January 30 2020

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

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VOTE ON TUITION HIKE FOR UC PUT ON HOLD AFTER REGENTS RECEIVE FIERCE BACKLASH

MA RKU S KA EPEL L I / AG GIE

Students alerted only a week prior to planned vote

Students enter the recently opened Latitude Dining Commons at the Tercero housing area. (Photo by Markus Kaeppeli / Aggie)

LATITUDE DINING COMMONS AND MARKET NOW OPEN International food from Latin America, Asia, Europe, India, Middle East showcased in new dining commons

BY AARYA GUP TA campus@theaggie.org

plementation of a parcel tax according to the text of Measure G. If passed, the measure would add a $198 annual tax for each parcel of taxable real estate for property owners in Davis, beginning on July 1, 2020. The tax would be increased annually to account for inflation.

The goal of this parcel tax, according to the text of the measure, is to generate funds for the school district to “attract and retain quality teachers and staff by keeping compensation competitive.” In other words, the funds raised by the tax would be used to increase DJUSD teacher and staff salaries.

Joe DiNunzio, a trustee on the DJUSD Board of Education, said improving teacher and employee salaries is critical for the district to obtain and keep quality teachers and staff — and by extension, maintain Davis schools’ reputation for academic excellence.

“Delivering excellent public schools requires excellent teachers and staff — and to recruit and retain them, you have to have competitive compensation,” DiNunzio said.

Davis teacher salaries lag behind comparable districts, DiNunzio said, which presents a challenge for the DJUSD to recruit quality staff in the future.

“As [we] look at regional comparable districts — ones that are roughly the same size as us, with similar characteristics — on average, we pay our teachers and staff five to seven, in some cases, nine percent less,” DiNunzio said.

Latitude, located on Bioletti Way south of Hutchinson Drive, nestled alongside the residential buildings of Tercero and catty corner from SciLec, opened on Jan. 15. The new dining commons, featuring international cuisine, will help reduce stress on other dining commons.

“I love the intermingling of so many different cultures and the way the grand opening brought so much excitement to the school campus,” said Camilla Barbaduomo, a firstyear global disease biology major.

The “Latitude restaurant celebrates the diversity of the UC Davis community by featuring an exquisite menu of international dishes scratch-made from fresh, locally-sourced ingredients,” according to the UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services.

“You will find that the focus of this location is the diverse cuisine,” sad Felipe Becerrai, assistant director of residential dining, via email.

“This location does not have the regular items found in other dining rooms. Items like cereal, pizza, burgers and chocolate chip cookies, these will continue to be available for anyone looking for them at our three other locations.”

Latitude features a two-story dining area — open 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. Monday through Friday — and a retail market open 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“It was very exciting to see our team come together after months of preparing for the opening day,” Becerrai said. “It was also very rewarding to see the reactions from our residents and anyone else walking in for the time.”

Latitude accepts meal plans and Aggie Cash and access is not limited to UC Davis students.

The general public is invited to dine at Latitude, and Lot 40 is open for off-campus visitors to park.

According to Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED) — a national, multidisciplinary architecture, engineering and design firm — the design of the Latitude Dining Commons is “inspired by the sun-drenched agricultural heart of the state.” Specifically, Latitude is characterized by “exposed structure, pitched roofs, and large expanses of glass on the eastern and southern elevations.”

“The space is beautiful, the architecture and design are modern and artistic,” Becerrai said.

The building’s sustainability level is LEED Gold, according to HED’s website. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, “is the most widely used green building rating system in the world [...] available for virtually all building project types, from new construction to interior fit-outs and operation and maintenance,” according to the U.S. Green Building Council, or USGBC website. Many other buildings on campus, such as the MU, also have LEED certification.

“I enjoy the design of Latitude,” said Vinal Chand, a first-year communication major. “It allows you to eat outside when it’s nice weather. I really enjoy how there is a lot of seating, as opposed to the other DCs where seating is harder to find.”

Seating 500 people, Latitude’s construction cost amounted to approximately $26 million, according to the HED’s website.

“The process was long and very involved as this was a major project that involved multiple departments,” Becerrai said.

“Overall the issues that came up were not out of what you’d expect for a project this large.”

In choosing to offer a diverse array of international foods, Dining Services is responding to years of feedback from students.

“We find that international food is regu-

MEASUREG on 12

LATITUDE on 12

Chalk writing that oppose tuition increase were found on Wellman Hall on the morning of Tuesday, January 21, 2020. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY JESSI C A BAG GOT T campus@theaggie.org In a plan to provide more financial aid funding and avoid a decline in the quality of UC education, the UC Board of Regents proposed two different tuition increase models. After backlash from students, the vote on the tuition proposals was postponed.

The Regents, who met on Jan. 22 to discuss the two proposals, were faced with backlash from students worried about the extra financial strain that students might face because of a tuition increase. They argued that an increase would hurt individuals already attending the UC and said it would also impact the diversity of the UC system — one of its six key values.

Students were also given only one week of notice prior to the scheduled vote, although Regents are required to give a month’s notice. Before a vote could happen, the potential tuition increase was switched to a discussion item. It is currently unknown when or if this item will be put to a vote.

Two tuition increase models are being considered. The first, a traditional yearly increase, would adjust tuition cost with inflation and would apply to all students — current and future. The second model, called “cohort-based” tuition, assigns a fixed cost for each incoming class. This model would only affect future students.

Although it is not abnormal for the Regents to consider a tuition increase at the beginning of the year when the governor releases the budget for the next fiscal year, this situation felt abnormal to UC Student Association President Varsha Sarveshar.

“Normally, when [the Regents] vote on tuition increases, they’re only voting on tuition increases for the next academic year,” Sarveshar said. “This time, they’re voting on tuition increases between [the] 2020-21 school year and 202425 school year.”

Sarveshwar also said the inflation-based tuition increase model would likely create an increase between 10% and 15%, or a $14,860 to $15,535 final price tag over five years for in-state students. The current tuition is approximately

$13,509.

“We do not take changes to tuition and fees lightly,” said UC President Janet Napolitano.

“And while it may seem counterintuitive, increasing tuition actually provides more funds to cover the cost of attendance [to those] who need financial aid the most.”

But these numbers can’t be taken at face value, since student loan debt is often left out of the equation.

“When you propose tuition increases by one or two or three or 400 dollars, that isn’t really the amount that the tuition is going up by,” explained ASUCD Chief of Staff Adam Hatefi. “[It] is that amount plus 20 years of interest on the loans that the students are going to have to take out to pay for that hike that you just proposed.”

Furthermore, even though more aid may be given to those who need it most, there is some concern that any tuition increase would deter potential applicants.

TUITION INCREASE on 12

MEASURE G CAMPAIGN SEEKS ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR BETTER DAVIS K-12 TEACHER, STAFF PAY Measure G would implement parcel tax on Davis properties to offer competitive teacher, employee salaries

The Susan B. Anthony Administration Center of the Davis Joint Unified School District. Measure G, also known as the “Parcel Tax,” would help compensate teachers. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY T I M L A LO N D E city@theaggie.org The Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) and local education advocates are seeking support for Measure G, a citywide ballot proposition that would increase district teacher and employee pay through the implementation of a parcel tax.

Measure G is one of two local ballot measures that Davis residents will vote on during the March 3 primary elections, along with Measure Q. Under California law, parcel taxes fall under special tax designation — meaning that twothirds of voters will have to vote “yes” on the measure for it to pass.

The ballot measure seeks additional funding for Davis schools in the DJUSD through the im-

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2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

UC DAVIS ENCOURAGED TO BECOME FAIR-TRADE UNIVERSITY

Senate passes resolution for social justice and environmental sustainability

STUDENTS TALK ABOUT RECENT FENTANYL-LACED COCAINE EPIDEMIC Alert: Snow in Davis

KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AGG IE

A coffee canister in the Marketplace in the MU indicates that the coffee is “fair trade”. (Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie)

BY GRASC HE L L E FA R IÑAS H IPO L I TO campus@theaggie.org With UC Davis’ commitment to sustainability initiatives, the university will continue to support social justice and environmental sustainability as ASUCD encourages the university’s transition to become a fair-trade university through Senate Resolution #7.

Growers of coffee, tea, cocoa and other products are often paid low wages, and millions of children worldwide are engaged in child labor.

Fair-trade practices ensure fair wages, safe working conditions and environmental sustainability.

These practices also prohibit forced labor of any kind.

The resolution endorses the incorporation and promotion of fair-trade products into campus dining services to support proper working conditions for people and communities that are commonly exploited by conventional food systems.

Though many campuses across the nation have active fair trade campaigns, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis are the closest to becoming the first UCs to achieve fair-trade status. SR #7 passed unanimously on Jan. 9 after its introduction by the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) Chair Kyle Krueger.

“The fair-trade label is supposed to ensure that the workers who make a product are treated fairly and that the environment is taken into account in that production,” Krueger said. “We don’t want to be externalizing our impacts on marginalized groups.”

Krueger said he was happy to take the baton and finish the Fair Trade Initiative, which his EPPC Chair predecessor Alice Beittel started about two-and-a-half years ago. He said the Fair Trade Campaigns organization provides the designation of becoming a fair-trade university and that EPPC has worked to receive this designation through educational programming and working closely with dining services on campus.

Over the past couple of years, EPPC has maintained frequent check-ins to ensure accountability with outlets throughout campus.

EPPC continues to work with Student Housing and Dining Services and Associated Students Dining Services to establish a long-term plan to increase procurement of fair-trade products in all dining commons and other campus outlets such as The Silo, The CoHo, Biobrew, Peet’s Coffee and catering. In addition to fair-trade food products, the resolution urges campus outlets to in-

clude apparel and handicrafts such as jewelry and other gift items.

In 2015, UC President Janet Napolitano unveiled The Fair Wage/Fair Work Plan which included the requirement that “all UC contractors undergo an annual compensation audit to ensure they are paying their employees at a level at or above UC’s minimum wage and complying with all local, state, federal and UC workplace laws and policies.”

The Fair Wage/Fair Work Plan requirement, other university requirements for ethical sourcing of products and the newly passed fair trade resolution will work in conjunction to incorporate more environmentally and socially responsible contracts for producers and food vendors.

Through the fair trade resolution, ASUCD aims to inspire other institutions and organizations to support Fair Trade and enhance its image as a leader in sustainability and social justice issues.

With this long-term commitment and respective responsibilities, Krueger explained that the transition to fair trade also poses potential maintenance issues as a result of leadership turnover.

“Something we see sometimes in student government is that the rapid turnover leads to the inability to maintain long-term projects,” Krueger said. “I would make sure that we have properly defined roles that keep us involved in frequent conversations with Student Housing and Dining Services and The CoHo to make sure that they’re being held accountable and that we’re maintaining the goals that we set forth.”

Krueger also addressed the possible challenge of pricing of fair-trade products.

“These products do sometimes cost a little more, but one of the reasons why we want to hit the educational aspect hard is to demonstrate to people why they might be worth buying,” Krueger said. “We’re also careful to make sure that there are lower priced products in these outlets as well for students who can’t afford something like fair-trade [products].”

Similar to the implementation of zero waste by 2020 and the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, the university will commit to explore and expand the incorporation of fair-trade procurement through SR #7. “[The university] has had fair-trade products on campus, catering options, educational events and other things that we’ve been working on over the past couple of years,” Krueger said. “The resolution is a culmination of that and is the final step to recertify the university’s commitment to a lot of the values of fair trade.”

BY S IE RRA JIME NE Z arts@theaggie.org The week before Christmas, Aaron Hall and Jamez Manning, described as “young men in the Oakland music scene,” died due to an overdose of cocaine laced with fentanyl in Oakland, according to the SF Chronicle. Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated incidents.

According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, death rates have increased 150% since last year in the city due to an increase in fentanyl overdoses. In fact, the deaths of celebrities like Mac Miller, Lil Peep and Prince have been tied to the synthetic opioid.

