was busy doing things I enjoyed and was interested in, but it didn’t really matter because I was missing the crucial social time that I need to live a fulfilling life. When I got back to Davis in the fall, moved in with

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

In a very polarized political climate, discussing this election may feel overwhelming — but it is important to exercise your civic duty and encourage those around you to do

the same. While we cannot endorse a candidate or tell you who to vote for, The California Aggie Editorial Board encourages you to use your best judgment this election season and pay attention to what is at stake.

GUEST COLUMN

Social time is essential for your well-being

BY MOLLY THOMPSON mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu

Editorial Board

my friends and started seeing my peers on a daily basis, I felt much better. I was more motivated, optimistic and excited.

That’s the moment it clicked for me — quality friendships really are necessary.

Maturing is realizing that social interaction is not to be put on the back burner. It can be hard to make time for friends when the calendar is full of classes, work, homework, clubs and chores, but it’s worth it. It’s not something that can be sacrificed.

As a society, I think we have a tendency to treat social time as a guilty pleasure — an indulgence, a treat, a reward. But in truth, it’s more like a vitamin: it’s important to make sure we get our daily dose.

Vote Yes on Measure Q

BY SAMUEL BATHFIELD fourth-year political science major Due to rising inflation and rising budget costs, Davis’s essential services are at risk of funding issues. If new funding is not allocated to make the difference, that would mean that many of the essential services that people rely on, the services that make Davis a great place to live, whether as student or a longtime resident, will be at risk if they do not receive the necessary Funding.

What would that entail exactly?

Based on current projections, if Measure Q, which would increase the sales tax by 1% more year, does not pass, the city would have no choice but to

institute budget cuts, cutting necessary funding from vital city services such as public safety, first responders, road maintenance and even from other needed budgets such as the city’s housing and environmental funds.

As someone who has attended the university here and lived here for most of the last 4 years, I strongly feel that vital sources such as these should not be put into jeopardy for this great town.

It would not be fair to other students who reside here and long-time residents for the services that make this city great for everyone to be cut. It is because of these pressing issues and how they could hurt the quality of life of everyone in Davis that I support Measure Q and believe that everyone should support it, to keep Davis the great place to live it is.

GUEST COLUMN

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

Ballot Measure Q hopes to improve housing services and public transit

BY EDGARDO MALDONADO transfer student and affiliate with Yes on Measure Q campaign This November, you, the voters, have an opportunity to make Davis an even better place to work, study, and live in. That opportunity just so happens to be on the ballot this election, with Measure Q. This measure asks voters to approve a 1% increase in the current sales tax. The goal here is to give our city government more funding to attract businesses and nonprofits to the community, properly fund housing projects in the city, and improve public transit. The public transportation and housing aspect of this measure is personal to me. I just transferred here from the Southern Central Valley, and to take the bus home from class, I had to wait until 5pm, and once I got to the transit hub in my hometown, had to wait another hour-

and-a-half before I finally got home.

As for housing, I was fortunate enough to be able to secure guaranteed housing through the university, but I am well aware that others aren’t as fortunate.

Past measures like this have been on the ballot, and not enough have said yes to properly funding city services, and building climate resiliency for the 21st century. If you, the voters, understand the importance of continuing our transition to clean energy, of funding affordable housing projects in Davis, and allowing more funding for public transit, vote yes on Measure Q.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Regal Davis Holiday’s Monday Mystery Movie is more than worth your five dollars

New horror rom-com “Your Monster” proved to be a perfect pick for the surprise screening

BY JOE HORTON arts@theaggie.org

Joe Horton is a continuing lecturer in the University Writing Program Song: “Swept Away [Sentimental Version]” by The Avett Brothers (2004) When I have writing workshops in class, I’ve found it helps students engage with their peers if the room isn’t tomb-silent with me creeping and skittering up there at my instructor desk. So, I’ve tried all kinds of background music over the years, and some of the best is the Avett Brothers (It’s also fortunate that they’re my favorite band…interesting how that works sometimes). Brothers Seth and Scott often sing this song with their sister Bonnie, and “Swept Away” is full of love and family. It’s joyous and grateful, mournful and magic: it brings me into the redwoods for a wedding and to the warm blur of a Midwestern sunset; from skeletal trees waiting for snow to brave fires holding firm on the beach next to a black Pacific. If you get a chance to see the Avett Brothers’ new musical of the same name, do. It premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where my wife works, which I’m taking to mean that the Avetts are now a small part of our family too.

Book: “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach (2011) This is my go-to book to mention on a first day of class. It’s an academic epic of two of my greatest loves: baseball and writing. Harbach’s expertise in mining the richness of books and ballfields is only matched by the generousness of his style and richness of his characters. When your shortstop is named Henry Skrimshander — a college’s star fielder trying to break the all-time errorless streak while also navigating campus love, loss and death — you know you’re in for a full nine-inning affair, and at a lean 512 pages, the novel earns its moments.

It’s one of the few books where I burst out crying at the sheer catharsis of it.

TV Show: “English Teacher” by Brian Jordan Alvarez (2024) As an English teacher, I’m perhaps contractually and morally obligated to love this show, but you should too. I was a college contemporary of star and creator Brian Jordan Alvarez, and he’s worked his way up from viral videos and web series to guest starring spots on “Will & Grace” and “Jane the Virgin,” and he shines here as Evan Marquez, a devoted but insecure teacher at a suburban Austin high school. In the first episode, he has to defend kissing his former boyfriend — in front of his class — to an angry parent, and from there it’s one escapade to the next: drag queens and football, sex-crazed camping trips and — gasp — giving failing grades to disinterested, self-righteous students (That never happens, right?). “English Teacher” is good-natured, but cutting, fast-paced and relentlessly funny, even in the face of serious school issues like gun violence, identity politics and teacher burnout. Full disclosure: I haven’t watched the last episode of the season yet because I don’t want it to end.

