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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 26 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF COVID-19 MAY LAST UP TO FOUR DECADES
Study on effects of past pandemics provides insight into post-COVID-19 economy A new study by UC Davis is currently investigating how tracking social media “sick posts” could help public health officials get a head start on identifying and responding to emerging disease outbreaks. (Photo Courtesy of Photo Mix / Pixabay)
SOCIAL MEDIA CAN PREDICT CASE COUNT OF COVID-19 AHEAD OF OFFICIAL REPORTS
Online posts give researchers
insight on people with COVID-19 symptoms
BY MI CHELLE WONG science@theaggie.org
Writing on a window at Philz Coffee in Davis lists rules for patrons to follow when coming in to pick up their mobile orders. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
BY A L M A M EC KLE R - PAC H E CO science@theaggie.org The novel coronavirus pandemic is affecting nearly every aspect of life in the U.S., shutting down businesses and forcing people throughout the country to shelter in their homes. Many hope for an end in sight to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, especially for the economy, but a study conducted by UC Davis economists Òscar Jordà, Sanjay Singh and Alan M. Taylor indicates long-term changes. Through analyzing the long-term effects of 12 pandemics, starting in the 14th Century, the study sought to understand the commonalities across the economic impacts of these pandemics. The data, collected by economic historians, measured the economic performance of cities, regions and countries. “We found recently available data sets that go back to the 14th Century just before the Black Plague and they stretch up to now,” Singh said. “We were able to use those data sets that have a lot of information and contain information on returns of investments.” Noticing a lack of research focused on multiple pandemics and their long-term effects, the researchers felt that a long-term analysis would be beneficial to better understand the economic impact of pandemics. “A lot of work has looked at a single pandemic, and they have investigated how people have
reacted and how policy has changed for a single pandemic, but are at most up to five years after the pandemic,” Singh said. Given the current pandemic, this research helps predict what can be expected for the economy in the decades following the coronavirus. One of the key findings was the change in the real rate of return, or the annual percentage of profit earned on investments, adjusted for inflation. Their study discovered that the real rate of return fell during pandemics and continued to fall until it reached its lowest point after 20 years. Four decades after each pandemic, the real rate of return went back to its natural rate. The observed drop in the real rate of return is linked to changes in consumer behavior after a pandemic. “Due to loss of savings, people will want to increase their savings and will want to be more risk-averse,” Singh said. “That would mean there is excess saving in the economy relative to people demanding them, which causes the returns to fall.” This finding gives important insight into the role of the government during pandemics. Due to the decrease in real rate of return, there is fiscal space, which the World Health Organization defines as “the budgetary room that allows a government to provide resources for public purposes without undermining fiscal sustainability.” “An implication of our study is that the government has this extra fiscal space,” Singh said.
“So if the government borrows a lot right now to tackle this pandemic, and our analysis shows that pandemics result in a decline in interest rate, the government will not have to pay as high interest rates.” This is a key lesson that can guide the government’s actions to fight the pandemic. An increase in government spending will not hurt the economy due to the predicted decrease in real rate of returns. Additionally, without government spending, the coronavirus could result in even more economic damage. It will be necessary for the government to provide support to deal with this emergency, according to Economics Professor Alan M. Taylor. “While people cannot work due to lockdowns, the government is trying to keep businesses and households from collapsing in the short run, since a cascade of bankruptcies could be very economically damaging, as many viable firms could be destroyed without replacement,” Taylor said via email. Economics Professor Chrisptoher Meissner agrees, saying he believes governments actively working to control the coronavirus will end up helping the economy after the pandemic. “The policy we take in terms of protecting the population is not going to harm the economy in the long run,” Meissner said. “Places that take more action now to save public health may even do better to come out of this all.”
YOLO COUNTY IS STATE LEADER IN SHELTERING HOMELESS DURING PANDEMIC County’s homeless outreach efforts during social distancing provide model for rest of state, official says
M A RIO R O D R I G UE Z / AGGI E
TIM LA LO N D E city@theaggie.org Yolo County is “punching above its weight class” when it comes to sheltering the homeless population under Gov. Newsom’s Project Roomkey plan, according to Davis Homeless Outreach Coordinator Ryan Collins. Collins delivered a report at the Yolo Board of Supervisors’ April 14 meeting, detailing the successes and challenges of the county’s homeless outreach efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collins told the Board that Yolo was currently sheltering a much higher percentage of its homeless population compared to other California counties. “At the time of its announcement, I think approximately 870 individuals were sheltered individually statewide as a part of Project Roomkey, and Yolo had 110 of them,” Collins said. “I think that number is closer to 180 today. For a county
of about 220,000 people in a state of 20 million people, that makes Yolo County punching about 25 times above its weight class in this effort.” Project Roomkey is a state initiative seeking to shelter homeless individuals in local hotel and motel rooms while shelter-in-place orders remain in effect. Project Roomkey intends to prioritize the “medically vulnerable” among California homeless populations — homeless individuals over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions — as well those who have been exposed to COVID-19, but do not require medical attention, according to an April press release from the governor’s office. The goal of the program is three-fold, according to the release: protecting a vulnerable population from infection, reducing the density of individuals in homeless shelters and easing pressure on local hospitals during the pandemic. “Homeless Californians are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19 and often have no option to self-isolate or social distance,” Newsom said in the
release. “By helping the most vulnerable homeless individuals off the street and into isolation, California can slow the spread of COVID-19 through homeless populations, lower the number of people infected and protect critical health care resources.” Collins told the Board that part of Yolo’s success under Project Roomkey was due, in part, to a head start — the county had enacted similar programs before and had served as a model for other counties’ efforts. Collins pointed to Yolo’s “Bridge to Housing” program, which sheltered 65 homeless individuals from West Sacramento in 2014, according to a county report. “[Project Roomkey] is similar to what we did with Bridge to Housing in 2014, 2015,” Collins said. “So I think we had some of our playbook written, and that helped us get into a lead on this.” There are daily deliveries from local food banks to the motels around Yolo where participants are sheltered, Collins said, as well as CalFresh eligibility workers available to help enroll those sheltered. Healthcare workers from Communicare are providing in-person visits for individuals with high levels of medical needs. Yolo’s Project Roomkey initiative has been working well, in part because of a dedicated on-site staff that offers supportive services and outlines expectations for participants. Collins said. “We are deploying on-site staffing teams at the motels,” Collins said. “So it’s not ‘Hey, here’s your roomkey, good luck, do whatever.’ It’s ‘Hey, here’s your roomkey, here’s some information on how this is going to work right now.’” Collins indicated that while leasing motel rooms might be cost-prohibitive to continue after the pandemic, the success of Project Roomkey might provide a model for future support and outreach services for the county’s homeless population.
HOMELESSHOUSING on 11
Defined as social media posts clearly mentioning symptoms or diagnoses of COVID-19, “sick posts” on the Chinese social media site Weibo are able to predict the daily number of COVID-19 cases up to a week ahead of official statistics, according to a study conducted by UC Davis faculty in the department of communication. Wang Liao, an assistant communications professor, explained that this study utilizes people’s tendencies to seek help in uncertain situations in order to make sense of the public’s use of social media in pandemic conditions. “We need to communicate,” Liao said. “We shout out and scream when there is uncertainty or risk in the environment. That kind of instinct or human nature is probably the very reason behind this kind of study or why it would work.” Since this is a novel virus, there is no current system in place efficient enough to collect true signals from the population regarding who is infected with the virus, according to Jingwen Zhang, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication. The only way to determine who is infected is if the patient decides to report symptoms to a local clinic or hospital — which already causes a delay, as patients have likely been experiencing symptoms prior to their visits. Early on, China did not allow doctors to inform patients infected with COVID-19 about their conditions, which led to widespread uncertainty about why people were getting sick, Zhang explained. This controversial move spurred much activity on Chinese social media, with users expressing concerns and seeking help. Although this is not the first study to use social media for disease surveillance and prediction, what differentiates this research is isolating true signals of disease by sifting through noise on social media, Liao said. Rather than relying on keyword searches, which would include posts about COVID-19 in general, the team focused on posts that included specific diagnoses and symptoms which then served as better indicators for predicting daily cases. According to both Zhang and Liao, because of the noise prevalent on social media and the multitude of people contributing to the platform, people should be mindful of the information they consume. Zhang recommends relying on the accounts of familiar organizations for accurate information. “Social media is where people find information and misinformation, where people seek and receive support, where people connect with their friends and family, where government and health authorities can effectively communicate with their constituents about preventive measures and public policy, and where scientists and public health agencies can find data to inform their response efforts,” said Cuihan Shen, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication, via email. Although its study focused on a social media platform in China, the team believes that this epidemic surveillance modeling would prove to be similar with American social media platforms, such as Twitter, but with a few differences. Zhang expects there to be some cultural variations, as Eastern Asian cultures may be more reluctant to talk about diseases and death on a public platform compared to Western cultures. Liao also said the differences in the trajectory of the pandemic in China and the U.S. may contribute to variations in the predictive power of social media. The team will be exploring how topics discussed online evolve with the timeline of the pandemic and different forms of misinformation in the next steps of its research. “Fundamentally, it’s about human psychology, disclosing your problems to others,” Liao said. “We’re social animals and we look for help when we are in trouble and we communicate those helping messages to others. Because of that kind of fundamental human motivation, I would say that the pattern we found in Chinese social media would apply and also be found in social media in the United States.”
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
2 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
LOCAL FOOD-ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS IMPLEMENT HOME DELIVERY, DRIVE-THROUGHS TO CONFRONT GROWING NEED As economic downturn continues, organizations focus on safely feeding people
Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland. Food banks and grocery stores are implementing contactless delivery and other guidelines when delivering food. (Photo Courtesy of Yolo County Food Bank) BY E D E N W I N N I FO R D
city@theaggie.org
As lockdowns continue to flatten the curve of COVID-19, the economic strain on workers worsens. In the wake of both a health and social needs crisis, the Yolo County Food Bank and Davis Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) have both confronted the growing need for food while adhering to social distancing
standards. Executive Director of Yolo Food Bank Michael Bisch explained in a press release that there has been an increase in food assistance among people seeking aid for the first time. “In the five weeks since the shelter-in-place order, we’ve experienced a 30% increase in requests for food assistance, primarily from community members seeking our assistance for the very first time,” Bisch said in the press release.
Yolo Food Bank Director of Philanthropic Engagement Joy Cohan listed the ways the food bank has changed in a short period of time, including mandating facemasks and implementing drive-through locations. “We essentially had to radically adapt and expand our entire service delivery model in a few days’ time,” Cohan said. “We’ve had to adapt our traditional food distribution for social distancing purposes. That has included how the food is dispersed, how people line up for the food — requirements around gloves and facemasks. It’s also been transitioning some locations to drive-up distribution models.” On top of changing services, STEAC Executive Director Liane Moody explained that recruiting new volunteers was another challenge her organization faced. “We run the local food closet in Davis, and most of our volunteers were over 65,” Moody said. “When the crisis hit and the shelter-in-place orders were put down, we had to both recruit new volunteers and change the way that we provided services so that we could keep volunteers and clients safe.” The food bank faced a similar need for more volunteers and succeeded in attracting over 700 volunteers, who helped to launch new programs, including a large-scale effort to home-deliver food. “We began our emergency home-delivery program,” Cohan said. “It has now expanded to about 2,300 households throughout the county each week. It is serving about 5,000 individuals in their households.”
STEAC has adapted to the current climate by changing to outdoor pick-ups and increasing the number of weekend lunches it offers to Davis Joint Unified School District students. “We’ve become much more of a pick-up model now,” Moody said. “We also deliver food to students for the weekends. We’ve even upped the amount, so we take bags every Friday for people who are picking up their lunches at the schools to help during the weekends.” Even after the immediate health crisis has passed, the food bank’s new programs and increased services will most likely continue to expand for some time. “Parts of these new service delivery models will be maintained and our service will be permanently changed as a result of this,” Cohan said. “We are foreseeing that when the literal health crisis is over, due to the economic downturn, we’re going to be serving more people for some time, if not permanently. We’re going to have people who lost jobs, or their businesses have now failed, who are going to be availing themselves to food bank services.” Moody echoed similar sentiments, saying STEAC expects increased demand in the future. She also said safety requirements like gloves and masks might also outlast the immediate crisis. “As the financial crisis goes on, we expect that more and more people will need support,” Moody said. “We also expect there to be a need for these higher precautions for a while, so we do expect that we’re going to need to keep with the changes to our model to keep everyone safe for as long as necessary.”
MIDTERMS IN THE ERA OF REMOTE LEARNING From business as usual, to no exam at all: different ways professors are administering midterms remotely
While some universities are no longer proctoring exams online, UC Davis is still using systems like ProctorU. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)
BY JE SSI C A BAG GOT T campus@theaggie.org With the first ever wave of online midterms now behind us, students and professors alike have been forced to evaluate, and reevaluate, the merits of exam-based assessments and how best to navigate them in this new digital terrain. At the beginning of the quarter, many professors who normally hold in-class, closed-note and timed exams decided against this model for this extraordinary quarter. Korana Burke, a lecturer in the Math Department and current Math 17B professor, chose not to administer midterm exams this quarter due to the sudden switch to remote learning. “Part of the reason why I decided not to give midterms this quarter is because I wanted to have some time to gather more information on how to best give exams in this kind of setting,” Burke said.