Recent pop culture has suggested that fentanyl has only struck the Bay Area’s cocaine supply, however, that’s not the case — the epidemic is prevalent in areas around the U.S. Fentanyl, a painkiller used in hospitals that’s 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin, is now finding its way into the cocaine business. The question then is: Why would cocaine suppliers want to intentionally drug and kill their customers?

According to Rolling Stone, there are two hypotheses as to why fentanyl is being snuck into the drug supply.

The first hypothesis is that a sloppy workspace leads to cross contamination. The majority of cocaine dealers don’t comply with federal health and safety guidelines. As a result of a failure to properly clean up work spaces, trace amounts of of fentanyl get into other products.

The second hypothesis points to malicious motives: Fentanyl is a cheaper substitute. Drug cartels could mix the cheaper substance into their product, thus making a higher profit by selling it at the same street price. A way to make a few extra bucks in exchange for human lives.

Whether a regular drug user or not, anyone who snorts a fentanyl-laced cocaine line may suffer the consequences. Are people aware of the epidemic or are they simply turning a blind-eye to get a little “kick?” UC Davis students share their experiences with cocaine now that the epidemic has become widely recognized.

“I have been known to recreationally use the ‘sneeze,’” said one anonymous design major. The student said he said he doesn’t necessarily enjoy doing coke. In fact, he “feels pretty shitty about [himself ]” and each time he “never wants to do it again,” but when he’s drunk he disregards those feelings. Though he is aware of both the epidemic and the fact that it may be laced with a fatal substance, he partakes in the “blow” anyways.

“I feel like no one does drugs because they’re safe,” he said. “You do drugs because they’re not

safe, because it’s something you shouldn’t be doing, but it makes you feel good. Whether a drug is safe or not is not going to prevent you from doing it. It’s a hard thing to pinpoint down why people do drugs.”

Even when the consequences are potentially deadly, people are still taking a bump of cocaine to feel the rush from the drug.

“Every once in a while, I’d do a little nose snow,” said one anonymous history major. “It just makes you feel good, makes you have more energy. It’s like a symbol of doing something crazy and fun for a lot of people.”

This student tests his cocaine before partaking in the drug by using fentanyl test strips. Although “it makes [him] feel like a dork because a lot of people are just doing it” without testing it beforehand, he does it for his own safety. He said he would “absolutely” snort a line without the test, but he just “happens” to have them, “so why not [use them]?”

Some users, however, stay away from cocaine altogether if it hasn’t been tested beforehand.

“I feel like yes, before knowing [about the epidemic], I would’ve done it, but now, absolutely not,” said one political science major.

This student knows that the cocaine she intakes could be laced, but she only does it if she knows where it came from and if it’s been tested beforehand. She said she does not crave cocaine regularly, but if it’s presented to her, then she wants it.

The UC Davis students who spoke to The California Aggie said they do not seek out cocaine themselves, but will take it if it’s readily available. Of course “there’s that group of people who you know does [coke],” the political science major said.

Why do people do cocaine, especially if they know of the potentially fatal dangers associated with it?

“Most of the time when I do [cocaine], I am drunk, and then it actually sobers me up, and makes my night better and more safe because I don’t go as crazy. I am actually more in control,” the design major said.

Another reason why people partake in cocaine in a party setting is to rally — the classic college stereotype of drugs, sex and rock and roll.

People may be taking a line or a bump in order to continue the hype and seem like a party “tank.”

At the end of the day, getting a drug test can save a life — they are easy to find and affordable, available at drugstore chains and even Amazon.

“I do it for my safety and for the safety of others,’’ the history major said. Party safely.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 3

HERE’S HOW FIVE UC DAVIS STUDENTS ARE FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH DAILY ACTIONS

Amid climate crisis, UC Davis students do their part to lessen their ecological footprints

BY KATIE DEBENEDETTI features@theaggie.org In an article published by the Wall Street Journal from Jan. 15, 2020, scientists from NASA and the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that 2019 was the second warmest year to date, and the 2010s was the warmest decade in history.

These increasing global temperatures, in conjunction with intensifying wildfires and natural disasters throughout the world, are indicative of the very real and imminent effects of the global climate crisis. Despite the bleak context climate change is often presented in in the news, there are huge strides being made — ranging from actions by huge corporations to individuals all aiming to mitigate the effects of climate change.

It was recently announced that UC Davis had, for the third year in a row, ranked as the No. 1 “most sustainable” university in the country. The university emphasizes sustainability, and places huge value on reducing waste in the dining commons across campus, decreasing the ecological footprints of its buildings through LEED certification and providing education and resources for diverting waste on campus and in the community. This drive for sustainability has had an impact on students, who are also trying to make a difference both on campus and in the world.

One resource that helps fellow climate change abolitionists connect is the UC Davis Strategies for Ecology, Education, Diversity and Sustainability (S.E.E.D.S.). According to Gautam Mathur, a fourth-year environmental science and management major and co-president of S.E.E.D.S., the club tries to promote ecological science, especially within marginalized communities. Mathur and Shona Paterson, a third-year environmental science and management major and S.E.E.D.S. grant writer, believe the Davis community is economically aware and aims to be sustainable.

“I do think there is a lot of awareness [among] students,” Gautam says. “I would also say that people are in Davis for around four years and the cool thing is that [students] get to learn about [the ecological awareness] in Davis and when they graduate, they can implement all of the things that happen in Davis [elsewhere]. As an Aggie, it is our responsibility to learn more about what has happened to make Davis so sustainable, so when we move to other communities, we can make sure that those changes occur.”

Many feel that attending a globally-leading university in sustainability rubs off on their tendencies and outlooks as students. Some of their practices include the following:

Grethe Steensgaard, second-year wildlife, fish

and conservation biology major Q: What actions should people implement to protect the planet?

A: The number one thing is simple awareness. I feel like people need to get more in touch with the ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’ idea and breaking away from that consumerism mindset.

Q: What are a few things that you do to help the planet?

A: I am the recycling stickler in my apartment, so I’ll often go through and resort the recycling, and I bought about 70% of my Christmas gifts in a sustainable, ethical fashion last year.

2020 US CENSUS DISCUSSED AT JAN. 16 SENATE MEETING

Presentation highlights ways students are impacted by upcoming census

Alex Jackson, first-year biology and interna-

tional relations double major Q: What actions should people implement to protect the planet?

A: I don’t believe in individual social responsibility when it comes to climate change.

It’s virtually impossible as individuals to make an impact. What I think is possible is working for system shifts. Vote to elect leaders who are talking about climate change and American policies that are dealing with human climate change and global warming […] and you can also support campaigns on social media by raising awareness.

Q: What are a few things that you do to help the planet?

A: I am getting an education in international relations and what I want to go into is natural resource management, environmental policy and working on protecting biodiversity. I will also use my vote in the 2020 election by only voting for a candidate who will make us a signatory on the Paris Climate Agreement.

Lauren Remish, first-year psychology major

Q: What are a few things that you do to help the planet?

A: I think that recycling and bringing your own water bottle everywhere and not buying plastic water bottles can help. I carry my own shopping bags when I grocery shop, and since I’m a college student, I do bike everywhere which is really good for the environment.

Ella Sands, first-year political science-public

service major Q: What actions should people implement to protect the planet?

A: Day to day, I think conserving energy and making eco-friendly choices but also taking political actions and encouraging our political leaders to make structural change, because as individuals we don’t have as much power as the system does.

Q: What are a few things that you do to help the planet?

I try to use my bike and public transportation instead of cars, [...] turning off the lights, using cold water for laundry and dishes, and I use a reusable water bottle.

AGG IE F IL ES

BY ALLY RUSSELL campus@theaggie.org ASUCD Vice President Shreya Deshpande called the Jan. 16 Senate meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. Senators JB Martinez and Juan David Velasco arrived late.

The meeting began with a presentation from Jenny Tan, the communications coordinator for Yolo County, regarding the upcoming 2020 Census. The presentation highlighted the ways in which students at UC Davis will be impacted by the results of this year’s upcoming Census.

Census data helps determine the amount of federal funding for state programs that directly impact students like CalFresh, employment services, mental health and social services, homelessness outreach and more. The Census also determines the number of electoral votes allocated to California in upcoming elections, including the presidential election happening in November. Due to lack of participation in the Census, there is fear that California will lose one of these electoral seats. Tan also stressed that all individuals living in California should register for the Census, regardless of citizenship status. There is no citizenship question on the Census — even international students should be counted.

“College students are some of the hardest people to count because there’s a miscommunication,” Tan said. “Most students think they’re getting counted back home.”

Tan stated that this is not the case — students attending college should register for the Census

where they attend school.

“If you miss out counting one to two people, that’s thousands of dollars that your community is missing out on,” Tan said.

After the report, the Senate moved into ex-officio reports. Elena DeNecochea, chair of the Gender and Sexuality Commission, announced the addition of four new members to the commission and addressed plans to establish an additional task force to focus specifically on different California Senate bills that impact women and deal with gender issues. DeNocochea views this potential task force as a way to engage additional students in local efforts to advance gender equality.

The Senate moved into consideration of old legislation.

Among those discussed, SB #14 would amend language in the bylaws to allow the Entertainment Council greater flexibility when utilizing their large show reserves. In the past, due to the language of the Bylaws, it was unclear what the funds could be utilized for. Kimya Khayat, director of the Entertainment Council, spoke more about the bill’s necessity for Entertainment Council to have better access to its own funds.

The bill passed without objections.

SB #18, would help solidify ASUCD’s transition to a paperless organization. This bill outlines Student Judicial Affairs’ commitment to help the association make this transition. Senators debated sacrificing the accessibility of using paper documents to help visitors navigate Senate agendas for the environmental benefit of going paperless.

SB #18 also passed without objections.

OWNER OF ANNA’S KITCHEN PAYS $100,000 SETTLEMENT AFTER UC DAVIS STUDENTS GOT SICK

Food sold to students on campus without permit

Guatam Mathur, fourth-year environmental

science and management major Q: What are a few things that you do to help the planet?

A: I focus a lot on food, personally, because there are a lot of emissions related to food going on in the background. Researching where your food comes from, talking to farmers, going towards local products, cutting down on your meat [intake] can really reduce your carbon footprint, and if all of us do it I think it can have a large effect.

The individual behind the unlicensed restaurant that served people through an app agreed to a settlement of about $100,000. (Photo by Yolo County District Attorney’s Office / Courtesy)

BY MADELEINE PAYNE city@theaggie.org The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with Xin Jiang, a man who made several UC Davis students sick by selling them meals through his unlicensed business, Anna’s Kitchen. Anna’s Kitchen did not have a proper permit from the Yolo County Health Department for the sale and transportation of food, though it was advertised and operated through a popular Chinese app, WeChat.

A press release issued by the Yolo County District Attorney’s office detailed the financial terms of the settlement.

“Mr. Jiang will pay $106,997 in costs and penalties, and will forfeit an additional $90,000 in penalties if he is discovered operating Anna’s Kitchen or offering any type of food for retail purchase without a valid permit going forward,” the press release read.

Jiang had been selling improperly handled food to students on campus, specifically in parking lots near Olson Hall and residential areas.

Not only did Jiang lack a permit, but he also stored meals for longer than 30 minutes without proper heating or refrigeration, which increases the risk for foodborne illness.

Deputy District Attorney Rachel Hilzinger, the prosecutor of the case, elaborated on how governmental agencies became aware of Anna’s Kitchen.

“Chinese foreign exchange students had contacted Environmental Health and complained either about themselves getting sick or knowing friends, roommates or fellow classmates that reported becoming sick after ordering and eating food that was delivered to them by Anna’s Kitchen,” Hilzinger said.Though it is hard to know how many students fell ill from consuming food prepared by Anna’s Kitchen, members of the UC Davis Environmental Health and Safety department acted quickly to prevent more illnesses. They contacted Jiang once they established a connection between Anna’s Kitchen and

the prevalence of foodborne illnesses and referred him to the Yolo County Environmental Health Division.

Lewis Kimble, the Supervising Environmental Health Specialist from Yolo County’s Consumer Protection Unit, explained that quick, preventative measures are crucial to limiting the spread of foodborne illness, and they rely on the responsiveness of the community, as in this case.