Movie: “Almost Famous” dir. by Cameron Crowe (2000) One of my deeply unoriginal icebreakers on the first days of class is to ask One of my deeply unoriginal icebreakers on the first days of class is to ask students their favorite movie and book. My favorite movie for decades has been “Almost Famous,” written and directed by Cameron Crowe as a fictionalized account of his own experiences as a teenage music journalist in the 1970s. Patrick Fugit plays William Miller, a 15-year-old who travels the country with rock band Stillwater and its enigmatic lead singer Russell (Billy Crudup) to write a story about them for “Rolling Stone” magazine, much to the dismay of his college professor mother (Frances McDormand). This is my wife’s favorite movie too, and we still quote lines to each other like “the only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool.” That McDormand’s character IS my mom helps too. But most of all, that I’ve met both Crowe and Crudup in real life and they are as nice as I could dare hope makes this my favorite movie and my favorite to share with others. As “Almost Famous” itself promises, your heroes always end up being more human than you imagine, but sometimes, they’re better that way.

The Regal Davis Holiday hosts $5 mystery movie nights every few months.

(Justin Han / Aggie)

BY SAVANNAH ANNO arts@theaggie.org On average, how long do you spend trying to find the perfect movie to watch? While you scroll through Netflix “for you” picks, Hulu originals or a new Letterboxd list, it’s easy to get lost in the world of trailers and plot descriptions looking for the right fit.

You probably end up spending more time searching for a movie to watch than actually watching one.

At a movie theater, the art of choosing can become even harder.

With ticket prices ranging from $15 to sometimes $20, it’s not only about finding a movie you’ll enjoy, but one that will justify spending what you make in an hour at your on-campus job. Sometimes, it might feel easier to just not watch a movie at all.

But what if you didn’t have to be the one to choose? On Oct. 21, attendees of the Regal Davis Holiday theatre’s Monday Mystery Movie left their viewing experience up to fate. Occurring every few months, Regal Theatres offers $5 tickets to see a movie of their choice, providing no descriptions or hints for what it may be.

But it’s not just any other movie.

While you might be expecting them to play some popular classic from the 1980s or a random film-failure no one has heard of, the options are actually narrowed down to new movies notyet-released. For only $5, you can attend a pre-screening of a brand new blockbuster.

With a plethora of highly anticipated films making their way to the big screen at the end of October, the mystery movie makes an exciting guessing game for those attending.

Would it be the emotional “We Live in Time” with Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh? The electrifying “Anora” with Mikey Madison?

Neither. As the previews came to an end and the screen changed from black to a shot of a woman being wheeled out of her hospital room, audience members were met with “Your Monster.”

Written and directed by Caroline Lindy, the horror rom-com centers around Laura, an aspiring Broadway star, played by “Scream V” actress Melissa Barrera. The movie begins by establishing her terrible situation: after being diagnosed with cancer, her boyfriend of five years dumps her unexpectedly, leaving her at the hospital after she undergoes surgery.

The ex, Jacob (Edmund Donovan), also happens to be an up-and-coming playwright. Perhaps even worse than abandoning her at the hospital, Laura comes to find out that the lead role Jacob had promised her in his new show is up for grabs at an audition she wasn’t invited to.

After a montage of Laura sobbing on the couch, eating cake by the mouthful and only being able to find comfort in her Amazon delivery guy, you would think things couldn’t possibly get worse.

That’s when the monster shows up.

While the plot description may sound cheesy on paper — a modernday retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” (1991) or a more comedic “The Shape of Water” (2017) — seeing the reveal

of the monster character in theatres, especially without seeing any trailers of the film beforehand, comes as a welcome shock. The Oct. 21 audience, although somewhat small in numbers, delivered gasps, cackles and screams at the sight of actor Tommy Dewey’s long hair and sharp teeth.

Coming out of the closet of Laura’s cozy New York brownstone, the monster gives her two weeks to find a new place to live, annoyed by the actress’ postbreakup hysterics. Of course, over those two weeks, Laura and the monster — shockingly referred to as “Monster” — fall in love.

After being given the role of understudy for her ex-boyfriend’s show out of pity, with beautiful and Broadway famous Jackie Dennon (Meghann Fahy) being casted as lead character “Laurie,” Laura becomes increasingly angry with her situation. Normally a people pleaser, Monster helps Laura come to terms with her ex’s mistreatment and learn how to stand up for herself.

Building off of the roommates-tolovers trope, the pair share meals, watch classic romance movies and even read Shakespearean sonnets together, pulling on Laura’s theatre-loving heartstrings.

Following a magically decorated Halloween party which allows Monster to attend without drawing attention, the two share their first kiss, with Laura in a bejeweled “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) costume.

While it seems all too cliché, Tommy Dewey’s Monster did in fact have the audience giggling at his sarcastic dialogue and swooning over his dedication to keeping Laura happy.

Ultimately, what makes “Your Monster” such a great watch is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. A random monster living in a Broadway actress’ apartment and the pair falling in love is ridiculous. But, with its warm color palette and rainy autumn-in-NewYork setting, audiences can’t help but want to root for the two to succeed.

Following its cult-classic predecessors like “Lisa Frankenstein” (2024), director Caroline Lindy also makes it clear that while it may start out sweet, any girl willing to fall in love with a monster has to be at least a little bit crazy. As Laura begins to feel more and more disposable to her exboyfriend and barely there best friend, eventually finding out the two were sleeping together behind her back, her own monstrosity comes to the forefront of the movie.

Creating the perfect balance between romance and revenge, “Your Monster” proved to be the perfect film to walk into blind. While a new romantic creature-feature probably isn’t the film you would choose out of the sea of new releases, its messy plot and over-the-top characters come as a welcome surprise.

If you’re looking for a great Halloween watch or love a Broadway belt (Laura does in fact sing her own solo), “Your Monster” is now in theaters for everyone. If you want to try something new and play the film lottery, you can stay up-to-date on the next Monday Mystery Movie through the Regal Theatres website.