By choosing not to hold midterms, Burke gave herself time to weigh her options regarding the final — though the exact format is still up in the air. As Burke normally provides everything to her students but a writing utensil during exams, her goal in crafting an online examination is to have it be as close to this model as logistically possible. This means that the only barrier to taking an exam should be events out of both her and her students’ control, such as the internet cutting out. In place of midterms, Burke has opted for increased homework and weekly quizzes, which she is also using as data points while crafting a final. Other professors have decided to continue administering midterms but have changed key aspects of exam taking. Chemistry Lecturer Bryan Enderle, a current instructor for Chemistry 2B, has decided to follow this route by making what would normally
be a closed-book exam completely open-book. Enderle chose to make the exam open-book in order to mitigate cheating and to level the playing field. “[A] really negative result would have been a bimodal mean, which to me might have indicated access issues for people: The disadvantaged folks on the bottom of the mean and the very advantaged or savvy people up on the high end,” Enderle said. Despite the potential for this achievement gap and fears from colleagues who expressed concerns that making the exam open-note would skew the mean, the exam’s histogram was perfectly normal. “The plot of the histogram was beautiful,” Enderle said. “Some better than some in-class exams.” Another aspect of exams that every instructor must address is whether to — and how to — proctor exams. Though Burke had considered the use of a proctoring system such as ProctorU, concerns still remain about the accessibility, accuracy and privacy of such proctoring tools. Other universities, including UC Berkeley, ban the use of proctoring systems for these very reasons. Enderele decided to proctor his exam by having students unmuted in Zoom Discussion sections, allowing TAs to hear a student’s environment while also allowing students a quiet testing environment if they turn their device volume down. In addition to simply allowing the TAs to monitor for any suspicious activity, this form of proctoring allowed Enderle more control. “I was hoping [for control] in a positive way, of the students and the proctoring situation, to tailor it toward the students and to be understanding of the situation that they were in,” Enderle said. This form of proctoring also addresses one of the largest concerns with proctoring systems: their effect on those who have accommodations. While using proctoring systems, students who have accommodations to read out loud, to have bathroom breaks or to use assistive technology can be wrongly flagged as having potentially cheated. Accessible Technology Analyst Joshua Hori
explained that this is why it is crucial that even though exams may be online and students are in rooms alone, students must still seek out accommodations beyond just extended time on exams. Similarly, many students who didn’t need accommodations on campus now need them in the era of online learning. This doesn’t just affect students: The Student Disability Center is also offering 12–1 p.m. drop-in hours, Monday through Friday, for faculty and other resources on the Keep Teaching website to help support instructors during this time. Though the switch to online instruction has made exams more logistically challenging for some students with accommodations, others, such as those who have accommodations to take exams in a quiet room or in a room alone, are often helped by the switch to online instruction. In general, the switch to online instruction has made people think more broadly about testing mastery of a subject, beyond simply traditional testing formats. Hori is optimistic that this change in the way exams are administered can positively impact future students. Science and Technology Studies Assistant Professor Emily Merchant also expects the way that we administer exams during remote instruction will make a lasting impact on the way we view future exams. “I feel like [taking exams is] not a great use of class time because we only have 10 weeks to begin with,” Merchant said. “It’s possible that this will lead faculty in the future to give out-of-class exams using this kind of software rather than giving exams in class.” Another viewpoint is that exams are not simply a way to separate students who will pass the class and those who will fail, but exams are also a tool for assessing how much students have learned and which topics need more reinforcement. “[Exams are] a way for faculty to assess if there are areas that students are struggling with and then they can go back and cover the material that students might be struggling with,” said Susan Ebler, the associate dean of undergraduate academic programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “I think faculty view exams as an important part of the learning process.”
UC UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE SURVEY NOW OPEN WITH NEW QUESTIONS ON COVID-19 IMPACTS 2020 survey measures campus climate, academics, accessibility of resources to support students, food and housing security
KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E
BY GRASC HE L L E FA R IÑAS H IPO L I TO campus@theaggie.org This year’s UC Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES), one of the biggest UC student surveys, is now open to all undergraduate students. The survey, conducted biennially across the system since 2004, has questions covering campus climate for diversity and inclusiveness, activities and skills, food and housing security,
academics and the effects of COVID-19 on students’ learning experience. The survey also gauges academic and personal development, availability of channels to express complaints, financial burden, mental health and summer session offerings. Assistant Director of UC Davis Institutional Analysis Erika Jackson said the rest of the analysis team will spend the summer reviewing the 2020 UCUES results and share their findings with administration, campus leaders and stu-
dents. “The data is always used in Undergraduate Program Review to help programs understand students’ perceptions, but we are really starting to integrate the data into many more conversations about campus climate, research opportunities, availability of support services and more,” Jackson said. Specific to this year’s coronavirus pandemic, the UCUES is also gathering data on concerns about how COVID-19 has affected student learning in terms of reliable internet access, appropriate study space, learning support services and effective learning in a remote instruction environment. The survey also asked how the pandemic has impacted graduating on time, paying bills, feelings of isolation, access to healthcare and meeting basic needs. “We will share results to the COVID-19 questions with colleagues in Information and Educational Technology (IET), Undergraduate Education, Student Affairs and more to ensure that everyone is aware of what challenges our students are facing during these uncertain times,” Jackson said. “These offices have been working around the clock to help provide access to computers for students who need them, help faculty make remote instruction as effective as possible and provide services remotely, like tutoring which may be more important than ever.” Additionally, this year’s survey has new questions about housing security and summer sessions. Jackson noted that adding new questions and topics will provide more context around these issues for experts who study housing and food insecurity, as well as help better understand how to make summer session offerings attractive and productive for students.
“Knowing why students aren’t currently utilizing summer [sessions] can help us better design our offerings in the future,” Jackson said. “Utilizing summer sessions can be a great way for students to ensure that they graduate in four years, but only if the courses they need are offered, in formats that are conducive to learning over the summer.” In previous years, the data collected from UCUES has led to the implementation of new campus resources and initiatives to better support students. “Every student has a voice and UCUES has produced positive change on the campus,” Chancellor Gary May said in an email to undergraduate students. “Years ago the ASUCD established The Pantry after student advocacy and UCUES data revealed the need.” Jackson explained that The Pantry may be the best example of a unit created directly because of UCUES data. The data also generally provides a more broad understanding of the campus’ strengths and weaknesses overall, which helps campus leaders understand where to focus resources and attention at a variety of levels. “Individual departments use these data, broken down at the major level, to see how effective their program is compared to their college and university,” Jackson said. “Units working with specific populations of students can cut the data by race or ethnicity, first generation status, gender and more to see where their students are thriving and where they need to focus attention. We are working to have more and more leaders across campus utilize the results of this survey to make the most possible use out of the time and efforts students put into sharing their feedback with us.”
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 | 3
COLA MOVEMENTS AMONG GROUPS WHO PARTICIPATED IN MAY DAY ACTIONS
Strikes and protests reflect discontent with handling of COVID-19 measures
Hundreds rally outside of Mrak Hall on March 2 in support of COLA and to protest against the actions of the UC Santa Cruz administration, which fired dozens of UCSC graduate students from their TA positions for striking. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)
BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) movements from seven UCs, including UC Davis, went on strike on May 1, International Workers’ Day, withholding labor and organizing car rallies in their respective neighborhoods. According to a joint press release from COLA movements UC-wide, the actions were a call for full investment in universities, public education and public services. “Not one dollar cut, not one layoff, not one life lost,” the statement reads. “The months-long fight for a COLA has sought to highlight a fundamental, structural hypocrisy of the UC system: Despite sitting on billions of dollars, the UC does not think its graduate student workers deserve a living wage and financial security when it accepts them into their ‘world-renowned’ programs.” In the press release, COLA organizers called for the UC to give graduate students guaranteed
summer funding, extend time to degree and funding packages by a year and drop non-resident supplemental tuition for international graduate students. Anthony LaBarbera, a first-year graduate student at UC Davis, said in a previous interview with The California Aggie that he hadn’t yet started his research when the pandemic began. “We can really just focus on our research,” LaBarbera said about summertime, adding that he’s not “too worried” about his timeline being pushed unless summer began and he still couldn’t go into lab — at that point, he explained, he’d be thrown off “about a year.” Though there’s a possibility that UC Davis Summer Session II lab courses may be online, both Summer Sessions I and II will be administered through remote instruction. Currently, only research related to COVID-19 is being conducted on campus. These changes motivated other UC Davis graduate students to circulate a petition calling
for similar concessions, laid out in demands included in the COLA organizers’ press release, from UC Davis’ Office of Graduate Studies. The Aggie reached out to the UC Office of the President for comment regarding graduate educational changes. UCOP did not send a response before this article went to press. COLA movements were among the more than 80 graduate and university labor organizations that took part in May Day actions on May 1, International Workers’ Day. UC Academic Federation of Teachers (AFT), a union representing lecturers and librarians across the UC, was one such organization. UCAFT put an online picket on its website featuring allies and UC-AFT workers sharing how layoffs would impact them. As of Jan. 31, UC-AFT lecturers are without a contract. John Rundin, a lecturer teaching ancient Greek and Latin at UC Davis and the former president for UC-AFT Local 2023, said on the online picket that if all lecturers in his program were laid off, the discipline could be killed. Rundin, who has spent 19 years teaching for the UC, also said a layoff on June 30 would be “very sad,” given how close he was to retirement. “A layoff would damage my retirement severely [...] and my partner of decades and I would lose good medical benefits,” he said. “We need those for my partner’s arthritis.” Another post on the online picket, sent in by Nora, a third-year undergraduate at UC Davis whose last name was withheld, called for the university to be more transparent about where tuition money is going — which will not decrease whether or not instruction is remote. “The school states lengthy and quite unproductive emails [about] how they will continue to support the community, yet they decide they will lay-off amazing lecturers who provide so much to the university,” she wrote. The most recent bargaining session UC-AFT had with the UC was on March 21. Other May Day actions occurred nationwide, with workers from FedEx, Instacart, Target, Amazon, Walmart and Trader Joe’s striking for hazard pay, stricter social distancing and cleaning measures and greater sick-leave policies.
In multiple press releases, all of the aforementioned companies have affirmed their commitment to workers’ safety, citing measures they have taken to acquire protective equipment for workers and lay out social distancing guidelines in stores. Workers, however, disagree. One of the organizers of the May Day actions, Willy Solis, said in an interview with The Washington Post that Target is not following through on its commitments. “In reality, only a very small portion of people received [PPE],” he said. Meanwhile, protestors unsatisfied with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shelter-in-place orders headed to Huntington Beach, with The Guardian reporting that nearly 3,000 people protested there. At the State Capitol, where The Sacramento Bee said roughly 1,000 came to protest, 32 protesters were arrested. These actions underscore the increasing frustration and dissatisfaction at changes the pandemic has caused and, according to COLA organizers, the hypocrisy of larger institutions. While the COLA movement has been building since last November, the car rallies on Friday happened in the wake of UC Santa Cruz COLA organizers announcing on April 27 that they planned to submit Fall and Winter Quarter grades that were initially withheld as part of the COLA movement. “By submitting the grades we have carried through our struggle, we ensure that our students receive the grades they earned despite the administration’s continued indifference towards undergraduate education,” the statement reads. Organizers also said in the statement that building toward an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike — a strike sanctioned by UC graduate students’ union, United Auto Workers (UAW) 2865 — represents the strongest path to fired graduate student instructors’ reinstatement, with the UAW2865 proposed contract also calling for a salary raise to $40,000 a year for all graduate students. UAW-2865, which announced it would hold an ULP strike vote in early April, is pushing for 5,000 union member pledges before it calls the vote. There are currently over 2,300 union members who have pledged to vote in favor of authorizing the strike.
ASIDE FROM TEMPORARY COVID-19 SUSPENSION, UC LOOKS TO KEEP SAT/ACT REQUIREMENTS IN ADMISSIONS PROCESS
UC Assembly of the Academic Senate unanimously approves task force recommendation for the continued use of SAT/ACT in admissions KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E
BY JESSICA BAGGOTT campus@theaggie.org UC Academic Senate Chair Kum-Kum Bhavnani sent a letter to UC President Janet Napolitano on April 18 reporting unanimous support from the Assembly of the Academic Senate for the continued use of the SAT and ACT in UC admissions for at least the next five years. The Assembly voted 51-0, with one abstention, in support of the recommendations from a report written by a six-member subcommittee of the 18-member UC Standardized Testing Task Force (STTF), first founded in 2019. In pursuit of admitting students who will succeed at the UC and be representative of the population of California, the report gave six key recommendations. Among these recommenda-
tions was the expansion of eligibility in the local context — which currently admits to the UC the top 9% of students from participating high schools — and the development of a new UC assessment system to “assess a broader array of student learning and capabilities than any of the currently available tests.” The task force plans for this new assessment system to ultimately replace the use of the SAT and ACT in admissions. Other recommendations include a review of the components that determine the statewide eligibility index, increased research about factors that contribute to disproportionate representation, a study and expansion of academic support resources for students and further analysis of current standardized tests. Using data collected by the UC of systemwide admissions and student outcomes, the STTF
found that standardized test scores are an equal or better indicator of undergraduate grade point average, retention and degree completion than high school GPAs. The STTF also found “mean differences in standardized test scores between different demographic groups are often very large, and many of the ways these tests could be used in admissions would certainly produce strong disparate impacts between groups,” according to the report. They also, however, found that admission practices compensated well for these large differences in test scores, likely due to the use of comprehensive review and the practice of assessing each student in the context of their school. In the end, the task force concluded that UC admission practices do not fully make up for the disparities that exist between different races and classes. “That’s the fundamental problem in this state — that the schooling that students receive is so incredibly unequal, depending on their socio-economic background, race and other things, that some schools prepare students very well to take these tests and other schools don’t do so at all,” said Patricia Gándara, a member of the STTF. “And it’s not the student’s fault. ” This sentiment has been echoed across the state as calls for the UC to drop the SAT and ACT in admissions have grown. Many claim that standardized tests discriminate on the basis of race, wealth and disability. “So in fact, the SAT as an admissions criteria is really just a proxy for wealth and majority status,” said Interim Legal Director of the Equal Justice Society Lisa Holder. Holder was one of several who signed on to a letter sent to the UC Regents in October of 2019 demanding the removal of the SAT and ACT from the UC admissions process. “The UC is not reaching its own mandate, and, more importantly, the UC is violating the equal protection laws of California which require that all Californians, regardless of race, gender,
and disability status, have equal opportunity to access public colleges as long as they are high performing students, and are hitting all of the important benchmarks of excellence in secondary school,” Holder said. Holder fundamentally disagrees with the STTF report and questions both the validity of the data used in the report and, in turn, the conclusions of the task force. Additionally, Holder takes issue with the report’s recommendation to expand eligibility in the local context, as data has shown that the only UC campus which admits these students is UC Merced, and the vast majority chose not to attend. Sarah Reber, an associate professor of public policy at UCLA shares this stance. Of those students who qualified for eligibility in the local context in 2018, about 12,500 of them ended up with an offer to UC Merced alone. Only 168 chose to enroll. Reber said it is important to understand that expanding eligibility in the local context is “not going to do anything to enhance diversity.” “We should be looking for other solutions if that is our goal, and I think it should be our goal,” Reber said. A piece written by Reber, UC Davis professor Michal Kurlaender and UC Berkeley professor Jesse Rothstein, suggests that for eligibility in the local context to be truly impactful, each campus should guarantee admission to some percentage of top students from every California high school. Reber also took issue with the task force’s easy dismissal of other assessment options, such as the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium exam (SBAC), a test already administered at all public California high schools.