“We need people to tell us when they’ve eaten food from a restaurant, and they’ve gotten sick,” Kimble said. “Then, we can do an environmental assessment in a restaurant to see if it was the temperature, handling or preparation of the food that caused the foodborne illness.”

After the county gave him a notice of violation, Jiang still served students through Anna’s Kitchen. That is when the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office was contacted, according to Hilzinger.

“Our unit only really gets involved for the most recalcitrant or uncooperative individuals or businesses,” Hilzinger said. “The reason why this case had come to us was that it had escalated over time.”

The Yolo County District Attorney monitored WeChat for sales from Anna’s Kitchen and reached out to the students that had been affected. Anna’s Kitchen not only sold and distributed food without regulation, but it unfairly disadvantaged licensed restaurants in the Davis area, according to Hilzinger.

“Think about all the other restaurants in Davis, or Chinese food restaurants in Davis, that are trying to do it properly,” Hilzinger said. “They are paying for the permit, they are delivering within the 30 minutes window and they are regulating the temperature of their food properly. It’s just not fair to businesses that are doing it lawfully when other people and other entities like Anna’s Kitchen can essentially profit off the fact that they don’t have a permit, and they aren’t doing it the right way.”

UNLI CENSEDR EST on 1 2

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

INTERFAITH ROTATING WINTER SHELTER PROVIDES HOMELESS REFUGE FROM THE ELEMENTS Over two dozen Davis homeless welcomed into 10 rotating church locations from December to March

FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK AT UC DAVIS REDUCES WASTE, HELPS COMMUNITY

Student-led UC Davis chapter recovers food waste on campus to help increase food security KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AGG IE

BY LE I OTS U KA features@theaggie.org

In a program that will last until April, Churches in Davis have agreed to take in the homeless and feed them.

(Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY ED E N W I N N I FO R D city@theaggie.org On Monday, Jan. 20, homeless guests were welcomed into the Davis Christian Assembly as part of the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter (IRWS).

The IRWS is a volunteer organization that provides the homeless population of Davis with two daily meals and a place to sleep in 10 churches from December to March. Each church can host up to 25 guests at a time for one to two weeks.

Pastor Jonathan Zachariou of Davis Christian Assembly described the significance of the program.

“When you work with these guests, it’s sobering to figure out that they live outside,” Zachariou said. “It’s really taxing to live without shelter.

It works against you physically and then it seeps into your mental capacity. It’s exhausting.”

Each day, the program provides guests with a cot and clean sleeping bag, a hot dinner and a bagged lunch. A free, volunteer-based laundry service is also offered that collects dirty laundry and returns the clean clothes after two to three days.

Along with these services, some locations also prepare entertainment for their guests. The Davis Christian Assembly often plays movies — it showed Men in Black: International on Monday night. Zachariou commented on the importance of entertainment.

“We know it’s still a big environment and it’s a program, but we try to make it as homely feeling as possible,” Zachariou said. “We tell them every night that we want them to relax and feel like they’re at home.”

Two student volunteers from UC Davis were present during check-in. Both students are thirdyear psychology majors who heard about the program through one of their psychology classes.

Charlotte Metcalf, one of the student volunteers, was already interested in social work before her involvement in the internship.

“I had been looking for something related to social work and homelessness because I’ve always been drawn to it,” Metcalf said. “It’s been really

nice to get some hands-on experience, and I feel like this program really does throw us into this, which is what I need. I love it.”

The other student, Yuliana Virrueta, did not have a prior interest in social work before joining the program. Instead, she was trying to find a way to become involved in the City of Davis.

“I had been looking for something to do in the community here since I wasn’t really familiar,” Virrueta said. “I’ve done a lot of community service before, and it’s nice to do something here.”

When asked about her comfort levels during the program, Virrueta said that she acclimated to the new environment after a few shifts.

“Over time, you start to get more comfortable — you get to know the people, so it becomes normal,” Virrueta said.

Metcalf agreed and added to Virrueta’s comment.

“You learn to deal with certain people in certain ways,” Metcalf said. “Just the way they would prefer to handle certain things. You might not know in the beginning, and it might upset certain guests, but you learn ways around it — it ends up working out for both sides.”

The two students have volunteered with the rotating shelter for the past three weeks. Before going onsite, they completed a mandator training program about mental health issues and ways to defuse stressful situations.

Student volunteers complete an array of tasks, including checking in guests, supervising overnight and distributing equipment. Any interested students should visit the Interfaith Shelter’s website for more information as well as contact the program’s administration.

As more guests filed in and helped themselves to bags of chips and bread rolls, Zachariou surveyed the scene and explained his thoughts on the importance of the program.

The program is not meant to solve the homeless crisis in California, but Zachariou described how it helps as many local people as possible during the harshest months of the year.

“The key to volunteerism is to make a difference for one person,” Zachariou said.

According to a 2019 Food and Agriculture organization study, almost a third, or 1.3 billion tons, of all food in the world is wasted — yet, food insecurity remains a pressing issue, particularly among university students. Nearly 30% of college students in the U.S. reported experiencing food insecurity in the past year.

As part of the UC’s zero waste campaign, UC Davis has been implementing policies to actively combat food waste on campus such as composting consumer food waste, introducing trayless dining and providing sampling options in its dining commons. Though it was announced that UC Davis will not be meeting its zero waste goal by 2020, it still plans on continuing its efforts to achieve sustainability. The UC Davis chapter of the Food Recovery Network has also been hard at work, recovering food from the markets and dining commons that would have otherwise been wasted and redirecting it to those in need.

The chapter is part of a national non-profit organization that spans 44 states, with 230 chapters on college campuses in the country. Since its founding in 2013, Food Recovery Network at UC Davis has recovered more than 50,000 pounds of food, including frozen meals and items that are close to their expiration dates. These recovered resources are then donated to those in need within the Davis community.

Alicia Marzolf, a third-year English major who is also the events coordinator of the Food Recovery Network, explained how the food recovery process works at the markets and dining commons.

“One night, [the dinings commons will] make a bunch of pasta, or whatever, and anything that doesn’t get given out to the students gets frozen in bulk, and that’s what we recover, and then we bring it to Davis community meals which is a homeless shelter, and they’ll warm it up and prepare it,” Marzolf said. “With the market stuff, that’s stuff like sandwiches and wraps, like wrapped stuff, that typically gets given to the Pantry and Aggie Compass. That’s the stuff that students can kind of grab and go.”

The members also work with the Davis Farmers Market every Saturday, doing recovery of the leftover produce and passing it out at Solano Park

apartments, an apartment complex that is mainly for students with families. The event, however, is open to everyone, and many seniors in the community also stop by, according to Marzolf.

Second-year English major Anne Fey, who is also in charge of education and outreach at the Food Recovery Network, finds the volunteer work she does with the people at Solano Park rewarding, citing it as her favorite part of the work she does with the chapter. Fey previously worked as a city news writer for The California Aggie.

“It’s great to work with the people from Yolo Food Bank and the people from Solano Park apartments,” Fey said. “The RAs are really awesome, and we work with the same people from Yolo Food Bank every week so it’s great to build those relationships with people in the community who are working on trying to make sure people are fed and trying to reduce food waste locally.”

The national organization also has a program that provides its chapters with the opportunity to work remotely as interns over the summer.

Soumya Douriseti, the technology director of the UC Davis chapter, and Fey were involved with the program last summer and worked to create a guide to start more advocacy to reduce food waste. They presented their work at the National Food Recovery dialogue last October at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

“I was really surprised by how cool that was,” Fey said. “We kind of get in our own world a little bit with just doing our work and thinking about our chapter here at UC Davis, so to actually talk to people from other chapters and then brainstorm with them about different ideas for what the whole network could look like in the future, it was really cool to talk to people from all over the country about that.”

Currently, the chapter is working on expanding their food waste reduction efforts by building a curriculum to teach children about minimizing their food waste. Though the project is still in the early stages, they chapter hopes to introduce the program in the next few quarters.

Marzolf encourages any interested members to reach out to the chapter via email or through their Facebook page.

“We always love people getting involved; we love new volunteers, so if you want to get involved, please reach out to our email,” Marzolf said. “We really love getting new people.”

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Err on the side of caution on dating sites January 17 “Man behind store fixing bike and yelling at passerbys aggressively while holding unknown item in hand, possibly a hammer.”

January 18 “Dorm under construction. Workers using power tools.”

“Vultures eating dead animal.”

“Vehicle was seen driving slowly through neighborhood last night and is now parked.”

January 19 “Loud music from the backyard.”

January 20 “Complaint of drums/keyboard.”

January 21 “Horns honking and banging sounds coming from lot.”

“Reporting party was on a dating site, the subject he met gave the reporting party a bank account number and told him to use it to pay off his debt, and then purchase gift cards for the subject. Reporting party’s bank called him stating that the payments were declined due to fraud.”

January 22 “Kid’s backpack left on the bike path unattended. Reporting party was passerby advised it’s on the bike path near Richards/Olive.”

“Road rage incident, minor verbal between involved parties.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 5

BASEMENT GALLERY, KDVS HOST POP-UP SHOW

Student DJs and artists host concert, gala in basement of Art Building

HOW TO BE ALONE The joys of introspection ILYA SHRAY B ER/ COU RT ESY

Students DJ at the Basement Gallery hosted by KDVS. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY ALYSSA I L SL E Y arts@theaggie.org The student-organized Basement Gallery teamed up with KDVS on Jan. 16 to host a popup show featuring three student DJs. The show was produced by lead director and fifth-year design major Zoë Reinhardt and fourth-year art studio major Karewith Casas, who works as the director of marketing for the Gallery. Casas also had art on display at the show.

The featured DJs at the performance were Emmanuel Fernandez (Noho), Jeremiah Clagui (DJ Miah) and Alanis Gordillo Hernandez (Pan Frances).

Fernandez, a third-year economics major and KDVS’ general manager, has had a passion for music for most of his life, saying he feels invigorated when he gets to connect with an audience.

“Playing music isn’t hard, but finding good music that a whole crowd will enjoy is probably the hardest thing about it,” Fernandez said. “Having people pull up Shazam during a set is a nice compliment. Honestly that’s my main inspiration: being able to play something someone has never heard before and getting them addicted to that sound.”

Calagui, who goes by the stage name DJ Miah, is a fourth-year cinema digital media

and communication double major. He began experimenting with music about a year ago by making mixes and posting them online. Calagui is inspired by a variety of genres, from deephouse to techno and trance.

The performance in the Basement Gallery was Calagui’s first time performing for a crowd.

“At first I got a little nervous because I didn’t know if people were gonna like the music I played that night, but after a few transitions and seeing the crowd go wild, the night felt euphoric,” Calagui said.

Hernandez is a fourth-year sociology organizational studies major. She works as an Events co-director and ORMF Music Festival director for KDVS. She began DJing for KDVS two years ago but only recently began performing at live events. Her music is influenced by Radiohead, De Ambassade and DJ Sama.

She was honored to be a part of the performance and is excited for DJ culture to be more popularized on campus.

“It was such a privilege to be one of the first DJs to break it in,” Hernandez said.

The Basement Gallery is located in the Art Building and regularly hosts art, music and cultural events throughout the year. Upcoming events will include an opening reception and the winter awards.

BY ILYA S H RAYB E R arts@theaggie.org At UC Davis, Memorial Day weekend brings with it the prospect of Houseboats, a debacherous weekend filled with sex, drugs and countless frozen chicken entrees from Costco, all located at the once scenic locale of Lake Shasta. One hops from boat to boat, spotting friends and engaging in the most hedonistic holiday weekend with which our accredited institution is affiliated. For many, it is the most “lit” 72 hours of the year, a chance to let loose to the extreme. It is also the exact opposite of being alone.