7 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

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Studio Laika produces fall animated favorites

Stop-motion animation is a complex art form that deserves recognition

BY AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS arts@theaggie.org When thinking about the different mediums of animation, many come to mind: Computer-generated images (CGI), 3D and hand-drawn animation are the most common, while other mediums tend to go unnoticed — specifically, the style of stop-motion animation, despite the extensive work that goes into the process.

Stop-motion animation is a multistep style that involves the photography of various still images that are then edited together to mimic movement.

While a CGI-animated film can now take one to two years given new technology, a stop-motion animated film takes anywhere from three to four years, with a year of the animation being solely the photography to begin the editing process.

Despite the time, money and labor of a stop-motion film, the film style is underappreciated by audiences.

However, there are few studios and directors that have taken the risk of using stop-motion animation that deserve their flowers.

Laika Studios, founded in 2005, is a production company that specializes in the art of stop-motion animation through the storytelling of children’s films. The studio has released five films since its inception: “Coraline” (2009), “ParaNorman” (2012), “The Boxtrolls” (2014), “Kubo and the Two Strings” (2016) and “Missing Link” (2019).

Of the five films, the most prominent release of theirs is “Coraline.” Released in 2009, the film has become a staple in pop culture not

Laika Studios is known for their stop-motion animation films, such as Coraline, Corpse Bride and The Boxtrolls. (Courtesy) only due to the darker storyline for a children’s movie but also due to the intricate animated world of the film.

The process involved 52 stages and 130 sets with a multitude of puppets and 3D-print technology to bring the world to life.

And while there is no doubt “Coraline” is an animated classic, the other films produced by Laika Studios deserve the same attention.

And beyond the detailed craft Laika produces, their emotionally rich plots are equally as creative. Thus, if you loved “Coraline,” Laika has four other films that you should check out, including a new one releasing next

year called “Wildwood.”

But why call attention to a small subsection of the endless catalog of animated films? Well, now more than ever during a period of oversaturation of sequels and an oligopoly animated film industry, new ideas need to be recognized before studios decide to stop taking risks.

However, recent stop-motion animated films have garnered some conversation. Despite the lack of marketing and going straight to streaming services, few films have received well-deserved recognition.

Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio,” released on Netflix, won an Academy

Award for Best Animated Picture in 2022. Tim Burton also released “Wendell and Wild” in 2022 to critical acclaim.

While the two films are a step in the right direction for the future of stop-motion animation, audiences should be more open to less typical animated films. While there is no doubt some CGI-animated films are masterpieces, the art of stop-motion is beyond what a computer can ever render.

Stop-motion animation requires a team of dedicated workers who have a passion for precise, time-consuming work. While we as the audience reap

the benefits of their labor, we are the people that control whether or not these films are produced. Stop-motion animation is a high risk for studios and needs our support to solidify their importance in the animation industry.

Before you judge a book by its cover, or rather a movie based on its trailer, think about the people behind the scenes making the films.

So, while you enjoy Halloween classics such as “Coraline,” “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” consider why you love those films.

How to live your Carving into a Halloween ‘Practical Magic’ tradition carving offers creativity, connection and a sense of life this Halloween Pumpkin classic autumnal spirit

Here’s how you can make your life a little more bewitching this autumn, a la “Practical Magic”

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock in “Practical Magic.”

(Courtesy of Warner Bros. / fair use)

BY NATALIE SALTER arts@theaggie.org If you think about the word “witch,” your first thought might be an old woman with a pointed hat and a broomstick, brewing bubbling potions in a cauldron under the light of a full moon. While this is a classic interpretation of witches, countless films, shows and novels throughout time have challenged this simple picture and presented creative perspectives on what witchcraft really is. One such film is 1998’s “Practical Magic,” starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as two sisters born into a family of witches. The film is a cozy and delightful watch for Halloween that crafts a welcoming image of witches and their magical lifestyle — one that you can live too this October.

To start out your “Practical Magic”-themed day, whip up a batch of pancakes for breakfast.

Just like the characters in the film, you can try your hand at making all sorts of shapes and images out of the batter, and paired with butter and syrup, you’ll have an absolutely delightful and delicious morning. For an even more autumnal twist, add pumpkin and cinnamon to your pancakes, or try an apple syrup to top them off with.

One of the most iconic parts of “Practical Magic” is the whimsical, comfortable outfits worn by the main characters. Colorful maxi skirts, oversized knit sweaters, silk dresses and patterned cardigans are all wardrobe staples that will make you feel like you’re living in the film too. Try mixing

patterns and fabrics to create a look that is both fun to wear and unique to you. Being witches, the film’s iconic sisters don’t feel the need to be restricted to one style or another, and neither should you. If you want to find more stand-out pieces, go out thrifting with a friend. Thrift stores are full of oneof-a-kind items; likewise, by buying clothes second hand, you’ll be making an environmentally conscious choice.

The elder of the two “Practical Magic” sisters, Sally, runs a small shop where she sells self-care products, which is a great reason for you to indulge in a self-care routine of your own. A sweet scented candle, a bottle of your favorite lotion, a mug of tea and a face mask can combine with a warm bath to create a wonderfully relaxing afternoon. If you can, try and shop for your self-care products at local shops.

It’s not a “Practical Magic” day if you forget one of the film’s most iconic scenes — Midnight Margaritas.

Though the name explains itself, there’s plenty you can do to add your own twist to this tradition.

If you’re not one for drinking, there are countless fun nonalcoholic beverages you can have when the sun goes down. Invite over your friends or family and celebrate together!

Just like Sally and Gillian always have each other’s backs, show your loved ones that you’ll always be there for them. It’s not a “Practical Magic” October without the people you care about, so make sure to include them in your utterly magical day.