KEEP SAT on 1 1
GIVE DAY BREAKS NEW RECORDS AMID CAMPUS CLOSURE, STAY-AT-HOME ORDER
UC Davis receives $2.5 million in gifts, donations
A banner on the UC Davis website detailing the gifts raised during Give Day 2020. (Photo Courtesy of UC Davis)
BY ALLY RUSSELL campus@theaggie.org Despite the move to remote instruction, the campus being placed on suspended operations and a statewide stay-at-home order, UC Davis broke records with its most successful Give Day to date. On April 17 and 18, UC Davis raised $2,524,539 and received 3,374 gifts from do-
nors. Give Day and Picnic Day usually coincide in a weekend of events and activities to highlight the accomplishments of UC Davis’ schools, centers and departments: with Give Day’s goal to raise money from donors who could be alumni, philanthropists or even current students. This year, following the cancellation of Picnic Day, Give Day moved to an entirely online platform.
To help incentivize potential donors and help stretch the value of each individual donation, Give Day featured 150 challenge gifts. “Challenge gifts make contributions of any size go further by ‘unlocking’ larger amounts put forth by community donors,” according to the Give Day webpage. Dana Allen, the assistant vice chancellor of Alumni and Affiliate Relations and executive di-
rector of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association at UC Davis, worked with a network of parents, alumni, students, retirees and emeriti to help set challenges and raise Give Day funds. “I worked to help our team within Alumni and Affiliate relations promote challenges as well as individual giving,” Allen said. To help encourage donations, the Alumni Association of Directors set its own challenge and helped raise an additional $2,500. For many challenges, a greater number of individual donations helped unlock matched funds set by different challenges and donors. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, donors had the opportunity this year to give to several emergency funds to provide assistance to students in need as well as medical professionals. The Pantry, the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center and the Student Emergency Relief Aid Fund are a few of the resources helping provide students with accessible food, housing and basic needs during the epidemic. Units like The Pantry rely on donations to fund more than 90% of their operations, according to their Give Day webpage. Ryan Choi, the unit director of The Pantry, commented on the amount of gifts received on Give Day. “This year, the Pantry and Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center shared a joint Give Day Challenge: The 2020 Murphy Basic Needs Endowment Challenge,” Choi said. “The Murphys pledged $10,000 for every 20 gifts donated during the give day campaign.” With the help of donation matching and challenges, The Pantry gained $30,000 from 72 donors and the Murphy Challenge.
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
4 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
WOODLAND NURSING FACILITY EXPERIENCES CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, DAVIS NURSING HOMES TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS
AGGIE FILES
Eleven residents have died at Woodland nursing facility, 64 cases between residents and staff
Atria Covell Gardens assisted living community in Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
BY MA D E L E I N E PAY N E city@theaggie.org An outbreak of COVID-19 among residents and staff at a nursing facility in Yolo County has left several dead and 66 people infected. Due to the susceptibility of elderly residents to the coronavirus, nursing facilities in Davis are taking extra precautions to prevent similar outbreaks and to protect staff and residents. The Stollwood Convalescent Hospital at St. John’s Retirement Village in Woodland had initially reported 35 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 23 among residents and 12 among staff, when the outbreak was announced on April 13, 2020. Since then, the number of confirmed cases has risen to 66, and 11 residents have died due to the disease, according to the Yolo County’s coronavirus dashboard. Stollwood facility is taking steps to keep residents safe, including screening staff for symptoms, training staff on how to use personal protective equipment and setting up a family homeline to connect residents to their families, according to a press release by Yolo County. Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman highlighted the emotional effect this outbreak has on the residents and their families in
the press release. “We must acknowledge the suffering of family and friends at this time, who not only lost a loved one but were unable to be at that individual’s bedside due to the risk of exposure to illness,” Chapman said. “This fear and uncertainty continue for those that are battling COVID-19 and must remain in isolation.” Sean Beloud, the chief executive officer of St. John Retirement Village, shared a similar sentiment of heartbreak and mourning in an announcement on April 28. “We are heart stricken by the deaths of any of our residents and are incredibly grateful for the vast support and gratitude from our residents’ families in dealing with this invisible enemy,” Beloud wrote. He added that many local community members have been showing their support through donations and kind gestures toward the community. “For example, the Sunrise Rotary donated and delivered lunch to our staff from Cracchiolo’s Market and Deli, Woodland’s McDonalds on West Court street is donating 100 meals for two weeks in a row, and American Medical Responses’ supervisors mowed the lawns of the entire campus,” Beloud wrote. Despite the community support, COVID-19
AFTER TEMPLE COFFEE ROASTERS TOLD EMPLOYEES NOT TO WEAR MAKS, CEO STEPS DOWN Following backlash, coffee company issues apologies
Temple Coffee located on 3rd and G streets in Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
BY S HRA D D HA J H INGA N city@theaggie.org Before the use of masks was mandated in Yolo County, an email was sent to employees of Temple Coffee Roasters instructing them not to wear masks as it was a violation of the dress code. “At this time, Sacramento and Yolo County have not mandated that masks be worn at this time and Temple does not allow the use of masks in our cafes as it violates the dress code,” Office Manager Will Talbot wrote in an email, according to Sacramento News and Review. “If this changes at any point, I will send out an update to our current dress code to all team members via email and Deputy.” Employees, however, were still able to wear gloves as long as this did not impact “job responsibilities,” according to the email. The dress-code policy received an onset of backlash from people across social media platforms. One comment, posted on Reddit, criticized the company’s policy: “To prioritize dress code over public health and the safety of their employees is… problematic.” Another comment addressed the owners of Temple Coffee directly. “If Temple Coffee is reading, I’d like them to know that some of us are avoiding stores and restaurants that do not allow employees to cover their face,” another comment read. “I want these hard-working employees to have protections and also believe that it is safer for employees to wear masks.” Temple Coffee Roasters posted an apology on Facebook and Instagram, accompanied by a photo containing the text: “@everyone, we hear you, and we are making changes.” “First and foremost, we owe a massive apology to our team members,” the post read. “But an apology is not enough. No apology will take back what has been done, and our company knows we need to do more to make things right and to be the company that our team members deserve. They are, after all, our heartbeat. They keep us
going morning to night, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We are changing for the better, and we realize there is a long road ahead to regain trust from them.” Employees will now be given face coverings to wear while at work, according to the post. Furthermore, the company’s CEO Sean Kohmescher has stepped down and will no longer be involved in decision-making according to the post. “After admitting responsibility and apologizing for the email regarding face coverings to team members, our company founder Sean Kohmescher stepped down from his role as CEO,” the post read. “He will no longer have a say in decisions regarding policies, procedures, and company culture.” Instead, the previous director of retail operations will take over. “Effective immediately, our former Director of Retail Operations, Shannon Loudon, will assume her new role as Chief Operating Officer, providing guidance and oversight over all seven cafes as well as our production warehouse,” according to the Facebook post. “While we know this leaves an empty title within our company, this will not leave a gap in leadership.” Temple Coffee issued another statement on Instagram and Facebook, acknowledging their disappointment in the email that was sent. “Over the past 14 years, we have had the privilege to serve our communities thanks to our amazing team members who work to make this a possibility everyday,” the caption read. “The email included misinformation and miscommunications regarding our current health and safety protocols and policies.” According to the post, the email had not been approved by Temple Operations. “We are committed to creating the work environment that our team deserves,” the post read. “Thank you for the continued support of our team members.”
has proven to be a persistent “invisible enemy,” as another coronavirus case has been identified at a separate nursing home in Woodland. The affected resident lives at the Californian Assisted Living and Dementia Care facility, but they were transferred to Stollwood “since Stollwood already had resources in place and had implemented care plans and infection control measures for COVID 19 patients,” according to Yolo County’s press release. Though no other cases have been identified, nursing facilities throughout Yolo County are on strict lockdown, taking several precautions to protect residents and staff in an effort to prevent an outbreak. Long-care facilities were one of the first services to be restricted in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Days before the countywide shelter-in-place order was issued on March 18, a health order was distributed to long-term care facilities throughout the county, instructing facilities to limit visitors and restrict non-essential travel by residents. One Davis care facility, Atria Covell Gardens, began introducing other regulations in phases, which ultimately led to restricting residents to their rooms and requiring mandatory staff testing for the virus, according to Julia Blizard, the activities director in the Memory Care Unit of Atria. “Our community jumped on it pretty early,” Blizard said. “We started ramping up the phases. So at first, only one family member could visit at a time, and then it ended up being no family members could visit. Then the residents couldn’t eat in the dining room anymore all together, and they were all restricted to their rooms.” Keeping residents in isolation is much harder for the residents in the memory care unit, who require more frequent care and cannot be left alone in their rooms. Despite these challenges, Blizard said the community is finding ways to keep residents connected, including hallway activities in the main facility. The residents stay six feet apart and usually just stand in their doorways, and they’ll do an exercise class, hallway bingo and they have a happy hour cart that goes around with ice cream or drinks,” Blizard said. “They have music performers come every once in while outside, and the residents go outside on their balcony, listening to the entertainer for the afternoon.”
Wait, is that a bear hopping my neighbor’s fence? April 23 “Ongoing issue with loud chickens.” April 24 “911 hang up. ‘Just checking to make sure phone could dial.’” April 25 “City code violation. 2 females exercising in the park.” “Trapped coiled snake under a bucket on her back porch.” “Female came inside and opened up milk, then wanted it for free.” April 27 “Called on 911 and asked ‘Are we having fun yet? No!’ and then disconnected the line.” April 28 “Customer refusing to leave drive thru.” April 29 “He saw a brown bear walking in front yard of neighbor’s residence and hopped fence into backyard.” “Neighbor is kicking in and breaking respondent’s fence — upset over tree trimming.” “Door Dash knocked on door and startled family.”
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL CLASSES SISS maintains communication, coordinates accommodations with professors
The International Center at UC Davis. The UC Davis Study Abroad program is currently offering different options for students who were scheduled to complete programs abroad this summer. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
BY H ANNAH B LO ME campus@theaggie.org The transition to virtual courses presents different obstacles to every student, depending on their circumstances. For both international students who have returned to their homes abroad and international students unable to return home, there are challenges posed by the virtual classroom setting, including time zone differences and each country’s unique method of containing COVID-19. Hitesh Rohra, a second-year design major, explained why he chose to stay in Davis for the remainder of this quarter rather than take courses from his home in India. “If I had class at 3:00 p.m., in India I would have class at 4:00 a.m.,” Rohra said. “I would have to be up all night every day this quarter.” Mickey Makhija, a second-year biochemistry and molecular biology major, explained that some students did not have a choice as to whether to stay or leave. “I usually reside in Moscow, Russia,” Miakhija said. “I definitely did not want to stay in Davis, but Russia shut down their borders so I didn’t really have the option to decide.” Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) is a division of Global Affairs and the International Center on campus. SISS Director Wesley Young said advisors are ensuring that students abroad are granted the same foundation for success as domestic students. “While the International Center is physically closed, the Global Affairs team including Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) staff continue to work from home to ensure that our services to students are not interrupted,” Young said in an email interview. International students taking virtual courses abroad can still reach advisors virtually. Appointments can be scheduled on the SISS website. Professors have been urged to update teaching formats to accommodate all students.
“All faculty have been encouraged to record their online classes so they are accessible to students during normal daytime hours no matter where they live,” Young said. Students like Rohra have seen professors accommodate accordingly. “One of my professors removed mandatory attendance [from the syllabus] and transitioned to recordings we can access at any time,” Rohra said. Mikhija said SISS has maintained communication with students virtually via frequent emails reminding students of resources and time zone information. Additionally, SISS regularly updates coronavirus-related changes to global learning online. “SISS staff are working from home, actively advising and supporting international students,” Young said. “We encourage students to take advantage of some of the services available through campus to help cope with this challenging time.” President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning immigration may affect international enrollment. “Students who still have not obtained a non-immigrant visa (such as F-1, J-1, TN, E-3, O-1 or H1-B) should be monitoring local U.S. consulate websites and be prepared to submit a visa application as soon as consulates begin taking visa appointments again,” Young said. “Students can learn more about this at this recent announcement on our website.” The president’s immigration ban should not affect students currently enrolled at UC Davis under non-immigrant visas (F-1, J-1, TN, E-3, O-1 or H1-B) nor permanent legal residents (LPR/Greencard), Young explained. “This proclamation is valid for 60 days, but there may be additional restrictions recommended that affect non-immigrants, including students,” Young said. “We continue to monitor the situation and will keep students updated on any changes”
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 | 5
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
Opinion THE
C ALIFORNIA A GGIE
E DI TO R I AL B OAR D
Instructors: Coronavirus pandemic requires your patience and empathy
KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor
Monday’s internet outage highlights need for flexibility in instruction
STELLA TRAN City News Editor 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
This Monday, Davis experienced an Xfinity internet outage for the majority of our waking hours — the second in a week’s time. Events like this only complicate the remote learning experience that is new to all of us: students, professors, lecturers and TAs alike. We all must prepare ourselves for the unique challenges we will face during these completely unique times, and that means that maximum flexibility from all parties in the educational system is paramount. The nine members of the Editorial Board are, first and foremost, UC Davis students. As students, we understand firsthand the challenges of this transition to remote learning. Our own experiences and anecdotal stories from our peers have shown us that many of our instructors do not hold our health in the same high regard we do. This came to a head on Monday, as we ourselves and our friends faced inflexible educational demands during the internet outage — demands to still attend class, to still turn in midterms and to still access online readings and other materials. The internet was out. There was no option for many students to access or submit these required materials for our academic success. Some of us were fortunate to have data tethering on our cell phones to submit absolutely necessary assignments. Others weren’t so lucky and had to go to campus, which still had internet, all the while violating social distancing protocols. Requiring students to go to any extraneous length to succeed educationally, including traveling to campus to access the internet during a global pandemic, is unconscionable. Our instructors need to have the health of the UC Davis community as their first priority, as the health and wellbeing of our community should be our highest concern during this crisis.