Last year, as the second night raged on, a bonfire roared from the island which people dock their boats at, a muddy hill that made me uneasy once I pondered just how easily one might fall down, especially after pounding an entire case of White Claws with “the boys.” I was sober, however, and sat down in front of the fire. It was warm. Everyone else was standing, but I sat. While people were shouting and bumping into acquaintances, I kept quiet. It was nice, my mind was clearing up. Soon, a friend spotted me and asked why I was alone. “I liked it,” I said. He shook his head. He proceeded to say he could never be alone like that, it was just too much, or, looking at it in a different way, just too little. But why?

There is a deep social stigma around being alone. Not lonely, mind you, but simply being alone; a singular being in a space at a moment in time without anyone or anything else to distract you. It is seen as something alienating, strange and, by some, even unsavory. We have an underlying sense that if we are alone, then we are not actively engaging in the world around us. Another wideset interpretation is that we could be doing something “more useful” with our time. In a world filled to the brim with globalization, why would anyone choose to be by themselves, even if for a moment?

The first, and perhaps most important, aspect of being alone is that it is the single most effective path to self-introspection. When is the last time you just sat down somewhere, without a goal, intent or, most pertinently, another person and simply reflected? It may sound absolutely terrifying to take time out of your day and just think, but the opposite could be much more destructive — letting things pile up emotionally and having a meltdown later. Self-introspection is also the ultimate wellness product one can invest in for themselves. There isn’t a book, juice or FitBit that can give you the same emotional clarity that simply thinking about your life can.

The process of self-introspection is critical to one’s development, so it makes sense that the product of it is just as valuable. This end result is, of course, self-actualization. Being alone, needing to face only yourself, can lead to profound discoveries of what one desires and, more

importantly, what one needs.

“I always think of going to the movies by myself, which is something I’m always scared of,” said Tyler Pruyn, a third-year English major. “But it turned out to actually be one of the nicest things, and I could take it in better.”

Pruyn’s relationship with art shifted, if even slightly, to where he could process art more critically simply by being alone when seeing it.

Chloe Wasil, a second-year theatre major who overheard us, added, “Well, I really love the act of being alone. I think I latch onto what other people think a lot of the time, and when I’m alone I can escape that.”

For Wasil, the act meant a little more independent thought in a time when it’s easy to get caught in group dynamics.

Realizing and understanding things about yourself and your nature are indispensable, especially in an era where we are defined by brands and products. Indeed, capitalism has had a huge hand in perpetuating the notion that we should never be alone, as highlighted by its economic evaluation of modern tech companies like Facebook and Twitter. This leads one to think about the modern age.

Something like the attention economy is a relatively new concept, one that treats our choices on what we invest in mentally as currency. It is both frightening and pertinent. Being alone can help one counter, and even temporarily opt-out of, this new form of reducing people to machines with fixed output, disguising our “attention” as simply more opportunity to spend capital. To be alone, to not (figuratively and literally) pay attention to anything but our own thoughts, while being by ourselves could be the defense we need. If the emotional benefits aren’t enough, perhaps escaping the surreal prospect of basic human emotion as currency is.

If there are any last bits one can glean from being alone, it is to keep it simple. In speaking to many students on campus, it seems like Aggies are beginning to embrace the act.

“Some of the best times in my life have been alone,” said CJ Pagahsian, a fourth-year design major. “It’s just nice to go somewhere and reflect sometimes.”

It’s valuable to just go for a walk, sit under a tree or even just stare up at the ceiling for a while. To let thoughts and feelings flow — it is, of course, only natural. This is not, however, a pitch to become a hermit; being alone is supposed to help you process emotions and clear your mind, to make you more well rounded for when you actually want to be around those you love.

So next time you have a little break between classes, try leaving your phone in your pocket, your laptop in its bag and your friends in the CoHo. Go sit somewhere and just look up at some clouds. It may be more productive, and less absurd, than you might think.

6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

FAST AND STUDIOUS: AUTOPHILES FIND COMMUNITY IN DAVIS PARKING LOT

Davis Motorsports Club brings together all car owners, from Civic to Lamborghini

BY G AB RIE LA H E R NANDEZ arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Person of Interest”

An assortment of cars meet at a parking lot in South Davis on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Photos by Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY A N D REW W I LL I AMS arts@theaggie.org If you passed by the South Davis Safeway this past Thursday night you may have been perplexed to see a slew of students and adults chatting in an inconspicuous parking lot. What on earth could have brought this crowd here?

Varying in age and background, they are united by one trait — a fervent passion for all things cars. Automobiles as diverse as their owners are packed throughout the lot — ranging from an oh-so-sultry sky blue Ferrari 458 Italia to a souped-up sleek black Toyota Supra.

Davis Motorsports Club, or DMC, the organizer of the meet, gathers motorsport enthusiasts from all over the Davis area to meet up, relax and, on occasion, head out to the track.

For many of the members, high-octane fuel courses through their veins.

Michelle Ahn, DMC treasurer and a thirdyear biochemistry and molecular biology major, discussed how her affinity for automobiles is rooted in her family.

“I first got into cars when I would play Need for Speed Underground and GranTurismo with my older brother, my younger brother and my father,” Ahn said. “My father is also an exotics collector and kind of like a part-time dealer as well. He was also really into building model cars. Sunday afternoons, I would sit down and help him with those.”

Ian Phillips, DMC president and a fourthyear material sciences major, has also been ingrained in car culture for as long as he can remember. From an early age, he worked with his dad, fine-tuning and admiring the different cars that passed through the family garage.

These included a highly coveted Mercedes that nearly made it to the distinguished Pebble Beach Concours.

“My dad was a car guy and he always had a big ol’ laundry list of cars that he had,” Phillips said. “His most important one was from the ’80s when he restored a Mercedes 190 SL.” Off to the Races DMC has been a part of the Davis community since the early 2000s. Russell Shigata, a DMC veteran who was involved during the club’s founding, discussed the organization’s racing roots.

“A long time ago, it was very different.”

Shigata said. “We were much more motorsportoriented and a lot of them focused on the auto crosses. Some people did the Lemons racing and there were typically a lot of track days.

Afterward, we’d meet at a pizza place and talk cars.”

In the early years, DMC was heavily influenced by the racing scene where they fine-tuned cars; pushing them to their limits.

Shigata discussed the Davis area’s intimate connection with the 24 Hours of Lemons (not to be confused with the world-famous, prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans). The racing series attracts teams from all over the U.S. The event’s trademark stipulation is that cars raced cannot cost no more than $500 at purchase, hence the name “lemons.” Teams consisting of

a driver and their pit crew modify the vehicles for the track, and go racing.

“The 24 Hours of Lemons is a big racing series,” Shigata said. “Probably, the fastest growing racing series. They’re all over the United States and they’ve got several races going on every month. I’d say per capita, Davis has more race cars there than anybody else. It was insane. When I was doing it there were at least half a dozen teams there who had some association with Davis.”

Shigata reflected on his time at Lemons.

His team raced a late 1970s BMW 21, but modeled the German car after a Russian one. “[The car] was called Emmerich, which was kind of ironic because it was modeled after the Moskowitz race car, which is the only successful Russian Rally Team.”

DMC Today Since its origin, the spirit of the club has fluctuated greatly.

“Now it’s more like a car show type of thing,” Shigata said. “You know, you hang outside with your car and take pictures of all the cars and everything else. But it’s funny because it seems like every couple of years, the focus shifts depending on who’s in the club.”

Recently, DMC has seen an influx of international students who bring high-end exotic cars to the lot.

“We’re starting to see that now a lot of international students who are a little more affluent,” Shigata said. “They can bring some really expensive hardware out here.”

Despite coming from opposite sides of the world, members find a special appreciation for each other and their machines.

“Everyone has every range of car,” Phillips said. “From a $500 civic that’s from the 80s to a Lamborghini Aventador. These people talk, and the person with the Aventador is like, ‘Sh*t, I love your Civic.’ And the Civic person is like, ‘Wow, I love your Aventador.’ It’s crazy how much how often you see that. The people with these with beautiful expensive pristine cars also love the grassroots movement.”

Fighting Stereotypes Compared to DMC’s relaxed meets, the broader Central Valley is also filled with more rowdy car events.

“We call them organized takeovers,” Phillips said. “A whole bunch of people come and say we’re going to disturb traffic. Thousands of people will show up at a parking lot and you get this giant car meet. Then some guy yells over a megaphone, and everyone leaves at the same time. So 1,000 straight pipe loud cars all leave and run every light together. It’s really a mess.

It’s extremely illegal.”

Unfortunately, takeovers — or sideshows as they’re referred to in the East Bay Area — have stigmatized car tuning practices. Both Phillips and Ahn were quick to distance DMC from this side of car culture.

“It screws over responsible car owners,” Phillips said. “The club has no affiliation to any of that. [Takeovers] put a tint on [car culture].

If a non-car person hears loud modified cars they might think of [these events] because that might be their only exposure as far as modified cars go.”

CARCULTURE on 12

Of all the shows I tend to rewatch, I have lost count of how many times I’ve rewatched “Person of Interest.” The show revolves around artificial intelligence, created after 9/11, that produce different relevant and irrelevant social security numbers of individuals who will be either victims or perpetrators of future crimes. It is up to the government to look into the relevant numbers, but the irrelevant numbers are looked into by the creator of the AI, Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) and his ex-CIA friend John Reese (Jim Caviezel). The show later includes two powerhouse women, Root (Amy Acker), a hacker who brings a sadistic but charming personality to the show, and Shaw (Sarah Shahi), a cold-blooded killing machine who has a playful but meaningful relationship with Root.

This show highlights the hard issues of morality to the point where AI gains an understanding and empathy for humanity.

Movie: “Missing Link” directed by Chris Butler One can’t help but laugh at this wacky stop-motion animated film with its charming title character Missing Link, who takes everything too literally. From the producers who brought us “Caroline” and “Paranorman,” this film is filled with beautiful animation and received a Golden Globe Award for Animated Feature Film. The film follows the egotistical explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman), a sweet creature Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis) and a tough adventurer (Zoe Saldana) on a quest to reunite Mr. Link with his kind. The witty banter among these characters is heart-warming to watch and casually integrates an uplifting message throughout their journey; it is refreshing to see a film present a female character with her own agency.

Book: “A Wizard of Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin If you’re a fan of magical books such as “The Hobbit” and the “Harry Potter” series, this is a great mini series to pick up and read. The magical realm is well-constructed and simple enough to follow. The meaning of names and the necessity of respecting the laws of nature are central to the novel. It is easy for readers to connect with the story and apply it to their own lives, especially when it brings to light the hurdles one has to overcome with adulthood and how they shape one’s moral identity.

Album: “Parked Car Convos” by Kaash Paige Kaash Paige’s music career took off on SoundCloud and her success yielded a hit album by the age of 19. Paige’s music is a mix of rhythm and blues and indie, with an intimate, warm sound. The album’s name perfectly encapsulates the themes of her songs: honesty and intimacy. This is a great album to listen to if you want to relax and feel inspired.

TIKTOK: A DEEPER LOOK AT THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA STUDENTS ARE OBSESSED WITH On TikTok, the stupidity of a joke or the obvious lack of effort is the punchline RA B IDA / AG GIE

BY ALLIE B AILE Y arts@theaggie.org TikTok is one of social media’s most recent additions that has surged in popularity over the past year. Referred to by some as Vine’s annoying younger sister, TikTok has become a go-to for content creators and teens who want to become content creators.

TikTok is unlike any other social media. The app is the product of a merger between Musical. ly and ByteDance in 2018. Talent, comedy and thirst traps coexist in the form of video, giving anyone with minor technological skills the ability to create and entertain. The minute-long videos give way for a scripted skit, a painting tutorial or, most commonly, a choreographed dance. There is still plenty of bad content to be found, but it is undeniably unique as a platform.

“I don’t really know much about it, [...] I’m just doing it for fun,” said Naomi Solomon, a second-year communication major.

Katia Goldberg, a second-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major, described TikTok as “more of a joke than other social media.”

“I would never really go to TikTok to look people up, it’s more of a comedy thing for me,” Goldberg said. “The people who take it seriously are funny as hell.”