BY JULIE HUANG arts@theaggie.org Embracing the fall season usually means engaging in a wide assortment of autumnal activities like drinking cider, enjoying a warm pie, apple picking and hiking through fall foliage. Among these offerings, autumn also boasts a reputation as pumpkin carving season.

Participating in this age-old tradition presents an opportunity to get up close and personal with the spirit of fall.

Passed down from mythical origins of warding off wandering souls and hostile spirits, pumpkin carving has since become an autumn activity that can be as unique as each person makes it. There are no rules for what makes a good carving so pumpkins can be customized to showcase anything from simple designs to intricate portraits.

Depending on the desired vibe, a pumpkin might become a classic grinning jack-o’-lantern, a horror film character or a cute and wholesome

image of a puppy or kitten. By the end of a carving session, each pumpkin has undergone an individualized creative process to become a piece of decoration that cannot be found anywhere else.

The finished products can be displayed on porches or coffee tables to create a personalized, festive atmosphere with a spooky ambiance well after Halloween ends.

The act of carving into a pumpkin also offers a chance for quality time and bonding with others that can only be enjoyed in the fall. The seasonal nature of pumpkin carving makes it a rarely accessible activity, so its creative and cozy qualities should be taken advantage of whenever the chance rolls around each year. The shared experience of debating what to carve into a pumpkin and then witnessing family and friends’ messy attempts to bring that project to life often translates into a silly, lighthearted experience that becomes a sentimental memory tied to the season.

Halloween and the autumn season bring back childhood memories filled with creative costumes, pillow cases

filled with candy from trick-or-treating and pumpkins greeting you on every doorstep. Carving pumpkins, no matter one’s age, is an excellent way to reconnect with that nostalgic fall spirit that makes this time of year so special.

Best of all, pumpkin carving is a relatively inexpensive activity, as the tools required can usually be found at home in kitchen drawers. Pumpkins themselves can be sourced from grocery stores, although bigger variants may demand a trip to local pumpkin patches, which are also within a reasonable price range.

A highly multifaceted activity that is only available in the fall, pumpkin carving represents the best of autumn’s bounty, providing an experience that allows carvers to get in touch with their creative expression as well as share the experience with their community and loved ones. By taking part in a classic tradition, those who carve pumpkins are able to get crafty with how they celebrate the spirit of the season.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

8 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Open Walls Collective brings an innovative approach to art exhibitions

The Davis art collective inspires creativity and conversation

BY LAILA AZHAR features@theaggie.org The sight of eight-foot tall walls with wheels attached to them might not bring the words “art gallery” to mind — but Open Walls Collective isn’t a typical art gallery.

Beginning this summer, the collective has emerged as a unique space for Davis creatives to learn the ins and outs of displaying their work.

The walls that serve as the group’s namesake allow them to turn any venue into a gallery personalized to the artist’s liking. As they put it, they’re “redefining what gallery spaces and artist platforms consist of.”

Before launching, the group studied the advertising of fashion brands in an age of oversaturation on social media. The most successful ones, they noted, didn’t attempt to advertise to everyone — they catered to their particular audience.

Similarly, Open Walls Collective set out to answer the question, “What would an artist want in a town like this?”

On Oct. 11, they hosted a popup event as part of Davis Rave Co. and Sudwerk Brewery’s “Frog Hop” event. A group of 12 artists displayed their work and artist statements. Two murals were created live at this event.

One, a community mural, allowed for anyone in the audience to participate in drawing, while the other involved professional artists painting the logo of the event.

Their upcoming show, titled “Are you better than AI?,” is taking place on Nov. 1 at the Pence Gallery. This juried exhibition has a twist — among the artists displayed in the show, one will secretly be Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The advent of generative AI has raised a lot of questions for creatives.

“I’ve seen a lot of AI-generated images online,” Tavleen Hayer, a second-year human development major, said. “When you use AI you don’t have to pay a liveable wage, the way you do when there’s humans involved, so I can definitely see how that would cause a lot of fear for artists.”

Sophia Nguyen, a fourthyear biological sciences major, also commented on how the current period of technological advancements may potentially impact the job market.

“There’s fear about AI replacing jobs, and there’s also some people using AI in cool ways,” Nguyen said.

“We’re in an adjustment period where we have to figure out how technology advancing can also involve people being treated and paid fairly.”

Notably, this fear that studios will

Students looking at one of the Open Walls Collective exhibits at a local event. (Krishna Das / Courtesy) turn to generative AI for tasks typically done by paid workers was a major component of last year’s Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAGAFTRA) strikes.

Open Walls Collective’s upcoming exhibition addresses the topic of AI and art. Rather than presenting definitive answers, the exhibition allows artists to come together and respond to the prompt however they choose. The group aims to have a nuanced approach to this relevant issue.

For many members of the group, the biggest challenge facing artists today is increased cost of living. They hope the organization can be a place for newer artists to gain experience and learn the skills they’ll need to continue their craft in the real world.

“The idea of a ‘starving artist’ is attached to everything,” Krishna Das, a fourth-year art studio major, said. “Open Walls Collective is a way for artists to stop thinking about the overwhelming pressure that they may not be heard, or matter or find employment — or they have to wait and wait and instead adopt a

realization that if you can’t find anyone to make these connections happen for you, you’re going to have to make [them] yourself.”

These connections, the group noted, are an essential part of running Open Walls Collective. The vibrant arts scene in Davis has served as a major source of inspiration for the group.

“Pence Gallery has really shown us a degree of professionalism that now we try to maintain everywhere we go,” Das said. “The way [The] Basement Gallery curates artists and staff, how talented they are and the way they

take themselves seriously has led us to look for alumni that were part of [The] Basement Gallery.”

The UC Davis arts department in particular, the group also noted, has provided invaluable guidance and resources.

Open Walls Collective is precisely that — open. They’re an open space for newer artists to gain knowledge and experience, and they are open to learning more from established artists.

As they continue to host events, their unique and collaborative approach will provide a valuable outlet for Davis creatives.