Apart from unique circumstances like Monday’s internet outage, instructors generally need to be aware of the effects of their educational expectations. Our capacity to be successful students is greatly diminished. We are stuck at home almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no library to go to for silence. There are no third-spaces for us to go to and try and get some work done. We sleep, and eat, and bathe and work all from the same space. We want to be good students, and we are trying our best. But we can’t be expected to perform to the same academic standards as we would during any other quarter. So, instructors, please be aware of what you are asking us to do. We are spending countless hours staring at screens to do our online readings and watch our video lectures. Our eyes are strained and our backs are hurting. Many of us don’t have the proper equipment to protect our bodies from the increased strain of sitting at a desk for hours on end. Instructors: You must monitor the amount of work you assign. If you give a midterm during a given week, please don’t also upload a video lecture for the day of the exam. Remember, you wouldn’t be able to have a lecture the same day as an in-class exam, so don’t do the same during remote instruction. Don’t upload hours of readings and assignments to “make up for what we are missing.” We are doing our best to keep up, and many of us are falling behind. We are at UC Davis because we value our education. Instructors, please don’t tarnish our time here with unreasonable expectations. We want to learn as much as we can, but we can only do so much. Be kind, listen to our needs and don’t endanger our health.
SYDNEY ODMAN Social Media Manager JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager
A grim future for once powerful department stores SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES, ECONOMIC SHUTDOWN HURTING AN ALREADY STRUGGLING INDUSTRY JOELLE TA HTA / AGGIE
BY SI MR A N KA L KAT skkalkat@ucdavis.edu Before the prevalence of online shopping, department stores were a staple of American consumerism. But recent trends in the retail industry prove that the popularity and presence of today’s department stores are a thing of the past. The economic shutdown due to COVID-19 has put department stores in a precarious position, but this is just another chapter in a string of unfortunate events. Early last year, Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy, finding itself unable to keep up with the prevalence and popularity of online shopping. So did many other brands, including long-time American luxury department stores like Barneys New York. Not only have retailers lost business to online shopping, but they still have to deal with heavy costs including rent. For some companies, such as Toys “R” Us, the troubles go beyond that. In 2018, Toys “R” Us closed or sold all of its stores in the U.S. The trouble for them began when competing department stores like Walmart began selling toys in their own stores. That, coupled with massive amounts of debt and e-commerce, spelled out the inevitable end for Toys “R” Us. Department stores have a long history and an important place in the story of global consumerism. The very first department store in history, Harding, Howell & Co’s Grand Fashionable Magazine, located in London’s St. James district, is considered to be the precursor to the modern department store. In the U.S., these powerful “palaces of consumption” for middle- and upper-class consumers gained prominence by the 19th Century. Stores like Marshall Field in Chicago and others across the world were in large ornate buildings with grand, enticing windows, extending an invitation to the American consumer. However popular these stores were, their survival always depended on their ability to adapt to the cultural and economic patterns of the time. Vicki Howard’s “From Main Street to Mall: The Rise and Fall of the American Department Store” examines how these patterns in American society have propagated the evolution and eventual collapse of these stores. From the changing landscape of American cities to the emergence of chain and discount retail, online shopping and the recent economic shutdown are just another challenge for department outlets. The coronavirus pandemic has raised concern over the future of department stores across the world. The already struggling industry has seen an 8.7% drop in monthly sales for March of 2020, which is unlikely to improve in the coming years. “The department stores, which have been failing slowly for a very long time, really don’t get over this,” said Mark A. Cohen, the director of retail studies at Columbia University’s Business School, in an interview with The New York Times. “The genre is toast, and looking at the other side of this, there are very few who are likely to survive.” In mid-April, Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy partly due to the economic
fallout from the shutdown. Many other department stores like Nordstrom Inc. and Macy’s Inc. are fighting to ensure the same won’t happen to them, but the future is bleak. The pandemic, however, was not the decisive factor in the demise of Neiman Marcus, one of the most iconic department stores. Like many others, Neiman Marcus struggled to keep up with the shift to online shopping as well as the emergence of discount retail chains. Most recently, J. Crew announced that it was filing for bankruptcy. The temporary store closures are just an added pressure to an already crumbling industry. In February, in an attempt to create a more sustainable business model, Macy’s made plans to cut about 125 stores nationwide and 2,000 corporate jobs — a common trend among many stores for some time now. Recent job loss from the pandemic has only made business and job prospects more dire, signaling the end of department stores as we know them. It’s hard to see what a future without department stores will look like. Many of us will be able to survive without going to department stores, but those whose jobs depend on the survival of the retail industry may not. It’s hard to know what will become of department stores in the thick of a global pandemic and recession. What is certain is that both the livelihoods of many and our relationship with consumerism, fashion and even sustainability will change dramatically. In the long term, this trend may correct itself, but the uncertainty of what the next few months holds is a scary thought.
reduce. reuse. recycle.
The aggie
6 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
WILL COVID-19 BLOCK THIRD-PARTY BALLOT ACCESS? The current pandemic is revealing critical flaws in the American electoral system KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E
BY B RA N D ON JE T T E R brjetter@ucdavis.edu Howie Hawkins. Jacob Hornberger. Don Blankenship. Yes, these are real names. But do you know who they are? They are the current leading nominees for the respective Green, Libertarian and Constitution parties. If you’re a political junkie, you are probably familiar with Blankenship. The former West Virginia coal mining executive has experienced occasional cameos in national headlines: first, for a trial concerning a mine explosion that killed 29 people in 2010 and later, for a bizarre 2018
Senate run where he declared himself “Trumpier than Trump” and ran ads referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as “Cocaine Mitch.” To a lesser degree, you may also be familiar with Hawkins, the environmental activist who co-founded the Green Party just over two decades ago. But for most Americans, these names are simply more faces in the crowd. The national appeal of a viable third-party candidate has increased in recent weeks by the possible entry of two figures with significant name recognition: Justin Amash and Jesse Ventura. Amash, a current U.S. representative from Michigan and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, announced the formation of
an exploratory committee aimed at seeking the Libertarian Party nomination. Likewise, former professional wrestler and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who has his own complex relationship with Trump, recently voiced his interest in a potential 2020 Green Party run. It is a given that neither candidate will command major support on a national stage, but the general consensus is that they could potentially siphon enough voters to prevent Biden victories in a number of swing states. Currently, third-party advocates are engaged in a number of legal battles aimed at gaining ballot access come November of 2020. In Illinois, the Greens and Libertarians are engaged in a court case aimed at removing all petitioning requirements for ballot access while a similar lawsuit by the coalition in Georgia aims to reduce the minimum number of signatures necessary. Meanwhile, the country’s two biggest parties share a vested interest in limiting third-party ballot access. As a result of political polarization, both parties are severely limited by the number of active electors up for grabs, meaning that any significant conversion of swing voters could have devastating effects on their path to the White House. For Democrats, this issue is especially pronounced. Historical precedence shows that they have the potential to be severely damaged by a strong third-party run. In particular, Jill Stein’s 2016 Green Party campaign won more votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin than Trump’s margin of victory in those states. Although it’s hard to say whether Stein’s absence would have allowed for a Clinton victory, it certainly played a role in the outcome. Third-party candidates in 2020 are far less of a risk for Republicans, but there is still a chance that their presence on the ballot could sway a
number of states. After leaving the Republican Party and becoming a registered Independent, Amash voted for Trump’s impeachment, earning notoriety as a strict non-partisan ideologue. Now a Libertarian, Amash’s recondite political ideology may simply be too niche for widespread national appeal. Rather, Amash could steal more Libertarianminded voters in Michigan from Trump, a vital state to the president’s re-election path. Lawsuits by the Libertarians and Greens in states like Georgia and Arizona could also put the little known, socially conservative Constitution Party on the ballot, potentially bringing the furthest politically right of Trump supporters with them. The threat seems negligible at first, but when you consider just how close the margin of victory is likely to be in these states, it is a threat worth considering. Irrespective of the morality of voting for a third party in 2020, the entire scenario at hand reveals a number of fundamental albeit obvious flaws in the American electoral system. Most blatantly, it reveals the fragility of the twoparty system. It’s a system so fragile and riddled by establishment influence that it promotes candidates uninspiring enough to allow for a few thousand disaffected voters to sway the entire election. Furthermore, the dilemma posed by the lack of ballot access for third parties is part of a broader issue concerning politics in the era of COVID-19. From issues over voter disenfranchisement to a highly politicized debate over the entire logistics of ballot-casting, the predicament has revealed just how unprepared the American electoral system is for a crisis of this magnitude.
THIRDPARTY on 11
DOES CLASSICAL MUSIC DESERVE TO DIE? A genre of the past doesn’t have to be dated
KI YOM I WATS O N / AG GI E
BY ISA BEL L A C H U E COS ifchuecos@ucdavis.edu What do we think of when we hear the term “classical music?” For many, the term evokes images of powdered wigs and sparkling grand pianos. The senses recall scenes of sterile concert halls and the potential energy that radiates off the stage just before the first flick of a conductor’s baton. As a former “music kid,” classical music was always part of my childhood. Preschool piano lessons, middle school band classes and high school orchestra rehearsals were significant in my upbringing. For me, music was a lifestyle. There
were moments in high school where I likely read more music notes than actual words. Californian music education was the most rigorous I’d seen in my entire life. I bought into the culture of these programs, and it changed my perspective on the classical community as a whole. Classical music often reads as a very highbrow art form. It’s a part of our culture that we feel must be saved for the highest and mightiest of society. It’s this feeling that creates a stigma around the classical community and begs the question: Does classical music deserve to die? It’s hard to convince anyone that an entire genre of music should be obsolete. People within
the classical community are very passionate about their music. But this doesn’t change the fact that there are some valid arguments in favor of classical music extinction. The term “classical” is an issue in and of itself because it’s alienating. Merriam-Webster defines classical as “of or relating to music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries characterized by an emphasis on balance, clarity, and moderation.” If a new listener or player doesn’t fit into this “classical” mold, then it’s like they shouldn’t be there. Gatekeeping is, unfortunately, an inherent part of this genre of music. This alienation is not just found within the term “classical,” but also within the culture surrounding it. The fact that the phrase “classical music” is so often associated with high-class figures is no mistake. Economically, many orchestras survive off the patronage of donors as well as high ticket prices. I felt the implications of “donor status” in my high school: reserved seats and a spot of favoritism for families who donated a considerable sum of money. These dynamics exist in the lower rungs of the classical community (high school orchestras) and follow musicians into their professional careers. The genre is but one part of the problem, however. Music education is flawed. It is rooted in a strict dogma that produces sterile musical robots over unique musicians who implement individual perspectives on musical forms. In formal music training, you are taught that there is a level of individual expression in all performances. Regardless of the piece, your interpretation is your own and it is unique from all other renditions. Sure, you decide to widen your vibrato. Maybe you’ll add your own little crescendos here
and there. You’re encouraged to practice “good musicianship” and play music with your own creative flair. But at the end of the day, you’re really just interpreting within the acceptable realm of classical training and nothing more. This is what makes classical music antiquated in ways that other genres are not. Rap and pop are constantly evolving. Subgenres and new voices seem to appear every other day. Classical musicians are subject to a rigid set of repertoire –– so rigid that they often play the same piece twice for concerts. With so much emphasis on the past, it’s hard to see how classical music will play into our futures. The continuation of classical music lays squarely upon the shoulders of young people and those who shape their understanding of music. Music education is often approached in the way history classes are taught: learn a concept, understand the context and apply it. The difference between classical music and history is that history is completely fixed in the past. Music is fluid and should be taught as such. Pianist Gabriela Montero is a prime example of this. Montero is an improvisational classical pianist who takes motifs from classical works and applies them to a longer form of her own improvisational work. Sometimes, she even does this in the style of other classical artists. This ability to simultaneously reproduce different styles and employ one’s own influence can only spell greatness for the future of classical music and will create a space for it to thrive in a world that is careening toward the future. Classical music doesn’t deserve to die. What it does need is a fresh coat of paint: A new approach that is more accepting of free form and imagination as opposed to its current desire to preserve the past.
HUMOR
AMID PANDEMIC, BRAZIL LOSES 7-1 TO PRESIDENT BOLSONARO
A defeat to exceed the embarrassment of the nation’s 2014 loss to Germany? KI YO M I WATS O N / AGGI E
BY B EN JA M I N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil suffered what was arguably the most humiliating and catastrophic defeat in its footballing history, losing 7-1 on home soil to Germany. Star forward Neymar was ruled out after fracturing a vertebra in his spine in the previous match. Six years later, Brazil finds itself hosting a match against COVID-19, an even more formidable foe than Germany (Germans might beg to differ, especially their chancellor). But luckily, this time around, Brazil’s new star player, President Jair Bolsonaro, is fit to lead his nation to victory, despite having fractured his frontal lobe (and, of
course, having been stabbed a few years back). The Aggie’s play-by-play commentators Pelle A. Baipplae and Comán Tater were in Brazil to tell us about this high-profile sporting event. Live match text: 0’ Kick Off: First half begins. Coronavirus enters Brazil’s half, with the first cases coming from wealthy people traveling abroad. But the virus is now passing with great fluidity and making its way into the final third, leaving Brazil’s crowded, low-income favelas wrongfooted as it breezes toward the penalty area with great efficiency. 10’ Corner, Coronavirus. Conceded by Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro told to defend the near post — fails to heed these tactical instructions, minimizing the threat of an opposition goal.