This isn’t necessarily everyone’s perspective — college students seem to be a little bit older than the primary age demographic on TikTok. Most users are in high school, which is perhaps why the content is so amusing to adults. And with those teenagers directing their own minute-long videos for the world to see, things get risqué, fast.

“There’re a lot of girls putting this image out there and they’re 13 years old,” said Mehar Durah, a second-year cognitive science major. “A lot of creators are underage, but come off as not underage.”

Beyond some unsettling sexual content, there’s also the typical risk of young people hiding behind a screen.

“What I see on the “For You” page makes me really worried; they seem to be using it in a destructive way,” Solomon said. “There’s a lot of cyberbullying. If I was a fourteen-year-old girl, I wouldn’t want to be on there.”

Others have had a more positive experience.

“What I’ve seen is that the community of TikTok [is] supportive and complementary,” said Brock Johnson, a fourth-year communications major. “While [people on] Instagram are body shaming and wrapped up in an image conscious culture, a lot of the people on TikTok don’t fit that mold. The uniqueness of each person is celebrated on TikTok.” TikTok can also be addicting. The screen is completely taken up by the video you’re watching, even blocking the time display on the top of your phone. The “For You” page is just a stream of what everyone is posting, creating a variety of endless entertainment.

“I’m an ex-user,” Durah said. “I had it for three weeks. I would spend a lot of time on it.

It was instant gratification. I didn’t have to think because it was so much content. It’s a waste of time and it shouldn’t be a thing.”

The app has impacted some more than others. That said, TikTok seems to be making a significant cultural impact.

TIKTOK on 12

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief

New public charge test should not equate wealth with worth

HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor STELLA TRAN City News Editor

Supreme Court places immoral value on human lives in recent ruling

HANADI JORDAN Opinion Editor CLAIRE DODD Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor CECILIA MORALES Science & Tech Editor

HANNAN WALIULLAH New Media Manager JUSTIN HAN Photo Director SYDNEE RODRIGUEZ Design Director ARIANA GREEN Layout Director SABRINA HABCHI Copy Chief ISABELLA BLOOM Copy Chief ZOË REINHARDT Website Manager SYDNEY ODMAN Social Media Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Written on the base of the Statue of Liberty, these words intend to represent U.S. values: freedom, opportunity and friendship between nations. Earlier this week, in a 5–4 vote, the Supreme Court rebuffed these values by allowing the Trump administration to move forward with a policy that will make it harder for immigrants who rely on public benefits and assistance to qualify for permanent legal status, otherwise known as green cards.

Refugees, political asylum-seekers and immigrants arrive in the U.S. because they are fleeing unimaginable disaster and political turmoil — some of that turmoil resulting from U.S. intervention and occupation. It is pertinent that the U.S. rejects the hypocritical rhetoric that America and its values are the savior for wartorn countries, especially when the U.S. continuously discards heroism once people from countries “in need” arrive at its doorstep.

Last August, the Trump administration announced its plan to revise the so-called public charge rule. Under the current Department of Homeland Security policy, the criteria for determining if someone is a public charge is if they are likely to rely on cash benefits. Under the new policy, the definition of public charge would expand to include relying on non-cash benefits like housing, food assistance and healthcare for more than 12 months in a three-year period, according to The New York Times. The rule applies even to immigrants

who are employed.

It’s estimated that this new rule “will cause hundreds of thousands of individuals and households, in many cases noncitizens not even subject to public charge scrutiny, to forego public benefits for which they are eligible, out of fear and confusion about the consequences for their immigration status of accepting such benefits,” wrote lawyers for private groups challenging the policy.

The Editorial Board vehemently disagrees with the Supreme Court’s ruling and likens this supposed public charge to a wealth test. We believe that it’s inhumane to treat refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants like criminals who don’t deserve critical services — services for which they qualify. These are the tired, the poor, the homeless. And they deserve every opportunity that the U.S. promises.

Only granting citizenship to financially self-sufficient applicants rejects the notion that the U.S. is the land of opportunity, for those with only a dream in their pocket. This decision will only serve to further disadvantage the already disadvantaged. This is not just an immigration issue, it’s a public health issue.

But it’s important to acknowledge that not just refugees and political asylum-seekers should be able to access public assistance without fear of retribution. People who choose to make a life in the U.S. are just as deserving as refugees. Many students at UC Davis have parents who made sacrifices so that their children could have a better life. Those sacrifices should not be met with an immoral standard that those worthy of permanent resident status should not take advantage of life-saving programs.

Don’t be a stranger to foreign films JUST READ THE SUBTITLES

BY JUL I E T TA B IS H A RYA N jsbisharyan@ucdavis.edu

T ESSA KOG A / AGG IE

“We don’t make films for continents or countries — filmmakers create films for their personal dreams and obsessions,” said “Parasite” director Bong Joonho in an interview with The New York Times.

Bong Joon-ho’s achievement of having the ninth foreign film nominated in the Best Picture category is a big accomplishment for South Korea and international cinema as a whole. Film audiences are becoming more and more globalized, as demonstrated by the South Korean movie’s success in the United States. If “Parasite” wins the Academy Award for Best Picture this year, it will be the first foreign film to do so.

That said, it is surprising that an international movie hasn’t won before. Although the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film category gives recognition to these works, many of these films deserve to be pitted against Hollywood productions.

Part of the appeal of international cinema is that it gives viewers an insight into the social systems of other countries. It can be easy to forget that movies are made outside of Hollywood and that the problems Americans face are not always globally homogeneous.

In “Parasite,” however, we are momentarily transported to the realities of class dynamics and income inequality in South Korea. We watch the Kim family try anything to escape their poverty, whereas simultaneously, the Park family can seemingly afford to lose anything. Both families leech off each other inadvertently, but only one can survive the repercussions.

Even with South Korea’s improving economy in recent years, income disparity and the widening wealth gap still remain an issue. This film presents these societal flaws, which some outsiders might not be aware of.

Parasite not only speaks to the challenges relevant in South Korea, it also reveals the global ubiquity of issues like poverty and class inequality. The reason that this film was so widely successful was because it observed the clash between the “upstairs” and “downstairs.” None of this is foreign to us.

Besides “Parasite,” there are countless foreign films that cinematically communicate with us better than English-language movies. Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradiso” won the Academy Award back in 1990 and has since left its mark on cinematic history as a love letter to film and to life. The sentiments expressed in this movie can be felt universally, regardless of whether you understand Italian or not.

In 2019, Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” took home three awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director. The film, which centered around an indigenous woman in Mexico City, engaged in topics like class, culture and race in a delicate and moving manner. Although it lost the best picture to “Green Book,” it won the hearts of many.

This past Winter Break, I spent a good deal of my time watching old Russian movies with my mom. Although my family is from Armenia, their childhoods consisted of a lot of Soviet Union-produced cinema. One of these movies included Vladimir Menshov’s “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears,” which won an Oscar in 1981. The title, which is a Russian saying about resilience, best encapsulates the film’s depiction of the realities of living independently. The protagonist, Katerina, endures restless nights, a disloyal boyfriend, single motherhood and, essentially, being alone.

After the credits rolled, my mom turned to me and said something that roughly translates to, “It’s a movie about life, you know?”

Despite not understanding Russian and lacking firsthand knowledge about the hardships portrayed in the film, I knew what she meant. It is not just a Russian movie in the same way “Parasite” is not just a South Korean movie and “Roma” is not just a Mexican film. It is simply a film about life, and no language barrier can complicate that.

Ultimately, people should watch more foreign films. Movie theater chains, such as Cinemark or Regal, should expand their showings so that these films are more accessible to audiences. Most of us turn subtitles on anyways while watching Netflix, so don’t let that be the only thing stopping you from seeing other perspectives.

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

CATFISHING AND THE LONELINESS PANDEMIC Predatory catfish are preying on our loneliness and desperation MA R IO R ODR IGU EZ / AGGIE

BY CA LV I N CO F F E E cscoffee@ucdavis.edu

Tinder announced last week that it would give users a blue checkmark if they passed its new catfishing test. Tinder’s community team will initially screen verified photos to check for potential catfish, with software eventually taking over. But should humans even be trusted to identify catfish if so many of us fall for them time after time?

Catfishing is an act of deception only possible in the online world. Real people make a fake online presence and lure others into a romantic online relationship. Not only deceptive, catfishing is a predatory practice that emotionally and financially abuses romantic hopefuls and strings them along for weeks, months and even years.

Shouldn’t we already be more aware of catfishing as we interact more and more in the online world? Or are the catfish themselves becoming better at preying on

our need for attention and connection?

Loneliness is increasing worldwide, and many are calling it a pandemic. A study published in 2015 found that social isolation, actual or perceived, is associated with an increased risk for early mortality.

The study also found that the health effects of long periods of isolation are equivalent to those of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. With social media becoming increasingly rooted in our daily lives, ambivalence toward the loneliness pandemic is now more apparent than ever.

Take a moment and think about how much time you spend in front of a screen each day. The typical American averages up to 12 hours a day between phones, tablets, computers and projectors. It only makes sense that we would form relationships through the screens we spent half our time staring at.

We don’t just meet friends face to face anymore — the online world makes it easier to meet new people and stay connected to them. And why wouldn’t we form more relationships online where we have more control over how we are perceived by others?

The term “catfish” as it relates to online dating is derived from the relationship between codfish and catfish. Codfish are notoriously difficult to bring to market because, when frozen or stored in tanks, they lose their texture and flavour. Catfish

will relentlessly chase codfish, so sailors on fishing vessels determined the best way to maintain fresh codfish was to throw a few catfish in the tank to keep the cod in shape.

The codfish taste fresh by the time they get to port.

Catfish keep everything alive. It’s no wonder why, in our online interactions with them, we so often overlook glaring red flags for the excitement of the chase. We do the exact same thing in “normal” relationships.

We choose to believe in people and what they say. We want to be happy and we want someone with whom to share that. But how much are we willing to put up with in order to achieve that?

Romantic relationships are difficult because they are complex — built on trust and predictability while trying to keep things fresh. Relationships are arduous to maintain, so when we find them easily, we want them to be real.

Every relationship is bound to have its secrets, but having a relationship online that hides an entire identity is not any average secret. Relationships built on any amount of lies are bound to collapse.

To some extent, we are all catfish when we present ourselves online, and even more so when we present ourselves on platforms like Tinder or Bumble.

CATFI SHI NG on 1 2

HUMOR

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: SHOULD THE NFL REBRAND AS THE “NATIONAL PROLATE SPHEROID LEAGUE” TO ACHIEVE TRUTH IN ADVERTISING? Two experts break down the controversy

KA ITLYN PA N G / AGGIE

BY B E NJAMIN PO RT ER bbporter@ucdavis.edu

The NFL has endured a number of controversies in recent years — increased awareness about concussions, domestic violence by players, Colin Kaepernick and the national anthem protests. But these little things, as we like to say, aren’t truly “about The Game.”

Genuine intellectuals and sophisticates within the sports world know that scant squabbles about spousal abuse, minor “head injuries” and quasi-ambiguous racism pale in comparison to the philosophical debates about the meaning of football at its very core. No, not the significance and impact of The Game, but simply the definition of the word “football” itself, and why The Game is actually named after it.

“Football” is quite a confusing term for the smartest among us, as the ball is neither ball-shaped nor “footed” by the foot more than it is handled by the

hand. In fact, some of The Game’s most quibbling, niggling, pettifogging fans argue that calling The Game “football” amounts to false advertising. They’ve even started a movement to rename the NFL based on a more accurate mathematical description of the “ball” — the prolate spheroid. To bring some clarity to what is arguably the most important question The Game faces in the 21st century, we listened to the opposing opinions of two experts.