Spice up your Halloween with a seasonal drink

The best fall-themed drinks from local coffee houses in Davis

BY ELIZABETH BUNT arts@theaggie.org Halloween is finally here, and Davis is fully in the grip of fall. With cooler days rolling in, there is nothing cozier than spending the morning in a warm coffee shop. Unfortunately for Davis students, it’s midterm season so schoolwork is involved with every coffee trip. Luckily, Davis has several local cafés that are perfect for sitting, sipping and studying. These are some of the coffee shops offering specialty fall drinks and perfect atmospheres for both the coffee aficionado and the academic weapon.

Mishka’s Pumpkin Latte: a fall staple Mishka’s Café is an old standby for most Davis students, especially humanities majors. On any given day, Davisites can be found reading, writing and sampling pastries under the constantly changing local artwork hung on the walls. To ring in the changing weather, the Mishka’s baristas have brought back a classic favorite: the Pumpkin Latte. This latte tastes exactly like a homemade pumpkin pie with just enough coffee flavor to cut through the sweetness.

The drink is finished with a dusting of cinnamon and customers can also ask for a dollop of homemade whip cream on top. The Pumpkin Latte comes in three different sizes and can be ordered hot or iced. To really complete the experience, café-goers should pair the latte with one of Mishka’s famous pastries that are made in the bakery

Temple Coffee Roasters’ Gingersnap Latte, one of the seasonal fall beverages offered at the coffee shop. (Jenna Lee / Aggie) above the shop: gingersnaps, pumpkin bars or chocolate muffins.

Temple Coffee: classic flavors, new delivery This fall, Temple Coffee — located on G Street — has a packed seasonal menu with two returning favorites and two brand new creations. The Gingersnap Latte, topped with ginger whipped cream and chai sugar, is making a reappearance this year along with the Ginger Cream Cold Brew.

These two drinks were huge hits last year so Temple fans will be glad to have them back. For those who prefer non-coffee beverages, Temple

has created the Autumn Apple Bliss and the Matcha Tonic. The Autumn Apple Bliss is a chamomile tea made with brown sugar, cinnamon and apple butter, perfect for tea lovers in search of something special for the fall season. The Matcha Tonic is a classic matcha paired with crisp tonic water and sweetened with brown sugar simple syrup. This drink is ideal for those looking for something seasonal but a little less sweet to sip on while studying.

Pachamama Coffee: local twists on global flavors Currently, Pachamama Coffee is

offering a five-drink autumn menu alongside their fixed menu. Avid Pacha visitors will be familiar with the Maple Brulée Latte and Honey Bear Latte, drinks that have appeared several times on their seasonal menu in both hot and iced form. New beverages this season include the Dulce de Leche Latte, Pumpkin and Cardamom Latte and Criollo-Cacao Mocha. The Pumpkin and Cardamom Latte is very similar to the latte offered at Mishka’s except for the warm cardamom infusion.

The Dulce de Leche is exactly what it sounds like: a buttery, sweet take on a Latin American classic dessert with hints of caramel. The Criollo-Cacao

Mocha is the most experimental beverage on Pachamama’s autumnal menu. This mocha combines Peruvian cacao, Colombian sugar and a hint of Himalayan salt to add a little kick of spice to the chocolatey taste.

These seasonal recommendations ought to make it easy for any student to find the perfect place to study and the perfect coffee to sip on while doing so. Keep in mind, these drinks are only offered for a short while this autumn, so take a trip downtown and pick an autumnal brew to become your new obsession. The only difficulty will be deciding which drink to try first.

9 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

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 10/24/24

Crossword

MOOVINMOOSEUM FROM FRONT COVER “We want this to be a sustainable project that doesn’t just end when I graduate or when someone else graduates, but something that really becomes central to Davis.”

Although Messinger played a major role in coming up with the idea for the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum, he asserted that the project was extremely collaborative.

“There’s a whole team of people behind the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum, it’s definitely not just me,” Messinger said.

Another key player in this team has been Mitchell Borges, the current director of marketing for ASUCD. Borges was approached by Messinger about the project and saw an opportunity to blend the goals of ASUCD and Unitrans to create the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum.

“Going into this year, ASUCD really wanted the focus to be reminding students and the community that our main goal here is support,” Borges said. “We wanted to be able to promote ASUCD and how we align with this vision.”

Borges also expressed that he enjoyed watching the community bond over this project, as well as seeing the ideas of his and others come to life.

“We ended up having a lot of students really excited to share their story through art, and now it’s riding around Davis and everyone gets to be a part of it,” Borges said.

Madison Seeman, a thirdyear design major at UC Davis, was also an integral part of bringing the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum to life. As the

Aggie Arts chairperson, Seeman has been closely involved with art projects across campus. These projects have ranged from small-scale community crafts to large events like the Aggies in Wonderland craft and music fair, which took place this past spring. The Moo-vin’ Moo-seum was a natural next step for Seeman and Aggie Arts, who hope to overall bring the Davis community together through art.

For Seeman, the collaborative nature of the project has been one of the most impactful parts.

“One of my favorite things about this project is that it has been a multiorganizational collaboration,” Seeman said.

This collaboration occurred across departments throughout the university and involved input from Unitrans, Aggie Arts and ASUCD. Seeman also asserted that the project was not just a collaboration of student organizations, but rather of the community as a whole.

“We wanted to make sure the community wasn’t forgotten,” Seeman said.

In order to ensure this, organizers of the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum took special care to cater to the perspective of the community at each step of the process and, most importantly, included the community in the creation of the art itself. To keep the project community oriented, the Moo-vin’ Moo-seum will be holding an Open Curator Meeting on Nov. 19, which community members and students are encouraged to attend.

Although the Moo-vin’ Mooseum has already hit the road, it is far from complete. The current exhibit inside will hopefully be the first of many, and all will include students or the community in some way. The

museum is one example of many artistic initiatives to keep the Davis community involved, creating and collaborating for years to come.