Claims without evidence that Brazil’s state governors are manipulating the number of coronavirus cases for political reasons. 11’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 1. President Bolsonaro with an own goal from point blank range. By thinking offensively and not being where he was supposed to be, Bolsonaro managed to deflect an opposition shot into his own goal. Bolsonaro argued that conceding a few goals does not matter when the economy — a good offense — should be prioritized over a good defense: “I’m sorry, some people will die, they will die, that’s life. You can’t stop a car factory because of traffic deaths.” 23’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 2. Can you believe that? It’s Bolsonaro with another own goal, saying that a “little flu,” a “measly cold” can’t hurt him. Bolsonaro adds that Brazilians can be dunked in raw sewage and won’t “catch a thing.” 24’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 3. Wow! That’s a hat-trick of own goals for the president! And he’s out there snubbing social distancing by shaking hands with his fans in a large crowd. Don’t they know he’s sabotaging their own team? Wait, what’s that? Did he just wipe his nose? 26’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 4. Bolsonaro again! Unbelievable! Despite shortages of large-scale testing, hospital beds and crucial medical supplies, Bolsonaro refuses to be a team player. He did, however, tell his fans that “God is a Brazillian, the cure is right there.” 29’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 5. It’s only getting worse for Brazil….Bolsonaro seems oblivious to how the virus could, and already is, impacting Brazil’s indigenous populations. 45’+1’ Half Time. First Half ends. Brazil 0, Coronavirus 5. Yikes. 45’ Substitution. Substitution, Brazil. Going into the second half, Bolsonaro has made
the decision to fire his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, for contradicting him by urging people to obey social distancing measures. Bolsonaro has brought Nelson Teich off the bench to replace Mandetta and his harmful defensive tactics. Teich is an oncologist who supported Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign, of course. Luckily, with Bolsonaro’s abdication of responsibility, reports suggest that gangs and organized crime have stepped up to enforce quarantine measures and distribute supplies in the favelas in the government’s place. 69’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 6. Bolsonaro’s supporters are now protesting the quarantine measures by forming a motorcade to block access to hospitals in São Paulo. 79’ OWN GOAL! Brazil 0, Coronavirus 7. Bolsonaro uses an executive order to overrule the state governors defying him by enforcing social distancing. Brazil’s Supreme Court throws it out. Bolsonaro reacts by holding a rally, however, and, while coughing, calls for a “self-coup” in which the military would seize power and end the quarantine. This could be a disastrous defeat for Brazillian democracy. 90’ GOAL! Brazil 1, Coronavirus 7. Brazil claws one back as the nation’s Supreme Court authorizes a corruption and obstruction of justice investigation into Bolsonaro for allegedly interfering with federal police probes. But this is little more than a consolation goal — a political crisis would likely weaken the effectiveness and cohesiveness of Brazil’s federal and state responses to the pandemic. 90’+2’ Full-Time. Brazil 1, Coronavirus 7. Bolsonaro forces the ref to officially blow the final whistle, but he unofficially knows the coronavirus is still a threat to his people. Yet, as all the Brazil fans leave the stadium in body bags, he continues to dribble down the pitch and strike the ball into the back of his own net.
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UC DAVIS STUDENT’S “PONYUPPRESS” BRAND OFFERS STATIONARY, JEWELRY, ORIGINAL PIECES Student artist blends love for engineering, art, animals
CULTURE CORNER
The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels, music
BY ALYSSA ILS LEY arts@theaggie.org
Television: “Bojack Horseman” Since the last season premiered this January, Bojack Horseman should be mentioned as one of the best animated comedies since “The Simpsons.” What began as a show about a quick-witted, but cripplingly depressed, horse-man has evolved during its six-season run to be a contemplative analysis of the human condition. Characters in “Bojack Horseman” wrestle with trauma, substance abuse and mental health problems in a painfully accurate and beautifully written way. Of the last season, “Good Damage” is one of the most well-animated and empowering episodes. It explores the concept of trauma and the ways in which people attempt to cope with it.
Movie: “Little Women” (2019) Japanese chin sticker sheets featured on Audrey Chamberlin’s Instagram page. (Photo Courtesy of Audrey Chamberlin)
BY ITZ E LT H G A M B OA arts@theaggie.org Second-year design major Audrey Chamberlin runs her small arts and crafts business by focusing on what she loves: quirky animals that spread love to all. Her small business, Ponyuppress, is a Davis-based business that sells prints, earrings, notebooks, stickers and more, all designed by Chamberlin herself. Her business name represents something she loves. “I love ponies! Who doesn’t?” Chamberlin said in an email interview. “Not only is it a reference to something that I love, but the phrase “pony up” means “give me money.” I don’t mainly mean it that way, but it is a funny little fact.” Chamberlin founded Ponyuppress this year after making a pair of earrings back home in New York. Her prices range from $2 for stickers and pins to $50–60 for original, commissioned pieces. And Davis residents are in for a bit of a treat: By sending her a quick message on Instagram or emailing her, she offers delivery and contactless pickup. “I am entirely self-taught,” Chamberlin said. “I’ve taken art classes, but what I got from them was mainly experience and portfolio additions.” While Chamberlin is proud of her work and loves to delve into different art mediums, she admits that her relationship with art in high school was a bit rocky. “Once I made it to high school, I did stop doing art for a while,” Chamberlin said. “There was only one art teacher in my very small school and she didn’t like my art very much, not sure why. I was probably pretty stubborn at the time and we just didn’t mesh well.” She came to UC Davis as an aerospace engineering major and not only stuck with it for over a year, but did quite well.
“I was on a team that was awarded a grant from NASA and was flown to Virginia to present on a project that I found incredibly interesting,” Chamberlin said. “But once I got back, I still wasn’t happy. I felt like I had succeeded in my field, but I still wasn’t satisfied. That’s when I decided to go back to art. I’m still very wary of studio art classes, but design was perfect.” Chamberlin found that industrial design is her ideal blend of engineering and art. “I was able to create technical drawings, use CAD and 3D printing, and I knew how to present a product successfully to a big client,” Chamberlin said. “My history with art has been a little tumultuous, but in the end I think I’m settling somewhere that’s right for me.” Chamberlin sold her first piece when she was a senior in high school. She had a design internship with The Highlands Foundry, a design company that sells handmade, one-of-a-kind apparel. “I ended up making a patchwork scarf made of vintage kantha cloth and West African mud cloth,” Chamberlin said. “Almost as soon as the scarf was posted online it was sold for nearly $100. That gave me a lot of confidence and I still think about it to this day.” Although her first sale was back in high school and her small business didn’t start up until early this year, she is excited about her future with Ponyuppress. “Twice now I have gone to West Coast Craft, a crafting and art show in San Francisco,” Chamberlin said. “I was so jealous of all these people that had made their job their art and design, such as Big Bud Press, Mokuyobi Threads and Gentle Thrills. It also feels good to have people interact with and be excited about things that you have made, all by yourself.”
Greta Gerwig’s take on this classic tale is fresh and unique, reinvigorating the beloved story for our modern times. The cast is made up of many well-respected contemporary actors, from Laura Dern to Meryl Streep. The most notable performance, however, was Saoirse Ronan’s role as the strong and independent Jo. She imbues humor and passion into the character and acts as the glue that keeps the entire story together. Timothée Chalamet’s depiction of Laurie became a fan-favorite as well, and it is hard not to be charmed by his depiction of the heartwarming and romantic character.
Novel: “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah In his new autobiography, comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah details his childhood in South Africa and the several odd jobs he worked while struggling with poverty before landing his role as the host of “The Daily Show.” The novel is praised for its wit and endearing anecdotes, as well as his depiction of growing up mixed race and his constant search for belonging. The book is fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable to read.
Musician: Noah Cyrus Sister of popstar Miley Cyrus and daughter of country music artist Billy Ray Cyrus, Noah Cyrus has a long history in the entertainment business. She began her acting career at the age of two. Since 2016, her focus has been on her music. She is vocal about her struggles with addiction and mental health, and her transparency courses through her music. Cyrus’s hit song “July” was released in 2019 and depicts the downfall of a toxic relationship. The somber lyrics over a folk-inspired beat is almost haunting and truly feeds on the heart of the listener.
PO NYU PPRE SS on 11
STUDENTS’ SLEEP SCHEDULES AFFECTED DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
How remote learning complicates natural sleep habits KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E
BY SI E RRA JI M E NE Z arts@theaggie.org In this unprecedented time, abnormal is the new normal. Now that the whole world is out of whack, it’s only fair that we contribute to the chaos via our sleep schedules. We have surrendered to the powerful nature of sleep — so much so that we’ve become bear-like in habit. UC Davis students discussed how their sleep habits have changed since the pandemic. Alexander Markosian, a junior transfer and sustainable agriculture and food services major, is “definitely not a natural morning person.” What first motivated Markosian’s switch to a morning routine was the amount of screen time required for this new virtual way of life. He said this new routine is “healthier, but for the wrong reasons.” The visual strain of increased screen time has taken its toll on Markosian. Now that school is remote, he finds himself using technology more than usual. As a result, eye strain and headaches occur, leaving him exhausted and ready for bed at an earlier time. “I’m not staying up at night scrolling on my
phone because I’ve already done that during the day,” Markosian said. Although his sleep schedule improved, it comes at the cost of increased screen time, or rather, the negative effects of it. According to recent studies, the blue light emitted by screens obstructs a good night’s sleep and leaves remnants of the night’s exhaustion into the next morning in the form of grogginess. The light disrupts our body’s biological clock — that is, our circadian rhythms that transmit messages that prompt us when to sleep and when to wake up. Data reveals that the blue light, specifically, makes us less tired and more alert through the nighttime — making it harder to get the sleep we need. It is recommended to set screens aside for two hours before heading to bed. That way, the body has time to readjust to its natural clock away from the artificial blue light that prevents our bodies from rest. In addition, amid remote learning, study spaces have been compromised. Beds are now utilized as a sleep, television and study area all in one. As a result, beds have become a metro-
politan of all our daily activities — convoluting work with rest. Markosian said he avoids doing schoolwork in his bed. By natural association of bed and sleep, he likes to “keep those realms separate.” Evidence of recent studies reveals that one should not study in bed to avoid cross-contamination of sleep and study habits. The choice of pressing “snooze” in the bed will inevitably lead to pressing “snooze” in your work habits — subconsciously promoting laziness in work. “If I start working in my bed, I start sleeping,” Markosian said. By avoiding his bed while studying, he chooses to not “mix business with pleasure.” Prior to social distancing, Markosian would go to bed around midnight and wake up around 10 a.m. Now that he is going to bed earlier, he wakes up earlier as well. As a result, he has established a morning routine of yoga and meditation to start off his day. “I feel like my mornings aren’t being wasted, there’s more time to be productive,” he said, adding that he hopes to continue this new sleep schedule once shelter-in-place orders are lifted.
According to Oscar Hood, a second-year economics major, treating social distancing “as a blessing in disguise” keeps him grounded amid the pandemic. Although Hood admitted that his sleep schedule is now “pretty messed up,” he has been harnessing his hours awake “100%” for his music — practicing and recording until the wee hours of the morning. Jam sessions at 3 a.m. may not be ideal for many, but for Hood, his “circadian rhythm is naturally tuned” to the night. Since quarantine began, Hood has been “insanely productive” with pastimes he wouldn’t normally have time to pursue. “I’m actually kind of thriving,” Hood said. Although this is an unprecedented time with many alterations to normalcy, Hood’s methodology of maintaining sanity is by approaching it with a glass half full mentality. Not everyone is as optimistic as Hood, however. Some are using the extra time as an opportunity to catch up on some sleep — arguably, a little too much. “I’m just oversleeping and not doing anything,” said Brooke Henderson, a fourth-year human development major. “Now it’s just a habit, and I feel like I have to get so much sleep. I’m more tired than I normally am during the school year.” Some habits die hard. Henderson admitted that her sleep schedule was healthier prior to shelter-in-place orders. Although she still goes to bed around midnight, she now sleeps in until about noon. Without the routine schedule of normalcy prior to COVID-19, Henderson has little motivation to simply get out of bed in the morning. “I’m just sleeping out of boredom, I guess,” Henderson said. Henderson’s sleep schedule now includes more naps. She admitted that although she aims for a twenty-minute cat nap, it realistically ends up being one to two hours long. Henderson was a morning person before the pandemic, but now she doesn’t know what she is — she’s “just asleep.” She is optimistic that her sleep schedule will gradually improve once shelter-in-place orders are lifted — once there is “more motivation to switch back to old habits.” Under the circumstances, Henderson empathizes with those suffering the distortion of prior normalcy. “This is just so unnatural for humans,” she said. “I feel like no one should be that hard on themselves for getting too much sleep or not being productive. We’re all doing the best we can right now in this very unprecedented time.” Sleep schedules have been altered, there’s no denying that. Whether taking this time to hibernate or hone in on your craft, everyone is learning as they go — even if it is by hitting the snooze button one too many times.