Dr. Paul E. Nomeyulman, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics, Harvard University: It simply doesn’t make sense for [T]he [G]ame to be called “football” when the players hardly ever kick the thing with their feet, and especially when there’s already a far more elegant sport called “football” in which the players actually do propel the ball with the distal phalanges of their pedals. Couldn’t they at least call that other abomination “handball”? Well, the Oxford

COFFEE HEARTS

BY MA RG A RET L E E mcslee@ucdavis.edu

UCAL.US/REGISTER

NFL on 1 2

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 9

10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 11

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12 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

TUITIONINCREASE

TIKTOK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“There are far, far too many California high school students who, due to a lack of privilege and a lack of institutional knowledge, don’t know that their education may be supported by financial aid and may not apply [to a UC] due to sticker shock alone,” Sarveshwar said.

Students from almost all of the UC campuses, many of whom just returned from winter break or are preparing for midterms, attended the mid-week Regents meeting with the hopes of having their voices heard by the Regents. The Regents met at the UC San Francisco Mission Bay campus — notably the only UC that does not enroll undergraduates.

Students highlighted the impact a tuition increase would have on them, their families and their peers at the UC. “I’m a first-generation college student and a proud child of immigrants who came to America for a better life,” said Kimberly Giantran, a second-year student at UC San Diego. “My parents are living their dreams through me. I can’t let them down and let all of their sacrifices go to waste. Look at me.

Look at the students standing with me and behind me. Our livelihoods are on the line.”

In addition to the effect on current UC students, concerns were voiced about what a tuition increase would do to diversity within the UC system.

“For the past eight years, tuition has remained constant and stable for California residents and class diversity of residents has multiplied, seeing more Black students, Latinx students, queer students, trans students, that which makes our environment and education rich and full,” said UCLA student Sofia Hsu. So what’s the reasoning behind the proposed tuition hike? According to the discussion item summary written by the UC Office of the President (UCOP) intended for the Board of Regents, the tuition increase is needed to supplement the $3.996 billion in State General Fund provided in the Governor’s State budget proposal for the 20202021 fiscal year.

“The University’s budget request to the State, if fully funded, would have avoided the need for a [tuition] increase,” said a representative in an email.

California Governor Gavin Newsom contradicts this notion.

“Given the major increase in higher education funding provided in last year’s budget and the similar increase proposed by Governor Newsom for next year’s budget, he believes that the proposed tuition increase is unwarranted, bad for students and inconsistent with our college affordability goals,” said spokesperson Jesse Melgar in a statement.

The long-term impacts were not fully

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

considered, according to one student.

“The proposals that were originally on the table today were nothing but shortsighted ways for the university to make up projected deficits in which the state, our ultimate benefactor, should be on the hook for,” said David Hickman, a UC San Diego fourthyear student.

According to UCOP, the added tuition money would go toward the making and sustaining of “all of the mandatory and high-priority investments included in the 2020-21 Budget Plan for Current Operations approved by the Regents in November 2019.”

Some of these “high-priority” investments include the elimination of achievement gaps, increasing graduation rates, increasing enrollment, the expansion of student access to mental health services and increasing faculty compensation.

Some, however, question whether the added tuition would really go toward these goals.

“The top 35 UC employees with the highest gross pay in 2016 are all men, 29 of which were prominent doctors at UC hospitals, four of which were coaches, or former coaches, of men’s football and basketball teams,” said ASUCD External Affairs Commission Chair Shelby Salyer. “Their state-reported pay ranged from $1.1 million to $3.6 million a year.”

Sayler explained how these numbers stand in stark contrast to the countless students at UC Davis who, due to the transition to UCPath, are allegedly still awaiting pay from Fall Quarter or to the union workers at UC Davis who are still bargaining in order to make salaries that can support their basic needs, or even professors, who had the lowest salaries out of all the UCs in 2015.

During the Regents meeting, Chair John Perez said, “I have never and will never vote for a broad-based tuition increase that impacts current students. I have said that in our effort to have predictable and affordable tuition that I’m open to conversations around cohort-based tuition, which have clear guarantees of no increases into the future for students that are affected.”

Sayler disagrees that the cohort model is better than the inflation-based one.

“It feels like they are trying to divide that collective bargaining block that is students together,” Sayler said.

The result is an unbounded increase in tuition.

“If these five-year increases are passed at a later meeting, and I then ask students to advocate for the budget, I worry that their response will be simple: What is the point if they’re raising tuition anyway?” Sarveshwar said at the Regents meeting.

The ability to instantly go viral from a hit video is especially appealing. There are several teenagers who are now social media moguls with brand deals galore, solely from making dancing videos. The dances are prevalent, with big-name celebrities taking a stab at the daunting moves. And even people who don’t use the app know a TikTok song or two.

“It influences Spotify top songs; a lot of them are from TikTok,” Durah said. Once a TikTok-er goes viral doing a shimmy to a catchy tune, you can expect to hear it on the radio, ever to be associated with a specific sequence of arm and body movements. Some of the popular songs include “ROXANNE” by Arizona Zervas and “Lottery (Renegade)” by K CAMP. In fact, one of Davis’ own has experienced the fame that TikTok can bring.

Johnson, a UC Davis football player, posted a video last January that went viral overnight.

“The night before I had 300 followers, and the next day [the video] had 300,000 views,” Johnson said. “The next day [my teammates and I] made another video that went viral. It’s at 7.4 million views right now. From there it took off, I got a ton of followers and really grew the account. I was lucky to hop on the trend early.”

Johnson is still reaping the benefits of this claim to fame — sort of.

“I got an email from ByteDance [the owner of TikTok], inviting me to be a part of their Super Bowl campaign,” he said. His TikTok video of dancing football players would be included in their commercial, but he had to decline the offer.

“NCAA owns our likeness, so they won’t let me,” Johnson explained. Despite the recent passage of legislation in California that will allow collegiate athletes to be compensated for their likeness, the law won’t take effect until 2023, preventing Johnson from accepting deals like the one he was offered by ByteDance.

Even so, Johnson has profited from his many millions of views. He gained around 10,000 Instagram followers after the fact, helping to promote his social media marketing coaching company.

Though it isn’t as common as other top social media apps, TikTok has made its mark. No social media is truly social media without its share of people who make it their full time job; perhaps, then, what’s made TikTok so influential is the particular type of content that’s posted.

“They seem to put in the least amount of effort and it’s hilarious,” said Tessa Leonard, a second-year environmental science and management major. “It’s sh*tty comedy.”

Although the editing features and length of the videos allow for some full-on short films, a lot of the popular content is fairly basic — the stupidity of a joke or the obvious lack of effort is the punchline. It’s almost a counterculture to the social media we’ve been raised on, where we only display the best version of ourselves online. As cringey as a self-deprecating teenager might be, at least it’s real.

“It seems a lot more homemade, it’s a less formal social media,” Leonard said. “You don’t have to put your best self on TikTok; it’s more authentic.”

NFL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Well, the Oxford English Dictionary defines the improper noun “ball” as “a rounded geographical formation” and “a globe or spherical body, and related senses.” This definition classifies a “ball” as a “sphere,” suggesting that we cannot in good conscience refer to the American football as a “ball.”

If we really want to be accurate, we must rebrand [T]he [G]ame based on the actual geometry of the thing — a prolate spheroid, or even better, a lemon. As everyone surely knows and understands, the surface area of a “ball” or sphere is given by S = 4π R2, while that of the lemon, as approximated by the prolate spheroid, is given by S = 2π ∫ r(z) √ [1+ r’(z)]2 dx, with radius, r, as a function of z, given by r(z) = a√ [1-(z/c)2]. Thus, we obviously can’t say that a “ball” and a prolate spheroid are the same. Duh! For these reasons, the National Football League is blatantly misleading and defrauding the American people by not instead calling itself the National Prolate Spheroid League or the National Lemon League.

Buck “Thyroid” Thyroipt, Veteran Color Com-

mentator, Fox Sports/ESPN: I’ll be damned if I’m gonna waste my valuable time grindin’ my noggin on the fancy schmancy words o’them hoity-toity muckety-mucks down the university there. Football’s the name of The Game. But I like the sounda my voice so I’ll give ya my two cents. I dunno bout all that math, but Dr. Numbers up there didn’t even check all the dictionarii, cause I got me one here that calls a ball “a round or roundISH body or mass: such as a spherical OR OVOID body used in a game or sport.” And hey Doc! I know I shouldn’ta expected any less from a research prof, always omitting unfavorable results and all, but ya skipped another pretty darned important definition of ball: “Slang: Vulgar. a testis.” Ball: as in it’s on accounta the testosterone we got the violence that puts the little word in question in football. That violence is why we love The Game, and we aren’t bouta be callin’ it some National Prostate Sphynx League. I know I’m speakin’ for my fellow broadcasters when I say that.

MEASUREG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Attracting new teachers will become a more pressing issue in the near future, as the district seeks to replace current teachers approaching retirement, according to DiNunzio.

“A lot of our teachers and staff are senior,” DiNunzio said. “We estimate between a quarter and a third of them are likely to retire in the next three to five to seven years.

There’s a significant teacher shortage across the state of California and the nation for that matter. So replacing these teachers will be critical and difficult.”

Victor Lagunes, a teacher at Da Vinci Jr. High and President of the Davis Teachers Association, said that some DJUSD schools are already feeling the impact of an impending teacher shortage.

“We’re starting to see the effects of [the teacher shortage] in our own district,” Langunes said. “There are plenty of examples to give, but one of the most notable ones right now: There’s a fifth-grade classroom that has had no teacher, the whole year.”

Alan Fernades, another trustee on the DJUSD board, said this classroom now has a teacher, but the issue was “indicative of the early signs” of the challenges the district might face in the near future.

The DJUSD is seeking to increase staff compensation to at or above the regional average, which requires an average three million dollars a year, DiNunzio said, roughly

CARCULTURE the sum that the proposed parcel tax will provide.

Critics of Measure G, such as the Yolo Taxpayers Association, have argued that the district should find a way to increase staff pay by other means. An oppositional argument submitted to the Yolo Elections Board by the No Parcel Taxes PAC points to recent ballot measures over the past few years that increased Davis school funding.

“In 2016 we approved Measure H, a $620/year parcel tax supporting Davis schools,” the rebuttal read. “In 2018 we approved Measure M, giving our schools 11 million annually for 30 years. Now, we are being asked to raise taxes yet again. Might existing funds be used to increase teacher salaries?”

But DiNunzio said 85% of DJUSD funds already go to staff compensation, leaving few options for cost-cutting measures outside of cutting school programs or teaching jobs.

The district’s need for additional funding is in part due to a dearth of funds from the state under California’s Local Control Funding Formula, according to DiNunzio.

“Davis gets less than the average California district [...] in large part because of the makeup of our students,” DiNunzio said.

“So we’re already starting from a revenue gap. The only revenue tool we have as a local educational authority is a parcel tax.”

UNLICENSEDRESTAURANT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office works to ensure businesses are in compliance with a wide range of services that do not necessarily include the sale and distribution of food, such as hazardous waste and unlicensed contractors. Hilzinger mentioned that businesses are generally receptive once they realize they’ve been violating the law, as Jiang was.

“Mr. Jiang was very cooperative with our prosecution, and he was very cooperative throughout the investigation,” said Hilzinger. “He really did — in good faith — stop operating after we explained to him what the

case looks like against him.”

Jiang’s business was “basically an unpermitted home kitchen, that was also offering delivery services in Davis,” according to Hilzinger. Kimble said that though home kitchen operations were legalized in California through the passage of AB 626, Riverside County was the only county in the state that opted-in once the bill was passed, making home kitchen operations illegal in Yolo County.

“Yolo County had decided to opt-out of it and our Board of Supervisors has supported that,” Kimble said.

CATFISHING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

We try to portray ourselves in the best light possible, often at the expense of our own honesty. We build profiles to attract and collect as many matches as possible. But these are deceitful habits no matter how pure our intentions may be. These lies we tell don’t go away; they are buried –– with the potential to resurface later.

Love is difficult to navigate in our relationships. It makes us think

and behave irrationally. It is often an attraction that we cannot control, and something for which we are willing to do anything.

Our loneliness has made us desperate to love and be loved and, in this desperation, we have found it easier to convince ourselves that we have found real love, even if the one we love is a facade.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

DMC combats these stereotypes; keeping their activities and interactions focused on the cars and not the mayhem.