SHASTAFIRE FROM FRONT COVER Officials have issued a mandatory evacuation for zone LKH-1448-B in the area of Lakehead for civilians at risk. The fire has also prompted the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to issue an Emergency Forest Closure Order for roads, trails and campgrounds that is effective through Jan. 31, 2025.

The fire has also resulted in several road closures, including the Fenders Ferry Road at Pit River 7 Bridge: WestBound Fenders Ferry Road also known as 34N17, Forest Service Road 27 at the Pit River Bridge/Pit 7 and Ferry Road closed at McCloud Bridge: East-Bound Fenders Ferry Road at the McCloud River Bridge.

South-blowing winds have been carrying the smoke from the fire to the valley. Several areas have been impacted, including Chico, Yuba City, Woodland and Davis. Air quality is expected to improve as winds shift and less smoke is pushed to the local area.

County health officials advised people with respiratory conditions or heart disease, as well as the elderly, pregnant women and children, to avoid strenuous outdoor activity in smoky conditions.

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10 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

The celebration of ‘Halloweekend’ and how to stay safe

UC Davis students share their excitement for Halloween, recommendations for staying responsible and safe

BY GRACIELA TIU features@theaggie.org Halloween season in Davis has officially begun, and students across campus have been preparing costumes and getting ready for their celebrations. Although it’s a national holiday, Halloween at UC Davis feels particularly special for students.

“Since Davis is on the quarter system, our midterms usually fall right before Halloween,” Kayleigh Harrast, a second-year economics major, said.

“This gives people the chance to not only celebrate the holiday but also celebrate the end of midterm season, at least for most students.”

Being a relatively small town filled with a lot of college students, the sense of community in Davis feels very strong during Halloween.

“I also love Halloween at Davis because it’s such a college town, so on [Oct.] 31, everywhere you go you’re gonna see students biking or walking around in costume, which feels very festive,” Harrast said.

UC Davis students especially enjoy the group aspect of putting costumes together with their friends and getting ready with one another.

Maddy Coppersmith, a fourth-year human development major, enjoys this collaborative aspect and appreciates the creativity showcased through people’s costumes during the holiday.

“For me, I like collaborating with my roommates in making joint costumes and taking fun pictures before going out,” Coppersmith said.

“It’s cool to see how creative people are during Halloween and how interesting their costumes are. Also, I think it’s fun to try to guess what others’ Halloween costumes are and then reveal them after.”

MIRANDA LEE/ AGGIE

Similar to many other college campuses, UC Davis students typically celebrate Halloween the weekend before or after the holiday, depending on what day of the week Oct. 31 falls.

Different groups usually host themed parties and events for students during one or both of these weekends.

“We have plenty of clubs and social groups that throw parties,” Thomas Glatt, a fourth-year political science major, said. “Planning starts well in advance of Halloween, and everyone kind of knows what they’re doing and tries to figure out what other groups are also doing so you can plan something fun. It’s mostly parties, but people over 21 often go to bars and bar crawls in costume.”

Halloween weekend, colloquially known as “Halloweekend,” can bring a lot of excitement and amusement to students, especially the younger ones.

“These incoming freshmen and sophomores dealt with a lot of high school in [COVID-19], so this is the time to mix socially for them,” Glatt said.

If you’re new to Davis parties and don’t know what to expect, Glatt, who also is the vice president of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Membership Conduct at the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon, provided a rundown on how fraternity parties are typically set up.

“If you’re walking in for your first time, there’s going to be a check-in at the door, with a person looking at the list [of people invited], making sure only students are coming in,” Glatt said. “We also are making sure people aren’t bringing in open containers of alcohol. You’ll walk in — there will probably be a walkway to keep the front from getting congested — and then you’ll have a party floor, an outside area and you’ll probably have a DJ and DJ stand.”

At schools across the country,

Halloweekend usually is one of the biggest weekends of the year in terms of crowd sizes at social functions.

“Halloween is definitely one of the bigger weekends,” Glatt said. “One way that we manage the scope of the parties that are bigger than normal are some small things that we run.

We make sure we have a list going into it so we know who to expect, and we make sure that everyone coming knows to show [their] student IDs. We also always have a safe room at every event, not just big parties.”

Some organizations on campus provide safe rooms in their houses, which provide people with help and support at parties if necessary.

“We always have a dedicated room free of drugs and alcohol, at least at our fraternity house,” Glatt said.

“It generally has a dog in it too, but it’s free of drugs and alcohol, it has Narcan, Fentanyl test strips, first aid kits, waters, juices and snacks if we can find some.”

Along with a safe room, organizations throwing parties also typically have some kind of student security or sober monitors that can assist partygoers if needed.

“Another thing you can expect is to see active security, who makes sure that no one is exhibiting signs of incapacitation and that no one is displaying signs of discomfort, being cornered or in an uncomfortable situation,” Glatt said. “We’re checking in with everyone around us and making sure that things are as safe and stable as they can be. It’s not like you can control everything in your environment, but our job is to mitigate as many risks as possible.”

Although Halloween celebrations can feel particularly exciting, the most important part of the holiday is staying safe and protecting yourself. If you are of age and plan on consuming

alcohol, there are several ways to do so safely and cautiously.

“Hydrate and eat meals before — breakfast, lunch and then dinner,” Coppersmith said. “Make sure that you’re always with at least one other person, but go to a party with multiple friends just in case. If you’re driving, make sure you have a designated driver and you’re not drinking and driving.

And drink responsibly; don’t accept drinks from anyone you don’t know.”

When going out to any parties or events, especially at night, it’s also very important to have a safe transportation plan to and from the event.

“Always make sure that you’re with people that you trust when you’re drinking and that you’re in a safe environment,” Glatt said. “When people start to sway and lose their balance, that’s the time for your group to figure out a ride home to make sure that everyone gets home safe, which is always a priority. Please don’t ride your electric bike or scooter to a party, planning on drinking and then taking it back. Make sure there’s always a walkable plan.”