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8 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
HOW STUDENTS, HAIR STYLISTS ARE HANDLING SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS
Reopening Davis salons, barbershops
A handwritten sign at Aggie’s Barber Shop indicates that the shop is closed until further notice. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
BY J OSH M A D RI D arts@theaggie.org Yolo County officials extended the shelter-inplace order through May 31, with exceptions for religious drive-in services and construction, more than a month after the county issued the initial order. Social distancing measures have struck salons and barbershops in Davis as many students, the most substantial clientele, have gone home. In a press conference on April 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom presented the four phases for reopening California, with salons and barbershops re-
maining closed until phase three, which could be weeks or months away. These shelter-in-place orders have led to financial hardships for some local business owners. Motown Guerrero, owner of Motown Barber, said several desperate clients have offered to meet him in a park or even asked him to come to their homes. Guerrero has limited his services to his family in his home and close friends. He wears gloves and a mask, and requires others to do the same, but he is still hesitant to cut hair. Guerrero plans to talk to his bank to apply for a loan to get him through the next couple weeks after finding
ONLINE COMMUNICATION: HERE’S HOW AGGIES ARE STAYING IN TOUCH DURING THE PANDEMIC A look into the different online platforms that students are using to keep in contact
no luck online. “The problem is that the government tells us there are these programs we can apply for, but when you go online and apply, there’s nothing there,” Guerrero said. “They said the website would be up by April 28, but I gave up.” At the time this article was written, the Professional Beauty Association began accepting applications for a $500 relief fund. Guerrero relies on students, especially students who stay in Davis during the summer. But that may look different this year. Guerrero said he plans to reopen, despite the social distancing
measures. “I’m going to open on Tuesday because I have to do it,” Guerrero said. “I’m only going to do appointments and have one person at a time.” Jacquie Crabtree is the owner of Strands Salon in Davis and a member of the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Crabtree and her employees have been more fortunate in finding financial relief since they are, in fact, employees and not independent contractors — making them eligible to file under the CARES Act. There is, however, the question of paying rent at the four Strands Salon locations in Davis, Natomas, Elk Grove and East Sacramento. “The Davis landlord has been amazing, Steve Boschken,” Crabtree said. “He’s workable with us and understanding.” Crabtree applied and received a personal protective equipment loan to prepare to reopen safely when the shelter-in-place order is lifted. She is also working to release health and safety guidelines for other beauty workers in California with the Board. “With the shelter-in-place, I understand that people are desperate to get their hair done, but I find it very selfish,” Crabtree said. “We need to care about our health more at this point, more than getting our hair done.” Others are taking this time to experiment with scissors and clippers. Social media has been saturated with people buzzing their hair off and others attempting to dye their hair. Trevor Carpenter, a third-year computer science major, said there hasn’t been a better time to bleach his hair. “I’d been talking about it for a long time, so it wasn’t super impulsive,” Carpenter said. “I knew how I was going to do it and had a plan. Shelterin-place just gave me the motivation to finally do it.”
HOW TO KEEP LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES LIKE MISHKA’S, VARSITY THEATRE, ALIVE DURING COVID-19
Streaming movies, buying bulk coffee can help protect Davis’ favorite mom-and-pop shops
TE SSA KO G A / AG G IE
BY N ORA FA RA H DE L features@theaggie.org Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online platforms have largely taken the place of in-person communication as individuals maintaining social distancing are unable to see their friends and family in person. Whether it is to catch up with friends or attend a lecture, online communication has maintained connections during these trying times. FaceTime, a video-chatting application available on Apple products, mimics the face-to-face communication that is no longer possible during quarantine. Alex Cohen, a first-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, sees great value in Facetime and its ability to maintain relationships in a real and personal way. “I really just prefer FaceTime over texting,” Cohen said. “I’ve always had this mantra about those types of things just because it’s more personal and you can actually sense how someone is, how they’re actually feeling and actually connect with them in a real way. You can always send a quick, five-second text, but calling somebody and checking up on them or FaceTiming them, I feel like that’s way more personal and much necessary in this day and age.” For others, a simple text proves to be an important outlet of communication. Not only can texting be used as a way to catch up, but iMessage also provides games through GamePigeon like Cup Pong and 8 Ball that foster interaction from miles apart. Kai Uchio, a first-year environmental science and management major, uses text messages to quickly check in on his friends from Davis while he quarantines at home. “Obviously, I’d rather see the people in real life, but I always like texting them just to catch up on small things,” Uchio said. “I definitely think the communication helps and it’s nice to still be in communication with my friends, es-
pecially the ones that aren’t here like all of my Davis friends.” Some students have found even more creative ways to stay in touch. Aaron Ehsanipour, a thirdyear psychology major, uses Xbox One to virtually stay in touch with friends while having fun. Zoom, another video-chatting platform, has become the public’s new classroom and route of communication between students and teachers. Due to social distancing, professors are now holding live lectures and discussions on Zoom. On this platform, students can video chat and use the chat box to send messages. Although Zoom has become the backbone of online education, most students don’t use it outside of an academic setting. Houseparty, yet another video-chatting platform, has made a comeback during these times. Houseparty allows multiple people to chat in different rooms and even allows users to play games. There has been a 1072% increase in downloads, according to a Business Insider article. In an update on April 2, the Houseparty team shared their happiness in being a platform that can bring people together during a tough time: “We’re humbled to bring people together during this unprecedented time for everyone around the world. As we physically distance ourselves for the common good, online human connections are more important than ever before.” Whether it is Facetime or Xbox One, the world has managed to communicate and keep relationships intact despite great distances. Regardless of what platform is used, students like Ehsanipour emphasize how important it is to stay connected with the people in their lives. “Maintaining these connections are important because we all have to be together during this unprecedented time,” Ehsanipour said. “Some days I feel down and others my friends feel down, but when we call each other and let each other know that we are all feeling the same anxiety then it calms everyone down.”
The Davis Varsity Theatre in Downtown Davis. Davis Varsity Theatre is offering movies that you can stream at home. (Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie)
BY KAT IE De B E NE DETTI features@theaggie.org While many students are away from Davis or staying inside, local businesses struggle to stay afloat. Sinisa Novakovic, the owner of Davis’ local coffee shop Mishka’s and the Davis Varsity Theatre, said that while chain corporations will survive the pandemic, he worries about how small mom-and-pop shops will fare. “You don’t need any better example than Starbucks and Mishka’s,” Novakovic said. “[Starbucks] could probably ride out 12 months of a total disaster, whereas two months for [Mishka’s] to pay rent and mortgage and food can be devastating.” Novakovic said he is grateful for the support the Davis community has given to both Mishka’s and the Varsity Theatre. Mishka’s, which is still open daily for take-out, gets about half of its normal number of customers per day despite the pandemic, and many people who are no longer in Davis are purchasing gift cards, merchandise and bags of coffee from the website to support the coffee shop. And currently, 35 movies, with rental prices ranging from $5 to $12, are available to stream on the Varsity’s website. Despite this help from the community, Novakovic worries that, when this is over, small, specialty shops, like Mishka’s, could be wiped out completely if people don’t continue to give support. “I’ve been going around and telling everybody that even if you’ve always supported a chain it doesn’t matter, just skip it for the next few months and go to your local seller,” Novakovic
said. “Soon, it’s going to be a matter of life and death, and many of these businesses will fail. We will have the chains, and nothing will happen to them. But those unique, little places that are special to a locale and don’t exist anywhere else, those are going to be the ones to disappear.” Although Mishka’s is still able to do business at this time as an essential service, the Varsity Theatre, like movie theaters throughout the country, has been forced to close for the time being. In these unprecedented times, movie studios have teamed up with theaters like the Varsity to continue bringing movies to customers stuck at home. This new way of streaming movies has, according to Novakovic, been able to help keep both the studios and theaters afloat. “A number of small studios that obviously had many movies in the pipeline that were going to premiere in theatres over the coming weeks […] realized that theatres will not be reopening in these months,” Novakovic said. “Instead of just going immediately on demand and trying to get whatever money they can that way, they can try at the same time to help the theatres that normally play their movies and that are basically their partners.” These studios have begun making movies that were originally planned to premiere in the coming months available to rent through the theaters they were slated to play at. A number of these films, such as “Eating up Easter” and “The Innocent” are available to stream exclusively through theaters, including the Varsity, before they will be made available on demand.
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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.
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 | 9
Answer to previous puzzle
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10 |THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020
COMMENTARY: A LOVE LETTER TO GLUTEN FREEKS It’s not just another health fad
Sliced gluten-free bread. (Photo by Allie Bailey / Aggie)
BY AL L I E BA I L EY arts@theaggie.org When I was diagnosed with celiac disease during my senior year of high school, I thought my life was over. As a carb lover, wheat had been a substantial part of my diet my entire life, meaning that most of my favorite foods were chock-full of gluten. So to learn that something I held so dearly to my heart was no longer up for consumption? Devastating. But as difficult as the adjustment period is for those diagnosed late in life, the discovery of this
condition is only the beginning. If it hasn’t been made clear, the gluten freeks I am addressing are my companions who are denied the joys of gluten. Whether a life-long gluten-free friend, or a recently diagnosed member of team celiac like myself, our inability to eat the protein found in wheat, barley and rye makes us all a little freeky. When you tell people about your dietary restriction, you realize how terrible everyone is. For starters, people either think we’re dramatic or pity us so much that it’s awkward. Raise your hand if someone has told you how badly they wished you could just try the delectable glutinous goody
they’re eating. Ah, man. That must be so hard for them, wishing gluten on us hopeless causes. The most frequent disappointment is how little basic nutritional information people possess. Most people don’t actually know what foods contain gluten and, because of this, I’m often questioned on my meal choices. I’ve been asked if I can eat sushi (rice doesn’t have gluten), interrogated about the french fries I eat weekly (potatoes don’t have gluten, thank God) and I’ve even been queried about my decision to eat ice cream — I know we know this, but to the non-glutenfree person still reading: Dairy. Does. Not. Have. Gluten. But this, like the pity parties, really isn’t that bad. Just like the fact that you can’t eat bread or pastries or pasta or cake or fried chicken or soy sauce or indulge in the late-night pizza orders and donuts that the teacher brings in on special school days. Worst of all is the bad name associated with “gluten-free.” In recent years, gluten-free eating has become a health fad, reducing our intolerance to a lifestyle choice rather than, in some cases, a life-threatening disease. This tie to dietary restrictions driven by choice paints those of us actually allergic to gluten as just another healthcrazed bunch, diminishing our sad truth. The fitness world’s obsession with a non-glutinous diet has rendered gluten-free the veganism of allergies, surpassing the lactose intolerants by a longshot. It’s also worth noting that a gluten-free diet isn’t inherently healthier than a glutinous one; replacing bread or pasta with a gluten-free alternative doesn’t do much. The “healthy” (or calorie restricting) way to be gluten-free is through elimination of most carbohydrates from your diet, not just removing the gluten itself. But frankly, anyone who doesn’t eat gluten on their own accord is suspicious, don’t you think? I will concede that the popularity of the gluten free diet has benefited us in some ways. If
it hadn’t become so popular among the fitness freaks, would we have the option for gluten-free bread when we go out to eat? Probably not. My gluten-free comrades, you know this struggle all too well. The confusion about our diet and the appropriation of our allergy or the disease that comes with the territory — there’s no way around it, not today anyway. And as much as I wish we didn’t have to give up the precious food group taken for granted by most of the world, we are better because of it. We go into the world empathetically, happy to hear of others’ obstacles without letting preconceived notions blur how we see them. Perhaps more importantly, we know not to define them by their disease, struggle or shortcoming. We see things clearly, without the haze of gluten on our lenses. All that said, being gluten free sucks. We grow accustomed to this lifestyle: not being able to eat anything at an event, avoiding Italian restaurants altogether — sure, but I am reminded of something I can’t eat almost daily. Though the sting is less potent every time, it’s still there. So, to all the gluten intolerants reading, don’t forget who you are or where you came from. We won’t be reduced to a health trend because some yuppies thought they’d hop on the bandwagon under the false assumption that gluten-free toast is any healthier. We all know they’re eating gluten left and right, never acknowledging how hard it would be to eradicate it entirely. Remember how strong we are — it takes some grit and determination to succeed as a true glutenless eater, curbing the temptation of some of the most delightful foods in existence. And know that we always have this community. The day they find a cure may come, but we will never forget this struggle that formed a bond stronger than the binding agent in bread dough (it’s gluten). Much Love, Your friend and fellow gluten freek
UCD ALUMNUS AND MUSICIAN DAVE UC DAVIS HOSTS COVID-19 NACHMANOFF DISCUSSES HIS NEW AWARENESS SYMPOSIUM VIA ZOOM, ROUTINE SANS-LIVE PERFORMANCES YOUTUBE
The meaning of live performance: Nachmanoff talks about how his career as a musician has been impacted, shares personal opinions on live-streaming
Experts across variety of disciplines answered questions about novel coronavirus
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BY MARG O ROS E NB AUM science@theaggie.org UC Davis alumnus and musician Dave Nachmanoff poses with his guitar, pre-quarantine. (Courtesy Photo)
BY LYRA FA RREL L features@theaggie.org UC Davis alumnus Dave Nachmanoff is a folk singer-songwriter who primarily collaborates with British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, but has performed alongside a range of other musical artists in many settings over the years, including Alison Krauss, Steve Forbert and the band Firefall. His tours have been put on hold or canceled altogether due to the virus, and the live performance aspect of his music is currently nonexistent. Nachmanoff has considered joining in on the prevalent wave of livestreams among other artists, but as someone who “loves playing up close and personal with people,” he grapples with the idea. “I do a lot of house concerts normally, and to me, the idea of playing in front of a camera or a phone camera or something with nobody there, not seeing their faces and not having that kind of energy that you’d get in the room from people being there just seems so different and doesn’t really appeal to me very much,” Nachmanoff said. “I know a lot of musicians are livestreaming, and certainly if I didn’t have the studio and I didn’t have this other work that I could be doing, I’d probably be scrambling to get the livestream thing going.” Nachmanoff currently works from his home studio, where he writes custom songs upon request and collaborates with musical artists online. He uses tracks that get sent back and forth so each artist can add their own recorded material. “I realize that I’m extremely fortunate because I do have the studio and I already have been doing this kind of work before,” Nachmanoff said. “It just wasn’t the only thing I was doing, so that’s sort of the big change.” He admitted that the stress he feels due to the outbreak could be contributing to the difficulty he faces in performing for an online audience. “I feel badly that I’m not livestreaming, simply because I feel like for the people that do like my music [...], some of them might enjoy getting the chance to hear it,” he said. “But I just haven’t been able to really get myself kind of psyched up to do it, and I think it’s partly just that this whole crisis has been so disturbing and devastating that
I just don’t feel like getting in front of a camera.” Although Nachmanoff is not currently performing in front of a live audience, he said he enjoys “helping people with their songs” and producing for others. “Because I have the studio work that I’m doing, I’m so grateful and happy that I actually have work to do, so at the moment that’s really what’s energizing me [and] keeping me going,” he said. “It’s not the same as the touring work I do, but it’s another side of my music and something that I do enjoy working on.” Nachmanoff suffered from a hematoma on his vocal cord in 2018, which both rendered him voiceless for a period of about six months and prevented him from recording. During this time, he used a text box on his computer to communicate with his clients. “I didn’t realize until I had this vocal injury how much I depended on my voice, because almost all the work that I did involved either singing or talking or both,” Nachmanoff said. “I learned that even though it was difficult, because I play a lot of instruments and have a studio, if I can find different ways of working.” That year, clients came to record with him. ‘I would literally use a text box on my screen, on my computer, and type instructions to them instead of talking to them,” he said. This period of using text to communicate helped him prepare for the changes in communication caused by COVID-19. “Obviously, with the remote clients, I can just send emails back and forth and talk about the music and what we’re doing and everything,” Nachmanoff said. “2018 was kind of helpful in a strange way. Even though it was really hard, it sort of proved to me that I could manage without my voice, at least for a while. And it also sort of showed me that I can manage without touring if I have to.” The musician looks forward to the day he’ll be able to engage with a physical audience again, but he recognizes the potential he has for creating music within his home. “I love to perform, and I love performing for real people in a room, and hopefully some day that’ll happen again,” Nachmanoff said. “But I know that even without that, I can still be making music and doing what I do.”