Across disciplines Many members of DMC are associated with a wide array of car-related ventures outside of the club. In addition to attending DMC events, Kenley Hendron, a third-year material sciences and engineering double major, is the composites lead on the UC Davis Formula-E racing team. Hendron discussed how being integrated into Davis car culture through DMC and beyond helps the team excel.

“Say I have to design some new component for the suspension of the race car next year, I come [to a DMC meet] and I’m talking to my friends and then I see that one of my friends has a different suspension setup. I’m like, ‘What suspension are you running? What makes it different?’ Then I’m like, ‘Oh wait, if this person did this on their car, maybe I could apply it to the mine,’” Hendron said.

“It’s that interconnection — not necessarily just with DMC — that drives all of our innovation.”

Their collaborative free-wheeling spirit has served the team well in the past.

“We got fourth place overall out of 40 electric car teams I believe,” Hendron said. “That’s competing against schools like MIT, Caltech and Carnegie Mellon where we are basically the underdogs.”

For many autophiles, cars are not only an engaging hobby, but a unique way of life that shapes their perspective. Their problem solving mindset helps build critical thinking skills that apply to other pursuits.

“I’ve talked to CEOs and VPs of large Fortune 500 companies, and they say that they like hiring car people because they know their mindset,” Phillips said. “They know that they work well in teams, think through problems and troubleshoot.”

Despite the many benefits of working on cars offer, perhaps the foremost is a gateway into a flourishing community.

“It doesn’t really matter who you are.” Hendron said. “Cars are something that brings everyone together.“

LATITUDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

larly at the top of the requests received,” Becerrai said. “Latitude was an opportunity for us to offer inclusive menu items that represent the diversity of our Student Resident population.”

Latitude’s executive chef, Roger Thompson, alongside staff members, spent more than a year crafting over 300 recipes, according to the UC Davis website.

“During the planning process, we tried to identify areas of the world with strong culinary recognition, that would allow us to showcase a delicious sample of international cuisine for our guests,” Becerrai said.

Barbaduomo said that she enjoyed trying meals she was not familiar with.

“I love the high energy in the dining commons,” Barbaduomo said. “Everyone is very excited and eager to try new things. I also liked that it pushes me out of my comfort zone, as someone who usually likes to eat things I am familiar with. Latitude has expanded my horizons, and introduced me to new foods.”

Now, Latitude chefs have a catalog of 90 dishes they can replicate and serve. Visitors can indulge in dishes like Pupusas con Pollo, an El Salvadorian chicken filled flatbread; Espinacas con Garbanzos, chickpeas with baby spinach; Shawarma beef and lamb, a Middle Eastern dish of grilled meats, vegetables and yogurt sauce; Jeera Chawal, an Indian cumin-infused basmati rice or Nikujaga, a meat and potato stew from Japan.

“Our chefs took over a small kitchen on campus for about a year, where they tested multiple recipes gathered from international cooking books, family recipes from some of our team members and online

searches,” Becerrai said. “After multiple samplings presented to staff and students, we agreed on the menu cycle you see today.”

Chand also said he enjoyed the food options.

“I really liked the quality of the food,” Chand said. “I love the variety of how there’s different parts of the world and different tastes.”

So far, Latitude has received “very positive feedback” and the menu options and recipes “have been well received,” Becerrai said.

Aside from the dining area, Latitude sells an extensive array of food that can be taken to-go at their retail market.

“I love the market,” Chand said. “They have nice food that’s accessible. They have different types of food in comparison to other markets. It’s more convenient because they have more meals as opposed to snacks.”

The Latitude Market “offers artisan and custom sandwiches and sides, fresh sushi bar, hot-food and cold-food bar, made-to-order drinks and shakes, rich gelato, and pre-made to-go meals, snacks, treats, and drinks,” according to the UC Davis Student Housing and Dining Services.

Looking toward the future, Becerrai said Latitude “will continue to explore foods that represent different areas of the world, and will continue to do our best to showcase them in Latitude.”

“We are constantly looking to improve the dining experience of our guests,” Becerrai said. “Latitude is just another way for us to accomplish our mission to provide a dining experience that is least stressful and the most enjoyable part of our student’s day.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 13

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

$163 BILLION GRAPE INDUSTRY AT RISK DUE TO SPREAD OF GRAPEVINE RED BLOTCH VIRUS WITH NO KNOWN TREATMENT

$3 million grant given to institutions in California and Oregon to address unknowns of disease and mitigate its effects on grape production, wine quality

RAUL G I R A R D E L LO/ CO URTESY

BY ALMA MECKLER-PACHECO science@theaggie.org Less than an hour from UC Davis lie the towns of Napa and Sonoma, both hubs of the $163 billion US grape industry. California-grown grapes makes up 90% of the country’s wine production, yet they are at risk as a currently untreatable grapevine disease spreads rapidly across the country but especially in California and Oregon vineyards.

The grapevine red blotch disease is caused by the grapevine red blotch virus, which was first identified as a virus by Mysore R.Sudarshana, a research biologist through the United States De-

partment of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) department of plant pathology in 2012.

“It is of huge concern to the wine industry because the virus and the disease have only been recently discovered and there are many unknowns about the disease biology and management,” Sudarshana said via email.

Once the grapevine has become infected with this virus, the impacts on the wine include reduced sugar content and increased acidity. Lower sugar reduces the wine quality resulting in a decreased value of the fruit. Winemakers are unable to produce high-quality, premium wines with these changes.

Aside from the wine quality, the disease also greatly impacts the crop yields of grape varieties.

This can be seen more intensely on red wines, as it takes longer for the grapes to ripen, forcing growers to allocate more resources as the growing season lasts longer. In some cases, growers do not have the economic means to wait for the grapes to fully ripen, resulting in lost yield. For the grower and the winemaker, the disease holds great power to impact each year’s yield and quality of product.

To address this urgent issue in the grape industry, UC Davis researchers received a $3 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the grapevine red blotch virus and identify possible vectors, or organisms that spread a pathogen, of the virus. This four-year grant is in collaboration with researchers and team members from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, Oregon State University and USDA-ARS at Davis.

Spread throughout California and Oregon, the project team is interdisciplinary in nature with experts in entomology, economics, engineering, plant pathology, virology and viticulture. Due to the complexity of this issue and all that is still unknown, Anita Oberholster — the project director and cooperative extension specialist in the department of viticulture and enology — sees this diverse set of expertise as an asset of the grant.

“The advantage of the grant is that it is multiple year so you can really build upon it, and it is multidisciplinary due to its large enough budget that allows for everyone to be involved in it,” Oberholster said.

With this funding, the research team plans on starting two highly similar experiments in California and Oregon in various grape production areas to build upon the little that is already known about this virus and its vectors.

Since the initial discovery and identification of this virus, Sudarshana, along with Frank Zalom, a professor of entomology and nematology, showed that the three-cornered alfalfa treehopper insect is a vector of the virus. But this study was conducted successfully in a highly controlled environment.

Further study of this specific species of tree-

hopper has shown that it can serve as a vector of the virus, although the insect does not favor grapevines when given legumes or alfalfa to feed on. Due to how quickly this virus is seen spreading, especially in California and Oregon, there may exist multiple vectors that vary depending on environmental factors across the country.

Because of the complexity of this virus and the ways it can change in response to situational environments, more research is needed to fully understand the vectors of the virus. This grant will allow for further study of possible vectors and a deeper understanding of management possibilities.

“The first step is just understanding the ecology of this insect vector in this cropping system,” said Houston Wilson, a cooperative extension specialist in entomology at UC Riverside.

Since the three-cornered alfalfa treehopper is not one of the common grapevine pests, more research needs to be done to fully understand the patterns of this insect in order to effectively mitigate its impacts. To be able to create management practices, there needs to be more knowledge on how the insect vectors act in this specific cropping system of vineyards. Beyond the vectors, the movement patterns of the virus itself have to be better understood as well.

“There is so much about the basic biology and chemistry of the virus that we don’t understand yet; it is only when you really understand these things that you can target and control it to mitigate the effects,” Oberholster said.

Throughout the next four years, the team hopes to find conclusive data that will be able to shape management practices and guidelines that will soon be able to help growers and winemakers make informed decisions.

“This is all about education and helping [growers] make informed decisions,” Oberholster said. “We want to develop some really decent guidelines and it won’t be the end of this problem but we want to make good progress.”

This collaborative and interdisciplinary research project is making the first major steps to fully analyzing and understanding the grapevine red blotch virus while providing helpful insight to the growers and winemakers dependent on the health of vineyards.

UC DAVIS RESEARCH TESTS FEASIBILITY OF SEA URCHIN RANCHING AS METHOD OF COMBATING KELP FOREST DECLINE Turning hungry sea urchins into delicacies might save kelp ecosystem they threaten to eat away

M A R I O R O D R I G UE Z / AGGI E

BY HUSN KHARABANDA science@ucdavis.edu The odds seem to be against California’s kelp forests and their ecosystems. Not only are rising ocean temperatures making it difficult for the kelp to thrive, but due to the declining number of starfish and sea otters, the sea urchin population boom is eating away at the ecosystem.

This overpopulation is harming even the urchins themselves, who are eating away their habitat, yet

still starving because of their vast numbers.

“The kelp forest in California has seen a massive reduction, possibly a 90% reduction in kelp production,” said Karl Menard, aquatic resources manager at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. “There’s already been an economical impact because the urchins don’t have significant gonad growth because there’s not enough food for them, so their value and price has dropped significantly.”

Urchin-centered earnings are not the only in-

ORCHID BEES MIX UNIQUE PERFUMES TO SIGNAL POTENTIAL MATES

Evolution of scent receptor genes distinguishes a divergent species of orchid bee

The evolution of sexual signaling in orchid bees is linked to a gene that is shaped by a species’ perfume preferences.

(Photo by Santiago Ramirez / Courtesy)

BY LAUREN GLEVANIK science@theaggie.org Orchid bees are master chemists. Each species gathers a unique mix of smells from the environment to attract mates. In a recent study, researchers surveyed two related species of orchid bees, Euglossa dilemma and Euglossa viridissima and compared their unique perfumes. Even though the two species look identical, they are genetically attuned to their own specific scents.

“This research links the evolution of sexual signaling to a specific gene,” said Philipp Brand, lead author of the study published in Nature Communications and recent Ph.D. graduate from UC Davis, via email. “It is incredibly hard

to draw connections like this.”

This study focuses on speciation, the process of a single species diverging into two species.

In short, small genetic and behavioral changes accumulate over time to create new organisms.

Although speciation happens all the time, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when one species has split into two distinct lineages.

In the case of orchid bees, Brand hypothesized that the evolution of these perfumes was involved in their divergence. To isolate the small differences that make these bees unique, he needed two model species that were still very similar.

“We focused on trying to find the most recently diverged pair of species of orchid bees we could find,” said Santiago Ramirez, a professor of

dustry that has been impacted by the loss of kelp forests. Abalone fisheries have also been impacted due to a loss of food sources for the fish. The lack of kelp makes population rebound for the abalone seem unlikely.

“The kelp has crashed in Northern California and has not come back for years now,” said Jordan Hollarsmith, a former graduate student who studied the effects of rising temperatures and ocean acidification on giant kelp populations.

“What we’ve seen is a complete ecosystem shift [...] and with that has come huge economic losses for all those little coastal communities that used to have big influxes of people coming to spearfish and abalone dive in those kelp forests.”

On-land urchin ranching has become a potential solution to urchin overpopulation. This technique is different from traditional urchin harvesting because the urchins available in the sea bed are starved to the level that they have no real market value. Urchin ranching would involve the removal of the creatures from their natural habitat before being placed in a controlled environment. There, they are fed before being harvested for their fleshy roe or inner gonads. The Bodega Marine Laboratory is working with Norwegian-based shellfish company Urchinomics to test the feasibility of such measures.