If you and your friends don’t plan on walking, Glatt warns to never get in a car if the driver is intoxicated, and instead to find a sober driver or utilize campus transportation resources.

“We have our safe ride centers on campus,” Glatt said. “They’re a little bit of a wait, but if you put in your request ahead of time, you will be prepared, so make a plan for that.”

Along with Safe Ride, UC Davis also has many additional resources that promote student safety and wellness. UC Davis Health Education and Promotion (HEP), a branch of Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS), promotes different health-related initiatives such as the Love Lab, which provides support for sexual well-being and Safe Party,

which provides information about staying safe at events with alcohol or other substances. The Student Health and Wellness Center also provides HIV/STI testing if you make an appointment through SHCS Health E-Messaging.

Coppersmith also mentioned other resources students can use in case of an emergency.

“Health 34, UC Davis Police and UC Davis Fire Department, along with 911, are numbers that you can call in case you need them or you feel unsafe for any reason,” Coppersmith said.

Even though Halloweekend is a unique and exciting experience compared to other weekends, it’s unnecessary to overdo it and put yourself or others at risk.

“The main thing is just to make sure that you’re only taking steps that you would also take [sober],” Glatt said. “Don’t let the enormity of the situation consume you. Don’t think that, ‘Oh, it’s Halloween. I have to go crazy.’ The name of the game is to do it responsibly. Only drink what you can control, don’t succumb to peer pressure and stay within your limits. If you’re new to campus, please just know that it’s not about how intoxicated you can get; it’s about how much fun you can have and how many memories you can retain, not lose.”

Overall, Halloween and all of the celebrations it brings can be a fun reason to dress up, get creative and bond with your friends.

“For me, the best parts about Halloween are the experiences I have with my friends and the people close to me,” Harrast said. “I love having fun times to look back on throughout the rest of the year.”

11 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

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SCIENCE AND TECH Long COVID-19 continues to cause symptoms months or years after initial infection

Individuals may still experience issues with tiredness, dizziness and weakness due to persistent inflammatory response

BY KATIE HELLMAN science@theaggie.org After contracting COVID-19, many individuals suffer from a plethora of debilitating symptoms that persist long after the initial infection.

This condition is known as long COVID. These health problems can last for weeks, months or even years; most commonly, individuals report extreme fatigue, brain fog, dizziness and digestion issues, according to the Mayo Clinic. To receive a diagnosis of long COVID, a patient must experience the symptoms of COVID-19 three months after they first contracted the illness.

“Some researchers have estimated that 10% to 35% of people who have had COVID-19 went on to have long COVID,” the Mayo Clinic website reads.

Long COVID has proved to be notoriously difficult to treat due to uncertainty regarding its cause.

One proposed hypothesis is that COVID-19 triggers an autoimmune response that leads the immune system to perceive the body’s own cells as a threat. This leads to damaged tissues and chronic inflammation.

It’s also possible that persistent symptoms occur due to a serotonin imbalance as a result of the virus replicating in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to neurocognitive and cardiovascular symptoms.

Emerging infectious disease expert Christian Sandrock further discussed these potential causes in an article with UC Davis Health.

“This drives the neurocognitive symptoms (i.e., brain fog, memory loss or mood changes), and the binding to ACE receptors (a protein on the surface of many cells) causes much of the other cardiovascular symptoms,” the article reads.

Since the autonomic system, a part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary body functions, is affected, widespread symptoms including effects on blood pressure, blood flow and heart rate are also common.

Health issues associated with long COVID appear to improve over time, albeit at a slow rate. Avoiding long COVID altogether might be

Long COVID is a chronic condition that causes symptoms long after the initial virus exposure. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Courtesy) possible by vaccination with Paxlovid, an antiviral therapy that targets a key enzyme contributing to the infection.

There are a few main risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of developing long COVID, according to Yale Medicine.

“People who have had severe

COVID-19, in particular those who required hospitalization or intensive care… people who have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine… people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or obesity [and] ...people who had multisystem inflammatory syndrome during or

after COVID-19 [are at increased risk],” the article reads.

Although there are still many unknowns regarding long COVID, there is hope that symptoms may self-resolve with time, and even if they don’t, treatments can help

control them. Furthermore, research is continuously being conducted to improve the health and well-being of those affected for a positive long-term outlook.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

12 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Fantasy frenzy: why UC Davis equestrian team takes you should join a loss at their two-day meet fantasy sports Despite the losses, the Aggies held their own against the EQUESTRIAN

Skyhawks and Pokes

BY KRISTA HAJJAR sports@theaggie.org On Oct. 18, The UC Davis equestrian team traveled to Tennessee to go up against the University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin) equestrian team in a two-day meet.

The Aggies put up a good fight but ultimately came out on the bottom with a final score of 16-4. Still, the Aggies gave memorable performances and walked away with further competition experience.

The first event to take place was fences, where Lauren Kolbe, a second-year political science major, and Natalie Wasson, a third-year international agricultural development major, led the Aggies and scored two points for the team. Unfortunately, Wasson and Kolbe’s performances weren’t enough to beat the three points scored by the UT Martin Skyhawks at the beginning of the event. This left the Skyhawks one point ahead of the UC Davis Aggies following the first event. Nonetheless, Kolbe gave a strong performance in her fence competition, as she kept up with the Skyhawks riders and tied with two of their riders with a score of 84 in the event.

The second event that took place was flat, where riders and their horses are judged based on walk, trot and canter around the ring without jumping. The Skyhawks came in strong with their riders scoring a total of four points throughout the event.

The Aggies failed to close the gap with this event as the only rider to score a point was Margaret Franke, a graduate student and communications major.

UT Martin rider Elizabeth Becker took the highest score in the flat event, scoring an 89. Kolbe was just shy of scoring the point for the Aggies, but fell behind by one point from Becker with a score of 88.