UC Davis experts on immunology, infectious diseases, pathology and emergency medicine gave presentations and answered questions from the public about the novel coronavirus. The “COVID-19 Symposium: Answering your Questions” was held on Thursday, April 23 from 1:30 to 5:10 p.m. Close to 1,000 viewers tuned in to watch the free program via Zoom and YouTube, according to a UC Davis Health article. For those who missed the symposium but still want to watch, a video of the broadcast can be viewed on YouTube. It can be found on the “Biochemistry Channel” YouTube channel owned by Walter Leal, the moderator of the symposium and a distinguished professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. One goal of the symposium was to give professionals a platform to speak about their latest insights and research regarding COVID-19, Leal explained. “There is a lot of pent-up demand to hear the evidence around this condition,” said Nathan Kupperman, a professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the School of Medicine. “It is so dramatic and there is a lot of misinformation at the highest levels of government, and the social media and the web. The UC Davis webinar presented experts that could provide solid evidence to a very interested population.” Another goal was to provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions to experts regarding the pandemic, Leal said. The audience could submit questions beforehand or in the chat during the symposium. There was so much involvement that the symposium ran over an hour after the scheduled closing time. “We had so many questions, it became more than three and a half hours,” Leal said. “It was a long one, but it was worth doing that.” Most attendants of the webinar were from Yolo County, however, people from all around the world tuned in, including from Germany, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Canada and Slovakia, Leal said. “People from all walks of life came,” Leal said. “People from UC Davis, staff and faculty, and the general public attended. Even some politicians [and] community leaders attended.” Leal drew inspiration for the webinar because so many people were asking him questions that he could not answer about the virus. Leal knows
a lot of professors and experts that could answer these questions, so he used his teaching skills to organize the speakers and make the symposium happen. “I called a lot of professors to ask them to participate,” Leal said. “Almost every single person that was invited accepted. We got together a wonderful panel that was able to address most of the questions that [the audience] had.” Chancellor Gary May kicked off the symposium through an introductory address in which he welcomed the presenters and described how UC Davis has been both affected by the pandemic and involved in battling the pandemic. Leal explained the schedule and the five main speakers then gave their presentations and answered questions from the audience. The first speaker, Emanuel Maverakis, a professor in the Departments of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Dermatology at the School of Medicine, compared Taiwan’s strategy with that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. Maverakis spoke about what could have been done to prevent the severity of the pandemic. “I did complain about there not being national reporting guidelines,” Maverakis said. “This pandemic has been going on forever. You would think that our country would have some national reporting guidelines on coronavirus.” Maverakis also explained the importance of wearing masks and keeping proper hygiene. He said, however, that washing one’s hands too frequently can be problematic for people with sensitive skin, so a balance of cleanliness and safety is important. “All of the soap is too much for some people,” Leal explained. “Too much soap might be problematic and may have eaten [away] from the skin.” Kupperman, another main speaker, shared about the UC Davis Medical Center’s preparations for the pandemic. The hospital has access to personal protective equipment, ventilators and other supplies, so it is able to support infected patients. Now that the infection curve has flattened, the hospital is seeing fewer COVID-19 patients. “My big message was that the COVID situation in California is fortunately under relative control because we have a very enlightened governor, and because of physical distancing and sheltering in place and everything we have done to flatten the curve,” Kupperman said.
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“There are surely lower-cost interventions that we can continue, with maybe even lower levels of staffing but similar models of volunteers, cheap affordable modular levels of housing, of just providing opportunities [to] people to get on the grid and connected, for anyone who wants out of those circumstances,” Collins
said. Supervisor Don Saylor agreed, praising the efforts of Yolo’s homeless outreach coordinators. “I’m hoping one of [the] things that we take out of this dark time for us all is lessons learned on how to deal with issues like this — like homelessness — into the future,” Saylor said.
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Using the SBAC in UC admissions “would create an alignment between what the higher education system says students should be doing to show that they’re college ready and what K-12 is signaling about what [students] should be doing,” Reber said. Another benefit of using the SBAC is that it is administered to all students during school and free of charge. The reality of the STTF report, according to Gándara, is that many of those on the task force were skeptical of the equity of SAT and ACT, but recognized that a replacement would take years to develop. “We endorsed the recommendation because included there was the idea that we would be pursuing a better kind of assessment [in the meantime],” Gándara said. Additionally, Gándara explained that even though the task force agreed on the final report, there was a fundamental difference in opinion between the task force members about whether student success once at a university should be an overriding concern. The report claims that the SAT and ACT are the best predictors of performance. “There was considerable concern on the part of a number of the committee members that we needed to be looking at how we equalize opportunity and how we create an admissions process
that is most fair and equitable for all students,” Gándara said. The SAT and ACT are not just used in admissions. “Standardized test scores are also used to report to the state to show that we require higher standards for non-resident students that are admitted to UC compared to California residents,” said UC Davis Professor and task force member James Griesemer. Beyond comparison between in-state and out of state students, SAT and ACT scores are also used as placement exams and used to show proficiency in some subject areas. They are also used in longer term analysis of student groups in the UC, helping to provide more resources. At the prospect of getting rid of the test entirely, Griesemer posed a question: “How much risk should we take in making things worse rather than better in the short to medium term by just getting rid of the test?” The report issued by the STTF hopes there is a more nuanced answer. “If standardized test scores must be compensated in order to achieve the entering class sought by UC, that is reason to question whether it is necessary to use the tests at all, and/or whether it is possible to design an alternative instrument that does not require such compensation,” the report said.
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In this regard, the battle for third-party ballot access is merely a further indictment of a wildly myopic voting system. Instead of merely arguing over the merits of granting increased
access to third-party candidates this fall, we should approach this problem with a degree of introspection, questioning just how we managed to get to this debate in the first place.
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Chamberlin has collaborated with multiple artists for new pieces. One of her recent collaborations was with an embroidery shop called Contrarium. Ponyuppress and Contrarium worked together to raffle off a one-of-a-kind tiger patch. The proceeds went to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, helping the people of New York with food and medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I am a New Yorker myself, having grown up right outside the city,” Chamberlin said. “In my tiny hometown, which only has a population of about eight thousand, has over a hundred cases. So donating to a fund in New York was very important to me.” Her favorite pieces to make are the Japanese Chin Sticker sheets available on her website. “I have a Japanese Chin mix at home, and she’s just about the most ridiculous dog I’ve ever seen,” Chamberlin said. “However, not many people know about this funky breed! I had such a good time drawing her that I decided to make a series of stickers.” Along with feelings of gratitude to her mother, Chamberlin gives credit to her father as her number one supporter. “If I could give him a title, it would be CES (Chief Executive Support),” Chamberlin said via email. “He is a very genuine, kind person and has always encouraged me to follow whatever idea I have. Every now and then I get an email from him along the lines of, ‘Look at this cool thing!’ in the hopes something he sends is going to inspire me. It often does!” Although she loves running a small business
and being a full-time student, Chamberlin admits that it can be difficult. And with the shelter-in-place order, she had to cancel multiple events that she had lined up in the upcoming months. “It’s very hard to run a business and be a student,” Chamberlin said. “I know other people that run even more serious businesses than I do (such as Less Acosta of Flower Dangles), and I have a lot of respect for them. It’s pretty much like having a full time job and the hours are ‘whenever you have the time.’” Running Ponyuppress demands more than just creating merchandise. Chamberlin must also update her website, send out packages and work on commission pieces — and the work doesn’t cease when she has two essays and a stool made of cardboard due on Friday. Chamberlin is hopeful that one day her business will be her source of income, but in the meantime, she struggles to invest in her business as much as she would like to. Chamberlin continues to sell her funky art through her website and is looking forward to adding in new items such as acrylic keychains, scarves and oversized scrunchies — a special sneak peek of what’s to come just for The California Aggie’s readers. “I would love to one day be able to live comfortably from my own business, but that may be a little further down the road than just five years,” Chamberlin said. “In the meantime, I hope to keep growing so I can get there one day!”
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“We did not see the massive influx of patients that other cities like New York, Detroit or New Orleans have seen.” People with emergencies unrelated to COVID-19 are delaying coming to the emergency room in fear of contracting the virus. Hospitals are safe places, as all staff, patients and visitors are wearing masks and staff and visitors are screened for temperature and symptom checks, Kupperman said. “The bigger danger is ignoring your health needs, especially if you are sick and having an emergency,” Kupperman said. “You need to come in and get care.” Staurt Cohen, another speaker and a professor and chief in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the School of Medicine, discussed the various implementations of clinical trials to find antiviral treatment and vaccines for COVID-19, especially those that UC Davis has been involved in. “I went through the clinical presentation of patients, how they show up, what their symptomatology is, what we see on exams and then how long it takes to get infected [and] how the virus is transmitted,” Cohen said. “And then I talked about some of the potential drug treatments.” Nicole Baumgarth, a professor in the Center of Comparative Medicine and the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, explained the structure of the virus, the way it spreads and its genetic ancestry. State Sen. and Dr. Richard Pan, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health and a member of the Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response, gave an update on the status of the outbreak in California. He compared the
state’s response to the outbreak to New York, illustrating the importance of California’s timely shutdown of schools and businesses as well as the shelter-in-place restrictions. “We are not even close to the point where we have enough people immune to the virus,” Pan said during the symposium. “The state has a roadmap to opening and lifting shelter-in-place and loosening up restrictions, but there is a need to expand testing capacity and implement consistent restrictions across the country. The restrictions are hard, but the alternative is even worse as we are as strong as the weakest link. The data and the science have to drive the decisions related to COVID-19.” In addition to the main speakers, other experts gave presentations. You-Lo Hseih, a distinguished professor in the Department of Textiles and Clothing, explained the differences between regular masks, surgical masks and N95 masks, as well as what the public can do when masks are unavailable. Back in 2016, Leal organized a similar public awareness symposium about the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Cohen, who also participated in the Zika webinar, said Leal is “terrific about going out and finding outside experts and bringing people onto the call.” After the webinar, the team received positive feedback. Members of the public expressed their thanks at the opportunity to be better informed, Kupperman said. “By trying to address the fears of people and trying to provide accurate information, I think that it really ultimately helps everybody,” Cohen said. “It helps people understand what’s going on and helps people feel like they’re not totally in the dark.”
Because home runs and offense is often considered the “fun” part of baseball, pitchers are usually left out of the GOAT debate. They are crucial to the game and without them, there would be none. Nonetheless, they often have their own category for greatest player ever — pitchers like Walter Johnson, Randy Johnson, Cy Young are among the best to ever throw the ball. When talking about baseball’s greats, it is almost certain you have to mention Babe Ruth. The most popular name in his sport, the numbers of “The Great Bambino” were, in his time, otherworldly. A .513 weighted batting average (wOBA), 197 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), and 206 OPS+ puts him at the top of each category, according to FanGraphs. His 164.8 wins above replacement (WAR) is the best ever and his dominance came from more than just hitting. He was also a pitcher with a career 2.28 earned run average (ERA). A case could also be made for Barry Bonds, whose numbers are also some of the best of all time. But in the end, his steroid allegations overshadow what was otherwise an all-time great career. We’ll never know when or if he did use illegal substances, but it seems like no matter how much he denies it, his GOAT argument will always have an asterisk. Another player you can make an argument for is Willie Mays, who is possibly the greatest all-around baseball player ever. He ranks third all-time in WAR and was a force at the plate and in center field. Baseball is hard to make a case for someone new due to the nature of the game. Not being able to have a direct impact on every play makes the debate more of a numbers game than anything else. Like baseball, the many different positions in the game of football makes it hard to choose just one player. But there is one position in football that seems to hold the most power: the quarterback. That’s why when you talk about the GOAT in football, you’ll often end up with a quarterback. The most obvious pick is Tom Brady, whose six Super Bowls, countless clutch moments and three league MVPs speak for themselves. It is hard to find a more accomplished player than Brady, who will soon be continuing his career with his 21st NFL season. Brady is often measured against Joe Montana, the four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and Hall of Famer, for the title of the greatest quarterback ever. But despite Montana’s greatness, some argue that his case for GOAT is diminished due to his 49ers teams that were loaded with superstar players and one of the greatest coaches ever. That said, there are a lot of arguments to be made for position players like Lawrence Taylor, a linebacker who is widely regarded as the greatest defensive player ever and Jim Brown, a
running back who changed the sport and is one of the best ever at his position. But none can truly compare to that of Jerry Rice, who to many is football’s GOAT. Over his illustrious 19-year career, Rice is the all-time leader in receiving yards by a large margin, a three-time Super Bowl champion and the NFL’s all-time leader in all-purpose touchdowns. There has been no player at any position that was able to dominate as much as Rice did and it will be interesting to see if anyone ever will. Because of that, it is not crazy to say the greatest player in football history was a wide receiver in a league dominated by quarterbacks. Though the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and many more could be included in basketball’s GOAT debate, over the years, it has come down to just two players: MJ and Lebron. Almost every statistical category, career accolades and all other forms of measurement have been used in this debate, leaving everyone even more deadlocked on their personal opinions. You could go into detail about the obvious choices like finals records, MVPs, other individual awards, playoff performances and so much more. The truth is, it is almost impossible to touch Jordan’s perfect 6-0 NBA Finals record, just like it is almost impossible to match Lebron’s streak of leading his team to the Finals for eight straight years. For everything you could bring up about Jordan, you can match it with something equally impressive from Lebron. The heavyweight bout between these two can go blow for blow, without ever achieving a unanimous decision. While things can change if Lebron can win a championship or two more, it is clear that figuring out the GOAT in basketball is the same as in every other sport. The debate is a battle of generations, not facts. Above all, it is a matter of personal feelings and to put the bias aside is a near-impossible task. The reason it is so hard to come to an agreement is that people like to hear, but not listen. In sports, when someone has an opinion, it is difficult to change it. No matter what you say or do, it is almost impossible to convince somebody about something that they have made their mind up about. If you were to engage with a fellow sports fan about your differing opinions, it will almost certainly end in the same place you started. That is why this endless cycle of the debate will continue on as long as there are sports to be played. The idea that someone has to be named the greatest comes from sports itself, as there always has to be a winner. But sports fans were brought up to each have their own allegiance, so to believe that you will be able to convince somebody otherwise is to fall into the never-ending abyss that is the GOAT debate.