“Our goal is to restore the kelp forest into vibrant ecosystems by removing overgrazing sea urchins and bulking their roe up in on-land facilities and selling those sea urchins to top tier restaurants globally,” said Denise MacDonald, the director of global marketing for Urchinomics. “The demand [for urchin roe] is growing and the supply is declining. In North America specifically, they’re using it in things like salad dressings and pastas and [other untraditional seafood

dishes].”

Turning urchin ranching into a commercial habit will take time and effort. It requires non-traditional diving techniques to procure urchins in a manner that allows survival so that they may be kept in on-land facilities. The urchins are then fed artificial food pellets for 8 to 10 weeks before they can be harvested. Additionally, there is an issue of transportation and the popularization of the method.

“We’re in the final quarter of the one-year feasibility study,” Menard said. “The results are very positive so far.”

The hope is to financially incentivize coastal communities and corporations to harvest from these ‘urchin barrens’ so that overgrazing is controlled and the kelp forests have the opportunity to grow and be replanted.

These advances would in no way be an endall to the issues faced by California kelp forests.

Their decline can be attributed to a series of events, including urchin predator populations, like sea stars, being affected by disease, marine heatwaves, warming the nearshore ocean and mass mortality in red abalone. “[Urchin ranching] might help people find jobs in sustainable fields, feed people and that’s great,” Hollarsmith said. “I am not convinced right now that it is enough to make any measurable, beneficial impact on the kelp when this looming danger of more marine heatwaves is always on the horizon.”

Urchin ranching is a pathway to begin making a marine impact. If commercialized, a contribution to kelp conservation could be made by simply eating a meal. For a more long-term solution, discussions around the management of marine resources and fisheries are necessary.

evolution and ecology.

The two species chosen for the study, E. dilemma and E. viridissima, diverged from each other about 150,000 years ago. This may seem like ancient history, but on the evolutionary time scale, it is as if it happened yesterday.

These two “sister” species of iridescent green bees are virtually indistinguishable — except for their fancy perfumes. Their special scents may play a key role in keeping the two groups of bees from hybridizing back into a single species.

“Male orchid bees collect scents from environmental sources such as flowers, rotten woodand even feces, which they store in pockets in their hindlegs,” Brand said. “These pockets can retain the collected chemicals for weeks and over time the male accumulates a complex chemical blend in them. They eventually release this blend, which we call ‘the perfume,’ during courtship display.”

Male bees spend weeks collecting scents from their environment to impress potential mates. In order for the perfumes to be effective, female bees must be able to sense them.

“They have these structures on their antennae called odorant receptors,” said Micah Freedman, a Ph.D. student in the Ramirez lab. “We think females are attracted to the perfumes that the males collect, and that’s how they recognize males of their own species.”

Through comparing genes for odorant receptors between E. dilemma and E. viridissima, one stood out from the rest: olfactory receptor gene 41 (OR41). To test out how OR41 works, Brand inserted the gene into fruit flies and exposed the flies to different chemical concoctions. The flies with the sensing gene repeatedly picked up on a specific perfume, suggesting that the bee’s unique perfumes are linked to their sensing gene.

“Because we identified the OR41 receptor gene and functionally linked its evolution to the changes in the perfume chemistry, we now have a better idea of the evolutionary history of perfume communication and the genetic mechanisms that are involved,” Brand said.

Making and detecting signature scents drove

these bees to split into two completely separate species. Both behavioral changes (mixing scents) and genetic shifts (specialized receptors) reinforce the differences between them.

Curiously, the perfume concoctions for E. dilemma and E. viridissima were identical except for two chemical compounds. Even with this slight difference, the bees detect members of their own species and stay separate from their sister species.

“In this story the speciation of these two particular bees, the compound that really strongly differentiates them — that one bee species collects but the other one doesn’t — we have no idea where they’re getting it,” Freedman said. “That’s part of the fun mystery of this system. As far as we know, no one has found a naturally occurring source of this chemical.”

No matter where the bees find their perfumes, the main difference between E. dilemma and E. viridissima is tied to both mating behavior and genetic shifts.

“The bees don’t seem to care where they get these compounds as long as they get the right combination,” Ramirez said.

The correct compound collection is key to discovering how these bees communicate to members of their own species. The link between chemical collecting and scent detecting reveals how small changes shift populations to become new, separate lineages.

Orchid bees are only a single case study in the larger question of how sexual signaling behavior creates tangible genetic differences between populations of a diverging species. Focusing on chemical differences between these bees provides insight to the molecular level of speciation and the ways these bees start to manifest minute differences.

“The traditional taxonomy and the way that we describe species usually involves studying only the morphological characters that these bees have,” Freedman said. “It’s only through using techniques like studying the chemicals they collect from their environment and their genetics that we actually know how different they really are.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

14 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

AGGIES PICK UP VICTORY OVER BULLDOGS

Swim and Dive post numerous PR times on Senior Day en route to conference win

The UC Davis Women’s Swimming and Diving wins its first meet of the season at Shaal Aquatics Center against Fresno State with a final score of 172-128. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY AJ SEYMOUR sports@theaggie.org Saturday afternoon marked the last time this season that the UC Davis swim and dive team would be competing at Schaal Aquatic Center, and the final home meet for the team’s seniors.

Seven seniors were honored, and in total the student-athletes have collectively accrued a number of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Academic honors and hold team-best times in eight events this season.

UC Davis went into this match as an underdog seeking its first head-to-head win of the season versus a Bulldogs side that was 4-1. But since reinstating their swim and dive program in 2008, Fresno State has yet to win a game against the Aggies, a streak head coach Barbara Jahn was looking to extend.

“We have this rivalry — well maybe the coaches do,” said Jahn. “Coach [Jeanne] Fleck in

her tenure as the Fresno State has never beaten UC Davis, home or away. It was nice to preserve that tradition. The seniors really stepped up and I was proud of them.”

The team started off the meet on the right foot, winning the initial race — the 200 yard medley — relay behind freshmen Ashleen O’Brien and Jay Jay Eaton, and seniors Mia Facey and Mia Cunnan. The squad continued to consistently stay competitive in every race, racking up points with top three finishes in all sixteen events.

The lead and direction of the meet was up in the air until the Aggies took over after the first break. After honoring the seniors and acknowledging their accomplishments and future goals, the team came back with an unmatched fire.In the ensuing event, the 100 yard freestyle, UC Davis stole the top three spots. Senior Jamie Pincin, who led the way with a 52.47 finish, was followed closely by fellow senior Olivia Smith and freshmen Anna Lee.

AGGIES BESTED AT HOME AGAIN

UC Davis men’s basketball drops second conference game at The Pavilion

The UC Davis Men's Basketball team in action at the Pavilion against CSU Fullerton on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020.

(Photos by Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org After a road trip that saw two victories on opponent’s courts, the UC Davis men’s basketball team failed to defend home court for the second time in conference play this season on Thursday night, dropping a close game to the Cal State Fullerton Titans. A game that went back and forth all night turned into a game that went down to the wire but ultimately ended in a four-point loss for the Aggies.

“I don’t know if our guys have such a level of confidence in this building that they think they can just show up,” said UC Davis Head Coach Jim Les after the game. “But I think it shows a little bit of immaturity in our attitude. Again, part of that is on us as a staff getting guys ready, but the other part is on our seniors who understand how difficult it is home or away to grind out wins. They have to lead us with their energy and their effort.”

The Aggies decided to start Thursday night with a smaller, guard-heavy lineup that included freshmen Ezra Manjon and Elijah Pepper, sophomore Damion Squire and senior Joe Mooney along with senior center Matt Neufield.

After the Titans jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, a mid range jump shot by Manjon gave the Aggies their first points of the game and backto-back threes by senior guard Stefan Gonzalez — who came into the game ranked seventh in the country in three-point percentage — gave the Aggies their first lead of the game.

The next couple of possessions saw plenty of back and forth from both teams and a lot of physicality on both ends of the floor. After opening up an 11-7 lead with 14:41 remaining, the Aggies went ice cold for the next seven minutes of the game. Bad possessions, turnovers and hot shooting from deep by Titan sophomore guard Wayne Arnold led to a 10-0 run that gave Cal State Fullerton the lead, which it carried into the halftime break to go up 31-24.

In the first frame, Squire and Gonzalez led the Aggies in scoring with six a piece, but the team struggled converting on the offensive end. UC Davis shot just 10-29 from the field and 3-15 from three to go along with seven turnovers. On the Cal State Fullerton side, the Titans shot 1228 from the field and were led by senior guard Brandon Kamga, who poured in 12 points and three assists on 50% shooting.

The start of the second half looked promising for the Aggies, as they received back-to-back threes by Mooney and Squire that cut the deficit to four. But the team’s sloppy play continued as UC Davis’ combination of bad shots and defensive lapses led to the Titans opening up a 49-39 lead with under 12 minutes left in the game.

But just as they have done throughout this season, the Aggies fought back. The freshmans woke up and UC Davis responded with a 8-1 run. A few buckets from Manjon and a Pepper basket with the foul put the Aggies level for the first time since early in the first half at 52.

With less than six minutes left in regulation, that last run proved to be all that the Aggies could really muster, as Arnold knocked down his third and fourth threes of the game and gave Cal State Fullerton a 62-54 lead with about two minutes remaining.

The last two minutes saw a lot of fouls as UC Davis tried to claw their way back into the game, but the buzzer sounded and the Titans claimed their second straight win of conference play, moving their record to 2-3. Kamga finished with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists, but the key to this victory came from the hot shooting by Arnold, who finished with 14 points and shot 4-8 from distance — including those crucial makes down the stretch that secured the win.

“One, I thought they drove us,” Les said about the interior defense. “And then I thought our help was really soft so you come over soft and you are going to allow guys to make plays.”

On the UC Davis side, Manjon led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 11-19 from the field along with five rebounds and four assists.

Two other Aggies, Squire and Pepper, reached double digits with 10 apiece, but the night was overshadowed by the inability to make shots in crucial stretches and playing carelessly with the basketball.

“If we miss shots, don’t execute, turn it over — those things happen,” Les added explained.

“But we are going to play with a level of intensity, aggressiveness, energy and enthusiasm that fits the tradition of that jersey. But we didn’t do that tonight and that’s on me.”

The Aggies traveled to Honolulu on Saturday, where they took on Hawaii and suffered a heartbreaking 76-75 loss on a go-ahead three with 3.3 seconds left. UC Davis will return to the Pavilion once again on Thursday, where they will take on defending Big West Conference champions UC Irvine.

The team continued to place well throughout the afternoon starting with junior Kathryn Bockman, who led UC Davis with a lifetime-best finish of 10:27:20 and a second place showing in the 1000 Free. Lee, Eaton, Cunnan and Kyla Leacox all recorded first place finishes in the 200 Free, 50 Free, 100 Fly and 200 IM, respectively, to round out the individual swim events. Ultimately, it was a team of four seniors — Smith, Cunnan, Facey and Pincin — who finished first and scored 11 points for the Aggies with a firstplace finish in the 400 Free Relay.

The dive team dominated both one and three meter events due to strong performances from sophomore Taylor Hornberger and freshman Sydney Wren, solidifying the UC Davis win. The final score was 172-128, which is coincidentally the identical score from when these two sides met back in November 2014. Jahn was thrilled about the win, lauding her team’s performance.

“They did what we asked them to do. We knew it was going to be a close meet — within

four to six points — and the placing could switch around. In some events it did, in others we were pleasantly surprised by going 1-2-3-4 in an event.

But we had a lot of season best times and that bodes well going into our conference which is in four weeks.”

Jahn continued, praising the crowd and atmosphere at Schaal that afternoon as “really good” and “supportive.” The aquatics center was electric the whole afternoon, and was certainly one of the louder, more lively home meets in recent memory.

“Our team is smart,” Jahn concluded. “I know they can face the academic challenges coming up. Our senior class last quarter averaged a 3.4 GPA. They will all be very successful young women, I have no doubt about it. We just have to stay healthy.”

Jahn and the Aggies now have their sights set on their final dual meet on Saturday in Stockton against Pacific. After that, it’s on to the MPSF championships that begin on Feb. 19.