The third event to take place was horsemanship, where riders are judged on the art of riding, handling and training horses. The teams were in constant battle throughout this event with both team’s riders trying to earn the point. However, the Skyhawks wouldn’t let the Aggies leave with a victory. Each rider from the UT team scored a point over the Aggies, placing

them at a score of 5-0 in the third event of the competition.

In spite of the ending high point gained by the Skyhawks, the win was not easily achieved. Maddie Gregory, a graduate student and sociology major, had the third-highest score in horsemanship with a score of 74.5.

Her finish was just under what was needed to earn a point for the UC Davis team.

The last event to take place at the meet was reining. In this event, riders and horses are judged based on their performance in a pre-selected arena pattern from memory. Reining patterns consist of large fast circles or small slow circles that the horse must perform from memory. The Skyhawks took the win in the reining event, scoring four points over the Aggies.

Emma Dillon, a fourth-year animal science major, had a great ride, scoring a 68.5 and a point for the Aggies.

After the four events, the final score was 16-4 with the Skyhawks claiming their victory on their home turf.

The Aggies took a small break before going back into their two-day competition on Oct. 19 against the Oklahoma State University Pokes. The Aggies held their own in the fences event, beating the Pokes with a score of 2-1. They continued to stay in the

lead but tied in the second event, flat, with a score of 2-2.

Kolbe scored a point for the Aggies with a score of 71, while Franke not only got an incredible score of 93 but earned the Most Outstanding Player Award in this event.

Horsemanship took a turn for the Aggies, as the Pokes came back and took the event. The Aggies lost to the Pokes in the event with a final score of 3-1. Reining saw the same results with the Pokes coming out on top with a final score of 3-1.

The UC Davis Aggies took another loss, as the final meet score was 9-6, but put up a strong fight throughout the meet. The equestrian team will take a break before going up against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Nov. 1 in South Dakota, where they will aim to break their losing streak.

UC Davis equestrian team loses two-day meet in Tennessee. (Justin Han / Aggie)

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Fantasy leagues aren’t just about the sport

SAVANNAH BURGER / AGGIE

BY DIEGO CERNA sports@theaggie.org October is considered as one of the greatest American sports months of the year. It includes the start of the Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Playoffs, the middle of the National Football League (NFL) regular season and the start of National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) seasons. With these different sports events occuring, October also marks one of the best months to look into playing fantasy sports.

Fantasy sports essentially refers to different users creating an imaginary team — consisting of athletes from different teams — in a specific professional league. The way a fantasy league works depends on the type of sport, the type of fantasy sports app and the type of fantasy league gameplay. Most fantasy leagues consist of eight to 12 teams on average and use the amount of points earned as an indicator for who wins.

The popularity of playing fantasy sports has grown tremendously throughout the years. There are tons of different online apps where users play fantasy — the most popular apps include ESPN fantasy games, Yahoo Sports Fantasy and DraftKings Daily Fantasy. In 2024, participation increased by 10% in ESPN’s fantasy football users from 2023, with an alltime high of 13 million users. Other sports are likely to increase in users as well as NBA, NHL and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball seasons start up.

Fantasy users win based on getting more points than their opponent in the span of one week. As weeks pass by, the teams with the most wins advance to fantasy playoffs, where typically teams compete in a do-or-die style of play — advancing only on wins and getting eliminated by one loss.

This still leaves one question: Why are people so interested in fantasy sports? Fantasy gives the typical sports fan something more to cheer about rather than only their team. Before starting to play fantasy sports, many avid sports watchers only watch their favorite teams play games. With the addition of fantasy sports, individuals can watch every game that involves favorite players, even if it’s not their own team.

Winning in fantasy not only gives you the satisfaction of improving your record, but it also enhances your knowledge of different sports players and mainstream sports. Making decisions on who should play, taking into consideration what the statistics and experts say and balancing those decisions with your gut feeling all adds to the excitement. It’s like managing your own professional team from home.

Playing fantasy sports is a great way to stay engaged with your favorite sports and compete with friends or family. Even if you don’t join or start a

draft before the start of a sports season, most fantasy sports apps allow you to start leagues throughout the season at any time. Here are some tips for firsttime fantasy sports players: Research beforehand When starting out, a common misconception when drafting fantasy league players is that the best players in the league are the best players to choose. While it is true that the best players in the leagues typically rank highly, they aren’t always the best picks for winning. Instead, focus on athletes who excel in a variety of statistics — such as assists and defense — not just points. These all-around contributors are what lead to consistent victories in fantasy leagues.

Looking at fantasy mock drafts, expert picks, advanced stats and your own knowledge of certain players are always a good guide for choosing. If you don’t know many players, most fantasy apps will often recommend who the next best pick would be.

Stay updated on league news, especially injuries Keeping up with what’s circulating around the league such as player trades, team systems and injuries all matter when choosing specific players for your team. Players can only contribute consistently based on how well they fit with a team, how much playing time they get and who their teammates are. The best ability is availability — choosing players who consistently play can often be more reliable than players who have lingering injuries.

See who is on the waiver wire The players you draft may not always be on your team, thus, you should always be ready for the next best one to draft. There are so many talented players throughout each professional league that people often overlook, but they can contribute major stats and points. Making adjustments is crucial to winning, especially if you’re dealing with injured players.

Create incentives for winners and punishments for losers Not all fantasy leagues have this feature, but creating prizes such as money raises the stakes and helps keep players engaged within their fantasy league. When playing in leagues that don’t have prizes, people are often less involved since there was no potential gain from winning. Making the loser of a fantasy league do an embarrassing task as a punishment for losing could also be a fun way to raise the stakes, motivating players to continue to improve. These end-of-season incentives can make the season more exciting and competitive.

Overall, fantasy leagues allow you to stay connected with sports and people. As many sports kick off and continue this month, take a chance and gather a group of friends or family, draft your team and experience games on a whole new level.