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GREATEST OF ALL TIME?
“The Last Dance” inspires The Aggie to examine the GOAT debate JO E L L E TA H TA / AG GI E
BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org Sports debates of all kinds seem to exist in a never-ending cycle. When it comes to the debate over the greatest player of all time, that cycle is even more incessant. The GOAT (greatest of all time) debate is brought up every so often when generational players achieve the incredible. Debate is a part of human nature, but there’s something to be said about these debates in sports that can be, at times, frustrating, fatiguing and trivial. Centered around the career of Michael Jor-
dan, the newly released ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” has once again revived basketball’s GOAT debate. It has also inspired The Aggie to take a look at this debate, as well as that of all the major sports, to examine who is in the running for GOAT in each respective competition. Out of all sports, hockey seems to have the easiest answer to the GOAT question. Some older fans may argue in favor of Bobby Orr, but his career only lasted 10 seasons, so there remains a lot of “what-ifs” surrounding his legacy compared to others. Others may say Gordie Howe, whose 32-year professional career and outstanding achieve-
NEW ESPORTS DIGITAL RECREATION PROGRAM LAUNCHED
Gunrock Gaming, Campus Recreation team up to bring Esports program to UC Davis KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E
BY PRIYA REDDY sports@theaggie.org In light of the recent shift to remote learning and the precautions taken to minimize social contact, UC Davis Campus Recreation made the decision to cancel all planned Spring Quarter intramural sports. In place of these activities, Campus Recreation has teamed up with the UC Davis Games Center to expand the rec sports program and bring an Esports digital recreation program to the UC Davis community.
The program, which falls under the Aggies at Home initiative, is currently open for enrollment. It will allow students to connect with one another and compete in a variety of online games and tournaments. To determine which video games to include in the program, Campus Recreation and the Games Center solicited feedback from the UC Davis community via surveys. Through these surveys, they were able to gain a better understanding of what resources students currently have access to, student preference for timings of competitions and which games to in-
THE END OF AN ERA: TOM BRADY’S MOVE FROM NEW ENGLAND TO TAMPA Brady leaves Patriots after 20 seasons, joined by former teammate Gronkowski KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E
BY RAIN YEKIKIAN sports@theaggie.org One of the biggest headlines from this year’s NFL offseason is Tom Brady’s transition from the New England Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the morning of March 17, the former Patriots quarterback announced that after 20 seasons in New England, he was preparing to continue his NFL career elsewhere. Speculation of Brady’s departure started to develop among fans in New England toward the end of what turned out to be his final season as a Patriot, as he was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2019–2020 season. Just a few days after his announcement, it was confirmed that Brady had signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers, leaving the Patriots with the difficult task of somehow moving forward without their future hall-of-famer at quarterback. Although Brady’s decision did not come as a huge surprise to Patriots fans, it was one that put
him in rare company. Assuming that he finishes his career in Tampa Bay, Brady could potentially join a list of quarterbacks, such as Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana, who finished their football careers with other teams after each dedicating over a decade to the respective organizations they began with. For Tampa Bay, Brady’s arrival can only be beneficial for a team that has never really posed a significant threat to the rest of the NFL. Brady will, however, be working with a new and improved offensive line, in addition to the powerful receiver duo of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Godwin, who finished third in the NFL last season with 1,333 receiving yards, and Evans, who finished the season with 1,157 yards, will most likely be working with the new level of experience that Brady brings to the team to produce a productive offense for Tampa Bay going into next season. This is especially true now that Brady’s former teammate and superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski announced that he would be coming out
ments rewrote the hockey record book from the end of World War II to the Cold War. But in the end, the near-unanimous pick for greatest hockey player of all time is Wayne Gretzky. His nickname is “The Great One” for obvious reasons, and if you were to look at almost every hockey record book, his name will either be at the top or somewhere near it. It is almost impossible to recreate the dominance that Gretzky maintained throughout his career. In a sport where the Art Ross Trophy, given to the player with the most points in a season, is a highlight of many players’ careers, Gretzky won it 10 times — four more than the next player. He holds the top two spots in most goals in a season, with 92 and 87 respectively. He won the Hart Trophy (given to the NHL’s most valuable player) nine times in his career. Perhaps Gretzky’s most unbreakable mark is accumulating 200 points in three consecutive seasons. No other player has done that even once and he did it four times in five seasons. The rest of this article could be filled with just his records, which is why the GOAT debate in hockey is almost nonexistent. When it comes to soccer, there is a battle of the ages. From Pele in the late ’50s to Diego Maradona in the ’80s to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo today, the soccer debate goes far beyond dominating the game. Soccer has an interesting GOAT debate due to the nature of the game. It is nearly impossible for just one player to win a game, as there are 11 players and several different positions that are all important to a team’s success; it’s not just those who score the goals. But a lot of these debates rely on measured statistics, so since defenders and goalkeepers aren’t the ones scoring the goals, they are often overlooked. Whether that’s unfair or not, that pretty much leaves the debate to Pele and Maradona.
While Messi and Ronaldo may seem like they belong in this conversation, their careers are not yet over and more can be added to their resume. So for now, they will be left off. In terms of records, it is hard to find someone more dominant than Pele. The most goals ever, most World Cup wins ever (three), FIFA player of the century, the list goes on. Many call him the most important player ever because his dominance brought many eyes to the sport and increased its global popularity. The one knock on Pele will always be something that he was unable to control and that is the level of play. With his career occuring in an era when the competition was not as ramped-up as it is today, many see this as an asterisk. It is unfair, but being that his career was so long ago, it is hard to see his resume ever being held as high as it should be. When it comes to Maradona, his ability to create magic at his feet (or hand) was an incredible thing to watch. What many call the best individual World Cup performance ever, his 1986 run for the trophy will forever be remembered as a “one-man team”. He was able to lift up any team by himself and in a sport that requires a lot from all 11 players on the pitch, Maradona seemed to be the one player in history who has managed to single-handedly turn around a team. Both players’ accolades speak for themselves, but in this GOAT debate, it all depends on what you value. Baseball is probably the hardest sport in which to single out one player. With so many different positions, skill-sets and the stark contrast between offensive and defensive greatness, it’s difficult to say definitively which player had the greatest impact on the game.
clude in competitions. Luis Castro, the lead for the Aggies at Home Esports Committee, said the goal of this program is to help expand the recreation center service from strictly physical to online so that students can continue to stay connected to campus and each other. “The goal is to bring students together through competition and create a community even if participants are miles, states, or countries apart,” Castro said via email. The program will include a large range of games that are both team-based as well as played individually, including Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Call of Duty: Warzone, FIFA 20, League of Legends and more. Registration to take part in the online tournaments is free, and many of these games were chosen because they are free to play online. Castro, a gamer himself, got involved with the program as a way to combine his passion for gaming with community service and to help students stay connected with one another. According to Ferguson Mitchell, the assistant manager for the Memorial Union in charge of the games area, the idea for the Esports program has been around for a while. Conversations about a possible gaming recreation program started when the Gunrock Gaming facility was first launched in April of 2019. Now, with all in-person instruction canceled, the idea was brought up once again. “It's a really good time to engage, because a lot of people are turning towards gaming [and] the internet,” Mitchell said. Mitchell said he hopes the interest from students in the program this quarter will allow him to keep the program running as a permanent feature of the games center and rec sports, even once the campus resumes in-person instruction. For Mitchell, the desire to bring gaming to the whole campus is personal. As an undergraduate student at UC Davis, Mitchell founded a Starcraft video game club that competed on the national level. After developing his passion for
video games, Mitchell began competing in the Esports world in 2010. Despite graduating with a degree in civil engineering, Mitchell found his passion through the club he founded. Once he graduated, he focused on making a career for himself within the Esports world. “I turned [that passion] into a career, and I've been doing Esports streaming for a while and then Esports journalism for eight years now,” Mitchell said. “It's kind of like a night and weekend job I still have and I like doing just to stay involved in that community.” Although the Starcraft club disbanded due to the rising popularity of other games, such as League of Legends, Mitchell still maintains a connection with the gaming club on campus. He regularly communicates with them through the UC Davis gaming discord channel and helps arrange events including online tournaments at Gunrock Gaming and the MU. Mitchell is intent on continuing to foster the sense of camaraderie and fun, not just for the students involved in those clubs, but also for anyone in the student body with an interest in gaming. Through the discord channel, Mitchell regularly checks in with the student gaming community, asking them what times work best for the members, what games they want to play and what kind of support he could provide them. “People want support with mental health right now,” Mitchell said. “I was surprised to see that being the number one thing, and I think it's just acknowledging that we're all kind of going through a really tough time with how things have changed. And that is my number one goal right now, to support students, to give them a place to go to have fun [and] to try to capture some of those feelings they would have hanging out with friends on Friday night.” Those interested in getting involved in the gaming community on campus can join the Gunrock Gaming Discord channel or sign up to participate in the E-Sports Recreation program through Fusion IM.
of retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa Bay. Acquiring Brady was already advantageous enough for the Buccaneers, but the addition of one of the league’s best tight ends could prove to be the competitive boost that the Bucs needed going into next season. In their time together on the Patriots, Gronkowski and Brady had an undeniable chemistry, one that Tampa Bay is hoping to continue. Since Gronkowski entered the league in 2010, the pair have connected for 78 touchdowns, by far the most Brady has thrown to any receiver in his career. For New England, it faces the unfortunate reality of having to fill the gap that Brady left behind. Going into this year’s NFL draft, many assumed the Patriots would pick up a new quarterback to help fill the huge loss they had at the position, but were surprised to see that never happened. Instead, the Patriots are most likely looking at 23-year-old gunslinger Jarrett Stidham, Brady’s backup from last season, to carry the team. It is obviously a huge shift to go from one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the league to somebody who has only been in the NFL for one season and has yet to make his first regular season start. The Patriots also have journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer as an option, who is now returning to New England for his third stint with the team. With Hoyer entering his 12th NFL season, Stidham likely presents a more viable option to develop at the quarterback position. The upside for the Patriots is that both Stidham and Hoyer have experience working with Brady and already have some knowledge of the New England system. The Patriots did end up signing two free agent quarterbacks who went undrafted, but it is unlikely that either will be preferred over Stidham or Hoyer. New England’s disinterest in picking up a new quarterback in the draft could be interpreted as a show of confidence in Stidham and his ability to perform for the team. Brady’s move to Tampa Bay will also now open the league to a new sense of competition. The Patriots have dominated the AFC East and the NFL in general since Brady became their starting quarterback and carried the team to nine super bowl appearances and six championships. But teams that have been overwhelmed by the Patriots for the last two decades now see a chance
to compete for a postseason spot. This move is also just one of a handful of changes seen in this year’s NFL draft at the quarterback position. With the addition of Brady, the Buccaneers let go of their former starting quarterback Jameis Winston — who was originally expected to receive a new contract — and has since signed with the Saints. Although this makes sense for Tampa Bay, it brings about the question of what New Orleans has planned for their current starter, Drew Brees, and his career going forward. A similar situation arose in Green Bay, with the Packers surprisingly drafting quarterback Jordan Love from Utah State in the first round and raising similar questions of what the organization sees for the future of their veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Cincinnati Bengals, who went 2-14 last season, made the most expected choice by taking Heisman Trophy winner and national champion LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. The Chargers also acquired Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert to replace former starter Philip Rivers, while the Dolphins used their first round pick on Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Clearly, next season will see a good amount of young QB talent as each of these players will benefit their respective teams in their own ways. Of course, this is all contingent on whether or not the 2020–2021 football season takes place as scheduled due to the adjustments and suspensions taking place in sports due to the coronavirus. Although NFL fans will just have to wait to see exactly how much the Bucs evolve with Brady and Gronkowski, it’s clear that the team will ultimately be improving overall and can possibly be considered one of the teams to compete with. Brady’s departure is definitely going to impact the Patriots, but it is unclear whether they will be an especially unsuccessful team without him. A good part of Brady’s success in his career can be attributed to head coach Bill Belichick, who is known for the high standards he maintains for the team, and will definitely not allow the team to completely fail without Brady. For Patriots fans, this offseason marks the end of an era in which they were able to watch Brady grow and perform for 20 years. He delivered endless dedication and brought what felt like constant success to New England. But now, a new chapter begins.
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